memento vivere - supernatural & criminal minds

chapter 21

Chapter 21
The Trolley Problem

Jude had another hour to catch up with her reluctant patriarch before the Winchesters joined them. Their arrival was signalled by the rumble of the Impala’s engine and Rumsfeld barking from the porch.

“Took you idjits long enough,” Bobby grumbled as he answered the door. The men exchanged greetings out of Jude’s view before the door creaked shut. 

“Is Jude-” she heard Sam say.

“Inside.”

Quick footsteps thumped into the living room and Sam entered, his eyes sweeping the room. He smiled when he landed on Jude, who rose to hug him. “Thanks for coming,” he whispered, his chin on her head.

“Of course,” Jude squeezed his arm as she pulled back. “Anything I can do to help. Plus, you’re having a very conveniently timed crisis. My team has this weekend off.”

“Good,” Dean stepped around Sam for his own hug. “Sammy didn’t want me to call you.”

Jude flicked her eyes to the sheepish look on Sam’s face. “I feel so loved.”

“Not like that,” he rushed out. “I just didn’t wanna drag you back into hunting again.”

“We burned that bridge months ago, Sam,” she smiled. “If you need me, I’m happy to be needed.” And she meant it. As much as she’d wrestled with her return to hunting, she knew she couldn’t hold a grudge against the Winchesters for long. Damn them.

Sam and Jude started to dig into Bobby’s demonic lore collection, Sam at the desk and Jude stretched across the couch. A thick, leather bound book was propped against her legs, the pages well-worn and some of the ink smudged beneath her fingers. She already knew most of the contents, having an extensive library of her own and four years scouring these bookshelves just for the fun of it.

“Bobby, this book…” Sam sighed behind her after a spell of silence. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Jude tilted her head back to look at him. “Seriously? You’ve been hunting longer than I have.”

Upside-down Sam raised - or lowered - an eyebrow, “You know about this stuff?”

Jude readjusted to see him clearly and closed her book with a dusty thud. “I read a lot.”

“And these protective circles,” he propped up his book and pointed to an intricate drawing, “they really work?”

“They better,” Jude set her book aside. “I have one painted under my welcome mat.” 

Bobby passed through the archway to the kitchen with two silver flasks and handed one to Dean. “What is this, holy water?”

“That one is,” Bobby pointed to the one in Dean’s hand. “This one’s whiskey.” He took a swig from his own flask and offered it to Dean. “And Jude’s right, those protective circles are serious. You get a demon in one, they’re trapped. Powerless. It’s like a satanic roach motel.”

Dean smiled and sank into the couch with Jude. “Man knows his stuff.”

“I’ll tell you something else, too,” Bobby leaned on the rim of the desk. “Jude and I talked earlier, but this is some serious crap you guys have stepped in. On a normal year, I hear of maybe three demonic possessions. Four tops. This year I’ve heard of twenty-seven so far.” Jude’s hand brushed the swirl of black ink beneath her sleeve, grateful for its protection. “There are more and more demons walking among us, a lot more.”

“Do you know why?” Sam asked.

Bobby shook his head. “I just know it’s something big. A storm’s coming, and you boys, your daddy…you’re smack in the middle of it.” Jude felt Sam’s focus shift to her; it was like he was worried she’d also get caught up in the storm. She tried to reassure him with a weak smile even as a pit formed in her stomach.