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Dean got up to go check on the girls but stopped at the door of the den. He stood there for a moment certain they hadn’t seen him. All the girls had awakened and where gathered around Alyssa on the floor. He left when he saw his little girl was fine. He didn’t want to embarrass her by running to her aid. He sighed as he went back to the bedroom. Cassie smiled when she saw him.
“She okay?”
“Yeah, she seems fine,” he replied with a slight frown.
“Well, you didn’t say anything right?” Cassie asked with the hope that Dean had played it cool for his daughter’s sake.
“No, I don’t think anyone but Alli knew I was there, she probably only sensed me,” he said as he pulled back the covers with a smirk.
“Yeah cause you two have that daddy daughter connection left over from the day, though she would not have wanted them all to know her Daddy runs to help her every time something happens.”
“I know,” he said with a frown as she smiled up at him.
Sometimes she thought Dean was the spoiled one, he had so enjoyed his daughter running to him with every scrap, bruise and heaven knew it all started before she could talk. He had sat for hours listening to her baby talk some days, while he only stared at her in wonder. Dean pulled Cassie into his arms after they were both in bed. She grinned as she snuggled under his neck. I hope their closeness returns some day.
---
Vanessa and Mackenzie watched Alyssa as she told them all what she dreamed about. Alyssa knew she couldn’t tell any of them the truth so she just made up something.
“It was weird one of those dreams where I was being chased,” she said with a laugh.
“Oh I hate those,” one of the other girls said with a smile.
“Yeah I woke up as I was at the edge of a cliff,” Alyssa added as she smiled at everyone.
“That is so scary,” Another girl chimed in before they began to talk of their dreams.
Some had dreamed of flying or falling, and they laughed as they discussed them.
After a few minutes, Alyssa excused herself to go get some water. MacKenzie bit her lip as she watched her cousin leave the room.
---
The young girl was well aware of her cousin’s situation and worried that something was wrong. At first when her father had told her that Alyssa may have been having visions she was jealous. Her father was the one with the special gifts why couldn’t she be the one that was special, she had wondered. But later she realized it was no ones fault and that the gifts in her family were random.
---
Once Allysa was in the kitchen she tried not to panic as the dream came back to her full force. She felt bad she had lied to her friends but they would have not understood her real dream. She could see it as though it was all happening again.
Sam and Lydia as well as MacKenzie and Logan had been looking for Marianne in the woods. They all seemed upset and concerned for the little girl. Logan had looked older with a mustache while Mackenzie was taller. Then the dream had changed a bit when she saw that MacKenzie had found Marianne hiding behind a tree in tears. The scenery had changed from more springtime to snow. Alyssa didn’t understand if they were looking for her in one season and didn’t find her til the next. It all had to mean something. Besides, MacKenzie’s role in the dream seemed more mature would account for Logan’s mustache. It had to be in the future, she reasoned with herself.
“Hey Sweetie we love you so much, no one is going to take you from us I promise,” MacKenzie said to the little girl before they hugged.
Then the worse part of the dream happened, there was a man in a hood that came up behind the two girls to grab them, that was when Alyssa had screamed.
---
Lost in thought Alyssa didn’t hear Cassie when she came in the room.
“Hey you okay?”
“I don’t know Mom, it was a weird dream. Maybe even a vision I don’t know.”
Then she told her all about it. Cassie was a little disturbed but refused to let it show to her daughter.
“Hey it’s okay um, I will call your uncle Sam to make sure everything….”
“No, mom this dream seems like it’s in the future. I think we can wait to talk to uncle Sam tomorrow okay,” she insisted.
Cassie agreed as she left the kitchen to go tell Dean what she had heard.
---
The next day Sam and Lydia came by with Marianne after the girls left. They all gathered in the kitchen to talk about the dream. Alyssa looked up at Sam as he pursed his lips.
“Uncle Sam I wasn’t in the dream or whatever it was but when I thought of it later I think for some reason I…”
“What?”
“The lady you described to us as Marianne’s mother I think I was her. I mean it was so weird. I was watching what happened from above.”
“But why do you think you were Joanna?” Sam asked with dread.
He wasn’t sure he wanted Joanna messing with his family’s minds. What if Joanna wasn’t innocent in all of this the way they originally had believed?
“I’m sorry maybe it was just a feeling I can’t really explain it. It was like when the man showed up to get them it was as though I felt deep rage something I have never felt before.”
---
Dean asked Sam if he had any idea of what was happening and Sam only shrugged.
“I told you before it seems as though she tries to communicate to me in my sleep?”
“Who?” Cassie asked as she came back in the room.
“Joanna, I have had strange dreams but they don’t usually stick with me. I have tried to write a couple down for Lydia to review recently,” he said as he looked at his wife.
“Yeah, so far I cannot interpret them even using online sources.”
“Maybe they are personal, you may need to go into her background again,” Dean said as he smiled at his daughter who looked sleepy.
Marianne clapped in Lydia’s lap getting everyone’s attention before they all laughed at her.
“Guess it is a plan,” Sam said.
---
Joanna was excited she had wanted to find a way to help Sam figure out the mystery of Marianne. He had worked so much the last few weeks she had begun to worry. When she found out another member of his family could be reached through visions she thought she would give it a try. She wasn’t sure how much freedom she had to play around with either. She had heard the invisible realm had as many rules as the visible one which she found distasteful.
---
She watched the family as they moved the focus to eating. She was surprised when she saw something move across the room. It was another opaque figure. A second later it stood in front of her. She knew instantly who it had to be, as the blonde woman’s face became clearer.
“You are the reason they knew of the supernatural aren’t you?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m their mother. And you are causing trouble for them?” Mary asked angrily.
“No, I have an interest in the little girl.”
Mary looked at Marianne then at the ghost in front of her.”
“She is yours?”
“Yes, I am Joanna.”
“She is beautiful,” Mary said hesitantly.
---
Sam felt something as he looked around the room between bites. Lydia watched him for a moment before he saw her and smiled.
“Is she here?”
He nodded before his reply, “I think so but she’s not alone.”
“What?” Lydia asked as she put her fork down.
Sam explained he had gotten used to Joanna’s presence enough to almost tell what mood she was in.
“Whoever it is seems friendly with her.”
Dean rolled his eyes, “Great ghost whisperer, can you tell who this other presence might be?” he teased his brother.
Alyssa tried not to laugh.
“Only that they are friendly and I need to get to work for the rest of the day.”
---
“Thanks for stopping by,” Cassie said as she hugged her brother in law.
“Yeah Bro, thanks for taking time out of your otherwise busy day,” Dean tried to say with a straight face but failed miserably.
Sam pulled Dean into a hug for his smart ass attitude.
“Hey I might wrinkle you,” Dean said as he struggle to get away from his overly tall brother.
“Nope it’s wrinkle free,” he said as he left his wife and Marianne with kisses.
“Maybe it was grandma,” Alyssa suggested to Dean as he took her to school.
“Why would you say that?”
“Sorry Dad,” she answered as she looked curiously at her father’s profile.
“No reason to be sorry, I just wondered why you would suggest that.”
“She is dead like Joanna….”
“Your grandfather is dead why couldn’t it be him?”
---
Alyssa was quiet she had heard rumors that her grandfather John was in hell. She didn’t know how to say that to her Dad. She knew that he had somehow blamed himself for his father’s death. So she only shrugged when he asked the question.
“Well it could have been anyone maybe someone died in our house that we know nothing about,” Dean suggested.
“You’re right,” Alydsa conceded with hopes of ending the discussion.
Dean was quiet for a few moments. Maybe this was the time he could bond with his daughter again.
“You don’t have to tip-toe around the fact that my father sold his soul so I could live.”
Alyssa’s mouth dropped open. She had never heard that story before. It seemed so sad but it also seemed like a meaningful sacrifice. Was it true, her grandfather died so her father could live? Without his dying she would have not been born. She was bewildered and wanted to know all about it. But saw they had arrived at her school.
“Dad, could you tell me all about it later? Please?”
“Yeah sure, honey, if you want to hear it. Some of the details might be a bit scary.”
“I can handle it just promise you will tell me.”
“Okay, later.”
Alyssa grinned when she got out of the car. This could be interesting.
---
Sam worked several hours and was leaving the courthouse before he had a chance to think about what happened earlier. He was certain whatever was going on was not evil. Though he pursed his lips as he reached to open his door to his car. There was a flash in his head of a Blonde woman, it looked like his mother but he knew she had destroyed herself to save them. It couldn’t be. He got into the car and sat still as he tried to recall what she had said the last time he saw her, the only time he could ever remember. “I’m sorry”
---
Over the years, he had never figured out what she had to be sorry for though he had to confess his life with Lydia had been at the forefront of his mind since they married. He rarely allowed himself to think that he should have stayed single. He couldn’t imagine his life without his family. The guilt of bringing them into his world had faded over time. Though he and Dean discussed it every couple of months. Usually about the time they felt really blessed and happy.
“We’re both selfish bastards,” Dean would say.
Sam would shake his head in insistence that their parents would have wanted them to have a life, especially their mother. Then they would toast to their wives and kids and move on to a happier subject.
---
Sam jumped when someone tapped on his window. He turned to see it was Lydia with a frown on her face.
“You stood me up,” she said with a half smile.
“Sorry, I had some things on my mind, I was on the way.”
She went around to the passenger side then got in the car with him. He immediately reached for her to press a light kiss to her lips. Lydia had other ideas as she pulled his head down to hers and pushed her tongue in his mouth with a moan. Sam moved his hand over her back as he pulled her close to him. They enjoyed the kiss for several minutes before they came up for air. Their breathing was labored as they looked into one another eyes.
“Missing me today I see,” Sam said as she smiled at him.
“Always Sweetie, some days more than others.”
“I’m glad we could get together today I think we should discuss Marianne.”
“What about her?” Lydia asked as they backed out to get onto the street.
Sam expressed that he believed Marianne was special but he had no clue how. Since she had shown no signs of her own, or so he believed, of having gifts.
“Well all we can do is keep an eye on her, right? I mean with our experience it shouldn’t be too hard.”
“Yeah that’s true, I guess I didn’t want you to be surprised if that turns out to be the catch with her.”
“You worry too much, Sam. We can handle this situation.”
They went on to discuss the presence at the house and how Sam had the impression it was his mother again.
“Oh wow, I remember before you said you felt her at he hospital years ago when I was sick.”
“I just wonder why she is around. I dread the thought that it could be because we never avenged her death.”
“Don’t blame yourself.”
Sam was quiet, if they had done their jobs right their mother would be at peace. Maybe it was time they went back on the hunt.
TBC