Dean grimaced at the food in front of him, for the first time ever unable to bring himself to eat the disgusting diner food that was soaking in fat on the plate before him.
"Dude, you okay?" Sam asked his own meal already half eaten.
"Just not hungry"
"When are you ever not hungry?" Sam laughed incredulous.
"When I say i'm not" Dean's voice was hard and Sam's laugh vanished from his face. Dean sighed he hadn't meant for his voice to be so sharp but these days he just couldn't help it. He didn't apologise though and Sam didn't say anymore. The bell above the diner door chimed as someone entered but Dean didn't look up. Only when the noise of the diner ceased and Sam hit his arm did he raise his head.
"Dean check it out" Sam murmured gesturing with his head towards the entrance where a girl had just entered. It was impossible to tell her age though she looked to be in her early to mid twenties, her clothes were stain, torned and blackened with dirt but her skin was also so dirty it was almost impossible to tell the difference between cloth and skin. Her hair hung in lank clumps past her shoulders and her eyes were wide and wild looking as her gaze darted around the suddenly silent diner. She took a cringing step, her movements furtive and jerky and Dean could tell that she wanted nothing more than to run outside but her eyes fell on the counter where a plate of food had just been placed about to be taken to a table and Dean knew it was the smell of food that had drawn her in.
"Can I help you honey?" the large waitress behind the counter asked after a second attempting a smile but failing as her voice shook ever so slightly.
The girl's eyes fell on the waitress as she cocked her head to the side, she frowned studying the woman closely before reaching out for the plate.
"Uh that's not really-" the waitress began but her voice faltered and stopped when the girl lifted the plate to her mouth and began to shovel the food in with her hand. She was obviously starving, her slender form was so thin she was nothing more than skin and bone. Dean stood slowly his eyes fixed on the girl, his mind was whirling while it tried to place where he knew her from. He ignored Sam's inquiring gaze as he stepped forward studying the girl's face trying to see beneath the dirt. She turned to face him, her fingers in her mouth and syrup running over her chin and down her wrist. Her eyes were wide and the irises were dark, too dark. But Dean suddenly realised he had seen those eyes before, but they had been blue then, gazing up at him filled with fear and tears. It was her, it had to be, the soul from hell, the soul he had tortured, the soul whose blood had broken the first seal. The girl had frozen, the dark eyes were watching him and Dean could see the wildness in them just as Castiel's words came flying back to him,
"The soul was weak and badly damaged not much humanity still resided in it which is perhaps why I didn't sense it."
The girl threw the plate aside where it shattered on the floor causing everyone in the diner the jump, the girl didn't appear to notice and just licked her fingers without taking her eyes off Dean as she began to back towards the door. It opened with the tinkling of the bell and the girl spun around sinking into a crouch and hissing. The cop who had entered eyed the wild girl in front of him looking unsure.
"Alright there" he said calmly and reassuringly "Just calm down."
The girl stopped hissing but didn't move out of her crouch warily eyeing the cop and the other customers. She reminded Dean irresistably of a wild animal, cornered and he took a step back feeling slightly uneasy. Cornered animals were dangerous and Dean didn't need to be told that this girl was dangerous.
"Why don't you just come with me down to the station" the cop was saying as he took a step towards her "And we can sort all this out."
The girl hadn't moved but she hissed again when the cop stepped closer, baring her teeth.
"Hey buddy you might want to back off for a minute" Dean called out to the cop as he was stretching out a hand to grab the girl's arm.
"What are you talking about?" the cop snapped, "She's obviously not in her right mind and I need to take her to the station before she hurts herself or somebody else."
"Exactly" Dean replied, "Which is why you might want to step back, you arn't gonna get anywhere if you scare her."
"You trying to tell me how to do my job son?" The cop made a grab for the girl's arm but she leapt back out of his reach and snarling jumped ontop of the startled man slamming the palm of her hand into the man's throat as they both crashed onto the floor. The girl jumped over him and fled from the diner as the cop gasped on the floor unable to speak or stand. Dean ripped open his wallet and threw some notes down on the table not bothering to check how much it was before he tore out of the door after the girl, Sam right behind him.
It was nearly night and the few street lights in the small town where only just starting to come on. Dean glanced around frantically but the girl was no where in sight.
"Dean was that it?" Sam asked after a moment, "The soul Castiel told you about?"
"Yeah Sam, that was her" Dean replied his voice hoarse. His insides were reeling and he felt like at any moment he would be sick.
"Dean she was completely wild, I don't think she had any idea who she is why would both the angels and the demons want her?"
"I don't know"
I don't think she had any idea who she is. Dean swore and began to stride down the street, he had done it. He had tortured her. Whatever else had happened to turn the woman into what she was now, he had begun it. He couldn't shake the image of the soul she had been, beautiful, scared, twisted with pain and yet still so brave. Braver than he had been. What had happened to her? More words came screaming back to him, from before he went to hell, when Ruby had told him there was no way to save him. "That's what happens when you go to hell, Dean. That's what it is. Forgetting."
"Dean" Sam called breaking through Dean's thoughts and Dean turned to look at his little brother who was staring at him looking both concerned and irritated.
"What?"
"This isn't just another soul is it?"
"What are you talking about Sam?" Dean snapped not breaking stride.
"I saw it when we were in the diner, you know her don't you?"
"Yeah Sam, I know her" Dean replied quietly.
"Is she one of the souls you tortured" Sam asked hesitantly, he knew how touchy Dean was about the subject and therefore rarely if ever brought it up, unless it was necessary.
"She was the first one I tortured Sam" Dean answered, "It was her blood that broke the first seal."
Sam didn't answer and they walked on in silence, suddenly Dean stopped glancing to his left down an alley that had darkened as night came on. He felt rather than saw movement further in and slowly, carefully stepped into the shadows.
"Dean?" Sam murmured following him but Dean gestured for him to be quiet as the brothers moved further in.
"She's here" Dean whispered.
"How do you know?"
Dean shrugged "I dunno, I just do."
Up ahead out of the darkness came a soft hiss and Dean immediately stopped holding up his hands.
"We're not going to hurt you" he said gently not stepping any nearer. The girl moved out of the shadows, crouching low to the ground as she eyed them warily, the light from the streetlight near the mouth of the alley falling on her grubby face. "Uh i'm Dean and this is my brother Sam" Dean began still speaking softly, the girl made no move and Dean looked around at Sam for help. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't even tell if she recognised him or not.
"Dean" Sam said quietly, "I don't think she understands us"
"What?" he glanced back at the girl again and she was watching them carefully, her mouth movig slightly as though she were trying to mimic their movements though no sound came out.
"Uh what do we do now?"
Dean frowned, "Go get some food Sammy, anything, just hurry."
Sam nodded and smiling reasurringly, backed his way out of the alley, disappearing onto the street. Dean remained where he was standing the girl had yet to take her dark eyes off him. Dean took a step forward and the girl jerked back but Dean ignored her sitting down on a dry patch of ground by a puddle, his back against the alley wall. After about five minutes the girl moved closer again, she was looking at his bare arms with a hint off bafflement. Dean held completely still as she slowly reached out a blackened finger and touched his clean arm. Her finger left a smear of dirt and she cocked her head to the side, studying it with a frown. Very slowly Dean wet his finger in the puddle beside him and reached out to touch her arm, she flinched but suffered his touch staring in amazement at the clean mark his finger had made. She looked between the clean mark on her arm to the dirty mark on his arm looking confused as though their skins had rubbed off on each another.
"Dean" Dean said gently pointing to himself, "Dean"
She didn't say anything just continued to stare with wide eyes her head still tilted to the side.
"De-een" she said slowly in a hoarse whisper.
Dean smiled, "Dean" he said carefully and distinctly.
"Deen" the girl replied imitating his smile, though her skin and clothes were as black as though she had rolled in mud, her smile revealed straight white teeth.
Dean nodded and pointed at her, "Deen" she replied obligingly pointing at herself.
Dean grinned and wondering if his name was the only word she would say pointed to himself again, "Dean", he glanced around for a moment unsure before pointing at her "Soda."
She frowned, "So-dar."
Dean nodded as the girl pointed at him "Deen" then pointed to herself "Sodar."
"Close enough" Dean said and turned to look at the mouth of the alley, he could hear footsteps and within seconds Sam had come into view. "Hungry?" Dean asked rising to his feet. Alarm flared in her eyes and she sunk back but Dean mimicked eating and slowly hunger replaced her fear.
"Sam meet Soda" Dean said brightly as he got closer, Dean turned to Soda and pointed, "Sam."
"Sam" Soda repeated pointing at Sam.
Dean grinned his smile faltering when he turned to see Sam glaring at him. Sam's eyes flicked to the pile of empty softdrink cans abandoned amongst other rubbish, "Soda huh?"
Dean shrugged, "When she learns to talk she can pick her own name, for now she's Soda, I kinda like it." He grinned again and began digging in the plastic bag full of food that Sam had brought. He withdrew a burger and pulled off the wrapper handing it to Soda who immediately plonked herself on the ground and began to devour it.
"What do we do with her now Dean?"
