Chapter Four: The Mad Hatter and a Cup of Tea
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"This one's pretty." Kelly said, holding up a soft red tank top and looking at herself in the mirror. Behind her, leaning casually against a wall, away from a rack of clothes, Dean snorted. It was their first day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Kelly knew they were currently not far from where the apartment building where female disappearances were happening. The very thought sent shivers up her spine. While she knew she wasn't the ghost's type, being small and brunette, a pit in her stomach still remained. Like she knew something ominous was about to happen. After all, she was a demon magnet, wasn't she? Kelly was unsure about the whole thing, and wondered why she hadn't put up a protest and asked the Winchesters to let her stay with Ellen. The older Harvelle seemed nice, but… The memory of Jo's coldness and jealousy made her shiver, and she knew why she'd decided to come with the boys. Even if it means that I'll be in mortal danger. Danger she could handle, ghosts, though they gave her the willies, she could deal with, but jealous twenty something's competing for male attention? Not a chance in hell. "What do you think?"
"I think it's the same as the last five things you tried on." Dean said, fiddling with his wallet, and wondering why he'd agreed to come on this little outing in the first place. Why hadn't he just given her his credit card and let her go on her own shopping spree. He glanced around. A bunch of old ladies were giving him the eye. He shifted uncomfortably in his biker boots and jeans, resisting the urge to start twiddling the knife he always kept tucked against his right ankle.
"It's fine." Kelly finished the sentence for him with a sigh, and looking down at her cart. She knew that Dean probably would rather be caught dead in Goodwill than seen living in one, and she felt bad about Sam's volunteering him for chaperone duty. The other Winchester was currently scouting out the apartment building and the rooms where the girls got snagged. Kelly knew that Dean would much rather be out hunting ghosts than telling her what she looked like as she glanced down at the cart. She'd managed to find a long leather jacket, three tops better suited for her skin tone, two pairs of jeans, and a set of shoes. All told it wouldn't be more than thirty dollars and would keep her in good for at least a week or two. "Is that the only word you know?" She asked.
"No!" Dean snapped, taking a step up to her. "But since you're being a pain in my ass, I don't feel the need to boost your ego." Then he leaned in really close and said in a low voice. "And if you'd just agreed to sleep with me in the first place…"
"None of this would be happening." She said, tossing the tank top into the cart. "Well for now you'll just have to keep your pecker in your pouch, because with this ass?" She tapped her small bum, and Dean snorted. He and she both knew her body was a straight up and down with little to no curve along her backside, and though she did have a nice well-shaped tight ass… it hardly helped her figure. "The milk don't come free."
"I hate girls like you." Dean said, as Kelly took control of the shopping cart.
"Live with it." Kelly said. "Let's get going." She headed for the check out with an all too eager Dean following behind her. Ten minutes later, Dean was in the drivers seat pulling out, and Kelly had elected to sit in the back with her bags. Silently she hunkered down in the back seat and began stripping.
"Hey! Hey!" Dean yelled, turning around in his seat. "What do you think your doing?"
"What does it look like?" Kelly asked, raising an eyebrow as she searched her Goodwill bag for the red tank top. "I'm changing."
"Right." Dean said. "Never mind." He minutely adjusted his rearview mirror to angle downwards into the backseat. "Do what you gotta to do."
Kelly quirked an eyebrow as she pulled her blue spaghetti strap and floral over shirt off, quickly shedding the poorly fitting clothes that Jo had given her, and started pulling on her new tank top. "I'm going to tell Sam that you're a peeping tom." She informed him, brushing back her short hair, and reaching into the bag to pull out the brown and cracked leather jacket. She ripped off the tag, and pulled it over her shoulders. Settling back against the seats, she smiled prettily at Dean.
"You go right ahead." Dean said, imagining the flack he'd catch from his overly chivalrous brother later. "He'll tell you that it was a foregone conclusion." He still found that he had to admire the red on her more than the blue, it accentuated the pale tan instead of washing her out. She was almost. Pretty.
"True." Kelly yawned, it had been a long drive to Philadelphia, and they hadn't stopped for anything except gas. "So you going to show me how to shoot a gun or not?"
"Not." He said. "You aren't ready for that."
"Sure I'm not." She said with a smirk.
A few hours later,
"No." She said, stamping her foot against the cloth rug. It was cheap, like most of the stuff in the apartment. It was sparsely decorated with tables, chairs and a few pieces of furniture. The landlord did say it came fully furnished. She thought, that was unusual for a rental. "I won't." She felt like a child, and from the way Dean was glaring at her, he did too. A mixture of disgust and dismay flicked through his eyes, even as his face remained stoic, and it only made her angrier. I'm not a child. He didn't need to treat her like she was breakable.
"You're staying here." Dean repeated, and Kelly suddenly knew what it was like to be Jo. He doesn't trust me. "We've put salt on the windowsills and in front of the door, nothing's getting in. You'll be perfectly safe."
That's not what I'm worried about. "As houses." She muttered, brushing strands of brown hair back behind her ear. She felt foolish, even in her new clothes. Jo's jeans fit awkwardly, and showed off all the wrong areas of her body. It was difficult to feel confident when your jeans made your ass look like Alaska.
"You're a civilian kid." Dean repeated for the third time. I know, I know. How many times did he have to tell her? She suppressed a sigh. Boys are so stubborn.
"You'd only be in the way." Jo added, from the table. She was twiddling her hunting knife, and Kelly resisted the urge to slap her. A growl rose in her throat, and she swallowed it. Somehow, she felt that ever since she'd come to this world, she'd started to grow more doglike. Does she have to be smug about this? She wondered. She's in the exact same boat. Dean didn't want her anywhere near the ghost either. IAnd she crashed this job. Well, it had been her job in the first place. But she didn't have to show up and immediately latch onto his arm. It wasn't like they were engaged. But she had paid the landlord and gotten the boys and Kelly out of a tight situation. And she'd done it with money she'd swindled from Hunters by playing poker. Which, Kelly had to admit, was kind of cool. Now, though, Jo was determined to exclude Kelly from any participation in their hunt. Not that Dean Winchester needed any help in that department. The only one who had spoken up for her was Sam. And he only did it because Jo was ragging on me. Sam had a noble nature, and that was a part of him that Kelly appreciated.
"You're one to talk Jo." Sam said.
"She's even greener than me." Jo snapped, flicking her knife shut. "Sam, she can't fight, can't hardly shoot, doesn't even know how to cock a pistol. If she comes she's going to get us all killed."
Kelly couldn't fault that logic. "I can take care of myself." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. The memory of her demonic encounter was still fresh in her mind, and she knew that this mission probably couldn't afford a repeat performance. But they've stopped coming after me. Ever since she started wearing the pendant Sam had given her. She fingered the leather strap that hanging over her the pink flesh of her chest, the tank top hid most of her bosom but everything else was exposed. Some nights it rubbed the skin of her neck raw, and like today, left a long red line around her throat. Like a collar. In the week they'd been together, Dean had never missed a chance to make fun of it. Daily. Sam called it bonding. Kelly called it abuse. The man seemed to take every opportunity imaginable to torture her. Well, tease her.
"Not against ghosts." Jo responded. "Whatever kind of spirit this is it'll chew you up and spit you back out."
"A pretty thing like you." Sam added with a grin, he glanced at his brother. Dean didn't look amused.
"Marginally." Jo said, flicking her knife back out. "But that's the gist."
Maybe I'll eat it instead of it eating me. She thought, looking at Dean. "It won't come after me." She said, he raised an eyebrow at her as if to say 'I'm not willing to take that chance' as Jo stood.
"What makes you so sure about that?" She asked, flicking the knife again, this time with more intent. She always got jealous whenever Kelly and Dean shared long looks, not like those looks meant anything. They usually consist of me telling him that I don't want him following me into the bathroom. There were times when Kelly preferred her privacy. But ever since they'd entered the building, Dean had refused to let her out of his sight.
"Pretty, petite, blonde." She ticked off the list. "That is this spirit's flavor of victim. I am small, gawky, and brunette. Do you see where this conflicts with it coming after me." And Dean's laid down salt on every entry way imaginable… The likelihood was that it wouldn't get her anyway. Since he's never going to let me out of this room… Hell, he was planning on making her sleep on the opposing couch and Sam on the floor. Because the bedroom just isn't safe enough. Well, it wasn't like she wanted to share a bed with Jo anyway. When did he turn into a mother hen? "You are petite, pretty and blonde Jo, so how about you stay here, safe as houses, while I go hunt."
She could take rejection on the grounds of incompetence and inexperience from Sam or Dean, they were professional monster killers, but Jo was an amateur just like her. An amateur with a knife collection. One that was stupid or foolish enough to hunt for a spirit that kidnapped and killed girls like her. I'm not the only outsider here, and I won't let her shove me out because she's jealous. She knew why Dean was letting her stay. Me he'd send off if he thought anywhere else was safe. At least he'd stopped bringing up the prospect of sleeping with him, she found him attractive, true, but not enough to well… Give it up. Not even to get home. It wouldn't be so bad if it were Sam. She thought, he wasn't pressuring her. He did occasionally give her curious glances when she'd hit Dean over the head, but they could debate philosophy and talk about college experiences. And what it's like to suddenly be forced to drop out. They had things in common. So why is Dean the overprotective one? And he was the only one who could get her home. I could fall for Sam. Then she glanced at Dean, he was still watching her. Probably remembering me change in his car.
"You're both staying here." Dean snapped, glaring at Jo. He was standing over her, but she, being the spitfire that she was, glared right back.
"No." Jo said. "This is my case."
"I'm not staying here with her." Kelly said, and they glanced at one another.
"I was thinking the same thing." Jo smirked.
"That I would rather be run over by a tractor than stay here with you? Because that one's pretty on the nose." Kelly said. "In fact I would rather be captured by this ghost than stay here with you. I would rather have my inside eaten by a Wendigo than stay here." She added, as Dean's frown grew deeper. "With. You."
"That can be arranged." Dean muttered, but Kelly ignored him.
"Well that settles it." Jo said. "Dean, Sam, and I will go look for the ghost, and you can stay here and guard the house."
"Like hell I will."
"I should be kicking your butt onto a plane and sending you back to your mother." Dean said, but Kelly knew that Dean admired the other girl's drive. He was going to give her the opportunity to prove she had the guts to be a hunter. But I have nowhere else to go. This was her only option. No history, no credit card, no phone. She had nothing, nothing but the Winchesters. Oh, and a bunch of demons might want me. For no reason she could possibly fathom. She sighed. That just about summed up how pathetic her life was becoming.
"If you were going to send me home, you'd have told my mother where I was." Ellen Harvelle was a formidable woman, and Kelly didn't like keeping secrets from her. She had after all, given her the one and only boots she owned.
"Fine." Dean growled.
"Fine." Jo snapped.
So who won this round? Kelly wondered, knowing that either way she was on the losing end. Jo. "Fine." Kelly echoed, more out of her own facetiousness than anything else.
Jo looked at her triumphantly. "So are we going to sit here all day or are we going to kill this thing?"
"I suggest finding it first." Kelly said, from her perch on the counter. "But that's just me." Sam covered his mouth with his hand, but Dean still didn't look amused.
"The day isn't getting any younger Dean." Sam said, looking from one girl to the other.
"You happen to have fourth EMF detector." Kelly said; she'd stolen it from Dean's pack earlier when he'd been arguing with Jo. "I suggest putting it to use."
"Where did you get that?" Dean asked.
"I made it." She said.
"You stole it." He answered.
"Sam was showing me how to use it." She smiled innocently. Dean glared at Sam, and Kelly was glad that Dean wasn't capable of fratricide.
"I didn't show her anything." Sam exclaimed, looking from her to Dean. "Honestly, Dean."
"You're such a pain in my ass." He said, looking at her. Kelly could see him thinking 'I don't know why I get stuck babysitting you'. "Hand it over."
"No."
"Fine, but you're staying here." He said, tossing one of the remaining EMF detectors to Sam, Jo took the other one.
"Oh goodie." Kelly sighed. "Maybe the ghost will come find me."
"You're not its type." Jo reminded her, and Kelly smiled sweetly.
"Don't you know there are always exceptions." She said, brushing her hair back out of her eyes and straightening her shirt. The boots Ellen had given her clicked together. And she enjoyed looking at the finely finished, though worn, leather.
"Don't expect me to come looking for you." Dean said.
"I won't." She said, putting up a hand. "I solemnly swear that I will take responsibility for my own end." That got a chuckle out of Sam, and she thought she saw Dean's lips twitch. Which she found funny, because Sam was supposed to be the straight man. "So don't feel guilty if I die."
He glanced at her again a real smile gracing his features, and she grinned. Their eyes met for a moment, brown to blue. He shook his head, and sighed. "Jo you're with me, Sam you take the first two levels. Jo and I will search the third and fourth."
"I look forward to a horribly gruesome end." She called after him as he disappeared down the taupe hallway. Dean waved back to her over his shoulder, and Jo smirked at Kelly as she sauntered off after him. She sighed loudly and looked over at Sam, he was looking at her and smiling. Sam had an addictive smile, and she couldn't help but grin back at him. Her lips moved on their own.
"Take care of yourself." She was about to smirk at him, but realized that he was being serious.
"Sure." She said, a bit confused by his sudden change in attitude. "I'll be careful."
"I'm serious Kel."
"I'm not a third grader Sam." Kelly said. "I may be new to your world but I got along just fine in my own. You don't have to worry, Dean coated this place with salt, nothing's getting in." He paused, and seemed to accept her explanation and turned to go. He feels guilty. She realized. "Do you want me to come with you?" She asked.
"No." Sam shook his shaggy brown head. "It's just…"
"I'll be fine by myself Sam." She repeated. "I've got the rest of the arsenal, and salt up the wazoo."
"Guns you can't fire."
"If push comes to shove I'll make a circle of salt and sit in it." She said, and Sam smiled. "Honestly, I'm going to be fine. Go." Do I have to push him out the door? She wondered, but Sam turned and left. He kept looking back over his shoulder at her as he did so, until she shut the door and cut off his line of vision. Now I have to stay here. She thought with a groan, grabbing the case file and flopping down onto the couch. I don't think I could face Sam's puppy dog eyes if I left to search on my own. Silently, she began to read. The couch was incredibly uncomfortable, and the fuzzy material dug into her spine and put a crink in her neck. "Still better than one of those chairs though." She muttered, as she flipped through the case file. It was incredibly detailed with newspaper clippings that went back to the fifties. "Interesting." She mumbled. "Is that a prison?" She wondered aloud, circling the building to the left of the one she was currently in. "Huh." That would certainly be useful down the line. If I don't get bored out of my skull with all this waiting. It was too bad Sam's computer was password protected, and he hadn't seen the need to give it to her. He sure as hell better if he's gonna make me sit around all the time while they're on a job. If the brothers thought she'd be safer in the car, that was probably where she'd end up. But it was terribly uncomfortable to sleep in. She wasn't sure how Dean managed.
"Ugh!" She leaned back a few minutes later, completely and utterly bored. "Bored, bored, bored." And she pushed the file to the side. Lying down on the couch, she wondered if it would be possible to sleep the day away. Then I'll perch on the edge of Dean's couch and keep him up all night. That was an enjoyable thought, she liked making his life miserable. In fact one of these days I might just flash him for the hell of it. Just so he'd get his cute confused look. Dean's face was incredibly funny when he was dumbfounded. He looks like he's been hit with a hammer.
"You're a civilian." She muttered, as she curled up against the arm of the couch like a cat. "You're too green to be hunting ghosts, this is no life for you, you're not its type, the spirit won't want you." She sighed, rolling onto her back. "Well, Jo's welcome to it." She stared at the ceiling. "Do they honestly expect me to just sit here?" She asked it, that was certainly what Dean expected and what Sam wanted. "Dean's a pompous ass, and he can piss off." She groaned. "Who needs him and his approval?" Well, Jo certainly did, but she was number one in the Dean Winchester fan club. More like Want to Get Into Dean's Pants club. She had a feeling that it was a very large club. No, considering all the women he's slept with… Maybe it was a small club. Jo and I are the only members. That made her snicker. He'll eventually teach me to shoot, he'll have to if I'm going to continue this life. She thought. And he did promise. Dean Winchester wasn't the kind of man who would leave her defenseless. But… Her training would be at some point in time in the undesignated future. Which basically means never. Kelly was fairly certain that he would always find reasons to put it off. She sighed, inhaling a deep breath. She stopped, there was a strange smell permeating the room. It was strangely… Clinical. Sterile. Odd. She slid into a sitting position and listened, her ears twitched slightly. There was a strange scratching sound inside the walls. She stood. Maybe the boys should have taken me with them after all. Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
"Trick. Trick. Trick." She whispered, walking to the table and picking up one of Dean's salt loaded handguns. She was certain that it was loaded with salt bullets. Fairly. It was a little boring to watch him clean the things. But he looks so manly doing it. She giggled, but only a little. The scratching continued like nails up and down the walls. It was like a jackhammer. She fiddled with what she thought was the safety. Sam couldn't even show me where the safety was? Was he off this floor now? If she screamed would he hear her? Is it above or below? She asked silently. Where are you? The walls groaned, and something screamed. Her heart thudded in her chest. "Who's there?" She felt silly saying that, because she knew who was there, she knew exactly who it was. He's not supposed to come after brunette's though. Her brain stuttered, reflecting on her own stupidity. He's not supposed to come out during the day either. So that was another misconception. How do I know it's a he? She shifted in the center of the room, cracks were appearing along the ceiling. "Sam!" She yelled, like they were being beaten in by a jackhammer. She knew exactly where the thing was, above her head. "Sam!" She shut her eyes, he was breaking in. She lifted the gun, her frightened mind was still somehow pinpointing the ghost's position in the ceiling. She wasn't sure how that was possible. She grabbed one of the salt canisters off of the table and created a circle around herself. II only said I'd do that as a joke. It's not going to do me any good if he comes down on top of me./I "Bloody hell." The roar assaulted her ears. It was coming, she could feel it. She lifted the salt loaded pistol she couldn't fire, and got ready to pull the trigger. She screamed. "DEAN!"
"Well, if you're going to ride me this hard, you should at least buy me dinner." Jo said as they walked down the hall. She lifted her EMF meter to scan the walls, watching him carefully out of the corner of her eye. "It's only fair." He was ahead of her, his mind on the job, but occasionally she noticed he would drop back and look in whatever direction the apartment was. If he was going to be this worried about leaving her behind, he should have brought her along./I She thought, irritably. She was finally getting some alone time with Dean Winchester, and he didn't even bother to flirt. He's too worried about his precious civilian.
"Yeah?" He asked, as he scanned the wall.
"Yeah." She said nonchalantly, looking him over. His front was beautiful, but his back… She withheld a girly sigh. She was not going to get all girly and emotional in front of Dean Winchester. She was going to prove to him that she could do the job and do it well. And that I'm better looking than any girl in hand me down pants. She thought grimly, as she scanned the wall. "I'm sick of your misogynistic crap."
"What was that?" He asked, turning back to look at her. Really looking at her, like the first time they'd met, and she'd punched him in the nose for taking her rifle. This is the first time he's really looked at me since I've been here. She thought, pleased. Even if he was angry, it was progress.
"You don't think women can do the job." She said, strutting past him to get a read on one of the doors. That's why your babysitting me, and why you left Kelly in the apartment. Though she did agree with him on the Kelly subject. The girl already looked hopeless, and putting a gun in her hand made her even more comical. She's not cut out to be a hunter. Which meant she wasn't meant to be with Dean. He'll get that eventually. "We'd make better time if we split up."
"Oh, women can do the job sweetheart." Dean said, turning on her. "Amateurs can't." When he said the word amateurs, his gaze immediately flicked back down the hall, and she could tell he was thinking of one thing.
If you're that worried just go to her. She thought numbly. Don't be here babysitting me. She couldn't say that, because she was afraid that Dean would do just that. "You that scared of my mom?" She asked, curious.
"Yeah." He said. "She's a scary lady."
"Really?"
"And Kelly had a point, you fit the ghost's profile." Jo frowned when he said that, she didn't like him bringing up Kelly.
"Exactly." She said walking ahead of him. A smug smile on her lips.
"You want to be bait?" He asked, disbelief colored his voice, and Jo's smile grew wider. She loved throwing him off balance. But did her daring impress him?
"Fastest way to draw it out and you know it." She said, as she continued walking forward. She wanted to draw this out as long as possible. She noticed that he looked back over his shoulder again, for the hundredth time. "What is it?" She asked, cursing herself as she did so.
"I don't." He shook his head. "I thought I heard something."
"Something?" She pressed. Don't say you were worrying about Kelly. Her mind begged.
"It's nothing, my imagination, we should keep looking."
It's her. His little civilian. His loyalties were divided. "You're worried about her." She said, it was a statement, not a question. Dean gazed at her for a long moment, and Jo wondered if they were doing the telepathy thing he seemed to like doing with Kelly. I wish he wouldn't let me out of his sight. She thought.
"Do you smell that?" He asked. Looking around, he seemed to be searching for the source of the smell.
"Yeah." She said, finally catching a whiff. "What is that?"
"Not sure. It smells familiar." He said. Jo waved her EMF meter around the area, it started giving off static, and the lower she got the stronger the signal became. Dean was kneeling next to her. "Son of a bitch." He muttered. "Clever bastard's been using the ventilation system to get around." He said, waving his meter in front of the grate. "Congratulations." He added, clapping Jo on the shoulder. "You found your first ghost." Jo's heart soared. "We better get back and check in with Sam." He said.
And Kelly. Her practical mind accused, and she hated him for ruining her high. We'll get back and he won't look at me at all. They walked away, and behind them, two grimy fingers slid out from between the grate, it's eyes following the young blonde as she walked away and down the hall. Then like mist and smoke, he too, vanished.
