This fic starts out in the second season, with some brief mentions and flashbacks of the first season (just so you know). There will be adventures, ittle bit o' romance (nothing overly smutty, I promise!) and bad language. I'll mostly try to keep to longer chapters, telling of the Winchesters' adventures with the newest member of their clan. Plots will be mostly my own creations with some canon plot added in there to keep things flowing. I may throw in a few shorter chapters in there, borderline drabbles almost, but bear with me. They're for plot purposes! First fic in a long while, don't hate too much! Reviews and criticism are always welcome..no really, dooooo iiiit. And of course...
Disclaimer: Dean, Sam, the Winchesters, or antyhing Supernatural related are unfortunately not mine. No, I was not that lucky. However, if you'd like to send me Jensen or Jared for my brithday, I'd love you forever3 Ehm..anyway..Only things I own are Audrey and bits and pieces of the plots. Yadda yadda yadda, insert generic intro here, enjoy!
They had stopped by Ellen and Jo's because Audrey had caught a nasty bug and they were somewhat nearby. Her temperature had skyrocketed, but she felt as if someone had buried her in the snow. The illness and shivering made her feel suffocated, her chest tight and shoulders in pain from hunching into her body. She had kept protesting to the boys that she was fine, they didn't need to stop. Her protesting was to no prevail, they were as stubborn as could be and weren't going to give up. They had had the last straw when she almost fell over, the dull roar of heat in the back of her eyes causing her vision to turn black momentarily. She had clung to Sam to steady herself, her vision still blurry. He had lifted her up with ease, protective arms carrying her to the impala and placing her gently in her usual spot in the backseat. She didn't even have the strength to protest as Dean had drove away, eyes laced with anxiety and worry.
Ellen had done her best to take care of her, fussing over her like any mother would. She was grateful for it, especially now with her mother gone. It was the first time she had been so sick in a long time. Opting to stay home with her lonely single mother while she went to college, she always had someone to take care of her. When her mother went up in flames, suspended from the ceiling, she was devastated and ultimately pissed. Dean and Sam had picked her off the ground, literally, and nursed her back to life in her broken state. It took over a week to get her out of her haze, the crushing depression and sorrow that left her in hysterics and distant. Her appreciation to them was beyond words. If they hadn't saved her she would be dead, still lying on the ground covered in blood and ash as she waited for the fire to consume her. When she finally snapped out of this mindset, she came back with a fiery vengeance. She wanted this demon dead, and she wasn't going to let them leave without her.
This being how she ended up on the road with the Winchesters, her personality gradually returning and driving them mad yet entertaining them on a daily basis. She was feisty, witty, outgoing, sarcastic, and energetic. She kept Dean on his toes, always up for a bit of wordplay (which she won of course) or a night out. Sam and Audrey made a good team; they were always able to keep up intelligent conversation and generally enjoyed each other's company…except when she was being stubborn of course. Audrey had gotten close to the both of them through her experience and the experiences they shared saving each others' asses all the time. They had also taken to being very protective of her, which is why they had been so adamant in their decision to bring them to the Harvelle's.
She had gotten the tiniest bit better, some of her strength returning, when Ellen had given the job to the boys. A band of vampires, what should have been a simple execution… at least, as simple as killing vampires could be. Audrey had overheard Ellen telling them about it, and rushed silently to the car the best she could before her Winchesters noticed and forced her back to bed. When they got in the car, they didn't look the least bit surprised. They knew she would try something sooner or later; she was just as stubborn as they were and sometimes even worse, something they had never thought possible. Sam had put up a fight, being the responsible bitch as always, and Dean had just been rude and cursed a lot.
"It's her own damn decision, let her die then!" He spat at his brother as he drove off hastily in a rush of loud Metallica music, not even waiting for anyone to buckle up. Audrey's eyes had darkened the slightest, an emotion that neither Winchester had caught in their foul moods. Dean was always being so distant and rude lately, especially after John had passed away. She had mourned with them; she respected John entirely and admired his work. John had been rude to her at first, not pleased at all that she was trying to join in their chase of the yellow-eyed demon. She was stubborn and never backed down from him, earning a respect from him that she never expected. He had taught her a lot, along with the boys, and had in a way become a role model despite his awful attitude and decisions.
Audrey knew she could never fully understand how the Winchesters felt, even though she too had lost a parent. Their pain was different, laced with hidden inner demons and so many past family problems. She had given them space, tinkering by herself with her iPod at Bobby's as Sam and Dean did their own things. Her shoulder was always open, and she was always there for them. She had made that very clear from the start, and eventually they had all gradually gravitated back towards each other as new hunts began. Sam broke the tension first, coming to her for help with research and mythology questions. Once she became a part of the Winchesters "clan", she had read up on all things mythological and hunt-related. Along with the boys help and John's diary, she had become pretty well equipped with knowledge on various subjects and was gradually becoming a pretty badass hunter. Dean, however, continued to stay cold to her, only talking to her if necessary or brief greetings mixed with a thousand different tones of awkward. He became cold, their moments of wordplay becoming harsh and lacking that air of amusement and comic relief they once held.
Somehow, during this seemingly simple vampire-slaying, she had caught the eye of an extremely deranged vampire, Izekial. He liked the chase, the challenge she gave him by fighting back. It was the first time he had ever seen such a "fair maiden" fight back with such ferocity and courage. Izekial was even more impressed to find that his playmate was plagued with a sickness, and had taken a liking to watching her try and fend off his family in her state of wellbeing. He was hooked on her, and she had only pissed him off and made him more interested by helping to kill two of his family members. He wanted her for himself as a prize or trophy of some sort. It was a sick game he wanted to play that Dean and Sam would not allow. He was a very talented vampire, one that had been playing these sick mind games for centuries, and it became harder and harder to locate him. In the end, they had no choice but to use a still very sick Audrey as bait.
Dean thought the plan was brilliant (it was his plan, after all). One man would stay hidden outside, watching the Impala from a distance in the dark of the night. The other would stay with Audrey in the car, as to not draw too much attention to the hidden man, and keep her safe just in case anything went wrong. They knew this plan would take, for Izekial had already tried to snatch her out of the car when she and Sam had fallen asleep waiting for Dean to leave the bar. Unfortunately, they did not know how long it would take for Izekial or his cronies to come out of hiding; they liked to randomly check up every now and then to assure that the group had stuck around. Izekial would not appreciate if his playmate went missing, and he was always trying to catch them off guard. They would have to takes turns staying with Audrey so that they could each catch some rest.
Audrey sat in the back of the impala, curled up into herself, as her favorite boys began arguing yet again. They were outside the car, whispering in angry tones. She couldn't hear them, the wind rustling overhead making it so she couldn't make out the words that the hushed tones were making. They were arguing about her, she could sense it. Not because she had badass psychic abilities (she was still having a tough time controlling them), but because she just knew from their shadows' body language and the way they had been acting previously. She felt awful, both because she was sick and because they were arguing over their current situation. She wished they would just leave her there as bait and let her be. It was like they were parents trying not to fight in front of their children, and she was not impressed.
Sam was still trying to convince Dean that this was a terrible idea. She strained her ears and wriggled closer to the door, trying to hear. Their hushed voices rushed out, exasperation and anger seeping out of their words.
"She's in no position to be fighting; she's gotten worse from being out hunting!"
"She's fine dammit! Quit your worrying. She's the one that opted to do this. It's not like it'd bother us any if she disappeared."
That one stung her, even if it was mixed in with the slightest amount of Dean's usual jaunty humor.
"That's not true and you know it. Dean, we almost didn't make it to her in time the last time this guy showed up. One wrong move and she's gone." Sam's voice had taken on a serious tone, despite his brother's attempt at turning it into his normal douchebag humor.
"She's a spunky little thing, she can handle it!"
"Yeah, just like you could handle him when he attacked her last time?" Izekial had sent Dean flying, Sam had just barely made it to her in time to stop him from taking her from them.
"What other choice do we have, Sammy? We can't track the damn things!"
Audrey had simply had enough of their bickering. She was hurt by Dean's comment and was indeed getting worse, her body felt glacial and her eyes drooped with exhaustion. She lifted an arm up and banged it against the window; the bickering stopped instantly. "Sam, get your ass in here dammit!" They could tell just from her voice that she was peeved. They had grown accustomed to her sailor's mouth and all the different tones to her voice. This specific tone was stern and teacher-like with exhaustion seeping through.
"Bitch."
"Jerk."
Sam turned and flung the door open in exasperation, his anger towards his retreating brother subsided as he looked down at the girl's pitiful form. Dark chocolate tresses splayed across the seat, cascading off of the edge in a waterfall of straight strands. Green eyes gazed up at him, her exhaustion melting through the sea-foam tinted pools. He wrapped strong arms around her, lifting her small form out of the car gently. She wasn't extremely short, slightly taller than average and just a few inches away from Dean. However, when standing next to Sam she looked like a child. He towered over her, brunette head barely reaching a small ways above his shoulder. Her thin build seemed even smaller to him in her sickly state, her hunched shoulders and baggy eyes made her look frail and skeletal.
He climbed into the back seat and leaned his back and neck against some pillows Jo had sent with them, knowing that Audrey would find a way to escape Ellen's protective bubble. He situated his legs so that they hung off, snaking into the corner of the car. It was an awkward position, but not entirely uncomfortable and seemingly the only possible solution. Audrey joined him, climbing slowly into the car as closing the door behind her.
She settled on top of him, placing her arms around his broad chest and settling them in the crevice between his back and the other door. Sinking to the side slightly, she curled up her legs, feet resting on his leg and knees jutting out to brush the area between the front seats. The awkwardness of getting into this position was replaced by a calming silence. This was comfortable to them, neither of them found any weirdness in this particular situation. They enjoyed each other's presence and were both used to situations like that. The three of them were always falling asleep on each other, always exhausted from hunting. One time, Sam had found Dean and Audrey cuddling as they slept on the floor in the corner of a library that he had wanted to check out for research purposes. No one ever brought up such situations; they were comforting at that moment and meant nothing but that they had all become so close that things of that manner could happen without them thinking twice.
Sam felt no discomfort as the petite girl slept on him. She could have very well weighed two pounds, for she was as light as a feather to him. He wrapped his arms around her, encasing her shivering body in warmth. He felt a pang of sympathy in his chest. He hated putting her in this position, especially with her being so ill. She had really scared him when she almost passed out on him just days prior. She had been all but too willing to go along with Dean's plan, despite his hostility towards her recently. In a way he understood, she didn't want them to try and leave her behind because she was weak. She had always tried so hard to prove she was just as strong as they were, that she could do anything they could do.
Her breathing had steadied; he had assumed that she was sleeping until her soft voice out, disturbing their comfortable silence.
"Sammy?" Her voice sounded so tired and sad, he didn't even bother to correct her. She was the only person, other than Dean, that he didn't flip out on for not calling him Sam. He still corrected them, but he didn't even have the heart to do so in this situation.
"Yeah?"
"Why does Dean hate me?"
Sam's head came back a bit, his eyebrows furrowing together in a mix of confusion and shock. "What? Why would you think that?"
"Don't play dumb Sam; you're too smart for that. I heard you guys earlier. He said he wouldn't miss me if I disappeared." Her voice became clearer as her head left his chest, her tone still melancholic and small. If he hadn't been paying close attention, he would have missed the waver in her voice as she said that last sentence. There was a pregnant pause after this as he tried to explain his brother's childish behavior.
"Listen, Aud, he didn't meant that. Dean's just…Dean." He let out a sigh, knowing that answer wouldn't satisfy the girl.
"He's been a grade A asshole ever since that fucking demon showed up. It can't just be your father's death…I wasn't even there for that..." she trailed off, thoughts of John Winchester flooding her mind. Audrey never made it to John Winchester's final battle. The demon had seen the boys with Audrey on several occasions and had caught on to how close her and the boys had become. In attempt to lure them in, he kidnapped her. He tortured her badly, hurting her in ways only a demon could. He tried to get her to talk, tried to pry into her mind. Her mind rejected him, her psychic abilities beginning to kick in after hours of being prodded, beaten, and sliced. The two brothers had found her slumped on the ground and tied to a wooden support beam, battered and bleeding. The demon had left her there to die after finding her of no use to him, leaving her just inches within death. They rushed her to the hospital where she had stayed in a medically-induced slumber, not waking until the day after John had passed. Sam had tried many times to ask her what had happened, but she had no memories of that night.
Dean and Sam had felt terrible that she had gotten hurt. Both of them had tried so hard to leave her behind at the hospital, not because they wanted to but simply for her own good. Stubborn as always, she had put up quite a fight. Before they even started walking out of the room, she had ripped all her IVs out and started shouting at them. She even tried swinging at Dean once or twice, his snark clearly not welcome in that situation. If Sam hadn't held her back, Dean probably would have gotten a nice jab to the jaw. She was a force to be reckoned with; the doctors had almost sedated her because of all the yelling and flailing as she tried to escape Sam's arms. After this little episode, the two had known that leaving her would not be an option. She had taken the keys to the impala from Dean any time they weren't driving for a good month or two, she didn't trust them not to leave her and she knew Dean would never leave behind his baby.
His voice came out calm and level, an attempt at comforting even. "You have to think of it from Dean's perspective. Everyone he gets close to gets hurt, killed even. If it weren't for the fact that I'm his brother, he wouldn't keep me around either. When we found you there, so close to death… he was furious. He didn't know what to do with himself, he was punching walls and cursing every god known to man. I didn't tell you that, by the way," a small chuckle passed between them, feeling foreign and misplaced in their current situation. "It's not that he hates you…it's more that he cares too much for you. He thinks that if he distances himself from you, then you won't end up like dad." He let out a bitter laugh, knowing all too well that this was exactly what his brother had thought. "It's childish, I know. But you have to cut him some slack; he just doesn't know what to do. Dad died for him. He doesn't want anyone else close to him to do the same."
They sat in silence as he allowed her to let this all sink in. "What a dumb twat," was all she could say to this, her voice breathy and exhausted. Sam laughed at this, patting her back as she brought her head back to his chest. Sam could tell just by her voice that Dean was going to have an earful the next time they talked. Sick or not, Audrey was quite the intimidating little thing when she was angry. The one time Sam and Audrey got in a big fight, it was a battle of the braniacs. Nobody won, it was a stupid fight to being with anyway, but it had left lasting marks with Sam. The scornful glare she gave him in conclusion to their argument was one he never wanted to see again, her green eyes cutting and filled with spite. He would never choose to be on her bad side, that he knew for sure. Sure, she got annoyed sometime when he was the "responsible bitch" as she liked to call him, but she never got angry to that extent. Between that and the hospital incident, her anger scared him the slightest bit. She was an interesting one, a firecracker; he could never deny her that.
Sam fell asleep shortly after, allowing his exhaustion from the hunt get to him. He was awakened two hours later by the hollow sound of Dean's knuckles rapping on the window by his knees. Dean opened the door, cold air rushing through the car. Audrey curled up again, the cold putting goosebumps on her burning skin. Very awkwardly, he slid out of the car, lifting her up to cradle in his arms. He looked down at his brother, a knowing look boring into Dean's eyes. They had become accustomed to reading each other, on most occasions they didn't even have to speak to know what the other was thinking. The wordless conversation continued, the two men glaring at each other.
"She thinks you hate her." These were the only words spoken, his voice coming out matter-of-factly. He was disappointed in his brother for doing this, for purposely pushing her away. He knew that there was nothing he could do though, that Dean had to fix this for himself. Rather than respond to this, Dean simply put his arms out to take the girl from him. He handed her over gently, sending one more glare at his brother before Dean began to get into the car. He waited for him to get settled and closed the door unnecessarily loud, smirking as he walked off. He could practically hear Dean's voice in his head. "Dammit,Sam!" He almost hoped she woke up and ripped him a new one, he deserved it after all.
Dean pulled her back with him, pulling his legs in as Sam hastily closed the door a tiny bit louder than he really should have. He winced, mentally cursing Sam as he stopped moving abruptly in hopes that she wouldn't wake up. Thankfully, Audrey only nestled farther into Dean's chest. She was curled in a ball now from being lifted into the cradle position, his arms snaked around her small built as her pulled her into him. He sat in a similar position to Sam, a bit more comfortable due to the height difference. He looked down at Audrey and something in his chest tightened, a mixture of guilt and affection for the tiny girl he held in his arms. Sam knew just as well as he did that he was being stupid, there was no reason for him to be such an ass. At the same time, his brother should understand where he was coming from after everything that had happened with Jess, Dad, and even Mom.
He felt awful for pushing her away for so long, he had missed her strange sense of humor and her energy. She always found a way to make things entertaining, whether it be drinking or researching. There had even been a very few, very drunk moments where they had danced together like idiots or sometimes even provocatively. He never recalled much of these moments, but he did remember that she was a damn good dancer, even while intoxicated. He just missed their friendship, their snarky conversations and her sailor's mouth. She was a surprising girl, always keeping him on his toes. It was challenging to be around her, and that was possibly why he liked it so much. She could hold her own in anything; drinking, hunting, even bar brawls. He knew she was a toughie, a real trooper, but he couldn't help but be so damn protective of her.
He laid there for a while, just holding her as the sleep he so desperately sought refused to come. After about an hour or so of letting his thoughts eat away at him, the girl began to stir against his chest. She brought a slender hand from its position at her side and brought it up to tug at his jacket, manicured fingers feeling along his collar. Feeling the leather there in place of Sam's jacket, she spoke to him without bothering to bring her head up.
"Dean." One word, a simple syllable, was all it took for his façade to crack. It rang out clear and sharp, cutting through his charades with a single blow. His name was intertwined with the words she didn't even need to speak. She knew he had been an asshole on purpose, all for her own protection, and he knew that she did. There was no point in playing games any longer.
"Audrey?" His voice broke the silence after a while, soft and questioning. It came out before he could even control it, before he could make it sound like a hostile statement. She, however, had no problem turning her words accusatory, hostility radiating from ever part of her.
"Why are you even here? Wouldn't it be better to just leave me? It's not like it'd bother you any if I disappeared."
The pit of his stomach dropped, tightening in realization as his own words were spat back at him. He couldn't even think of anything to say, very unlike him, and began to try and stutter out an apology. "I…uh…that wasn't…I didn't..." Dammit, Dean. Pull yourself together.
"Don't even try Dean. Just don't." She brought her head up, looking him in the eyes. Green eyes pierced his own, seeping with hurt and rage. "You have no right to tear our relationship to shreds because you don't want me to get hurt. How many times do I have to come back kicking and screaming for you to understand that I can take care of myself? It's my own damn decision to be here, and if I get hurt in the process so be it. That's my choice to make, not yours. If I get hurt then that's my own fault, my own recklessness to blame. Pushing me away and being the world's biggest prick isn't going to save me from anything, I'm not going to get hurt just because I'm close to the two of you. The demon was after me from the beginning, tagging along with you just made me more interesting, so don't you ever think you can just decide things for me." She rambled on, spitting the last words at him fiercely. When she was on a roll, she was on a roll. She didn't even stop to think, letting the words fly from her mouth at an intense speed.
Dean stared at her, eyes blank as her tried to gather his thoughts. She was right in every way, this he couldn't deny, but he just didn't want to admit it to himself. The thought of her getting hurt again made him see red; he didn't care if it was all just a part of the job. Twice he had seen her torn to shreds, broken and bleeding. If he never saw that again, it would be too soon. He just wanted to keep her safe, to keep that from ever happening again, but he knew there wasn't much he could do. It was moronic to think that pushing her away would change anything; the only thing it had managed to do was make her furious with him. "I can't see you get hurt again. Not after last time." His voice finally unlatched itself from where it had caught in his throat, coming out low and husky.
"You can't stop that from happening, sooner or later I'm going to get hurt, Dean! You can't just push everyone that cares for-"She was cut off by the sound of Sam shouting in the distance, a sound that Dean recognized as his brother struggling with something. Jumping into action, he all but jumped out the car with her in his lap as she tossed the door open. Grabbing his gun, he looked down at her. Although her eyes were still ablaze from their argument, she looked sickly and exhausted.
"Stay here," he commanded, knowing very well she wasn't going to listen. It was at least worth a try. He ran out to Sam, Audrey at his heels with her own weapon. There were three of them, a gangly male and short Latina with superhuman strength wrestling with Sam as Izekial watched from his perch in the nearest tree. He glared up at Izekial, who looked at him in amusement as his eyes followed the brunette girl. From his peripheral vision, he saw Audrey charge the Latina to the ground. Not missing a beat, he rushed the man on top of Sam and tossed him off, throwing a flurry of fists at his face. Sam had left him to handle the male, rushing to get out his crossbow. He had managed to shoot the female, leaving her paralyzed, before Izekial held him up to the tree by his neck. Looking over at his brother, he saw the panic in Sam's eyes as the vampire held him up easily against the tree with a bulky forearm.
They had nowhere to go; Izekial would crush Sam in a heartbeat if Dean made one wrong move. The vampire under him tossed him off, flipping them so that Dean was the one being held down. Face being squashed into the dirt, he watched as Izekial's head snapped towards Audrey. He struggled and squirmed under the weight of the vampire, turning his head awkwardly so he get could a view of what had caught the stronger vampire's attention. Audrey had tossed the paralyzed female off and had taken Dean's knife, which had fallen out of his boot in his struggles, and held it to her arm. There was a thin like of crimson trickling down her upper arm; she glared at Izekial defiantly as she clenched the knife in her fist.
"Dinner is served, asshole." She didn't even flinch as Izekial dropped Sam and sauntered over, eyes glinting with amusement. Everything went silent as the other two awaited his reaction, Dean's struggle with the other vampire the only sound filling the silence. He circled her, dragging his fingers down her back lightly. She was revolted but wouldn't show it, refusing to have any reaction as he pawed at her. Staring straight ahead, she stood as still as a statue as he brought his undead lips to her arm to clean up the mess she had made. She clenched her fists, knuckles turning white and hands shaking in fury as he flicked his tongue out to caress the cut.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, not even bothering to care that she stood tense and rigid in his grasp. He brought a hand to her face, caressing it softly before snapping her chin up, forcing her to look at him. She glared at him silently, hatred reflecting in her eyes as she scowled at him.
"Don't be so cold, darling. None of this would have happened had you just come to me in the first place. That was a very smart move, however. I'm impressed." His voice was low and seductive, a tone that made her sick. He spoke to her like a lover, claiming her against her will. Her sickness had been pushed to the back of her mind, the only thing she felt was the adrenaline rushing through her body from her brawl and her defiance towards the vampire that held her.
"Fuck you," she spat, voice menacing and harsh.
"Not just yet love, we have an audience." He leered down at her eerily, looking at her in a predatorily manner.
"I would rather die than let you touch me in that manner."
"Oh, you'll change your mind eventually. It will just take some…convincing." He leaned down, nipping and kissing at her neck. She stood her ground as if she were made of stone, her eyes looking at Dean in horror and disgust. His eyes were on fire, a feral and protective glint cutting into her as he struggled to break free. The vampire above him sent his fist flying into Dean's face. She flinched as blood trickled down from the fresh split in his lip. Izekial left her neck at this, eyes questioning her as he feigned innocent.
"What is it, doll?" His charade of wide-eyed innocence was broken by the glint of mischief and insanity in his dark eyes.
"Let them go." She let out a breath harshly, the next words coming out before she even had the chance to think them over. "Let them go...and I'll go with you."