THE GUARDIANS
of World and Love"That's it." Dean said to himself and took the next box with files from the library. He has spent there his entire night, going through all the legends and myths available in Oklahoma's city library.
Two months ago his father, John Winchester, died. Dean and his younger brother Sam were given one last mission by their father. And Dean was using every moment, every chance he had to accomplish it. The Guardians. A mystical union with supernatural powers, fighters for the world. No one knew whether they do actually exist. No one have ever seen them, no one knows their names. But many can say they've seen fires in the night, accompanied by rain and eartquakes; and still no one can give logic explanation.
"Did you spend the entire night here?" Sam was propped up on one of the book shelves.
"No." Dean said focusing the position of his brother. "I spend like 10 minutes in the toilet… You know, human needs."
"Yeah" Sam nodded spotting the empty glasses of beer on the floor. There was no need to mention it was illegal to bring alchohol in the city library. What is done is done. "Did you find anything?"
"No. But I haven't checked everything yet…"
"No? I thought it is the second time you check these."
Dean looked down. Why he didn't want to admit it? Why he didn't give up? He had nothing about the Guardians. Seven damn days and he had NOTHING. Sam was right – he was checking the files for a second time. Begging the Gods, he didn't actually believe in, that he will spot something he hasn't before.
"What do you want Sammy? To leave it behind?" Dean said a bit annoyed by Sam's indifference.
"Maybe we should just move on…"
"I can't move on. Dad is dead and we owe him that…"
"Come on Dean, stop it…"
"… I have nothing else to live for."
Sam stared at his brother. He didn't blame him for anything. He just wanted to forget. And to be honest, he didn't believe in these stories about the Guardians.
"Let's call Bobby. We're done with this place." Dean said and stood up from the floor.
"If Bobby knew something he would have shared it with dad…" Sam started with his pesimism and logic which at moments freaked Dean out.
"Suggest anything better? If you do, we make it." Dean said loudly as Sam started thinking it over and over. They have nothing, in all meaning of it.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Dear students, parents and of course teachers. I am pleased to welcome all of you to this year's scientific competition of Tree Hill High. Just as usual, we've prepared many surprises, many talents and fair competition."Coach Whitey Durham spoke to the audience in the small gym used for this annual competition. He hated all these forms of publicity but his famous persona was usually engaged in being a conductor of such events.
"Tell me why are we here?" brunette girl dressed in Dior's latest outfit whispered to another brunette dressed just as fashionably as her.
"Support."Summer Roberts said surely.
"But I don't even like science…" Brooke started complaining but Summer quickly cut her off.
"Fallon deserves it. We are here for her."
"She wasn't with us on the Fashion week, was she?"
"Shut up Brooke" Summer tried to sound serious but couldn't help letting out a tiny laughter. "She is just alone. And we need to make everything she wins it."
"Everything?" Brooke said devilishly.
"No, you know what I meant…"Summer said confused. "Just support."
"Oh I will definitely support her. Let's follow the jury."
"Brooke what you have in mind?"
"Just giving Fallon the support she deserves"
Summer anxiously grasped Brooke's hand. "Brooke you do know you can't use your powers for personal enjoyment, don't you?"
"Summer chill out. Have I ever done anything wrong? Anything that endangered any of us?"
"No but…"
"Then leave it out and come with me… Fallon is next."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"I think I found something. Come here" Sam said without moving his look from the screen of his computer.
"What?" Dean checked if it was worthy standing up from his place.
"Bobby sent this on my e-mail. It has no text but a website."
"Website of what? And since when Bobby sends e-mails?!"
"It's a city."
"Why does he send us site of a city? Maybe he has planned vaccation and invites us…"
"Do you really thing Bobby sent it because he thinks it's a good place for… VACCATION?!"
"Fine" Dean moved behind his brother's back. "Tree Hill?"
"Yes Tree Hill… I bet it's connected to the Guardians. But why he isn't calling us?"
"He didn't pick up when we called him… Strange huh?"
"Maybe… or may be he has found it unsecure way to say important thing like that…"
"How does he know what we want from him?"
Sam looked at Dean. His brother had the point here. Something was going on, something he didn't like.
"So we are not going anywhere…"Sam started.
"Oh no" Dean interrupted him. "We are going to this place. No matter what Bobby or someone else have planned… We are going in 3Hill."
"Tree Hill"
"Whatever. Grab the map and let's go."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Miss Johnson, will you tell us more about your project?"
"Of course."Fallon smiled luringly causing Brooke to roll her eyes. "My project is based on Rudherford's theory about scattering of nucleus…"
"Yes yes we can see that" the teacher who was the jury-master spoke in a mocking voice causing Fallon to feel uncomfortable. Mr Darcy – he was the worst teacher of all. Everyday he was demonstrating the power he had over his students. He liked being the centre of every event. And he liked students who were ready to fall in his feet just to get B+ on the next exam. But neither Fallon nor Summer, and on no condition Brooke were one of those. And Mr Darcy hated it.
"So what you want to know?" Fallon asked him after a short pause.
"Did you do it alone Miss Johnson? Or you got outer help…"
"Of course I did it alone! I spent the entire week working on it…"
"Well I don't think so" Mr Darcy said rudely interrupting her. "It's obvious that you've received help from someone else. The project is far too perfect to be done by a seventeen year old girl."
"But Mr Darcy.."One of the other teachers tried to mention in, but Darcy cut him off.
"Sorry Miss Johnson, may be you should try again next year. And do the project alone, just to make a difference."
Brooke and Summer were on the edge of anger. He found a reason every year to eliminate Fallon – though she was the best competitor of all.
"Mr Darcy" Brooke's anger took it's strenght as she spoke loudly. "You can't give serious accusation like this without giving any essential proof. How can you be sure about what you just said?"
"Miss Davis" Darcy derided at Brooke. "You at a scientific competition? Don't you have a cheerleading rehearsal or anything…?"
"No" Brooke scoffed at him. "Don't you have someone else you can torture?"
"Brooke!" Summer and Fallon said at the same time. Their friend was always impulsive and didn't think much when speaking.
"Beg my pardon?"Darcy said pretending to be insulted but a devilish smile appeared on his face. He got what he wanted.
"It's kind of pathetic that your only life depends on your students. Don't you have a personal life to take care of?!" Brooke's voice was shrilling and loud. An eldery teacher with curly hair and acrid glasses chuckled. Finally someone told Darcy the truth.
"BROOKE!"Summer yelled, bringing Brooke back to earth.
"Detention. After the competition. My cabinet." Darcy said with a trembling from anger voice.
"Brook what the hell….?" Fallon started after the teachers were gone.
"Fallon I don't know about you but I am sick of seeing that man cutting you off…"
"But what did you achieve by this? Detention…?"
"It's the cause that matters. Not the sacrifices for it."
"Brooke wake up." Summer told her friend. "Mr Darcy is the law here. He will soon be a principle… You'd better improve your relationship with him."
"I don't trust him. There is somethig weird about him… He moved in Tree Hill like what? Two months ago, and is already a candidate for principle?"
"Accept it. He is more than us."
"No he isn't. And I will not leave him. Oh I am going to turn into his major nightmare…"
"Miss Davis"Darcy yelled loudly from the other side of the room grabbing the attention of all the students. "Your detention will start in five minutes." He liked making her feel uncomfortable among the others. Great, so now everyone knew she had a detention…
"Oki doki Mr Darcy" Brooke yelled joyfully after him. "I will get the English tea, you take care for the cookies."
Darcy gave her a burning look, while everyone around him was laughing. Brooke Davis made fool of him… once again.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Right" Sam said after reading newspaper article in the small café in the centre of Tree Hill.
"What?" Dean asked confused his brother.
"Nothing… just the whole newspaper is preoccupied with articles about the Tree Hill Ravens…"
"There are ravens here? Weren't they under law protection or…"
"No" Sam shook his head. "It's a basketball team…"
"Oh"
"More coffee boys?"
"Yes please." Sam said stretching the coffee cup toward the blond woman.
"You're new here, aren't you?" Deb Scott asked the Winchesters. She was the manager of the café first known as Karen's Café, but later turned into Deb's café when Karen left Tree Hill with her husband Keith Scott.
"Yeah. We're just passing by, but if we like it we may stay."Dean smiled to the middle-aged-woman.
"Well I am sure you will find what you're looking for here." Deb smiled warmly.
Dean nodded and smiled while the woman walked away to the bar.
"Where shall we go first?" Dean asked when made sure their conversation is heard by nobody.
"I have no idea…"Sam said honestly. "This place is kind of normal…"
"Normal means night clubs, expensive malls and parties."Dean said happily.
"Yes for the rich kids…"
"What is means for the ordinary citizens?" Dean showed fake interest.
"School."
Dean laughed thinking Sam was joking. He didn't expect that the Guardians… the only power on Earth that is more vigorous than evil… is in the hands of some geeky schoolboys?!
"Seriously. I think the Guardians are students."
Dean froze on his place looking at his brother with all the suspicion he could produce on his face… And he saw it clearly – Sam wasn't joking.
"You think the Guardians are some 15-years-old school geeks?"
"Maybe not. But what options do we have?"
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Miss Davis. You are late." Mr Alan Darcy spoke with contempt to the pretty student. Who the hell she thought she was?
"Sorry Mr Darcy, I was busy telling my school mates about my detention. What to say, popularity makes everything seem cool." She said so joyfully that Darcy would have let her go immediately if he was a normal person.
"Your arogancy has no limits!" he yelled nervously.
"Just like yours, Mr Darcy" Brooke knew she was driving him crazy, she knew about the effect she had on him. Darcy always wanted to be the bad guy, to make the students feel insecure, pathetic. But Brooke was ready to fight back.
"SIT DOWN. AND NO TALKLING UNTIL THE END OF THE DETENTION."Darcy yelled.
"Oh speaking of its end, when that would be?" she said calmly as if the teacher hadn't yelled at her just now.
"STARTING NOW." Darcy yelled once again and locked the door leaving Brooke alone in his cabinet.
'Idiot'she thought and immediately stood up from her place. She carefully sat on the window's railing and looked through it. The perfect view – she could bet Darcy wanted to have this cabinet so he could spy on everyone outside. She spotted him leaving the school yard, walking fast to his car. Was he leaving? And did he just lock her? Now she only had to find someone to unlock her… Yes Darcy was an idiot. Or he planned something?
She went to the door again and tried to open it. No, he seriously locked her in. Brooke knocked on the door with all her power.
"HELLO IS THERE SOMEBODY OUTSIDE? THE FREAK DARCY LOCKED ME, PLEASE OPEN."
She yelled as loud as she could. But noone answered at first. And so she hoped – she looked through the window again – an apple tree was 2 metres away from the building… and about 5 metres under the upper floor where Brooke was. There was one thing she could do, on condition there was noone to see it… But nah, there were still students and teachers talking outside, but optimisticly – were on their ways home. Well, if Darcy doesn't come back soon, Brooke will have no choice. And Darcy would never ask her how she got out, because then Brooke will say how he locked her in his cabinet after the lessons have ended… Which was not action which a candidate for principal will undertake.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Two hours from his disappearing, Brooke was still waiting for Darcy to come. It was getting dark and as she propped up her head on her hands staring from the window Brooke felt she couldn't wait any longer. No one will see her, or if does – will not believe his eyes. Brooke's right hand straighted and with slow moves of her fingers and mind-concentration she guided the growth of the tree. When it was on the level of her window, she quickly jumped on it's bough and then restored it's original size. She climbed down and as her feet thouched the ground her cell phone rang loudly. She looked around to see whether there was someone around but she didn't spot anyone and picked up.
"Yeah?"
"Finally. We've been calling you all afternoon!" Fallon's voice said with a note of reproof.
"Sorry guys, Darcy locked me in his cabinet…"
"What?! He can't do that…" Fallon said angrily.
"He already did… Where are you now?"
"In Tric… Summer insisted… I think it's connected to the fact Nathan Scott came back from High Flyers today " Fallon said with a chuckle.
"Oh" Brooke smiled. "I will come in a minute."
"Brooke you're not going to use your powers….."
"Hi" Brooke said from behind her.
"Brooke! Stop that"
"What? It's faster" Brooke said innocently.
"And much unsafer!"
"Fallon I think I am the one to decide for myself…"
"Heey" Summer's cheerful voice said and embraced both Brooke and Fallon. "When did you come?"
"Brooke just came in… using her powers" Fallon said expecting Summer will criticize Brooke immediately.
"Cool! How long it took this time?" Summer asked excited.
"15 seconds! Amazing huh?"
"This time? I can't believe it!" Fallon said disappointed and rolled her eyes.
"Nathan Scott came back today" Summer announced to Brooke pretending not to hear Fallon's murmuring.
"I heard. So…. will you finally talk to him?" Brooke said playfully taking Summer's hand.
"Why should I do that?" Summer asked carelessly. She was in love with Nathan from the moment she saw him – from about 10 years... Ten years of pure, secret love. But Nathan… he seemed not to notice her at all. He was always with the guys from his team and she was always too shy to make the first step. Summer bacame popular in her school after she started hanging out with Brooke Davis. Brooke offered Summer to introduce her to Nathan several times when she found out about her interest in him, but Summer refused at first. When she finally decided to accept Brooke's help, Nathan left town and went to play basketball in High Flyers.
"Maybe because it's high time he saw you!" Brooke said with a tiny laughter. She was such a matchmaker but Summer's refusals were unacceptable. Maybe she should make something without telling her friend.
"Let's just leave it to the destiny…."
"Destiny sucks. Don't trust it." Brooke said so seriously that Summer couldn't help but laugh.
"Funny. Weren't you the one who says that 'people that are meant to be together always find their way at the end'?" Summer asked immitating Brooke's voice when saying her popular phylosophy.
"It turned wrong." Brooke said with the same serious tone. They were moving slowly but were already to the bar.
"Can I get you something?" the bar attendant immediately came when he saw Brooke. She was everyone's type of girl…
"No thanks." She sent him away.
"So when your theory broke?" Summer asked her pretending they weren't just interrupted.
"Hmm" Brooke said ironically. "I think it was somewhere between the third and the forth time me and Lucas broke up…"
"So what?"
"… and to be completely honest – between the forth and the fifth time I found out he was cheating on me…"
Summer rolled her eyes. "You weren't even in love him…"
"But he didn't know it. And though thinking I loved him he cheated on me… several times."
"Whatever."Summer ended that conversation. "I will wait for a better chance to talk to him."
"Whatever you like it… Where is Fallon?"
"I think I saw her going in the ladies'room. I will find her before she freaks out because we ignored her."
"Yeah you'd better." Brooke agreed.
Summer went directly there and Brooke looked around just to see Nathan Scott in front of her.
"Well well well" she said playfully. "My eyes must be lying, the famous basketball star Nathan Scott back in town?"
Nathan chuckled and went to her. "Here's my number-one-fan. How are you Brooke?" he said smiling propping up to the bar where she was standing.
"Well actually I need your help" she chuckled. Was it destiny that brought him to her? Well it was something for sure.
"Already? God how do you even live without me?!" Nathan said so playfully that one might think him and Brooke have a thing going on between them. But they hadn't.
"It's hard." She said seriously. "But I am still alive right? So will you help me?"
"Help you with what?"
Brooke smiled devilishly. Summer wouldn't find out it was her. "Can you meet me tomorrow at your mother's café? 8 o'clock?"
Nathan thought things over. "Sure. I will be there anyway. Why?"
"Just be there."she said exactly when Tim Smith jumped over Nathan like a small puppy.
"Tim!"Nathan yelled at his friend. "Man, you should really stop doing this."
"Why?" Tim said and turned to Brooke. "What's up Brooke?"
"You're still alive…" Brooke said bored.
"Yeah" Tim laughed, not getting her words correctly. "Come on Nate, the team is ready."
"Wanna come and party?" Nathan asked Brooke being almost pulled by Tim.
"No thanks, I have work to do. Don't forget to meet me tomorrow!" she yelled after him when Tim was joined by two more team-mates who literally pushed Nathan out.
"Hey" Fallon joined Brooke once again. God Brooke could never be alone… " Summer and me are leaving. Join us?"
"Nah I need to drink something… Oh S." Brooke said to Summer who just appeared behind Fallon. "I am so crazy, I almost forgot Deb asked me to tell you that tomorrow you start work at 8."
"Oh okay" Summer said resignedly. She started working for Deb last week aiming to spend some more time away from her home. Since her father married for a third time and went in California on a honey moon 4 MONTHS AGO Summer felt the need to go out more recently. "I will go home then, and get some sleep."
"Bye Brooke" Fallon said and smiled.
"See you tomorrow" Summer said joyfully.
"Yeah"Brooke smiled to her friends. "Have a nice and safe night"
Fallon and Summer went out as Brooke felt the self-satisfaction from her deeds. Oh she was so generous and kind…
"You play dangerous game."
Brooke turned right to see who was talking to her. She didn't recognize the man – have never seen him before. He was wearing leather jacket, jeans and was staring at her.
"Excuse me?" she said confused. Who was he?
"Matchmaking. You just set them up."
Oh so he had heard Brooke's little plans.
"It's a good thing to help two people meant for each other… find it." She said secure in her words.
"And how do you know they are meant to be?"
"Well if they are not, then it would be just a good relationship. And good sex, I assume"
The man laughed. "I'm Dean."
"Brooke" she said and sat on the chair next to him. That man woke her interest. "You're not from Tree Hill?"
"No, I am just passing by. But a nice city."
"There's only one Tree Hill" Brooke chuckled. "Do you look for something specific?"
"Yeah actually…" Dean was thinking of appropriate lie. "I am a journalist. And am writing an article about Tree Hill Ravens."
"You just missed the team" Brooke laughed thinking of the boys' faces when find out they are the topic of an article. "But it's good 'coz they are not really adequate during nights."
"I know that, I am here for pleasure not business" he said trying to sound as much proffecional as he could. Why was he trying to impress that girl he barely knew? "So Brooke why are you such a match-maker?"
"I am happy when people are happy." She said quickly.
"You're lying. Noone is happy just from that."
"You don't know me, how can you say for sure?" Brooke said dareing.
"I can't say. But I can get to know you."
Oh, flirting.
"Sure you can, but still if you proove to be wrong about me?"
"And you're doing it all for self-satisfaction?"
"Mhm."
"Well then you will have my true respect and love."
"Cool. How much do they cost?" she joked. It was unbelievable she was flirting with this guy. She didn't even know him!
"You can get them enough for a new car." Dean said. "But I wouldn't sell them."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
The moment they walked out, after about an hour from their meeting, Brooke felt her body being pushed by his, propping on the wall on the darker side of the alley between Tric and the co-operation next to it. The sudden passion they felt for one another was maybe due to the five drinks, or maybe it was something else? Who knows.
"Your place or my place?" Brooke moaned into his ear.
"I have a car." He said playfully.
"Terrific." She giggled.
Great noise frightened them and they mechanichally started looking around to find the source of this sudden tumult. Then they saw it. Ugly, slimy creature appeared in front of them. It had a hood on his head and the only part that could be seen were the sharp yellow teeth projecting from his large mouth. It was the evil variation of the Baskerville Dog.
"Brooke whatever you do, just don't panic" Dean said seriously moving in front of her.
"Panic?" she said surprised by his brave action when seeing the weird creature. Most people freak out just by the thought of supernatural demons, they don't believe in.
The creature was breathing noisily but standing still. Dean was looking nervously around. There was no chance they escape without doing a thing. Brooke would be scared to death when he has to kill it, but he has no choice – it's their lives against it's.
"If it attacks, run." Dean commanded while looking for his gun without getting his eyes off the ugly dog.
"No way." Brooke said surely. What was she supposed to do? Yes, Dean will find out about her powers but she will probably save his life… What an ordinary man can do? Shoot it with an ordinary bullet gun?
"Oh my God!" Brooke suddenly yelled.
Dean was pointing the gun to the creature. He was pointing the Colt. She thought it didn't exist – a mystical weapon from the tales and stories she was readinng. She recognized it immediately – just like the descriptions in the books.
"I work for FBI" Dean said quickly thinking she is scared because of the gun.
The creature started moving from place to place. Dean couldn't point and made one unsuccessful shot. The dog seemed to fade out and appear on another place on that very same second.
"Damn it." He said angrily. Where was that freakin' dog.
"We need to talk." Brooke said seriously. He owned the Colt, so does that make him a hunter? He must be. Brooke knew there are hunters around the world – brave man who have devoted their lives to the war with the supernatural. But have never seen any before.
"I am a bit busy right now." Dean said ironically trying to shoot the dog with the Colt.
"Okay leave that"she said bored and with a wave of her hand the ground shook and the creature was caught in a huge boug coming from the tree on their right.
Dean looked at her this time totally losing the creature out of sight. She… she… she was…. ?
The bough was squeezing the creature so much that it's body tore apart. Then as if from dust, it disappeared.
"Oh my God." Dean said shocked. "You are a Guardian."
"You have the Colt."
Both looked at each other long time trying to figure out what to do. Dean wanted so desperately to find the Guardians – but now what? Just to tell her his story to offer her help? From what he just saw, she didn't seem to need it.
Brooke was silent. So he had the Colt – and he was probably a hunter. What was he going to do? What was he doing here? He knew about the Guardians, so may be finding them was the reason he came here. But was he a friend… or a foe?
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Fallon what the hack are we doing here?!" Summer whispered as Fallon was already stepping up in the Tree Hill's graveyard.
"Summer did you forget what we do for a living…?"
"Yeah but we've never done it here" Summer trembled. She hated graveyards.
"I watched Buffy and she is doing it all the time… Why shouldn't we?" Fallon claimed surely.
"Buffy…? The one with the vampire friend, the witch and the normal guy?"
"The Guardians… with the supernatural powers?" Fallon said in response.
"Okay okay" Summer stepped to her. "Just let's do it faster!"
"Fine, you go west, I go east."
"Wait? You mean we separate? Fallon you can't do that!"
"Summer chill out! What the hell is going on with you? Since when you fear the dark?"
"I don't fear the dark… " Summer said and realized it sounded as an excuse. "I just hate graveyards…"
"I honestly don't know anyone who likes them. If anything shows up call me. We won't go far. Come on."
Fallon took the eastern direction as Summer rolled her eyes but moved west.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Dean was moving around nervously as Brooke was sitting calm on the sidewalk.
"Will you chill out a bit?" Brooke finally spoke.
"It's just…. You are woman?!" Dean didn't want to admit it but he was a bit disappointed that one of the Guardians was actually a woman…
"God didn't you know it when we made out?!" Brooke spoke in sarcasm. Those men with their prejudices.
"How many are you?" Dean asked and sat next to her on the sidewalk.
"You mean the Guardians?" Brooke asked and he nodded in agreement. "Three."
"Just… three?" Dean was broken – his plans ruined. Just three Guardians… and one of them is a woman…
"Yes genius, what did you think? How many powers can there possibly be? Earth, Water and Fire." Brooke said a bit angrily feeling the disappointment and understimation in his voice.
She had the point. What he and Sam thought? That there will be an army?
"So you have the power of Earth…"
"Yes. Summer has the power of water and Fallon the power of fire."
Oh. My. God. Literature was not one of Dean's strongest points, but hell, he could swear Summer and Fallon are female names… Oh no…