Rating: PG-13
Characters: Mainly DG, Sam and Dean with appearances by others.
Summary: She speaks them with clarity, with conviction as the wind swallows them whole and the sky breaks open.
Authors Note: This is totally sexyspork's fault! Thanks to jazmin22 for being my beta!
There's talk of strange creatures, things not in their father's journal somewhere in upstate Kansas that peak the boys interest. It's a small town, nothing in the way of a troublesome history that they can find but Dean leaves Sam in the hotel room with his computer anyway, hungry for a little booze and some easy cash.
There's only one bar in the town and when he pulls up there's a woman outside idling on a motorcycle and Dean stares a little at curve of her backside and the warn leather jacket loose around her shoulders before he heads in.
He's three whiskeys down when he sees the woman in the bar again, helmet tucked under her arm and a little dog in the other as the bartender greets her with a wave. He can't catch their conversation over the din of the bar but a bowl gets set on the counter and the little dog laps happily, tail wavering as they make small talk. The woman, more of a girl really, turns to survey the bar and Dean gets a glimpse of her face. She's not what he expected from the motorbike with her wide blue eyes and pale skin. She looks young, too young to drink but she takes a long pull of the beer and rests a hand on the dog's back with a practiced ease.
She's not really his type but she's the only woman under 30 who's caught his eye and so he slides into the seat beside her, a smile already on his face and pick up line primed. Sam would probably be pissed, they need the cash but it's been a little while and Dean can hustle the money later.
"No interested," she says, not bothering to turn towards him as she finishes off the beer.
"Wasn't offering," Dean says, recovering quickly from his surprise. The little dog beside her twitches his ears at the sound of his voice and fixes Dean with black beady eyes. He glares back at it, a little more annoyed then he wants to admit. "That dog really supposed to be here?" he asks.
She turns to face him then, faster than Dean expects, mouth open for a quick retort before the dog goes ridged beside her, little body quivering. It looks to the girl, head cocked and the way they stare at each other unnerves Dean a little. He's about to say something before she hops off the stool, the little dog under her arm again and a handful of coins bouncing on the bar.
Dean hears the sputter of her engine roar to life and crunch of gravel when his phone rings, Sam's panicked voice on the other end.
*
He loses time picking Sam up at the hotel but it isn't hard to follow the trail arcing across the sky.
"Dog," Sam utters, voice pained and breathy beside him in the Impala. His face is red with effort, forehead scrunched up under the pain of the vision. "And a girl, young…she's in trouble and Dean, hurry," Sam says and Dean guns it.
*
The field is swaying with the wind and the green of the stalks look black in the night as they wade through it towards the dark funneling light. They have shotguns loaded with rocksalt and a few clips of silver ready even though Sam doesn't seem to know what they're facing. Dean can hear Sam behind him, struggling through the field before they break into a pasture, sky opening above them.
Up ahead they can see where the funnel is coming from, it looks like a small tornado, black and angry but it's too small and dissipates quickly. Dean can see a lone figure now in the middle of the field; hear the sharp yap of a dog carried on the wind. When they get closer he's surprised to see the girl from the bar, head thrown back, hair streaming out behind her.
"We're here to help," Sam calls out to her over the wind but she doesn't turn around to face them. "I'm Sam and this is my brother Dean," he offers the girl as they ease their way closer, guns ready.
"I'm DG," the girls replies a little breathlessly in return, her palms spread open in front of her. Her face is white with effort, blue eyes wide and brilliant in color. Against the dark current of her hair she looks like a wraith but Dean can feel the heat from her body beside him and knows she's real.
In front of them the creatures are snarling, foamy with sweat as they strain against invisible bonds.
"What the hell are they?" Dean asks, hand against his face to fend off the wind and straw blowing past.
"My sister's pets," the girl says and Dean sees the spasm of emotion run across her face as she steps forward, in front of his shot gun. "That won't do any good," she warns.
"All the same," Dean starts, moving out from behind her, ready to fire. "I'll keep it out."
DG throws him a smile, a bitter twist of her mouth, before she turns her attention to the creatures in front of her. "I need to send them back." She yells over the wind. "Without interruption," she warns over her shoulder.
Sam looks concerned but Dean shrugs and levels the shot gun at one of the creatures.
He can see the girls eyes close with effort, tendons in her neck straining against her skin. When she speaks her voice is deep, it rings out in his mind.
"Walk back."
The words are simple but there is power behind them that flattens the air around them. "Walk to the world you belong. Return to you master," she commands and the creatures begin to whine, twisted howls that send a cold spasm of fear through Dean. When nothing more happens Dean steps forward and sees DG's eyes snap open. Her mouth opens too but there are no words, only the inhuman cry from the creatures as something draws them back into the earth, claws leaving deep gorges in the mud and grass.
Sam shudders beside him as they disappear into the earth.
Once they're gone the girl sags with effort, blinking back a wave of dizziness as the dog yaps around her heels. Sam catches her before she goes down, checks for her fluttering pulse. She comes to after a second, pink lips pursed as the world comes into focus for her again. She's shaking, face leached of any color and Dean thinks she might pass out again so it surprises him when she speaks, voice wry.
"Well, this is embarrassing."
*
"I can't go back. I don't know how to call up a travel storm," the girl is saying to Sam who nods his head like he understands a god damn thing she's saying. Dean's still having a little trouble with her ease around magic, without use of a book or even words. She's looking stronger in the yellowed motel lights, there's more color in her cheeks and some strength to her voice.
"I have to get back, there are people….there is someone who-," she starts but stops herself, eyes becoming unfocused. "I have to get back," she finishes and Dean watches the way her fingers twitch around the dog's slim neck. "It's a little complicated," DG starts, clearly unwilling to expand. "You wouldn't really understand."
"Try me," Dean says.
"My sister," she starts and Dean can feel Sam's eyes on him now. "She's in trouble and I have to save her, save my family. It's my fault," she says and Dean can read the bright flash of guilt riding between her words. "I shouldn't have left her," she adds softly, eyes closed with shame and regret. Dean looks away, muscle in his jaw twitching as his brother rests a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I think we might know a way to help," Dean admits, hand fisting at his side. "We know a guy."
*
"The O.Z.," Bobby says, eyes a little surprised but not entirely disbelieving. "I'd heard of something similar to that a while back, business about a demon ritual gone wrong with whole towns of people up disappearing during the war. Never could find any hard evidence of it though. Always thought it was just demon talk."
"It's real," DG promises, eyes wide with some strange, compelling earnestness.
"Alright, give me a few days to see what I can dig up," he says. "No promises though," he adds but DG grins at him anyway, gives him a hug and quick little kiss against his cheek, leaving Dean to swallow a laugh at the embarrassed look that falls across Bobby's face.
*
The book Bobby pulls from his desk is old; warn leather with carefully carved hieroglyphs across the spine. "There's some talk in here about a storms and travelling and a sort of language I can't make out. I don't know if this is what you're lookin' for, thought you might be interested."
"Thank you," DG says, turning it carefully between her hands. The first page is blank and roughly hewn but when she touches the paper she feels something brush against her mind, a welcoming breath of air curling inside her. Tudor falls still at her heels and the faded symbol on her hand feels hot against the book as words appear on the page, rearranging themselves into a strange sort of order that is barely familiar.
"I know this," DG breathes, voice light with a hope she hasn't felt for months. "I remember this."
*
They go back to the field where they first met. Where Cain's travel storm dropped her and Tudor months ago.
The night air is cold and the moon spills light across the field, illuminating the book DG holds to her chest. The words she needs are soft in her mouth, warmed with old memories and new hope. She speaks them with clarity, with conviction as the wind swallows them whole and the sky breaks open. Behind her she can feel Dean and Sam, uncertainty and conviction warring as they follow her into the churning darkness, the world they know slipping away.
*
They camp out in the woods where the travel storm drops them. DG thinks they're close to Central City, but she can't be sure. She stares at the two older boys across from her, the harsh shadows that fall across their faces in the firelight. She wants to say 'thank you', for their help and their willingness to come with her but she doesn't know the words that Dean will accept.
She is left with the gentle warmth of Sam's back under the palm of her hand and their shared smile.
*
It's dusk and DG's weary with exhaustion, Sam's half asleep beside her when the rustle of movement from the foliage behind them makes him stiffen. Dean's up in an instant, rifle in one hand and gun in the other.
DG turns, fearful but determined, a spell already on her tongue. It falls away when she hears the voice that comes from the shadows, deep and drawling with a familiarity that warms her.
"I leave you alone for a few weeks on The Other Side so I can get this settled up and you come back, against my orders, with these….boys?" Cain asks, emerging from the forest. He looks intimidating, the brim of his hat pulled low but DG launches herself against him, nearly bowls him over with joy and relief. This time she doesn't even care about the embarrassment that stains her cheeks red. She kisses him, full on the mouth, with desperation and thankfulness.
She pulls away, hot and thrilled when Glitch coughs, shifts beside them. She hugs him in turn, and Raw too, before she makes introductions and Cain glares menacingly at these boy she's brought back. Dean stares back, unflinching but Sam rubs his neck, cheeks pink with the cold.
"If you're both done staring," Glitch starts."We do have things to do."
"Like an evil old crone to pull out of your sister and a kingdom to save," Cain says.
"An exorcism?" Sam asks.
"In a fashion," Cain answers.
"We're pretty good with those," Dean offers.