Down the Rabbit Hole

Wake Up Call

Soundtrack:
Hurts – Stay
Dolly Parton – Jolene
Bananarama - Venus

Lacey paced back and forth in the cabin, chewing on her lip, trying to decide what to do. Over the last few days she had been getting closer and closer to the realisation that she had to stop going back in time to visit Dean. It wasn't doing either of them any favours and she was getting closer and closer to the point in tie where she would meet Dean for real. Once that happened, she couldn't mess with her own time line. She had to say goodbye. She let out a sigh as the sinking feeling in her chest returned. She had to focus on finding Dean here, in the present. It was starting to feel hopeless but she couldn't give up on him, just as she knew he wouldn't give up on her. Lacey closed her eyes and focused on Dean.

"The hell it isn't." Lacey blinked her eyes open quickly, wondering what was going on. She was standing in a clearing, the Impala parked a short way off, Sam, Bobby and Dean were stood beside it.
"Family don't end with blood boy. Besides, you need me." Bobby was the one doing the shouting, Sam and Dean looked a little taken aback. Lacey smiled to herself. She had heard the boys use that expression a few times herself, clearly it had stuck with them.
"Bobby." Dean tried to protest.
"You're playing wounded. Tell me, how many hallucinations have you had so far?"
"How'd you know?" Dean looked surprised.
"Because that's what happens when you've got hellhounds on your butt. And because I'm smart." Lacey smirked and let out a chuckle, catching Dean's attention. He nodded at her as Bobby tossed him the distributor cap he'd removed from the car.
"I'll follow." Bobby told them as he headed for his car. "Don't be stopping to pee every ten minutes either." He called over his shoulder. Dean shook his head as Sam got in the car and Lacey walked towards him.
"Hey, what's happening?" Lacey asked. Dean searched her face for a moment.
"My time's up." Lacey felt her stomach drop. "We're going after the demon that holds my contract, but yeah, tomorrows my last day." Dean told her. Lacey grabbed his hands and squeezed them, partly to reassure him and partly to ground herself.
"Dean, I don't know exactly what's going to happen now, but you're not going to face it alone. I'm coming with you guys." Dean gave her a sliver of a smile and opened the back door of the Impala for her.

Lacey sat in the back silently, watching the scenery roll by until it was too dark out to see any more than the odd pair of headlights or street light go past.
"Hey, Dean?" Sam asked.
"Yeah?"
"You know if this doesn't... if this doesn't go the way we want, I just want you to know..."
"No. No, no, no, no." Dean interrupted him.
"No what?"
"No, you're not gonna but out the misty goodbye speech, okay? And if this is my last day on earth, I do not want it to be socially awkward." Sam turned away and looked out the window trying to compose himself.
"You know what I do want?" Dean reached out and pressed a button on the radio. Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" started to play.
"Bon Jovi?" Sam asked, scrunching up his nose.
"Bon Jovi rocks, on occasion." Dean told him. Sam shook his head as Dean began to sing along. Dean glanced in the rear view mirror, catching Lacey's eyes. They shared a look for a moment before Dean turned his eyes back to the road. Lacey leaned forward in her seat and she and Sam began to sing along. Lacey watched as Dean's smile began to fade as the meaning of the lyrics began to sink in until Sam was the only one still singing along. Lacey felt like a freezing cold ball had been dropped into her stomach as she watched Dean and felt the lyrics vibrate through her. Feeling hopeless, she sat back against the cool leather of the impala, disappearing back into the darkness.

They continued down the highway and suddenly there was blue flashing lights behind them and a siren going off.
"We getting pulled over?" Sam asked, glancing behind them.
"I've got a busted tail light. It's not like we're in a hurry or anything." Dean said as he pulled the car over to the side of the road. Dean rolled the window down as Sam fished out the licence and registration for him.
"Problem Officer?" Dean asked as the police officer approached, flashlight in hand.
"Licence and registration please." Dean handed them to him out the window. "Do you realise you have a tail light out Mr Hagard?" Dean looked up at the officer and balked, quickly turning back to face the road. Lacey raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
"Yes...sir...you know, I've been meaning to....take care of that. As a matter of fact.." Dean opened the door fast, slamming it into the officers midriff.
"Dean!" Sam shouted as Dean jumped out of the car and began whaling on the officer. Sam and Lacey both got out of the car as Dean stabbed the officer in the face with the demon knife. Bobby appeared, rushing towards them from his own car. Dean pulled the knife out and got to his feet, panting.
"What the hell happened?" Bobby asked.
"Dean just killed a demon. How did you know?" Sam asked, the shock still visible on his face.
"I just knew. I could see it's face. It's real face under that one."