Instead of shifting back to her human self, the female fox waited while Charlie called for Stubbs. If nothing else, the people that had been killed would be accounted for and their families made to pay for their deaths in some way. Stubbs, comfortable around shifters, seemed to know the lady fox.
“I’m sorry for all this, Allison. If I had been in charge, you know that I would have made this place a priority. I’m only here now because someone here called in a huge favor from my asshole boss.” Something else occurred to Charlie, and she ran back to her car to get her bag of clothing. Passing it to the woman, she came out of the trees again as a woman in clothing that was much too large for her tiny frame. “If you would lead the way, Allison, I’ll make sure justice is taken care of for these poor people.”
The pit, which was a name that was far better than what it was, had about a dozen bodies in it that she could see. At least Charlie hoped that was all that had been tossed in the place. She didn’t want to think about who else she might find there.
“Holy shit, this is worse than I thought it would be.” Allison said that she’d called it in to his department. “I never got anything on this. We did call to have a search of the land that you called about. Now I can understand why nothing ever came of it. I was just informed that the police were getting a cut from all this as well. I’m so very sorry for all this, Allison.”
“See that it never happens again and I’ll work on forgiving you.”
They hugged, then Stubbs called in for backup. Things were about to get nasty. Hopefully they’d be able to identify each of the people that had been put in the mass grave.
Even with people digging with shovels and trowels, it took them much longer than Charlie had the patience for. Asking them to stand back, she used her magic to pull the bodies, one at a time, out of the filth. It was the same magic that she used when she wanted a book and couldn’t reach it. After being joined by Dominic, they were able to move the fifteen people there out in a very short amount of time.
It had drained the two of them. Not because of the magic, but simply because it broke her heart every time she had to go back to the pit to find another person’s remains. Dominic, as a wolf, was able to identify them for the most part from having to deal with the people that were related to them.
“I don’t think I can do this ever again.” Dominic held her in his arms as she sobbed how much she’d hated finding them. “I know it’s a good thing, but to have these trusting people just discarded like newspapers is enough to make me lose control of my magic and blast them all. Then bury their fucking asses back in the hole we’ve found these people in. Or perhaps a worse place. If that’s even possible.”
Nine more people were arrested. Stubbs had them all lined up by the building when he told them that if they ran, which even she could see was going to happen, they’d be dealt with by the pack. Charlie was happy when two people took off toward the woods and their screams cut off well before they reached the tree line. Sadly, none of the rest of them moved from their spots.
By the end of the day all but one person had been identified. The body was so badly decomposed that it was difficult to tell if the body had been male or female. Charlie had never been so happy to go home than she was that night. Dominic told her that everything was being taken care of at the nursing home, and in a few days he’d have it up and running. She hoped so. There weren’t any more deserving people than the ones who had survived that place up until now.
The two of them sat on the couch holding the babies. They were getting bigger by the day, it seemed to her. And the fact that they could communicate what they needed was so much easier on everyone that Charlie would have conversations with both of them all the time. Dominic had taken to reading them news articles as well as other books, including the dictionary just for fun.
When we grow up, we want to carry on what you do. Dominic told Danny that he thought that was a wonderful idea. What you’ve started, it’s nice for people to have a better life.
“It is. So much so that I think we should try and do more things, not just like the retreats. Food drives would be nice for people, I think. Also, we could find companies to come in and hire some of the people living around here. That would go a long way in making this a better town.” Abbie suggested a park that children could go to and feel safe. A garden area so that people could grow some of their own food. “Yes, I like those ideas too. But for now I’m stretched too far for me to take on projects like those. For the moment anyway. When I have more help in the way of people who believe in what we’re doing, I think things will go much easier. Not just for us, but the people we work with as well.”
That night, after putting the kids to bed, Charlie curled up around Dominic and told him what she’d been thinking about for several days. For a little while she wasn’t sure that he was going to say anything, or that he’d fallen asleep. When he did start speaking, she watched his face as he brought tears to her eyes.
“I’ve been thinking about other children myself. On what we could do to insure that they’re happy and healthy. As for not having any more than a couple of our own, I like that idea as well. But I would also like for you to consider us raising children with handicaps. I think, with all the experience we have, we could not just help children like the ones we helped today, but also more children that are in need of understanding and compassion.” She told him that she loved that idea. “What I meant by handicapped was, they don’t have to be mentally challenged, but simply have had a difficult time with life in general. I’d like to give them as much opportunity and changes with life as someone offered me so long ago.”
Charlie laid there long after Dominic had fallen asleep. More and more lately she wished that she’d had the opportunity to have met Mr. Cartwright. He seemed like a person that she could have liked. Someone that she could have gotten behind in so many projects that the Winchester men were doing in his name. Not only had he helped Caleb get his business up and running, but Caleb had paid it forward by helping out other struggling artists to get their names out there. Not just with advertising, but with more projects for painters and potters.
Gabe did the same thing in his line of work. He hired assistants, young men and women who wished to become doctors, to work for him for a summer. It had surprised her at how many of them had gone on to be nurses and doctors like Gabe did. They were better prepared for what they might do too, she thought.
Owen taught a class at the adult learning workshop to teach the elderly to spot a scam. There were a lot of crooks out there that seemed to target the older generation, and Owen, in his own way, had helped people be aware of information that these crooks asked for that legitimate places never would. Even Kelley would sit in on them occasionally.
Xander’s books always had a link in the back of them for some organization that he liked. It could simply be for buying things for the teachers in a depressed area, or even putting his phone number in a book so someone could call him if they needed just to talk to someone.
Tyler had been known to allow people to stay in his homes if they were down on their luck. Several families had stayed in the warehouse downtown when an entire block of apartments had been burnt to the ground.
Dominic would do things for animals that no one thought about, such as having water put out for animals to drink from when the weather was bad. It didn’t have to be winter or summer for him to do it, Dominic did it year round so that they were able to get themselves a drink.
Sara knitted sweaters for the homeless and brought food to those she knew were ill. Kelley could be found more often or not in his barn, making wooden toys or such for children that might otherwise not receive a gift.
They were all involved in some way in helping out their neighbors. No one knew the work they put forth to do this. The Winchesters never bragged about their work either. A blanket would just show up at the house of someone that was living on the streets.
A basket of baby items would suddenly be there. Toys would appear under trees or at a birthday party.
They also did other things, taking care that those with less than them had more. Charlie had heard stories about the Winchester men and women’s generosity even before the money had come to them. How they could be depended on when times were bad. Charlie had fallen in love with the lot of them, and was glad that one of them loved her as much as she did him.
Chapter 9
Owen and Dominic were at his home when there was a knock at the door. Owen didn’t want to answer it. He’d been having so much fun with his brother that he loathed to have someone interrupt them. When his cook came to the dining room where the two of them were, he told them that there was a caller for Dominic, and that the caller wasn’t human. He didn’t have any idea why that would make a difference, but figured it might be important.
Going with Dominic to the door, Owen tried to think why someone would have come to his house to find his brother. It wasn’t like they put out flyers or anything to tell people where they were headed today. Laughing a little at his own joke, Owen waited while Dominic pulled the door all the way open.
As soon as he saw who was standing there—not who but what—not having a clue who he was, Owen called out for his family. If there was going to be trouble, he wanted as much back up as he could get. And this person, human or not, seemed to exude trouble.
“Who are you and what the hell do you want? If this is business, then make an appointment with my secretary.” Dominic started to close the door when the stranger’s foot stopped the movement. “You’d better have a damned good excuse for this.”
Owen had never been so rude to anyone. Looking at Dominic, Owen stepped closer to him in the event that he was needed to calm him down. Being closer to Dominic also brought him closer to the stranger, and Owen could feel it then. Evil. Anger. And a complete feeling of terror for the man.
“My name is not important to you. To most I am called the devil. To others, Satan himself. But as I have no desire to threaten or harm you, you may call me whatever you wish.” Owen told his family who was here. The big guy himself. “I have come to give you a gift. Nothing that should harm you, but a gift all the same. It is for the help you gave me when you warned me of the workings of one you called Roger.”
“If you remember correctly, I told you then that I had no desire for anything other for you to take him away. The man used lies and trickery to kill off a lot of children that were innocents. As you well know, that should never have happened. Now, if you have nothing more to say, then I’d like for you to leave us all alone.” The man nodded and asked if Dominic could come outside, as he didn’t want to be invited into the home. “If it will get you out of here sooner, then yes, I can do that. But know this—I won’t be tricked by you. You are well aware of what I have in my family.”
“Yes, the Death Watcher. Is she as beautiful as I have heard? Never mind. I have no rights to that answer. I’m having a hard time focusing here. Just give me a moment, will you? “ Before Owen could tell his brother that going out with the devil was a bad idea, he stepped out onto the porch. “Thank you ever so much. As you know, the...my privileges to the other realm has been taken from me. I would like to remedy that if I could in some way. I liked what it...I liked going there. It is no less than I deserve for what transpired in my name. The lady that is the queen there, she is your mate, is she not?”
Dominic didn’t answer him, and the devil thought it was funny for some reason. When the devil sat, so did Dominic. Not leaving his brother alone, Owen brought a chair from the table on his porch and sat with Dominic. Neither of them took the offered drink or food.
“All of your family are immortals. You have no reason to agree or disagree with that, for I know that it’s true. I also know that you can be harmed, and it will be an inflection on your body that will stay with you forever. You will no longer be harmed by anything human made nor magical. It is the very least I can do.” Dominic just sat there, and Owen could tell it was making the devil or whatever he was nervous. “The couple that were killed in the glen have been dealt with, as you’re aware. The children of them, the ones that were killed in my name, have been returned to their rightful resting place. It was something that I had no trouble doing.”
“You mean you were ordered to turn their souls over and you complied. Don’t sugar coat things that we both know you didn’t do on your own.” The air around them heated to an uncomfortable temperature. Even the last of the snow in his driveway melted away, not even leaving a wet place. “You show your temper again and you’re going to regret it. I’m not someone to fuck with, and you’re well aware of it.”
“I am. And I apologize for it. I don’t deal well with humans or superior beings such as yourself.” Owen looked at his brother. Superior beings? When did that happen? Owen nearly missed the rest of the conversation as the two of them continued. “This is all new to me. I am coping, I guess you could say, the best way I know how. The fact that you’re not cooperating with me is very ill mannered and rude.”
“Do better or leave. I don’t care to be threatened while in my realm no more than you do in your own. You have more to tell me. Say it so that I can move on with helping my brothers.” The devil nodded, then looked to the driveway. Owen looked too, and saw that Dominic still stared at the other man. Charlie was coming up the drive in a red SUV, like she had known that things were going on here. “You touch her in any way, even to breath in her direction, and I will tear you apart. You know that I can.”
Owen didn’t have any idea what was going on. His brother had just threatened the devil. And on top of that, it looked to him as if the devil believed him. Things weren’t going to end well if someone, hopefully his brother, didn’t calm down enough to listen to Owen, when he wanted nothing better than to go inside the house and lock the door.
The devil stood up and bowed before Charlie. Ignoring him, she went to Dominic when he stood up and kissed him. Whatever was going on, Owen was even more confused about it. He had about a million questions going on in his head, and he didn’t know where to start with them.
“I thought you were warned about bothering my family. What the fuck are you doing here? You do know that I have permission to knock you three ways from Sunday, don’t you?” The devil told Charlie the same thing he’d told Dominic. “And now that you’ve told us, you can leave. Right?”
“I have another gift. One I have promised to give to you.” Charlie asked him who he promised to give them things, then said she didn’t want it. “I’m afraid that it’s much too late for that. The moment that I arrived here, the deed, as they say, was done. All Winchesters now and yet to be born will never be tempted by any of my kind. This will include any born to the Winchesters or ones that have the heart of ones such as yourself. You will have safe passage from all who would try and steer you from the path you are set on. The magic that I bestow on the two of you will forever be a mark that will be worn by all generations of Winchesters.”
The man didn’t look like he wanted to bestow this gift on anyone, especially the Winchesters. Or it could have simply been Charlie. But she’d been right in her question. Who had he promised that he would give it to them? Wasn’t he in charge? And to have safe passage was wonderful, but to where? They seemed to be able to get where they wanted anyway.
When the devil disappeared, Dominic fell to his seat. Thinking that the devil had harmed him somehow, Owen tried to make sure that his brother was all right. As it turned out, Dominic said that he’d been scared out of his mind and had gone weak in the knees when the man left. Christ. And here Owen thought that the devil had taken something from him, like his heart or something equally important, and left him an incomplete man.
When he realized that Dominic was all right, Owen hit him in the back of the head.
“What was that for?” Owen told him how he’d scared the shit out of him. “You mi
ght not have noticed, but I was no less scared than you were.” Owen hit him again. “What the hell, Owen? What was that one for?”
“You stood there all badassed and let him think you were this superior being. What are you going to do when he realizes that you’re full of shit and comes back to get you? Don’t count on me in trying to save your ass. I won’t do it.” Charlie started laughing. “And what do you think is so funny right now? Did you miss the part where he is the fucking devil? Do you have any idea what that monster could have done to us? I don’t know myself, but you can bet that you wouldn’t have found it so funny to come here and find us both dead.”
“I’m sorry I scared you. That man, he wasn’t he the devil himself. There is something afoot here, and I plan to find out what it is. Will you help us, Owen? By the way, my dear brother, we are superior beings.” Owen shook his head and Dominic nodded. “We both are. You and the rest of the family are as well. Not as strong as Charlie and I are, but we’re not to be fucked with. The devil, or whatever he was, gave us our due as he was supposed to do, but we were already strong enough to have hurt him badly. And for some reason, I think he knew it.”
“Why?” Charlie asked him what he meant. “Why are we superior, and who are we superior to? I just want to be Owen Winchester, husband to Clare and brother to you all. Including Conrad. Why can’t I just be that?”
“Waa. Waa. Waa. Stop being a pussy, Owen, and think about what it means for you not to have to worry about something or someone jumping out from behind a bush and trying and hurt you. Or would you rather just lay there and take it because you don’t want to be superior?” There were times when he hated Charlie. He’d never say that to her, of course, but he didn’t like her right now. “How about I tell your mommy what you’re upset about, and have her come over here and tuck your fucking ass into bed for a nap? Do you need for her to pick you up a pacifier? Perhaps a teddy bear to snuggle. That’ll go over nicely, won’t it? Poor little Owen is too stressed out to be superior with the rest of us.”
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