PROLOGUE
Hell, things in my life had never been simple, or calm, and definitely never near damn quiet. Not since Griffith had run off, or disappeared, or was kidnapped, or whatever in the hell caused him to be ripped from my world and in the process shatter my family to bits. Well maybe that's a lie too, things were never picture perfect or calm, they just weren't broken I guess, once Griffith was gone it all went to hell. Dear old dad hit the bottle hard, mom picked up and left not a year later, off on a mission from God to find her baby boy, and hell I don't blame her, but me I was left here in the middle of Manhattan with my baby sister in tow just her and I, well and Dad, but he was a damn sad shell of what he use to be, really not much of a presence if you ask me. And every week, Sunday to be exact at six o'clock pm on the dot, the phone would ring and the sound of my mothers haggard hopeful voice would fill my ears, telling me she had a whiff of some lead, some clue, and that soon enough she would come on home with Griffith in tow. My heart every Sunday for the past seven years broke for her, my family, and myself, knowing that Griffith my twin, my other half, my best friend, was most likely dead and I was not even allowed to find closure by seeking him out with mom because I had other responsibilities, ones to my lifeless father and frightened teenage sister Meredith, just shy of seventeen.
All I really wanted was to bring mom home, cause God knows that Meredith needed her mother more than me, and I wanted to hit the road myself and find my twin, hell he was my mother's son, but he was my twin, this was more my fight than hers, but she refused to let me seek out the things that went bump in the night, the stuff of bedtime stories and legends, the things she believed to be behind Griffith's disappearance. And as much as I wanted to believe she was crazy, that there was nothing in the dark, but old wives tales and legends, I knew the truth, because the night Griffith disappeared I saw the truth in the eyes of who I believed to be my twins fiancé, Faith, hell Faith wasn't Faith though or maybe she never was Faith at all. She was some sort of twisted soul, my mom deemed her a demon, but I couldn't know for sure. The night of Griffith's disappearance she spoke of a prophesy of two twins who at the youthful yet jaded age of thirty would lead a revolution or rebellion to what god only knows, but the power I witnessed her display, it just wasn't human and Griffith and her gone without a trace also strangely unnerving. Maybe that's why my kindhearted father lost himself in the bottle because that night he lost not only his son, but his logic, and his understanding of the world as he thought he knew it.
Thank god Meredith wasn't there to witness the unexplainable events, yet I know that our family carries some mark, and even if we try to escape it or shield each other from it, it will hunt us down find us and take us for what it wants, so hell if its coming for me, why not make it easy on it and I'll come for it instead, turn the tables a bit, beat it at its own game, let the hunter become the hunted and give them the dark hell raging in me from the loss of my twin and something deeper more intrinsic, some dark mark someone brazened on me before birth, before life. All I know is as my twenty-seventh birthday nears, I know they will be back for me, I mean that's their damn stupid prophesy isn't, but hell I am not going down without a fight and just maybe I'll find them first.
Chapter 1- Phone Call From a Chevy
"Meredith, wake up, come on you are going to be late, it's already seven-thirty lets go!" I shook Meredith's shoulder hard and she groaned rolling to her side and glaring at me through sleep drugged eyes, her fire red curls sprawled out across the pillow drenched in drool, ugh, seriously not only did she snore, but she drooled too, she always had, for as long as I could remember, yet it still grossed me out.
"Seriously Mare, lets go, I don't have the time or energy for this, Jesus! Your breakfast is on the table just throw some clothes on and lets get out of here." I lectured sternly losing my patience with her by the second. Mare may be scared and scarred, but that was under a thick layer of a rebellious and surly seventeen year old with an obnoxious, cocky, punk rock boyfriend who drove a red Trans-Am and needed an ass whooping like no other.
"Whatever Caroline, Connor won't be here for another thirty minutes, you know that."
"Hell you are not driving to school with that delinquent, you'll be late for the near millionth time, I'm driving your sorry-arse now lets go, up and at 'em princess." I could tell by the heavy silence she was about to throw a fit, that she was about to go Dark Vader on my ass, but then saved by the glorious bell of technology, my phone rang, displaying a name, that was rare, and I only knew from the other side of the telephone, the Winchester brothers, how delightful, I seriously hope its that Seth, Sean, whatever his name is one because the other one is a pain in the ass, and a half, and sometimes I'd love to kick his cocky rump to kingdom come and back. I look at Meredith and she sees it in my eyes that the phone call is larger than her teenage angst, and for once climbs out of bed and takes my orders, as I answer the call from the brothers who always seem to have death at their heels.
"Yeah." I answered clipped.
"Caroline, hey how have you been?" It's the sean/seth one I can tell by his soft calm voice and his inquiry about my well-being. The other genius just would have laid into why he was actually calling no cordial formalities, which I have to say I kind of appreciate.
"No offense, I appreciate the concern an' all, but I'm not running a small talk hotline here, I've got other arrangements to handle, so if you could just cut to the chase, this'd be easier on us all." I heard a low rumble of laughter crackling in the background immediately recognizing it as the other dimwit; there was a mutter from him and a sigh from Seth or whatever, and then a clearing of a throat.
"Your mom asked us to call wanted us to check up on you, give you some news, she actually is out of the country and wanted us to warn you if you tried to reach her, she also had some orders for you." Out of the country, what in gods name, that's it, I'm going, I'm done with this, I'm finding Griffith or what happened to him myself. He was my twin, this was my prophecy shit, I'm done playing around. Forget these geniuses, I'm out. I did not even give them time to interpret my silence; I quickly hung up the phone and swung my eyes toward my baby sister.
"Mare" my voice shook a bit as I watched her normally hateful emerald eyes go wide and young, "I know we don't always see eye to eye, I know you need mom, that you want mom and not me, and look I'm going to try and give you just that. Hell, I want mom back here, and I want to find Griffith myself. I know you blame me for what happened to this family partially, and hell I blame myself too they should have took me too! I don't know why I was left behind, and I was the one who should have searched for Griffith not mom, mom should have raised you, not me, but look I'm going to make things right. I'm going to find Griffith myself, you don't have to like me, but you have to, for this family, take care of dad and yourself, keep safe and stay out of trouble and off the radar, while I'm gone. Can we just agree to disagree and fight on the same side for this one round, please Mare." I was pleading with her, to let me go and to follow my orders without me demanding it of her with my presence and incessant nagging. Her white v-neck hung off her shoulder and swam around her small frame as she slouched into a confused slump, but after a few moments she straightened and looked me square in the eye and she simply stated,
"Ok, go." And that was it, all the fuel I needed to take of running to pack everything I had, to rip through mom's research and go after Griffith myself, I switched off my cell phone, kissed my fathers forehead as he lay asleep in a drunk stupor on the couch, and finally walked out the door without a backward glance, making my own decision for the first time in years. I'd leave all the money in a back account Mare could access and well I was going to have to rough it with a few credit cards and debit account that did not have much in it, but I would rather all the years of being a big old attorney take care of Mare at this moment an not me, my boss would definitely be calling at some point, but that's what blocking numbers was for.
Elton John blared through my stereo as my white soccer mom SUV cruised down the highway out of the city and away from the skyscrapers and bright lights. Some part of me would always remain in Manhattan, maybe it was an etching of my being, a sliver of my essence who actually knows what, but some piece of me would forever live in that apartment in Chinatown where I had grown up and shared a life and memories with my family in. I sighed running my hand through my blondish brown waves glancing down at the black screen on my I-phone, debating whether to turn it back on. Seth and what's his face had probably already called me back a million times by now and were probably in a tizzy due to the fact that they were sent to voicemail every time. These two geniuses who my mother had met several times on her hunt for my brother, had a reputation of being among the greats in regards to the hunting the monsters under your bed business, but eh I cannot imagine there were too many people in that business, so not much competition, therefore I was not impressed. Hell, my mother sure was though, impressed enough that she made the numskulls call me every month to check up or whatever and to deliver news to me that she could not due to another hair brain scheme or some other ridiculously hatched plan like this one where she leaves the country on a wing and prayer without an ounce of warning.
I was headed to Chicago the last place my brother was seen by a security camera in a gas station just outside of the city. Yeah, I'm sure my mother had already thoroughly searched this place, but sometimes I felt she was just too emotional, too wrecked by loss and I well, I was more rational, more thorough, more able to throw my emotions into a box, and hide them away and just focus on the task at hand, so maybe I would find something she had not. Somehow like always as one of my hands gripped the steering wheel my other found its way into the pocket of my brown leather jacket and my fingers wrapped under a cool, soft metal…Griffith's dog tag, one of them at least. I gripped it tightly running my thumb over the cool metal again and again maybe just hoping to hold onto some part of him, or perhaps just searching for comfort, whatever purpose it served for me however was long forgotten, because now it was just habitual, a common act I barely even noticed or registered on anymore.
At about 4 am I knew I needed to stop, I could barely keep my eyelids cracked, my body was growing slack, and honestly I felt like I could eat about 4 double cheeseburgers and a side of fries. I was somewhere in Ohio, honestly don't ask me where, cause I couldn't be bothered to investigate that, instead I just pulled off the nearest exit directing me to a place to sleep and more importantly a place to stuff my face. The motel I pulled into may have been dilapidated, just a bit gross looking, and old as sin, but hey there was a twenty-four hour dinner next door and the promise of food and a hot shower outweighed the nasty and most likely unhygienic conditions. I ordered a black coffee like always a stack of chocolate chip pancakes, and a side of bacon, thank god I had a fast metabolism and was a decent height because otherwise I would definitely be a fat lard due to the shit that I put into my body. When I finally made my way into the vomit green hotel room, I quickly showered, washing away everything, not just the sticky sweat from the day past. I washed away my sister's fearful yet hateful eyes, along with Seth's mock and fake concern, my mother's poor decisions, the loss of Griffith, always the loss of Griffith, my forever mark, and the eyes of Tristan, young, quiet, serene Tristan, who I never wished to speak of, but never wanted to forget. And by the end of my ritual washing of my sins, of life's tragedies, of all that I had known, sleep found me fast and the musty smell of the sheets did not plague me not even for a second, well at least not until I cracked my eyes open the next morning.
Uh, I had been driving around the outskirts of Chicago for the past hour and a half still without locating the gas station. The map was sprawled out on the dash, coffee lay spilt on the floor of the passenger side, and I could be found cursing the map gods and desperately asking anyone I saw walking for directions, yet none of these lovely people were of any damn help and this map, this stupid map was freaking useless! Honestly at this point if some Genie found me and took some pity on me with a wish I would ask for Dora the explorer's map, that thing made everything so obvious and all places were never more than 5 steps away, but sadly bad luck followed me like an omen and any good luck of that kind would never stumble across the likes of me, well if we were talking about fictional genies that is, the real ones, kind of sucked.
Finally, another half an hour later I pulled into the gas station thanks to the directions from some old lady sitting on her porch who had watched me drive past her house about seven times. Through her fits of laughter at my dismal situation she took pity on me, and pointed me in the correct direction. There was truly nothing unique about this gas station, it was average sized about 6 pumps, and had a decent sized convenience store behind the pumps, which is where I would place my focus, but I knew it was important to observe and get a feel for my surroundings first and try to picture Griffith here and how he would have moved about the place. Questioning anybody this far after the event would be pretty useless so I knew this would be a self-reliant investigation and I had to be completely detail observant. Before I could even make it a few steps out of my car a strong calloused hand gripped my tiny wrist, I had an incredibly tiny bone structure making it very easy for anyone to grip and yank me to them, but hey I may have been small and easy to grab when unsuspecting, but once I knew what was happening I could be a tough one and a swift kick to the crotch of this wackado would take care of business real quick and that's just what I did, without even a glance upwards.
"What the hell?" a deep velvety voice rumbled in pain and anger.
"I could be asking you the same thing, bud. You do not just go around manhandling women you don't know, don't make me dig my heel into any other part of you!" I chided as I looked up for the first time and my hazel-gold eyes locked onto a pair of deep sea green ones which were wrinkled in pain, frustration, and hate, a look I was accustomed to.
"Hey, Hey everyone just calm down, there has been a misunderstanding, you are Caroline correct?" another, much softer and calmer voice butted in, a voice I recognized, wait just a god damn minute, this must be those geniuses, the Winchesters, but what the hell where they doing here, this could not be a coincidence…could it? I looked up at the brown-eyed boy with longer slightly unkempt yet thick wavy brown hair.
"I don't see how who I am, is any of your business, and no I've never heard of that person." My guard was still up, this probably was the geniuses, but if not, I could not risk revealing any information about myself.
"How about this then, I'm Sam Winchester, and this is my brother Dean, I apologize for his arrogance it's unfortunately a part of the package." I finally took a good look at both the boys, the one identified with the longer hair and brown eyes before, was much, much taller he had to be at least 6'3 and he was lankier then the other guy but still incredibly built with defined arms and broad shoulders, he flashed me a genuine grin that was a bit calming, and overall his worn flannel shirt and beat up jeans just added to his feel of being a nice normal guy, but the other brother, the Dean kid was a different story entirely. He had bad boy written all over him, from the long leather jack with the collar popped that he wore over a forest green button down along with dark wash jeans to his worn leather boots. His hair was thick and light brown, that looked more dirty blonde at times, that was cut short and somewhat spiked in the front. His hands were large and he was tall too but not quite as tall as the other boy. His smile was all charm and wit, but I could tell it was forced completely at the moment and a grimace would fit the rest of his expression much better. His eyes though, I have to say, for a pain in the ass were beautiful. They were framed by thick dark lashes and hooded by large heavy eyelids, if only they were on a better guy, how sad, what a waste of beautiful eyes, the jerks always get the unique physical attributes.
"Yeah sorry I do not and have never known anyone by your names". I went to spin on my heel and continue on my way, but was stopped by the forceful grip that still clung to me, "Yo, dude, seriously let go I've got things to attend to." He licked his lips and strung his mouth into a cocky grin as he pulled a worn folded photograph from his jean pocket opening it up and, practically shoving it in my face.
"So your saying this isn't you and your mother?" quipped his deep gravely voice, well there was no denying it now, there I was in the photo my arms around my mother tightly, it was before, before Griffith went missing, making it really quite old, but my hazel gold eyes were unmistakable along with the smooth slope of my nose, defined cheek bones, deep olive skin tone and heart shaped lips, shit, the only thing that was different was my hair which was its natural chestnut brown color in the photograph and a bit shorter, I cut it during my undergraduate years now it was practically down to my butt. I sighed as his grip finally loosened knowing he had won, for now at least, and I placed my hands on my hips.
"Look you boys may have business with my momma, but you do not with me, you see me, I'm here alive, and even in one piece! So, your little check up should be sufficient, and you can be on your way and I can be on my, now if you excuse me" I stated getting ready to walk off finally, but of course I was interrupted by mister bad to the bone.
"Lady, look you are not going anywhere, we are nowhere near finished here, and I hope to god a rookie like you isn't trying to begin a hunt, because then we will have a dead girl on our hands pretty soon, your mom will blame us, and then you become our business and our damn problem sweetheart." That little shit, how dare him call me a rookie, he doesn't even know the first thing about me, I was no damn rookie. I had been shooting guns since I was thirteen my father taught me long before my mother's hunting began and after that I learned to perfect it, I was always a good shot though. I also could outrun a god damn lot of things I had been a soccer player and a track runner, and I was damn fast if I'd like to give myself some props, and on top of that I had been studying the things that go bump in the night for seven years now, learning everything I could, getting my hands on every piece of research or information I could dig up, speaking to any hunter that rode into town and stopped by the local dive, which was more a hunters bar than anything, I was a waitress at on nights. And to round it all off, my brother, before his disappearance insisted on training me the way he was trained, in self defense and a myriad of other combat skills, something about protecting myself in a screwed up world, at the time I did it as a joke and did not take it too seriously, but I had picked up a lot and when my brother went missing I started training with one of his army buddies regularly to master the skills. So hell, I was no rookie, maybe I wasn't a seasoned field agent in this shit, but I sure as hell had the skills and nerves for this job, so screw him, wait till I give him a piece of my god damn mind, the moron. The goody two shoes must have sensed my anger and nearing outburst, because suddenly he softly put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a dopey soulful look, which I'm sure worked on a lot of idiots, but honestly I wasn't having it, but Mr. sensitive spoke before I could.
"Look Caroline, Dean means well he's just abrasive, very blunt, we just want to make sure you are safe and are able to handle things on your own, we do not doubt you are equipped, but when emotions are involved, which I'm assuming are present due to that I know you aren't just hunting, you are looking into your brothers disappearance, people can slip up, act irrationally, make a mistake, god knows we have." I glared at him, he was comparing me to my mother in his head, probably seen her do that a million times, yeah she was like that, but not me, that's why I was the one who should have been investigating Griffith's disappearance the whole time, not her.
"I know what you're thinking, because I know my mother better than the both of you, but I'm not her. I should have been looking for Griffith from the start she isn't suited for this, but me I am, you don't know me or anything about me so please don't act like you do. Trust me, I have the restraint of my emotions and rule of logic my mother does not and I do not need Bonnie and Clyde supervising my hunt." I bit out, my eyes burning into his, and my lips in a tight line. Dean threw his hands up and scowled.
"That's it Sam I'm not dealing with a tyrannical little sass, let her go, seesh, for a little thing, sure has a damn lot of freaking attitude!" Sam glared at him, as I fumed and glared back at Dean mostly.
"Look I apologize for Dean and promise that we truly did not mean to offend you, all we ask is you give us a call here and there and at least agree to see us in a few days tells us what you found, possibly brainstorm, we can help." He tried, smiling at me sadly, god no, these guys need to go.
"Look that's sweet and all Mr. chivalry, but I prefer to work alone, I will agree to give you a call when I see fit, if you agree to the condition of getting out of my face." Dean smirked and Sam who I had thought was Seth, just smiled sadly once more and nodded.
"Ok, we can't force you to do anything, but if you need us you have the number and well just be working a case a town over, we think its vengeful spirit, sounds pretty standard, should be quick." I nodded and handed Sam the photo back and turned on my heel calling over my shoulder.
"See you around, but hopefully not anytime soon kids". And the last of the Winchesters for now was the sound of Deans deep rumbly chuckle and Sam's amused sigh.
God damnit, this day had been a complete bust. First I got held up by Van Helsing and buffy the vampire slayer, then I spent hours combing the inside and outside of the gas station trying not to be to obvious, thankfully the owner was reading what I assumed to be a porno, lovely, and found nothing, and now to top it off my engine appeared to be dead. I had hid my car a few miles away from the gas station, to keep my cover, and I really did not think I would be able to push it all the way there alone, I needed a hand unfortunately for me. Seriously, the universe definitely was laughing at me right now. I really could not afford a tow truck, I needed someone who could fix my car for free, but that was some pretty wishful thinking, this was just unbelievable! Maybe I could just sleep in my car, regain my strength and try to push it to the gas station in the morning it was worth a shot, and honestly I was pretty exhausted, and it was close to midnight anyways. Carefully I climbed into the backseat, manually locked all the doors, and bawled up my sweatshirt, as a pillow and hoped sleep would find me fast.
I jumped up and banged my head on the roof, shit, where the hell was I, at the sound of a strange banging, oh shit that's right my engine, and I slept in the car, and what the hell, there was that Dean kid looking into the window and knocking relentlessly this cant be serious, honestly my life sucked. The sky was still dark and there weren't many stars so I was assuming it was early morning close to dawn, I pushed open the door not caring if I hit him with it, obnoxious moron.
"Woah watch it!" He exclaimed hopping backward and out of the way, as I swung the door the rest of the way open and ran my fingers through my sleep tangled hair.
"Watch it yourself, cant you see I was sleeping, do you mind!" I exclaimed back.
"In your car? How stupid are you?" He bantered back roughly.
"My engine died I was just resting up before pushing it to the gas station genius, I wasn't just sleeping here for the fun of it."
"You, by yourself were going to push it 2 miles to the gas station, a bigass SUV like this?"
"Yes, I don't see the confusion here."
"Seriously why didn't you call us that's just stupid."
"Why would I call you, I have it covered, I told you I work alone."
"You are impossible, a real genius, look Sam's already back at the hotel I was just getting some food, come back with me and well take care of your car in the morning."
"No way!" I exclaimed backing myself up into the car as some sort of protection from what, I don't know.
"Seriously, don't make me drag your ass out of here, I can fix your car in the morning alright, now lets go, Sam will kill me if I leave you here like this." He ran a hand threw his hair clearly frustrated, his eyes looked worn and tired.
"Dude I'm fine just go, ok." I replied.
"Alright I have no tolerance for this lets go." And without a second passing he had grabbed a hold of my waist dragged me kicking and screaming out my SUV, fished my keys out of my back pocket, locked up my car, and thrown me over his shoulder.
"Cut it out, put me down, I'm not a rag doll you chauvinist pig!" I cried beating his back with my fists.
"Easy there Fido, don't hurt yourself!" He quipped and then chuckled.
"You son of a bitch, put me down now!"
"Ok, then" He plopped me down into the backseat of his Impala and quickly locked the doors and jumped into the drivers side as I desperately tried to escape this bullshit, and of course revved the engine just as I got the door open.
"Look I'm getting you so I don't get a new one ripped out for me by Sam, but so help me god if you damage my baby, I will not be responsible for what happens to you as consequence, now close the damn door and sit tight!" He scolded annunciating his words with determination and anger.
"What the hell, no I'm getting out!"
"No you are not!" He yelled back turning around and pulling my door shut again while hitting the gas and peeling away from my car in seconds, shit, what an asshole I just can't win. I could still get out but that would risk rolling out of a car going about 60 miles per hour and having a least a few miles to walk back to my car, plus the bitch had jacked my keys, I was in tight spot, mind as well just wait till we got to the motel so I could wrestle my keys back and hitchhike home to my car, these freaking jerks kept screwing with my plans, and now I had a migraine joy, maybe if I just closed my eyes for a bit.
"Caroline, Caroline, hey come on wake up." Someone gently shook my shoulder and suddenly my eyes cracked open and my elbow shot instinctively into the intruder's gut.
"Oof, shit." The voice called and as I looked over my shoulder I saw Sam doubled over wincing and Dean mirrored him, yet he was doubled over in laughter not pain, a few steps behind Sam.
"Little Sammy, taken out by a chick once again." Dean called between laughs, oops, well serves him right for sneaking up on me like that, you can't just do that to a person.
"For small girl you pack a punch, can you try to save that for the nonhuman dudes though." Sam chuckled, still clutching his gut and wincing a bit.
"Look I apologize, but you shouldn't just be sneaking up on people like that." I shrugged, I mean he did startle me it was a reaction.
"I wasn't exactly sneaking up on you, but alright why don't we get you to a real bed, you look like you could use some restful sleep, you are falling asleep all over." He replied quickly walking towards Dean who still was laughing until Sam punched his arm hard.
"Woah man just because a girl whooped your ass, yet again, doesn't mean you take it out on me, ease up Sammy."
"Shut up Dean."
"Bitch."
"Jerk" How endearing…weirdos, the two laughed and headed towards their motel door.
"Come on fido lets go". Dean called, asshole.
"Shut up, I'm coming."
"Good, at least you're following commands now." He chided, oh that's it.
"Dean if I were you I'd sleep with one eye open you are really pushing it". I threatened my voice tight and my eyes narrowed.
"Will do princess, you are a scary one for sure." He quipped sarcastically chuckling as he held the door open for me and I rammed my body into his side, yet he didn't even flinch, crap.
"Nice try princess, but it'll take a lot more than that to knock 175 pounds of pure muscle over." He threw me a cocky lazy grin, and I could tell he was hitting on me now, oh great, ass-hat.
"More like a 175 pounds of pure stupid, now just stay out of my way."
"As you wish." He winked at me and wriggled his brows; I threw him a glare and stuck my finger down my throat and fake gagged for emphasis.
"Cut it out Dean, she is definitely not in the mood!" called Sam from the bathroom I supposed, as I curled up onto the armchair in the corner of the room figuring that would be my place to sleep as the room only held two twin beds. Honestly I was too tired to try and sneak my keys back and walk back to my car, so I would just catch some shuteye and slip out in the morning it would be easy.
"Why are you looking like you are ready to fall asleep on that armchair?" Sam inquired looking down at me in a pair of boxers and a v-neck. I have to say the kid was well cut and cute in a boyish way, but he wasn't my type.
"Uhm, I am planning to get some sleep, didn't you just insist I get some shut eye." What was he stupid or something?
"Not there you aren't, take my bed, I'll take the couch." Wait no, no, no I may have attitude, but my parents did raise me with manners and respect and this was their room that they were paying for it, they get the beds.
"No way, I'm fine here you guys get the beds, this is your room, I may be unlucky, but I am no mooch. This is just fine, throw me a sheet and I'll be set." I said easing up on them for the first time since we met.
"Woah, Fido being polite, is that even possible." Dean chided sarcastically, and I glared at him.
"Just because I don't want to be bothered, and enjoy my space, doesn't mean I'm an ill cultured free loader, ok."
"Well you have been pretty damn rude, princess". He quipped back.
"You guys were in my business ok, I'm private and I don't really feel the need for friendships and whatnot I'm doing a job, I don't need interferences".
"Guys, stop! That isn't the issue, Caroline take the bed, we were raised well too and a lady and a guest always is accommodated, now take my bed please." Sam cut in, mediating once again.
"Look Sam I'm too tired to argue over this, but I am not taking your bed, thanks for the unnecessary recuse, goodnight." I pulled a sheet from the desk next to me, curled into a ball, turned my back towards them, and shut my eyes tightly.
"She truly is stubborn as shit, her mom was not exaggerating." Dean muttered.
"I heard that!" I exclaimed he grunted, Sam chuckled and then I heard rustling and sounds of them climbing into their beds, and the light was shut. Clearly everyone was too tired for this fight and that included me and soon with the surprisingly comforting sounds of the two boys breathing I found sleep.
Sunlight was heating up my face and cluing my body into that it was time to get up, I threw my arm out expecting it to hit the arm of the sofa, but instead I felt something soft, a mattress, what the hell, then it dawned on me, freaking Sam, he better not have moved me. When I cracked my eyes open though I saw Sam fast asleep in the bed next to me and it was Dean spread eagle on the couch, with half his body about to tumble off, and for the first time I couldn't help, but smile at the guy, that sofa was too small for him and he just looked hilarious. All of sudden one of his green eyes cracked open and it went directly to me. He grunted and I watched him lazily get up. He was wearing a pair of sweats, which were loosely hanging on his hips and a dark grey t-shirt; he had some serious bedhead too. He shuffled towards me his eyes half open and then nudged me over the bed a bit with his hand.
"What the hell!" I whisper-screamed not wanting to wake Sam.
"I slept on that small uncomfortable couch for most of the night, now we are sharing, move over." He grunted his voice was more gravely than ever and ridden with sleep.
"What the hell no way! I'm moving. " I whispered nervously as I attempted to squirm away, but his arm caught me.
"No, Sam will have a fit if he sees you on the couch and me in the bed, now just stay right here, shut up, and go back to sleep, I'm not letting go until I'm sure you wont squirm away, I will not wake up to Sammy yelling at me." He grunted frustrated and tightened his arm around me as he lay on his stomach with his face half buried in the pillow, well this sucks. I sighed frustrated and crossed my arms over my chest and tried to close my eyes, well if I was stuck here I mind as well sleep stuck here, what an ass-wipe. I heard him chuckle sleepily and as I drifted back off I faintly remember the smell of pine and firewood.
The second time I awoke, it was to the sound of hushed voices and I couldn't help, but fake sleep and listen in. I needed to be one step ahead of these guys, to get out of here free of their company.
"We can't just let her go off on her own Dean." Sam appeared to nag.
"Seriously Sam, I'm not going to play babysitter. We have jobs to do, we don't need to be slowed down by some hotheaded inexperienced chick alright." Clearly, still an ass-hat.
"But the prophesy Dean, and her mom, this stuff is important to us too." My ears rose at the word prophesy, maybe they knew something I didn't.
"What about the prophesy Sam? We still only know what her mom relayed to us, and Cas is still out trying to scrounge up info on it and he's still heard nothing on the angel airwaves." Dean complained.
"Dean we cannot let her do this on her own, and I have this feeling Dean this weird feeling that, the prophesy is going to be trouble, this girl needs us, we are suppose to help people."
"You and your damn gut feelings Sam, stupid psychic shit, look I already put a GPS chip on her car, and she doesn't know about it, so we can always locate her, we don't need to watch her constantly." Hah, what a moron, now I knew about it and it would be the first thing to go, and even if I hadn't overheard him I would have inspected my car top to bottom expecting some shit like that, he called me the rookie, yeah ok, total amateur move on his part.
"Dean I'm serious, this prophesy, you saw the look on Cas's face something is up, and he knows more than he is telling, this prophesy is larger than her and her attitude ok. We can't just let her run off."
"Honestly Sam, I don't think we have much of a choice, that chick will go if she wants, I think she has made that clear." Well at least someone got the message.
"Yeah well, we just need to convince her to stay, and you hitting on her isn't helping so cut it the hell out! What were you doing in the bed this morning not ok Dean." Sam scolded, and I could feel my face turn hot and red even though nothing had happened and I had encouraged nothing.
"Dude that couch was way too small and super uncomfortable. If I'm going to hunt I need to get some restful sleep ok, plus chick was tossing and turning all night, nightmares I suppose, it was keeping me awake, she's freaking loud. So sometimes if another person is in the bed, it stops nightmares, it's a comfort thing, so once I was in there she stopped and we all finally got some good sleep, everyone wins." He relayed quite calmly and simply. Shit, I knew I was prone to nightmares, but I had them so often now, I forgot them most of the time…and I guess he was right in a way, I did feel better rested than I had in weeks.
"Well at least keep your distance then, you did not need to have her all snuggled into you like that, looked like you were enjoying it a bit to much, with your head buried in her hair and your arms latched around her, it was like little baby Dean." Sam teased, chuckling.
"Shut the hell up, I did that in my sleep it was an accident, I would have done it to any soft nice smelling girl alright, give it up."
"Sure Dean Sure. Anyhow, I'm telling you she is important and I don't' need you chasing her into hiding, she isn't interested in your moves alright." Sam teased again, great what the hell, I'm so glad I did not wake up to that, that would have been really awkward to say the least. And important, what did he mean by that, yeah there was a prophesy that involved me, but I just was a piece to a much larger puzzle, just a gear in a machine, I served some larger purpose that was all, I wasn't important or integral…was I?