MIKA
the sounds got louder and Mika continued to run. She was now terrified she was stuck in some kind of limbo with no way out. What had it been now? Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? She didn't know anymore. She felt weaker than when she first woke up in this dark place.
Then she finally saw it. A light in the distance. The first light she had seen and she knew she had to reach it. Forcing herself to keep running, she went to the light and the closer she got the more she realized it wasn't just a light. It was a..bird? âWhat the hell?â She gasped, continuing forward and when she got close enough, she dropped to her knees beside the injured bird, unable to remain standing any longer. The longer she was stuck in this void of darkness, the weaker she felt. âWhat are you doing here, beautiful thing?â She asked, not expecting a reply but she did get one, at least, in her head she got one. âDon't fret my child. Yes I'm dying but if your family can burn your body we'll be okayâ it said, looking Mika in the eyes. âWaitâŚare you aâŚâ she trailed off and as if the bird understood her, nodded it's head weakly. âWe are stuck in this void due to Dean's inability to let you go. I hear him talking to you in the waking world. We can't move on until he doesâ. Being able to somehow understand the bird unnerved Mika, but now that was down on a ground, or what she guessed was ground, she just wanted to close her eyes and sleep. There was a tiny bit of warmth from the bird that made her strangely safe, a warmth that she felt like she had always felt since her teenage years, but couldn't place why. "He'll bring me back... he'll find a way..." Mika said, before she felt a wing wrap over her. "You must stay awake" she heard be said, but it was too difficult.
NATALIA
When the others finally arrived home, Nat somehow found the ability to get off the floor and rush to the kitchen door, opening it and looking out whilst remaining firmly in the house. She had hoped what they got told was all a lie, that Mika would just walk over to her and hug her tightly. But that wasn't to be. She saw Mika's limp dead body in Dean's arms as the group got out of their cars and went different ways. She watched as Dean carried Mika to the outside basement door and went straight down with her. Tears welled up all over again as she watched how this was now their reality. She leaned against the doorframe watching as Duke went straight to the RV, his shirt and hands covered in Mika's blood, Sam just statue-like by Mika's car before he crumbled to the ground at Anna's return. This can't be happening, Nat always saw Mika as this formidable woman who was untouchable. She didn't think anything or anyone could kill her. She didn't know how to accept this situation. âThis isn't fairâŚâ she cried, hugging herself.
Day 1
Nat didn't move from the bed once she had been taken to the bedroom the night before. She spent the whole day just laying on her side, back to even Cason, hugging her pillow and crying. She went mute for the whole day, refusing to eat and drink whenever she was told to do so. She was aware of the daylight turning to nighttime through the window, but she never moved. She didn't see a point in doing anything if Mika wasn't there to pull them all together and tell them it would all be alright. Without the one person she respected more than anything in her life, what was the point in doing anything?
Day 2
She managed to be convinced to take a bath, but she was still devoid of much emotion for the most part. She felt like she was only going through the motions for other people, namely Cason, but if they weren't around then she wouldn't have done even the most basic of things. She began to think of how they could bring Mika back, if she could beg Cason to find a demon who would do it but then she realized Cason would never let her make such a deal. So she knew that option was out of the question. She wondered if she could convince Castiel to bring her back, having not known Dean had already tried that at the warehouse. Then she wondered if there was anything else, monster or witch who could help them, but every time her mind went blank.
At one point she found the courage to go downstairs and check on Dean, but the moment she heard Dean talking to Mika's body, begging her to just wake up, she couldn't take it anymore and left, going straight back to bed.
Day 3
As day three arrived, she began to be more responsive. She got out of bed, she finally ate something and drank more that wasn't solely alcohol. She even got out of the bedroom and sat on the couch, wrapped up in the throw blanket that Bobby always kept over the back of the couch, curling into Cason's side now she felt she could give him some kind of attention instead of shutting him out. She knew there was no other option now other than burning Mika's body and saying goodbye once and for all. Mika wasn't coming back and they had to all accept that, but convincing Dean of that was going to be a completely impossible task.
âWe gotta convince him to burn her bodyâŚâ she remarked, not realizing that Duke and Sam were also thinking the same thing. âHe can't keep her down there, she's a hunterâŚshe deserves better than thisâŚâ she managed to say without tearing up for the first time. Looking over her shoulder when she heard the RV door open and close, she looked out the window and saw Duke walking across to the house. He looked about as bad as she would expect him to, but she was worried about why he was walking over. âDukeâŚâ she sighed, part of her wanting to just hug him when he got in, but he had a determined look on his tired face and she had a feeling he was thinking the same thing as she was. She held her breath as she watched Duke walk over, before she scrambled back down and over to Cason, still wrapped up in a throw blanket bundle.
SAM
Back at Bobby's, Sam was still too numb to help Dean get Mika's body out of the car. He felt like an awful brother but he just couldn't focus. He opened the door and got out of the car, just standing there as Anna managed to help Dean and be mentally in the moment enough to help. Although he was seemingly to anyone else, watching Dean and Anna, he wasn't paying too much attention to the sight before him. He only really snapped out of it just enough when it finally sunk in where Dean wanted to take her body. âDeanâŚIâŚâ he didn't even know what to say and found himself cutting his sentences off before he could finish as he knew no words were going to be the right ones. He could barely look at Mika's limo body in his brother's arms, the blood all over her back, the hanging marks and bruises around her neck, it was just too much to take in. He looked down at the gravel trying so hard not to break down in front of his brother when he was minutely aware of Duke climbing out of the truck and heading straight to the RV.
As he stared at the ground, he saw Dean's legs just walk away from the car and towards the outside basement door, following Anna downstairs and inside. Now he was alone outside and he didn't know how to handle his emotions. If he had just got to the warehouse sooner, he could have stopped Mika from going in there and confronting Alastair. Tilting his head up at the night sky he finally broke, his body slumping against Mika's car as he finally broke down in tears, his body feeling too weak to stand. He only managed to stay standing long enough for Anna to get back to him before he just crumbled to the ground.
Day 1
He couldn't bring himself to step anywhere near the basement door inside the house. Sam remained on the couch for the majority of the time during the day, but by nightfall he walked out and spent time in Dean's impala. He couldn't even look at Mika's car as it just brought up the memories of seeing her body on the back seat and Dean whispering to her as if she was just asleep. He didn't sleep that night for fear of being haunted by how it all went down in the warehouse. He didn't even eat or drink, or think of ways to bring Mika back, even though he wanted nothing more than to turn the clocks back and save her.
Day 2
Still wasn't eating, but had got convinced to at least drink so he didn't get too much more dehydrated and pass out, but that caused him to turn to alcohol. He stayed close to Anna but he barely said a word and when words did get out of his mouth, they mostly consisted of how guilty he felt and that it was his fault. Sleep was on and off, due to waking up with a start after dreaming of Mika coming back spiritually and seeking revenge on them all. He knew it was absolute crap, and she wouldn't do that, but his mind was twisting his grief greatly. He remained glued to Anna for comfort and paranoia that she too would disappear from his life if he let go.
He only managed to step near the basement once, opening the door and listening intently to see if he could hear Dean, but he couldn't. He thought about going down there to convince Dean to burn her body, but he couldn't gather the courage to do so. When Dean did come upstairs, he tried to make contact, but each time he chickened out at the last second, just seeking with his eyes help from anyone who thought they could get through to Dean.
Day 3
By day three of grieving, he couldn't take it anymore. They had to burn her body, give her the proper hunters funeral Mika rightly deserved. They couldn't store her body in the panic room forever. Sitting on the impala and staring straight forward as Anna remained impossibly close, he blinked to refocus his eyes when she spoke up before nodding. âI'm far from okay still but I can't help but keep thinking Dean needs to give Mika the fu..funeral she deservesâ he sighed, swallowing down the lump in his throat that threatened to bubble up once again. âbut yeahâŚI can try eating,â he then added, finally looking at Anna, puffy eyed. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, finally feeling like he had a bit more control over his own body.
At the sound of the RV door opening and boots hitting the gravel, he glanced over and saw Duke heading straight to the house. He really hoped that Duke wasn't going to start something with Dean in the house when there were still two other people grieving inside. âWe better follow him inâŚâ he commented to Anna, then saw Esme appear outside but she didn't completely follow Duke inside. Forcing himself to get off the impala hood, he took Anna's hand, not wanting to go over to Esme on his own or into the house alone. He then picked her up and pulled her off the car and back onto the gravel ground before walking slowly over to Esme. âIs Duke going to do what I'm dreading him to do?â He asked her.