||•||
Dean pulled a water bottle out of the fridge, twisting off the cap and downing the cool liquid. He leaned his back against the wall, as he let out a refreshed sigh and watched the braid, like a thick chestnut rope, sway from side to side as she moved around the kitchen. She didn't really seem to notice him, even when he entered "her domain" as he liked to tease. She was always so caught up in feeding the eleven hunters that currently called the Bunker their home, that Lizzie seemed to forget that people liked to talk with her when they stayed in the kitchen for some company.
Twisting the cap back on, he tossed it in the trash by the fridge, his eyes twinkling as he pushed off and lifted his hands to the height of her waist. Sneaking forward, he quickly grabbed her, the undeniable yelp and patter of food falling from her hand causing him to chuckle. Dean leaned into her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she glared at him from her peripheral, the squinting of her eyes earning a chortle.
"I hate you." Her voice attempting to be flat as she tried to keep the look of embarrassment off her face. He chuckled once more before moving to her left and leaning to the side of her work space.
"No, you don't."
Lizzie moved a strand of hair out of her face, as she straightened herself and went back to making mini sandwiches. Ham from the looks of it, with cheddar, lettuce, and a small bit of mayo on the bread. She picked up the ham she dropped on the counter, placing it back on the bread slice and continued to make the sandwich.
"So, what did you tell our new guests? I passed a few when I was looking for Aiden, they seem pretty worn from whatever they had been through for the past year and a half."
Dean huffed as he snached a mini sandwich before she could put them on the platter to her right.
"Apparently the farther south you go, the crazier people get . . ."
"Everyone, take a break but Cas and Meg."
The teenagers sent out a few more words into the microphones before heading to the library. Hannah and Elizabeth making their way towards the residential hall. When they finally left, the six battle worn fighters (and toddler) kept quiet, Meg and Castiel sitting in the two other chairs on either side of their leader, their eyes never leaving the new group.
Dean could sense the tension as he simply stared, taking in the details in Rick's face. He was scarred, a quite unruly beard on his face, but dean wouldn't judge. He probably hadn't had a decent place to stay for a while. The hunter shifted his eyes to the next man, Daryl if he remembered correctly, was glaring daggers and shifting in his seat. The woman on the other side was completely stoic. Her face hid any amount of emotion as she too, watched the hunter and his two "generals".
Dean finally cleared his throat, a lopsided grin spreading across his lips. "You don't need to sit there like we have you all at gunpoint. If you weren't needed or welcomed you wouldn't have made it out of . . . What state did you come from?"
"Georgia."
"Right, right," he turned to Meg. "How's Duncan and the crew in Blairsville? Still having trouble?" The woman gave a short nod.
"They said that the Saviors finally agreed to a truce, but Duncan still wants some back up from the God Squad."
The survivors just stared at them in mild confusion. "I'll send Kelvin and Core when they stop by in a week." Castiel's voice was monotone. Silence once again settled in the war room before Rick sighed. If this man was willing to open up his home to strangers, then he might as well tell them a tale.
He spoke of how he had woken up in a hospital after the outbreak started. Eventually finding his family when he entered Atlanta with the help of a friend. How they found their way to the CDC, only for one of the scientists to try and kill them. From then they lost one of the kids, but found a family willing to let them stay; and a hoard to plow its way through the farm, separating them. Then they eventually find a place to call home, a prison (Albeit temporary, but safe). Next comes the Governor, a sadistic man with dangerous tendencies, who only made worse once Rick and his people breached his city walls and put a gaping hole in his way of life. With a sickness following months later, and once again an attack from the Governor which separated the group.
They later find a city called Terminus, which maked a claim to be a thriving community, but later revealed to be nothing but cannibals.
When they all escape, they meet a priest.
"Yes," Castiel interrupts. "Father Gabriel is good man, but he easily falls back into the words of the Lord."
Rick just gives them a confused look before resuming his tale. Half of their group leaves for Washington DC while the others move on from the church and attempt to retrieve their friends. Only for the excursion to end in tragedy. The others turn back and before they know it, everyone is back together in a barn, only for the next day to be greeted by Meg and her people.
Dean sits back rubbing a hand over his beard, nodding. These people had been through hell, or at least Purgatory (Because nothing is "like hell" but Hell). Looking to his "generals" he leaned over to Castiel, asking if the angel believed them. Cas, gave a short nod, leaning closer to whisper in his ear. Dean then turned to Meg, who gave her own opinion about the newcomers.
It seemed that while the story seemed all true, it was the constant draw of opposition that concerned the hunter. While Dean's own family had seemed to be the center of the universe for the past several years, these people had experienced that exact same problem, but only for the past year and a half. The man once gain leans back, watching the four humans before a sympathetic smile crossed his face.
"Well I gotta give it to ya, you are some tough as fuck survivors. My condolences to those you've lost, hopefully we can give you a little bit of peace and quiet if you decide to join us."
"Thank you," Michonne finally said. "and since we just gave you our life story, why don't you reciprocate."
That seemed to get a rather unpleasant reaction form Dean. His face seemed to get dark, eyes shadowed and his lips forming a tight line. He crossed his arms over his chest, "No." His voice low and filled with a slowly building anger. What Rick, Daryl and Michonne were witnessing was the look of a man who had been constructing walls long before the outbreak, and this one was not going to fall easily.
Dean spoke again, "I won't because our stories are all different, but the reason my people have survived is more important."
"The hell does that mean?" Daryl questioned, leaning on the table.
"It means," Dean said as he stood from his seat. "If you decide to join us, then you will no longer be survivors. You'll be hunters."
They kept quiet as Dean explained his world. "There is more out there then the dead. Everything you feared as kids and any story that was told about what goes bump in the night is real. Shapeshifters, werewolves, vamps, wendigos. They don't sparkle when sun hits them, they aren't the friendly beast. They smell blood and go in for the kill. Myself, Charlie, Wally, Garth and hundreds of others have taken it upon ourselves to wipe out those who like munching on the unsuspecting. You understand?"
Daryl huffed leaning back in his chair. "You're all insane, monsters don't exist."
Meg barked a laugh, "and yet the dead are rising? Don't be an idiot, there's a lot you don't know about the world, and you should be lucky that the only beast you've met was a friend."
"What?" Rick questioned. Meg continued to smile, "Garth, sweet, skinny, couldn't hurt a fly Garth, is a werewolf. Claws and all."
"Bullshit, this is complete bullshit, and you all are insane. There ain't no such thing as monster unless their human, 'cause they're the only ones other then the walkers that are a threat."
Dean turned to Castiel and nodded, the words "do the thing" passed between them as the angel stood and took several steps back. It was only a few seconds later when the lights began to flicker, thunder ringing out as the lights flashed. Two large black shadows emerged from the wall, the outline of wings decorating the bunker. The former demoness couldn't help but have her smile widen at the shocked and amazed faces of the survivors.
Eventually the lights dimmed, wings disappearing as the room brightened and the thunder dissipated. Their stunned faces not changing as the angel sat back down.
"Do you believe me now?"
Rick slowly came out of his daze, Judith waking as a whimper escaped her mouth. "What are you?"
Castiel gave a small smile, "I'm an angel of the Lord, Captain of the Eighth Heavenly Garrison, angel of Thursday and guardian angel of the family Winchester."
"Don't forget lover of the true Queen of Hell."
All eyes turned to Meg, who had her head in her hand, a rather mischievous smile appearing as she stared at Cas, his face red while he shifted in his seat. Rick blinked slowly, this was too much.
Dean gave Meg a look that could be easily translated to "shut the fuck up" but she simply sat back in her chair and continued to smiled.
Heaving a sigh he shook his head. "Anyway, because there is more out there then the Dead and infected, I believe it is in both our best interests that we stick together. 1) because we need all the help we can get to find a way to stop this plague B) this bunker is one of the most secure places on Earth, and the apocalypse is no place to raise a baby." He gave a sad smile as Judith finally opened her eyes to look around. "Lastly, I doubt you know how to kill a wendigo or a rakshasa. If you stay with us, we'll teach you how to kill the biggest and baddest, cause all the old monsters know. Nobody messes with a Winchester."
