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(8.3) ─ Rule #22

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫:
‧⁺˚*‧☾𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞☽‧*˚⁺‧

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"You know, I've heard of killer bees, but killer beetles? It doesn't really make any sense?" Carmen asked. It was now dark outside, Sam was now driving while Dean looked through John's journal. "Well, haunting sometimes includes bug manifestations." Sam answered. "Yeah, but I didn't see any evidence of ghost activity." Dean spoke up. "Yeah, me neither," Sam added and Carmen sighed. "Maybe they're being controlled somehow, you know, by something or someone?" The oldest suggested. "You mean...like Willard?" She asked.

"Yeah, bugs instead of rats."

"There are cases of psychic connections between people and animals, elementals, telepaths." Sam suggested.

"Yeah, that whole Timmy-Lassie thing," Dean started to say as he looked up from the journal, "Larry's kid–he's got bugs for pets."

"Matt?"

"Yeah."

"He did try to scare the realtor with a tarantula." Sam added. "You think he's our Willard?" Dean asked, glancing over at him. "I don't know? Anything's possible, I guess. But, he does have an interest in something." He looked through the rearview mirror with a smirk. "Or more like someone."

Carmen turned her face towards the window feeling her cheeks start to grew warm. "Have I missed something?" Dean asked, noticing something was up with the two. Getting his answer when the two answered at the same time, "No, nothing, you missed nothing. Absolutely nothing, nothing whatsoever." She quickly said while Sam smirked, "A little bit."

"Oooh, hey! Pull over here," Dean shouted out of nowhere pointing at one of the driveways. Sam pulled into the empty driveway of one of the new homes. "What are we doing here?" Sam questioned as Dean got out of the car, walked up to the garage door. "It's too late to talk to anybody else. He pushed the door up. "Dude...we're gonna squat in an empty house?" She questioned pushing herself forward next to Sam. "What's a matter, Carm? We can always move closer towards Matt's house." He teased looking over at her. She shook her head, grabbing her bag, jacket, and book before getting out and standing next to Dean, who was also smirking. "I wanna try the steam shower. Come on," The oldest said, gesturing for Sam to drive in. But he didn't. "Come on!" He repeated raising his voice slightly. The younger brother sighed before giving in and pulled into the garage. Carmen went in after and Dean pulled the door down as Sam turned the engine off.

💾

It was officially night, probably midnight but Carmen didn't bother checking the time. Just soaking in the fact that for once she was by herself, in her own room. A treat she only got for her birthday. Her bed for the night wasn't a real bed, instead just a bunch of blankets they kept in the trunk for when they slept in the car during the colder season. Something her brothers always gave her was those blankets, and they instead used towels and hoodies and other random clothing items they found.

She was sitting at the window, fumbling with her necklace staring up at the night sky. Surprisingly seeing more stars in the sky than in a normal rural area. But her mind quickly brought up the fact that this used to be forest and plains, before all the copy and past houses.

It felt strange for her to do this again. To be sat in this same position. Fumbling with the same necklace, different chain. Feeling the same things starting to brew and steer around in her stomach as she once did when her mother had first left her. Every night she sat at the window that faced the parking lot staying up all night, but ending up always falling asleep before the sun would ever come up. Not wanting to miss her mom if she were to show up in the night to come back for her. Always ending up just being upset with herself in the morning realizing she hadn't stayed up at all.

"Isn't this a sight for sore eyes," Dean's sudden voice snapped her out of her thoughts and turned to see him standing in the doorway. "Haven't seen you do that in a while."

"Don't worry it's not like back then." She reassured him, remembering Dean was the one who would always bring her back to bed. Either making a deal to stay up with her, or finding her asleep.

"Is it what Sam said about Dad, because –?"

"No, no nothing like that." She quickly cut him off. He leaned his shoulder and hip against the frame, putting his whole weight onto that side. "It's just, this feels strange without him. Like Dad is just out of reach, like our hands are out but he's not wanting to grab it."

He glanced down, fully understanding what she was expressing. "I think everyday, even if we don't know it, we're getting closer and closer to finding him. And when we do he'll have to take our hand."

She shrugged, moving down the ground and resting her back against the wall that the window was on. "I just don't understand why he wouldn't say he's okay, at least. Like even if he doesn't want our help with whatever it is he's doing, he hasn't even shot us a text. "Hey I'm okay, don't worry I'm completely fine and alive." Ya know?" She explained while bringing her knees up to her chest.

"I don't know, I've never understood the things that man does sometimes." He said, smiling lightly, trying to make her feel better. But it didn't work. Instead just feeling the space between them with silences.

"Get some sleep, Carmen. Enjoy the private space while you still can." Dean said being the first one to break the silence. That made her smile lightly, nodding her head. "Goodnight, Carm." "Night, Tweety." She said before Dean shut the door behind him.

Pushing off the floor, taking one last look out the window up at the night sky before crawling into her bed. Upset that her black cat stuffed animal hadn't appeared. After pulling basically everything out of the Impala she figured it would appear. It was one of the only physical items she still had before becoming a Winchester. Her mother always made sure she had it, even tyinging it around her backpack. Knotting the rope enough times that they had to cut the rope in order to get the cat off of it. But slowly she drafted to sleep, hoping the blanket over her head would keep out the morning sun.

Sam had woken Carmen up. Explaining that a call had came saying someone was found dead. He was going to put their bags into the Impala, and wanted her to hurry Dean up so they could go. She quickly got dressed, making sure her pocket knife was tucked into her left boot, and her necklace was secured around her neck before leaving her room. Walking up to the bathroom door, hearing the shower running. She banged her fist on the door, "Get your ass out here!"

"What?!"

"Come on, Dean, Sam said that a police call came on the scanner!" She shouted through the wooden door. "Hold on!" He shouted back. "Someone was found dead three blocks from here, Let's go!"

Dean opened the door, the room was filled with steam, and a towel on top of his head and one around his waist. "Carm, this shower is awesome!" He said with a large grin. She shook her head, feeling his smile start to infect her, making her smile. But she shut the door before he could see it.

💾

It started to drizzle when the three pulled up to the house seeing an ambulance, and a police car outside it. Climbing out of the car, getting their umbrellas, Carmen huddled under Sam's not bothering getting hers out. Before walking over to Larry, who had just finished talking to someone on his phone as a stretcher that was carrying a body bag out towards the ambulance. "Hello. You're, uh, back early," He said after seeing the siblings.

"Yeah, we just drove in, wanted to take another look around the neighborhood." Dean lied.

"What's goin' on?" Sam questioned as the three looked concerned.

"You guys met, uh...Lynda Bloome at the barbeque?" He asked as Carmen's head tilted slightly, "The realtor?" She said in a slight question-like tone, but it wasn't an actual question. "Well, she, uh...passed away last night."

They each glanced at each other, each just as confused and shocked as the last, before their attention turned back towards the man. "What happened?" Dean asked. "I'm still tryin' to find out. I identified the body for the police." He explained before glancing over his shoulder to see one of the police officers was waiting on him. "Look, I-I'm sorry, this isn't a good time now."

"It's okay," Sam told him as Larry gave them an apologetic smile, muttering an 'excuse me' before turning and walking over to the police officer.

"You two know what we have to do, right?" Dean asked, turning towards the two youngest. "Yeah, get in that house." Sam replied. "Welp we better hurry up before it gets to slipper. Don't want you to fall off a roof, again." She reminded hitting Dean's shoulder before hurting her way back to the Impala.

💾

Climbing up and over the wooden fence, up the side of the house and sliding into the bedroom window. Inside was an outline of a body on the carpet. "This looks like the place.' Dean said as they started looking throughout the room and the adjoining bathroom. Dean bent down and picked up a towel, but immediately dropped it when seeing it covered in dead spiders. "Spiders," He pointed out, looking at the two through the door frame.

"From Spider Boy?"

"Maybe,"

"Maybe it's not him," She suggested, earning both their attention. "What? I don't think it's him." Sam sent her a smirk, making Dean frown, "What's up between you and that kid?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." She shrugged off.

"Yeah sure," Sam remarked, "You two were in your own world."

"Really, now?" Dean asked, finally understanding all the hints Sam was pouting out. Who nodded his head replying to him. Which quickly made his smirk disappear, "Wait – That's not good. Stay away from that kid." Carmen rolled her eyes at her brother, before climbing back out the window as the two followed. His protective side coming out quicker than she thought. Don't get her wrong Sam was just as protective, but it was different with Dean. That side of Dean coming out more especially after Sam left. Figuring he didn't want her to leave the same way Sam had.

💾

Dean pulled the Impala over, turning the engine off. Watching Larry's son, Matt, get off the bus across the street. But he started to walk in a different direction. "Isn't his house that way?" Carmen asked, pointing behind her. "Yup," Sam agreed. "So, where's he goin'?" Dean asked, staring at the teenage boy.

Sam glanced behind his seat, "Would you like us to talk to your boyfriend?" He teased Carmen. Who in return just shook her head, "Shut up,"

"Sorry Carmen, but rule twenty-two; Carmen isn't allowed to date anyone." Dean recalled. "Yeah, if she breaks that rule, didn't we say we would kill the guy?" Sam added. Teasing her with the silly stupid rules the two used to joke with. She rolled her eyes, climbing out and slamming the door shut. "Hey, don't hurt my baby!" The oldest yelled getting out as well.

The three followed the Pike teen through the woods. Finally approaching him when he was examining a grasshopper. "What's up, Matt." She said making him turn and look at her, "Remember me?"

"What are you doin' out here?"

"Well, we wanna talk to you." Dean explained as Matt's eyes flickered between the two brothers. "You're not here to buy a house, are you?" He asked, as she just shook her head. "W-wait. You're not serial killers?" The three just laughed lightly. "No, no. No, I think you're safe." Sam told him.

"So, Matt.. You sure know a lot about insects." Dean said, making Matt shrug his shoulders, "So?" "Did you hear what happened to Lynda, the realtor?" He asked.

His mouth formed a thin line before speaking, "I hear she died this morning."

"Mm, that's right. Spider bites,"

"Matt," She started, getting his full attention, "It was your spider that tried to scare her with, right?" He looked at her before her brothers. "Wait. You think I had something to do with that?" He asked in disbelief.

"You tell us," Dean said.

"That tarantula was a joke. Anyway, that wouldn't explain the bee attack or the gas company guy."

"You know about those?" Sam questioned as he nodded his head, "There is somethin' going on here." The three exchanged confused glances. "I don't know what...But something's happening with the insects. Let me show you something." He picked up his backpack and the four started walking to another area a few feet away. "So, if you knew about all this bug stuff, why not tell your Dad?" Sam asked, him and Dean were walking behind Carmen and Matt who were side by side. "Maybe he could clear everybody out,"

"Believe me, I've tried. But, uh, Larry doesn't listen to me," He replied. "Why?" She asked, making the two look directly at each other. "Mostly? He's too disappointed in his freak son,"

"Well that's bull," She replied making Sam scoff, "I hear you."

"You do?" Dean questioned. Sam turned and gave him a look before turning to Matt. "Matt, how old are you?"

"Sixteen,"

"Well, don't sweat it, because in two years. Something great's gonna happen, college. You'll be able to get out of that house and away from your dad." Sam explained. "What kind of advice is that? Kid should stick with his family," Dean protested. Carmen sighed, 'here we go again' she thought. Sam stopped, sighing and turning to his older brother, and glared at him. Carmen looked at Matt, with a 'sorry' look. "How much further, Matt?" She asked changing the topic. "We're close," He said, giving her an innocent smile. Which in result made her smile, feeling her face start to warm from the giddy, happy feeling.

Finally reaching the large clearing. The sounds of hundreds upon hundreds of different insects could be heard. "I've been keeping track of insect populations. It's, um, part of an AP science class." Matt explained.

"You two are like peas in a pod,"

"What's been happening?" She asked, ignoring her older brother's comment. "A lot. I mean, from bees to earthworms, beetles...You name it. It's like they're congregating here." He told her. "Why?" Dean asked. "I don't know," He replied, shrugging.

"What's that?" Sam asked, pointing at a darken patch of grass a few steps away. Curious, Dean walked towards it with the three following behind him. It was probably more than thousands of worms. Dean stepped on some of them, making them fall deeper into the ground creating a large hole. Looking towards Sam before crouching down and using a stick to poke around the hole. "There's somethin' down there." He put the stick down and then put his hand into the hole. His face scrunching up into a look of disgust before bringing his hand back up. In his hand was a human skull covered in dirt and worms. "It's going to be one of those days, isn't it?" Carmen remarked with a sigh.

💾

"See Dean," Carmen told her brother pointing towards the hood of the car, as both her brothers got out of the car and making their way towards her. "I told you that leaf wasn't goin' leave a starch." Dean had finally given in to letting her drive the Impala to the Department of anthropology. "Yeah well next easy on the gas," Sam rolled his eyes at the two's bickering, opening the door to the backseat, laying his jacket over the box. The one box that had the bones in it. "You said next time!" She beamed tossing the keys to Dean. "I get to drive again," She continued in a singing like tone.

"By that he mean, you'll be the one driving at two in the moring." Sam remarked, making her excited expression quickly drop. "So," He said, changing the topic as they started towards the building, "A bunch of skeletons in an unmarked grave."

"Yeah,"

"Maybe this is a haunting. Pissed off spirits? Some unfinished business?" Dean suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. Question is, why bugs? And why now?" Sam asked.

"That's two questions." Her and Dean said at the same time making their brother roll his eyes at them. "Yeah, so with Carm's little boyfriend-"

"Not my boyfriend, I barely know the guy." She quickly reminded cutting Dean off, but her just waved his hand dismissing her. "Okay. Why'd you tell him to just ditch his family like that?"

"Just, uh...I know what the kid's goin' through,"

"How 'bout tellin' him to respect his old man, how's that for advice?" Dean said which made Sam laugh and stopped walking. "Not again," She muttered, as her and Dean stopped as well. "Dean, come on. This isn't about his old man. You think I didn't respect Dad. That's what this is about?" Sam asked, clearly hitting a nerve. "Just forget it, alright? Sorry I brought it up," The oldest said, trying not to cause Sam to be anymore upset. But Sam Winchest is and always will be very stubborn. "I respect him. But no matter what I did, it was never good enough." He egged on. "So what are you sayin'? That Dad was disappointed in you?" Dean asked taking the bait.

"Was?" He scoffed, "Is. Always has been."

"Why would you think that?" He asked his expression clearly matching his tone. "Because I didn't wanna bowhunt or hustle pool – because I wanted to go to school and live my life, which, to our whacked-out family, made me the freak." He expressed finally getting these things off his chest. "Yeah, you were kind of like the blonde chick in The Munsters," Dean joked with a half smile on his face, trying to lighten the mood. "Dean, you know what most dads are when their kids score a full ride?" The oldest's smile fell. "Proud. Most dad's don't toss their kids out of the house." He slowly nodded, "I remember that fight. Yeah, Carmen locked herself in the bathroom. In fact, I seem to recall a few choice phrases comin' out of your mount." He stated. Sam scoffed, looking away before shaking his head, "You know, truth is, when we finally do find Dad...I don't know if he's even gonna wanna see me."

"Oh my fucking god!" Carmen finally snapped, growing tired of them going back and forth. "Dad was never disappointed in you, dumbass! Not once. He was just scared."

"What are you talking about?"

"He was afraid of what could've happened to you if he wasn't around. But even when you two weren't talkin'.. He would swing by Stanford whenever he could." Dean added as the two's truth bombs left Sam shocked. "Keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe."

"What?" He finally breathed out after a moment after trying to collect his thoughts.

"Yeah," Dean confirmed, licking his bottom lip, nodding his head lightly.

"Why didn't you tell me any of that?" He asked looking between the two. "Maybe you could've picked up the phone," She muttered. He looked down towards her, both expressions sadden at the pass actions, or lack thereof. "Look, um, now's probably not the best time to continue with this family stuff." She said after getting a few starrs by passersby. "Come on, we're gonna be late for our appointment." The oldest said, glancing down at his watch before two started again towards the building. Carmen sighed, collecting herself before following them.

💾

The professor was examining the skulls, there weren't any worms crawling over them but kept as much dirt on them as they could. His gaze went from the skull, and then at their brothers. "So, you two are students?"

"Yeah. Yeah, uh, we're in your class - Anthro 101?" Sam asked, as if he was trying to remember what the name of the class was. "Oh, yes," He agreed before looking over at Carmen. "You are?"

"Little sister," Dean replied, "Our parents are out of town. They just want to make sure she won't get into trouble." The professor nodded clearly believing the lie.

"What about the bones?" She asked, trying to bring the subject back to them. "This is quite an interesting find you've made. I'd say they're 170 years old, give or taken. The timeframe and the geography heavily suggest Native American." He stated. "Were there any tribes or reservations on the land?" Sam asked. "Not according to the historical record. But the, uh, relocation of native peoples was quite common at that time." He explained.

"RIght. Well, are there any local legends? Oral histories about the area?"

"Well... you know, there's a Euchee tribe in Sapulpa. It's about sixty miles from here. Someone out there might know the truth."