Jus In Bello.

CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN , JUS IN BELLO

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"All right. Here we go."

Athena's boots were planted into the gravel. Dean hovers his hands over her arms. He then covers her ears. "Now, just...let 'er rip."

Athena pulls the trigger and the bullet flies into the sign. The pink haired girl exhales, "Shit..." she then chuckles. "Cool."

Athena then turns to Dean. "Not "cool" as in "I want all the guns in the world"." She uses a country accent. "But like "cool"."

Dean chuckles, "I'm just surprised you wanted me to teach you."

Athena swallows. Ever since that fucking time loop, Athena has been keeping a closer eye on Dean. Sure, she still acts like the brooding teenager that wants nothing to do with her brothers. But Dean noticed a change in Athena's attitude and he couldn't be happier about it. He wanted to get as much time with Sam and Athena in as he could before he died.

Athena shrugs, "Believe me. You're not teaching me anything." She snorts. "Bobby and Jo have taught me plenty enough."

"So, what is this sibling bonding?" Dean teases.

Athena's face grows hot with embarrassment. "You're an idiot. If I wanted to bond with you, I'd make you teach me how to drive Baby."

"Well, that's never happening." Dean holds his hand out to the sign. "Let's continue to shoot the gun instead."

Athena chuckles, "Awesome keeping your priorities straight." She raises the gun again and pulls the trigger. The bullet pierces the sign's edge and she curses. "I'm a terrible shot."

"Nah. You're better than me when I was your age." Dean waves. Athena shakes her head, "You're lying."

Dean folds his arms, "Am I?"

Athena turns to him with a squinted gaze. Dean could see the genuine pain across her face, so his amused expression drops. "You just need a little more practice, that's all."

Athena shakes her head. "It's because of my eye."

"Athena—"

"It's true." Athena tightens the bandage against her eye with humiliation. Dean's eyes soften, "Look. You just have to practice. I promise, one day this won't be something that holds you back." He touches the top of her head. "It'll make you stronger."

Athena's mind thinks about that "one day". Will Dean even be here to see it? Her throat tightens and she looks away for a moment. "Uh, thanks."

"Guys!"

Athena and Dean turn to Sam, who was quickly approaching them. "Bobby found her."

Athena's eyes widen, "Thank god." She holds the gun out to Dean. He looks at the gun and shakes his head. "It's all yours."

Athena raises her brows, "What?"

"You're almost 14." Dean states. "I tried to keep you away from having a gun for so long, but I know you're getting older and you want to keep hunting."

Athena swallows and looks down at the gun. "So, that's yours now."

"Oh, well...thank you." Athena nods her head. "I promise, I'll be careful."

"Yeah, I know you will."

☆

"Bela's such a bitch."

Athena lets out a heavy breath as she's lead toward the police station with handcuffs around her wrists. "She's smart. But such a bitch."

"Yeah, you're telling me..." Dean grumbles. The eldest Winchester stops, causing Sam to accidentally bump into his back.

"Will you stop that?" Sam snaps.

Dean holds his hands up, the chains clinking. "We are literally chained together. I can't exactly stop."

"You've never been to a rodeo like this before." Henriksen tells the sheriff inside the police station. "You have any idea who we're about to bring in here?"

"Yeah—a couple of fugitives."

"The most dangerous criminals you've ever laid your eyeballs on." Henriksen says. "Think Hannibal Lecter and his half-wit little brother. Do you know what these guys do for kicks? Dig up graves and mutilate corpses. They're not just killers, sheriff. They're satan-worshipping, nutbag killers."

The entire station begins to tense from the information.

"And the worse part is? They brought their little sister into all this." Henriksen adds. "So work with me here. I'll get them out your hair and in their way to the supermax, and you'll be home in enough time to watch the farm report."

The sheriff's jaw clenches. "However we can help."

"Those men of yours—post them at the exits."

"Yes, sir."

Henriksen speaks into his walkie. "Reidy. Send them in. Guess we're as ready as we're gonna be."

"Got it. On our way in."

The doors swing open and the three siblings are marched into the station. The police stop them for a moment and Dean speaks. "Why all the sourpusses?"

Athena rolls her eyes, "For someone who's innocent. You sure act like a fucking psychopath."

"I'll show you to the cells." The agent pulls at Dean's arm.

"Hey! Hey! Watch the merchandise!" Dean exclaims. "We're not the ones you should be scared of, Nancy."

Athena scoffs. "Stop being creepy!" She looks at the shaken woman. "Sorry about him. But he's also right."

The agents lead the Winchesters into a room where there were cells. Sam and Dean were put in one cell and Athena was put in a cell across from them. Athena sits on the bench, her eyes on her handcuffed wrists.

Athena looks at her brothers. Sam steps toward the cell, while Dean tries to sit. But the chain connecting them stops the two. Athena snorts. Sam turns to his brother. "Dean, come on!"

"All right, all right." Dean motions to the bench. "Sit?"

"Yeah."

Athena then laughs as she watches the two stumble around, trying to comfortably sit. "I'm glad I get my own cell. And I'm not shackled like you delinquents."

"Hey, we're just cooler delinquents than you." Dean shrugs.

Sam huffs and Athena shakes her head.

"How we gonna Houdini out of this one?" Dean asks.

Athena looks around the cell with pursed lips. Sam sighs, "Good question."

"Bela really fucked us." Athena tangles her hands into her hair. "And she still has the Colt."

"We'll get it from her." Dean says.

Athena looks around the cell. "It's gonna be kind of hard now that we're under arrest."

The door opens, and the siblings all turn to Henriksen. He walks over to the brothers and stands in front of their cell. "You know what I'm trying to decide?"

"I don't know. What?" Dean shrugs. "Whether Cialis will help you with your little condition?"

Athena rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

"What to have for dinner tonight." Henriksen says.

Sam and Dean look at each other.

"Steak or Lobster, what the hell, surf and turf." Henriksen shrugs his shoulders. "I got a lot to celebrate. I mean, after all, seeing you two in chains..."

"You kinky son of a bitch." Dean quips. "We don't swing that way."

Henriksen chuckles, "Now, that's funny."

"You know, I wouldn't bust out the melted butter just yet." Dean says. "Couldn't catch us at the bank, couldn't keep us in that jail."

"You're right." Henriksen nods. "Screwed up. I underestimated you. I didn't count on you being that smart but now I'm ready."

"Yeah, ready to lose us again?" Dean quips. Athena shakes her head. She doesn't understand why he's acting so cocky. It was just furthering Henriksen's suspicions.

"Ready like a court order to keep you in a Supermaximum prison in Nevada till trial." Henriksen frowns, smug was written all over his face. "Ready like isolation in a soundproof, windowless cell, so that between you and me...probably unconstitutional."

Athena sits forward from the bed, her arms now on her knees. Just from the amusement in Henriksen's voice, she knew he was serious.

"How's that for ready?"

Silence fills the room and Henriksen continues to mock them. "Take a good look at Sam and Athena; you three will never see each other again."

The smile that had been ghosting Dean's lips was now long gone.

"Where's that smug smile, Dean? I want to see it." Henriksen says.

Dean shakes his head, "You got the wrong guys."

Henriksen nods his head. "Oh, yeah. I forgot. You fight monsters." he then clicks his tongue. "Sorry, Dean. Truth is, your daddy brainwashed you with all that devil talk and no doubt touched you in a bad place. That's all, that's reality."

The energy shifts in the room. "Why don't you shut your mouth?" Dean's tone was low.

"Well, guess what. Life sucks. Get a helmet." Henriksen bites. "'Cause everybody's got a sob story. But not everybody becomes a killer."

The sound of a helicopter can be heard from outside. Henriksen looks to the window and smiles. "And now I have two less to worry about."

He looks at his watch and smiles. "It's surf and turf time." he laughs and walks out of the room.

☆

An officer and Detective Henriksen enter the holding room. "What? Come back for round three?" Dean voices.

Henriksen ignores the two men and looks at the young girl alone in her cell.

"Get her out of there." Henriksen orders before walking away.

Sam and Dean immediately become alert as one of the agents unlock Athena's cell. They both rise to their feet, their chains clinking against the floor.

"Hey, where are you taking her?" Sam asks, his voice firm.

He doesn't receive an answer.

"Hey, asshole!" Dean booms.

The officer grabs Athena's wrist and pulls her onto her feet. "Get the fuck off!" her skin crawls. "D-Don't--No!" she didn't know why they were taking her. But everything in her mind suspected the worse. She had to assume the worse so wasn't caught off guard.

She looks at her brothers with wide eyes. "No, please!"

Sam and Dean could see the genuine fear on her face. They couldn't do anything to help her. "Athena, everything's gonna be all right." Sam tries to assure her the best he could.

Athena's breathing quickens when she's pulled out of the holding room.

"ATHENA-"

The door closes and their screams are cut off. Athena tugs her hand, trying to escape. "Let me go! Take me back to my brothers, please!"

"Relax, we're not gonna hurt you." Henriksen assures her.

She's lead into one of the interrogation rooms. She sits in the chair and Henriksen sits across from her.

Without a word, he sets a folder in front of her. But the 13 year-old doesn't look away from the agent. If anything, her gaze grew harder. Even with one eye, her gaze was spine chilling. Henriksen couldn't imagine what the girl has gone through. He pulls the folder open.

Athena keeps her eyes on the Detective before glancing at the pictures. Her body freezes and tears burn behind her eyes. Athena's stomach turns and something rises in her throat from the photos. The images she had pushed so far in her mind. The images she wanted to forget. But she never would.

They were pictures of Victor's body.

"You know what I'm gonna ask you, Athena."

Athens keeps her eyes on the picture, guilt spreading through her body. These pictures must've been taken after she escaped. They have been looking for her all this time?

"Was it Sam? Dean? Your father?"

Athena stays silent. "You don't have to protect them anymore. They can't threaten or hurt you."

Athena's throat tightens.

Henriksen notices Athena start to shake, like she wanted to speak. He just needed to keep pushing her. "His wife deserves to know the truth."

Athena snaps her eyes up to Victor. "Wife?"

Victor nods his head. "They were going to start a family together. She was on vacation and she found him."

Athena exhales a quiet breath. The voices in her grow so loud that her head starts hurting. The girl grows light-headed. How much did the wife know? Was she in on it? Athena slightly opens her mouth. Small incoherent mumbles leave her lips.

"There was a bed down there." Athena croaks. "Are there pictures of that?"

"A bed?--"

"A bed with chains." Athena nods her head. She looks at the pictures.

Henriksen pulls his brows together from the tears forming in Athena's eyes. "What are you saying--"

"Do I have to spell it out?" Athena snaps. "Please don't make me."

Henriksen looks back at the photos of Victor. He knows what she was saying, but does that mean that she killed Victor? She would've been 7 or 8 during that time. There's no way she could've killed this man without help.

"Did you check his garden?" Athena asks.

Henriksen looks at the girl again. "What was that?"

"Did you check under his garden?" Athena repeats, her voice was now shaking. She knew about his other victims. The other kids that had gone missing every 8 months. She never stopped looking at those pictures, thinking about the families. Thinking about how close she was to being one of those missing kids. One of the kids to be under that rose bush.

Henriksen pulls his brows together and shakes his head. "What?"

"You should." Athena nods, her eyes move back to the pictures of the bludgeoned Victor. She rolls her lips into her mouth.

Athena rubs her throat. "I need to...uh I need to use the bathroom—can I...?"

"Yes, of course." Henriksen stands up and guides Athena out of the interrogation room to the bathroom. Athena quickly locked the bathroom door and runs to the toilet. She falls to her knees and vomits. Athena clutches her stomach and continues to vomit while a mix of sobs leave her lips. She grasps at the toilet handle and flushes it. Athena pushes herself away from the toilet and scoots back until her back meets the wall.

A rack of silent sobs escapes her lips and she tangles her hands in her hair. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god..." she wipes at her mouth and Athena closes her eyes. She didn't want to feel guilty, but her empathetic side was stronger than that ruthless voice in her head. Seeing those images of Victor's unrecognizable face was going to give her more nightmares than she had before.

Athena thought this was behind her. But the entire time—since she escaped that bunker, they have been looking for her. Because of what she did. And now they're wanting to blame Sam and Dean for it.

"What a fucking mess..." Athena wipes her eyes with her leather jacket sleeve.

A scream echoes through the station, causing Athena to snap her eyes to the door. She instinctively pulls her knees toward her chest. Hurried footsteps and orders are heard outside the door. Athena pulls her brows together and her breathing quickens. Her mind races thinking about her brother's wellbeing's. She stands up from the floor and runs over to the door. Just from the chill rushing down her spine, she knew something was wrong.

Athena grips the door and pulls the door open slowly. She peaks her head out of the door and looks up and down the hall. Shouts can be heard in the holding room Sam and Dean were in, which causes her to run down the hall. Athena makes it into the room and her eyes widen. Dean was laying on the bed, grasping at his shoulder. And the agents all had their guns trained on the brothers.

"Dean?!"

Athena runs toward their cell, but one of the agents grabs her arm.

"Let go of her!" Sam snaps.

"If you lay another hand on my sister, I swear to god..." Dean trails off his words and groans from the pain of his shoulder.

The agent shoves Athena back into her cell. Athena straightens her jacket, "I fucking hate cops..."

"Look, we didn't shoot him." Sam says, his hands still up. "Check the body, there's no blood."

"We did not kill him." Sam promises.

Henriksen turns to one of his men. "Go ahead check him."

The agent checks the man's pulse. "Vic, there's no bullet wound."

"He's probably been dead for months." Dean says.

Athena wrinkles her nose, "Smells like it."

"What did you do to him?"

"We didn't do anything!"

"Talk or I shoot." Henriksen threatens.

Dean continues to clutch at his arm. "You won't believe us."

Henriksen keeps his gun in the boys, waiting for one of them to answer. Sam shifts, "He was possessed."

All the cops and agents exchange a look.

"Possessed? Right." Henriksen scoffs. "Fire up the chopper. We're taking these boys out of here now."

Sam and Dean both feel their bodies tense. "What about Athena?"

"Athena? I'm keeping her far away from you two." Henriksen points at them.

Each Winchester's expression drops. "She's obviously being manipulated by you." Henriksen states. "Forcing her to do your dirty work."

Sam and Dean look at each other. They then look at Athena, who always had the same dumbfounded look on her face.

"Did you get her to kill Victor?"

Once again, the Winchesters were all looking at him. Athena's heart begins to accelerate as Sam and Dean process his words.

"What?"

"Who the hell is Victor?"

Athena shakes her head and steps away from the bars of the cell. She presses her back against the wall. No, no, no. Her head began to spin. She couldn't believe that this was happening. She never wanted to hear that name come from either of her brother's mouths. Never again.

Athena keeps her teary eyes on the ground as she tries to remind herself to breathe. Her fingertips began to grow numb and she felt like she was trapped. She couldn't avoid the topic anymore. Sam and Dean knew Victor and now they were going to know she had a connection to him.

She would never get away from him.

"Athena?"

The girl lifts her head and meets her brother's wide eyes. They were both looking at her with all the worry in the world. But that worry quickly morphed into anger once they saw a stray tear slip from her good eye. Dean snaps his eyes over to Henriksen. "I will fucking—"

"What? Just give me another reason to lock you away." Henriksen sneers. Dean leans forward, his face centimeters from Henriksen. "You talk to her again and I will fucking kill you."

Dean had no idea who Victor was. But he knew that name brought Athena back into a very dark place in her mind. And that was enough for Dean to know that he didn't want that name spoken around her at all. Sam felt the same way. And he could see that Athena felt uncomfortable. He could tell from the way she looked around the cell as if she wanted to be anywhere else. Sam's chest then tightens thinking about whoever this Victor was.

"He's not opening the door."

"He won't open the door—Let me go!"

His eyes widen and his stomach turns.

"Victor, let me go, please..."

"I wanna go home."

Sam remembers. He remembers Athena mentioning a Victor when they were dealing with a Reaper for the first time. Sam brushed it off before because they were trying to get out of the cellar. But Sam wasn't brushing it off this time. Because Athena wasn't just rambling. Something happened to her. Something happened to his baby sister.

"Bill?" One of Henriksen's agents speaks into his walkie. There was only static in response. "Bill, are you there?"

More static.

The agent turns to Henriksen, and he motions his head to the door—telling him to go scope the scene. The agent walks out of the holding room leaving Henriksen and the police in the holding room with their guns still on Sam and Dean.

"Athena, you okay?" Dean asks.

Athena wipes her eyes, not caring about her eyeliner. "Yeah." She sniffles. "Fine." She sits back on the cot with her hands in her lap.

After a few minutes of radio silence, Henriksen's radio clicks.

"They're dead. They're all dead—" A scream is heard over the radio before it cuts off.

"What the hell was that?" Henriksen asks. "Reidy?"

"Reidy?! Reidy. What is going on?"

"Talk to me." Henriksen speaks again. "What. Is going on?!"

When they don't get an answer, everyone rushes out of the room—leaving the siblings by themselves.

Sam and Dean knew the situation was bad. But they honestly didn't care. Not when their little sister was alone in her cell with tears in her eyes and her heart heavy with whatever unresolved emotions she was experiencing.

The lights cut off. Sam and Dean stand up and Athens shifts her eyes to the ceiling. Her eyes shift to Sam and Dean. She tilts her head from the blood leaving Dean's shoulder. "Who shot you?"

Dean looks at his shoulder. "Oh. Demon."

Athena nods her head, "So, whoever cut out the lights...they were demons."

"Yeah." Dean clicks his tongue. "I'm gonna kill Bela."

"Not if I kill her first..." Athena speaks under her breath. She digs the toe of her boot into the crease of the divot cement floor.

"Let me see your shoulder." Sam grabs the toilet paper and walks back over to Dean.

Dean peels his jacket off with a groan. Sam presses the pad of tissue against Dean's shoulder and he groans again. "Don't be a wuss."

The door to the holding room pulls open again, catching Athena's attention. Henriksen walks in and stands in front it for brother's cell. "So, what's the plan? Kill everyone in the station, busy you three out?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean grunts out.

"I'm talking about your psycho friends." Henriksen says. "I'm talking about a bloodbath."

"Okay, I promise you, whoever's out there is not here to help us." Dean urges.

Sam then speaks, "Look, you got to believe us. Everyone here is in terrible danger."

"You think?"

"Why don't you let us out of here so we can save your asses?" Dean says.

"From what?"

Sam and Dean exchange a look. Henriksen could read the hesitance. "You gonna say 'Demons'? Don't you dare say 'Demons'."

Athena coughs into her fist, "Demons."

Henriksen turns to the girl and she lightly hits her chest. "Sorry, I've got a cold."

Sam and Dean both crack a smile.

Henriksen turns back to the boys and their smiles drop. "You should be a or more scared of me." He warns.

Henriksen walks out of the room once again. Sam sighs, "How's the shoulder?"

Dean lifts the toilet paper from his shoulder and looks at the blood. "It's awesome." He tosses the toilet paper to the side. "I'll live."

Dean then shrugs, "You know, if we get out of here alive."

"So, any of you got a plan?" Dean asks.

Athena's brain was still jumbled. She hardly even knew what the two were talking about. She kept her hands in her lap and remained silent.

Sam and Dean look at the girl and see the girl, Nancy, from earlier.

"Hey."

Nancy hides more behind the wall.

"Hey." Sam's voice was softer than before. "Um, please. Please. We need your help." He steps closer to the bars of the cell. "It's—it's Nancy. Nancy, right?"

"Nancy, my—my brother's been shot. He's bleeding really bad. You think maybe you could get us a towel?" Sam softly pleads. "Please? Just one clean towel?"

"Look. Look at us. We're not the bad guys, I swear."

Nancy then disappears behind the wall and Sam lets out a breath of defeat.

Dean clicks his tongue, "Nice try."

After a few seconds, Nancy comes back with a white towel. Sam's eyebrows raise, "Thank you."

Nancy walks over to the cell. Sam gives her a small smile, "Thank you."

A gentle smile of her own finds Nancy's lips and she holds the towel out to Sam. Suddenly, he latches his hands around Nancy's wrist and pulls her forward, her face slamming in to the bars. Athena snaps her eyes over to the screaming girl. "Sam?!"

A police officer rushes in with a shotgun. "Let her go! Let her go!"

Sam steps away from the cell with towel in hand, he raises his hands. Dean takes a step forward, "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

"You okay, Nance?" The nan looks at the frightened girl.

Nancy swallows and shakily nods her head. The officer looks back at Sam and Dean. "Try something again, get shot. And not in the arm."

"Okay."

The officer and Nancy step out of the room. Dean smacks Sam's arm and Athena looks back at Sam with wide eyes. "What the hell was that?"

"Are you fucking crazy?!"

Sam holds his hand up, revealing the rosemary. Athena and Dean look at each other, both impressed.

"Oh."

☆

Athena immediately stood up when the Sheriff opened her brother's cell.

"Uh, Sheriff?"

"It's time to go, boys."

Athena pulls her brows together. He steps into their cell and the brothers step back. "Uh, you know what? We're just comfy right here. But thank you."

"What do you think you're doing?" Henriksen walks into the room.

"We're not just gonna sit around here and wait to die. We're gonna make a run for it." The sheriff snaps.

"It's safer here." Henriksen says.

Athena could feel the pit in her stomach grow from the arguing. Something's wrong.

"There's a swat facility in boulder." The sheriff says.

Henriksen steps into the cell. "We're not going anywhere."

"The hell we're not—"

Henriksen raises his gun and shoots the sheriff in the face. Athena scream and she stumbles away from the bars of her cell. Sam and Dean run forward and grab Henriksen's hands, he thrashes against their grip; but they drag him to the toilet and dunk his head into the toilet water. Sam begins to voice the exorcism incantation.

The officer from before rushes into the room with his rifle. Dean raises the gun and and aims it at him. "Stay back!"

Henriksen lifts his head out the toilet, steam rises from his face and he screams. Sam dunks him again while continuing his incantation. Dean turns to his brother, "Sam, hurry up!"

Henriksen lifts his head from the toilet again ti speak. "It's too late. I already called them. They're already coming."

Sam shoved his head back in the toilet, finishing the incantation. Black rises from Henriksen's mouth and the smoke exits the station through the vent. Athena peels her hands off her ears and stares at the lifeless body of the FBI agent.

"Is he...is he dead?" Nancy softly asks.

Henriksen begins to cough and he sits up.

"Henriksen." Sam speaks. "Hey. Is that you in there?"

Henriksen struggled onto his feet and ends up sitting in the bed. He looks between the boys then his eyes shift to the 13 year old still in her own cell. His body shook as he tried to speak. As he tried to talk about what he had witnessed. What he was forced to do.

"I...I shot the Sheriff."

Dean looks at the Sheriff lifeless on the ground. A joke pops into his head. What a perfect time to crack a joke. It definitely wasn't, Dean wished someone had.

"But you didn't shoot the deputy."

Sam snaps his eyes over to Dean. Athena raises a hand and covers her eye. "Are you fucking kidding me..."

Dean's smile drops.

"Five minute ago, I was fine, and then..."

"Let me guess—some nasty black smoke jammed itself down your throat?" Dean finishes Henriksen's words.

"You were possessed." Sam states.

Henriksen looks between the brothers. "Possessed like...possessed."

"That's why it feels like." Sam states, his own skin crawling thinking about his possession. "Now you know."

Dean exhales, "I owe you the biggest "I told you so" ever." He holds the gun out to the man.

Henriksen grabs the gun and stands up. "Officer Amici. Keys."

Athena lets out a breath of relief. Henriksen unlocks the chains on Sam and Dean, allowing them to clatter to the floor. He then walks over to Athena's cell and pulls it open, taking off her handcuffs as well.

"All right," Henricksen speaks. "so how do we survive?"

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author's note.

We're so close to the end of the seasonnn

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