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strangevisitor7Title: Ghost Town (6/8)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
strangevisitor7
Beta:lyl_devil and pen37
Rated: PG-13
Fandom: Supernatural & The Magnificent 7 (TV series)
Characters: Sam and Dean Winchester; The Seven: Chris Larabee, Buck Wilmington, Vin Tanner, Ezra Standish, Nathan Jackson, Josiah Sanchez, JD Dunne; OMC – Mathew Tanner
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators. Mathew Tanner is mine
Summary: Sam and Dean Winchester investigate the town of Four Corners and find that the ghosts of six men have been protecting/haunting the town for over a century.
Chapter Summary: While Dean plays poker, Sam investigates the old newspaper office hoping to find a a way to end the haunting.
Chapter List:
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8
A/N2: For those of you unfamiliar with the characters of the Magnificent Seven, brief profiles can be found here which should tell you all you need to know or just asklyl_devil who will use her mad powers of persuasion to turn you into a Mag7 fan as she did me.
JD, Josiah, Vin, Chris, Buck, Nathan & Ezra
banner byscrollgirl
Chapter 6
Sam shook his head as he watched Dean walk toward the Saloon. Not that he had a better plan, but making friends with the spirits didn’t seem the wisest move. It was certainly out of character for Dean. He turned on his flashlight and headed into the Clarion Newspaper offices to see if any of the old records had been left behind. He wasn’t sure what he expected to find after all these decades.
He actually had to pick the lock on the door to get in. Once inside, he felt like he’d stepped back in time. He’d already known that the town was unnaturally well preserved but this place was in pristine condition. As if the owner of the newspaper would be back tomorrow morning to work on the next edition.
He began opening cabinets and drawers looking for the old editions unaware that he was being observed through the windows by three of the ghosts.
*********************************
“You gonna tell Chris he’s going through Mary’s things.” JD asked the men standing next to him.
Josiah shook his head. “I think it best we don’t bother Chris.”
Nathan nodded his agreement. “He’s sure to find out soon enough. Don’t need to be hearing about it from us.”
“So what now?” JD wondered.
Pointing toward the saloon, Josiah smiled. “Now, we find out what the other Winchester is up too.”
*********************************
Sam had spent the last hour going through old newspapers and documents. Finally, he stumbled onto a file that he thought might be at least part of the solution to their problem. He figured since none of the ghosts had made an appearance and Dean hadn’t shown up to drag him away that the six must be occupied with his brother in the saloon.
He carefully folded the papers he’d found and tucked them into his jacket and began cleaning up the clutter that he had created. Sam placed the last of the papers back in their file drawers and turned to find himself face to face with Chris Larabee.
“What the hell do you think you doing?” Chris snarled.
Sam threw his hands up in surrender as he backed up against the file cabinets. “Just trying to help. Really.” Sam glanced beyond the ghost to see that his shotgun was too far out of reach to be of much help if Larabee turned violent.
“We don’t need your help.” His voice was low and menacing.
“Right because you were so successful in preventing the town’s destruction a few days ago?” Sam suppressed the urge to clap a hand over his mouth in a futile attempt to snatch the words back in. What was he thinking, antagonizing the angry ghost?
Chris’ eyes grew darker. “I suggest you collect your brother and leave before I do something both of us will regret.”
Unlike Dean, Sam knew when to beat a hasty retreat. “I’ll go but I need my things,” he said gesturing to his gun and flashlight on the table.
Chris stepped aside but remained coiled like a rattle snake ready to strike.
With a final nod of resignation, Sam collected his belongings and headed out the door to find his brother.
*********************************
Sam pushed open the saloon’s batwing doors and was brought up short by the sight of his brother laughing hysterically along with four of the five ghosts arrayed around the poker table.
JD was standing off to the side, hands on hips and a familiar look on his face. It was the look of a little brother being thoroughly embarrassed by an older sibling and Sam knew he’d worn that expression himself many times.
“That’s not funny, Buck,” JD fumed.
“Sorry kid,” Dean gasped out between barks of laughter, “but that was frickin’ hilarious.”
“It didn’t happen like that,” he insisted.
“Well, that’s the way I remember it,” Buck grinned as he looked to his companions for corroboration.
“Story gets funnier every time I hear it,” Josiah confirmed.
JD huffed with frustration and turned away from the laughing men to lock eyes with Sam, who couldn’t help but send the kid a sympathetic smile.
He returned the silent greeting and announced, “Sam’s here.”
Dean swiveled in his seat, “Hey Sammy, join us. I’m winning.”
“That is only because I am at a distinct disadvantage in my current state,” Ezra said.
“He means because he can’t cheat with your cards,” Nathan supplied.
“I never cheat.” Ezra’s claim set off another round of laughter among the men. “You wound me, my friends,” he said mockingly as he threw a hand to his heart.
“You may think that JD is awkward with women but Sam there,” Dean threw a thumb over his shoulder at his brother, “has him beat. There was this one time when Sam was eighteen - ”
“No time for stories Dean,” Sam snapped as he came to stand behind his brother. “We need to go.”
“What’s your rush?” Josiah asked. “Pull up a chair. We’d all like to hear this story.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” Sam said as he grabbed his brother’s arm and tried to pull him to his feet.
“Dude, what’s your problem?” Dean said as his yanked his arm away. “Fine, I won’t tell the story but I’m not leaving while we’re in the middle of a game. Right guys?”
Murmurs circled the table as each man confirmed their desire for Dean to stay.
“You can play with your friends later but Mr. Larabee has requested we leave and I think we should.”
“Don’t mind Chris. He’s not a scary as he likes to believe.” Buck assured them.
JD snorted. “So says you.”
Ezra studied Sam as he had Dean earlier. “I believe that young Mr. Winchester’s desire to leave has little to do with Chris. I suspect that he has found the answer to the question of our continued existence in this place.”
“Huh?” JD asked.
“He knows how to get rid of us.” Josiah translated as he turned his steel blue eyes on Sam.
The others looked expectantly him and Sam flinched as he watched the friendly mirth drain from their eyes.
“That true?” Dean asked as he stood to face his brother.
“Not here,” Sam hissed as he again indicated that they should go.
Dean hung his head, nodding as he huffed out his agreement. Turning back to the table, he plastered a grin on his face. “Seems my little brother is afraid of your fearless leader, so we’re gonna take off.”
The ghosts returned his fake smile but none of them called him on it. Collecting his things, Dean tipped an imaginary hat to the five and following his brother, pushed his way through the batwing doors to the outside.
“Buck, you don’t think...I mean they can’t really…” JD left the thought hanging.
“No idea, kid.” Buck shrugged as he watched the doors continue to swing. “Let’s hope it don’t come to that because I like Dean and I’d hate to have to hurt him.”
*********************************
Dean stepped outside and was immediately dragged into the shadows by Sam. The protest died on his lips as Sam silently shushed him and pointed down the street.
A car had pulled up to the yellow police tape and parked. Sam led Dean through the gloom as they moved to get a closer look.
A street lamp flared illuminating Chris Larabee, arms crossed, waiting in the middle of the street for the new arrival. The brothers ducked into the space between buildings.
“It’s Tanner,” Dean whispered as the man stepped into the circle of light.
In the stillness of the night, the Winchesters were able to hear the voices of Tanner and Larabee as they greeted each other.
The Winchesters exchanged a glance which indicated that they should have suspected that Tanner was involved somehow. Ultimately, they were unsurprised that Mathew spoke with the ghosts.
“Good news, Chris," Mathew said as he approached. “The injunction was granted and we have some time to represent our case. I think with the additional media exposure, we might have a good shot with the state government this time around.”
“That’s great, Matt, but we have a bigger problem,” Chris said as he squashed the younger man’s enthusiasm. “The Winchesters were here.”
“Winchesters? You mean our grave robbers?”
“Not grave robbers – ghost hunters. And they won’t rest until they’ve exorcised us from this place.”
Mathew nodded his understanding. “What can I do?”
“You still have the box of mementos Vin collected?” Chris asked.
Mathew stared at his friend. He was positive that this was the first time he’d ever heard Chris speak Vin’s name. Mathew had always wondered what his ancestor had been like; how Vin had fit into the group of seven but the others had refused to talk about him. Josiah had finally told him, in confidence, that he was a ‘dead ringer’ for their missing member. That was one of the reasons they liked having him around so much, but that he needed to stop asking about Vin. Mathew never brought him up again.
“Sure. It’s back at the house,” Mathew said finally finding his voice. The box of heirlooms was one of the Tanner family’s prized possessions. It contained objects of significance from each of the seven. “Why?”
If Matthew was expecting tales of his ancestor, that was not what Chris had in mind.
Sam watched the two huddle as the conversation dropped too low for them to hear without moving closer and exposing their eavesdropping. “We have to get that box, Dean,” Sam whispered. “I’m guessing those objects are what we’ve been looking for.”
Dean nodded and led the way back to the Impala. If they were lucky they might have time to break into Tanner’s house and get the objects before Mathew had a chance to hide them out of reach.
Unfortunately, as stealthy as the brothers tried to be, the minute the Impala was fired up, Mathew was alerted to their presence.
Bidding a quick farewell to Chris, he hopped into his car and paced the Winchester’s back to his house. The black car was just about to park at the curb as Mathew pushed the button to raise his garage. He watched as the Impala took off.
Mathew figured he had just moments before they formed a new game plan and came knocking at his door.
Author:
strangevisitor7Beta:
lyl_devil and pen37Rated: PG-13
Fandom: Supernatural & The Magnificent 7 (TV series)
Characters: Sam and Dean Winchester; The Seven: Chris Larabee, Buck Wilmington, Vin Tanner, Ezra Standish, Nathan Jackson, Josiah Sanchez, JD Dunne; OMC – Mathew Tanner
Disclaimer: The characters you know and love all belong to their respective creators. Mathew Tanner is mine
Summary: Sam and Dean Winchester investigate the town of Four Corners and find that the ghosts of six men have been protecting/haunting the town for over a century.
Chapter Summary: While Dean plays poker, Sam investigates the old newspaper office hoping to find a a way to end the haunting.
Chapter List:
Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8
A/N2: For those of you unfamiliar with the characters of the Magnificent Seven, brief profiles can be found here which should tell you all you need to know or just ask
lyl_devil who will use her mad powers of persuasion to turn you into a Mag7 fan as she did me. banner by
scrollgirlSam shook his head as he watched Dean walk toward the Saloon. Not that he had a better plan, but making friends with the spirits didn’t seem the wisest move. It was certainly out of character for Dean. He turned on his flashlight and headed into the Clarion Newspaper offices to see if any of the old records had been left behind. He wasn’t sure what he expected to find after all these decades.
He actually had to pick the lock on the door to get in. Once inside, he felt like he’d stepped back in time. He’d already known that the town was unnaturally well preserved but this place was in pristine condition. As if the owner of the newspaper would be back tomorrow morning to work on the next edition.
He began opening cabinets and drawers looking for the old editions unaware that he was being observed through the windows by three of the ghosts.
“You gonna tell Chris he’s going through Mary’s things.” JD asked the men standing next to him.
Josiah shook his head. “I think it best we don’t bother Chris.”
Nathan nodded his agreement. “He’s sure to find out soon enough. Don’t need to be hearing about it from us.”
“So what now?” JD wondered.
Pointing toward the saloon, Josiah smiled. “Now, we find out what the other Winchester is up too.”
Sam had spent the last hour going through old newspapers and documents. Finally, he stumbled onto a file that he thought might be at least part of the solution to their problem. He figured since none of the ghosts had made an appearance and Dean hadn’t shown up to drag him away that the six must be occupied with his brother in the saloon.
He carefully folded the papers he’d found and tucked them into his jacket and began cleaning up the clutter that he had created. Sam placed the last of the papers back in their file drawers and turned to find himself face to face with Chris Larabee.
“What the hell do you think you doing?” Chris snarled.
Sam threw his hands up in surrender as he backed up against the file cabinets. “Just trying to help. Really.” Sam glanced beyond the ghost to see that his shotgun was too far out of reach to be of much help if Larabee turned violent.
“We don’t need your help.” His voice was low and menacing.
“Right because you were so successful in preventing the town’s destruction a few days ago?” Sam suppressed the urge to clap a hand over his mouth in a futile attempt to snatch the words back in. What was he thinking, antagonizing the angry ghost?
Chris’ eyes grew darker. “I suggest you collect your brother and leave before I do something both of us will regret.”
Unlike Dean, Sam knew when to beat a hasty retreat. “I’ll go but I need my things,” he said gesturing to his gun and flashlight on the table.
Chris stepped aside but remained coiled like a rattle snake ready to strike.
With a final nod of resignation, Sam collected his belongings and headed out the door to find his brother.
Sam pushed open the saloon’s batwing doors and was brought up short by the sight of his brother laughing hysterically along with four of the five ghosts arrayed around the poker table.
JD was standing off to the side, hands on hips and a familiar look on his face. It was the look of a little brother being thoroughly embarrassed by an older sibling and Sam knew he’d worn that expression himself many times.
“That’s not funny, Buck,” JD fumed.
“Sorry kid,” Dean gasped out between barks of laughter, “but that was frickin’ hilarious.”
“It didn’t happen like that,” he insisted.
“Well, that’s the way I remember it,” Buck grinned as he looked to his companions for corroboration.
“Story gets funnier every time I hear it,” Josiah confirmed.
JD huffed with frustration and turned away from the laughing men to lock eyes with Sam, who couldn’t help but send the kid a sympathetic smile.
He returned the silent greeting and announced, “Sam’s here.”
Dean swiveled in his seat, “Hey Sammy, join us. I’m winning.”
“That is only because I am at a distinct disadvantage in my current state,” Ezra said.
“He means because he can’t cheat with your cards,” Nathan supplied.
“I never cheat.” Ezra’s claim set off another round of laughter among the men. “You wound me, my friends,” he said mockingly as he threw a hand to his heart.
“You may think that JD is awkward with women but Sam there,” Dean threw a thumb over his shoulder at his brother, “has him beat. There was this one time when Sam was eighteen - ”
“No time for stories Dean,” Sam snapped as he came to stand behind his brother. “We need to go.”
“What’s your rush?” Josiah asked. “Pull up a chair. We’d all like to hear this story.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” Sam said as he grabbed his brother’s arm and tried to pull him to his feet.
“Dude, what’s your problem?” Dean said as his yanked his arm away. “Fine, I won’t tell the story but I’m not leaving while we’re in the middle of a game. Right guys?”
Murmurs circled the table as each man confirmed their desire for Dean to stay.
“You can play with your friends later but Mr. Larabee has requested we leave and I think we should.”
“Don’t mind Chris. He’s not a scary as he likes to believe.” Buck assured them.
JD snorted. “So says you.”
Ezra studied Sam as he had Dean earlier. “I believe that young Mr. Winchester’s desire to leave has little to do with Chris. I suspect that he has found the answer to the question of our continued existence in this place.”
“Huh?” JD asked.
“He knows how to get rid of us.” Josiah translated as he turned his steel blue eyes on Sam.
The others looked expectantly him and Sam flinched as he watched the friendly mirth drain from their eyes.
“That true?” Dean asked as he stood to face his brother.
“Not here,” Sam hissed as he again indicated that they should go.
Dean hung his head, nodding as he huffed out his agreement. Turning back to the table, he plastered a grin on his face. “Seems my little brother is afraid of your fearless leader, so we’re gonna take off.”
The ghosts returned his fake smile but none of them called him on it. Collecting his things, Dean tipped an imaginary hat to the five and following his brother, pushed his way through the batwing doors to the outside.
“Buck, you don’t think...I mean they can’t really…” JD left the thought hanging.
“No idea, kid.” Buck shrugged as he watched the doors continue to swing. “Let’s hope it don’t come to that because I like Dean and I’d hate to have to hurt him.”
Dean stepped outside and was immediately dragged into the shadows by Sam. The protest died on his lips as Sam silently shushed him and pointed down the street.
A car had pulled up to the yellow police tape and parked. Sam led Dean through the gloom as they moved to get a closer look.
A street lamp flared illuminating Chris Larabee, arms crossed, waiting in the middle of the street for the new arrival. The brothers ducked into the space between buildings.
“It’s Tanner,” Dean whispered as the man stepped into the circle of light.
In the stillness of the night, the Winchesters were able to hear the voices of Tanner and Larabee as they greeted each other.
The Winchesters exchanged a glance which indicated that they should have suspected that Tanner was involved somehow. Ultimately, they were unsurprised that Mathew spoke with the ghosts.
“Good news, Chris," Mathew said as he approached. “The injunction was granted and we have some time to represent our case. I think with the additional media exposure, we might have a good shot with the state government this time around.”
“That’s great, Matt, but we have a bigger problem,” Chris said as he squashed the younger man’s enthusiasm. “The Winchesters were here.”
“Winchesters? You mean our grave robbers?”
“Not grave robbers – ghost hunters. And they won’t rest until they’ve exorcised us from this place.”
Mathew nodded his understanding. “What can I do?”
“You still have the box of mementos Vin collected?” Chris asked.
Mathew stared at his friend. He was positive that this was the first time he’d ever heard Chris speak Vin’s name. Mathew had always wondered what his ancestor had been like; how Vin had fit into the group of seven but the others had refused to talk about him. Josiah had finally told him, in confidence, that he was a ‘dead ringer’ for their missing member. That was one of the reasons they liked having him around so much, but that he needed to stop asking about Vin. Mathew never brought him up again.
“Sure. It’s back at the house,” Mathew said finally finding his voice. The box of heirlooms was one of the Tanner family’s prized possessions. It contained objects of significance from each of the seven. “Why?”
If Matthew was expecting tales of his ancestor, that was not what Chris had in mind.
Sam watched the two huddle as the conversation dropped too low for them to hear without moving closer and exposing their eavesdropping. “We have to get that box, Dean,” Sam whispered. “I’m guessing those objects are what we’ve been looking for.”
Dean nodded and led the way back to the Impala. If they were lucky they might have time to break into Tanner’s house and get the objects before Mathew had a chance to hide them out of reach.
Unfortunately, as stealthy as the brothers tried to be, the minute the Impala was fired up, Mathew was alerted to their presence.
Bidding a quick farewell to Chris, he hopped into his car and paced the Winchester’s back to his house. The black car was just about to park at the curb as Mathew pushed the button to raise his garage. He watched as the Impala took off.
Mathew figured he had just moments before they formed a new game plan and came knocking at his door.
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Date: 2008-06-04 08:20 pm (UTC)