Chapter Six

Danny

Purgatory
100 years 2 months

Annabelle was a better fighter than I thought she would be. I knew she only had one year of training, but it was one year of training with the Winchesters so she was a little better than my three years of field training with my mom. She was fierce and stubborn. It took a week for me to convince her to sleep, and even after that, she wouldn't sleep unless she felt like she needed to. We took watches, but Annabelle usually stayed up with me. We had been attacked less times than I had expected.

Annabelle seemed to know where she was going, and during what we had established as day, we trekked across Purgatory. Today was no different. We had traveled a few miles without stopping, and now we were taking drinks from the stream and rinsing our faces. Annabelle suddenly stopped and froze. Her hand went to her machete. I froze as well and listened.

Leaves rustled all around us. Annabelle and I stood, both looking in different directions, eyes in different places. Annabelle was looking into the trees while I watched the ground. That was my mistake. The vamps were in the trees. When they jumped at Annabelle, she was ready and took several down within seconds, but the first one that jumped at me launched over me and knocked me over before I could react.

I scrambled back away from the smirking vampire until my back was against something. I looked up to find I had backed into another vamp's legs. He too smiled down at me. I tried to get up, but one of them hit me over the head with the hilt of their blade. I managed to stay conscious, but my vision swam and I knew I wouldn't be able to defend myself. That may have been it for me if it wasn't for Annabelle. She was so quiet I hadn't even noticed she was coming to my rescue until the head of the vampire in front of me fell to the ground followed by its body. Anger glinted in Annabelle's grey eyes, but it didn't faze the vampire behind me. He pulled me up and held his blade to my throat.

"Don't come any closer, Winchester. I'll kill him," the vamp said.

"Go ahead. It doesn't matter what you do; I'll still have your head," Annabelle growled.

The vamp hesitated loosening his grip on me. The distraction gave me the only chance I had to escape. I elbowed the vamp below the belt and ducked out of his grip. My legs refused to hold me and my vision was still unfocused. Annabelle stepped between the vamp and I and decapitated the vamp. She then turned to me concern replacing her anger. She kneeled and looked at the bump that was forming on my head.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I think so. It's just a concussion. I'll be fine. Let's keep moving," I said.

"No. We'll stay here for a few days to make sure you're okay. Plus, you're in no condition to travel."

Annabelle dragged me to the nearest tree and propped me against it. She filled a small tin cup I had in my bag with water and brought it to me.

"Drink this, and don't fall asleep," she ordered.

She paced near me ready for any other attacks. After an hour passed and nothing else came, Annabelle sat down next to me and got out some of the food I had packed. She divided it and gave most of it to me. We ate in silence. Annabelle set up a fire and stared into the quiet night for a while before she spoke up.

"I suppose we're going to have to start fighting as a team if we're both getting out of here."

"I suppose so," I replied.

"When they attack, we need to be back to back if there's more than one. If there's only one, we should split up and attack from both of its flanks. That would require stealth and perfect timing."

"And we're going to have to trust each other."

Annabelle regarded me almost warily before she said, "Yeah, that's true. That's something we can work on right now. What do you want to know about me?"

I thought about that for a moment. I had so many questions for this mysterious girl, but I didn't want to overstep her boundaries so I started small.

"How'd you meet the Winchesters?"

"A wendigo killed my family. I was the only survivor so Sam and Dean took me in."

"Sorry about your family. Did you like travelling with Sam and Dean?"

"Yeah," she paused. "I'm going back to them once we're out of here."

"Were you with them when you were shot?"

Annabelle looked at her hands, and I knew I had hit a hard point for her so I added, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Annabelle was silent for a few moments before she cleared her throat and said, "No, you should know. There's a bit of a story behind it all that you have to understand first though." She looked at me to see if I would listen to the story.

I was curious about her relationship with the Winchesters. All I knew was that the Winchesters had picked up a powerful teenage girl. I hadn't known that her family was killed or anything else about their travels.

"I'm listening," I said.

"I got really close to the Winchesters really fast. Especially Dean. He's . . . he's like a father to me. I meant to get out of the fight with Zoe safely. I didn't count on her having a gun. None of us did. She was faster than we expected too. Dean was screaming for Cas to come help us, and Sam was trying to tend to me," Annabelle's voice was hoarse now, but she kept going. "I said my goodbyes, and woke up down here."

"Oh God, I'm sorry."

"You didn't know." Annabelle cleared her throat. "Anything else you want to know?"

"No, that's all. Do you have questions for me?"

"How long have you been hunting?"

"Three years."

"And you're how old?"

"Fifteen."

"How'd you get into the life?"

"My mom did. I can't remember how she did, but she was everything I had. I did whatever she did."

"Was?"

"The angels killed her with a failed prototype of the weapon. They made me watch."

I pushed the emotions that hit me back. I remembered the day they'd shot my mother as if it was yesterday. I felt like it was haunting me, but there was nothing I could do to avenge my mother and there never would be. The Winchesters (Annabelle included) had taken care of Zoe. There would be stragglers from her army, but Sam, Dean, and Cas would probably take care of them. Anger rolled over me. The Winchesters were taking care of what I should've been doing while I was stuck down here with their youngest member. Annabelle's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry about your mom … and sorry you got stuck down here. I guess that's on me. I'm sorry."

"You didn't pull the trigger. How could it be your fault?"

"The weapon was meant for me. Not you or your mother. It shouldn't have been tested on you. If they hadn't found out about me, none of this would've happened to you. It's my fault."

My anger took me over. I stood up and yelled, "It's not your fault! You know not every damn problem this world has is created by you stupid Winchesters!"

Annabelle cowered back at my loud voice. I turned away from her, raking my hands through my hair. I heard Annabelle retreat up the tree I had been leaning against. I didn't bother to say anything. I meant what I'd said, and the sooner this Winchester learned it the better. I walked a little ways away from our camp and vented my anger through a series of cuss words spoken under my breath aimed at Winchesters and angels: the two biggest problems in my life.

~oOo~

I slept where I had stopped to curse my problems leaving Annabelle alone. After all, she was a big bad hunter. She could take care of herself. When I returned the next morning, a plate of provisions was set out for me along with the tin of water. Annabelle wasn't on the ground. I looked up and saw her leg hanging from one of the higher branches of the tree. I guessed that was her way of apologizing and holding a grudge at the same time.

I convinced Annabelle that we should head out again with a little bit too much ease for my taste. Annabelle had receded back into near silence. It hadn't been this quiet since the first week we had travelled together, and our anger towards each other showed in our fighting over the next few weeks. There were lots of times we narrowly escaped fights with various creatures, the worst of which was a leviathan.

There was only one, but we both worked hard to take it down. The problem was that our attacks weren't coordinated. Annabelle and I were swinging at different places at the wrong times. We were lucky to get out of that fight with only minor cuts and bruises, and we both knew it. We had run about a mile and set up camp again after that. Annabelle was perched above me silently staring into the forest that made up Purgatory.

"Annabelle?" I asked.

I received no response. When I looked up, Annabelle was looking down at me. I met her eyes for a long time waiting for her reply, but she said nothing so I continued, "We need to start talking to each other again so we can work together. We can't have another disaster like today."

Annabelle regarded me then looked away. "We can talk all we want. It doesn't mean either of us will listen to the other."

She had a point, but we had to start somewhere.

"What'll it take for you to listen to me? Do you want an apology? Is that why you aren't talking?"

Annabelle shot a scornful glare my way. "Why the hell would I want an apology from you? You were right, not everything is the Winchesters' fault. I should understand that. I just thought you wanted me to leave you alone with all that cursing the Winchesters you did."

"I was angry, all right?"

Annabelle gave a cold, bitter laugh. "Is that supposed to make it better? 'I was angry'? You were still in control of your actions and your mouth!"

"I thought you didn't want an apology!"

"I don't want excuses either!"

"You sound like a damn teacher!"

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"

"Is it? Do you find it offensive?"

"Do you ever shut up?"

"Do you ever take into account how your actions are effecting those around you?"

Annabelle clenched her jaw and looked away from me again. This time her eyes didn't find me again, and I was surprised to find that I was grateful for it. The girl could be great if she wanted to, but when she was angry, she was a real ass.

~oOo~

It was another week before I calmed myself down enough to talk to Annabelle again. She had begun completely ignoring me, and we had both been injured because of it. Annabelle had taken the worst of it so I decided to take up the conversation while I was stitching up the fresh gash on her bicep.

"We need to start working together before one of us gets killed." I gave Annabelle ample time to reply before I continued talking. "We need each other to get out of here. Neither of us can get out alone. You're gonna have to speak up at some point and now is the time for us to sort out our differences so we can work together." Again, I paused. "Annabelle, we have to talk this out and work as a team. Speak up now. Whatever's on your mind, say it."

"Why'd you get so angry at me when I took blame for you and your mother's deaths?" Annabelle blurted, her grey eyes fixing intently on me. It was as if she didn't even feel the needle piercing her skin.

"Because you were acting like the world revolved around you. It doesn't, and you can't blame yourself for everything that happens. The angels went after you. The angels made the weapon. The angels pulled the trigger. None of it was your fault so you can't blame yourself. It's not fair, and it's not helping."

Annabelle's voice grew quieter, cautious, as if she was about to back out of the conversation and recede back into the solitude of her mind when she said, "You sure made it sound like you blamed me last week."

"You're gonna have to be a little more specific with what I said that made you think that."

"'Do you ever take into account how your actions are effecting those around you?'"

"I didn't . . . I didn't mean it," I amended.

I remembered saying the words, but I didn't remember what I had meant by them. It did sound like I was blaming her for what was happening. I didn't want that because I didn't blame her. All of this was the angels fault. They were probably the ones that told Annabelle that it was her fault.

"That's what it sounded like." Hurt was in Annabelle's eyes. "If you blame me, I don't blame you, I just want to know. I want you to be honest with me."

"I don't blame you, honest. Annabelle, I'm sorry I said that. I shouldn't have."

"It's okay. Thank you. For not blaming me, I mean."

"It isn't your fault. It's the angels'. You need to believe that."

"I'll work on it. Ow! Watch the needle, genius!"

"Sorry. I'm trying, smartass!"

Annabelle smiled a little at our exchange. I couldn't help but grin as well.

"Truce?" Annabelle asked.

"Truce," I said.

"Tomorrow we can start working on fighting together, okay?"

"Sounds good." I finished the stitches and wrapped a piece of cloth around Annabelle's arm. "But you need to watch that arm. Don't want to rip the stitches."

"Good idea. Would've never thought of it myself," Annabelle remarked sarcastically.

"Just doing my job," I said in the same tone making Annabelle grin again.

Maybe we would be able to work together after all.