The Shape-Shifting Winchester

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Linda was tied and gagged at the moment, sitting with handcuffs of silver around her hands and neck in the backseat of the Impala.

Digging furiously in the fading light, Sam and Dean forgot to pace themselves and got unnecessarily tired as they dug up Trinity's grave. "Who do you think it is?" Sam asked when they were getting close.

"I'm just hoping she knows," Dean grunted.

In record time they got the grave undug and the coffin opened. It still slightly looked like Trinity, except decayed, and it made the boys cringe. Together they pulled Linda from the car, and she winced where the silver hit her skin, but otherwise remained stoic. Dean threw her down in front of the grave like a murderer before a king.

"Who is it?" Sam asked, keeping his eyes trained on her. If he looked one more time at the body, he was sure he wouldn't be able to do this.

She burst into tears, and the two boys glanced at each other. She hadn't shown a single emotion or spoken since they kidnapped her two days ago.

"Talk," Dean said.

"My daughter."

Instantly the boys had dropped the keys for her chains and were back in the car, driving to the bunker to start their search for, not the demon, but Trinity.

Halfway there Sam took a deep breath. "Stop, Dean."

"What?"

"Stop the car." He looked at Dean, his eyes shining bright with tears. His jaw was tight and Dean saw that he needed some air, so stopped the car. Sam threw the door open, pushing his long legs through the space before it was even wide enough.

Dean followed him, leaning against the hood of the car beside his brother. Sam took a deep breath. "How could she do that? What was she so afraid of that she had to fake her own death? Three months, Dean."

Sam had always endured Dean's deaths with Trinity, and she with him. That went for Dean too. Both of them had always had their sister there. No matter what, Trinity was there, and they'd come to expect that she always would be, that she could be their anchor to the world. Now they were free falling.

Her being gone...it was like having to learn to live without any arms or legs. They felt lost.

Dean looked over to Sam. "I don't know, man. I honestly don't know. You'd think she'd want to stay, especially after learning that she could see people's souls. She seemed excited to learn that."

"Yeah. She never was one for giving up on what she wanted either," chuckled Sam.

Suddenly he paused, his eyes flashing down to Dean's, and they got back in the car.

Making it to the bunker in a little more than fifteen minutes, Sam hopped out and dug the key out of its box. "You call Cas," he said.

Dean started to refute him, but stopped, knowing that Cas would more likely answer his prayers than Sam's.

"Dear Castiel," he prayed in a bored tone, "I pray that thou gets down here otherwise I have an angel blade and I will use it."

Sam started pacing, waiting. It always took Cas forever to come, and after Dean yelled at him, Sam was afraid he wouldn't.

But finally Cas showed up, and the boys took a few steps toward him. "Where's Trinity?" Sam asked.

"Trinity? She...isn't she dead?" Cas asked in return.

Dean grimaced. "No, she isn't. And you know that, don't you?"

His face paled and he started to stammer, "I-I don't know what you mean."

"I bet you don't," said Dean with a smile. It wasn't a kind smile; it was warning Cas that he had better tread carefully, otherwise he'd be on Dean's bad side.

Sam stepped up. "Look, Cas, we know she came to you. Please, tell us where she is."

He sighed and said decisively, "I can't." And although those few words ignited a bout of hope in the boys, it also angered them that Cas was keeping something so crucial from them.

"Come on, Cas!" Dean exclaimed angrily. "We're her brothers for pete's sake!"

"No, I mean I literally can't. I am incapable of telling you where she is."

Suddenly they stopped, and they forgot to be angry. Sam said, "What do you mean, you're incapable?"

"She compelled me to secrecy. It was only then that she let me know where she even was."

"Then how'd she compel you if you weren't there?" Dean snapped.

"I came to her in a gas station. After she compelled me she showed me where she was staying."

"How long have you known?" Sam asked in a whisper.

Cas' eyes were heavy as he replied, "Since hours after I last saw you." Ten weeks. He'd known where she was for ten weeks. He looked between them before saying, "I did want to tell you, or try to hint that something was amiss, but I couldn't. You have to believe me."

Dean didn't respond, just put his hand on Cas' shoulder and nodded before walking out. Sam stayed. "Cas, can you tell us anything? Give us any clues at all?"

Sadly he shook his head. "No. The most I can do is speak to her for you. Is there anything specific you want me to say?"

"Yeah, actually. Uh, can you come back in a couple hours? I need to talk to Dean first."

Cas nodded. "Of course. Sam, I am sorry."

Sam held up his hand. "Just, save it, Cas. I don't want to hear it. Look, I know you couldn't say where she was, but couldn't you have at least told us she was alive?"

Seeing how upset he was, Cas' eyes dropped. "Sam..."

Sam walked around him and followed his brother out. Trinity was alive. She was alive, and she had been training for three months. She was alive, and she was safe.

Now Sam just had one question for her: why?