Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things.

CHAPTER SEVEN , SMALL STEPS FORWARD

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Angela's coffin was empty.

Sydney was actually relieved. If she had saw a rotting corpse in the coffin, she would've definitely threw up. And she wouldn't have been able to handle that embarrassment.

"They buried the body four days ago." Dean states.

Sam shakes his head, "I don't get it..."

Sydney squints her eyes at the markings inside the coffin. "Guys, look." She points her flashlight at the scripture.

Dean furrows his brows, "What is that?"

"I'm not sure."

The eldest Winchester's jaw quickly tightens when he recognizes the scripture across the coffin. "I've seen these kinds of symbols before."

Dean had quickly, but furiously explained to the two hunters that he had seen a book of those symbols in Dr. Mason's house. He wanted to go straight to that man's house and confront him. Sam couldn't convince him otherwise, so Sydney just told Dean to wait until they got more information on the subject. He reluctantly agreed.

After visiting the library, they made their way to Dr. Mason's house. Dean pounds his fist against the door, causing both Sydney and Sam to grow nervous.

"Dean, take it easy, okay?" Sam speaks.

Dean knocks again.

After a few moments, Dr. Mason pulls open the door. He looks between the three hunters. Sydney waves a small hand.

"You're Angie's friends."

"It's nice to see you again." Sydney gives him a soft smile.

"Dr. Mason—"

"We need to talk." Dean abruptly cuts off Sam. Sydney inhales a breath. So, this is how it's going to be.

Dr. Mason steps aside and lets them in. Sam softly thanks the man and they all enter.

Dean immediately got into it. "You teach Ancient Greek." He pulls out the paper of the symbols from the coffin. "Tell me," he holds the paper out. "what are these?"

Dr. Mason looks at the paper. "I don't understand. You said this had something to do with Angela."

"It does. Please, just humor me." Dean says.

"They're part of an Ancient Greek divination ritual." Dr. Mason states.

"Used for Necromancy, right?"

Dr. Mason nods, "That's right."

"See, before we came over here, we stopped by the library and did a little homework ourselves." Dean states. "Apparently, they use rituals like this one for communicating with the dead, even bringing corpses back to life—full-on zombie action."

"Yeah." Dr. Mason confirms. "I mean, according to the legends." He keeps his eyes on Dean, noticing the intimidating look he was sending his way. "Now, what's this all about?"

"I think you know."

"Dean." Sam looks at him.

"Look, I get it." Dean starts. "There are people that I would give anything to see again, but what gives you the right?"

Sydney tenses, "Okay, this isn't a good idea—"

"What are you talking about?" Dr. Mason questions.

"What's dead should say dead!" Dean raises his voice.

"What?"

"Stop it!" Sam shouts back.

"What you brought back isn't even your daughter anymore!" Dean snaps. "These things are vicious, they're violent! They're so nasty, they rot the ground around them. I mean, come on! Haven't you seen "Pet Semetary"?!"

Dr. Mason shakes his head, "You're insane." He brushes past them."

"Where is she?" Dean's tone was low.

"Get out out of my house." The doctor grabs his phone.

Sydney nods her head and taps Sam's arm. Sam follows Sydney's vision, spotting the live plants. The younger Winchester's jaw goes slack.

"I know you're hiding her somewhere." Dean grabs the phone from Dr. Mason. He slams the phone back on the hook. "Where is she?!"

"Dean, stop! That's enough." Sam grabs his brother's shoulder. "Dean, look," he points at the flowers. "Beautiful, living plants."

Sydney holds her hands, "I am so sorry. We're leaving."

"I'm calling the police."

Sydney nervously chuckles, "I don't blame you."

Dean yanks himself from Sam's grip and stalks out of the house. Sam quickly follows after his brother and Sydney stays for a moment.

"I am so sorry. We won't bother you again." Sydney's brown eyes were soft and pleading.

Sydney could see the grief racking Dr. Mason and it caused a lump to form in her throat. She rushed out of the house and catches up with the brothers. She got there just in time to hear Sam start to confront Dean.

"Dean, I don't scare easy, but you're scaring the crap out of me." Sam says.

Dean scoffs, "Don't be overdramatic, Sam."

"You're lucky this turned out to be a real case, 'cause if it wasn't, you would've just found something else to kill."

This causes Dean to stop walking. He looks at his brother.

"You're on edge, you're erratic, except for when you're hunting, cause then you're downright scary." Sam lists off.

Dean glances at Sydney, trying to see if she agreed with any of this. And just from the way she tensed, Dean got his answer.

"You're tail spinning, man."

Dean looks back at his brother.

"And you refuse to talk about it, and you won't let me help you." Sam continues.

Dean slowly nods his head. "I can take care of myself, thanks." He starts walking again.

"No, you can't!" Sam follows.

Sydney exhales and follows after them.

"And you're the only one who thinks you should have to." Despite him raising his voice, there was a fear within Sam's voice. "You don't have to handle this in your own, Dean. No one can."

Dean stops and turns towards his brother with his fist tightening. "Sam, if you bring up dad's death one more time, I swear—"

"No, Dean, it's killing you. Please." Sam's voice was a lot calmer. "We've already lost dad. We lost mom. I've lost Jessica..." tears form in Sam's eyes.

"And now I'm gonna lose you, too?"

Sydney's gaze saddens and she shifts her eyes to Dean.

Dean softly chuckles and looks around. "We better get out of here before the cops come."

Sam shakes his head, but Dean speaks again. "I hear you, okay? I'm being an ass, and I'm sorry." He then looks at Sydney. "I'm sorry."

"But right now, we've got a friggin' zombie running around. We need to figure out how to kill it."

Sam laughs. Dean follows his gaze, "Right?"

"Our lives are weird, man." Sam sighs.

Dean scoffs, "You're telling me."

Sydney giggles. The two brothers look at the brunette and she softly claps her hands. "Sorry. I'm just happy we're taking steps in the right direction."

Sam and Dean laugh. "Yeah, barely." He motions his head to his car. "Let's go."

☆

"We can't just waste her with a headshot?"

Sydney raises her brows, "That sounds too easy."

"You've been watching way too many Romero Flicks." Sam scoffs.

Dean paces back and forth across the motel floor. "You're telling me there's no lore in how to smoke 'em?"

"No, Dean. I'm telling you there's too much." Sam says. "I mean, there's a 100 different legends on "The Walking Dead" but they all have different methods for killing them." He flips through the book. "Some say setting them on fire, one said—where is it—right here, feeding their hearts to a wild dogs. That's my personal favorite." He tosses the book aside. "But, who knows what's real and what's myth..."

"Is there anything they all have in common?" Sydney questions. "We could start there."

"No, but a few said silver might work." Sam answers.

"Silver's a start." Dean adds.

"Yeah, but now how are we gonna find Angela?" Sam asks.

"We gotta figure out who's the person that who brought her back." Dean states.

"Any ideas?"

Dean stands up and grabs the diary off the top of the television. "If it's not her dad, it might be that guy, Neal."

"Neal?"

"Yep."

"How'd you come up with that?" Sam asks.

"Well, you got your journal, I got mine." Dean says. He flips through the diary and stops when he spot a specific page. "Neal's a real shoulder to cry on. He's so understands what I'm going through with Matt."

Sydney raises her brows. "Oh, he's totally in love with her."

"Yeah. And there's a lot more where that came from." Dean says. "It's got unrequited ducky love written all over it."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he brought her back from the dead." Sam says.

Dean pretends to think hard. "Hmm, did I mention he's Professor Mason's T.A.? Has access to all the same books."

Sydney softly chuckles. Of course, Dean chose to lead with something else instead of the actual clue that would've solidified Sam's conviction in Neal being the one to resurrect Angela. In all honesty, he just wanted Sydney by his side on this subject, so he presented the clue that shifted her position.

"So, when should we go see Neal again?" Sam asks.

Dean sets the diary back on the tv. "Tonight. When he least expects it."

"Unless that's exactly what he's expecting." Sydney says. She realizes the brother's eyes were on her and she holds her hands up. "What? I was kidding."

☆

The three hunters had waited until dark before sneaking into Neal's house. They weren't really sneaking, actually. As soon as they entered the house Dean looked around and made their presences known.

"Hello? Neal!"

No answer.

"It's your grief counselors. We've come to hug." Dean announces.

Sydney's eyes skim across the house, her eyes land on the line of dead plants across Neal's window sill.

Dean pulls his gun out from the back of his waistband. Sam looks at his brother, "Silver bullets?"

"Yeah, enough to make her rattle like a change purse." Dean speaks.

Sydney and Sam stay behind Dean as he walks through each part of the house with his gun in hand.

They continue to lurk around the house, until they come across a dark door. The three hunters exchange a look with one another. Each debating on if this could be where Angela is hiding. Dean then shrugs, "Unless it's where he keeps his porn."

Sydney frowns, "That would be a lot of porn."

Dean looks at Sydney and whispers, "Right?"

Sam rolls his eyes at the two, "I'm not doing this with you guys." he looks between them. "Again."

Sydney and Dean look at each other, sly smirks across their lips. When they were all younger, Sydney and Dean had the most fun with getting on Sam and Laura's nerves. What could be more fun than driving your younger siblings up a wall? Maybe that was why Sydney and Dean made such a good couple back then.

They were always so compatible.

Sam unlocks the cellar door and pushes it opening. Dean quickly enters the room, with his gun aimed down the stairs. When he sees nothing so far, Dean starts descending down the steps. Sydney and Sam follow him.

They get to the bottom of the steps, looking around the low ceiling basement. There was a bed in the corner and chains. It caused Sydney's stomach to turn. Even if Angela was dead, there was no way she was comfortable down here.

"It sure looks like a zombie pen to me." Dean voices.

"Yeah," Sam agrees. "an empty one."

Sydney walks closer to the bed with her nose wrinkled. "You think Angela's gone after somebody?"

Dean walks over to the vent, noticing it hanging on by one screw. He pulls it open, revealing the open space on the other side. "No, I think she went out to rent "Beaches"."

Sam walks back over to his brother. Just from the way Sam stalked over to Dean, everything in Sydney's head told her not to smile.

"Look, smartass. She might kill someone." Sam says. "We got to fine her, guys."

Sydney holds her hands out. "I understand the urgency, Sammy. I didn't make the joke."

"Oh, nice save." Dean sarcastically comments.

Sydney winces. "Sorry."

Dean rubs his face, trying to think. "All right, she clipped Matt 'cause he was cheating, right?"

"Well, takes two to, you know, have hard-core sex." Dean adds.

Sydney wrinkles her nose, "Why hard-core?"

"Why not?" Dean replies.

"Guys, can we focus?" Sam's voice had an urgency to it.

Sydney pulls her eyes from Dean, "Right. Sorry." she looks back at Dean. "Who did you have in mind, you know, for the hard-core sex theory?"

Dean clicks his tongue, "I don't know. Angela's roommate seemed broken up over Matt's death. I mean, really broken up."

"You went to see her, right?" Sydney asks.

Dean nods, "Still have her address too."

...

When they got to the house, Angela was already there; ready to kill her roommate (find out what her name is). The bullets looked like they affected Angela, but not enough for her to stay down. She had escaped out of the house through the window.

While on their way to Neal's office, Sam found more lore on how to kill Angela. Nailing her to her grave bed. Now, they just needed to get her back to the graveyard.

The three hunters didn't bother knocking when walking in. Neal looks at the three from his desk, "What are you guys doing here?"

Sam and Dean walk towards Neal's desk while Sydney closes the door behind them.

"You know, I've heard of some people doing some pretty desperate things to get laid, but you--you take the cake." Dean points at Neal.

Neal tenses, his eyes shift between each person standing in front of him. "Okay, who are you guys?"

"You might want to ask Angela that question." Dean retorts.

Sam squints his eyes, "We know what you did. The ritual...everything."

Neal scoffs, "You're crazy."

"Your girlfriend's past her expiration date, and we're crazy?" Dean presses his palms against the desk and leans close to Neal.

Sydney watches Neal's eyes dart to the side, his nervous state not going unnoticed. "When someone's gone, they should stay gone,"

Sydney quirks a brow. God, she wish that were true. Now her mind was stuck on her phone call from earlier.

"you don't mess with that kind of stuff." Dean adds.

Sydney presses her fingers against the desk. "Look, Angela killed Matt. And we just saw her almost kill Lindsay."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Neal says.

Dean wasn't as patient as Sydney. He rounds the desk table and stalks toward Neal. He grabs the college student by his shirt and lifts him onto his feet, despite Neal's protests.

"No more crap, Neal!" Dean snaps. "This blood is on your hands. Now, we're gonna make this right, but you got to tell us where she is."

Neal looks away from Dean, but the hunter shakes him. "Tell us!"

Hesitantly, Neal answers. "My house. She's at my house."

Sydney's brown doe eyes scan across Neal's face. She shifts her eyes to the dead plants behind him. "Are you sure?"

The three men all look at the brunette. She glances at the plants, Sam and Dean catch on. Neal nods his head, but not before looking around--his eyes landing on the closet in the back.

"Listen." Dean slightly raises his voice, hoping Angela was listening. "It doesn't really matter where she is. There's only one way to stop her. We've got to perform another ritual over her grave to reverse the one that you did."

"We're going to need some black roots, some scar weed, some candles. It's very complicated, but it will get the job done." Dean informs him. "She'll be dead again in a couple hours."

"You should come with us." Sydney takes a small step forward. Her eyes glance back at the closet. If Neal stayed here with Angela, they wouldn't be able to protect him. Neal shakes his head and Sydney tenses. "Neal, please. Come with us."

Neal, stays strong on his decision. "No. No..."

Sydney's shoulder slump and she shakes her head. "Neal..." her eyes shift back to the closet. "You have to get out of here as soon as you can." Her voice was soft but it was filled with a firm urgency that caused Neal's stomach to drop.

"But you have to stay calm." Sydney's doe brown eyes had hardened to show him how serious she was. "Do not provoke her. She will kill you."

Neal swallows thickly as the three hunters then leave the office. Sydney couldn't shake the feeling that there was more she could've done to get Neal out of there. She felt it in her bones. Angela wasn't going to keep Neal alive.

"Hey..." Sam's voice was soft. "you did the best you could."

Sydney glanced at Sam and sends him a small smile. "Thanks, but...I don't know. Maybe I should've let one of you talk to him. Maybe he would've listened."

Sam and Dean exchange a look for the brunette, her guilt clear across her face.

☆

"You really think this is gonna work?"

Dean lights another one of the candles they had brought with them to the graveyard. "No, not really." he then chuckles. "But it was the only thing I could come up with."

Sydney frowns with a soft hum coming from her throat. "At least, you're honest."

A twig snaps close to them and the three hunters whip their heads in the direction of the noise.

The hunters all exchange a look. "Okay, I'll go drag her out of hiding." Sydney voices. "Give me your gun."

"No, absolutely not." Dean voices.

"And why "absolutely not"?" Sydney inquires, tilting her head to the side.

"Because it's dangerous and you haven't been hunting since forever." Dean says. He's trying his best to keep his voice low.

"It's like I said before, I need to start pulling my weight." Sydney bunches her shoulders.

"You being bait?" Dean looks at her with an incredulous expression. "That's your idea of "pulling your weight"?"

"What else do you expect me to do?" Sydney was genuinely wondering. She felt out of place and completely lost when she was hunting with them. Maybe she shouldn't be here anymore.

"How about, I just go?" Sam interjects, hoping to wrap this up.

Sydney keeps her eyes on Dean's for a moment before reluctantly looking at Sam. "Fine. Sure." she takes a step back. Sam gives her a small nod and grabs his gun from his waistband.

Sam walks further into the woods, until he's no longer able to be seen. Sydney folds her arms and she could feel Dean's eyes on her. But she was too embarrassed to meet his gaze.

"Syddie?"

Sheets of waist length chestnut hair curtains the sadness he could read. Sydney lifts her gaze, meeting Dean's gaze. His shoulders slack and his gaze softens. "You do know that you're more than just "bait" to us, right?"

Sydney swallows and nods her head. "Yeah, yeah. I just..." she swipes her tongue across her lower lip. She hesitates on being honest. Sydney hasn't been honest in so long. She doesn't even remember the last time she's been herself. Sydney was ready to retreat, to say something completely different. But that all changed when she saw the moonlight reflect off of Dean's forest green eyes, revealing the genuine worry. He was worried for her.

Sydney couldn't stop her tears from welling. "I feel useless." she softly speaks, a weight being lifted off her chest. "And I don't think I should be here anymore."

Dean's lips part and the worry in his eyes doesn't disappear, but there was a crease that formed between his brows. "Sydney, you have every right to be here with us." he says. "We can't..." he looks to the side. A weak smile forms on Sydney's lips, she knew what he was going to say. "You definitely can do this without me."

"Well, I don't want to." Dean connects his eyes with hers. "I did that last year and...there's always been something missing. I thought, maybe if I found my dad it would be better." he shakes his head. "In all honesty, I think I just missed you."

Sydney sucks in a small breath. Dean's jaw goes slack, "I know you probably want space from me, but I couldn't let you think that we don't want you here."

"I've already put you through so much since you've been on the road with us." Dean's gut turns just thinking about the pain Sydney would be in after every interaction they had. "I don't want you to hurt like that anymore." And he sure as hell didn't want to be the cause of it.

Sydney holds her gaze on Dean's, a tense silence settling between them. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable of any kind. If anything, it felt like how it used to. When they were "Sydney and Dean". Sydney could feel her heart begin to flutter and that feeling terrified her. So, she pulls her eyes away from Dean's and moves some of her hair behind her ear. "Thank you." she softly speaks.

Dean watches as she fidgets for a little bit, his heart beat quickening. "Anytime, Syd."

A gunshot rings through the forest causing the two hunters to jump. Birds fly out of the trees and off into the distance. Sydney turns to look at Dean and pulls her brows together when she sees a different look across his face. There was a desperation and his breathing had grown heavier.

"Maybe there is a way you could help." Dean says. He walks closer to her until his boots are touching her black converse. Sydney swallows thickly from the close proximity, she could feel the heat from Dean's body radiating off of him.

"H-How?" Sydney didn't even realize that she spoke. Her eyes were so deep into Dean's, she didn't care about anything else.

Without breaking contact from her, Dean reaches into his waistband and pulls a gun out. He gently grabs her hand wrist and places the gun in her hand. Sydney inhales a small breath from the warmth and gentleness in Dean's calloused grip.

"Get her into the coffin and I'll do the rest."

Sydney swallows and finally breaks the eye contact, looking at the gun in her hand.

"You remember how to use it, right?"

Sydney inhales, "Yeah...yeah." She connects her eyes with his. "Don't worry. I'll do my part."

Dean softly nods and a smile twitches onto his lips. "Thank you."

Sydney hears grunts and screams nearing the edge of the trees. She swallows and turns the safety on her gun off and aims it at the forest. Sydney stalks toward the forest. The brunette saw Sam running out of the forest.

Sydney inhales a shaky breath. Just like riding a bicycle, Syd.

The woman on the white gown,m dives forward, tackling Sam to the ground. Her hands grip his jaw—readying to snap it.

Sydney inhales a shaky breath and points the gun at Angela. "Do your fucking job." The authoritative voice booms through her mind, shaking her body.

The brunette then pulls the trigger, despite her hands trembling. Angela's body jerks forward from the bullet hitting her. She stands up and turns to the woman. Sydney's jaw clenches and she shoots Angela again.

And again.

And again.

Angela stumbles into the grave, landing right into her coffin. Dean runs forward and slides on his knees into the coffin with Angela. He raises the silver stake and Angela's eyes widen.

"Wait, don't!—"

Dean was already plunging the stake into her chest. Her insides squelch once the stake hits her heart. She lets out one more gasp of pain before laying limp in her coffin.

Dean stands up with his eyes still glued to Angela's body.

"What's dead should stay dead."

☆

The three hunters finished reburying Angela. Sydney's sheen brown hair was now in a high ponytail, sweat sticking onto the back of her neck. Her black leather jacket was tied around her waist, allowing her red ribbed blouse to be revealed.

"Rest in Peace." Sam softly speaks.

Sydney bites the inside of her cheek. "Again."

"And for good this time." Dean says.

With their shovels all in hand, they turn away from the grave, and walk to the Impala.

"You know...the whole fake ritual thing. Luring Angela into the cemetery? Pretty sharp."

"Thanks."

"But did we have to use me as bait?" Sam asks.

Sydney quirks a brow, "Hey, I offered myself up."

Dean frowns, but there's a hint of a smile across his lips. "I figured you were more her type. She has a pretty crap taste in guys."

Sydney softly snorts with a mix of a laugh. Sam sighs, "I think she broke my hand."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Sydney winces, her eyes shifting to the inflamed skin surrounding his wrist. "I mean, I saw the way she tackled you."

"Ah, c'mon. You're just too fragile." Dean states. "We'll get it looked at later."

They were a couple feet away from the Impala when Dean stops and turns to look at his mother's grave. Sydney and Sam stop, keeping their eyes on Dean.

"You wanna stay for a while?"

Dean shifts, his jaw twitching. "No." He walks past the two and tosses everything into the trunk of the Impala.

Sam and Sydney follow suit and get into the car.

They hadn't been on the road for long when Dean pulled over into the shoulder of a highway. Dean gets out of the car without a sound. Sam watches Dean pace in front of the car, some heavy shit was obviously goinng through his head.

Sam turns his head, connecting his eyes with Sydney. Her worry not going unnoticed. Sam gets out of the car as soon as Dean leans against the Impala. Sydney runs her teeth across her lower lip, before gaining the courage to make her way out of the vehicle as well.

"Dean, what is it?" Sam asks.

Dean keeps his eyes on the black pavement in front of him. "I'm sorry."

Sam pulls his brows together. "You...for what?"

"The way I've been acting." Dean lets out.

Sam takes this moment to walk over to Dean and leans against the Impala as well. Sydney crosses her arms, keeping her place.

"And for dad." Dean adds. "He was your dad too."

"And it's my fault that he's gone."

Sydney pull her brows together.

"What are you taking about?" Sam questions.

"I know you've been thinking it and so have I." Dean says. "It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

"Back at the hospital. I had a full recovery." Dean explains. "It was a miracle and five minutes later, dad's dead, and the colt's gone."

"Dean—"

"You can't tell me there's not a connection there." Dean immediately cuts in, his guilt practically drowning him. Sydney could feel it. If anything, it felt like she was drowning too.

"I don't know how the demon was involved." Dean admits. "I don't know how the whole thing went down exactly...but dad's dead because of me. And that much I do know."

"We don't know that, not for sure."

"Sam..."

Sydney's chest tightens from the trembling in Dean's voice. A wall in his heart began to crack, revealing his true feelings. "You and dad...you're the most important people in my life."

"And now...I never should have come back, Sam. It wasn't natural." Dean says, tears stinging his eyes. "And now look what's come of it."

"I was dead. And I should've stayed dead."

Sydney's chest burns when she hears Dean say that. Seeing him in that hospital bed hurt her. She couldn't imagine him staying like that. Her not being able to talk to him ever again. Be near him.

"You wanted to know how I was feeling." Dean exhales. "Well, that's it."

"So tell me." He turns to Sam. "What could you possibly say to make that all right?"

Sam doesn't respond. He truly didn't know what to say to make Dean feel better. Besides the wind blowing around them, silence filled the air. Even though, Sydney didn't have anything to say, she found herself taking a step closer to Dean; hoping her presence could help comfort him in anyway.

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