Chapter Text
Authors Note: This is the ninth installment in the Sam, Dean and Theo stories, if you are new to this a little background info is in order. Basically Theo is an angel on parole and his parole officers are Sam and Dean, they are also his penance. He is to work with them for a period of 10 years; this story takes place 10 years after the initial pairing. If you’re curious now about how this came about go back and read “Tremors”, “My Mechanic is an angel.”, and “All Day Suckers.” By the way my most special thanks to “Writing_in_secret” for the idea of Bobby giving the couple a trailer in the back of his lot. And giving me permission to play with that story tool. By the way again for those who haven’t read my earlier work, I do have God himself popping in from time to time, the near apocalypse basically warned him that he’d been a bit lax in keeping an eye on the worlds smaller frame of people. And to get a mental image of God, I usually describe him a nattily dressed, spiked haired young man, someone who would fit in a crowd; actually he would stand out because I picture him as the Doctor in Dr. Who with David Tennant as the Doctor. ;^) Hope you enjoy.
Story:
Jackson Hole, Wyoming December 2019
The family members were running through the house and finally exited out on the front porch as Dean, Sam and Theo pulled up in the Impala. They got out and met the family in the yard. They looked at Dean and company as if they were saviours. “Thanks for coming on short notice guys.” The man said to them.
“Barry you’re a hunter I’m surprised you didn’t take this job on yourself.” Dean said looked at the husband. Barry looked back at Dean his pinched face giving evidence to the strain he was feeling.
” It would be easier if this freaking poltergeist wasn’t the spirit of my mother.” Barry said.
“Ouch!” Sam said.
“Yeah big ouch, I tried the usual measures and she keeps fouling up my attempts to get anything done.
And then there’s the kids, they don’t want me doing any harm to grandma, the only problem is that when she was alive she was the toast of the town with them but as a right bitch to me and Paula.”
“So that accounts on why she’s not listening to you she’s convinced that you and don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re not man enough to take her on.”
“Convinced, with her it’s practically written in stone. And what she’s doing is havoc.”
“Please is there anything you can do?” Paula asked. Theo stepped up first. “May I go in?”
“Just keep your head down.” Barry advised.
“By the way, what’s her name?” Theo asked.
“Beulah, at least that’s her given name we have others.”
“That’s okay.”
Theo walked up to the door and walked into the house by himself. He stepped into the center of the living room. “Beulah! I know you can hear me so come in and talk with me.” Theo said sitting on the couch. Sudden a vase flew across the room just missing Theo. “Don’t make me go angel on you, you might be dead and a poltergeist now, but you also know what I am and what I can do to you. Now settle down and let’s talk.” A mist formed in the room and settled into a easy chair on the other side.
“What do you want with me?” Beulah said ominously.
“First for you to calm down and tell me what’s wrong why are you doing this to them?”
“Why should I tell you?” She said petulantly.
“Because I can either help you move on to the next level or I can force you out of this place.” Theo said calmly.
“What if I like it here?” She said grumpily.
“Your liking it here has nothing to do with it. You tormented them while they were alive and now you’re doing it after you’re gone, the time has come for you to move on.”
“I ain’t gonna,” she barked.
“You leave me no choice.” He got up and headed for the door only to find it held shut.
Suddenly things small and large started flying at him he dodged them as best he could and started running through the house not giving her a stationary target while he was running he sent a mental thought to Sam.
In the yard Sam gripped his head as if he felt his skull was going to burst. “It’s Theo, come on Dean, she’s after him.” Together they ran for the house and tried to enter the front door, it was held firmly shut, the tried to break it in with no help finally Dean took out a flask of holy water and flung some on the door and the barrier went down. They ran in and found Theo in one of the bedrooms pinned against the wall by a bed. Again splashing the holy water on the bed they got it to move where they could get Theo free, then they all dashed for the front door.
In the yard Barry and his family huddled and looked around distracted at the noises coming from the house. Dean, Sam, and Theo came barreling out the door and towards the family. Theo looked at Barry “Someone is helping to keep her held in there. I’m pretty sure it’s not you or you,” he said pointing to Barry and Paula but then he turned to the teenage son and daughter. “But either one of you or both of you could be doing this.”
“Why do you want to get rid of gram to start with, she’s not doing anything radical, just messing around with us.” The son said.
“Huh it’s your idea to get her to stay, I want her to move on, She deserves better than being stuck in there.” The Daughter said.
“I don’t care what either of you want, your desire for her to stay is destroying the belongings of your family which means pretty soon she’s going to get to your rooms, and if you got anything you like it’s going to be toast. Now help us out here and let her go.”
“NO!” The son said vehemently, “At least she helps me out from time to time.”
Barry nodded knowingly, “So that’s how you’ve been hiding your stash, you got gram to misdirect us. You sorry little shit.”
“Sorry about this Barry, Paula, but it’s gotta be done. “ Theo said reached out and touching the sons forehead. He immediately went limp and hit the ground. “It’s okay, he’s just unconscious.”
“Damn wish you could teach me that trick, I’d like to turn his lights off now and then.” The daughter said maliciously.
Sam and Dean started back towards the house while Theo monitored the action from out in the yard just in case the boy came around. Inside the house it had quietened down considerably. Sam entered and looked around cautiously. He’d been carrying a haversack and he sat that on the floor. Then clearing off the coffee table he set up a small altar from his stock.
“I invoke and call you spirit of Beulah, come now to my bidding and hear my oath. “ Nothing for the moment. Sam added an herb to the mix in the incense dish. “Beulah, I command you to come forth.”
Finally a figure nearly transparent formed in the room. “What do you want pretty boy?” She asked.
“For you to leave now.” Sam commanded.
“Make me.”
Sam laid the knife blade over the herbs, suddenly the spirit began to convulse and scream. “You can’t!”
She begged.
“For all the torment you’ve caused them in life and now attempting to do so in death, I can.” Sam commanded as Dean rapidly salted down doors, windows and even the air conditioning vent in the floor. Sam kept the knife blade in place and she convulsed and started to dissipate. “Go on to what awaits you on the other side, your time here is done. With that he sprinkled the final herb over the blade and she was gone.
“Sammy you got it?”
“Yeah”
“You okay?”
“Strangely yeah”
“She was one tough bitch.” Dean commented.
“You ain’t kidding.” Sam straightened up and put up his tools taking the incense plate into the kitchen sink dumping it and running water over it to put out the coal and then finally flushing it down the disposal. Dean had went to the front door and opened it wide to readmit the family, the son was awake now and rubbing his forehead looking daggers at Theo.
They all came in, and Paula took a breath of air. “She’s finally gone.”
“Fucktard jedi mind tricks.” The son muttered just loud enough for his dad to hear and elbow him in the chest.
The kids went to their rooms to check them out and they heard the son screeching at the top of his lungs. Barry smiled broadly.
“The old bat must’ve taken some of her anger out in Tommy’s room.” He came barreling down the stairs with a small rectangle of twisted metal.
“Look what she did to my iPhone! Damn it!” He yelled. Then he pointed to Sam, Dean, and Theo. “And it’s all your fault.”
“Yep it is.” Dean started. “Want to make something of short stuff?” Dean said getting to his feet, Tommy noticed neither parent rising to his defence and threw the iPhone, rather what was left of it at Dean and stomped out angrily.
“He’ll be pissed off for a day for three, then he’ll remember he has insurance on that damn phone and they’ll give him a new one.” Barry said sitting back. Then he looked around the room at the general disarray.
“We’ve got a hell of a mess to clean up.” He said.
“I don’t care, she’s gone at last.” Paula said. “Let the joyous news be spread, the wicked old witch at last is dead!” She said calling the old line from “The Wizard of Oz.”
“Y’all want a drink?” I don’t think she got into the liquor chest.” Barry said.
“Only because you keep it locked to keep the kids out of it.” Paula replied.
“A drink sounds like a winner to me.” They walked into the kitchen and Paula looked at the general mess and didn’t say a word, she pulled out four old fashion glasses and set them on the counter as Barry unlocked the cabinet and got out a fifth of Jim Beam which he poured them all generous measures.
Then set the near empty bottle on the counter and relocked the cabinet. They sat back sipping on the whiskey enjoying the pleasant burn as it tracked its way to their respective stomachs. Finally they looked up as Tommy came down got his busted iphone from the living room and started to go back up to his room when he looked at his dad first, then his mom. “Well she pretty well trashed my room.”
“Which means you’ll be a while getting it back in order?” Paula asked.
“Yeah.” He moaned, “She even twisted up two of my bowling trophies.”
Now his mother expressed some real concern. “She did that…and you still defend her actions?”
“I don’t know.” He said sullenly. There was about a shot left in the bottle and Barry handed it over to his son, here, you might need a bit of this.”
“Thanks dad.” Then he turned it up killing the bottle as the daughter came out of her room, she observed her brother with the bottle turned up and said, ”Oh look girls, it’s my brother the drunk.”
“Shut up.” He said stolidly as he walked past her and out back up to his room. She walked across to her mom and hugged her.
“So Pattie, I guess you’d say “oh look girls it my parents the drunks.”?”
“Nah, with you it’s cool, you gotta put up with us.” She said with a grin. “Aside from my bed get shoved around and a couple of pictures knocked off the walls she pretty much left my room alone.
Sam looked puzzled. “Wait she trashed the rest of the house but barely touched your room?” Sam said.
“Well yeah, after all I’m studying witchcraft. Well, white witchcraft.” She said smiling at her mother.
“May I?” She asked politely. Her mom gave her the glass and the daughter took a sip.
“I just like the taste, not the feeling.” She said smiling, then she pranced back up to her room.
Sam, Dean and Theo got their stuff together and got ready to leave.
“Thanks guys, I do appreciate it.”
“Thank you.” Dean said hefting his bag and a carton of silver bullets that Barry had cast along with the rest of his arsenal.
In the Impala they looked around, “okay we’re getting better with the poltergeists,” Dean nodded.
“Only because this one was so out there in the open. Most of them are more clever, she was just a malevolent spirit causing trouble.” Sam looked to Theo.
“You okay there sport; you took a beating in there earlier.” Sam asked.
“Oh yeah, I’m great now that I’m out of there.” He smiled and then looked down at his hands that were shaking a bit.
“Nerves.” Sam said noticing the look.
“Yeah, it’s rough running a con on someone who might smell you out. I’ve got enough strength to have exorcised her, but to do the job I was preaching, I’d have to have had full power.”
“You’ll get that soon enough.”
“Which brings us to a question.” Theo tried for the umpteenth time to engage them on.
“No.” Sam said.
“Sam, we gotta talk about this, my time is growing real short.”
“We will talk about it just not now.” Sam said.
“If not now when?” Theo grumped.
“Why are you so adamant to get this talked out?” Dean asked.
“Duh, because I do have a short time left, less than 30 days to be precise, the laziness you two are displaying or should I say bull headedness is causing some problems.”
“Look we get to the motel tonight we’ll take time to talk some of this over okay?” Dean said.
“Promise?”
“Yes, promise.”
They drove on then talking over the case and about the day’s events, which started with them leaving at midnight the night before to get there when they did. Sam had pulled up her obituary and found that it was very short in comparison to others. He looked at Dean as he drove and then back at Theo. “This pretty much says she died, and will be buried in a private ceremony. I wonder if Barry and Paula took turns pissing on the casket?”
Dean snorted, “Anything’s possible with those two.”
“So where are we gonna bed down for the night?”
“Considering we drove through the fricking night to get here, the first motel I come to now is going to be worth it…except that one.” Dean pointed to a rundown looking place. “Norman Bates must run that place.”
“Who’s Norman Bates?” Theo asked.
“Well rent “Psycho” some time for you to watch, guaranteed you never take a shower by yourself without locking the bathroom door again.” Dean said laughing.
They did find a much more reputable place to pull into for the night and after the room was booked they settled in for the night. The first order of business on Dean’s mind was food, at least there was an all night diner nearby so they all went there and got supper. Sam made up his mind to start packing a cooler just in case of these events. He knew he was going to need the antacid he rarely took but kept in the dash of the Impala just in case. After supper they got back to the motel room where Theo sat on the bed across from the and just stared for a long moment as they did some mundane things around the room.
“I know what you’re doing.” Theo said calmly.
“Huh?” Dean said idly flipping channels on the television.
“I said, I know what you’re doing.”
“What are you talking about?” Sam said pulling out his laptop.
“You doing everything in your power to avoid the conversation.”
Theo leaned back miserably, then rolled on his stomach away from them. Dean set the remote to the side and looked at Sam guiltily. They walked over to the other bed and sat down on it.
“Look we’re sorry Theo it’s just this is a hard subject for us to wrap our heads around.” Sam started to which Theo rolled over his eyes blazing.
“And you think it’s easier for me!? I’m the one that’s going to have to make the choice and I’m the one who’s got to live with that choice. You two just get to deal with the fallout.” Theo said with an absent wave of his hand.
“We don’t even get that Theo.” Dean said, Sam darted a look at him, but he ignored it.
“What are you talking about?” Theo asked arched.
“We were told that if you decide to go back our memories get wiped of your even having been with us. And I am pretty sure that if you decided to go and come like Castiel, that our memories will be modified a little to dampen out the relationship.”
Now Theo’s eyes narrowed in deadly earnest, “Who told you this?”
“Michael and Joshua.”
Theo crashed back down on the bed, “I just love the way they are making this so easy for me to decide.” Theo said gripping bed sheets in a white knuckled grip.
Then Dean traced the angle of Theo’s jaw line for a moment. “Come on and calm down a little bit.”
“I don’t want to calm down; I’m tired of them dogging my footsteps like this.” He said his voice cracking his reserve strained. Sam lay down beside him and lay his hand on Theo’s chest.
“Getting yourself all worked up isn’t going to help matters either.” Sam said trying to sooth him. But he was too cranked up and he just lay there like stone.
“Relax,” Dean said sliding his hand down to Theo’s thigh and up.
Theo tensed up. “Don’t Dean, please, just don’t. I really don’t feel like being your human boy toy for the night.”
“Is that what you think you are to us.” Dean said sitting up now, his voice having that steely edge “We’re just using you for sexual relief, you’re nothing more than a bit of man flesh to us. We have no feelings for you.”
Dean was getting good and worked up now and Theo noticing the ire couldn’t even work up a good defence. He just lay there silent. He jerked his hand back and moved back over to their bed angrily changing channels now. Theo stared at the ceiling tears tracking his face, and Sam sat there with him holding his hand.
That was probably the first night the trio slept in separate beds but Theo finally cried himself to sleep, Sam sitting by him until he was under. Then Sam moved over to the bed with Dean. Who was looking like a brooding thundercloud but Sam knew different. Sam too the remote and turned the television off, he turned the lights out and pulled Dean down into a cradling hug, Sam could feel Dean’s breath hitching against his chest and was glad for the night that hid everything.
The next morning Dean woke tired and disheveled, he walked into the bathroom, relieved himself and started the shower; he stripped throwing his clothes out into the bedroom. Sam was already awake, still feeling someone miserable and in the middle, while Theo woke up and smelling the two days of road sweat on him stripped off his clothes and headed for the shower like normal and then remembered that argument of the night before. He turned and looked helplessly to Sam.
“Go on in, he needs you right now.” Sam said and Theo did. Sam was unsure of what went on in the shower he only knew it was over 20 minutes before he heard the water shut off.
And they came out drying off with Dean trying to look all macho and everything. Now it was Sam’s turn at the shower, but first he had something to get off his shoulders. “DEAN ANDREW WINCHESTER!” He started up in full voice. “YOU EVER GO AND PUT ME IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN AND I’LL STRIPE YOUR ASS LIKE DAD DID WHEN HE CAME IN AND FOUND YOU RAIDED HIS LIQUOR.”
Sam walked by and Dean murmured, “Bitch”
Wrong timing on Dean’s part and Theo ducked as a back hand came around and caught Dean in the back of the head. “MAYBE SO BUT I’M A DAMN SIGHT BETTER A BITCH THAN YOU DESERVE.” He then went into the bathroom, slammed the door and locked it, then took his shower.
“Oh shit, maybe he is pissed off with you.” Theo said trying to suppress a grin.
“Wouldn’t be the first time kiddo, wouldn’t be the first time.” Dean dressed then turned to Theo, “Look when Princess Perfect comes out of the shower tell him I’ve gone to get breakfast, the last thing I want him to do is be in a restaurant and have a scene.”
“Okay, One intervention coming up.”