SACRIFICE ³ - DEAN WINCHESTER

Twenty-One

Dean, Sam and Jenny were sitting in a large house across from Mrs Caldwell, another victim of whatever supernatural being was snatching people up. "So, that's how your son described the attack? "Santa took daddy up the chimney"?" Dean asked the woman, who was doing her best to not touch her black eye.

"That's what he says, yes."

"And where were you when this happened?" Jenny asked, watching as the woman tried to remember z

"I was asleep and all of a sudden... I was being dragged out of bed, screaming."

"Did you see your attacker?" Sam questioned next. Mrs Caldwell shook her head, sniffling.

"It was dark, and he hit me. He knocked me out."

"I'm sorry. I know this is hard." Dean sympathized, nodding slowly.

"Yeah..." Sam looked around, pausing and frowned. "Um, Mrs. Caldwell, where, where did you get that wreath above the fireplace?"

"Excuse me?" Dean and Jenny looked at Sam, waiting for an answer. He shrugged, giving the woman an embarrassed smile.

"Just curious."

✦✦✦

"Wreaths, huh? Sure you didn't want to ask her about her shoes? I saw some nice handbags in the foyer." Dean said sarcastically as Sam rolled his eyes.

"We've seen that wreath before." Jenny raised a brow, confused.

"Where?" She wondered jokingly, looking back at the house.

"The Walshes'. Yesterday."

"I know." Jenny nudged Sam, smirking. The younger Winchester scoffed as the three got into the Impala.

✦✦✦

Sam, Dean and Jenny sat in the motel room, Jenny busy reading about old wreaths as Sam was in the phone.

"Yeah, all right. Well, keep looking, would you? Thanks, Bobby. Well... we're not dealing with the anti-Claus."

"What did Bobby say?" Dean frowned. Sam held back a laugh.

"Uh, that we're morons. He also said that it was probably meadowsweet in those wreaths." Sam stated as Jenny nodded.

"Wow! Amazing. What the hell is meadowsweet?"

"Well, this website says it's pretty rare and it's probably the most powerful plant in pagan lore." Jenny turned her computer to Dean, who had been sitting next to her. Dean raised a brow as he looked at the website.

"Pagan lore?"

"Yeah. Way back when, they used meadowsweet for human sacrifice. It was kind of like a... Seven course meal for their gods. Gods were drawn to it and they'd stop by and munch on whatever was the nearest human." Jenny shrugged, turning the computer back to her. Dean grimaced.

"Why would somebody be using that for Christmas wreaths?"

"It's not as crazy as it sounds, Dean. I mean, pretty much every Christmas tradition is pagan." Sam said, his brother turning to him.

"Christmas is Jesus's birthday."

"Actually, that's wrong." Jenny looked up from her screen. Sam nodding in agreement. "Jesus was born around the fall. The winter solstice festival was co-opted by lunatic Churches, claimed that was when Jesus was popped out, and renamed Christmas. Everything that has to do with Christmas, the Yule Log, giant tree, Fat Man's fluffy red suit? It's all pagan worship." Jenny explained as Dean frowned at her.