family line, supernatural [ 1 ]

023. evil preacher wife

"You really think it's the Grim Reaper? Like, angel of death, collect your soul, the whole deal?" Sam asks.

"No, no, no, not the Grim Reaper, a reaper. There's reaper lore in pretty much every culture on earth, it goes by 100 different names, it's possible that there's more than one of them." Dean says.

"But you said you saw a dude in a suit." Sam says.

"What, you think he should've been working the whole black robe thing?" Dean questions.

"I mean... you know, why not?" Natalie shrugs.

"You said it yourself that the clock stopped, right? Reapers stop time. And you can only see 'em when they're coming at you which is why I could see it and you guys couldn't." Dean says.

"Maybe." Sam says.

"There's nothing else it could be, Sam. The question is how is Roy controlling the damn thing?" Dean questions.

"That cross." Sam says.

"What?" Dean asks.

"There was this cross, I noticed it in the church and I knew I had seen it before." Sam says, looking through some of the stuff on the table. "Here." He shows the two a tarot card.

"A tarot?" Dean asks.

"It makes sense. A tarot dates back to the early Christian era, right? When some priests were still using magic? And a few of them veered into the dark stuff. Necromancy and how to push death away, how to cause it?"

"So Roy's using black magic to bind a reaper?" Natalie asks.

"If he is, he's riding the whirlwind. It's like putting a dog leash on a great white." Sam says.

"Well, that'd be an experience." Natalie mumbles. Sam huffs out a laugh at her.

"Okay, then we stop Roy." Dean says, putting his cup in the sink and leaning against the counter.

"How?" The twins ask.

"You know how." Dean says.

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about, Dean? We can't kill Roy." Sam states.

"Sam, the guy's playing God, he's deciding who lives and who dies. That's a monster in my book." Dean says.

"We're not killing a person, Dean. That makes us murderers." Natalie states.

"We do that, we're not better than he is." Sam says.

"Okay, we can't kill Roy, we can't kill Death. Any bright ideas, college boy, Punky?" Dean asks.

"Okay, uh... if Roy's using some kind of black spell on the reaper, we gotta figure out what it is." Sam says.

"And how to break it." Natalie states.

+++

They get out of the car where Roy's healing takes place.

"If Roy's using a spell, there might be a spell book." Sam says.

"See if you guys can find it. Hurry up too, the service starts in 15 minutes. I'll try to stall Roy." Dean says.

"Roy LeGrange is a fraud. He's no healer." The protester hands a paper to Dean.

"Amen, brother." Dean takes the pamphlet.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Natalie comments.

"You keep up the good work." Sam says.

"Thank you." The man says. The twins separate from Dean and go to Roy's house. They wait around back for Roy, Sue Ann, and another guy leave.

"Come on." Sam whispers, leading his sister to a window and he opens it. He climbs in and Natalie climbs in after him. Natalie trips over her own foot and stumbles, but Sam -- having already been prepared -- catches her before she falls on her face.