With Natalie's admission to wanting to help, Sam was finally able to let go of some suspicions of her. The younger Winchester brother was quickly becoming a close friend, or as friendly as a kidnapper could be. Natalie felt guilty for still thinking of them as captors of any sort, but it was true. Cole had taken her from her home, her friends were probably dying to find her, but she had to say it wasn't all bad.
"Natalie," Sam called through her door with a soft knock. She didn't move from her spot laid out on her bed as she told him to come in. By now, she was used to Sam visiting throughout the day. "You know you don't have to stay in here."
She finally looked up from her book and glanced around at the bare walls of the room. "It's easier to avoid Dean's glared from in here."
"Come on, I was going shopping. You said the kitchen was bare."
She hesitated for a moment before smiling and sliding off the bed. It was almost sad how excited she got over seeing the outside world again. Sitting in the passenger seat of the Impala, Natalie let the wind throw her hair around her face as they drove to the closest town with the windows rolled down. Sam tried not to laugh at her, but she could tell he was amused by her behavior.
"What?" She asked when she finally opened her eyes and moved a little further into the seat. "I haven't been out of that bunker in two weeks. This is the closest to heaven as I'll get."
He did laugh at that. It wasn't long until they were pulling into a small shopping center. Natalie tried to stay focused on the food that she wanted to buy, but she couldn't stop her eyes from shifting to the other stores around. Sam was a few paces ahead of her already closing in on the grocery store, when he noticed she wasn't next to him.
"Natalie," he called as he turned in a slight panic to see her staring at a clothing store. His expression softened as he noticed she was wearing the only pair of jeans she had and one of his large t-shirts tied at her waist to keep it from falling to her knees. "We can go in if you want. I'm sorry I didn't think of it before."
"I don't have any money." She sighed. "Cole didn't exactly grab my wallet when he threw me in this truck."
"Don't worry it's the least I can do." Sam said as he lightly gripped her arm and pulled her in the direction of the store.
That was the first of many outings with Sam. Slowly she was building up a wardrobe again, anything was better than the oversized shirts Sam had been letting her borrow. It didn't really surprise her when her closet was mostly t-shirts, jeans, and a few plaid button downs. It was nothing as diverse as the one she had back home, but who needs a little black dress when she was lucky to go grocery shopping every other week?
Natalie knew having Sam on her side was just the start. There was no way for her to truly be trusted without having the oldest Winchester on her side as well. The few times they were alone, he either completely ignored her or yelled at her for whatever she'd been doing. It was nerve wracking knowing there was absolutely nothing she could do in order to make him see her as anything other than a witch.
"What are you doing?" Dean's voice boomed from the entrance of the kitchen, causing Natalie to jump and drop the spoon she was using for mixing the sauce.
"Jesus, can you not sneak up on me?" She said through gritted teeth as she bent down to pick up the spoon.
Dean followed her movement, trying to get a read on the woman that had been living with them for two weeks now. He knew Sam trusted her, but there was still the fact that she was a witch. Dean just couldn't see himself ever trusting a witch. Natalie was different though, he had to at least admit that. She seemed like a nice enough girl, but she had helped Cole try to kill him.
"Sorry," he mumbled as she moved to the sink to rinse the spoon. "What are you doing?"
"Solving world hunger…" she deadpanned. When he didn't say anything for a few seconds, she glanced over her shoulder to see that he had moved further into the room. "Lasagna. It's one of the few things I'm actually good at making."
She took the newly clean spoon and returned to the pot boiling on the stove. Again Dean found himself following her movements with his eyes. Leaning against the island, closer to the stove and oven, he was able to see that she had been busy most of the afternoon. The sink was filled with dishes already and one side of the counter was still covered in flour from whatever she had been baking.
"Apple pie," she said as she noticed where his eyes had landed. "Sam mentioned it was a favorite."
"Sam doesn't like pie." Dean said.
"I know, he said it was yours." She gave him a small smile. "You don't like me, and I get why. I just think that if we got to know each other a little better, maybe you could see that I'm not all bad. And maybe I could see why Sam says you're not always such a dick." She smiled at the end to show that she was joking.
That night, the three sat around the table actually having a pleasant dinner. Sam was surprised that Dean was holding a civil conversation, although Sam and Natalie were the two keeping the topics rolling, the pair focusing of the different monsters the brother's had faced over the years. He could tell that Dean was still trying to size Natalie up. It was only a matter of time before Dean saw the girl that Sam had gotten to know.
"Well boys, I cooked. Have fun cleaning up." She said as she left the kitchen.
"Yeah Sammy, have fun cleaning up." Dean slapped his brother on the chest before taking another bottle of beer and heading to his room.
SPN*spn*SPN
The nights were the hardest for her. She was still sleeping on the original mattress that the Men of Letters had placed in the bunker and she spent more time tossing around on the brick like bed than getting any actual rest. It was early and Natalie was just barely falling asleep when Dean barged into her room. "Get up, we need your help. Pack light."
She didn't get any further explanation. Dean stood in her doorway as he watched her pack a small duffle bag with the few clothes she had on hand. Sam was already waiting at the Impala in the garage. She wanted to ask him for more information, but the sense of urgency was clear from each brother. She slid in the back door that Dean held open for her, her eyes watching him closely as she settled into the back seat. The impulse to flinch overtook her as he moved around the door and leaned into the back seat. The cold bite of metal on her wrists shocked her, and she immediately sought out Sam's gaze from the passenger seat. When he gave a sympathetic shrug she turned her eyes back to Dean as he clicked the other cuff to the Impala door.
"Just a precaution, sweetheart." He said before moving back to the driver's seat. She didn't miss the disapproving look Sam sent his way as he started the car.
Sitting in the back, watching the scenery change as Dean floored it to some unknown location, Natalie tried to stay as still as possible to keep the handcuffs from rattling. She actually scoffed as Dean turned up the music in order to drown out the sound of the cuffs. It was his idea after all.
When they finally made it to Illinois, Sam was the one to fill her in on the fact that they were going to meet Castiel for an emergency he called them in on.
"Castiel?" She was surprised to catch Dean's gaze in the rearview mirror. Sam turned in the passenger seat in order to face her better.
"Cas is a friend." Sam answered. "He's also an angel."
"A what?" She tried not to laugh. "Like an honest to God angel? That was real?"
"What was real?" Dean asked as he glanced back at her from the driver's seat.
"I found these books…" Both brothers let out noises of aggravation before she was able to finish. "Oh God, that really did happen?"
"Yeah," Sam bit out as both men turned their attention back to the road.
That was the last thing they said to her until they were pulling into the truck stop parking lot. The boys got out of the car first, Dean stopped to open the back door and uncuff her. The action caused Castiel to narrow his eyes on the pair before they were moving towards him. Natalie stayed a few paces behind, trying to gage where her role in the situation was. She came to a stop a few steps behind the brothers, her eyes taking in the interaction between the three men.
"Nat, why don't you come with me to talk to the people at the group home?" Sam asked, reaching behind him to touch her arm.
"No, she'll be more helpful here." Dean spoke up. Castiel remained in front of them, watching the two brothers grip the girl's wrists. "She can do that locator thing to find Claire."
"I don't think…" Natalie tried, glancing up at the angel even though she knew there was nothing for him to do.
"You can do it right?" Dean asked, his hand gripping her wrist a little tighter. All she could do was nod, which seemed to settle the argument. Sam let go and Dean pulled her behind him as he followed Castiel into the building.
That's how she found herself holed up in the woman's restroom at a truck stop diner trying to pinpoint an angry teenager. Every time she got close, the wax would begin to move again. She was terrified to go back out to Dean with no location. If what she'd been reading about Cain and the mark were true, then she needed to be careful of riling up his temper, and the raw feeling of her wrist was a clear reminder.
"Are we going to talk about the witch you brought along?" Castiel asked, after the two sat in a heavy silence after Dean's request to be taken out if the mark took control again.
"What's there to talk about? She's doing her thing to find Claire." Dean shrugged.
"Where did she come from, she's not one of your usual friends?"
"Kind of fell in our laps. Sammy decided to take her in."
"You don't trust her." Castiel said, watching his friend closely.
"Not really, she's a witch. Sam does though, and I'll follow his lead." He glanced down at his watch before turning in the direction Natalie had disappeared to. "Speaking of the witch, she's been gone awhile."
Finally, she was able to blow the wax cool before her vision began to blur at the edges. She felt herself losing balance, and gripped the edge of the sink in front of her as a loud knock came from the door.
"You better still be in there, Sabrina." Dean boomed. With a stumble she fell through the door, he caught her roughly by the upper arms. "Find something?"
"Not really, she's moving. East from what I can tell. All I got is about a fifty mile radius." She sighed.
"That's fine, Sam's got something." He let her go, heading back into the dining area. Natalie took a minute to steady herself before she followed behind him.
Sam told the group at the boy Claire was close with, and that's how the four found themselves waiting around outside a Weiner Hut. Natalie hated to admit the idea of actually eating a hotdog sounded delicious at the moment. She hadn't been able to eat at the diner and she was having a hard time remembering the last decent meal she had other than the dinner she made back at the bunker.
Natalie rolled down the back window of the Impala and shifted her gaze between the two brothers that were leaned against the car. "I'm starving, mind if I run inside?" She tried to direct her question more to Sam, but she wasn't surprised when he glanced to Dean.
"Sure, come on." Dean opened the back door for her, snapping the cuff of her wrist before both Sam and Castiel watched as the older brother followed the blonde into the store.
She gave a sweet smile to the teenage boy behind the register as she order. Dean tried to hide his surprise at the three hotdogs, large fry and soda she ordered. He rolled his eyes as she turned the sweet smile his direction as she stepped aside to let him order and pay. He turned his glare on the teenager as his eyes followed Natalie to the soda machine instead of taking the cash Dean was handing over.
"She's a little out of your league, kid." Dean bit back as he drew the kid's attention back to him.
"Sorry man, but you should know your girlfriend is hot."
"Not his girlfriend." Natalie choked out as she took a sip from her bendy straw. "Not even friends, really."
"You're cute, grab the food and let's go." Dean growled, pushing her to the other side of the counter where a large greasy bag was waiting.
She set the bag down on a table next to the window, giving him a good view of where Sam and Cas were still waiting for the kid to show up. Natalie didn't seem to notice or care, she pulled out her food and dug in like it was her last meal. Dean tried not to stare as she practically inhaled the first hotdog. A part of him wondered if this was how Sam felt watching him pig out all these years.
"So this girl," Natalie asked around a mouthful of fries. "She's Castiel's daughter?"
"Not exactly." Dean said, keeping his eyes focused on the pane of glass. He also tried to ignore the fact that he was more focused on her reflection than what was happening on the other side.
"What happens when we find her? Is he going to take care of her? Are you?" She sucked down more of her soda before tearing into her last hotdog. "Maybe you guys should've thought this through."
"Thanks for the input, Dr. Phil. We'll figure it out, we always do." He said before stepping away from table as he saw Castiel pin a boy against the brick wall. "Let's go."
Natalie found herself in the back of the Impala once again. She rolled her eyes as Dean handcuffed her to the door handle. He at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed. Almost as soon as the door closed she felt herself slump against it in exhaustion. There wasn't enough time for her to actually get any semblance of sleep. Before she knew it, the Impala was parked behind a convenience store alley.
"You guys mind?" She jiggled the handcuffs around the door as the brother's got out of the car. Sam was the one moving to the back seat this time. "I've got to pee. Think I can handle that one on my own?" She gave him a hopeful smile.
"Sure, head in with Cas. Please don't make me regret this?" He finished quietly with a glance in Dean's direction.
"It'll be quick I promise." She followed behind the angel, stumbling slightly over the door jam.
"She seem alright to you?" Sam asked as he went to lean against the front fender of the Impala.
"Threw back more food than I did, if that's what you mean?"
"No, she seems a little off today. Slow and unbalanced." Dean nodded, noticing the same thing.
"Tired maybe. She hadn't eaten and I don't think she got any sleep before we left." Dean reasoned.
"It was the tracking. Remember, magic drains me. I just need to refuel." Natalie's voice shocked the brother's as she came around the corner holding up a bag of skittles in her hand. "She's in there by the way. They'll be out in a minute."
The three awkwardly stood in the alley before Natalie offered some of the candy to Sam. He declined which only seemed to make the tension thicker, she held the bag out as an offer for Dean and let out a sigh of relief when he held out his hand. She settled between the two, her and Dean passing the small bag back and forth. Sam let out a soft chuckle as he watched the pair.
"Pie, hotdogs, and skittles." Natalie said softly. Dean glanced at Sam before looking down at the woman between them. "Just keeping a list of things to keep me in your good graces."
Dean rolled his eyes and passed the bag back to her. He had a small internal war before he decided to throw her a bone. "Pie, gummy bears and burgers."
"What?" She asked with a little laugh.
"Top three, foods anyway." He said. She nodded with a small smile before the door beside them busted open with an angry Claire Novack stepping into the alley.
Castiel wasn't far behind her, and Sam and Dean were quick to stand to their full height. Natalie kept her position on the fender of the Impala as Claire glared at the men around them. It was as if she hadn't even noticed the woman with them. Natalie actually felt her heart break for the girl, listening to her talk about the father she lost. It wasn't until the teen pointed the gun in the direction of the Impala that Natalie found her feet. As soon as she was standing, she felt a slight wave of panic before both brothers stepped closer together to shield her from the weapon.
Natalie knew she should be worried, but she could see the deep shades of pain and sadness that washed over Claire's aura. She was surprised to feel the sting of tears in her eyes as she went back to lean on the fender as Claire walked off.
"Wow," Natalie breathed as she glanced between the three men. "I need to sleep."
Natalie didn't mind they left her handcuffed to the backdoor as they went to grab a drink as she slept off the fatigue from the day. It wasn't all from the spell she'd done, every word Claire said was seared into Natalie's brain as she tried to process what to think of the men she found herself surrounded by. She let exhaustion pull her into unconsciousness as a few tears managed to escape through her lashes.
It was Sam unlocking the handcuffs that finally woke her. A few seconds of confusion, and she turned to watch Castiel come out of a house with a hysterical Claire. She slid to the edge of the seat stretching her legs out the open door and rubbing her sore wrists. Castiel and Claire were beside her, the teen curled against the angel's side breathing heavily. As Natalie's senses started to come back fully, she felt a switch. A tidal wave of white hot rage washed over the entire area.
"Where's Dean?" She asked, voice hoarse as her eyes moved towards the house. The other three occupants turned as well as they heard a struggle from within.
All four ran back to the house. Natalie barely registered Claire's screams as she took in the bodies covered in blood scattered around the room. Sam moved in front of his brother as Natalie took a step back, cautiously moving toward the door, but her eyes never left the eldest Winchester.
Bile rose up her throat as her eyes remained on the two brothers. Castiel took Claire out before Natalie made it through the threshold. She choked on the lump in her throat when Dean's eyes connected with hers. Finally outside, she broke down into gasping breaths and hot tears rolling down her cheeks. It wasn't until she felt Sam's arms wrap around her middle that she realized she was even running, or at least attempting.
"No, Sam. I can't." She cried as she struggled against him. "This is too much. What happened in there…those were bad men sure, but they were human. If the mark is that strong, he's already gone." Natalie said as tears fell from her eyes. "I'm not strong enough to deal with this."
"It's under control." Sam lied. "He has it under control. He won't hurt you, Natalie."
Natalie slumped in defeat, knowing she wasn't going to get more than the lies Sam was feeding her. With a heavy sigh she found her feet and was once again in the backseat of the Impala. Wiping away the wet from her cheeks, she glanced over to see Claire once again huddled into the side of Castiel. Natalie was almost a little ashamed to feel jealous over the comforting gesture.
She sat behind Dean, who now occupied the passenger seat, and she couldn't help but notice the dark tinge to the energy around him. She bit down on her lip as she thought of every spell she knew. Taking a deep breath, she reached out with a shaking hand. She noticed Claire shrink further into Castiel's side. No one but Natalie understood her fear, the two women didn't have the same blind faith in the man as his brother and friend seemed to possess. Her trembling fingers laid a hand on his shoulder, she extended three fingers to barely touch his neck before moving them in a slow, deliberate pattern.
Dean turned to her finally, a questions in his eyes. "It wasn't you. I'm sorry I freaked out." All she got was a nod as Dean seemed to finally relax into the passenger seat.
I hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter. Don't forget to drop a review. Thanks, S.K
