Dean watches as Allison scurries out of their shared motel room and then comes to a sudden halt, blinking rapidly against the change of light as she then shields her eyes. He knows all too well about adjusting back to the brightness of a sunny day after years in Hell, but he also knows it's worse for her since she was down there for a hell of a lot longer than he was. Surprisingly, however, the girl takes seconds to adjust before moving on and scanning the parking lot while shielding her eyes with one hand, and he eventually takes pity on her and waves his arm outside the driver side window of his Impala.
Allison looks a little flustered as she nears the car and Dean is all for teasing her about the blush surprisingly staining her cheeks, but he forgets all about it the second her steps falter and she stares appreciatively at his car. "Gorgeous, ain't she?" He gloats instead.
"S'pretty."
Dean's smile instantly falls and he glowers at her. "What? No. Baby's gorgeous, sexy even! Pretty makes her sound delicate and Baby is anything but."
"It's a car," Allison then deadpans.
"How dare you!" He mock gasps and she faintly grins at his reaction. "Get in the damn car, Argent. I ain't tellin' you again."
She giggles as she climbs into the back seat, and Dean feels himself warm at the sound. Normally he'd be smug at making the pretty girl smile- because lets face it, Allison is obviously a very pretty girl- but this is different. Allison evokes a very different set of emotions- one that he soon relates to the way he feels about Charlie, just not as strong- and Dean feels proud for making her laugh. It's a major difference from when she had first woken up the previous day and he is actually glad to have been the one to cause it.
Sam soon joins them after putting away his own bag in the trunk of the car and then the three of them are on the road. Non-stop, the trip from Indiana to Kansas is a little over eleven hours, but given that they are going to making several pit stops, they estimate it'll take up close to fifteen.
Breakfast is an on-the-go meal, and Allison is treated to breakfast burritos and orange juice since she declines the coffee. Dean makes plans to stop at a vintage thrift shop because even though the clothing is used, the clothing is usually durable and cheap. And while Allison has no problem with that since she's not paying for it, Sam also assures her they'll be stopping by a Wal-Mart or any other shopping center so she can pick up some hygiene products and underclothing.
Allison is most definitely okay with whatever their plans are, and she soon finds herself drifting off to sleep thanks to the motion of the car and the classic rock music that Dean is playing.
xXx
"Allisooonnnnn!"
She's confused. It's not supposed to end like this.
The fight's come to a stand-still and there's a burning pain right beneath her breast bone. The figure before her stands proudly with a samurai sword- a figure clad from head to toe in black with an odd black mask obscuring it's face- before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.
A bow drops from her hand and she stumbles back in shock before her legs give out, but someone's immediately at her back and lowering her the rest of the way to the ground, cradling her in their lap."Did you find her? Is she okay? Is Lydia safe?" She pants.
"Yeah. She's okay." A man- a boy, really- stares down at her while brushing her hair from her eyes.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Her hand is laying over her wound when the boy grasps it. He stares down in concentration, gripping tighter before a brief flash of panic and disbelief takes over his features. "I- I can't," he says and readjusts his grip again. "I can't take your pain."
A sense of peace and acceptance floods her entire being, and she stares up at the pitch black sky. "It's because it doesn't hurt."
"No."
"It's okay," she cries.
"Allison, no, please."
"It's okay.. it's okay.."
"Allison.. wake up!"
She jolts awake, heart pounding and a teary gaze darting between both brothers who are turned around in their seats. Apparently, Dean's pulled over on the side of the road.
"What?" She rasps.
"You're crying in your sleep," Sam tells her. "Who's.. who's Lydia?"
Allison frowns as she wracks her mind for the name- hoping for a memory or something so she can put a face to the name as she absentmindedly wipes at her cheeks. "I- I don't know."
"You were mumbling and asking if she was okay," Dean informs her. "You also kept saying that 'it was okay', whatever it was. Do you remember what you were dreaming?"
"..no. I- I'm not sure. I think they were.. ninjas?"
"Ninjas?" Dean incredulously asks. He looks to Sam, eyebrows raised high. When he had first returned from hell, all his dreams were memories trying to jog his brain, so it's most likely Allison's dreaming of memories and not an average dream. "You've fought a real-life ninja before?"
"I.. I'm not sure." Allison's gaze seems to zone out, eyes darting back and forth and focused on nothing in particular as she frowns. "What was I dreaming about again?"
Dean sighs before turning around, he putting the Impala back into drive. "Don't worry about it. You'll remember when your mind's ready."
xXx
Several hours into their drive towards Kansas, Dean finds a nifty looking vintage thrift shop and declares they're stopping to get Allison some much needed clothes. She doesn't mind the used clothing and is actually pretty grateful for the cheap prices of said clothing when Sam and Dean tell her to go crazy, but not too crazy.
She finds a couple plaid button-ups in her size- as well as a few sizes too big that'll work for when she truly wants to feel comfortable- and several graphic tees and tank tops. She finds some decent jeans and shorts, a set of pajamas, and is very grateful for an athletic section of the store that has some socks, sports bras, and yoga pants and shorts.
Allison has an arm load worth of clothing and is actually scared it might be too much, but her fears are put to rest when the brothers walk up to her with proud smiles. Dean shows her two pairs of ankle boots he's found that look to be her size- one pair black and the other a roughed up dark brown with zippers on the side. Sam, on the other hand, has a pair of black ankle converse and a black faux leather jacket with beige knitted sleeves and hood that he says is are if she ever just wants a leather vest.
"You guys," she chuckles in disbelief. "This is a bit much, don't you think?"
"Nah. We got the funds," Dean waves her off. "We can splurge a little here and there, and this is an emergency. Just enjoy it."
"And besides," Sam shrugs. "You're not done shopping yet."
Allison quirks an eyebrow while readjusting the clothes hanging off her arm. "I'm not?"
"Nope. The bunker's not equipped with.. uh, feminine products and plus you still need other clothing that hasn't been used," Sam tells her, his voice lowering at the end when a family of three walk by them. Allison's brow furrows as if she doesn't know what type of clothing he's talking about and Dean looks at his brother as if he's grown a second head. "Underwear. You need underwear," Sam blurts. Dean snorts and Allison's lips slowly curl into an amused grin. "You're cruel. Lets go pay for all this and grab lunch. I'm hungry."
As Sam quickly walks away, Allison giggles and Dean nudges her shoulder with his own. "I like you, kid. You'll fit in just fine with us."
xXx
As the day goes on, the brothers notice a shift in Allison's mood. One moment she's laughing and in good spirits, and the next she seems to retreat inside her mind and is just content to watch the world pass by outside the Impala's window. It's a bit unsettling to see the drastic change in her, but in the end both of them are understanding because they've been to Hell as well.
They eat lunch in a road-side diner before finding a Wal-Mart and letting Allison finish off her shopping excursion. She picks up bras and underwear, and goes for the basic necessities in the hygiene aisles. Razors, tampons, lotion, a pack of hair-ties, and a toothbrush are a must, but she buys the cheapest bar of soap, shampoo, and conditioner she can find. Dinner, again, is in a road-side diner before they make their destination, and the brothers are grateful for the attitude that Allison's kept the entire day.
Being stuck in her mind when they're in the car is okay with them because they know why she's suddenly gone mute and pensive, but out in public they'd knew it'd raise a few eyebrows. However, the second they were in public they watched on in fascination as a mask slipped over her features and she smiled politely at anyone and everyone that looked her way. She made small talk with them about music and movies that she vaguely remembered, and politely thanked the waitresses for her food whenever it was set in front of her.
No one said anything about her too pale skin and dark circles beneath her eyes except for one single mother of two children who had cornered her in the bathroom. To her surprise, Allison was able to keep calm and cool when the mother asked her if she was okay and if she needed a way to escape. For her part, the surprise isn't at all faked and the woman admitted she had had a niece in an abusive relationship once, and that it was okay every now and then to ask for help. Quickly piecing it together, Allison offered the woman a grateful smile and chuckled softly before explaining that her brothers were not a threat and that they were actually on a road trip to get her back to college since she had had an emergency trip home for their father's funeral. The woman had immediately seemed embarrassed, but Allison was quick to reassure her that everything was fine and made her way back to the booth with an amused grin tilting up the corners of her lips. And when she explained to the brothers what had happened, they tensed and then chuckled along with her when she explained the story she'd come up.
Needless to say, Dean kept up the ruse of the elder sibling and happily caught Allison in a headlock before giving her a noogie which then led Allison to punch him in the ribs. Hard. "Jesus," he groaned when they'd reached the Impala. "You pack one hell of a punch, kid."
xXx
When they finally make it to the bunker, there's a small yellow car waiting for them. An equally pale, though quite healthy, female climbs out and she greets the brothers with hugs and smiles. Her red hair is cropped very short and she introduces herself as Charlie.
"Sam's filled me in on your sitch," she says to Allison. "Sorry about your vacay to Hell."
"Charlie!" Dean barks.
The redhead startles at Dean's tone, but Allison surprises them all by chuckling softly and shaking her head in disbelief. "Nice to meet you. I guess you already know I'm Allison, and uh, yeah. Hell sucks."
Her nose twitches in distaste and just like that, Charlie takes an immediate liking to the brunette. She's quick to loop her arm through Allison's and lead her down a series of steps only to stop before a rustic steel door. The door itself is surrounded by brick and appears to be built into the side of a small hill beneath an apparent abandoned power plant. Raising an eyebrow in question, Charlie merely grins and tells Dean to hurry up.
Dean grumbles about them holding their horses, and both girls are treated to the sight of Sam being loaded down with shopping bags as he follows after his brother. The door is soon opened and Allison is led onto a balcony with iron railings. The balcony over looks a large circular room and she's surprised by the machinery and switchboards she sees.
"It gets better," Charlie murmurs. "Come on."
Being led down the stairs, Allison remains quiet and drinks in the room without a word. The room she's then led into screams library- the walls being lined with full bookshelves and even half-shelves crammed with even more books and weapons. Long tables have small lamps set in a line down the middle of each table, and Sam doesn't waste another second before setting down all of Allison's purchases.
"Home sweet home," Dean smirks, throwing his arms out at his side and gesturing to the room. "The bunker is actually a whole lot bigger, but you can go exploring another day. You need to get settled in and Charlie can you show you your room and where you can stow all your lady crap."
"And then when you're up for it," Sam chimes in. "Charlie needs to take your picture for your I.D."
"Speaking of which," the redhead then jumps in. "Do you want to remain Allison Argent or do you want a new last name? I haven't deleted anything related to your death from off the internet, but I'll get to that tomorrow."
"Oh, um, I'm not sure. Would there be any harm in keeping my last name?"
"None that we can think of," Sam shrugs. "Just don't bring too much attention to your last name and you should be good. Charlie can forge you some papers for now, but I think it'd be best to face your father to get your real papers and I.D settled when you eventually remember everything about your life."
Allison nods along and her arms cross self-consciously over her chest. "Yeah, I know. I, um, I'd like to keep my name as is if it's not too much trouble."
"Got it. Come on," Charlie then gestures her to follow. "Let's go see what we can do about your hair and dark circles beneath your eyes. The sooner I have a good picture of you, the sooner I can have your I.D done."
xXx
"Hello, little one. You didn't think you'd get off that easily, did you?" Allison's eyes snap open, she practically quaking in fear when her wide-eyes fall upon a familiar cruel face. "You didn't think you'd actually gotten out of Hell, did you? You did! How cute."
"No. No, no, no. This isn't real." She moves to roll off the concrete slab she can feel beneath the bare skin of her back and whimpers when she realizes there are leather straps keeping her wrists and ankles in place. There's even a strap covering her bare breasts and an odd leather contraption keeping her hips down as well. "You're not real, you're not real, you're not real," she chants and clamps her eyes shut.
"Oh, sweetness, I am. There's no escaping me."
The tip of a blade drags across the skin of her stomach and her muscles clench in anticipation. "..not real. Not real," she whimpers.
"This real enough for you?" The blade plunges into the softness of her stomach and Allison wails in agony.
"ALLISON!"
She jolts awake and scrambles back until her back hits the headboard, kicking off her blanket in the process and staring out in complete and utter fear. By the glassiness of her wild-eyed stare, Sam and Dean know she's not really seeing them right now.
"Allison.." Sam tries this time, keeping his voice low unlike his brother who had hollered her awake. "Allison, it's okay. You're safe now," he says and cautiously steps closer to the edge of her bed.
Her chest heaves with breaths she can't quite catch, and it takes her a moment to calm and for her gaze to focus. When her vision clears, she blinks owlishly and finally notices the brothers looming over her. "Sam? Dean?" Their incredulous and expectant stares make her gulp, and given her rapidly beating pulse and blood rushing in her ears, she knows she must have woken them. Fading laughter echoes through her mind and her dream immediately rushes to the forefront of her mind. "I'm fine. I- I'm okay."
The sound of rapidly approaching footfalls echo in the hall outside Allison's bedroom, and Sam and Dean turn just in time to watch Charlie in all her pajama-clad glory rush into Allison's bedroom wielding a blue light saber. "What happened? What's going on? She okay?"
Seeing a sleep-addled Charlie ready to swing a light saber in her defense is enough to earn a surprised bark of laughter from Allison, but once that happens it seems to open the flood gates. Her laughter quickly turns into uncontrolled sobs and she grips her bed sheet in her hands as if that's what's keeping her grounded.
Sam and Charlie stare on in shock, and Dean sighs before rubbing a hand down the length of his face. "Alright. Okay. You two," he points at his brother and Charlie. "-out. I'll handle this."
Charlie scurries from the room without another word and Sam reluctantly takes his eyes off a distraught Allison. "You sure? Crying women have never been your thing."
Dean nods. "Yeah. If she's dreaming what I think she's dreaming about, I have first hand experience."
"I've been to Hell, too, Dean."
Allison keeps crying and Dean grimaces. "I know, but it's different. I don't mean to make light of your situation, but you were with Lucifer in the cage. You weren't on the rack like us."
Sam opens his mouth to retort, but Allison keens right then and there, and he concedes. "Alright, fine. If you need anything, Charlie and I will probably be in the kitchen."
Dean nods and watches as his brother leaves the room, Sam closing the door on his way out. He then gives Allison back his attention and frowns to see her practically curled in on herself. He mentally groans at the position he's put himself in and steps closer to the empty side of her bed. He takes a seat up against the headboard and hesitantly lifts up his right arm. "Come on, kid. Lets snuggle it out."
Allison doesn't move at first, but the second her cries turn into hiccups and sniffles, he's not surprised when she turns and curls into him. Her left shoulder is tucked into Dean's side, her head rests over his pec, and her own left arm settles over Dean's waist.
"Wanna talk about it?"
Allison shakes her head and curls tighter in on herself.
"You gotta talk about it, kid. Trust me. The nightmares will only get worse if you keep everything bottled up."
Dean falls silent and is pretty content to just sit there with his arm around her. Eventually, Allison shifts in her position and uncurls just a bit. "Maybe I should have said yes. Maybe if I'd gotten off the hooks earlier, then I wouldn't have been.."
"Nope. Red light! Stop right there." Dean pulls his arm from around Allison and turns just a bit so he's fully facing her, and clamps his hands down over her shoulders. "The nightmares- the memories- suck right now, but it will get better. If you'd have said yes, the guilt would have eaten you alive."
"You sound so sure," she mumbles sadly.
"I am. I was in Hell for forty years and I wasn't as strong as you," he quietly admits. "I caved. I said yes. And the guilt, Allison.. it nearly killed me a couple of times. I eventually got through it with the help of Sammy, so I know you'll get through this since you have the both of us." Allison's lips twitch against her better judgement and Dean smirks. "Atta girl," he says while giving her shoulders a squeeze before letting go and leaning back. "Now lets quit the yappin', clean up your snot, and get back to sleep. I've had enough of this chick flick moment to last me a lifetime."
Allison blinks owlishly at the tone of his words and feels bad for crying on his shoulder, but when she sees his smirk growing just the teensiest bit, she sighs in relief. Her relief is obvious and Dean's smirk turns into a friendly smile and an even friendlier wink to let her know he's only joking.
"Either go back to sleep or come join us in the kitchen. If you pout just a little or make your eyes teary, Sammy will make you the best hot chocolate you've ever tasted."
Hmm.. nightmares with a night of tossing and turning, or chocolate?
Allison's definitely craving some chocolate.
Um, did I forget to mention that Charlie lives? ;)
Also, if you want to see some of the clothing and shoes Allison got, head over to Polyvore and search for the user "crossxover".