Secrets Will Kill You

The next day we went to the carnival ourselves. There were two more murders. Two adults were ripped to shreds and the little boy said it was a clown that just vanished. We couldn’t scope around without being inconspicuous, as Sam put it so Dean came up with the bright idea of blending in. We walked inside a tent and well…it was very amusing. Dean got told off by a blind dude and short person, wanna see?! :)

“Excuse me. We’re looking for a Mr. Cooper, have you seen him around?” Dean asked as we saw an older man standing in front of us.

“What is that, some kind of joke?” the man said, taking off his sunglasses and we saw he had glass eyes.

“Oh God, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t…”

“You think I wouldn’t give my eyeteeth to see Mr. Cooper or a sunset or anything at all?”

“Wanna give me a little help here?” Dean asked all of us.

“Not really” Sam answered. “Yea, I’m good here” I added. “Just watching” Brit finished and we both snickered.

Then a short man came walking in. “Hey, Barry, is there a problem?”

“Yea, this guy hates blind people” Barry claimed.

“No, I don’t” Dean said.

“Hey buddy, what’s your problem?” the tiny man asked.

“Nothing, it’s just a little misunderstanding”

“Little? You son of a bitch!” the man yelled.

“No, no, no! Could somebody tell me where Mr. Cooper is?” Dean blurted quickly and Sam, Brit and I were laughing our asses off. “Please?” he added.

See? It was so funny, you just had to be there. But anyway, we met with Mr. Cooper and we talked about getting a gig here but Cooper didn’t exactly buy it. He showed us a picture of his father and they looked exactly alike…but I let the feeling of weird pass by. He tried to convince us that we should go to school first, have relationships, something about 2.5 kids…and told us to live regular lives. I was kind of shocked when Sam said we didn’t want to go to school and live regular…I mean, yea it was to convince Cooper but I wasn’t expected Sam to say that. As we walked back to the minivan, Brit and I decided to give the boys some space since they started to…have a debacle. This case was going to take forever.

The next day, we were all dressed in carnie jackets, picking up trash. We all split up to search around the grounds and then we did a four way call with each other to report back. Brit and I couldn’t find anything but apparently Sam found some bones and Dean had another encounter with Barry Papazian…and I was so disappointed because I missed it. When we all met up again, we heard a little girl talking to her mother about a clown but we looked, there was nothing there. So here I am now, sitting outside this family’s house, beside Brit in the front seats of the friggin minivan while Dean and Sam head on inside. I sighed in boredom as I tapped on the steering wheel, keeping a beat.

“Is something wrong with you?” Brit asked.

“No, I am perfectly fine…except for the fact that Jo is still hung up on what happened years ago”

“Oh so that’s what this is about”

“Yes. That is what this is about…she isn’t the type to hold a grudge…I don’t know why she’s still…”

“Start the van!” I heard Dean yell and all of a sudden, we saw Dean and Sam just come running toward us.

I started the engine as Brit bent her body in an awkward (very talented) way to slide the door open and they both came running in and I sped off. “You were saying?” Brit asked.

“I…” I looked at the guys in the rear view mirror and then lowered my voice as the sun was already rising. Damn, night went by fast.

“I just don’t understand why she’s holding such a grudge against me…I didn’t know…” I started saying but then I noticed Dean was watching me through the mirror. So I glared at him and just stopped talking.

~~

I pulled off of the road and into a ditch. “You really think they saw our plates?” Sam asked as he took off the license plates and got their bags. “I’ll take the chance. Besides, I hate this freakin thing anyway” Dean replied and we all started walking down the really long stretch of road.

“Well one thing’s for sure though” I started. “What’s that?” Brit asked. “We’re not dealing with a spirit. You guys said that rock salt hit something solid” I said, looking at the boys.

“Yeah, a person? Or maybe a creature that can make itself invisible” Sam suggested. “Yeah and dresses up like a clown for kicks? Did it say anything in dad’s journal?” Dean asked. “Nope” Sam replied, taking out his cell phone.

“Who you callin?” Dean asked.

“Maybe Ellen or that guy Ash will know something. Hey, you think, uh…you think dad and Ellen ever had a thing?”

“No way”

“Then why didn’t he tell us about her?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they had some sort of fallin’ out…everyone seems to be having those lately” Dean eyed me.

“Shut up, Dean” I warned him again.

“You ever notice Dad had a fallin' out with just about everybody?” Sam changed the subject. But, Dean didn’t respond. “Don’t get all maudlin on me, man”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean this strong, silent thing of yours. It’s crap. I’m over it. This isn’t just anyone we’re talkin’ about. This is Dad. I know how you felt about the man”

“You know what, back off, all right? Just because I’m not caring and sharing like you want me to…”

“No, no, no. That’s not what this is about, Dean. I don’t care how you deal with this, but you have to deal with it, man. Listen, I’m your brother, all right? I just want to make sure you’re okay”

Brit and I fell back a few feet and I sighed in annoyance since they were fighting again.

“Dude, I’m okay. I’m okay! I swear, the next person who asks me if I’m okay, I’m gonna start throwin’ punches. These are your issues. Quit dumpin’ ‘em on me” Dean snapped and they stopped walking, causing us to almost bump into them but we caught ourselves.

“What are you talkin’ about?”

“I just think it’s really interesting, this sudden obedience you have to Dad. It’s like, ‘Oh, what would Dad want me to do?’ Sam, you spent your entire life sluggin’ it out with that man. I mean, hell, you picked a fight with him the last time you ever saw him, and now that he’s dead, now you want to make it right? Well, I’m sorry, Sam, but you can’t. It’s too little, too late” he said and I looked at him in shock.

I even thought that was a little harsh. “Why are you saying this to me?”

“Because I want you to be honest with yourself about this! I’m dealin’ with Dad’s death! Are you?”

They both stayed silent. I stepped forward. “Okay, that’s enough. No more. Brit and I are tired of your arguing while on the job and we don’t want to hear it. So both of you will stop and save it for when we are done here and Brittney and I are far enough away so we cant hear you guys” I said, sternly.

They continued to stay silent but Sam nodded. “I’m gonna call Ellen” he spoke and walked away. I gestured my head at Brit so she would go over to Sam. She nodded and walked off.

Dean hung his head, shaking it. I walked in front of him. “Hey…” I said gently so he would look up at me. He lifted his head reluctantly.

“Look…I am on your side and I am in no position at all to criticize the way you handle things because in all honesty, I handle it the same way…but just go a little bit easier on Sam…”

“Go easier on him? Mel, he has to…”

“Yes, I heard you before, he has to be honest with himself…but he cant see that yet…and you aren’t always right Dean, maybe you should think about what Sam said…”

I paused as he just stared at me. “You two deal with things in different ways…you have to respect that and so does he…all I’m saying is chill out a little…maybe he’ll realize you’re right…”

He just nodded. “One question though…”

“Dean, if it’s about Jo…”

“Melissa, she said I should watch Sam’s back…you know I have to…so I need you to tell me why she would say that…”

I laughed to myself, throwing my head back, looking up at the sky. “Wow” I muttered. I looked back at him.

He was waiting. “Okay…when Jo and I were teenagers…we were close. Best friends even. She was close with Brittney too so it was great…but when we were sixteen we stopped being friends…”

I paused and he made a face, telling me to continue and get on with it. “Bottom line is…she kept to herself a lot…so I didn’t know she had a boyfriend and…”

“She caught you two together” he assumed.

“Yea…and things were pretty heated between us when she walked in…she started yelling and I had no idea what she was talking about…once she said he was her boyfriend, I kicked him out and then I tried explaining to her but that didn’t work. She slapped me, I punched her and Brit had to break it up. There, that is what happened with me and Jo. Dean, I promise you that I would never want to hurt Sam…and you know I would never ever want to hurt Brittney”

“I know” he sighed. “Sorry”

“If you’re going to make a habit of saying that again, we’re going to have a problem” I smirked, wrapped my arms around my stomach, hugging my sides.

He just chuckled to himself. “But you two would make a great couple” I smirked, glaring and he glared back, humor gone from his face. “Awe and I thought we were having a moment” he said, sarcastically.

Then Sam and Brit came back over to us. “Rakshasa” Sam said. “What’s that?” Dean asked.

“Ellen’s best guess”

“It’s a race of ancient Hindu creatures” Brit added.

“They appear in human form, they feed on human flesh, they can make themselves invisible, and they cannot enter a home without first being invited to” I finished.

“You know, I feel really left out when you three gang up on me like that…you didn’t think anything of this?” Dean looked at me.

“I never actually faced one before, my dad only talked about them and he rarely talked about his cases”

“So, they dress up like clowns, and children invite ‘em in” Dean assumed.

“Yeah”

“Why don’t they just munch on the kids?"

“Not enough meat on the bones, maybe?” Brit suggested”

“What else you find out?”

“Well, apparently, rakshasas live in squalor. They sleep on a bed of dead insects” Sam said.

“Nice” I commented.

“Yeah, and they have to feed a few times every twenty to thirty years…slow metabolism, I guess” Sam said.

“That makes sense…the carnival today, the Bunker Brothers in ’81” Dean mentioned.

“Right. Probably more before that” Brit said. “Guys, who do we know that worked both shows?” I asked. “Cooper?” they all asked at once. “Cooper” I confirmed.

“You know, that picture of his father…that looked just like him” Sam said. “You think maybe it was him?” I asked rhetorically and smirking. “Well, who knows how old he is?” Brit asked.

“Ellen say how to kill him?” Dean asked Sam.

“Legend goes a dagger made of pure brass”

“I think I know where to get one of those”

“Well, before we go stabbing things into Cooper, we’re gonna wanna make damn sure it’s him”

“Oh, you’re such a stickler for details, Sammy” Dean said and Sam smiled…which caused Brit and I to smile. “All right, Mel and I will round up the blade. You and Brit go see if Cooper’s got bedbugs” Dean instructed and we all nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Night fell again and we all got to the carnival when no one was around. We split up and Dean and I met up with Barry, asking him for a brass knife and we followed him into his office.

“Well, I got all kinds of knives. I don’t know if I got a brass one, though…check the trunk” he said, gesturing to a big trunk in the corner. I watched Dean as he walked over to the trunk and he opened it. His face twisted in confusion.

“You?” he asked and I rushed to his side, looking in the trunk. There, I saw a clown costume and a wig. “Me” Barry answered and when I turned, he was gone.

We rushed to the door and I tried opening it but it wouldn’t budge. “Look out!” he yelled, pushing me to the side and a knife flew into the door, just missing my face.

Another flew at Dean. Then, I faced the door and kicked it down. “Come on!” I yelled and he followed me out as we ran and got outside and kept running.

“Hey!” I heard two voices. We stopped in our tracks, turned and Sam and Brit came running up to us. “Hey” we both said. “So, Cooper thinks we’re peeping Toms, but it’s not him” Sam stated.

“Yeah, so we gathered. It’s the blind guy. He’s here somewhere” Dean said. “Well, did you get the…” Brit started. “The brass blades? No. It’s just been one of those days” I answered.

Sam and Brit looked around and then looked at each other, having some kind of nerd epiphany. “I got an idea” they both said and took off and we ran after them.

We followed them into the funhouse and started looking around with loud carnival music playing. Then all of a sudden, a wall just came out of the floor, separating us, putting Sam and I one side with Brit and Dean on the other.

“Sam!” Dean yelled.

“Brit, you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine!”

“Brittney, Dean, find the maze, okay?” Sam said.

I started looking around and then walked over to the pipe organ where the music was coming from. “Hey, you think this will work?” I asked him. “Yes” he said and started pulling on one as Brit and Dean met back up with us.

“Hey. Where is it?” Sam asked. “I don’t know. I mean, shouldn’t we see his clothes walkin’ around?” Dean asked.

Then, out of nowhere, Dean and Brit got pinned to the wall by some knives. “Guys!” Brit yelled and Sam broke off the steel pipe. “Where is it?” I yelled. “I don’t know!” Dean yelled back in a panic.

I noticed a lot of steam started to fill the room and I saw it was because Brit turned the nozzle in the top corner. “Melissa, behind you!” Dean grunted.

Sam handed the pipe off to me quickly, I grabbed it and stabbed behind me. I let go of the pipe and turned to see the pipe stabbed into the creature’s stomach and it fell to the ground and Dean got out of the knives and then helped Brit off the wall as well. The four of us stood around the pile of clothing on the floor with the pipe.

“I hate funhouses” Dean commented.

~~~~~~~~~~~

We got back to the Roadhouse when it was light out again and there were a few hunters around some tables, cleaning their weapons. The four of us sat at the bar. “You kids did a hell of a job. Your dads would be proud” Ellen said.

I noticed Brit was looking down and I nudged her, offering her a smile. “Your dad would be proud too ya know” I whispered to her. “I know…” she murmured.

Then Jo joined us and she was staring me down. No one could tell it was a hard stare. It wasn’t a glare or anything…but I knew she was staring me down. Dean was just staring at us all, giving us a look.

“Oh, yea we’ve got to uhh…” Sam started. “Go…over there…” I added. “Right now” Brit finished. We were all awkward about it as we walked away but then we just laughed.

While they were talking, I didn’t even bother eavesdropping that time. When they were done, Jo came over to me as Brit and Sam walked away, subtly. Thanks. She crossed her arms across her chest as I just put my hands on my hips.

“Ya know, you really do have a lot of nerve showing up around here” she spat.

“Look, I only came because of Sam and Dean…the last time we saw each other it didn’t exactly end too pretty for either of us” She just stared at me.

“Jo…I don’t know why you’re still holding this stupid grudge. I didn’t know! How many times and how many different languages are you going to make me say that in? Why cant we at least just try to be civil with each other?” I babbled a little.

“We can be…my mom is making me do this and Dean said I should…but that’s all I’ll be with you. Civil”

“I’ll take it” I sighed.

“But you should also know…it isn’t because of the boyfriend thing anymore…I’m not that pathetic...I don't even think it ever was because of that, I was just looking for a reason to stop talking to you...”

“But why…?”

“Because you’re Melissa Stern. You vanished after your dad died…I couldn’t do that” she said and didn’t even let me try to respond. She just walked away.

“Where you guys been? I been waitin’ for you” Ash said, coming out from the back of the Roadhouse and I got to the others at the bar.

“We were workin’ a job, Ash” Sam said but Ash just stared at him.

“Clowns?”

“Clowns? What the…”

“You got somethin’ for us, Ash?” Dean interrupted him and he set his laptop in front of all of us. “Did you find the demon?” Brit asked.

“It’s nowhere around, at least nowhere I can find. But if this fugly bastard raises its head, I’ll know. I mean, I’m on it like divine on dog dookie”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean any of those signs or omens appear anywhere in the world, my rig will go off like a fire alarm”

“You mind?” Dean asked and went to touch the laptop but stopped when Ash was glaring at him.

Then he moved his hand away, smirking. “What’s up, man?” Ash asked.

“Ash, where did you learn to do all this?” Sam asked.

“M.I.T., before I got bounced…for fighting”

“M.I.T.?” Sam asked, incredulous.

“It’s a school in Boston” Ash replied.

Sam knew what M.I.T was and where it was located, he just was in disbelief about how Ash was there. “Okay. Give us a call as soon as you know somethin’?” Dean requested.

“Si, si, compadre”

Then we all walked out. “Hey, listen. If you kids need a place to stay, I got a couple beds out back” Ellen said, coming outside behind us.

“Thanks, but no” Dean said, kind of rudely. “There’s just somethin’ we gotta finish” I smiled at her. “Okay” she nodded. Then, we left.

~~~~

We got back to Bobby’s place and Brit and I went inside to get a quick drink and we brought two beers outside for the boys as well but when we got outside, I stopped Brit, so we stopped walking and stared at the brother’s…discussing.

“I’m sorry that the last time I was with him, I tried to pick a fight. I’m sorry that I spent most of my life angry at him. I mean, for all I know, he died thinkin’ that I hate him. So, you’re right. What I’m doin’ right now…it is too little. It’s too late….” he repeated what Dean had said to him yesterday and then paused as he became on the verge of tears.

“I miss him, man. And I feel guilty as hell. And I’m not all right. Not at all…but neither are you. That much I know…I’ll let you get back to work” Sam finished and started walking toward us.

Brit went back inside with him and I was about to walk over to my truck but I stopped. I walked over to where he was and I stood a few feet away, setting his beer on the ground. Then I picked up a crow bar off the ground and offered it to him.

“It’ll help…a little. It wont help a lot but it’ll help some…it helped me…” I tried and he took the crow bar from me.

I backed up a few feet so I was safely distant from him. He was calm…but then out of no where…he cracked. He started to just slam the crow bar down on the trunk of his car, repeatedly, making dents, even a hole. I watched…and cringed a few times. It was all I could do. After about a good twenty times of hitting the car, he dropped the crow bar to the ground and just stared at nothing. His expression was dark…not cold…just empty almost…and I just walked back over to my truck. We both got back to work like nothing happened…what else could we do?