Sam Winchester Dean Winchester Mercy Thompson
A Supernatural Christmas in Kinnewick
Sam and Dean were driving through Kennewick, WA on a tip from Bobby about werewolf activity, and a possible vampire nest. They knew there was a concentration of Fae here. And since the Werewolves had recently come out as well, they were mostly there for the vampires. But if anything led them to find out the pack here was doing harm, they would take care of it. Dean had done pretty well on a few games of pool, the night before, so they were going to get to stay in a pretty comfortable motel. Not so dirty and roach infested as the last three.
They checked into the selected motel, dropped off their gear, and decided to check out the bar scene. Actually, Dean decided to check out the bars, dragging a whining Sam along. They slowed down as they passed a bar with mostly fae clientele going in and out, because they saw a few fangs go in. They decided not to stop, on the gut feeling that humans would not be welcomed.
"So that confirms Bobby's suspicion of vampires," Sam thought aloud. "But apparently, they're somewhat socially accepted here. At least, they're not exactly hiding."
"Ain't exactly appearing human, either, though." Dean had one arm slung over the back of the seat, the other hand on the wheel. "But I say, since they don't appear to be attacking any humans right now, and we can't exactly burst in there guns blazing…we party!" Sam rolled his eyes and stared out his window as Dean resumed scouting for a bar full of hotties.
Mercy had almost everyone on her list taken care of; floppy Scooby Doo houseshoes for Stefan, a Celtic Woman cd for Samuel, German comic books she'd ordered online for Zee, a movie, punk cd, and funky fleece mohawk hat for Jessie, a season of the L-word for Warren and Kyle, a cool leather cuff bracelet for Tony….just what to get Adam? However lame it may be, there are no cards labeled for werewolf mates of walkers…or werewolves, or walkers at all for that matter. Plus she thought cards were too cheap and impersonal. She wanted to get him something special, maybe romantic. But not too sexy or anything. Not that she didn't mind sexy romantic stuff regarding Adam, but it just wasn't something she did. She'd never really been in a really real serious relationship. She didn't know what the protocol was for first Christmas as…mates? She was debating on calling Warren and Kyle for advice. Or maybe Samuel. Just then her cell phone rang, and the screen showed a picture of Jessie with purple spiky hair and a silver bar through her out poked tongue. She pushed send with a grin and placed it against her ear.
"What's up, wild thing?" A laugh on the other end proved Adam's teen daughter was in high spirits, probably up to mischief, too.
"I want you to take me to Binky's tonight. The Punk Monkey's are playing, and I'll just DIE if I can't see them!" Jessie was laying it on thick, because she knew her dad wouldn't let her into a bar without a respectable adult chaperone. She should have known, Mercy would do anything for Jessie, especially if it would irritate Adam. For one halting moment it occurred to her that she was kind of Jessie's step-mother, but she breathed evenly and let it pass.
"Aww, do I have to," Mercy feigned. "I was really looking forward to alphabetizing my sock drawer tonight…Of course I'll take you, doofus! I need you to give me some pointers on a good Christmas gift for your dad, anyway. I'm completely stumped." They were both laughing by this time, and Mercy had made it out of the mall and out to her Vanagon with her key almost in the door. "OK," Jessie said. "I'm home now, are you heading over here? Or your trailer?" Funny she would ask, as if Mercy hadn't spent most nights at Adam's since they'd been mated. "Yeah, I'll be at the house in about 10 minutes."
"Cool," Jessie replied. "I'll help pick out something to wear. See ya, Merce." She hung up before Mercy could retort about her personal style. But then she looked down at her grease stained green tee shirt and rip riddled jeans, and had to agree, Jessie would be able to come up with something better.
She was just straightening from setting her bags in the back seat when she felt a hand on her shoulder. If her visitor hadn't been a vampire, she'd have had his arm pinned behind his back and his face shoved against her car, but that's not how it played out. She was lucky it was just Stefan. He simply lifted her up, rotated, and put her back down again. She sputtered flusteredly, then took a few deep breaths, and hit him on the chest. "Don't do that, dude!! You really know better than that!! Honestly, Stefan!! You're so stupid! I could've--" He cut her off. "Knocked me senseless? Overtaken me? Used your big strong coyote powers on poor little defenseless me?" He batted his long black eyelashes at her, and it would have been priceless, but he let his fangs show in a girly grin, which ruined it. He let his shoulders drop with a laugh, and tucked a piece of Mercy's hair behind her ear. That would've been fine, but he let his long white hand linger on her jawline a bit too long. Poor Stefan.
"I just wanted to let you know, a couple of Hunters are in town." The emphasis he put on the word hunters pricked her ears in wonder.
"Like…Van Helsing-type hunters? Or Elmer Fudd?" She put her head to one side.
He mimicked her head tilt and answered, "The more modern version of Van Helsing, but they actually dress more like Elmer- flannel, work boots, redneck type coats. No stupid earflap hats though. Actually, they're good looking young guys, they drive a hot muscle car."
"So, I need to warn Adam so he can warn the pack? I can do that. Have you told Marsilia?" Mercy was getting cold standing outside. She wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. Stefan nodded.
"As you may have expected, she callously stated that if they even try to attack any of us, they'll never be heard from again."
Mercy nodded, once, then remembering Jessie, she thanked Stefan and took her leave. She wished she'd started the Vanagon before they started talking, it would've been warm by now. As it was, her toes would end up just getting thawed as she pulled up to the mansion.
Dean was getting his drink on, and flirting with three collegiate-type girls of questionable morals. Sam was sitting in a corner alone, using the bar's wi-fi connection to search Kenniwick's newspaper files. He knew about the werewolf Alpha here from the gruesome video that struck the news for a while, a few months back. The incident had been explained, the young rape victim had killed her attacker shortly before her boyfriend, the Alpha and some of the pack had reached her place of captivity. The Alpha had partially changed form, and eaten some of the rapist's remains, all in front of a surveillance camera. Sam admitted to himself that, while taken to a primitive extreme, it wasn't a whole lot different from the reaction he would've had if someone had raped his poor Jess, may she rest in peace.
At any rate, he wasn't finding many cards stacked against the werewolf pack, but he did find a few missings and runaways listed over time. And they had seen a couple vampires. He had been hoping they'd turn out to be more like the nest he and Dean had let go, that only fed from cattle. The papers didn't report any cattle mutilations, though, not that Kenniwick was a farm town.
A band was beginning to set up, and Sam had found all he could to lead them in any direction, so he logged off, shut his laptop, and slid it into his leather bag. He looked up just in time to see an interesting pair of women enter the bar. Well, one of them was a woman, in her mid-twenties, with long, straight black hair partially braided, and a Native American complexion. Her build and facial features were not indicative of Native heritage, though, and he thought she might be half caucasian. She wore two tee shirts layered in opposing colors over ripped jeans, and her arms were intricately tattooed. Her companion, a teenage girl, was still more vibrantly dressed, her bright blue, pink, and green striped hair twisted and pinned at odd angles, and as she spoke to the woman, he saw the gleam of a tongue piercing. She was more peaches and cream in complexion. The pair took their seats at a small table close to the stage, the impending performance seeming to be their reason for being there, more than the exciting night life. Sam found he couldn't stop himself from watching them, the animated way they conversed with one another seemingly the reason. The woman, beautiful though she didn't know it, had a strength to her, a quiet prowess. He thought she would make a good Hunter.
When the band, whose name was something Bunky he thought, began to play, his targets stopped talking and began bouncing in their seats to the beat. Sam realized with a gasp that he'd stopped paying attention to his brother, and quickly surveyed the recently filled bar. There he was, in an opposite corner, canoodling with a blonde porn star wannabe. Typical. Dean got laid nearly every night, and Sam hadn't been with a woman since…Since Madison. Something tore at his chest and he got up and went outside for some fresh, quiet air.
After three songs by the Punk Monkeys, Mercy's head was pounding, and she left Jessie moshing at the front of the stage. She made her way through the throng of drunken revellers, past a handsome blonde guy and a Barbie wannabe just about having sex in a corner booth, and out the swinging door. She noticed a very tall guy leaning against the wall, probably with the same idea as she'd had. She nodded toward the door. "Too loud in there." He smiled gently, "Yeah. I saw…I saw you come in. Your friend must be having a better time than you." He seemed a bit nervous.
"Oh, yeah. She dragged me here. Needed a chaperone. I'm a pushover. I'm her, uh, step-mom." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Mercy."
"Sam," he replied, shaking her hand. "My brother dragged me here. He's the guy in the corner having unprotected sex." He'd mirrored her own thoughts, and she laughed. "You guys aren't from Kenniwick, are you?" For some reason that seemed obvious to Mercy.
"No, Kansas, originally. But our dad was, uh, in the military. We've moved around so much, we never really stopped." Sam scratched his nose.