Chapter Four
Buffy sat flicking through channels on the TV, her mind slowly turning to mush from all the reality crap that was on at the moment. She had luckily found some food in the cupboards and the fridge her meal consisting of crisps and ice cream.
How long would Castiel be gone? This was is. The final straw. She would never allow this to happen again and when he got back she would be shouting at him again. He had lied to her. Angel's weren't supposed to lie. And how exactly could she stop him? He could do anything he wanted, kidnap her anytime he wanted. She may be a slayer but she couldn't stop Angel magic. So this led to another question that entered her thoughts. How was she supposed to stop Lucifer if she couldn't stop Angel's from messing with her? How had she managed to get herself mixed up in this?
The door swung open. She glanced up briefly. "Oh, it's you," she said bitterly. "I'm sorry, you're interrupting something very important. Someone's dream is about to come true if they get through this next round of bullshit and manage to win some money. I swear it's all fixed though."
"Buffy..."
"Don't even start. I don't really give a crap." She stood up abruptly. "You lied to me Castiel. Just how long have I been stuck in this room anyway?"
"Not long. A couple of days.
"So what went down? And I know something did I...felt it."
"What do you mean?" He asked in surprise.
"I don't know what you did to me but I can't take this anymore. One more stunt like this and I'm out. I walk and it's all over. You can find someone else to help them ok?"
He nodded. "It was...Angel business Buffy. Sam and Dean were meddling in things that they shouldn't have been. Trying to stop things that shouldn't have been stopped."
"Yes I know. They had a big fight with Alastair and then they had to find that Anna girl's Grace and they couldn't find it because Uriel had it. And then you wanted to kill her but she managed to get back her Grace and then she disappeared I assume becoming an Angel again am I right?"
"How did you know all this?" he was astonished.
"I caught the whole show, very fascinating stuff. Well, I didn't catch everything. See, I seem to have developed a psychic link with Dean Winchester. It's not visions. Visions are very cryptic from what I know and they don't make sense and this was a whole big overload of information. Some things were blocked of course. Private things. I think when he got hot and heavy with Anna..." she went quiet for a moment not wanting to remember it. "Then it kind of turned off and I couldn't see anything more until the final showdown with all of you. It was better then TV I promise you that. So the question is...what did you do to me when you showed me those images of the brother's lives? Why am I connected to Dean and why do I see things from his point of view?"
"Buffy..." Castiel shook his head. "I just showed you what happened. I didn't affect your free will in anyway...we are not allowed to do that. I didn't do anything to you. Whatever you're experiencing is of your own making."
"But it's just so confusing. I'm not a witch and I don't have...magic magic powers you know? Just...slayer powers. I don't understand."
"I think this is something for you to figure out on your own Buffy," he said softly. But he didn't like where this conversation was going. If the slayer got too personally involved with either of the brothers in anyway then he was sure nothing good would come of it and that things would go badly.
"I will make it up to you. I'm going to take you to a friend of the Winchester's, Bobby and he will help you get your own form of transport. Then you must find the brothers and help them. They have another job coming up in Nebraska after the job they are involved with now. It will be at 2 acre farm that you will have to meet them."
"I'm going to find something you know," she muttered as she took his hand again. "Something to stop you using your powers on me. A charm, a spell or amulet. I will."
"If you do could you find one to stop Lucifer too?" Castiel said sarcastically. Buffy didn't answer him. He thought she was joking, that there wasn't such a thing possible but she was sure that anything was possible by now. She just had to find a way to find it. If only she could make contact with her friends somehow...when the time was right she would do. Even if they weren't talking if she was in trouble they would help her, she knew it. She just had to hide it from Castiel. But he seemed to know so much already and he had some of her powers. But she would find a way.
...
Bobby was undoubtedly surprised to see her and from the moment she met him she felt like she wanted to tell him everything. She knew he could probably help her find a way to shield herself from the Angels powers. That he could answer any of her questions. He reminded her of Giles and once again she grew sad for the memories of a life she could never have again. But all she told him was that she was intending to help Sam and Dean, that he could trust her and that she needed to buy a car.
After doing countless tests on her to see if she was a Demon or not, holy water, exorcism spells and various charms against evil, he agreed to help her. Especially when she showed him the money she was willing to pay for a car. Luckily Castiel had managed to stop at a random bank for her to draw out money.
It was a long, long drive to 2 Acre Farm and when she got there she was tired and grumpy and bored from no music. The car Bobby had sold her was old and she had paid way too much money for it and as soon as she could she was updating it so that it had a CD player. Or at least a radio or something!
As she pulled up onto the drive she saw the boy's trusty Impala in the drive and smiled slightly. Even though she barely knew them she...had actually missed them. She had missed Sam's sharp intellect and Dean's witty comebacks and sarcasm and she knew that if they could just work together they would make a fantastic team and could take on anything that came at them. They just had to get to that point first.
She walked slowly up the steps and thought oh great, creepy haunted house. Just what she needed.
It felt creepy when she walked inside and she wondered why this place was still for sale if someone had been murdered there like Cas had told her.
When she went upstairs she heard the unfamiliar noises of an EDF, a machine that was used to track ghosts and spirits and read supernatural activity. She had to get herself one of them and she should have thought to ask Bobby. She had to look the real deal. Oh well, she was sure she could get herself out of the awkward questions. She opened the door to what looked like a bedroom and had to smile at the shock and surprise that was on their faces when they turned round.
"Oh great," Dean muttered. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Dean..." Sam started, turning to calm his older brother down.
"Nice to see you too Dean, it really is," she was a bit hurt by his reaction at seeing her, but there was no way she was letting them know he had got to her. It wouldn't be very professional now would it?
"And haunted houses? Great stuff. Just what every girl wants on her Christmas list." Worst comeback of all time Buffy, she scolded herself. It wasn't even anywhere near Christmas.
"I was just in the area and heard about a murder that had happened here." Very lame and Dean seemed to be on to her.
"Just like you were in the area last time?" he questioned her.
"Guys, the needles all over the place," Sam pointed to the EDF and in an effort to distract them from the tension he turned to a cupboard and opened it.
"Oh no," Buffy turned away. "I didn't sign on for this," she continued. "I don't like anything to do with creepy dolls or clowns or anything like that at all. Didn't you see chucky? It always freaked me out."
Dean chuckled slightly. "I always thought it was hilarious. But this is very super disturbing all the same."
"Think it got left behind?" Sam asked them then, hearing something he turned to the window. "Uh oh," he muttered.
"I thought you said this place was still for sale?" Dean muttered.
"Apparently it's not," Sam whispered back.
"What are we going to tell them?" Buffy murmured.
"We'll go with the same old, same old." Dean told her.
"And what's that?"
"Gas leak right?" Sam nodded in agreement.
...
After questioning the neighbours they discovered all the signs of haunting, rustling sounds in the walls etc and as they drove back past the house they also discovered that the family had moved in after their warning s that had been given. Buffy got out of her car after parking behind the Impala and the brothers got out and joined her.
Dean cursed as they all stared up at the house. "That about sums it up," Buffy sighed. "You know in the movies this is never a good sign. Family moves into haunted house is pure suicide. Dumb blonde runs up the stairs when being chased by a psychotic killer when she should be trying to open windows or the front door of a house or finding weapons like a knife? Once again suicide."
"What now?" Dean asked.
"We could always tell them the truth," Sam suggested which got him a hit on the arm from Buffy and an I don't think so look from Dean.
"Ok, not really," Sam shook his head.
Suddenly a scream pierced the through the darkness around them and they all turned their attention back to the house.
"I told you," Buffy started running towards the front door. "Not good."
They managed to get through the door, being in the middle of nowhere it wasn't locked, which Buffy thought was a pretty stupid plan on the family's part. But she was here to save them not pick a fight about safety issues.
"We heard screams what's going on?" Sam asked the father. All the family was gathered downstairs and looked pretty scared. Well, the kids looked scared, the parents looked worried.
"Did you touch my daughter? Who are you guys? What do you want" the father asked angrily.
"What? No!" Dean protested in bewilderment.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked. "We are just here to help!"
"It's not safe here," Sam started and Buffy realised that the truth was the only way out here. "Your family is in danger you have to get out now..."
That was when the lights went out and Buffy felt like screaming herself.
"Nobody move!" Dean ordered but the family were immediately freaking out and had started looking for their dog and had all run outside.
"We are not the bad guys here," Dean turned towards them all
"You need to get your family somewhere safe," Sam was trying to keep everyone calm but it wasn't working, especially when they reached their cars the tires were all slashed. They weren't going anywhere and on the walls outside were painted the words too late in red.
"The guns are gone," Sam exclaimed. "Everything's gone!"
"What kind of a ghost messes with a man's wheels!" Dean exclaimed in anger.
"Not really the point Dean," Buffy turned towards the girl who was screaming. "She's there. She was right there!"
"We need to get back inside," Dean told them all sternly.
"Are you crazy? We need to get the hell out of here!"
"In case you didn't notice we are now stranded. I would do as he says!" said Buffy.
Once inside the house, Dean drew a protective circle of salt in the main room. "As long as this circle remains unbroken we are all safe. Ghosts can't cross it," Dean was explaining to them all.
The father wasn't even buying any of this though.
"You hunt ghosts? Like in Scooby Doo?" The boy asked them and Buffy had to laugh.
The family was definitely having a hard time dealing with the supernatural and the next display of highly strung testosterone proved that. Ted made to punch Dean, but Dean was smarter then that. "I have a gun," Dean whispered to him fiercely. "And if you don't get your ass back in that circle..."
"Dude," Sam said to him quietly. "You don't have a gun. Are you cool now?"
Buffy rolled her eyes and was about to comment when they all heard a noise. "Everybody stay calm she's a ghost," said Dean. "She can't come into the circle."
But she kept walking slowly towards them and Buffy tensed ready for whatever happened. The girl stepped over the line. There was screaming and the family ran outside. The girl was going crazy slashing a knife at Dean and screaming. Buffy pushed Dean out of the way and reached up to grab the girls wrist before she struck her with the knife and kicked the girl in her stomach sending her flying across the room. "You're not a ghost, you're just a girl. A human girl!" Buffy whispered as the girl struggled to get up and walked towards them again.
"Hey!" Sam was there with a flash light that blinded the girl momentarily and gave Buffy a chance to make sure that Dean was alright and then make a run for it to see if the family where ok. They weren't the little boy, Danny was missing.
"How can he be missing?" Buffy asked, pretending to be slightly out of breath from the fight she had just had, to make it look more realistic that she didn't have any supernatural powers. She was inside kicking herself. If anything happened to that little boy...she could have taken out that girl easy. Knocked her out, killed her, but she couldn't. She wasn't allowed...and if anything happened that was it, she was telling the truth once and for all.
The events that followed next were shocking to Buffy. They found the little girls lair full of bones and then Ted had been killed. It was mainly her fault as she tried to explain to Dean on the way back to the rest of the family. If she hadn't been so stubborn and stayed with Ted she could have stopped it, instead she had gone down there with Dean because...and then she couldn't tell him why. Because, she didn't really know why. She just knew that had to be with him...but she had caused him more pain and hurt by not protecting the innocent Ted. Because although he had been a bit of an asshole he was innocent and hadn't deserved to die.
And it hadn't been great breaking the news to the family that they hadn't found Danny. And the information that Sam had found in a diary was very disturbing and made Buffy cringe.
When they finally found the place that Danny could be held prisoner Buffy had to use all her strength not to crawl in the space in the walls after Dean.
And when Danny crawled up the rope and was finally back with them she panicked when Dean didn't immediately follow. Sam eventually went down to find him and when they both came back up Buffy sighed in relief. "Did you get it?" she asked shakily.
"I got it," Dean nodded. "Mission accomplished."
Afterwards Buffy had to wonder why it was that Castiel had asked her to protect the Brother's. It wasn't as if they couldn't handle themselves, they clearly could.
They were both parked under a bridge and Sam handed Dean and her something to eat. She started eating her meal but Dean hesitated and Sam looked at him in surprise. "You ok?"
What followed next was the most heartbreaking confession that Buffy had ever heard about Dean's time in hell and she was shocked that he had told Sam with her there. Surely it was a moment for the two brothers to share alone?
He turned to her. "And the reason that you're allowed to hear me say this? Hell if I know except that you always seem to be here. Always in the same place we are and...I don't sense that you're evil. But you might as well know the real deal. About us and what we've been through. And you did help to save us back there. I guess we owe you"
Buffy swallowed a piece of her food. "Does this mean that you're...ok with us working together now?" She felt guilty and she didn't like it. She wanted so desperately to tell them the truth and she couldn't. But after Dean's confession she would find a way to tell them everything as soon as possible because she was terrible at lying and she was sure it was beginning to show. So she didn't ask if they trusted her yet she was sure the answer would be no. But Dean must have trust for her a little bit to tell her all of his time in hell. But she sure wasn't going to push the issue.
"Like I said, we owe you something. It might as well be this. Don't mean I trust you or even...never mind. But I guess strength in numbers could be the way to go."
She smiled. Well...that was a start to things.
"We should hit the road," Sam turned away from them both and went to get into the Impala.
"I'm sure you'll learn to like me soon enough Dean," She threw away the wrapping of her sandwich.
"We'll see," he actually smiled and that was when she knew what she was there for. Not to protect them physically but to protect their souls. Or rather...Dean's soul. To keep him from going completely insane from the pain and guilt that came with the job of being a hunter. That was what she was here for. And if that was the case she would have to let Dean fight alone and help protect people better then she had protected Ted. She couldn't let Dean think he was responsible for any more deaths. There could be no more mistakes like that ever.
Now she knew what she was really here to do the question was could she handle it? She hoped so, she really did.
TBC
By the way, Castiel won't always be this mean in this story it's just that was kind of how he was at the begining of season 4. Things will get better between Buffy and Castiel if she ever tells everyone the truth about who she is and if he ever lets her do that. Hopefully next update will be quicker then this one! Hope you all like it and I would love to hear what you're all thinking about this story so reviews please!