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chapter one:
⤵︎ ⤹
⤷ 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 ⤶
01 x 03

̔ ̔ ᴅᴇᴀɴ . . . ɪᴛ's ʙᴇᴇɴ
ᴀ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʜᴜʜ? ̓ ̓

̔ ̔ sᴜʀᴇ ʜᴀs ᴇɪʀᴇɴᴇ. ̓ ̓

❏❐❑

"𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐈 get you anything else?" a sudden voice broke the oldest Winchester out of his thoughts. He immediately dropped the pen he had been circling the newspaper that laid flat in front of him with, a subtle smirk on his face as he eyed up the waitress.

"Just the check please." Sam sighed out as he gave his brother an annoyed look while sitting down in the seat next to him.

"Okay." the waitress grinned at Dean as she sauntered away, her hips swaying as she did so.

Dean's eyes followed the woman's body as until she disappeared out of sight. "You know, Sam, we are allowed to have a little bit of fun every once in a while," Dean spoke to his brother, he then pointed to the waitress behind the counter, "that's fun." Dean awaited for his brothers response but when he received none he changed the subject. He brought over the newspaper he had been circling earlier. "Here, take a look at this. Think I got one. Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week, Sophie Carlton, 18 . . . walks into the lake, doesn't come out. Authorities dragged the water. Nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the bodies were found. Had a funeral two days ago."

Sam looked up at Dean's words. "Funeral?"

Dean continued. "It's weird. They buried an empty coffin. For closure or whatever." He waved off his last sentence with an uncaring hand as he stared back at the newspaper.

"Closure? What closure?" Sam asked once more. "People don't just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them."

Dean looked up at his younger brother with a quizzical look on his face, eyebrows drawn in confusion. "Something you wanna say to me?" he queried.

"The trail for Dad. It's getting colder everyday." Sam added.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Dean asked, getting slowly annoyed by the endless amount of questions and how far he was getting into the subject of their father.

"I don't know. Something. Anything."

"You know, I'm sick of this attitude." Sam scoffed once more. "You don't think I wanna find dad anymore than you do?"

"Yeah, I know you do it's just -" Sam immediately countered.

"- I've been with him every day for the past two years Sam. While you've been off at college living your so called dream life." Dean spat out, his anger rising. "We will find Dad." He finished with a tone of certainty. "But until then we're gonna kill everything bad between here and there. Okay?"

Sam didn't reply, although he didn't have to as the blond waitress from before walked past again, capturing his brothers attention. "Alright, Lake Manitoc." Once noticing he didn't have Deans attention he called out for him, snapping his fingers in front of his face. "Hey!"

"Huh?" Dean looked to his brother, confused. Once looking towards him he sneered and pushed his hand away roughly.

"How far?"

AS THE car rushed through the forested areas of Wisconsin, the leaves flew up with it leaving nothing but dirt in its previous space. It was as rather sunny day as they drove to the Carlton residence and certainly looked like a nice place to live, aside from the rather sudden disappearance of Sophie Carlton.

The car slowly rolled to a slow and steady stop as both brothers got out of the car simultaneously, slamming the doors shut as they did so. Dean knocked on the door and it wasn't long until the door opened to reveal a younger man, presumably related to Sophie Carlton.

"Will Carlton?" Dean questioned the man hesitantly.

"Yeah, that's right." The man, now named as Will, replied.

He pointed to himself then Sam, "I'm Agent Ford, this is Agent Hamil. We're with the U.S. Wildfire Service." He continued while holding up his badge to show the man. Will merely glanced at it not too fondly and led them out to the lake where Sophie was last seen.

"She was about 100 yards out. That's where she got dragged down."

"You sure she didn't just drown?" Dean asked.

Will looked over to the lake as he replied. "Yeah. She was a varsity swimmer. She practically grew up in that lake. She was as safe out there as in her own bathtub." he finished as he looked to the pair.

"So no splashing? No signs of distress?" Sam questioned next, obviously confused.

"No, that's what I'm telling you."

"Did you see any shadows in the water? Maybe some dark shape beneath the surface?"

"No, I - again she was really far out there." The remaining Carlton sibling sighed as he repeated what he had said after what felt like one thousand times.

"You ever see strange tracks by the shoreline?"

"No, never. Why?" he asked while looking from one brother to the next. "Why? What do you think's out there?"

"We'll let you know as soon as we do." Dean replied while beginning to walk away.

"What about your father? Can we talk to him?" Sam asked.

Will looked back to the lake then back to the two hunters, "Look, if you don't mind - I mean, he didn't see anything. He was at home with me when it happened. And . . . he's kind of been through a lot. Especially with all of these FBI agents and cops lurking around asking us the same questions."

Sam turned back to Dean with a slight apprehensive look then back Will not knowing what to say to him. "It's alright, we understand." was what he finally settles for after an internal battle in his brain.

And with that, the two brothers turned and got into the car. Dean let out a puff of breath as he sat back in his seat, not bothering to put his seat belt on - nor giving Sam a chance to - before he pulled out of the Carlton estate and began driving away. Sam, knowing where this was going, merely turned to the older man. "What?" he asked simply.

Dean turned to him and shrugged. "Nothing. It's nothing at all."

Same wrung a frustrated hand over his face, "Dean. . . ."

"What?"

"I know that look." Sam always knew that look on his brother. It was as annoying as ever and he hated it but could never do anything about it. It was the kind of smug smirk present on his face when he had introduced Dean to his best friend. However, luckily for Sam, his advances towards the woman hadn't worked as she merely gave him a once over and smiled slightly while walking away to join Sam's girlfriend Jessica as she was buying drinks for everybody.

"What look?" Dean inquired while turning to face his brother, hands still tightly gripping the wheel of his Impala.

"It's the same one you had when you met Eirene. And it's the same one you always have when you think you're right over something. And it's exactly the one you're doing right now!" Sam explained, his voice rising with unexpected anticipation as he thought his his brother would reply.

"Ah . . . Eirene . . ." Dean trailed off with a slightly dreamy look on his face as he thought of the fiery woman Sam had introduced him to. Dean still couldn't quite believe that his brother, his dorky brother, had scored a friend that hot. He was still getting over the fact that he had had a girlfriend after all this time. "I never forget a beautiful face."

"Aaannndd you're doing it again." Sam sighed dragging out the 'and' while hitting Dean's hand away from his face.

"Doing what?"

"The face!" Sam reiterated exasperatedly.

"What face?"

"Never mind!" Sam retorted, feeling anger bubbling in his stomach slightly. He knew he wouldn't be so smug later on.

THE PAIR had later driven to the sheriff station in order to try (and fail) to get more information on the drowning of Sophie Carlton as well as convince the sheriff of the town to believe what they believed to be happening. But, as usual, nobody listened to them nor did they notice the supernatural events happening right underneath their noses. So now, here they were, in their dingy motel room searching for more evidence.

Sam was on his laptop searching anything he could on mysterious drownings and missing bodies, being the more reasonable and laid back of the pair, the research was usually left to him. "So, there's the three drowning victims this year." he said reading off the screen.

"And before that?" Dean questioned while folding some clothes rather poorly.

"Uh, yeah." Sam replied while clicking on an article which read in big, black bold letters; 12 - YEAR OLD GIRL DROWNS IN LAKE MANITOC. "Six more, spread out over the past thirty- five years. Those bodies were never recovered either. If there is something out there, it's picking up it's pace." The youngest Winchester added, worried.

"So we got a lake monster on a binge?" The oldest asked, half joking half serious.

"This lake monster theory, it bugs me." Sam answered while shaking his head deep in thought."

Dean looked over to the shaggy - haired man before walking over to him, hands on the back of his chair as he leaned over his shoulder. "Why?"

"Loch Ness, Lake Champlain. There are literally hundreds of eyewitness accounts. But here, almost nothing." Sam finished while sighing, he was completely and utterly at a loss. "Whatever it is out there, no one's living to talk about it."

Dean furrowed his eyebrows as he squinted his eyes at the screen before realising something. "Wait. Barr. Christopher Barr. Where have I heard that name before?"

The man sat down in the chair clicked on yet another article which read LOCAL MAN IN TRAGIC ACCIDENT. He looked even deeper into the old newspaper headline while mumbling. "Christopher Barr, the victim in May. Oh, Christopher Barr was Andrea's husband," Sam replied after he read the old newspaper online, referring to the woman they had met earlier and her son Lucas. "Lucas' father. Apparently, he took Lucas out swimming. Lucas was on a floating wooden platform when Chris drowned . . . two hours before the kid got rescued. Maybe we have an eyewitness after all." Sam concluded while rubbing his head.

"No wonder that kid was so freaked out. Watching one of your parents die isn't something you just get over." Dean added rather solemnly. His mind constantly going back to that night years ago.

A sudden knock broke the man out of his thoughts, both brothers turned to the door. Sam immediately rushed towards the door with a small ghost of a smile on his face. "What're you smiling about?" Dean asked.

Sam's grin widened at that. "Oh you'll see. You're going to love this." and with that, Sam swung open the door to reveal none other than the woman who had still been occupying Dean's thoughts ever since he had met her all those months ago.

"What's she doing here?" Dean asked, quickly sitting up from his slouched position that he had re - claimed on the bed. Immediately much more interested in what his brother was saying.

"Dean . . ." Eirene spoke with a confident tone as she eyed the man. "It's been a while huh?"

Dean nodded at the girl, slightly awestruck. "Sure has Eirene."

"I figured we could use a little help." Sam admitted sheepishly while interrupting the gaze his brother had on his best friend.

"Yeah right," Eirene scoffed as she made her way inside the room, dropping onto the closest bed. This time it was Dean who scoffed. "Please," he gestured around the room. "make yourself at home." Eirene grinned at him teasingly. "Oh I will."

Sam sighed at their usual banter. This was going to be a long day.

THIS TIME it was the three of them getting out the car as they headed towards the park area filled to the brim with playing kids. They walked over to Andrea who was sitting down watching Lucas draw on a bench not too far off.

"Mind if we join you?" Sam politely asked the woman.

The woman, Eirene now knew to be Andrea, turned around and smiled warmly at the brothers and Eirene. "I'm here with my son." she gestured to the boy sitting not too far away.

"Oh. Mind if I say hi?" Dean questioned while turning to him. Without a response, Dean began walking over to the boy making Andrea laugh slightly. "Tell your friend this whole Jerry Maguire thing is not gonna work on me."

Sam and Eirene shared familiar glances and sat down next the woman. "I don't think that's what this is about." The youngest Winchester denied softly while joining in on her laughter.

"I don't think it really works on anybody." Eirene added while smiling at the mother making her laugh once more. The pair only stopped once they saw Dean walk back over to them all.

"I told you it was no use. Lucas hasn't said a word, not even to me. Not since his dad's accident."

Dean nodded at her. "Yeah, we heard. Sorry."

"What did the doctors say?"

Andrea scoffed. "That it's a kind of post - traumatic stress."

"That can't be easy for either of you." Sam supplied lightly.

"We moved in with my dad. He helps out a lot. It's just . . . " she trailed off. "when I think about what Lucas went through, what he saw . . ."

Dean and Sam shared a look of remorse. "Kids are strong." Dean said. "You'd be surprised with what they can deal with."

"You know, he used to have such a life." Andrea dismissed. "He was hard to keep up with to tell you the truth." the woman smiled as she continued on. "Now he just sits there . . . drawing those pictures, playing with those Army men. I just wish -" she was cut off by Lucas walking up to Dean, handing him a picture of a house. Dean took it and was impressed with the skill this child had. "Thanks. Thanks, Lucas." the man praised as he looked back the boy but was met with no response as he just merely turned his back and walked away. Presumably back to his drawings and Army men.

"SO WE can safely rule out Nessie." Sam supplied as he closed the motel door with a slam.

Dean turned to face his brother with a confused expression on his face. "What do you mean?"

"We just drove past the Carlton house." Sam answered while sitting down on the dingy bed, a puff of dust emanating from it as he did so.

Eirene spoke next. "There were ambulances everywhere, wheeling out a body." the oldest Winchester brother looked to her, conflicted. "It was Will Carlton. He drowned . . . in the sink." she finished while looking to Dean with a look of disbelief on her face.

"What the hell?" Dean scoffed. He didn't think he had ever been this confused. How could someone down in the sink? It was clear to them now more than ever that there was something seriously weird going on. And that it was following this particular family.

"This isn't a creature, this it's - it's something else." Dean concluded.

"Yeah but what?" Sam asked.

"We don't know." Eirene denied while pacing back and forth.

"Water Wraith, maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water." Dean offered.
Slowly, Eirene and Sam began to realise what he was getting onto. "Water that comes from the same source." Eirene added.

"The lake." Sam finished.

"Yeah."

"Which explains why it's upping the body count. The lake is drained, it'll be dry in a few months. Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants, it's running out of time." Sam concluded. It was all slowly coming together for the trio of hunters.

"And if it can get through the pipes . . ." Dean trailed off.

"It can get to anyone almost anywhere." Eirene acknowledged.

"This is gonna happen again, and soon." Dean finished.

"And we know one other thing for sure. This has something to with Bill Carlton."

"It took both his kids."

"And I asked around. Lucas' dad, Chris? Bill Carlton's godson." Dean added while looking to the pair.

The three all looked to each other with worried glances until Eirene's voice broke them out of their shared gaze. "Let's go pay Mr. Carlton a visit shall we?"

"MR CARLTON?" Eirene questioned gingerly, trying her best to be gentle with him. After all, he had just lost both of his children. "We'd like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."

When he didn't say anything Dean took it upon himself to speak up. Once again formulating the perfect string of lies. "We're from the department -"

" - I don't care who you're with." The former father interrupted. "I've answered enough questions today."

"You're son said he saw something in that lake. What about you? You ever see anything out there?" No reply. "Mr. Carlton," Sam tried once more, he knew he was testing the man's patience but he had to get answers. "Sophie's drowning and Will's death . . . we think there's a connection to you or your family."

"My children are gone." The man answered. Nothing but sadness and grief in his eyes. Sadness of a father who had lost both of his children. And grief of a man who didn't know what to do except suffer. "It's . . . worse than dying." and with that, he looked to the three, tears in his eyes threatening to fall. Eirene knew how the man felt. Now she hadn't lost her children, no. But what she had lost was her family. Her whole family gone and taken away from her in a singly day. A day when she should of been there to protect them. "Go away. Please." The man begged. The trio respected the man's wishes and trudged back to the car. Their hearts considerably more heavy than when they had arrived.

"What do you think?" Sam asked.

"I think the poor guys been though Hell and back. I also think he's not telling us something." Dean responded as he stood by the car door, facing Sam and Eirene.

"So now what?" The latter asked.

Dean shrugged and sighed. Noticing this, Sam spoke up. "What is it?"

Sam and Eirene looked on in confusion until something dawned on her. "That picture, that kid's drawing is the same as that house there."

Dean looked to be pair behind him then back to the photo, then to the house." Huh? Looks like Bill Carlton's not the only one who knows something."

"I'M SORRY but I just don't think it's a good idea."

All three of them had travelled to Andrea's house in order to speak to Lucas. So far, they weren't very successful.

Dean sighed, "I just need to talk to him. Just for a few minutes." he tried to reason.

"He won't say anything. What good is it gonna do?" she asked them, slowly getting more frustrated.

"Andrea," Sam tried. "more people might get hurt. We think something's happening out there."

Andrea looked to the man with a newfound sadness. "My husband, the others, they just drowned. That's all."

"Look, if that's what you really believe then we'll just leave you alone I swear. But if you think for even a second that there could be something else going on here . . . then please let him talk to your son." Eirene spoke, trying her best to convince the woman.

Andrea sighed slightly before leading them to Lucas' room. He was currently on the floor playing with his army men, multiple drawings splayed out around him, all displaying different things.

Dean crouched in front of the boy, getting to his height. "Hey, Lucas." he greeted the boy. "Remember me?" No response . . . "You know, I, uh . . . I wanted to thank you for that last drawing. But the things is I need your help again." Again, no response . . . Dean retrieved the folded up drawing from his pocket and placed it in front of the boy. "How did you know to draw this? Did you know something bad was gonna happen? Maybe you could nod yes or no for me." the man suggested softly. "You're scared. It's okay, I understand. See, when I was your age. I saw something real bad happen to my mom. And I was scared too."

Knowing where Dean was leading the conversation, Eirene looked to Sam only to feel her heart break slightly at the look on his face. Of course, he was barely old enough to even remember it happen but didn't excuse how he felt. She grabbed his hand slightly in reassurance to let him know that she was there for him. Sam looked to her and sent her a warm and appreciative smile.

"I didn't feel like talking, just like you. But, see, my mom . . . I know she wanted me to be brave. I think about that every day. And I do try my best to be brave . . . for her. And maybe your dad . . . wants you to be brave too." Dean finished as he awaited a response from the boy, a nod, a thumbs up, anything. But all that came was another drawing. This time of what looked to be a church. And in the background a yellow building right next to a red gate. And standing in front of it, was a young boy walking with his bike.

The older Winchester nodded and took the drawing from the boy's hands. "Thanks Lucas."

"𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃 he never drew like that until his dad died." Dean said as he looked out the car window, all the trees passing by in a beautiful green blur.

"There are cases where going through a traumatic experience. . . could make certain people more sensitive to premonitions, physic tendencies." Sam supplied, his usual knowledge for almost everything coming to light.

"Whatever's out there. What if Lucas is tapping into it?" Eirene asked from the back seat, leaning forward to face in between the two brothers. She hated sitting in the back.

"She's got a point," Dean nodded in agreement. "It's only a matter of time before someone else drowns. If you got a better lead . . . please speak up now."

Sam held his hands up on surrender. "All right. We got another house to find."

Eirene and Dean scoffed. "The only problem with that is that there's a thousand two - stories in this county alone."

Sam looked to the picture then to the other two present in the car. "See this church? I bet there's less than a thousand of those around here."

Dean smirked slightly. "Oh, college boy. Thinks he's so smart."

"Hey, need I remind you I also went that same college." Eirene yelled from the back seat. The pair chuckled slightly before the mood went tense once more.

Sam stared at his brother in slight annoyance. "You know . . . um . . . what you said about mom earlier, you never told me that before."

Dean shrugged his words off. "It's no big deal." Once there was no response from him, Dean looked to Sam before turning his eyes back towards the road. "Oh god. We're not going to have to hug or anything, are we?" he grimaced.

"Aw. You're not going all soft on us now are you Winchester?" A sudden voice broke them out of their silence. A voice they forgot was even there due to her unusual quietness.

Sam snickered as he heard the woman's words. If anyone knew how to humble his brother it was the enigma that was Eirene Blackwell. Dean turned towards his brother harshly, pointing a finger at him, "Don't you dare." a rather stern look on his face. Though it clearly failed as Eirene spoke once more. "You look like a father trying to discipline a child. It's not a good look for you Dean I have to say." she added with a faux regretful gaze planted on her face.

Sam laughed once more. "I wasn't going to say anything!" he defended brashly with an innocent look in his eyes as his brother glared at him once more.

"Oh sure you weren't. You don't even need to, your face is doing that for you." Dean added while tearing his eyes away from him. His eyes trailed the girl in the back seat through the mirror placed on the roof of his car. She was still laughing with Sam. He smiled slightly, he could take anything thrown at him if she was the one doing it.

AFTER A while, the three got out of the car once they had reached their destination. It was exactly like how it was in the drawing that Sam was still holding.

Holding up her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, Eirene muttered, "Damn, this kid is good."

"Sure is." Dean agreed while looking to the picture once more, still quite shocked.

Eirene huffed out a breath before looking to the two brothers stood beside her. "Well, it's now or never, right?" she asked.

Both Sam and Dean nodded silently before making their way towards the house. Sam rapped on the door once then twice as they awaited a response. At first, there was no response and Sam was about to knock again before suddenly the door swung open with a creak! Behind the wooden barrier, was an old woman who looked rather frail and half scared to death. Eirene immediately felt sorrow for her, knowing the conversation they were about to relay. Noticing that neither brother said a word, she took it as her chance too, "Hello ma'am, we're sorry to arrive so suddenly but we'd like to have a word if you don't mind. May we come in?" Eirene questioned while giving the elderly woman a warm smile. However, the hunter received no response as she watched the woman's eyes drift from her to Dean, then to Sam then back to her. She said nothing as she opened the door more, allowing the three to come inside. Once the door was closed, Dean was the first to start talking (as usual).

"We're very sorry to bother you, ma'am, but does a little boy live here by chance? He might wear a blue ball cap, and has a red bicycle." he described.

The woman sighed out and immediately the colour drained from her face. "No, sir, not for a very long time." she answered while looking at Dean once more. She then gestured to a picture frame placed to the side of a blonde boy smiling into the camera in the usual attire for his time. "Peter's been gone for a while now. The police never . . ." she trailed off as she corrected herself. "I never have any idea what happened. He just disappeared." the woman turned to face the three with sad eyes and a pained expression. "Losing him, . . . it's worse than dying."

The trio of hunters winced. They had certainly heard that particular phrase before.

The brothers shared a look before speaking once more. "Did he disappear from here? From this house?" Dean asked.

The old lady sobbed slightly. "He was supposed to ride his bike straight back home after school and he never showed up." she cried, tears pooling in her eyes. Eirene felt extremely bad for bringing up what was obviously a sore spot for the woman. As she tried to console her, Dean went looking around and picked up a photo which lay against the fireplace.

"Peter Sweeney and Billy Carlton. 19700." he read from the back of the picture.

Once more, the hunters glanced at each other then back to the old lady who was holding back tears. This sure was one emotional case.

Clearing her throat, Eirene gained the attention of the woman and smiled warmly. "Thank you for the information ma'am, but I think it's best that we leave now." she spoke while looking to the brothers on the hope that they'd receive the silent message she was given them. That and the harsh glare she sent their way.

"OKAY, SO picture this, a little boy called Peter Sweeney, and this is all connected to Bill Carlton somehow." Sam began once they were all back in the impala. They were now trying to piece together all of the information they had received from both Will Carlton and the old lady they had just visited. So far it was proving to be more easier said than done.

"Yeah, Bill sure as hell seems to be hiding something." Dean added as he flickered his eyes from the road, to Sam and then the road again.

"And Bill, the people he loves, they're all getting punished." Sam continued as he thought back to Sophie and Will Carlton. As well as Andrea's dead husband Christopher.

"So what if Bill did something to Peter?" Dean questioned the other two hunters.

Eirene leaned forward and peered to the two brothers, hands on the sides of their seats. "What if Bill killed him? I mean, I'd be pretty pissed off if someone killed me and they were still roaming free with the people they loved. It makes you think what people would do just to get revenge."

Both Sam and Dean looked to each other and though about the brunette's words. She certainly had a point. It definitely wouldn't be the most far - fetched thing they'd ever heard.

"Peter's spirit would be furious. It'd want revenge. It's possible." The older Winchester concluded, eyes back on the long - stretched road ahead of them.

EVENTUALLY, THE trio had made it back to the Carlton residence once more. The man in question, however, was nowhere to be seen. They all got out of the car, slamming to doors shut.

"Mr. Carlton?" Sam asked as he knocked on the man's door.

No response came.

"Mr. Carlton?" Eirene tried this time, knocking on the door harsher than than Sam had.

Again, no response. Eirene peered into the small window of the family home but was unsuccessful as she nobody inside. They then began to make their way to the back of the house in search for the man there. The woman only hoped that they could find him before it was too late. However, those prayers were left unanswered as they heard an engine roar from behind them. Turning around, they were met with the sight of Mr. Carlton attempting to flee on his boat across the damned lake. Immediately, the trio rushed over to the dock in an endeavour to get the man off of his boat. They needed to get the man away from the water as fast as possible.

"Mr. Carlton! You need to come back, turn the boat around!" Dean ordered. Though his attempts were futile as Bill could clearly not hear them from back there.

"Mr. Carlton! Get off the boat!" Eirene and Sam yelled together. The projection of both of their voices did nothing to help their case as the former father was still floating out further and further into the lake.

"Get out the water!" Dean yelled shouted once more.

By now, the three of them looked like mad - men, waving their hands around in the air and covering the sides of their mouth to project their voices. Though, that did not work either. Before another loud shout could be made, another desperate plea yelled or even another wild arm shake performed, the water rises up and begins to encase Bill's boat. All three of them watch in shock, not being able to do anything from their place on the dock.

"Well that doesn't look good." Eirene muttered under her breath, unsure if the two men on either side of her could hear her. If they did, they just chose to ignore it.

The next thing they knew, the boat that Bill was once in had flipped over and Bill disappeared, now immersed in the deep depths of the lake never to be seen again.

AFTER THE horrifying and tragic drowning of Bill Carlton, Sam, Dean and Eirene had made their way down to the police station telling the sheriff everything they knew and saw. However, their story wasn't exactly the most believable. An angry spirit enacting its revenge on two particular families - one of which was now dead - I mean come on?

As soon as they all walk in, Andrea turns around and greets them all with a tight - lipped smile. She stood up and put her bag that she was holding all too tightly on the chair she had just been sitting on.

"Sam, Dean, Eirene." as she said each of their names her eyes drifted from left to right. "I didn't except to see you here."

The sheriff just sighed and turned to the hunters. "Now that you're all on a first name basis, what are you doing here?"

Andrea picked up the bag she had been holding and gestured it to the older man. "I brought you dinner." she replied with a small, weak smile.

Jake sighed as he declined his daughter's offer. "I'm sorry sweetheart, I don't really have the time."

Andrea looked down slightly, avoiding her dad's gaze as best as she could. "I heard about Bill Carlton. Is it true? Is there something going on with the lake?" she asked, voice cracking slightly.

Jake stood silent for a moment before he composed himself and replied. "Right now we don't know what the truth is. But I think it might be better if you and Lucas went on home."

Lucas looked up slightly, a distressed look on his face as he grabbed Dean's arms pulling him down slightly.

"Woah, Lucas what is it?" the man gently asked.

"Lucas?" Andrea questioned.

"Lucas, it's okay. It's okay. Hey, Lucas, it's okay. It's okay." Dean tried to reassure the younger boy.

Andrea pulled Lucas away from Dean hurriedly and leads him outside. Lucas however, doesn't look away from Dean as they leave.

Not thinking much of it, Jake threw down his jacket and walked into his office. The three hunters following shortly behind.

Jake was now standing by his desk, hands on it in front of him, a confused look on his face. "Okay, just so I'm clear, you see . . . something attack Bill's boat, sending Bill - who is a very good swimmer, by the way - into the drink, and you never see him again?" he asked.

Dean, Sam and Eirene all turned to each other in unison.

"Yeah, that about sums it up." Dean replied.

The officer then looked to Eirene.

"What he said." she answered, pointing back to Dean. The man didn't even wait to Sam's ridiculous response as he continued.

"And I'm supposed to believe this, even though I've already sonar - swept that entire lake? And what you're describing is impossible? And you're not really Wildlife Service?"

Dean looked surprised, nobody had ever really co-sign them out in a lie, at least, not until this point.

Jake smirked slightly at the looks ok their faces. "That's right, I checked, Department's never heard of you. Of any of you."

The silence was absolutely demeaning and nobody knew how to break it. Well, that was until Dean spoke up. "See, now, we can actually explain that."

Jake scoffed while rolling his eyes subtly and crossing his arms. "Enough. Please. The only reason you're breathing free air is one of Bill's neighbors saw him steering out that boat just before you did. So, we have a couple of options here. I can arrest you for impersonating government officials and hold you as material witnesses to Bill Carlton's disappearance. Or, we can chalk this all up to a bad day, you get into your car, you put this town in your rearview mirror, and you don't ever darken my doorstep again."

Again, there was silence.

"Door number two sounds good." was Dean's reply.

Jake narrowed his eyes at the three, as if judging them. Although, by now he probably was. "That's the one I'd pick."

"HE'S SUCH a prick!" the female huntress scoffed out as she thought back to the ignorant sheriff.

"Would you listen to us if you were him?" Dean questioned the girl, looking at her from the mirror placed at the top of the car.

Eirene only shrugged in response. "Well . . . no. But, I'd still listen to reason. I mean, clearly there's something else going on in that lake and nobody wants to admit it. It's ridiculous." she huffed out while leaning back again and crossing her arms.

"Green." Sam's voice broke out their conversation.

"What?"

"Light's green." Sam gestured to the now green traffic light.

Dean nodded and began to drive again, he then steered right. Confused, Sam mentioned that the interstate was actually he other way but his comment was left ignored by his brother as he continued driving.

MUCH TIME had passed as it was now dark outside and nothing could be seen apart from the bright white stars that littered the sky. As well as the pale glow of the moonlight shining down upon the trio of hunters. Sam and Eirene still didn't know exactly where Dean was taking them but knew better than to question it.

Nobody had spoken in a while, leaving the tense - and rather awkward atmosphere - from before still lingering in the car. This case sure was strange and none of them knew what to think of it. The sherif of the town clearly wouldn't listen to them as their story sounded completely insane. As for Andrea, she wasn't as stubborn as her father but still didn't believe them, after all, how could she?

Lucas was a different story though. What with his odd drawings (which more often than not led them to real life places) and longing glances at Dean, it was safe to say that he knew more than he let on. The only difficult part was getting him to speak. However, Eirene felt that this case was slowly diminishing right before their eyes. Nobody was willing to do anything - particularly a certain sheriff - and the hunters themselves didn't know what to do. How do you stop an angry spirit hellbent on obtaining revenge against the people who murdered him? That question unfortunately remained unanswered for now though.

Voicing her thoughts out loud, Sam finally dared to say something, "Dean, I think this job is over."

Dean stayed silent, looking from his brother then back to the road. "I'm not so sure." he disagreed.

"If Bill murdered Peter Sweeney and Peter's spirit got its revenge, case closed. The spirit should be at rest." Sam tried to reason.

Eirene nodded with him, he had a good point and quite frankly, the woman just wanted to leave this town forever and never come back. This case was giving her a headache.

"All right, so what if we take off and this thing isn't done? You know, what if we've missed something? What if more people get hurt?" Dean questioned Sam.

"But why would you think that?" Sam asked.

"Because Lucas was really scared." was his reply.

"That's what this is about?" the younger brother intrigued.

"I just don't want to leave this town until I know the kid's okay."

Sam looked back to his friend in the back and frowned slightly. They were clearly both as confused as each other. "Who are you? And what have you done with my brother?"

Dean glanced towards Sam with a harsh glare.

"Shut up." he ordered. And with that, nothing else was said as they continued the drive to god knows where.

EVENTUALLY, THE car pulled up to an all too familiar house. It was Andrea's house. Eirene wasn't sure why Dean couldn't of just told her and Sam where they were going if in the first place but decided not to question it, he must of drove them all there for a reason, right? Eirene sure hoped so as she just wanted to get this case over and done with, it was an odd one for sure.

"Are you sure about this? It's pretty late, man." Sam asked his older brother as they all made their way to the front door, the slam of the car doors echoing through the night.

Regardless of what Sam had said, Dean rang the doorbell anyway and the trio waited for a reply (though it didn't seem like they were going to get one anytime soon).

Sighing, Eirene looked to Dean, of which still had his eyes fixed on the door, and added to Sam's earlier words. "Look, Dean, maybe we should just -" Before she could even finish her words, the door swung open to reveal an all too terrified Lucas standing in the doorframe. The poor boy looked as though he had just seen a ghost, although with the case they were working on Eirene was sure that, that could happen.

Dean spoke first, capturing the boy's attention. However, Lucas says nothing and rushes away upstairs. The hunters all looked towards each other before running up after him, desperately trying to understand the situation.

"Why do bad things always have to happen at night!?" Eirene groaned out as they ran up the stairs

By the time they got upstairs, their shoes were soaked through completely. Not an inch of floor was left dry by the water leaking from the bathroom, and from the look of it, it wasn't ending anytime soon. Lucas was pounding on the door, silently begging for his mum to let him inside. However, Dean moved Lucas to the side towards Sam and Eirene and kicked the door open, it hitting the wall with a loud bang! Before the oldest Winchester brother could make his way inside, Lucas has latched himself tightly onto the man, preventing him from moving any further. Taking matters into their own hands, Sam and Eirene rushed over to the bathtub.

As Dean stood guarding Lucas by the door, Sam and Eirene worked together to pull the drowning mother out of the bathtub. It was hard considering the sheer amount of water splashing everywhere which drenched the pair but neither cared as they adjusted their grips on Andrea. Eirene grabbed her arm while Sam her torso. Eventually, they all managed to pull her out. Andrea was left gasping for breath as she thanked both hunters considerably. Then, looking to her son she let out a quiet sob upon seeing the unshed tears glistening in his eyes. She had probably never seen her son like this before, at least not for a while. Eirene couldn't help but feel bad for the woman.

IT WAS now day time and Andrea had fully changed into some dry clothes. She hadn't spoke much since the incident but nobody could blame her, she almost drowned . . . in her bathtub. So all in all, not the most pleasant way to die. Obviously.

"Can you tell me?" Sam's voice broke out, discontinuing the prolonged silence.

"No."

It looked like Sam was going to speak again but a small thud! stopped him from doing so. All eyes drifted to and landed on Dean as he was looking through some notebooks on hand. The man in question looked up once he noticed all eyes were on him and put what he was holding down after receiving a menacing glare from Eirene.

"It just doesn't make sense." Andrea muttered into her hands as she begins crying. "I'm going crazy."

"Well if you're going crazy then I guess we all are." Eirene muttered this time. Sam glared at her.

"No you're not." he denied simply. "Tell me what happened. Everything." he demanded softly. Having a much more calm approach than his hunter counterparts.

"I heard . . . I thought I heard . . . there was this voice." she replied slowly, not believing it herself.

"What did it say." Sam asked the woman.

"It said . . . 'come play with me'."

"Lovely." Eirene muttered under her breath as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What's happening?" Andrea choked out while crying once more.

"Do you recognise the kid in these pictures?" Dean questioned as he put a book down in front of Andrea open on the page showing a picture of two kids.

"What? No, I mean, except that's my dad right there." the trio watched as she pointed out the man on the left in the picture. "He must of been about twelve in these pictures." she added.

Chris Barr's drowning. The connection wasn't to Bill Carlton. It must have been to the sheriff.

"Bill and the sheriff - they were both involved with Peter." Sam pointed out.

"What about Chris? My dad - what are you talking about?" Andrea asked as she looked to the three.

Dean looks sideways to avoid her questioning gaze.

"Lucas?" Eirene questioned as she looked to the boy noticing he hadn't even come up to his mother let alone Dean.

Lucas didn't reply as he was staring out the window, not looking away once.

"Lucas, what is it?" Dean probed once more. If this boy was going to listen to anyone it'd be Dean.

Once more Lucas didn't reply and just opened the door and walked outside. The quartet followed him outside.

"Lucas, honey?" Andrea intrigued, confused and worried for her son.

Lucas stopped and looked at the ground, then at Dean.

"You and Lucas get back to the house and stay there, okay?" he said to Andrea as he looks back towards them.

Andrea pulled Lucas back to the house as Dean, Sam and Eirene fetch shovels from the Impala, before they start to dig. Time went by until Sam's shovel clanks against something. They all look to each other before getting on their knees and beginning to dig with their hands and don't stop until they pulled out a rather dirty red bicycle.

Eirene looked up as she wiped the dirt from underneath her nails "Peter's bike."

The hunters all shared a solemn gaze before a sudden voice broke them out of their silent discussion.

"Who are you?"

Sam, Dean and Eirene slowly peer around only to see the sheriff of this godforsaken town, Jake, stood there whilst pointing a gun at them. He looked mad and didn't appear to be putting the gun down any time soon.

At a slow pace, Sam stood up from his crouched position on the ground and put his hand out to the man carefully, not wanting to irk him any more as they had just dug up one of his secrets, quite literally. "Put the gun down, Jake." the hunter warned.

Jake didn't listen and instead lifted his gun higher, now pointing it at all three of them. By now, Dean and Eirene stood next to Sam with apprehensiveness. "How did you know that was there?" he interrogated.

"What happened? You and Bill killed Peter, drowned him in the lake and then buried the bike? You can't bury the truth, Jake. Nothing stays buried." Dean replied as he watched Jake's expression falter.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." the man tried to deny.

"You and Bill killed Peter Sweeney thirty - five years ago. That's what the hell I'm talking about."

Dean didn't get another chance to talk as Andrea ran up to them all.

"Dad!" she called out.

"And now you got one seriously pissed - off spirit." Eirene added while glaring at the man

"It's gonna take Andrea, Lucas, everyone you love. It's gonna drown them. And it's gonna drag their bodies God knows where, so you can feel the same pain Peter's mom felt. And then, after that, it's gonna take you, and it's not gonna stop until it does." Sam tried to explain to the sheriff.

"Yeah, and how do you know that?" he scoffed.

"Because that's exactly what it did to Bill Carlton." Eirene replied.

"Listen to yourselves, all three of you. You're insane!"

"I don't really give a rat's ass what you think of us. But if we're gonna bring down this spirit, we need to find the remains, salt them, and burn them into dust. Now tell me you buried Peter somewhere. Tell me you didn't just let him go in the lake."

"Dad, is any of this true?" Andrea asked in a shaky voice. Immediately, all eyes were back on Hake again as they awaited a response.

"No. Don't listen to them. They're liars and they're dangerous."

"Something tried to drown me. Chris died on that lake. Dad, look at me."

"Tell me you - you didn't kill anyone."

At that, Jake looked away from his daughter.

"Oh my God." she cried out.

"Billy and I were at the lake. Peter was the smallest one. We always bullied him, but this time, it got rough. We were holding his head under the water. We didn't mean to. But we held him under too long and he drowned. We let the body go, and it sank."

Dean glanced towards Sam as Eirene looked towards Andrea, the poor woman looked as though she'd burst into tears at any minute. Though Eirene was sure she would.

"Oh, Andrea, we were kids. We were so scared. It was a mistake. But, Andrea, to say that I have anything to do with these drownings, with Chris, because of some ghost? It's not rational." Jake tried to reason with her.

"All right, listen to me, all of you. We need to get you away from this lake, as far as we can, right now." Dean warned as he began to back Andrea and Jake from the dreaded lake.

Unfortunately, before much could be done, Andrea's scream ripped through the air as she screamed for her son.

They all ran up to the dock. Lucas was leaning over the side as he was attempting to reach for a toy soldier in the water.

"Come play with me." an eerie voice that Eirene and the brothers could only assume belonged to Peter sounded out in the echoing ripples of the lake.

As Lucas only reached further for his toy, his voice was yelled out once more by Dean surprisingly enough. "Lucas!"

"Lucas! Baby, stay where you are!" Andrea ordered as she watched her son with painful eyes.

Before anyone could do anything, a cold hand came up and pulled Lucas into the water, leaving nothing but a splash of water where he once was.

By now, the group of adults had reached the edge of the lake making Jake stop as he peered over the edge into the water in desperate search for his nephew. However, only Peter's head was visible; making Jake instantly recognise him. Finally, all three hunters had reached the end of the dock

"Oh my God!" the mother cried out, now in tears as she took off her jacket to jump in but was denied by the younger Winchester brother.

"Andrea, stay there!" Sam ordered as he took of after Lucas.

"No! Lucas!" Andrea cried as she reached out for her son.

"We'll get him! Just stay on the dock!" Sam ordered once more.

Eirene turned around only to see Andrea desperately clinging onto her right arm, silently begging her not to go. She already had two people diving deep to save her son, she couldn't risk a third. Not wanting to risk all three of them not making it out alive even if it is to save her son.

Sam dove under again as Dean came up for air. A minute later, Sam did too.

"Sam?" Dean questioned, already knowing the answer to his question.

Sam only shook his head in answer.

The sudden sound of a zip unzipping made everyone look to Jake as he was slowly taking his jacket off. Andrea looked even more crushed as she knew what he was about to do.

"Peter, if you can hear me . . . please, Peter, I'm sorry. I'm so - I'm so sorry." the older man pleaded, his voice breaking as he looked out towards the water to that held two hunters and his daughter's son.

"Dad, no!"

"Peter. Lucas - he's, he's just a little boy. Please, it's not his fault, it's mine. Please take me." he requested, though his tone showed that he was going to give up so easily.

The air was thick and tension was slowly arising as Dean and Sam came up for air once more, realising what was happening as soon as they saw it.

Dean looked from Jake to the water with a hard gaze. "Jake, no!" But it was no use as Peter surfaced from the water.

"Just let it be over!"

Without hesitation, the young boy grabbed Jake's arms and yanked him into the water, showing him no mercy whatsoever, drowning him just as Jake did he. It truly was a grim sight.

"Dad? Dad no!" Andrea was crying even more now, as she had just watched her father drown after all. Eirene was having trouble even holding her back as she collapsed to her knees on the dock sobbing uncontrollably.

Immediately, Dean and Sam dove down again into the deep depths of the water desperately trying to save both Lucas and Jake. Though everyone on that dock knew that only one of the two would survive, the other left to the lakes darkness and spirits harsh grip. Never to be seen again.

"No!"

Sam finally came back up, shaking his head with solemn gaze. Andrea only buried her head tighter into the hunter's chest as she cried into her arms. Eirene never had been good at comforting people just as she had never been good at apologising but that was a whole other thing. Hugging people and telling them they were going to be alright - even when they clearly weren't - wasn't a thing the brunette had done before. Usually, she was on the other end, being the one who received the hugs and hopeless sorry faces of random strangers of which she didn't know. If anything, this reminded her of when she had found her parents, equally so as to when she had found her sister's empty bed. There was nothing left there except from a smear of blood on the once white linen sheets. So yes, overall Eirene Blackwell was not good at the helping people grieve thing.

Although fortunately, it seemed as though she wouldn't have to as Dean re - surfaced from the water for the third time, now holding an unconscious Lucas in his arms.

NOT LONG had passed since the drowning of Jake Barr and the near death of his nephew, Lucas. Andrea had adjusted to life without her father and Lucas was talking again and Dean was taking serious advantage of that.

The trio of hunters were walking out of the motel after finishing yet another case and it was safe to say that Eirene was more than pleased that it was over. A sudden creak! interrupted her thoughts as Dean opened the car door allowing for Sam to toss their bags inside.

Before they could all get inside as well, Sam spoke up noticing the look on his brother's face. "Look, we're not gonna save everybody."

Dean stayed silent for a while before replying. "I know."

"Sam, Dean, Eirene." Andrea called after them.

Turning around, they were met with Andrea and Lucas, the latter carrying a tray of sandwiches.

"Hey." Dean greeted.

"We're glad we caught you. We just, um, we made you lunch for the road." the woman began. "Lucas insisted on making the sandwiches himself." Andrea added once she saw the looks on their faces.

"Can I give it to them now?" Lucas asked his mother with a small childish grin on his face.

"Of course" Andrea smiled.

"Come on, Lucas, let's load this into the car." Dean said as he beckoned the boy over to him.

"So, how are you holding up?" Eirene questioned the woman softly.

Andrea sighed slightly before replying. "It's just gonna take a long time to sort through everything, you know?"

Sam peered to the woman. "Andrea, I'm sorry."

Andrea shook her head in disagreement. "You saved my son. I can't ask for more than that. Dad loved me. He loved Lucas. No matter what he did, I just have to hold on to that."

Sam and Eirene nodded while smiling slightly. When Andrea began walking up to Dean the pair took it as their cue to get in the car. Sam sat in the front and Eirene, unfortunately, in the back once more.

Turning around, the female huntress watched as Andrea planted a kiss on Dean's lips, the man didn't look like he wanted to pull away any time soon.

Feeling eyes on her, Eirene looked over to see Sam staring at her with a small smirk on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's just . . . I couldn't help but notice you've been staring at them for quite a long time now."

"No I wasn't. I didn't even say anything." Eirene was quick to deny as she scoffed at his words. He was clearly delusional.

"Yeah well your face did." Sam retorted as he turned back around in his seat, watching as Dean opened the door and sat down in his seat.

"Sam, move your ass. We're gonna run out of daylight before we hit the road." Dean ordered as he looked to his brother.

Sam sighed and looked back to Eirene through the mirror who was only smirking at him now. He sighed at that. "Yes, sir." and with that, the hunters were off to their next case god knows where.