The Sword, the Singer, and the Vessel

I sighed, sitting down on my bed and staring into the small duffle bag I had just packed. It seemed so pitiful, the way I was able to fit everything I wanted to take with me in that little bag and still have room for more.

I had grabbed the necessities—shirts, pants, socks, bras, underwear—but apart from that, I really had nothing I wanted to take. There was a good chance I would die before this was over and I had nothing else.

I sighed again, reaching into my closet for the coat Renee had bought me over a year ago. It was during one of her phases—can't quite remember which—when she found this and immediately thought of me. I hadn't seen the appeal initially and I'd been quite surprised when Renee had bought it.

It wasn't flashy or her version of sexy—it was just a simple coat that ended about halfway down my thigh. It was worn and durable, seeming like the perfect thing to wear now that I would be traveling with the Winchester brothers.

It kind of reminded me of Dean's jacket and how even in the few hours I had known him, I could tell that he must think of his as a kind of armor to protect him from the horrors of the world. I decided Renee's old coat would be mine.

I glanced around my room one last time as I slipped the coat on, before grabbing my duffle bag and heading downstairs.

"Ready?" Sam asked, eying my bag.

"Yeah." I tried to offer a small smile, but I think it came out as more of a grimace.

"That's it?" Dean asked incredulously. "Are you sure you're a girl?"

I glared at him, slipping passed them and into the kitchen. I knew I needed to leave Charlie something, anything to explain my sudden disappearance, but I had no idea what to say. Every excuse I had thought up in the last hour fell flat once I gave it more than a second thought.

"We don't have all day."

"I need to leave my dad a note. I need to tell him something," I explained.

I could practically hear Dean roll his eyes as he released an exasperated sigh.

"I can't just leave without saying anything." I turned toward them. "He's the Chief of Police."

Sam raised an eyebrow in surprise, while Dean peeked outside, presumably to watch out for Charlie.

"I know this is a small town, but he isn't just going to sit back and accept that I'm gone. He's going to look. He's too stubborn to just wait around and hope I come back on my own."

Charlie was a man of few words and even fewer emotions—at least, that he outwardly showed—but I knew I was right. He wouldn't stop looking until he had some kind of confirmation about my wellbeing.

Dean let out a low whistle.

"Kidnapping the Chief's daughter. That'll look good on our rap sheets, won't it Sammy?"

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother and took a step closer to me, his expression suddenly serious.

"I know this is hard, but we really don't have a lot of time. Do you think you can come up with something that he'll accept, that'll draw the least attention to us?"

I was prepared to say no, to tell him I couldn't come up with anything good enough to keep Charlie from making a big deal out of my disappearance, when the perfect excuse finally dawned on me.

I clenched my jaw, willing the tears I could feel gathering in my eyes not to fall. I knew exactly what to say now and that it would hurt to do so. The pain in my chest was beginning to flare, the same feeling I had come to recognize as a warning to hide myself away, if I wanted my anguish to remain private.

I knew I couldn't have that privacy now, not when we were so pressed for time. I swiftly turned back toward the sheet of paper I had been hovering over for the last couple of minutes, my hand shaking as I picked up the pen to write my note. I steeled myself, locking away the pain as I swept the pen across the page in my messy scrawl.

Once the deed was done, I took a deep breath and stuck it to the fridge. Once Charlie read that note, I knew he wouldn't question my absence. He would still worry and maybe he would even look, but he would accept the lie.

I could feel the brothers' curious stare as they tried to peer at the note that had gotten me so worked up. Without a backwards glance, I hustled them out of the kitchen, grabbing my bag before closing the front door for what might be my final time.

Slipping into the backseat of Dean's car, I kept my gaze averted to its interior. Although I wasn't a car fanatic or particularly knowledgeable about such things, I knew that it was an older model. It had clearly been loved and taken care of, and I was reminded of my truck.

I chanced a peek at the rusty behemoth, releasing a sigh of regret that I couldn't take it with me. Still, I knew it was better this way. My truck wouldn't have been able to handle where this trip would take us and by leaving it here, Charlie would know I hadn't just driven away. He would probably think I took a taxi to the airport.

I hoped he wouldn't look up information on my flight, but I knew it was too late to worry about that.

The drive out of Forks passed in silence. I tried to keep my head ducked, just in case anyone recognized me in the back of their car. I knew how the people in this town could be and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that they were curious about these two new arrivals.

I couldn't believe what I was doing—packing up and leaving with a couple of men I had only known for a few hours. They were right though when they told me this was the safest option for everyone. It wasn't like they could just stay here and become my body guards.

Their protection wasn't why I agreed though. I knew I needed to get out of this town because if I wanted to keep Charlie and everyone else nearby safe, I had to lure Victoria away. Part of me worried that running would only make Victoria use Charlie as bait to get to me, but I didn't really think she would.

After all, she couldn't killed me and Charlie at anytime. It had been months since they left. There was no one to stop her from taking her vengeance and yet, she hadn't made her move. I had a feeling she wouldn't either, at least not until making me suffer first, wallowing in my own fear of never knowing when she'd strike.

I was glad when our brief passing through the more heavily populated areas ended, breathing a sigh of relief as I finally raised my head just in time to watch a sign slip by my window.

You are now leaving Forks.

...