Season 1, Episode 15: I'm Coming Home

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Content Warning:  Suicide.  Please be warned, and feel free to message me if you have any questions before proceeding to read this episode.  For those familiar with the television show Supernatural, the plot of this episode parallels the show's plot in season 12, Episode 9, First Blood, which included a suicide attempt that was prevented.

No graphic depictions but a suicide does occur as part of the plot of this episode.  The dolly world is a fun escape and I don't want to ruin that for anyone!   Thanks for reading.

The next morning, Rufus and Bobby were watching re-runs.  

"Whoo, that Sophia is a pip,"  Rufus commented.   

"Is this the episode with the little space hamsters?"  Bobby asked, chuckling.  He liked those little space hamsters and their endless quest for the red gumball.

Before Rufus had a chance to answer, both men were startled by a blast of sound from the corner.

Rufus was on his feet in an instant.  A pistol seemed to just appear in his hand, he'd drawn it so quickly.  

"What the hell is that, Bobby?"

"More importantly, how do I kill it?"

"Ah, hell, it's just that damn record player,"  Bobby said, disgruntled.  

He and John Winchester had stayed out late the night before.  Of course, heavy drinking had been involved.  The bluesy barrage of music assaulted Bobby's skull.

Mercifully, Rufus had his wits about him and turned the record player off.

"Bah, Led Zeppelin,"  Rufus snorted, kicking the offending album sleeve out of his way.  

"You know they made their money ripping off the Black man's blues, Bobby."

But Bobby's attention had been drawn to a plaque that hadn't been on the wall before.  It seemed the house was playing its game, hinting at the identity of a new arrival.  Bobby only knew of one hunter that had ever been nicknamed 'Squirrel.'  Oh, no, he thought with a pang of grief so sharp he instantly forget his headache.

"Bobby?"  Rufus prompted.  

"Now's not the time to argue about Zeppelin,"  Bobby said dully.  

"What's wrong?"  Rufus laid a hand on Bobby's shoulder.  

Bobby was grateful for the human contact in that moment.  He made himself answer around the lump that had formed in his throat.  

"I'm pretty sure the next arrival is going to be Dean.  Dammit,"  he blurted.  

Hunters never anticipated enjoying long lives, but he'd always hoped for more than just the hunting life for Dean.  Bobby loved him like a son.  The thought that they'd soon be reunited didn't do anything to blunt the pain of his boy's death.

"I heard the music.  Oh, no,"  John said.  

Bobby tried to quell the resentment he felt at John's intrusion into his grief.  John was Dean's father, after all.

"I know these keys,"  John went on.  He crossed to the window.

"Damn it.  That car can only mean one thing,"  John murmured.

"Hey, I heard Zeppelin playin'."  Ellen's cheery tone was directly at odds with the mood now pressing down on the others in the room.

"Crank it up!  Another hunter's comin' through!"  

Ellen turned the record player back on, though at a more reasonable volume, and retrieved the album sleeve from the floor.  

John blustered across the room.  "You're supposed to have this mystical connection with the house.  Why didn't you warn us?"

Bobby felt his temper fray.  

"Don't you go gettin' in her face like that!" he shouted.

"It's too soon,"  John said, backing down.  

Bobby knew what he meant.  They'd both hoped it would be many years before Dean arrived in the afterlife.   

"I'm outta here,"  Rufus muttered.  "Too much drama."  

Bobby didn't have a chance to respond before Mary came in through the dining room.

"I heard all the ruckus.  I take it another hunter's joining us here?"

"I started noticing clues yesterday,"  Ellen told her excitedly, still oblivious to the men's grim mood.  

"Why didn't you say something?"  John demanded.  

"Hey, I was busy.  And I wasn't one hundred percent sure..."

"But hearin' Zeppelin confirms it,"  Ellen said.  "'Traveling Riverside Blues' was Bill's favorite."

"Your husband?  Oh, Ellen, that's wonderful!"  Mary embraced her.  

"I'm so excited to see him again, I can hardly stand it!"  Ellen said. 

The pure joy in her voice made Bobby feel even worse.  John spoke up before Bobby could even begin to think what he might say.

"You got it wrong, Ellen,"  he said.  Bobby tensed as John began to speak, but where he'd been confrontational moments before, now John was gentle.  

"God, I wish you were right,"  he went on, facing Ellen, but pulling Mary into his arms to break the bad news.

"It's not Bill.  It's Dean."   

Mary pulled free of John's comforting embrace.  

"No,"  she said softly.

"No!"  Ellen's voice cracked as she shouted the denial in John's face.  

Mary stood stock still, Ellen's outburst not even seeming to register.

"Dean loved that song, too.  And here's his keys,"  John produced the evidence.  "My old Impala's parked out front:  Dean's car."

"Well, shit,"  Ellen said.  She seemed to crumple down inside herself,  all the life and spirit instantly drained away, Bobby noted, feeling his heart break a little bit more.  She rushed out of the room.

John had already turned his attention back to his wife.  

"Mary.  Come on, Mary, snap out of it."

Bobby watched the couple for a moment.  They'll be all right,  he thought to himself.  He was more worried about Ellen.  Bobby went to look for her.

John put aside his own grief to try and comfort Mary.  

"Come on,"  he said again, putting his arms around her.  "Mary.  Snap out of it."  

"Leave my boys alone!"  She reacted so fast, John was caught off guard.  Mary whirled out of his embrace, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back as she pushed him away.  

Damn, John thought, impressed in spite of himself.  She always was stronger than she looked.  Mary's grip on his wrist loosened and he retreated.

She was physically present, but her mind was trapped somewhere far away, John thought.  

"Mary, it's John,"  he told her calmly.  "You're safe.  Our boys are safe."

He kept talking, watching intently as she shook off the flashback, looking around the room.  John touched her shoulder, trying to help ground her in the present.  

"You're safe, Mary.  It's over.  Are you with me?"

"I'm okay now.  I'm sorry--"  

John stopped her.  "You don't need to apologize.  We've both had a bad shock."

John wanted nothing else in that moment than to wrap his arms around Mary, to comfort both of them, but she put a hand on his arm to stop him.  

"I need to tell you about Billie.  The truth, this time."

They sat down on the sofa.  Mary got right to the point.  

"John, 'hunter's heaven' isn't the first time I've been brought back from the dead.  I spent the past year with our sons--"

John's resolve to listen quietly broke instantly.  

"What the hell?"  he blurted.  "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I knew something wasn't right!"  This explained the changes about her that had driven him half crazy.  Her hair, her wedding band.  

"Dammit, Mary, why did you lie?"  

"You don't get it.  I was resurrected, and then I--I died, John!  I died bloody... Again.  I just wasn't ready to talk about it!"

He immediately felt remorse.  Jim and Bobby had been exactly right.  And he needed to be supportive, John reminded himself of the advice the other hunters had given him.  

"I'm sorry.  Please, just talk to me."  

"I met our sons,"  Mary told him.  "John, they grew up to be amazing hunters!  True heroes!  We can talk about everything later,"  she added, stopping him from blurting out any more questions.  

John nodded, keeping silent with an effort.  There was so much he needed her to explain, but there would be plenty of time later. Mary went on.  

"The part about Billie...Well, Dean and Sam had just escaped from a secret black ops prison..."  

Of course they had,  John thought dryly.  Mary was probably going to be filling him in on the details for the rest of eternity.

"It's time,"  Sam said quietly.  

The weight of his voice turned Mary's relief at having him and Dean back safe instantly dissolved into dread.

"Time for what?"  she demanded.  "What's going on?"  

Dean gestured to the woods in front of them.

"Hey, Dean.  S'up?"  Billie greeted them with casual mockery.  

Billie was a reaper, one of the supernatural beings that escort the dead to the afterlife.  She wanted the Winchesters dead, resenting the way they'd cheated death time and time again.  

Billie was determined to prevent Dean, a hunter who'd been brought back from the dead literally dozens of times, from ever being resurrected again.  She'd declared her intention to escort his soul to The Empty, normally an eternal resting place reserved for immortal beings who'd been slain, creatures such as angels and demons.  According to Billie, there was no coming back from The Empty.  It was the genuine big sleep.

"We couldn't escape that place, Mom,"  Dean explained.  Mary felt her heart clench in denial.  Dean rushed on, "Being locked up in solitary, with nothing... With nobody, not even each other..."  Dean shook his head.  

"You've gotta understand.  It was worse than dying.  I've been to hell.  This was worse.  So I called Billie,"  he went on.  "We made a deal."

"Come midnight,"  Billie drawled, "a Winchester goes bye-bye.  Like, permanently.  So which one of you is it going to be?"

Sam and Dean looked at one another.  

"At least this way, one of us gets to keep on fighting,"  Sam said.  

Mary could tell each of her sons was prepared to sacrifice himself to save his brother.

"I'm a Winchester.  You can take me."

"Mom!  Mom, no!"  Dean said.   Billie ignored him.  

"Works for me,"  she said.

"No!"  Sam yelled.  He and Dean rushed forward to protect their mother.

Billie flung out one hand, using her powers to throw both men back.

"No, no, no,"  Sam pleaded, but Mary knew the reaper would never back down.  One of them had to die, and she would be damned if it would be either of her sons.

Mary raised her pistol.  

"I love you,"  she told her boys for the last time.

"I gave up my life so our sons could live,"  Mary concluded, her tone matter of fact.  

But then her voice broke.  

"I thought Dean would have a long, full life!  I thought it would be years and years before either of our boys joined us here."

"Oh, Mary."  John wrapped her up in his arms the way he'd wanted to since they'd found out Dean was dead.  

I never should have doubted you, he thought.

Mary rested her head on his shoulder for a minute, but then pulled away once more.  John looked at her, questioning.  

"There's just one more thing,"  Mary said.  "I want to tell you everything before Dean arrives."

John watched her with growing concern as she seemed to struggle to find the words, telegraphing her anxiety as she clasped her hands together.  

"My mother and father were hunters,"  Mary said.  "I grew up surrounded by the supernatural.  I grew up hunting monsters."

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Credit for the 1:6 scale television and the TV show the guys were watching goes to My Froggy Stuff.  I made the TV following her tutorial on YouTube and used her printable for the show on the screen.  

Record player is also from a My Froggy Stuff tutorial.