Old Sad Love Song reading
Chapter 8: VIII. Road to Hell (Reprise)
I love so much that Dean failed, and I'm SO looking forward to this aaaa
"What's going on?" Claire echoes in disbelief. "What's going on is that if Dean makes thatâthat stupid Orpheus deal, or whatever? He's gonna look back, Sam, you know he is!" Her eyes are wide and desperate, pleading with him to listen. "I mean, for fuck's sake, this is Dean we're talking about. Looking back is practically all he ever does!"
GOD. YES. That's all he ever does. He feels like a paralyzed witness half the time.
Claire's already shaking her head, jaw set. "No. No, it has to be me, okay? The lyre chose me. Just let meâ"
Oh, man. I KNEW it was gonna be a Duet Situation!!!!! I'm sooo glad. Man, this is TIGHT.
Then there's a strange sucking sound from behind them, and Sam turns just in time to see the portal finish closing, leaving the regular brick wall of the dungeon behind, as if there'd never been an opening there to begin with. He glances down to find Eileen looking at it, too, wide-eyed.
"Shit," he mutters. "Jody and Kaia are going to kill me."
Oh, boy. Always, the closing RIFTS with these guys.
"But because I'm feeling generous, I'll give you two choices. I can either sing you a lullaby before I do that, to help you get to sleep, or I can sit right here and play Wonderwall like a white boy at a frat party till my goddamn fingers fall off, and trust me, I'm not very good."
She doesn't think she imagines the Empty's face paling. "You wouldn't."
Oh Empty, my buddy, my pal. If you thought CAS was annoying... BEHOLD THE CLAIRE.
The Empty tenses at first, but as Claire sings, remarkably, its eyelids begin to droop, almost imperceptibly at first, then more. By the chorus, it starts to sway a little in place. Around them, the darkness almost seems toâŠrelax. That's the only word for it.
Love the clever use of this song choice in this fic so much! The Greatest American Hero always gets to me. And I love how you threaded it from Jimmy to Cas to Claire. Niiice.
But she doesn't have to. There are no corners here, and yet it's as if she's come around one, because suddenly Cas and Dean are at her feet, fast asleep, curled up facing each other with their hands outstretched between them, fingertips just shy of brushing. The lyre is still strapped to Dean's back, playing itself softly. Neither of them seems to hear.
A lump forms in Claire's throat, looking down at them.
Idiots. They were so fucking close.
That's such a PAINFUL image.
Cas's gaze sharpens at the mention of the song, and he looks like he wants to say something, but Dean cuts in first. "Play the other one," he says, "that one you played for me. I think it'll work."
Claire nods, because that feels better, actually, anyway. Feels more like the family she has now, in a way, instead of the one she lost.
OH NO IT REPRESENTS THE ONE SHE LOST. I'll be over here dying in my puddle, ok.
But Kaia makes her feel brave. Has since the day they met. Not fake, stupid flash-in-the-pan bravery, but something real, warm and steady and as terrifying as it is important.
Kaia makes her want to try. And that's scary as fuck, but Claire kills monsters. She eats scary for breakfast.
A light blinks on in the distance. Claire fixes her eyes on it as she finishes the song, shoving the lyre over her shoulder. Its weight is warm and comforting on her back. Not quite as good as a shotgun, but it's close enough.
"Stay behind me," she calls to Dean and Cas, not checking to see if they heard, and starts walking.
This is REAL nice, because like. When you think about it, Claire had such HEAVY losses. But she lost both her parents so young, and so she learned to look forward. It's a VERY painful skill set of hers. So long as she has Kaia, anyway. WIthout Kaia, she backslid in such a specific way. here here, she's able to stride forward.
Old Sad Love Song big fiinale chapter 8 by @bluegreenblues
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