Down the Rabbit Hole

Day of Recovery Part 1

Lacey let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding and pushed open the swing door. The view on the other side was a familiar one, her aunts were sat around the kitchen table eating breakfast.
"Hey everyone, do you have a minute?" They nodded their ascent and she pulled up a stool.
"Okay so I have some news, Dean and I have decided to give it another go." She squinted up at them out of half-closed eyes, waiting for their reaction. Dorothy put down the piece of toast she was eating.
"This is a bit of a surprise, what have we missed?"
"Well, we had a chance to talk about things, and he was more open and honest with me than he's ever been. He told me how he feels about me and that he wants us to be together."
"And what about this other woman?" Blanche asked.
"Things haven't really worked out with them, Deans on the road a lot and his job can be ... well a little unpredictable at times, and that didn't really suit her and her kid." Lace shrugged.
"And you're sure this is the right thing to do? You're not going to be back here six months down the line because he's changed his mind again?" Dorothy asked.
"I believe it's worth another chance."
"Then what are you waiting for?" Sophia asked. "Go get him kid." Lacey smiled at her.
"I will."

Dean stood near the entrance to a park on the phone to Bobby. Sam was standing in line to get them both hot dogs.
"I know what I saw Bobby."
"We tested him, salt, silver, everything." Bobby could be heard saying on the other end of the line.
"He threw me to that vamp. I'm telling you, it's not my brother."
"Well then he's something we ain't ever seen before."
"Yeah or it's friggin Lucifer." Dean sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
"Did you call Cas?"
"Course I called Cas. He's not answering. Screw him, I can't wait any more."
"Look I get it, you're rattled. You're right to be, but let's be professional..."
"Professional? He watched me get turned!" Dean raged.
"What you saw... are you sure that's what you saw?" Bobby asked.
"Damn it Bobby, yes. I know."
"Well 'you know' ain't the same as proof, cause we're talking about..."
"We're talking about doing something about it, and fast. It's not just the vamp, okay? He has been different from the jump."
"All right, I'm with you."
"Are you?" Dean asked uncertainly.
"Yeah, I'll hit the books hard. Just don't shoot him yet, alright? Watch him. We need facts. Cause if it ain't Sam... we don't know what it is. And if we're going to put him down, we need to know how."
"I don't even want to ride in the same car with him, much less work a damn case." Dean griped.
"Get in the car, he's your case." Bobby growled before hanging up. As Dean lowered the phone from his ear a pair of hands reached around and covered his eyes.
"Guess who?" A faint smile crept at the corners of Deans mouth.
"Lace that better be you and you better not be floating in mid-air." The hands were removed from his eyes and one of them was used to wap him in the back of the head. He turned around and grinned at her.
"Well, were you?"
"No!" She replied crossing her arms. "I might have been on my tip toes." Dean chuckled and she stuck her tongue out at him. He put an arm around her shoulders and they slowly headed in the direction of the hot dog cart.
"So what did Bobby have to say?" Lacey asked.
"Not much, he hasn't got a clue what's up with Sam, just said to keep an eye one him." Lacey nodded. As they neared the cart Sam met them, handing Dean a hot dog.
"Hey Lacey." Sam nodded. "How are you?"
"I'm good, and hungry, back in a minute." She headed over to the cart.
"And how are you doing? Did you get through to Lisa?" Sam asked, studying Deans face.
"Yeah, I'm good, but no I didn't get through, just went straight to voicemail." Sam nodded.
"Check this out." Sam handed him a newspaper. "Think it might be something. Four people out of nowhere, all in the last couple of weeks. What do you say?"
"Yeah sounds like a plan."

They arrived, a short while later, at the house of the most recent suicide victims sister. The young woman ushered them into the living room, her eyes were red and her voice was tearful.
"I don't understand. Why would federal investigators be interested in a suicide?"
"Well, um... it's a new more caring administration." Sam tried.
"Well I already told the cops. Jane was having a really bad day. So I did what any sister would do." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I...I tried to cheer her up you know? Told her to hang in there."
"You know what a 'tell' is?" Sam asked leaning on the table across from her.
"Excuse me?" She asked.
"It's a poker term." Sam explained. "For when you're bluffing. Like what you just did with your hair."
"What are you trying to say?"
"You're lying." Sam accused. Lacey stared at him open mouthed.
"What!?" The womans voice began to crack.
"Tell us what you did to your sister." Dean and Lacey exchanged disbelieving looks. The woman burst into tears.
"Okay. You're right, I was lying. I wanted to tell her *I love you, I'm here for you." Oh, but what came out was *You're a burden. Just kill yourself." Who says that!? I just... I just couldn't stop!"

They left the house, a faint look of shock still plastered across Lacey's face.
"See anything in the house?" Sam asked. Dean shook his head.
"No hex bags, no sulphur, no EMF, You?"
"A tuba and an issue of Crochet Today. So, what, already kinda suicidal?"
"Right and then big sis' taxi cab confession sends her over the edge. Question is what made big sis open her big fat mouth in the first place?"
"Yeah that is the question." Sam shook his head. "Why don't you guys take the Impala and head back to the motel. I'm gonna check out Jane's place of work and see if I can get any leads from there."

Jean was sitting in the library studying for the midterms when she heard a skittering sound coming from outside the room. She got up and headed across the hall to the rec room. At this point she almost crashed into Lacey who was trying to leave the room carrying a load of electrical items in her arms.
"Jean!" She exclaimed, almost dropping them.
"Lacey! What are you doing here?"
"Uh just came to borrow a few bits." Lacey replied awkwardly as she tried to pull the old t-shirts of Deans she was wearing further down her thighs.
"I see.." Jean seemed to be lost for words.
"Well I better let you get back to it." Lacey smiled and opened a portal. "Bye!" She called as she stepped back through it and it closed behind her.

Lacey crashed backwards through the portal and ended up flat on her back on one of the beds. As the portal closed she let the items fall onto the bed beside her and began to laugh uncontrollably. Dean glanced up from Sam's laptop.
"What's so funny?"
"Jean caught me! Looking like this!" She exclaimed as she tried to breath. "I love her but she's such a prude!" Dean chuckled and climbed to his feet. He reached out a hand and helped her up.
"So what did you find?"
"Ever played guitar hero?" She asked as she picked up the console and started plugging it into the tv.
"No, have you?"
"Hell yeah, Sam and Bobby... not your Sam and Bobby, my Sam and Bobby, taught me how to play a lot of games... and Remy taught me cards."
"Uhuh..." Dean nodded as he happily enjoyed the view.
"Here you go." She handed him the plastic guitar and started the game. "Just pick a song then strum and press the colored keys as they come up."

Dean's phone began to ring over the top of the rock music blasting from the tv. Dean shut the TV off and picked up his phone. Lacey was laid out on the bed fast asleep.
"Hey, you got anything?" He asked.
"I've been up all night lookin'. Nothing fits." Bobby told him.
"Awesome."
"You got anything else to go on?" Bobby asked.~
"Yeah, my skin crawls being in the same room as him. Why don't you look that up?" Dean griped.
"I'm working on it."
"I don't know how much longer I can do this Bobby. You got to figure out what the hell he is and fast."
"I'm trying, but Dean, there's a worst case scenario."
"What? Satan's my co-pilot? Yeah I know." Dean sighed and leaned back into the pillows.
"Well that'd be the other worst case."
"Well then what?"
"Maybe it's just Sam." Bobby suggested cautiously.
"I gotta go."
"Dean..." Bobby tried.
"You got a day Bobby, then I'm handling this." Dean hung up the phone. He let his gaze wander to Lacey and watched her sleep for a moment before he picked up his phone again. He dialled Lisa's number and let it ring for a moment before changing his mind and hanging up again.

Lacey woke with a start as there was a creaking noise and Sam opened the door. He took in the state of the room and the two of them splayed out on the bed.
"Looks like you two have been having fun." He noted. Dean sat up.
"You got anything?" Sam nodded.
"There was another one."
"Yeah? What?"
"Dentist drilled a guy to death." Lacey shivered at the thought.
"You mean... the non-sexy kind of drilling right?" Dean confirmed.
"50 bucks says he's mixed up in all the crazy." Sam wagered.
"You think?"
"Yeah. Let's go talk to him." Sam headed for the door.
"Okay... why don't you go ahead, we'll catch up. I'm gonna do a little research." Sam looked surprised.
"You sure?"
"Yeah. We got to know what we're up against, right?"
"Yeah. Good idea." Sam nodded at them before heading out. Lacey gave Dean a look.
"You can't hide from him forever you know."