She knew all she had to do was buy some time, stay alive until Dean found her. No matter what, she knew he would come for her. Because that's what her dad does best.
It had been seven hours since Dean returned to Singers Salvage and found the house empty. It had been five hours and two terrorised families since he found his daughter was neither with her best friend Darcy, who swore they had planned to meet but Kelli never showed, or the "boyfriend", whom Darcy assume his daughter had ditched her for. The "boyfriend" swore that he wasn't dumb enough to go against Mr. Winchesters demand that they not see each other for a month while Kelli was grounded. Dean had slammed out of the house and sent Sam a text.
Dean- POUGHKEEPSIE
Sam- On my way. What's happened?
Dean- Kelli's missing.
Sam- Six hours away, be there in four.
Dean had spent the next four hours driving the length and breadth of Sioux Falls looking for his wayward daughter before returning to the Salvage yard they now called home, arriving just 15 minutes before Sam with Bobby hot on his heels.
Sam burst through he door screaming for Dean.
"In here Sam!"
Sam raced through to the library to find Dean hunched over a map.
"What happened? Have you called Jody?" He demanded. Sam loved that girl as if she was his own daughter, not just his niece.
"Dunno. I got back early from my hunt and she wasn't here. She's not with Darcy and Braden hasn't seen her either." Deans head was in his hands and he was visibly shaking. Bobby placed a hand on Deans shoulder.
"We'll find her son." He said in a rare show of tenderness. He loved Kelli too. Dean just nodded, his head not leaving his hands.
"Did you try tracking her cell?" Sam asked. Dean shook his head finally looking up at his brother.
"Won't work, I confiscated it from her. I checked, it's still in my room." Deans jaw clenched as he tried to keep the sob in that was trying to break free. "I called Jody. She's put out a BOLO but that's all she can really do." Dean turned desperate eyes to Bobby. "I need you to do that scrying thing. I've been trying but I can't get it right."
"Okay son. You're probably just too emotional and it's messing up the signals. Let me do it."
Dean nodded and stood up from the chair he'd collapsed into.
"I'm gonna need something of Kelli's so we can really lock in on her."
Dean thought for a moment and then raced up stairs returning just 30 seconds after leaving. He handed Bobby a ratty old object.
"Boo?" Sam asked. "She still has that?"
Dean smiled. He could still remember giving it to Kelli on her first night with them.
Flashback...
"What can I getcha?" The waitress asked.
Sam and Dean had stopped into a diner somewhere in the middle of New Mexico for a meal after an easy salt and burn. Dean looked up at the waitress and his eyes widened as he recognised her from another town in another state.
"I know you, don't I? Candi, right?" He said with an easy smile. Oh, he 'knew' her alright.
"Oh my God! Dean Winchester! Of all the fucking dumb luck, you had to stumble your arse in here!" Candi spat with some fury.
Sam and Dean both flinched at the vitriol she was spewing.
"Well I guess it's a good thing we finally crossed paths. You left something behind last time and you can take it with you when you drag your sorry arse away this time." She pointed her pen over her shoulder. Sam and Dean both leaned around Candi to look over where she was pointing. In a corner at a table sat a small girl of about four. She looked unhealthily skinny with matted dirty blonde hair. She was colouring in some placemats and had a half eaten sandwich in front of her. She looked up at her mother with wide, frightened eyes and tried to make herself smaller in her chair when she saw the trio looking at her. "That's yours and you can have her. I'll be glad to see the back of the whining shit."
"Wait, waitwaitwait" Dean said holding out his hands in a halting motion. "How do you know she's even mine?"
"Because of the three possibilities you are the only one that hasn't had a test and she wasn't either of the other guys." Candi snarked back. "Now order up or leave and don't forget to take the little bitch when you go!" Candi stood there tapping her pen against the pad waiting for their reply.
"Okay. We're gonna go, I think." Sam said. He looked at his brother who seemed to be frozen as he processed this new development. "Come on Dean, lets go talk to...ah?" He looked at Candi.
"Kelli, her name is Kelli." She said.
"Okay, Kelli." Sam made a move to exit the booth but Dean was still stuck in place. "Dean! Move!" Sam hissed at him.
Dean shook his head and began to move.
"Yeah okay." He said.
They walked over to the small child and sat at her table. They tried to make themselves smaller so as not to intimidate her. Dean just sat looking at her until Sam smacked him in the arm. Dean jumped and cleared his throat.
"Hi...Kelli. I'm Dean and this is my brother Sam. I, um, I guess I'm your dad?" He said trying to force a reassuring smile. She looked wearily at them. Just at that moment Candi walked up and dropped a small backpack at Deans feet.
"There's some of her stuff and here." She held out a battered envelope. Dean took it and looked inside. It contained her birth certificate, records of immunisation and other important documents. "Okay Kelli, this is your dad and some...random guy, I'm not judging, and he's going to take you and you are going to live with him. Bye." She gave a quick tight smile and the turned and walked away.
Kelli slowly looked from her mothers retreating back to the two men in front of her.
"You is really my daddy?" She asked.
"I think so." Dean answered. Sam leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"We are so going to have to get that checked."
"No shit Sherlock!" Dean whispered back.
"An' I is going to live with you?" She asked hopefully.
"Um...yes?" Dean replied. The poor child looked terrified. "Say, how about we leave this dump and go get you some ice cream?"
Kelli broke into a dazzling smile and just like that both the brothers fell in love. They both separately decided they didn't care what the DNA results were, she was going to stay with them.
Later that night back at the hotel Dean was trying to put Kelli to bed. She was wearing one of Deans old t-shirts as the backpack didn't contain much of anything.
"Do you have any toys or anything?" Dean asked. She just sadly shook her head.
Dean looked around and grabbed up one of his plaid shirts. One of the old pillows on the bed had split open so he grabbed a handful of stuffing and not wanting to think what else might be in it he wadded It up and put it in the middle of the shirt then tore off the arms and tied one tightly under the ball making a crude, plaid ghost. He held it up for Kelli's inspection the wiggled it a bit.
"Boo!" He said as he thrust it in the child's direction. She giggle and held out her arms. Dean gave her the makeshift toy and silently promised to replace it with something better ASAP.
"Boo!" She repeated as she held it out to Dean then she snuggled it back against her chest and closed her eyes. Sleep over took her in a matter of moments the way sleep will when you finally, truly feel safe.
Now...
Bobby looked at the map on the table, he worked his mojo and then lit the corner. It burnt quickly leaving just the state of South Dakota.
"She's still in the state at least." Bobby said. He quickly swiped the still smouldering paper from the table and stomping on it with his boot as Sam replaced it with the state map. Dean paced nervously behind them as Bobby repeated the spell.
"She is still in town!" He said as he swiped those ashes from the table. Sam found a map of the town and put it down. Dean moved to the table as Bobby repeated the spell for the last time.
"Gotcha!" He said as he stabbed his finger on the location of their missing girl.
"Let's go." Dean said with determination.
Kelli had woken blindfolded, gagged and disorientated. It took a few minutes but finally she was able to clear her head. She remembered leaving the house to meet up with her friend and then...nothing. Trying to calm herself she tapped into the training her father and uncle had drilled into her since she was a child. She catalogued what she knew. She was blindfolded, gagged and tied to a chair. The air was cold and musty, dank, almost like she was underground. It felt like whoever had captured her had used duct tape to bind her to the chair and the chair itself was metal so no trying to break it to get free. She took a few deep calming breaths and tried fight the tears that were threatening. She was so stupid! Her dad wasn't due back from his hunt until tomorrow and Uncle Sam and Grandpa Bobby had taken off days ago and she had no idea when they would be back. No one would know she was gone and the worst part was that Dean would be blaming himself, thinking she had run away because he grounded her. They had had a huge fight over it and her last words to him were that she wished he had left her with her mom! She would never say she hated him because it just wasn't true and deep down she knew he had saved her. She jumped when she heard a door opening. Footsteps made their way across the floor toward her. Two sets she noted.
"So you're finally awake?" A deep voice said. "Thirsty?"
Her gag was roughly pulled away and a straw placed in her lips.
"Drink!" The voice commanded. A small giggle came from a bit further back.
"Look how scared she is!" Tha second, female voice said.
Kelli tilted her head. There was something familiar about that voice. The straw was once again put to her lips.
"Drink this or there will be no other chance!" The first voice demanded. Both sounded like they were trying to disguise their voices, but why? Kelli took a small sip and once she taste the cool water she drank deeply, not caring if it was drugged or poisoned. The straw was taken away too soon.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"You don't get to asked questions here. Not so tough now are you?" The male said.
"My father will come for me and when he does he will take out every single one of you evil fuckers!" She spat out with false bravado.
"Ha! Your fathers not in town. You think we are stuoid enough to do this when there is another Winchester around to spoil our fun?" The female said.
"Fuck you. You're all dead." Kelli said with a sneer.
She received a backhand to the face and her gag was roughly put back in place. She heard the two leaving the room arguing quietly.
"You weren't supposed to do that" the female hissed.
"Don't worry, all part of the fun." The male whispered back not quietly enough that Kelli didn't hear.
Again she tried to quiet her mind and started on one of the escape techniques her father had taught her. Slowly she started to rotate her wrists and move her legs up and down hoping to loosen the tape enough that she could slip out.
Dean and Sam scoped out the old farmhouse. Looking in the windows they saw a group of about four or five sitting around a large table drinking and playing cards. They looked like teenagers but the brothers knew looks can be deceiving. Evil will take on any form. Back at the impala they started to load up on weapons.
"We don't even know what we are up against." Bobby noted.
"Don't care, we take a bit of every thing." Dean switched out the magazine in his gun then handed Sam a magazine loaded with lead, iron and silver bullets, all coated with holy water and salt. They were loaded alternately, that way if one didn't work there was a chance the second or third would. And if that didn't work they had their machetes. This was Kelli and they weren't fucking around. Bobby loaded his shotgun with cartridges simarly filled with lead, iron, silver and salt in all the cartriges.
"Time to go." Dean said moving back towards the house. After some hand signals from Dean they all silently moved into position and waited to make their move.
"Hey Boris and Natasha, why don't you go check in on our 'prisoner'?" One of the teens at the table said.
"What's with the stupid nicknames, Rick?" A blonde girl said as she stood.
"Because this was your stupid idea and you two are such eeeviil geniuses it seemed to fit." Rick laughed. "Don't forget these."
The boy and girl caught the balaclavas that were thrown in their direction and pulled them over there heads.
"Do I look scary and intimidating?" Asked he boy.
"Not as scary as your face, now hurry up, we need to finish this soon." Rick said.
The two masked ones turned and a walked down the stairs and into the basement.
Kelli had no idea how long she had been down there. She had managed to get herself into some kind of zen state and was slowly working on getting her bindings loose. She still had faith that her dad would come for her but knew better to just rely on that hope. Her wrists were rubbed raw and bleeding by the time she managed to get one hand free. She quickly removed the blindfold and gag and then worked on the other bindings. Finally free she looked around her prison. It looked like she was in an old underground root cellar. It was dark and she felt around all the walls only finding one door. There was no handle and it was obviously locked from the outside. Kelli slumped against the door and allowed herself a moment of self pity sobbing into her hands. After a few minutes she pulled herself together and started looking for something to open the door. As she made another circuit of the room her foot hit something on the ground. She picked it up and brought it close to her face to examine it in the darkness. It felt like a flat peice of metal and she hoped that she could use it to pry the door open. Moving back to the door she felt for the hinges. Wedging the peice of metal as best she could behind the hinges she started to try to pry them from the door.
Dean held up three fingers. Sam nodded. Two...one and then Dean kicked the door in and sent the occupants of the room scattering. Bobby heard the commotion, having picked the lock in the front door he was silently moving through the house, and raised his shotgun halting those that were trying to flee in his direction. He herded them back into the kitchen with a flick of his weapon.
Back in the kitchen Sam and Dean had entered with their guns drawn and raised, both grabbing the nearest fleeing body. Dean slammed the boy up against the wall while Sam held the female against him with the muzzle of his pistol tightly against her jaw.
"Where's Kelli!" Dean demanded.
"I...I...I..." was all the boy could say. Dean moved his pistol so the muzzle was firm against the boys temple and cocked his gun.
"One more time. Where. Is. My. Daughter?" He said with a scary calmness that belied the deadly rage that was ripping through his body. He flicked off the safety and slipped his finger onto the trigger.
"Dean stop!" Sam yelled.
"Why?" Dean asked through gritted teeth not taking his deadly gaze from the peice of shit currently held against the wall.
"Because they're human."
"What?" Dean asked looking at his brother.
"They're just kids, they're human. Look." Sam said nodding back at the terrified boy Dean held.
Dean stepped back and looked his captive up and down, stepping further away when he realised the large male had pissed himself in fear.
"She's down there." One of the boys Bobby has rounded up said, pointing to the basement door. Dean whirled and dissapeared down the stairs just as Jody appeared in the back doorway.
"It was just a joke!" The sobbing female Sam held said. "We were just hazing her for her birthday! Please, it was just a joke."
Sam released her and went to talk to Jody.
Kelli worked on the hinges, alternating between tears of frustration and looks of sheer determination. Her hands were cut up and bleeding by the time she finally got them off. She slipped the metal in between the door and the frame and levered it open, making just enough space to slip through. As she moved across the dimly lit basement she came face to face with her two masked captors who seemed more shocked to see her than she was them. After a split second hesitation Kelli launched herself in full attack, relishing in the sound of crunching cartilage as she attacked the face of the smaller one first. Screaming as she covered her now gushing, broken nose she gave no fight as Kelli landed a few more blows bringing the first one down. The second had tried to back away but gave some fight back as soon as he, judging from his size, realised that Kelli was not going to just let him walk away. After a short melee Kelli was able to bring her foot down on her captors knee and heard the satisfying snap of his leg. He screamed and went down clutching his knee. Kelli turned to run only to see another shadow descending the stair case. She looked around for a weapon and picked up a large adjustable wrench off the workbench and bringing up to her shoulder like one would a baseball bat, she slowly crept toward the staircase.
Dean could hear the sounds of voices pleading behind him but it didn't matter to him. What he came for was in front of him. He cautiously made his way down the staircase with his gun still up and at the ready. He could make out the sounds of a scuffle as he made his way down. He reached the bottom and swung his gun into the room only to see Kelli standing with a large iron wrench ready to swing. She lowered the wrench when she saw it was her father.
"Daddy?" She whimpered and dissolved into tears.
Dean moved swiftly to his daughter and embraced her, holding her tight as if he would never let her go. She sobbed and clutched at his shirt, trying to pull her father closer. "I'm sorry daddy! I'm sorry!"
"Are you okay baby?" Dean asked releasing a shuddering breath. He felt her nod then shake her head against his chest. Regretfully he pulled her away and held her at arms length to look her over.
"Oh my god, Kelli! Your hands!"
She looked at her shredded and bleeding hands and then flinched as Dean grabbed at her wrists to turn them over to see the damage. He quickly pulled off his coat and wrapped it around his daughters shoulders and then pulled off his over shirt, wrapping it around one hand then did the same with his t-shirt for the other hand. Pulling her close to his body he lead his daughter out of the room ignoring the weeping girl and groaning boy on the floor.
Up in the kitchen Bobby, Sam and Jody had the others lined up on their knees with their ankles crossed and their hands behind their heads. They looked over as Dean lead a still shaken Kelli into the kitchen. One of the boys looked at Dean and nudged the one beside him. They both took in Kelli's father. Sure he was a little soft around the middle but it did nothing to hide the sheer muscular torso but what really made them shiver were the scars that littered his chest, stomach and back. They knew this man had seen some action and that they were lucky to be making it out alive after this prank.
"We tested them all. Not a demon or any other supernatural being among them." Sam said quietly.
"Just a bunch of stupid high school kids looking at charges for kidnapping and detaining against their will." Jody said looking disgustedly at the group.
"Where's Mandy and Shawn?" One of the girls on the floor asked.
"Down there." Was all Dean said.
"Are they alive?" She asked timidly, tears streaming down her face.
"Wait Mandy Atkinson and Shawn White?" Kelli asked. The girl just nodded.
"Well let's just say that Mandy will be missing quite a few cheer calls and I think the team will be looking for a new quarterback." Kelli said, her bravado returning now she was safe in her fathers arms.