Down the Rabbit Hole

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Sam and Lacey were sat on the hood of the Impala when Dean exited the fast food restaurant, carrying their dinner.

"All right, here we go." Lacey smiled at him as he handed her one of the bags before sitting down beside her.

"You know... even though the world is going to crap, there's one thing that I can always count on – these things tasting the same in every drive-through in every state in our great nation." Dean said as he took a bite of his taco. "Mmm." Lacey smirked at him as she dug into her burrito bowl. Dean's phone began to ring and he pulled it out of his pocket.

"Annie." Dean answered. "A nice surprise. How you been?" He listened for a moment before replying. "Yeah. Us too. What's up?" Sam and Lacey listened as they ate. "Yeah. Sure. Where you at?" Another pause. "You working? Near enough. 1 o'clock?" Dean agreed before hanging up. He took another bite of his taco before realising the other two were looking at him expectantly.
"Annie has some of Bobby's old books for us, said we'd meet her for lunch in Bodega Bay tomorrow to get them."
"Who's Annie?" Lacey asked.
"Another hunter acquaintance." Sam told her.
"So, driving through the night?" Lacey asked as she finished up her food.
"Pretty much." Dean nodded as he started to clear the rubbish away.
"I call the back seat then... Oh wait." Lacey gave them both a look. "That's where I always sit." Before climbing into the car. Sam raised an eyebrow at Dean before climbing in too.

The next day they arrived in Bodega Bay early and had a look round the town before heading to the Pier Front Restaurant to meet Annie. They were sat at a table near the window, Dean reading the newspaper as Sam and Lacey studied the menu.

"Hey, get this. Dick Roman is funding another archaeological dig. Guy moves more dirt than 'The Drudge Report.'"

"Well, anything on what he's digging for?" Sam asked.

"Don't you think I would have led with that?" Sam glanced at his watch worriedly.

"Annie's not usually this late, is she?"

"No, never. She's totally compulsive. I'll try her cell." Dean pulled out his phone.

"You know, uh, you know she and Bobby had a thing, right?" Sam mentioned, casually as Dean dialled the number.

"Yeah. Yeah, I knew that. Really?" Dean frowned at him.

"Yeah. Kind of a foxhole thing – very Hemingway."

"Huh. She and I kind of went Hemingway this one time, too." Dean said thoughtfully. Lacey raised an eyebrow at him. "But that was a long time ago."

"All right, well... that happens." Sam looked awkwardly down at the table, fiddling with the cutlery.

"What, you too?"
"Look, it was a while back. We ended up on the same case. She was stressed. I-I-I... I didn't... have a soul." Sam explained, hurriedly.

"That's a lot of foxholes. She's not answering. Well, here's to ghosts that aren't there." Dean changed the subject as he poured some whiskey into his coffee from the flask.

"You sound kind of disappointed." Sam noted.

"Ah, it's better this way. I mean, even though I wish we could see him again doesn't mean that we should." Dean shrugged. The three of them clinked their mugs together.

"Ahh. Are we being stood up?" Dean looked around as if Annie was going to materialise.

"Yeah, let's hope that's all this is."

They had some lunch and Annie still didn't turn up.

"Nothing?" Sam asked as Dean tried her cell again as they walked to the car.