╔⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╗

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗

𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱

╚⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷╝

"So, I've been waiting since Maple Springs. You got something to tell me, Delaney?" Dean asked Delaney, glancing at her in the rearview mirror of the Impala.

Delaney furrowed her eyebrows and tried to think of what she had to tell Dean. "Well, it's not January so it's not your birthday."

"No."

"Happy Purim?" Delaney asked Dean who shot her an unamused glare. She glanced to Sam who shrugged his shoulders to say he wasn't helping her out on this one. "I don't know, Dean. I have no idea what you're talking - "

"There's a bullet missing from the Colt," Dean cut across Delaney, sounding nothing less than pissed. Delaney rolled her lips into her mouth and slouched in her seat in the back of the Impala. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Dean. "So... you're gonna tell me what happened, Delaney, or am I going to have to force it out of you? I know for a fact it wasn't Sammy or me, so unless you were shooting at some incredibly evil cans..."

Delaney squeezed her eyes shut and avoided both of her brothers' disapproving gazes. "Dean..."

"You went after her, didn't you? The Crossroads Demon. After I specifically told you not to."

"If you already know then why are you asking me?" Delaney asked, sighing heavily and running a hand over her face. This was the last conversation with her brothers. She should have known that Dean wouldn't notice a missing bullet from the Colt. The thing was like his baby and he checked it over at least thirty times a day to make sure it was okay. 

"Don't get smart with me, Delaney Elizabeth, or I swear to God - "

"Okay, Dean! I get it," Delaney huffed and crossed her arms, mirroring Sam's bitch face that he tended to wear when she or Dean got on his nerves. "Not like I died."

Dean scoffed and forced his eyes to stay on the road so they wouldn't crash, even though the dark roads were empty. "Yeah, you could have and you even shot her!"

"Yeah, she was a smartass," Delaney grumbled with a roll of her eyes. "If I could have done worse to her, I would have."

"So does any of this mean that you got Dean out of his deal?" Sam questioned, turning to glance back at his sister.

Delaney gave her brother a deadpan expression, visibly annoyed with Sam's dumb question. "Don't you think I would have mentioned that little bit of information if I had? No, Sammy, I didn't get him out of his deal. Someone else holds the contract and she wouldn't tell me who."

Dean's jaw ticked as his eyes flickered back to the rearview mirror and Delaney inwardly flinched at the hardness of them. "Well, we should find out who. Of course, our best lead would be the Crossroads Demon. Oh... wait..."

"That's not funny, Dean," Delaney bit out.

"No, it's not. It was a stupid risk, Delly, you shouldn't have done it," Sam agreed with Dean, not liking the fact that his sister just dived in headfirst without thinking or even talking to him or Dean about it. 

Dean mentioned to him one night that Azazel made a side comment about maybe what Dean brought back wasn't fully Delaney. In the back of his mind, he started to think about if Azazel was right or not because Delaney was acting... off. She had never been this sarcastic or shoot first, ask questions later kind of person. Sure, Delaney was typically sassy and was quick on the fly to shoot a witty and sarcastic comment back, but this was different. It made Sam worry about her as well as Dean.

"I shouldn't have done it?" Delaney repeated and poked her head into the front seat so she could look between her brothers. "He's our brother, Sam. I'm not just going to sit back and let him die like you seem to be doing, okay? So if there's something I can do to save his ass from Hell, then I'm going to do it and I won't apologize for it either. You got that?"

Sam and Dean exchanged a silent look while Delaney pushed herself into the back with leant her head on the window, ignoring the both of them. She couldn't believe that the boys were being so hard on her over this whole thing. Why couldn't they just let her do what she needed to do?

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The next morning, the three Winchesters stood in the home of an older woman named, Gert, for their next hunt where her niece mysteriously drowned in the shower. It was rather odd to Delaney how someone could drown in a shower, but she guessed that's why they were here.

"I don't understand, I already went over all this with the other detectives," Gert stressed, clearly not wanting to go through the whole story again.

"Right, yes, but we're with the sheriff's department. Not the police department, different departments," Dean swiftly lied and forced a smile onto his face.

Sam shook his head at her brother's half baked lie and turned to face Gert with an innocent smile. "So, Mrs. Case..."

"Oh, please, Miss Case," Gert corrected and shot Sam a flirtatious look, which only earned matching smirks from Delaney and Dean at the woman's obvious liking towards their brother.

"Okay, um... Miss Case, um... you were the one who found your niece, correct?" Sam questioned, visibly uncomfortable with Gert openly undressing Sam with her eyes.

"I came home. She was in the shower."

"Drowned?" Delaney recalled from the newspaper article Sam had showed her before the three made their way out of their motel and onto the road.

Gert laughed humorlessly and it was obvious the woman didn't believe a word of it. "So the coroner says. Now, you tell me, how can someone drown in a shower?"

"How would you describe Sheila's behavior in the days before her death? I mean, did she seem frightened? Maybe she said something out of the ordinary or..." Delaney trailed off, hoping Gert would inset some sort of feedback.

"Wait a minute," Gert held up her hand and her eyes bounced between the three skeptically. "You're working with Alex, aren't you?"

"Yep, absolutely that's... Alex and us, we're like this," Dean chuckled nervously and wrapped his middle and pointed finger tightly together. 

Gert's face broke into a bright smile and placed her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you say so? Alex has been such a comfort, but I'm sorry. I thought the case solved."

Sam hesitated a moment as Gert took a seat on the chair behind her. "Uh, well... no. Not yet. Anyways, we were talking about your niece."

"Well, yes. Sheila mentioned something quite strange before she died. She said she saw a boat," Gert informed.

"A boat?"

"Yes. One minute it was there, then it was gone. It just disappeared right before her eyes. You think it could be a... ghost ship?" Gert inquired the trio who each exchanged the look of the mentioning of a ghost ship. "Alex thinks it could be a ghost ship."

"Well, uh... could be," Sam chuckled softly and ignored the way that both of his siblings looked at him.

"You let me know if there's anything else I can do for you," Gert whispered and ran a finger along Sam's hand who visibly grew more uncomfortable while Dean and Delaney tried to hide their broad smirks behind their hands. "Anything."

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The three siblings walked along the docks, rows of pristine boats sat in the water on their left. Delaney took a moment to enjoy the warm sun on her face and enjoyed the breeze that blew by now that they were close to the water. If her life wasn't so screwed up and they weren't on a hunt, Delaney would sit on one of the benches and just enjoy the outside.

"What a crazy, old broad," Dean mused with a playful smile on his face.

"Why? Because she believes in ghost?" Sam remarked.

Delaney giggled and pat her brother on the back with teasing grin. "Aw, look at Sammy sticking up for his new girlfriend. How sweet."

"Bite me."

Dean made a sound at the back of his throat as he shook his head at Sam. "Not if she bites you first, man. Who's this Alex, though? We got another player in town?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Doesn't change our job," Sam reminded Dean. 

"We're thinking ghost ship, right?" Delaney inquired, trying to get on the same page as her brothers. She had never heard of a ghost ship before so that was a new one for her.

"Yeah, it's not the first one sighted around here either. Every thirty-seven years like clockwork, reports of a vanishing three-mast clipper ship out in the bay. So, every thirty-seven years a rash of weirdo, dry-land drownings."

"So, whatever's happening is just getting started," Dean noted. "What's the lore?"

Sam sighed and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants. "Well, there are apparitions of old wrecks sighted all over the world. The S. S. Violet, The Griffin, The Flying Dutchman - almost all of them death omens."

Delaney furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to make sense of the whole lore. "So, you see the ship and then a few hours just kiss your ass goodbye?"

"Basically."

"What's the next step?"

"I gotta I.D. the boat," Sam answered and grimaced slightly at the thought of it. "I checked how many three-mast clipper boats have wrecked off the coast and it's up to one hundred and fifty."

"Crap," Dean cursed to himself and froze when they got to where the Impala had been previously parked, but wasn't there now. "This is where we parked the car, right?"

Delaney glanced around the area to see if maybe they were a few feet off, but she didn't see the Impala anywhere else. "I thought so. Did you pay the meter, Dean?"

Dean shot Delaney a look which sent her shuffling back a few steps towards Sam. "Yes, Delaney, I'm not stupid. Where's my car? Somebody stole my car!"

"Hey, hey, hey. Dean, calm down," Sam reached out for Dean, but he forcefully shrugged off by a very angry Dean.

"I am calmed down! Somebody stole my..." Dean trailed off and placed his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. 

Delaney's eyes widened and rushed over to Dean, already knowing that he was about to have an anxiety attack. She dropped to her knees next to her brother and grabbed his face, making him look at her. "Hey, Dean, it's okay. It's okay. Just breathe, yeah?" She placed her brother's hand over her heart and didn't like the way his face progressively got more pale. "Dean, match my heartbeat. Breathe with me."

"The '67 Impala, was that yours?" a familiar British accent asked.

Delaney's eyes narrowed as her eyes trailed up the long legs of Bela and if looks could kill, Bela would be six feet under right now. She slowly raised to her feet while Sam helped Dean to his feet, who finally got his breathing back to regular. Mostly. "Bela."

"I'm sorry. I had that car towed," Bela faked a pout and Delaney itched to reach out and slap it right off her face.

"You what?!" Dean barked and Sam tugged him back by the back of his suit jacket. "Why would you do that?"

"It was in a tow-away zone."

"No, it wasn't!"

Bela smirked and crossed her arms, eyeing Dean up and down. "It was when I finished with it."

Delaney scoffed and she noticed Sam's hand twitch to tug her back as well if he needed to. As if, he could stop her from lunging at Bela and taking the bitch down. "What are you even doing here? Don't you have some mother cursed box to steal or something?"

Bela shrugged and waved off Delaney's question. "Just a little yachting."

Sam's calculating gaze morphed to a look of realization, his hand falling limp to his side and off his brother's jacket. "You're Alex. You're working with that old lady."

"Gert's a dear old friend," Bela replied.

"Yeah, right. What's your angle?" Dean demanded.

"There's no angle. There's a lot of old women like Gert around the eastern seaboard. I sell them charms. Perform seances so they can commune with their dead cats," Bela informed.

Delaney poked her tongue into her cheek and gave Bela an incredulous look. "And let me guess, none of it's real."

"The comfort I provide them is very real, darling."

"How do you sleep at night?" Delaney retorted.

Bela flashed Delaney a wicked smirk. "On silk sheets, rolling naked in money. Really, Delaney? I'd expect attitude from Dean, but not you."

Delaney balked as her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "You shot  me."

Bela rolled her eyes and seemed exasperated by Delaney's accusation. "I barely grazed you." She turned to Dean and raised an eyebrow. "Pretty, but a bit of drama queen, yeah?"

Dean decided to ignore Bela's comment about Delaney and stick to the real issue at hand. "So, you know what's going on here. The ghost-ship thing, it is real."

"I'm aware. Thanks for telling Gert the case wasn't solved, by the way. She didn't know that. Now the old bag's stopped payment and demanding real answers. Look... just say out of my way before you cause more trouble. I'd get to that car if I were you... before they find the arsenal in the trunk," Bela warned and turned on her heel, waving to the Winchesters as she walked away. "Ciao!"

"Can I shoot her?"

"Not in public," Dean denied, holding Delaney back before she could take off after Bela and attack.

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Delaney stood by the trunk of the Impala with her brothers as they loaded up guns. They had thankfully gotten the Impala back just in time and even got to investigate a new case where the man drowned in his own bathtub. It appeared his brother had seen the boat as well, but didn't face the music of death just yet. So, the siblings had to do something quick before he was next.

"I see you got your car back," Bela noted, stopping behind the three Winchesters.

"You really want to come near me when I have a loaded gun in my hand?" Dean threatened, glancing at Bela over his shoulder.

"Now, now. Mind your blood pressure," Bela mocked, patting Dean on the shoulder. "Why are you even still here? You have enough to I.D. the boat."

Sam cocked the shotgun in his hand once he finished filling it and placed it back in the arsenal, closing the trunk afterwards. "The guy back there saw the ship and he's going to die. So we have to save him."

Bela's face broke out into an amused grin. "How sweet. You guys realize he's cannon fodder, right? You won't save him in time."

Delaney began to back up towards her side of the car and shrugged sarcastically at Bela. "Yeah, well, some of us actually have souls. So... we're gonna try."

"Well, I'm actually gonna find the ship and put an end to this, but you have fun."

Dean froze next to his door and raised an eyebrow at Bela. "Hey, Bela, how did get like this, huh? What, did daddy not give you enough hugs or something?"

"I don't know. Your daddy give you enough?" Bela snapped back and narrowed her eyes at Dean when he merely stared down at her. "Don't you dare look down your nose at me. You're not better than I am."

"We help people," Delaney reminded Bela.

"Oh, come on. You do this out of vengeance and obsession. You're a stone's throw away from being a serial killer. I, on the other hand, get paid to do a job and I do it. So you tell me - which is healthier?"

Delaney rolled her eyes and leant her side against her door. "Bela, why don't you just leave? Some of us have actual work to do."

"Yeah, you're zero for two. Bang-up job so far."

Delaney glared holes into Bela's back and shot a desperate look to Dean. "Please, just let me shoot her. I won't even aim to kill."

"As much as I wish I could allow you to do that, I can't," Dean sighed and opened his door, getting into the car. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

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Later that night, the three siblings sat outside of Peter Warren's house in the Impala while Sam read some of the information they got on the two Warren brothers.

"Anything good?" Dean questioned, tearing his gaze from Peter's window and over to file in Sam's hand.

"No, not really. I mean, both brothers are Duke University grads. No criminal records. I mean, a few speeding tickets. They inherited their father's real estate fortune six years ago - hundred and twelve million dollars."

Dean whistled lowly and glanced down at the file in his brother's hand. "Nice life."

"Yeah, I mean, nice, clean, above board. So why did they see the ship?" Delaney questioned, leaning her chin on top of her hands that rested on the back of the boys' seat. "Why Shelia, too? What do they have common?"

"Maybe nothin'," Dean suggested.

Sam shook his head, eyes still skimming through the file in his hand. "No, there's always something."

"Hey, you!" Peter yelled at the three from his spot behind his security gate and they stepped out of the car begrudgingly. "What are you doing? Watching me?"

"Sir, calm down please," Delaney calmly begged, holding her hands out to show none of them meant harm.

"You guys aren't cops! Not dressed like that. Not - not in that crappy car."

Dean straightened up at Peter's insult and pointed a finger back towards the Impala. "No need to be nasty towards the car now."

Sam pushed his hand against Dean's chest just to be safe. The guy was incredibly protective of the Impala, almost more so than he was with Delaney and that was a lot. "We are cops, okay? We're undercover. We think you might be in danger. If we can just settle down, we can talk about it."

"Just stay the hell away from me!" Peter snapped and turned to rush over to his car, hopping into it and starting it up.

"Hey, moron, we're trying to help you!" Dean yelled, watching as Peter drove half way around his circular driveway to get to the other gate when it suddenly stopped and died. "That can't be good."

"Nope, get the salt gun," Delaney instructed her brothers and tried to pry open the gate while the boys rushed back to the Impala. She eventually got it open and barreled over to the car, gasping when she saw Peter slouched against the steering wheel and the life drained from his eyes. Her eyes flickered over to the passenger seat where the spirit of a man dressed in old seaman's clothes and a navy coat, his long hair dripping into his eyes sat.

"Della!"

Delaney tore her eyes from the spirit to the boys who had the salt guns in their hand. She stepped out of the way of the windows just as the boys fired off a round from their salt guns and the spirit disappeared. She pried the door open when Dean got the doors unlocked and tugged Peter out of his seat, dropping him to the ground and placed her fingers against his neck to check for a pulse. 

"Delly?"

Delaney was silent as she felt no pulse and slowly dropped her hand to her side, shaking her head slowly to signal to the boys Peter truly was dead. Yet another person they failed to save.

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The three siblings sat in the Impala where the only sound came from the radio, the radio host announcing the impending lightning storm that rapidly approached the area. Dean reached forward and shut the radio off, throwing the car into an uncomfortable silence.

"So... you gonna say it or should I, Della?"

Delaney blinked, snapping out of her deep thoughts and glanced to her brother in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You can't save everybody."

"Yeah, right. So - so, what? You feel better now or what?" Delaney quipped, sounding more tired than annoyed that Dean had once again tried to throw in her face that she needed to give up her quest to save Dean from the deal.

"Nope," Dean sighed and ran a hand over his face frustratedly. "You gotta underst- "

Delaney scoffed softly and the sniffle that escaped didn't go unnoticed by either one of her brothers. "Just feels like lately I can't save anybody."

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The next morning, Delaney sat at the dining room table in the abandoned house that the three had found on their drive through the town. Luckily, the furniture and floors didn't seem to be too deteriorated so they were able to squat inside instead of staying at some sleazy motel like they usually do.

A knock at the door alerted the siblings and Delaney glanced over her shoulder to her brothers who sat on their phones while she did the reading at the table. They each shared a confused glance and Dean got out of his chair to creep over to the door across from where Delaney was and gripped his gun. He hid next to the door and slowly opened the small door that covered the gated peep hole in the top of the door.

"Bela," Dean announced to his siblings and rolled his eyes, unlocking the door and opening it for the British woman.

Bela stepped inside and took a judgmental look around her as she waltzed over to Delaney and Sam. "Dear God, are you actually squatting? How charming. So, how did things go last night with Peter?"

Delaney rolled her lips into her mouth and dropped her gaze to the lore book in front of her, not wanting to talk about how that went. The guilt still weighed heavy on her chest and Sam rubbed her back comfortingly when he stood behind her chair, kissing the top of her head to show her it was okay.

"If you say, i told you so..." Dean warned Bela, stopping next to her in the archway that lead to the dining room where Delaney and Sam were. "I swear to God, I'll start swingin'."

"Look, I think the four of us should have a heart-to-heart," Bela admitted.

"That's assuming you have a heart," Dean grumbled and walked over to sit next to Delaney at the table, squeezing her knee gently when he noticed the forlorn look on her face. 

Bela sighed and turned on her heel to face the three Winchesters. "I'm sorry about what I said before, okay? I come bearing gifts. I've ID'd the ship." She walked over to the table and placed the black file in her hand down on it. Opening it up, she took out a black and white photo of the ship and handed it over to Dean. "It's the Espirito Santo, a merchant sailing vessel. Quite a colorful history. In 1859, the sailor was accused of treason. He was tried aboard ship in a kangaroo court and hanged. He was thirty-seven."

Sam inspected the photo when Dean handed it over to him once him and Delaney were done looking it over. "That would explain the thirty-seven year cycle."

"Aren't you a sharp tack?" Bela mused and smiled at Sam. "There's a photo of him somewhere.... here."

Delaney reached out and took the photo from Bela that pictured the same man she saw in the front seat of Peter's car. "This is the man we saw last night. He was missing a hand."

"His right hand," Bela confirmed and stood up straight when the trio gave her odd looks. "The sailor's body was cremated but not before they cut off his hand. They made a hand of glory."

"A hand of glory?" Dean repeated and a wide grin plastered across his face. "I think I got one at the end of my Thai massage last week."

Delaney rolled her eyes at Dean and handed the photo back to Bela. "That's a Happy Ending, Dean. The right hand of a hanged man is an occult object. It's very powerful.:

"So they say."

"And officially counts as remains," Dean chimed in.

"Yeah, but none of this explains why the ghost is choosing these victims," Sam said, leaning his hands on the back of Delaney's chair in deep thought.

Bela closed up the file she had and shrugged. "Who cares? Find the hand, burn it, and stop the bloody thing."

Dean glanced up at Bela and eyed her skeptically. "Why are you telling us this?"

"Because I know exactly where the hand is," Bela replied and smiled knowingly at the three siblings. "At the Sea Pines Museum. It's a macabre bit of maritime history, but I need help."

"What kind of help?"

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

A few hours later, Delaney stood uncomfortably in the silver heels Bela leant to Delaney along with a a tight, white evening dress that stopped just above her knees with her hair in its usual curls down her back. She hadn't been in a dress in a long time and she forgot how much she hated to wear heels. Couldn't Bela have a pair of flats?

"What's taking so long?" Bela shouted up the stairs to Dean who had been up there for the past half hour while Sam was already on his way over to the museum. "Sam is already almost there with his date!"

"So not okay with this!" Dean yelled down the stairs.

Delaney sighed and crossed her arms, not liking this just as much as him. "Yeah, me neither, Dean! You don't hear me complaining."

Dean wore a pout on his face as he walked down the stairs, looking as if he had just stepped out of a James Bond movie. He glared at Bela when she sighed dreamily at the sight of him. His eyes glanced over to Delaney and it was obvious he didn't like the outfit of choice Bela shoved into Delaney's hands. At least they agreed on something. "Alright, get it out - I look ridiculous."

"I think the bowtie is adorable," Delaney teased with a giggle and her smile only widened when Dean shot her a hard look.

"Not exactly the word I'd use," Bela countered and placed a hand on her hip, tilting her head as she eyed him up and down. "You know, when this is over, we should really have angry sex."

Dean was silent for a long moment, awkwardly shuffling on his feet as he tried to think of a good enough retort. "Don't objectify me!"

"Let's just go before I vomit."

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

Delaney entered the museum with her brother and Bela, who handed over their invitations to the man at the podium near the double front doors. He checked it over and gestured for the three to make their way into the party, wishing them a good time. 

Bela paused in front of Dean and scrutinized the way his jaw moved, as if he chewed something. "Are you seriously chewing gum? Try to behave as if you've lived this life before."

Dean shrugged and casually strolled over to the champagne fountain, sneakily taking out his gum and placing it on the bottom of the fountain. He walked over to the girls who both gave him chastising looks for doing what he had just done. Though, Delaney shouldn't have been shocked at this point. 

Delaney looped her arm through Dean's that he held out for her while Bela took his other elbow and he lead the two girls over to the bar where he got the three of them glasses of champagne. He held Delaney's out of reach for a moment and shot her a silent look to behave, as if she didn't know how to handle her alcohol.

"Just give me the champagne," Delaney sighed and reached up, taking the glass from her brother and took a sip as Sam made his way over with an annoyed expression.

"Exactly how long do you expect me to entertain my date?"

Bela smirked around the rim of her glass, finding the whole thing between Gert and Sam rather hilarious. "As long as it takes."

Dean nudged Bela to behave and turned to his brother, glancing around them to the security that littered every corner of the room. "Look, there's security all over this place, alright? This is an uncrashable party without Gert's invitation, so..."

"We can crash anything, Dean," Sam argued, clearly not wanting to spend the night with Gert who couldn't keep her hands off him.

"Yeah, but this is easier and way more fun," Delaney grinned, taking another sip from her champagne glass. 

Sam seemed shocked that Delaney was on their brother's side for this one, but he shook it off and turned to Dean. "You know there are limits to what I'll do, right?"

"Ah, he's playing hard to get. How cute," Dean mocked and pat Sam on the arm, taking his champagne glass from the top of the bar where he left it. "Come along, ladies. Sammy, I expect details in the morning."

Sam gave a tight lipped smile to Dean and frowned at Delaney who merely laughed at his expense and rushed to keep up with Bela and Dean so she wouldn't be left behind. 

Bela, Dean and Delaney made their way into a less crowded room, leaving their mostly finished champagne glasses on a small round table near the doors. "Private security?"

Dean glanced over his shoulder to the security on the other side of the room and shook his head. "Nah, I don't think so. Look at the way they're standing. They're pros. Probably state troopers moonlighting."

"Posted to every door too," Delaney noted, noticing a security guard at every door in the place. That wasn't a good sign because it only made getting to where the hand was that much more difficult. "I don't think we'll be able to just waltz upstairs."

"What do you suggest?" Bela asked Dean and placed her hands on her waist when Dean was silent for a long moment. "Don't strain yourself, Dean. Interesting, how the legend is so much more than the man."

"You got any bright ideas, I'm all ears," Dean whispered.

Bela shrugged nonchalantly and suddenly fell into Dean's arms towards the floor. Delaney blinked in surprise at the sudden plan and dropped down next to Dean and Bela, pretending to shake her awake while envisioning strangling her in her mind. 

"Mom? Are you okay?" Delaney gasped, lightly tapping her face as if trying to wake her up. She abused the fact that she looked like Dean to pose as his daughter and thanked whatever god was out there that she looked a bit younger than her age so she could actually pass as his daughter.

Dean glanced around them for an idea and quickly snapped his fingers at the waiter to signal him over. "Sir, my wife has a severe shellfish allergy. There's no shellfish in that, right?"

"No, sir," the waiter assured Dean, actually looking quite concerned over the fake passed out Bela.

Dean took one of the appetizers from the silver tray and smiled politely around the food in his mouth. "They are excellent, by the way."

Delaney shot her brother a look that practically screamed are you serious right now. She noticed a guard walk over and tried to act as concerned as she could. "Uh, hi, I think it's the champagne. My mother is such a lightweight when it comes to it. Is there somewhere my dad and I can lay her down until she gets her legs back?"

The guard glanced behind him to stairs that lead upstairs and seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding. "Sure, follow me."

Dean shoved Bela's clutch into Delaney's arms and picked Bela up bridal style with a slight grunt, following the guard up the stairs and into a room where he laid her on the leather couch. "You think she's a pain in the ass now, you try living with her. Thank you very much." He lead the guard out of the room and slid the sliding doors closed before he turned around to face a now sitting up and awake Bela. "Hey, maybe next time give us a bit of a heads up maybe?"

Bela caught the clutch that Delaney tossed her way and leant back against the couch. "I didn't want you thinking. You're not very good at that."

Dean exhaled heavily and Delaney tugged on her brother's suit sleeve to not do anything stupid. They had to keep up the act that Bela was still passed out and they couldn't draw attention by having the two scream at each other.

"Oh, look at you. Searching for a witty rejoinder?" Bela mused, smirking up at Dean.

"Screw you."

"Very Oscar Wilde," Bela remarked and placed her clutch down on the couch next to her, making herself comfortable on the couch. "Room 235. It's in a locked glass case wired for alarm. I'm sure that won't be a problem."

Dean rolled his eyes and motioned for Delaney to stay with Bela while he ran out to get the hand. Delaney didn't complain because she took the opportunity to sit down and rub at her aching ankles while Bela slowly stalked around the room, examining the little trinkets that sat along the desk and shelves in the room. She had picked up a glass bottle of a ship when the guard knocked on the door again and asked if everything was okay through the door.

Bela and Delaney glanced at each other and Bela winked at the youngest Winchester, slipping her arms through the sleeves of her dress and made her way over to the door, holding her dress up by the chest and peeked out just enough so she could see the guard who eyed her uncomfortably.

"I am feeling much better, thanks. You mind if we have just a few more minutes?" Bela giggled softly and Delaney merely rolled her eyes, hiding herself so it didn't look like she was still in the room with Bela. When the guard allowed her the few more minutes, she shut the door. "Stop! That tickles!"

"Seriously?" Delaney laughed in both shock and amusement. "You're lucky he didn't see me in here still, Bela."

Bela shrugged just as Dean reentered the room and quickly shut the door behind him while Bela fixed her sleeves over her shoulders again. 

"Any trouble?" Dean asked, a flash of worry crossed her features when he glanced to his sister.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Bela brushed off and dropped her hands back to her sides. "You get the hand?"

Dean pulled out the old, wrinkled hand from his jacket pocket and pulled it back when Bela held out her hand for it. "No way, sister," he denied, pulling out a handkerchief and wrapping the hand inside of it.

"It might be more inconspicuous in my purse," Bela argued.

Dean chuckled and shook his head, tucking the hand into his inner pocket on his suit jacket. "Nice try, sweetheart."

"Just trying to be helpful."

"Well, we don't need your kind of help," Delaney remarked and stood up from her spot on the couch, making her way back down to the party where Gert and Sam stood on the dance floor. She rose an amused eyebrow when she saw Gert all cozied up to Sam's chest. "Well... having fun, kids?"

"He's delightful!" Gert beamed and walked over to Bela, leaning close to her ear. "He wants me."

Bela hummed in response and looped her arm through the apparent tipsy older woman's arm. "I'm going to get Gert into a cold shower. See you at the cemetery."

Dean double checked to make sure the handkerchief was still in his pocket and eyed Sam. "You stink like sex."

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

"You got it, right?" Sam asked as the three siblings got into the Impala a bit later, ripping off the bowtie around his neck. "Tell me I didn't get groped all night by Mrs. Havisham for nothing."

"I got it," Dean assured Sam, but paused after a moment as the name that Sam mentioned processed in his head. "Mrs... who?"

"Never mind. Just let me see it."

Dean pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket and unraveled it, his face turning stone cold after a few seconds. He whipped out the glass bottle with a ship inside it and turned to his siblings, seething. "I am gonna kill her!"

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

A bit later, Dean stood by the fireplace mantle and inspected the glass bottle with the ship in it. The three Winchesters had changed out of their fancy clothes and back into her regular clothing, Delaney never being more happy to be out of heels in her life. She let out a sigh of relief when her socks were placed back on and her feet propped in Sam's lap, who forced into massaging her aching soles.

"You're right. I'm not gonna kill her. I think slow torture's the way to go," Dean grumbled, placing the glass bottle on the mantle.

"Dean, look, you got to relax," Sam said, grimacing when he felt Delaney kick him softly when he pressed a bit too hard on her foot. "Sorry."

"Relax?" Dean barked out a laugh and paced around the room. "Yeah, I'll relax. I can't believe she got another one over on us!"

"You," Delaney corrected and held her hands out to the sides in a what motion when Sam shot her a look.

Dean stopped his pacing and slowly turned to Delaney, with an unreadable expression. Something that should have probably frightened her, but didn't. "You want to repeat that?"

Delaney innocently shrugged and pouted when Sam stopped massaging her feet, placing his hands on her calves. "I mean, she got one over on you, not us."

Dean stared at Delaney silently for a long moment, his jaw working slightly which was usually a sign he was quickly becoming more pissed. "Thank you, Delaney! It's very helpful."

A knock on the door whatever lecture Dean was about to give Delaney for having a smart mouth, followed by Bela's frantic voice. Dean walked over to the door and opened it to reveal a frightened looking Bela. 

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? Just... please let me explain!" Bela pleaded and stepped inside once Dean reluctantly stepped out of the way. She walked over to the chair across from the couch that Sam and Delaney sat on while Dean stood next to it. "I sold it. I had a buyer lined up as soon as I knew it existed."

Dean looked furious as he walked around Bela's chair, making a shooting motion at her head from behind. "So the reason for going to the charity was..."

"I needed a cover," Bela admitted and puffed out her cheeks when Sam nodded. "You were convenient."

"You sold it to a buyer. Just go buy it back," Delaney suggested as if it were the most obvious answer and solution. 

Bela frowned and leant back in the chair, deflated. "It's halfway across the ocean. I can't get it back in time."

Dean stopped in front of Bela's chair and narrowed his eyes at her. "In time for what?"

Sam eyed Bela for a long moment and took in her pale face and wide eyes. "What's going on with you, Bela? It's like you've seen a ghost."

"I saw the ship."

Dean slowly dropped onto the coffee table between the couch and chair in shock. "You what? Wow, you know, I ... I knew you were an immoral, thieving, con-artist bitch, but just when I thought my opinion couldn't get any lower..."

"What are you talking about?"

Delaney turned so she was sat properly on the couch and leant her elbows on her knees, smirking at Bela. "We found out the spirit's motive." She passed over a black and white photo that sat next to Dean on the coffee table. "This is the captain of our ship. He's the one that hung our ghost boy. They were brothers. Very Cain and Abel. So now our spirit, he's going after a very specific kind of target. People who've spilled their own family's blood."

"See, first there was Sheila who killed her cousin in the car accident. Then the Warren brothers who murdered their father for the inheritance. Now you," Sam finished for Delaney.

Dean leant closer to Bela who looked about thirty seconds from vomiting. "So, who was it, Bela? Hmm? Who did you kill? Was it daddy? Your little sis, maybe?"

Bela focused her gaze on her hands that sat in her lap, licking her lips. "It's none of your business."

"No. Right. Well, have a nice life, you know, whatever's left of it," Dean snapped at Bela and pushed himself up from the coffee table, gesturing for his siblings to follow him. "Delaney and Sam, let's go."

Bela scoffed and stood up from her seat, turning to face Dean who stood near the front door of the house. "You can't just leave me here."

Dean picked up his jacket from coat rack next to the door and rose a challenging eyebrow at Bela. "Just watch us."

"Please. I need your help."

"Our help?" Dean barked, flinging his jacket back onto the coat rack and stalked back over to Bela. "How could a couple of serial killers possibly help you?"

"Okay, that was harsh, I admit, but it doesn't warrant a death sentence," Bela countered, a look of desperation crossing her features. 

Delaney crossed her arms and stood between Dean and Sam, shaking her head. "That's not why you're gonna die. What did you do, Bela?"

"You wouldn't understand. No one did," Bela said and stepped back when none of the Winchesters opened their mouths to speak. "Never mind. I'll just do what I've always done. I'll deal with it myself."

Dean watched as Bela grabbed her jacket and stalked over to the front door. "Bela, you do realize you sold the only thing that could save your life."

Bela sighed and turned to face Dean, looking extremely tired and done. "I'm aware."

"Well... maybe not the only thing."

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

The four stood in the middle of the dark graveyard while Sam set up a ritual circle: five candles, a pentagram, a bowl into which he poured a jar of red liquid. Another jar is on the opposite side of the circle, with what appeared to be herbs in it. He placed something else into the center of the circle that Delaney couldn't tell what it was.

Bela stood next to Delaney, huddled into her jacket and looked smaller than Delaney thought she'd ever see the usually stoic and sarcastic Brit. "You really think this is gonna work?"

Dean sighed and shifted on the gravestone he sat on top of, a salt rifle gripped in his hand. "Almost definitely not."

Thunder rumbled above them while the wind picked up and rain began to pour down from the previously clear sky. Delaney shivered slightly and scooted closer to Dean to steal some of his body heat while he flicked up her hood to keep her head from getting wet.

"Sammy, you better start reading," Dean suggested loudly over the howling of the wind.

Sam began to read in Latin from the book in his hand, which only made the wind and rain even worse, soaking the group instantly. Bela shifted closer to Delaney and Sam who kept their eyes peeled around them for anything that could pop up and possibly take Bela. Dean was suddenly flung to the right and Delaney gasped, rushing after Dean to make sure he was okay since he hit a large stone statue.

Delaney glanced behind her once she was sure Dean was okay and saw the spirit touch the side of Bela's face and water began to sprout of her mouth. "Sammy, read faster!" She yelled to her brother so he could hear her over his reading and the howling of the wind. She left Dean behind and ran over to Bela, dropping next to her and making sure she was okay next.

The rain began to die down and Bela's coughing turned into smaller ones, which made Delaney feel a bit better. A creaking sound was heard a few feet away and all five heads turned to see the spirit's brother stood behind him. 

"You... hanged me!" the spirit growled at his brother.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Your own brother!" the spirit screamed, charging at his brother and the two dissolved into screams and a splash of water.

Bela stopped coughing up water and Delaney relaxed back against her heels, sighing in relief.

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

Delaney sat on the couch the next morning next to Dean as the three siblings packed up their belongings so they could hit the road again. A knock was heard on the door before Bela waltzed in, shutting the door behind her.

"You should really learn to lock your door. Anyone could just walk in."

"Unfortunately, anyone just did," Delaney grumbled and stuffed her shirt into her duffle. "Come to say goodbye or thank you?"

Bela dug around her purse and pulled out a pile of money, tossing it at Sam. "Came to settle affairs. Giving the spirit what he really wanted - his own brother. It was really smart, Sam. That's ten thousand - that should cover it. I don't like being in anyone's debt."

Delaney pushed herself up from the couch and walked over to Sam, taking one of the stacks of money from his hand and inspecting it to make sure the money was even real. "So ponying up ten grand is easier for you than a simple thank you?"

"You're so damaged," Dean laughed, shaking his head.

Bela's smile broadened as she eyed Dean. "Takes one to know one. Goodbye, lads."

Sam scoffed lightly and flipped through the bills in his hand. "She's got style. You have to give her that."

"I suppose."

Delaney tossed the stack of bills in her hand to Dean who effortlessly caught it. "Dean, we don't even know where this money's been."

"No... but I know where it's going."

⊶⊶⊶⊶⊶✞⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

Delaney sat in the front of the Impala, staring down at the map incredulously while Sam napped in the back and Dean drove down the empty, dark road. "Atlantic City? Seriously, Dean?"

"Play some roulette. Always bet on black, Della," Dean beamed at his sister for a moment before he turned serious. Not good. "Listen, baby girl, I've been doing some thinking, um... I want you to know I understand why you did it. I understand why you went after the Crossroads Demon."

Delaney sighed and focused her attention back on the map so she could navigate Dean where to go. This was seriously a conversation she wanted to avoid and not have with Dean. Or even Sam for that matter. She was tired of hearing them nag her about leaving it be and just letting the motions flow. It was almost to the point where Delaney started to believe that she was the only one that cared that Dean's numbers were quickly winding down.

"You know, situation was reversed I'd have done the same thing," Dean continued when Delaney didn't respond. I mean, I'm not blind. I see what you're going through with this whole deal. Me going away and all that, but you're gonna be okay, Della."

Delaney glanced back up at that and exhaled heavily, shaking her head. "You think so."

"Well, yeah, Della. You'll have Sammy and he'll look after you and be there for you. Just like it has been this whole time, just... minus me. You two will keep hunting and live your life. You're stronger than me."

Delaney flinched at that statement, the words of the Crossroad Demon echoing in her mind. She had said the same thing to Delaney and the fact that he just said it out loud as well made her physically sick. 

"You are, Della! You are... you'll get over it, but I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry for... putting you through this all this, I am. I wasn't thinking how you or Sammy would feel about me putting myself out on the line for you. I just... I couldn't handle my baby sister being dead."

"Go screw yourself, Dean," Delaney rolled her eyes, placing the map on the seat between her and her brother. "I don't want an apology from you. Plus, I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself just fine."

"Oh, well, excuse me," Dean huffed.

Delaney growled to herself and turned in her seat to face Dean, a heated gaze on her face. "So would you please quit worrying about me? That's the whole problem in the first place. I don't you or Sam to worry about me, Dean. I want you guys to worry about you. I want you to give a shit that you're dying." She waited for a moment for Dean to say something, but he kept his mouth shut and kept driving. "So... that's it? Nothing else to say for you?"

"I think maybe I'll play craps."

Delaney stared at Dean incredulously and felt the anger bubble in her stomach. She had half a mind to reach across the seat and strangle him. He apologized but it seemed like he didn't even care how she felt. Just made a whole big joke about the whole thing as if him dying meant nothing at all. It was infuriating how little Dean seemed to care.

Not like that would deter Delaney from stopping at nothing to save her brother. Even if that meant using Randy to her advantage... even if that meant Dean getting pissed at her for working alongside a demon.

AUTHORS NOTE

Hi hey hello

So... Delaney's changed a bit, huh lads? Doesn't help that Dean is brushing everything off like it doesn't matter, which only makes her even more pissed. We are just down to NINE MORE CHAPTERS of this story before we move onto Season&Book 4! I am READY FOR IT!

Also, don't ya'll worry. Randy will be back REAL soon

SO IT SEEMED YOU GUYS LIKED THE SOCIAL MEDIAS I MADE FOR MY CHARACTERS IN THE PROPHECY AND STRANGE WONDERS SO I ALSO MADE AN INSTAGRAM FOR DELANEY. IT'S PRETTY MUCH AN AU HAD THE WINCHESTERS ACTUALLY LIVED NORMAL LIVES & WILL DIDNT DIE! 

FOLLOW DLANEY ELIZABETH WINCHESTER ON INSTAGRAM:: dellawinchest