Chapter Six

*This story runs during the equivalent of Season 3, with some skewing of timelines and information, as it is an Alternate Universe, based on the events of the television series. Canon parts are worked in with my own. More notes are at the end to help clear up the backstory.

Six months later…

The three partners were on edge. Elora was six months old today. They had been up all night, unable to sleep. Trixie and Dan’s guns were loaded with rock salt and silver. Ineffective against such a powerful demon maybe, but it made them feel better. All three had memorized the old Latin repellent that Sam had emailed her. Dan had loaded the place with crosses, partly to make himself feel better. Devil’s Traps were painted everywhere.

Trixie rechecked the salt lines constantly. Neither Dean nor Sam had answered their phone for the last twenty four hours but Sam had promised Honey earlier in the week they’d be there. Trixie knew the brothers wouldn’t break their word. It would take divine, or demonic, intervention to keep Sam from protecting his daughter.

The day ticked on. The Demon attacked at night, they knew that. Dan tried to nap, to be fresh for the night, but every time he dozed off, he’d jerk away awake on the sofa.

Dusk came, then twilight, then night.

Trixie had left the nursery to go to the kitchen, needing a drink of water. Dan was in the bathroom, a badly timed cup of coffee hitting his system.

Honey’s scream split the night and Trixie dropped her glass, racing down the hall, gun out.

The nursery door was shut. Trixie kicked it open and barged in. Honey was pinned up against the wall by an invisible force, screaming. Elora was levitating in her crib, crying, as a hunched, cloaked figure stood there.

“No!” Trixie shouted. “You can’t have her!”

The demon turned and Trixie saw the eerie white eyes before she was flung across the hallway and slammed into the wall, dropping her gun. She could hear guns going off and men shouting. Honey wasn’t screaming anymore. Dear god, where was Honey? Where was Elora?

In the nursery, flames ignited as Elora hovered in the air. Honey screamed as she felt herself being dragged up the wall to the ceiling. Dan burst into the room, shouting in Latin.

The demon turned towards Dan, white eyes glowing.

“Fool,” he hissed, one hand moving towards Dan.

Dan did the first thing that came to mind, and tackled the body the demon was possessing. They hit the ground struggling but Honey and Elora stayed where they are. The flames were spreading rapidly and Honey abruptly fell to the ground while Elora stayed airborne, crying.

Trixie tried to get to her feet and was pulled to her feet by familiar hands. The world spun around her and she leaned against the wall, trying to make sense of what she was hearing.

“Dean,” she whispered.

She could hear Sam shouting, then there was more screaming and she felt intense heat. Dean was gone again and she got up, leaning against the wall for balance as her head spun. Making her way into the room, she froze.

Sam cradled a sobbing Honey as Dean held his niece against his chest with one arm, kneeling over a body. White foam from the fire extinguisher was everywhere.

“Where is it?” she demanded. “What happened?”

Honey left Sam’s side and crawled towards the body covered in foam. Trixie felt her blood run cold as she realized who she couldn’t see. Sam grabbed Honey and pulled her away from the figure on the ground, murmuring he weeping woman.

“No,” she whispered. “No. Dan!”

Dean turned to her, despair in his green eyes, covered in soot and sweat. “Trixie, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. We weren’t fast enough.”

Trixie bolted to her friend’s body but Dean caught her and pulled her into his arms, handing Elora off to his brother.

“No, Trixie, no. You don’t want to see him this way. Please, Trixie, no,” he whispered. “Trust me on this Trixie, you don’t want to see him!”

“But it’s Dan!” Trixie felt the tears coming as she struggled with Dean to reach her old friend. But Dean didn’t let go, and finally she collapsed against him, sobbing. “It’s Dan!”

Honey bawled in Sam’s arms. The brothers exchanged a look.

Trixie suddenly pulled back from Dean and hit him across the face. “Where were you?” she whispered. “Why weren’t you here sooner? You knew this would be too much!”

Dean had been waiting for this. “I’m so sorry, Trixie,” he said.

Trixie hit him again and he let her as she started to swing at his chest and shoulders, until she collapsed in his arms, sobbing as if she’d never stop. Dean held her close, wishing he had been there five minutes earlier.

***

The Winchester boys had arrived in time to hear Honey screaming. They saw Trixie hit the wall as Dan bolted from the bathroom, gun out. They reached the nursery as Dan tackled the demon, and the flames ignited. Neither could get close enough to pull Dan off and Sam grabbed Elora. Honey was dropped to the floor, screaming for Dan. The demon hissed and vanished in a flash of fire which took Dan and spread through the room. Dean grabbed the extinguisher before the flames could catch and spread. He was too late though, Dan wasn’t moving. Dean could only hope that Dan's death had been instantaeous and that he didn't suffer.

***

Three days later they stood at the edge of the hole in the ground. Surrounded by the Bob-Whites and their families and friends, Daniel Mangan was laid to rest.

Dean stood behind Trixie, arms around her for comfort. He had held her through the nights as she cried for Dan; he wouldn’t leave her side now. Sam stood with Honey, supporting her as she leaned against his side. In his other arm was Elora, sleeping peacefully as she always did when he held her.

Trixie didn’t hear the minister’s words as he spoke, or anyone else as they gave a eulogy or spoke about Dan. Regan had asked her to speak but she didn’t know what to say. She could never sum up the friend Dan was to her. All she could think about was she hadn’t been there to back Dan up. She had been too dizzy from hitting the wall to come to his aid. Dean had tried to convince her she couldn’t have done anything short of stopping Dan from throwing himself on the demon. Trixie couldn’t be consoled.

Jim Frayne gave the first eulogy, followed by the other Bob-Whites. Finally, Trixie walked up, hands shaking. Dean stood ready to come to her aid; he knew she’d never make it through her eulogy.

“I wasn’t very nice to Dan when he first came to Sleepyside,” she said in a shaky voice. “In fact, I was pretty rude to him, and I tried to blame the theft of Honey’s watch on him. I saw a different side of him the night he saved mine and my brother, Bobby’s life. From that day on, I tried to understand him. I came to realize what a good hearted man he truly was. Dan was always there for us, even when he couldn’t along on trips. He was always a calm voice, and suspicious when the rest of us should have been. Dan got himself into some trouble a couple of times because of me, but he never held it against me. He said it came with the territory of being a Bob-White. The Bob-Whites were his family, as much as if we had been blood. Dan was our brother, our friend, and our protector. He came to my rescue several times over the years, and he was determined to be a good father to Elora. Dan had six months with his daughter, and I think it was the happiest time of his life becuase he-" her voice broke and the tears spilled over.

Dean moved swiftly, pulling her to him as she sobbed, wrapping his arms tightly around her. The minister looked at Honey, whose tears were streaming down her face. Honey shook her head. She couldn’t. All she could remember was seeing Dan’s charred and lifeless body lying in front of her. She would never forget him tackling the demon, trying to save their daughter.

Road construction had held the Winchester boys up, delaying them several hours. Dean had risked being caught speeding the entire way, to get them there on time, driving as fast as the Impala would go.

The boys disappeared before the cops arrived. The wall had been scorched and the preliminary findings were a bizarre electrical fire. Neither girl noticed the police didn’t quite seem to believe it, they were too deep in shock and grief. They new there would be questions about the bizarre symbols on the walls and ceiling but even the officer questioning them realized in their state of shock, they couldn’t provide answers.

After no sleep, and mindless wandering and too many tears to count, Trixie had been full of questions. The police had gone, the coroner had taken Dan’s body and now they had to call Bill Regan, Dan’s uncle. Sam took the phone from Trixie when her voice cracked and tried to gently break the news to a devastated Regan.

“How did it get past the salt, and all the charms?” Trixie asked, leaning against him. Dean collected his thoughts as he put his arm around her. They sat on the leather sofa, Dean comforting Trixie. Honey was sleeping after being given a mild sedative by Brian; Sam was with her.

“I think the charms worked.”

“Let me finish, Curly,” Dean answered, taking a swig of his beer. He wasn’t good at dealing with emotional females, he never had been. He wanted to comfort Trixie, but he just didn’t know how other than to hold her. Emo was Sam’s deal. “Listen. We drew those symbols everywhere, but particularly around the crib. I’ve never, ever, seen one of those kids levitate like that. Now I knew a psychic kid, like Sammy, who could levitate objects, but never saw him levitate himself. I think either our girl can levitate herself, or those charms and spells were keeping it at bay. Because I never saw the thing touch her.”

“It didn’t,” Trixie said, pulling away from Dean slightly. Her brow creased as she forced herself to remember. “I kind of remember. I thought it was just my vision at the time from hitting my head, but…it looked like it couldn’t quite touch her.”

“That’s why we didn’t want a Devil’s Trap directly over the crib, because it would have locked it in right there with the baby,” Dean said. “We set them at the doors and windows, but it still got around them. Which means it didn’t come through doors or windows. Between salt and the Traps, it never should have gotten in. So that’s one more thing to add to what we know about it. I swear this thing is constantly gaining new powers,” Dean said disgustingly. “This thing is powerful, Trixie. We’re talking high level. I saw its eyes. They were white. I don’t know what that means exactly, other than a whole heap of power.”

Trixie’s eyes watered.

Dean kissed the top her head again, one arm around her securely.

Sam wandered into the room to talk to Dean, but decided not to disturb the tender moment. He wondered if they’d ever wake up and realize they were meant for each other. They were definitely a good match. He recognized the player in Dean, but he also saw Dean’s need to protect, and his longing for a family. Dean’s appetite for women was enormous, Sam knew that, but the way he was so easily comfortable with Trixie, just the way he held her, and looked at her, spoke volumes more. Sam doubted his brother would ever be able to commit to one woman, but he hoped Trixie could change that.

Sam also wondered if Dean would ever tell Trixie about his visit to Hell. Dean didn’t talk about it, but sometimes at night he’d jerk in his sleep, and Sam wondered if his brother was reliving it, despite his claims of remembering nothing.

And how to tell Trixie that angels themselves had pulled Dean out of Hell? He had the mark on his shoulder, and hen there was Castiel who liked to appear periodically and was generally of no help.

And then there was Ruby. Sam wasn’t about to tell Honey about Ruby. Ruby had been there as a comfort when Dean died, and helping Sam stay motivated to keep Hunting and to try and stop the impending Apocolypse. There was a demon named Lilith on the loose, Sam knew that much, but there was no additional information, other than se was bent on breaking the 66 seals required to release Lucifer and start the Apocolypse. Tracking this Lilith, trying to protect seals before she could get to them, all without Dean and unable to go to Honey and Elora for fear of the danger he might bring on them, had pushed Sam to his limits.

Which is why he had accepted help from Ruby, a demon herself. She had helped the boys repeatedly while Dean was alive, she had saved Sam’s life after Dean was dead. Dean was furious at Sam for working with her and didn’t trust her, but Sam did.

Sam hung back, watching his brother and Trixie. He wondered if there was any chance he and Honey could be together. If he and Dean could stop Lilith from releasing Lucifer, if they could stop the Apoalypse...that was a lot of big ifs. Would Honey be able to forgive him some of the things he had done these last six months? Might have to do still, to prevent the end of the world?

“I’m sorry we didn’t get here earlier,” Dean murmured into her hair. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Trixie whispered. “Dan was trying to protect his daughter. I didn’t mean to attack you.”

“It’s okay.” Dean didn’t correct her that the baby was Sam’s daughter. He knew how possessive Dan was of Elora and Honey. The man had sacrificed himself for Dean’s niece, and Dean wouldn’t rob him of the honor and valor.

“How long will you stay?” Trixie asked, looking up at him.

He took a drink of his beer.

“I don’t know. A few days. Sam doesn’t want to leave Honey and Elora again.”

“What are the chances of this thing coming back?” Trixie asked.

Dean shook his head.

“I don’t know. We’re always one step behind it. The pattern so far is that it doesn’t come back. With Azazael, if it missed the baby on the six month round, it doesn’t come back until they’re grown. I don’t know about this new one. I’ve never seen a demon with white eyes.”

“Anything on a weapon to kill it?” she asked, getting up to pace the room.

“No,” he sighed. “Sometimes we run across a legend or myth that talks of a weapon, but we haven’t figured out what the weapon is because we don’t know what the demon is. Other than the Colt, no one has ever seen or heard of a weapon that can destroy it. Bobby has devoted his full attention to it. We did encounter a knife that kills demons, but there’s no way it’d let us get close enough and we don’t have it anyway.”

Trixie leaned against the counter. “Dean, how big is the Hunter community?”

Dean looked surprised. “I’m not sure. There’s more than one roadhouse type deal, set up throughout the country. We network mostly through them, but only when necessary, since word got out about Sam and his psychic visions – which have stopped, by the way. I think quite a few, why? You thinking of joining up?” he flashed a grin, that faded when Trixie suddenly looked guilty. “Oh, no. Trixie, no.”

“Why not?” she asked defiantly.

He set his beer down, and got up, walking to her. He then took her by the shoulders, all laughter gone form his handsome face. His serious green eyes were trained on her.

“Listen to me. It’s not fun and games, Trix. It’s dangerous. It’s deadly. We kill. Maybe not humans, but kill things, and more than one human has got in the way before. We’re Hunters. Sometimes, humans die because of what we do. If they’re possessed, than we have to decide in a split second whether or not to kill them. There’s no thanks, we’re constantly on the run, trying not to get caught by local authorities and have to explain what we do. We hustle pool and run credit card scams for survival. That’s no life for you and its damn sure no life for Honey and Elora.”

Trixie glared at him. “I didn’t say I was, I was just simply considering changing the Agency.”

Dean shook his head. “Sweetheart, how would you explain it to your family? And your clients are wealthy upper crust. They’ll think you’ve lost your mind if you tell them you’re going to go hunt demons. Trixie, you know the one rule we have is not to tell people what we do. We never would have told you had the spirit not popped up and tossed you into a wall last year.”

“I’m not a child, Dean,” she snapped. “I know it’s dangerous!”

Dean sighed. “Trixie, you’re not rational right now.”

“Rational?” she demanded, sitting up. “That thing just killed one of my best friends and you say I’m not rational?” she shouted. “Hell no, I’m not rational! I want that thing! I want to find it, and kill it! It killed Dan, one of my oldest and best friends! Dan died trying to save us!”

Dean pulled her back against him. “I get it, sweetheart, believe me, I get it. But you aren’t trained. You have no idea what these things are really like. Do you have any idea what Honey is going through right now, knowing Dan gave his life for her? I know more about that kind of burden than you realize,” Dean said quietly.

Trixie’s hand flew to her mouth. How could she have forgotten? John Winchester had literally sold his soul to Azazel in order to save Dean's life, sentencing himself to eternity in Hell. All so his son could live.

“Oh, Dean,” she whispered. “I didn’t think –I really didn’t—”

“It’s okay,” Dean answered, holding her close. “Believe me, I know I survivor’s guilt. I still carry it from Dad.”

Trixie wrapped her arms around Dean. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. How are we going to explain a random fire to Regan? In the bedroom? And all the symbols? He hasn’t asked yet, because he’s still in shock but the police are probably going to rule it a suspicious murder. The others won’t let this go; they won’t accept a flimsy cover story. Jim and Brian and Mart will want every little detail, Dan was one of our best friends.”

Dean kissed the top of her head. “Leave it to us, okay?”

***

Matthew Wheeler rested his head in his hands. On his computer screen, sat the file staring at him, as it had been doing for the last twenty minutes.

It contained a thorough report on Dean, Sam and John Winchester, and Bobby Singer, a fellow retired marine and family friend. At first it was standard stuff, background, John’s time in the marines with Bobby, his marriage to Mary, their life in Kansas. But Matthew hadn’t become the millionaire mogul he was without a few shady connections here and there. It had taken several months, but his sources came through.

There were police records on the boys, but the right questions and enough cash tossed around brought out more answers. What Matthew overheard Sam telling Honey the day Elora was born checked out. Some of it seemed a stretch of the imagination, but the signs were there for those willing to read it. There was a whole other, darker side to the world, and humanity, and things far from human.

Matthew found it a small comfort that Honey wasn’t involved with Dean, the philandering, drinking, gambling brother who reveled in his debauchery. Sam might be the gentle, family rebel, once pre-law, Stanford educated, but he was the target of the demons. Real demons. From Hell.

Dean Winchester had reportedly died in St. Louis, MO, a few years before. It was later determined he had faked his death, though Dean had insisted it was a shapeshifter. Then there was the fact Dean had been killed and buried almost six months ago, but was now here, alive and well, and looking no worse for the wear. Matthew wanted to know how much of this was true, and if it was true, how in the Hell had Dean come back to life?

Matthew had had this file for several weeks now, rereading it until he had every word memorized, unsure of how to approach the girls. Honey and Trixie had gotten in over their heads this time, and now Dan, one of Matthew’s favorites of the old BWGs, was dead.

Dan hadn’t died in a bizarre electrical fire. He had died protecting Matthew’s granddaughter, from a demon. Something Matthew had never really believed in, despite his incredibly superstitious great grandmother, who had always ranted about the spirits and evils of man. Matthew’s memories of her were fuzzy, he had been a boy and she an old woman, but now he wondered if maybe, just maybe, she had known more than she let on, if her ramblings weren’t just that of a slightly off-the-rocker old lady..

The mind boggling information he had injested gave him a headache, but Matthew needed more information. And he knew two things. There would be another attempt on his granddaughter. And this time, he’d be there to help to protect her.

Back   Home   Next

Author’s Notes
-a big “I am freakin' velvety smooth!”, to Donna and Mary, my fabulous editors!
-Some new notes along with a repeat of some lengthy notes here but they'll fill in some gaps on the Winchester boys!
- Killing off my favorite BWG, Dan Mangan, was NOT easy. It wasn’t in the original plotline, but Jenn made me see it was the best way to go. So blame her. ;)
- In Season 2, episode In My time of Dying, Dean was in a coma after the Impala was broadsided by a semi. John summoned Azaeal and traded his soul for Dean’s life. Dean has always carried that guilt.
- In Season 2, the boys met Gordon Walker, a supreme Hunter. But Gordon was hunting mostly vampires, as revenge for them taking his sister and turning her. When he heard Sam had psychic gifts, he spread the word to other Hunters, making Sam a target himself. Gordon caused the boys several episodes of trouble, finally meeting a grisly end in season 3 at the hands of Sam, after being turned into a vampire himself.
- At the end of season 3, Dean was killed by the Hellhounds who came for his soul, and he did to go to Hell. He was tortured for three months (the equivalent of 30 years there) and resisted the offer to be free of torture, if he would begin torturing others. He finally broke down and did so for ten years (1 month regular time). He continues to loathe himself for being weak and giving in. He was pulled out of Hell by Castiel, (an angel, in the Season 4 opener) to do God’s work, according to Castiel. Later, Dean was told that the first seal broken was himself, when he gave in to torture other souls. As he was the first seal, it was up to him to stop the breaking of the others; therefore, he was pulled out of Hell by the angels. Dean carries more endless guilt and self loathing than any other character.
- Season 4 had a running theme of the boys trying to stop this demon Lilith. There are several hundred seals keeping Lucifer in Hell; she only needs to break 66 of them. The boys are racing against time.
Repeated:
-Season 2, All Hell Breaks Loose parts 1 & 2, Sam was murdered by another ‘psychic kid’ that Azazel was using to open a gate to Hell (built by Samuel Colt to trap demons and protected by a private railroad- iron bars that demons can’t cross.) Dean made a deal with a Crossroads Demon to bring Sam back to life, in exchange for Dean’s soul. Instead of the standard ten years though, Dean was given one year before his soul would be claimed and he’d go to Hell. Which he did.
- Season 3, episode 3, The Kids Are Alright, Dean encounters a fling from 8 years prior, and her son is a mini-Dean. Lisa insists the boy is not Dean’s but he never quite believes her. In episode 8, Dream a Little Dream, Dean’s dream is revealed to have Lisa and Ben as his family.
- Season 4, episode 3, Back to the Beginning, Dean is given a chance to go back in time, and discovers his mother was a Hunter, unbeknownst to his father. John was killed and Mary made a deal with Azazel, the yellow eyed demon. In return for John coming back to life, Mary would give Azazel ‘something’ ten years later, when he returned. “Something” turned out to be Sam. Mary died trying to protect Sam (pilot episode). Azazel fled, and after Mary’s death, John began to realize there were darker things in the world. He never knew Mary was a Hunter when he met her.
- Dean was framed for murder on both occasions both times. One was a shapeshifter from Season 2, Nightshifter, the other he was found standing over a body in Season 3.
 -Word Count, 3,519

Disclaimer: Trixie Belden® is a registered trademark of Random House books. These pages are not affiliated with Random House Books in any way, shape or form. No profit is made here, only entertainment. Images of Trixie Belden and other series characters are copyright © All non-Trixie Belden canon characters belong to AmazonWitch, Inc. Random House books. Images, references and characters and are used lovingly and respectfully, albeit without permission. Dean and Sam Winchester belong to © Warner Brothers Studios.

This website is © 2005-2025 Mal. All rights reserved. All graphics created by Mal and may not be used without permission.