CHAPTER TWO — THE WOMAN IN WHITE
pilot — part two

"She just vanished into thin air." — grace winchester

CENTENNIAL HIGHWAY

THEY HAD JUST PASSED THE SEVEN-KILOMETRE MARKER UNTIL JERICHO, SO IT WASN'T LONG TO GO UNTIL THEY ARRIVED. Metallica continued to blast through the speakers and Grace and Dean moved their bodies to the infectious beat. They were all eager to find John and put their worries to rest, but Grace had a feeling it wasn't going to be that simple. Nothing ever was. Especially when you happened to be a Winchester.

Sam had phoned the local hospital asking about whether they had anyone matching John's description either in care or in the morgue. Fortunately, there was apparently no such new arrival, the hospital hadn't seen him. Grace, Dean and Sam were all slightly relieved to hear the news but it also meant they still had no idea where John Winchester was.

Not much further up the road, the trip spotted a gathering of police vehicles by the bridge that closed off with bright yellow tape. The cars were deserted as the officers had all made their way towards the centre of the bridge, which also meant they couldn't see the Impala pull up beside it.

"Check it out." Dean breathed out, observing the scene. In the passenger seat, Sam leaned forwards for a better look at whatever was happening. After driving the Impala closer to the scene, the trio stared for a moment before the Dean switched off the engine. The man then reached over and opened the glove compartment for their fake ID box and grinned as he combed through whilst glancing over at his brother who was giving him a look of disbelief. "Let's go." Grace went to grab the handle, only for Dean to speak up. "Not you, Pumpkin, you're staying right here."

"But—"

Dean spun around to give her a stern look. "The only butt I want to know about is yours not moving from this seat." From experience, Grace knew it was useless to protest, so she gave in with a small nod. "Good. Sorry, Gracie but we're less likely to get away with being Marshals if we have a kid with us." She understood, of course she did, this wasn't their first rodeo. Still, she looked down sadly. One day she would go with her Dad to the scene, one day. Noticing her crestfallen expression, Dean put on a bright comforting smile. "I'll tell you what, me and Sam will go over there and we'll tell you all about it when we get back. Deal?"

The corner of her lips turned up at his words. "Deal." She agreed before returning to her packet of pretzels. Sam watched the two interact with a content smile which widened when Dean reached over to ruffle his daughter's dark messy hair. Grace swatted his hand away and then Dean looked to his brother.

"Let's go."

JERICHO

AFTER RETURNING FROM THE BRIDGE, THE WINCHESTERS FILLED GRACE IN ON THE MOST RECENT DISAPPEARANCE: TROY SQUIRE. Just like the previous victims, he had vanished into thin air, leaving behind his car with no one inside. They went out looking for Troy's girlfriend — to get some more information on the missing man — to find her sticking up MISSING posters with his face plastered on them. Grace felt sorry for her, after all, they were almost certain Troy was not coming back.

Posing as distant family from Modesto, the Winchester trio managed to persuade Amy (Troy's girlfriend) to answer a few of their questions. So now they were all sitting inside a diner, opposite Amy and her friend Rachel who was there to support her friend.

"I was on the phone with Troy." Amy recalled as she started to tell them her story. "He was driving home. He said he would call me right back, and... he never did."

Sam inquired. "He didn't say anything strange, or out of the ordinary?"

The girl shook her head, not knowing what else to say. "No. Nothing I can remember."

Gaze now drawn to the chain around her neck, Sam studied the jewellery. "I like your necklace." He commented, moving all their eyes to the charm. Amy picked it up, staring down at the circled pentagram with a sad smile.

Troy must have given it to her, Grace realised.

"Troy gave it to me." She said, confirming Grace's thoughts. "Mostly to scare my parents," she let out a small laugh, "with all that devil stuff."

Grace cringed, her Uncle laughed quietly and her Dad's gaze remained unmoving. The Winchesters had had their fair share of devil worshipers over the years, even Grace had met a few since she became a Winchester. And they weren't pleasant. However, as the nine-year-old noted, the symbol around Amy's neck had nothing to do with devil worship whatsoever.

And her Uncle had picked up on that too, so he explained. "Actually, it means just the opposite. A pentagram is protection against evil. Really powerful." Sam quickly caught himself and then added. "I mean, if you believe in that kind of thing." They did. Grace had a pentagram anklet, hidden from sight and much harder to remove than a bracelet, which was given to her by her Dad one evening.

Dean rolled his eyes at at his know it all brother, changing the subject. "Okay. Thank you, Unsolved Mysteries." Removing his arm from the back of Sam's seat, he then leaned forward towards the girls and returned his attention to them. "Here's the deal, ladies." He said. "The way Troy disappeared, something's not right. So if you've heard anything..."

The girls exchanged a knowing look and Grace could see the uneasiness on their faces. So, the young psychic tried her best to put on a comforting face before she asked, before the other two could. "You know something. What is it? It's okay, you can tell us."

"Well, it's just..." Rachel, Amy's friend, paused briefly, thinking about what she was going to say. There was a look on her face, one that all of the Winchesters recognised. The look of someone who didn't think they were going to be believed. But she continued anyway. "I mean, with all these guys going missing, people talk."

The Winchesters spoke up in unison. "What do they talk about?"

On occasion, Grace and Dean had been so in sync they could predict what the other was going to say. But Sam had been back for a day and he was already slipping back into the hunting rhythm, the same rhythm Grace and Dean were both following. Acting like the family they were, that made Grace smile happily.

Rachel began, reciting the folklore, the whispers of the town. "It's kind of this local legend. This one girl? She got murdered out on Centennial, like decades ago." She shrugged, not thinking much of it. The Winchesters kept their eyes on Rachel, listening attentively. "Well, supposedly, she's still out there. She hitchhikes, and whoever picks her up? Well, they disappear forever."

The trio exchanged a knowing look. It sounded like their case all right, now they just had figure out what was really going on, and how they could stop it.

THEIR NEXT STOP WAS, OF COURSE, THE LIBRARY TO TRY AND DISCOVER ALL THEY COULD ON THIS MYSTERIOUS 'HITCHHIKER'. It certainly sounded like their kind of thing even if some stories can be distorted from person to person, like a game of Chinese Whispers — a game Grace only knew about because she had seen it on TV, not because she had played it. They were trying to find the facts behind what Rachel had told them and the library was always a good place to search.

Grace was sat on the table next to the computer, legs dangling freely beneath her. Both her and her Uncle Sam watched as her Dad use the computer he was hunched over. No matter what he was typing it, he kept getting zero results, much to his irritation.

"Let me try." Sam offered and reached out for the keyboard, only to have his hand smacked away by Dean.

"I got it." He insisted. Determination flowed through him as he stared at the Jericho Herald webpage, but continued to be unable to find an answer. Catching him off guard, Sam suddenly pushed Dean's chair out of the way and leapt onto the computer. "Dude!" The older brother cried out before hitting Sam's shoulder in retaliation. Meanwhile, Grace was giggling quietly to herself at the scene. Dean shot her look of mock offence before grumbling. "You're such a control freak."

They all returned their eyes to the blank screen, trying their best to fill it. Grace felt something stir inside her as she stared at the starkness of the lonely white. Everything they knew about the case was jumble in her mind, but a feeling in her gut was showing her the way through, slowly piecing together the puzzle. The words her Dad had last searched were still present on the screen and one stood out amongst the rest. That was when she finally realised.

"Suicide." She breathed out, causing the brothers to turn to her slightly confused. "It's suicide, not murder. Violent deaths make angry spirits but violent deaths aren't always murder." Explained the Winchester girl and realisation also fell over their faces.

Sam turned back to the computer, changing 'Murder' to 'Suicide' and just as she predicted, an article titled 'Suicide on Centennial' flashed onto the screen. She was sure they would have figure it out eventually, but still, the young girl smiled proudly to herself. Dean gaped at his daughter. He had to admit, she was getting better at hunting even if that didn't make him as happy as it made her. "Good shout there, Gracie." The girl felt her cheeks grow hotter and she looked down at her swinging boots.

"This was in 1981." Sam pointed out as he started to read the article aloud for them all to hear. "Constance Welch, twenty-four years old, jumps off Sylvania Bridge, drowns in the river."

A photo of the woman, Constance, was brought up and as soon as Grace set her eyes on it, flashes of images flew through her mind. She could barely make them out, they were going so fast, causing her to blink rapidly along with them. She could see blood splattering against the windshield, the thrashing of dying bodies in the driver's seat and could feel the terror that radiated from their hearts. She could see the woman, Constance, at the centre of it all, her form constantly flickering. She could see things no young girl should ever witness.

Suddenly, she broke from her trance. Horror was still present in her face and her heart was beating so fast she thought it was going to burst. But this was a common occurrence for Grace, so she knew how to deal with it. Whilst Sam was preoccupied with the article, oblivious as to what Grace had gone through, Dean noticed the change in his daughter's demeanour and reached out for her hand. "You okay, Pumpkin?"

Instead of answering his question, she pointed to the screen and stated. "That's definitely her." The way she said it which such certainty brought Sam's head out from the page to glance at his niece curiously. Upon turning to her, he too noticed the slight panic hidden in her eyes and the small bead of sweat on her brow.

But before he could question her, Dean spoke up. "Does it say why she did it?"

"Yeah."

"What?" Dean looked to him to continue.

Sam read out the article solemnly. "An hour before they found her, she calls 911. Apparently her two little kids are in the bathtub. She leaves them alone for one minute, and when she come back, they aren't breathing. Both die." Grace looked down, saddened by the news, it was so tragic. Her Father raised his eyebrow, humming in thought. "'Our babies are gone, and Constance just couldn't bear it.' said Husband Joseph Welch.'" Sam quoted, but Dean wasn't paying attention, instead his gaze to drawn to the picture beside it. A picture of a bridge.

He glanced between his brother and daughter. "The bridge look familiar to you?" And as Grace stared at the image, she realised he was right. They had seen it before. It was where Troy Squire had disappeared.

SYLVANIA BRIDGE

FOR THE SECOND TIME THAT DAY, SAM AND DEAN STOOD ON SYLVANIA BRIDGE, BUT THIS TIME THEY HAD GRACE BY THEIR SIDES. The trio strolled along the bridge, feeling the crisp night air brushing against their cheeks. Grace tilted her head to look up at the stars, smiling at the sight of them. Often Grace and her Dad would spend evenings on the hood of the Impala, watching as the lights above twinkled in their eternal peace. Another thing Grace had grown to love since losing her memories, was stargazing.

They stopped, leaning against the cold metal railing before looking down at the river beneath them. "So, this is where Constance took the swan dive." Dean said as he watched the murky water flow over the rocks and wood laying on the bed.

"So, you think Dad would have been here?" Sam asked, turning to his brother.

Grace hummed in thought as she looked through the metal railing that she was too short to peer over. "Grandpa John is following the same case we are, and if we found that article, then so did he." She stated and her Dad nodded his head in agreement.

Dean then pulled away from the railing and continued his walk down the bridge. The whole place was empty, after all, it was the dead of night and someone had gone missing the previous evening. No sane person would dare come out to the bridge at this hour. Luckily, the words 'sane' and 'Winchester' weren't in the same category.

"Okay, so now what?" Inquired Sam as he followed his brother with Gracie on his heels.

"Now, we keep digging until we find him." Stated Dean matter-of-factly before he admitted. "Might take a while."

Sam stopped in his tracks and reminded the man four years his senior. "Dean, I told you, I've gotta get back by Monday—"

"Monday." Interrupted Dean, whipping around to stand face-to-face with his brother. "Right. The interview." He ignored the look Gracie was giving him and continued. "Yeah, I forgot. You're really serious about this, aren't you. You think you're just going to become some lawyer? Marry your girl?"

Grace shifted in her spot as she started to feel uncomfortable with the growing argument. All, she wanted was for her Uncle to be happy, so if this made him happy she saw no wrong in it. Dean, as any big brother would be, was worried but that didn't mean he should try and get in the way of Sam's choices, his happiness.

"Maybe." Shrugged Sam. "Why not?"

Dean decided to answer a question with a question. "Does Jessica know about you? I mean, does she know about the things you've done?"

Stepping closer to Dean, Sam returned with. "No, and she's not ever going to know." Grace remained, unmoving, in her spot, not knowing what to do.

"Well, that's healthy." Commented Dean with sarcasm dripping off his tongue. "You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are." He spun on his heels and then began to walk off but Sam and Grace were quick to follow.

"And who's that?"

"Dad, don't." Grace warned as she could already guess the answer to that question. Unfortunately, they both ignored her and the girl sighed in exasperation.

Dean replied. "You're one of us." And by that, he meant hunters. The very life Sam left behind.

A scoff past Sam's lips which was soon accompanied by anger-fuelled words. "No. I'm not like you. This is not going to be my life." He denied before his eyes flickered to Gracie. He wished she could have a normal and safe life, like the one neither him nor Dean ever had, but he knew that wasn't going to happen.

Dean sent a heated glare at Sam, his jaw clenching with fury. "You have a responsibility to—"

"To Dad?" Sam cut him off. If he was angry before, now his blood was boiling. "And his crusade? If it weren't for pictures I wouldn't even know what Mom looks like." Grace didn't know much about Mary Winchester, but she did know her Dad still cared about her a lot. "And what difference would it make? Even if we do find the thing that killed her. Mom's gone. And she isn't coming back."

Bringing up their Mum was the tipping point for Dean. He lunged forwards, grasping Sam by the collar before shoving him harshly against the bridge railing. Grace cried out in shock before rushing over and attempting to pull her Dad off his brother. But she was still small, so all Dean felt was sharp tugging on his jacket. "Don't talk about her like that."

"Let him go, Dad!" Grace tried again, pulling even harder on the fabric. "If he doesn't want to be a hunter, he shouldn't have to be."

Finally, Dean released the tight grip he had on his brother before walking away from both him and Grace. Sam panted, regaining his breath, and turned to give his niece a grateful look. At least someone is on my side, he thought before pushing himself away from the metal.

It was as if the metal under her feet had suddenly become water. A chill rose up her body, starting from her feet before creeping upwards, making her knees knock together from the cold. Grace could hear whispers floating into her ear, barely audible mumbles she couldn't work out. She felt like she was wading through a river as something she didn't know was pushing against her, slowing her down. Then suddenly, it stopped.

Grace swivelled on the spot; her eyes darting about frantically. And that was when she saw Constance, draped in a dirty white dress and standing on the edge of the railing. "It's her!" She cried out, gaining the attention of the previously arguing brothers.

The two walked to stand at Grace's side as she watched Constance curiously. Dark cascading locks blew in the night breeze, but none covered her face as she turned to look at the three Winchesters. Grace felt a sudden drop in her heart at the sight of Constance. Then she stepped off the edge.

Sprinting to the edge, the trio then peered down to the river below. However, Constance Welch was nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd she go?" Dean asked, confused, as he continued to search the river with his eyes.

Sam shook his head, also perplexed. "I don't know."

Grace just hummed, looking through the railing to the gushing water beneath them. "She just vanished into thin air." Well, that was the sort of thing ghosts and spirits did, so she didn't know why they were surprised.

A rumbling filled the quiet air. The sudden sound of the Impala's engine snapped them from their trance. Baby's light abruptly flicked on, casting its full-beam across the bridge and catching that Winchesters like deer in the headlights. Sam turned to his brother in bewilderment.

"What the—" Dean found himself incapable of finding words to encapsulate what he was witnessing. Grace was staring at their beloved car in disbelief.

"Who's driving your car?"

Wordlessly and without breaking his gaze, Dean withdrew the car keys from his pocket and brought them up for them all to see. Grace's eyes widened even further as her and Sam stared at the keys as Dean jingled them in his hand. This was not good.

The car lurched forwards, jerking into motion. They remained, frozen in fear, but then Baby started to speed in their direction. So, the Winchester didn't stand around to debate about it and turned to run in the opposite way.

"Baby, I thought we were good!" Yelled Grace with a frown across her lips. "I thought we had gotten over the time I spilt chocolate milk on your seats!" Despite the car having been brought to life, it appeared that Baby still couldn't understand a word she said.

Dean pushed his daughter in front of him as Sam shouted. "Dean? Gracie? Go! Go!"

Baby was catching them up, they couldn't outrun it, at least not for much longer. Grace was going as fast as her small legs could carry her and Dean kept himself behind her, putting something between Grace and their car. There was only one place the Impala couldn't follow them and they knew it: the railing.

Upon reaching the metal fence, Dean lifted his daughter up onto the top before diving over the edge, with Sam not that far behind him. And as soon as their feet left the bridge, the Impala came to a halt.

It turned off as quickly and as strangely as it had switched on, leaving the Winchesters free from being roadkill under their family vehicle. But that didn't mean they were safe. For clinging tightly to the railing and dangling over the choppy river were Sam and Grace Winchester.

The young girl had slipped after her Dad had placed her on the railing, but luckily she had caught herself before she could tumble into the murky waters. Next to her was her Uncle Sam, also hanging on with all his strength. Her eyes widened, panicked, after realising her Dad was not there next to them. She tried to crane her head to look down, but found that her hands were starting to slip so she refocused on gripping the metal for dear life.

Sam used his long limbs to climb back over the rusty railing before turning to grab Grace's arms. He then heaved her over the side and back onto sturdy ground. Instantly, she threw her arms around his midsection, hugging her Uncle in a mixture of gratitude and relief. Sam tensed at yet another surprising hug before relaxing and returning the embrace.

Suddenly, as if awakening from a dream, Sam disconnected from Grace and ran back to the railing. "Dean? Dean!" He called out desperately. Both their eyes scanned the river bed, searching for any signs of life.

"Dad!"

There was still no response.

Then, below them, they watched as a figure pulled them-self up onto the bank, covered from head-to-toe in thick mud. It was Dean. Grace grinned at the sight of him, even if he was dirty and looked rather annoyed. Dean lied down on the bank, panting heavily, eyes closed as he took a moment to breathe.

Grace climbed up onto the metal so she could lean over the railing and stare down at her Father. "Dad. Are you okay?" She asked worriedly through the relieved smile still on her face. They had all made it out scratch-free and that was something to be happy about.

Dean made an ok sign with his hand before replying in what Grace believed to be sarcasm. "I'm super." Sam and Grace laughed at his response before the latter hopped down from the railing and followed her Uncle as they stepped away from the edge.

It didn't take Dean long to trudge his way back into bridge, not being aided by his now wet and muddy clothes that were weighing him down. The first thing he did was attempt to hug his daughter who jumped back behind her Uncle to avoid being coated in wet dirt. Dean just laughed before popping the hood of the Impala to see if there was any last damage. Sam and Gracie watched as Dean fiddled and poked around with the engine, not at all pleased that a ghost had messed with his precious Baby.

After he was satisfied with his survey, he shut the hood and leant against it. Grace stepped towards the Impala and then patted the sleek black hood. "Is Baby okay now, Dad?" She asked. A small frown fell on her face as she felt the echo of whatever powered their car, it was quickly dissipating and growing increasingly hard to sense but Grace knew it was there.

"Yeah, Gracie." He smiled at his daughter before it twisted into a scowl as he thought about Constance messing with his car. "Whatever she did to it, seems all right now. That Constance chick, what a bitch!"

"Don't be make the mean car-stealing ghost angrier, Dad." Scolded Grace. If Constance had the ability to control Baby, then what else was she capable of? Grace didn't want to find out.

"Well, she doesn't want us digging around, that's for sure." Sam pointed out before turning to his brother. "So, where's the job go from here, genius?"

Sam lifted Grace onto the hood of the Impala before leaning against the car next to her so she was now placed between her Dad and Uncle. The young girl looked up at her sky, smiling at the sight of the many stars shining in the dark. Dean noticed her gaze and turned his eyes to the skies and then the Father and daughter spent the next new seconds together, in their ephemeral peace.

After a few moments, Dean returned to his dirtied clothes and began trying to flick the grimy sludge off his body. Grace ducked and cringe as a piece cams flying in her direction. Sam's nose crinkled after a whiff of Dean's new odour — courtesy of the river — flooded his nose. He stared at his brother and stated. "You smell like a toilet."

Gracie burst into a fit of giggles.

AFTER THE EVENTS OF SYLVANIA BRIDGE, THE WINCHESTERS DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO REST. They had been going for who knows how many hours (Grace had lost track) so they needed some sleep. Or at least she did. They say children need much more sleep than adults for their growing bodies; she was lucky if she got what adults required each night. Anyway, this was how the trio ended up at Jericho's nearest motel.

It was daytime by this point so the young girl was pretty tired. She had gone longer before without sleep, but that didn't mean she wasn't tired then. To avoid getting all muddy, Grace was using her Uncle for support instead of her Father, leaning against his tall legs to steady herself.

Dean dropped his card onto the guest ledger and smiled at the desk clerk. The mud had all dried and stuck to his skin, there probably wasn't a place where mud wasn't. No strange looks were sent their way, it probably wasn't the weirdest thing they had seen ever, or even that day. "One room, please." Dean requested.

The clerk picked up the plastic card from the table and then started to examine it closely. Grace remembered when her Dad had to explain to her that the plastic cards were money, because it took her a while to understand how something so nothing can be worth so much. To be honest, she still didn't completely get it.

From behind for counter, the clerk looked between them and the card in his hands. "You guys having a reunion or something?" He inquired curiously.

Grace was too tired to wonder or care what his interest was.

Sam looked back at the man, bewildered at his question. "What do you mean?"

"I had another guy, Burt Aframian. He came and bought out a room for a whole month." Explained the clerk. And at his words, even an exhausted Grace perked up.

Burt Aframian was the name on John Winchester's fake credit card. He was here. The trio glanced at each other. They finally had some news on where the missing man was, proving that their trail wasn't cold just yet.

Grace rubbed her eyes before ambling to the counter that she was too short to reach. The man leaned forwards to peer at her over the edge. Then with a kind smile, she asked. "Is it okay if we have the number, please?"

Chapter Two!!! Let's go!!!

The Winchesters have a lead on John and the case he was working on. We've seen more of Grace's abilities which we will continue to explore.

Sometimes poor baby Grace thinks she's useless in a hunt, but she's definitely not. Dean just wants to place in her at least danger as possible. Also, his nickname for her being 'Pumpkin' 🥰 so cute. I adore this family so much already. Sam and Grace continuing to bond is what I live for.

Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed. Hopefully I'll see you in the next chapter.

Sincerely Rosie aka Winter326