A/N: Back with the next update. :) I didn't expect to update this fast, but I had time off just for now and figured it'd best to get it out as fast as possible before I get really busy with all the life and post-graduation stuff. I will never in any way abandon this fic because it is quite literally my favorite out of all my other ones, but I just can't promise I'll have as much free-time anymore to get it out so soon all the time. This chapter is somewhat shorter than last one. I know I'm one of those wordy, detailed writers you either love or hate and I apologize if it tends to ever get too much. xD
Writing this story is definitely been a new experience for me. Not just the fact it's Supernatural, but me creating an original plot while not entirely letting my couple of choice (in this case, Buffy and Dean) completely overrule the plot. My user name is literally me. I'm an intense shipper and I love the idea of Buffy/Dean so much it's too easy to fall into that shipping trap. I'm challenging myself when I write this fic which is what I need if I'm ever gonna be an author or make my own series. That's partially why I'm so obsessed with this story. I'm actually trying to take it seriously to be more like these two great shows and if I can do that, then I know I have author potential. It's as much a test as it is Buffy/Dean shipperness. xD
I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter. Had writers block for certain parts of it, but anyway!
Disclaimer: I really wish I did own these shows, but alas I don't. If I could literally buy Dean and Buffy and shove them into each other's worlds with SMG and Jensen Ackles acting it out, I totally would. It'd be a simultaneous cure-all to Buffy's forever doomed romantic relationships and Dean's imbalance between hunting vs. normalcy but y'know, neither of them can ever be happy.
Open to Constructive Criticism/OCC warnings! :)
Lost in Translation
~~Buffy~~
Buffy sat on the floor, back propped up against her bed. She was dressed in dark gray, tight-fitting t-shirt with jeans and her hair in a ponytail. A light brown belt was tied around her waist, matching her boots. Books littered the once-empty Men of Letters guest room. The top of the bed with spread out with several hardcovers, dusty and a few engraved with the Men of Letters symbol. More stacks were lined beside the blonde slayer who had one hardcover opened up and reading intently with narrowed eyes.
Supernatural hot spot in the Bermuda Triangle, possible access to portals, no concrete proof of alternate universes blah blah, no way out, blah blah blah blah ... I'm done. On her last thought, Buffy closed the book and threw it carelessly to her right. It cut right through a stack beside her and collided directly into the edge of the bookshelf, rocking it back and forth precariously a few moments. She didn't even glance at it.
The blonde slayer sat there, her mouth twisted in a sour line. Quietly intense frustration swept up inside her like an inferno, barely held back by her very tenuous control. She had taken every book out of Sam and Dean's library again, still hoping like the desperate little girl she was there was anything she had missed.
Surprise, surprise. There wasn't.
Three weeks, four days, six hours and counting. That's how long it's been since Buffy was dropped blind in the Winchesters' universe. It's been nearly a whole month since her life officially turned into a freaky, monster-fighting reboot of Doctor Who and still no breach for her. This was actually her life right now.
At least two of those recent nothingness weeks have been spent stewing in her humiliation of losing Labolas. Buffy's cure to that had been burying herself into the Men of Letters files again and locking herself in the bunker, but at this point her "cure" had turned into just another angry stress tumor. Hence the emphasis on nothingness.
Classically, the source of her distress tumor actually started somewhere else. Sam and Dean had investigated UIS personally after the Labolas incident and the demon had been nowhere to be found. No one even claimed to know a Dr. Clarke on campus, like he never even existed. Just more nothing for all of them and the nothing that drove Buffy to this unsightly case of pointless book-reading.
Unlike her nothing though, Sam and Dean found better outlets. Sam had figured based on her description of Labolas that he had a liking to education and set up a system to keep tabs on any strange activity in other universities and colleges. He and Dean left periodically to check up on Kevin and supervise the demon tablet situation. Sometimes they were even gone days at time, slaying. Just two functional, occupied hunters trying to make the best of a bad situation.
All the props in the world to Sam and Dean though. They were so well-rounded, so perfect in their handle of a perfectly endless list of things to do. They were so organized, so on top of everything and with a complete understanding of the world around them. Remember when Buffy had that? Remember when that used to be her?
...Okay. Now she was just being petty. But considering Sam and Dean were actually out doing something while Buffy was sitting in a room with nothing but musty old books ... could anyone really blame her?
Buffy huffed, glaring at the books around her. Never in her life had she ever read and researched so much. You'd think the fact that she, Buffy Summers, actually being buried in research would give her some kind of pay-off. She didn't even have a Willow or a Dawn or a Giles handy. Somehow that didn't warrant her some pesky information?
The blonde began angrily pacing the cluttered room. Her problems, every one unchanged, flooded to the forefront of her mind.
There was Labolas who may or may not be connected to her being brought here. There was Crowley, who kept sending his demon after her. Neither of them she knew where they were or what they wanted from her. But the best part? They weren't even her enemies. They were Dean and Sam's. At least they were supposed to be.
Pure anger coursed through Buffy. She so didn't need this. She had been gone from her world too long already. Who cared about otherworldly demons? Her only problem should be just finding a way home, but god forbid she's allowed a one-problem deal for one minute after ten freaking years of her life—
"Wow. Ground zero alert."
Buffy stopped in her tracks, whirling around.
Dean was walking leisurely into a room, a faintly surprised expression on his face. "I mean ... two weeks. Pretty much expected you to be climbing walls, but ..." The hunter broke off with a whistle, shaking his head in amazement.
The blonde slayer scowled at him, instant aversion striking her. Dean was literally the last person she wanted to deal with right now.
Oblivious or more likely just not giving a damn, Dean kept on approaching "The room, all these books ..." He observed, looking around the bedroom. A low chuckle escaped him. "Heh. Looks like something out of The Shining." He noted, smirking.
Buffy crossed her arms. "What do you want?" She demanded.
Dean's only reaction to her attitude was a raised eyebrow. "Someone's got cabin fever." He deadpanned, meaningfulness in his voice. The blonde slayer rolled her eyes. The hunter crept closer, a sudden smile on his face. Buffy instinctively tensed, watching every movement through wary eyes. "You know what they say, huh? 'All work and no play makes Buffy a dull girl'."
There was a mischievous sparkle in his eyes, but all the blonde could draw from it was more agitation. "And all annoy and no charm makes Dean a turn-off so I guess we're even." Buffy said sardonically.
The Winchester's smile faltered. He pulled back and shrugged. "Don't knock anything 'till you try it."
Buffy just glowered. She could not be more annoyed. Dean had to be one of the most irritating and persistent men she'd ever met (and this is coming from someone who has Spike in her relationship history).
Two weeks ago, she had been okay with him. The slayer had been perfectly content third-wheeling as a partner to him and Sam. She was even okay actually being his friend, as short-lived a friendship it'd be since she'd be going back to her own universe.
That was two weeks ago. Now Buffy was tired and overall had a little too much Dean. He had been hitting on her constantly these past couple weeks with his charm at absolute max. It's gotten so bad Buffy was nervous even being alone in the same room with Dean because he always seemed to be mentally undressing her. Her nerves were just so shot.
The slayer literally had no clue where Dean got this overwhelmingly strong attraction to her from. She was still stuck on the Dean she met who would rather be anywhere but around her. Sex seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind. But for whatever reason now ... he just really, really wanted to sleep with her.
Buffy knew exactly the type of guy Dean was though. He only wanted to get in her pants. Just another Parker. And after Parker, she certainly wouldn't be naïve enough to look for something that wasn't there. She was dealing with so many things right now. Getting groiny with a "Parker" wasn't going to be added to that list.
"I'm busy." The blonde bit out tersely, her posture stiff.
The hunter scoffed. "Yeah. Real busy, all that pacing and non-reading." Dean muttered He picked up a large hardcover book on the bed and held it up. "That whole rat-in-the-cage routine is just your happy dance." The Winchester added with a mocking smile, holding out the book to her.
The blonde slayer glared at him and the book, then ripped it out of his hands, turning her glare over to the the contents as she opened it. She had already read this one. Several times.
"If I read one more useless book, I'm gonna start tearing out pages." She huffed.
"Well, you got my vote. Relieve. Half of this crap we probably won't ever need anyway." Dean answered on the cynical side, gesturing around with an unimpressed look on his face. "But see, Sam ... it'd get his nerd panties all in a bunch. No one wants a PMSing Sammy. Trust me."
Buffy wrestled with her irritation a moment. She frowned down at the book. "It's so awful. Messing with your mind ... a bunch of things thrown at you all at once. It like, sucks the life out of you. " She described meaningfully. "... Studying is evil." She muttered in deep feeling.
Amusement filled the Winchester's face. "Well, that's why you shove it on Sam. He can fight that evil." Dean responded affectionately.
As crappy as she genuinely felt right now, the joke made Buffy smile a bit. She raised her head. "Too much evil for you?"
The hunter gave a reproving shake of his head. " ... He is a stronger man than I." Dean answered dramatically.
Buffy smiled wider, amused and even a little fond. There was something child-like about Dean. Normally she really hated childishness in men. It was always such a huge turn-off. Older, mature men ... that was her type. Dean's immaturity could be incredibly annoying, but not right now. Right now he was cute.
A little too late she remembered who she was talking about. And even later she realized she was staring at the who a little longer than normal. The past two weeks of Dean's pestering, persistent flirts based on nothing but shallowness and a need to get her in bed roared to life. Not to mention the fact of the situation she was in in general.
That reality check changed her mood real fast. Overcome with exasperation, Buffy shook her head and threw the book back on the bed, putting her hands on her hips. "So does you being here have an actual point? Or is this just another lame 'get in my pants' thing?" The blonde slayer addressed bluntly. Her expression turned stern. "In which case, no."
Dean frowned. He actually looked a bit offended. " ... I'm a professional." He insisted, gesturing to himself.
Buffy couldn't help but roll her eyes. Professional of skirt-chasers maybe. If Dean expected her to fall for that, then he had an even bigger ego on him than she thought.
Noticing her expression, the hunter's attitude changed. He narrowed his eyes. "... Actually, I came up here to drop a little advice." The Winchester clarified, a tinge of defensiveness in his voice as he walked around the bed towards her. More seriousness entered his expression. "Come out for air."
"What?"
"You've been holed up in this hole for two weeks. It's gotta be driving you bonkers by now."
Buffy faltered, struck by the sudden observation. The blonde slayer sighed. "I'm researching for ways out of this place ..." She reminded him, trying to sound firm but mostly coming off tired.
"Yeah, and coming up empty. You tore this whole library up from A to Z. Pretty obvious the Men of Letters don't have what you're looking for." The older hunter replied matter-of-factly.
Buffy looked at him in annoyed weariness. "Pep-stripping advice. Nice renovation there, Tony Robbins." She knew Dean was right though. Deep down, she knew he was. With another sigh, she continued. "If I stop looking at the books ..."
"Forget the damn books. They don't have the answer." The Winchester cut her off, firm as he looked at her sternly. "If you keep on looking at a whole lot of nothing, all you're gonna do is ship yourself off to the nuthouse early. You're just gonna go stir-crazy."
Frustration burst in Buffy. "I have nothing else left to do!" She snapped. "I didn't find the scythe. You guys don't know any friendly witches. And Labolas? The one thing that might know something about my 'lost-in-translation' situation? He disappeared and blank slated anyone back at UIS who even so much as borrowed a pencil from him. So you tell me, Percepto Man! What exactly can I do?" The blonde challenged.
"Action!" Dean declared incredulously, like it was obvious. "Keep following trails." He said impatiently, throwing out his arm.
"For a trail, you need an actual trail." Buffy retorted.
"So you're just giving up?" Dean said in disgust.
That accusation hit a sore spot in the blonde slayer. "I'm not giving up!" Buffy shot back furiously, clenching her fists she glared up at him.
For a moment the two stood there, squaring off against each other with identical gazes of pissed off green. It was a strange sight, given Buffy's diminutive frame against Dean's much larger and muscular one. The anger, however, running through her veins more than made up for what she lacked in size. The fact that anyone, including Dean, could accuse her of being a quitter on her friends and family was such an insult.
Slowly her sudden burst of rage started to recede. Maybe it was because her frustration earlier had already taken up too many calories, but it was too hard to stay mad anymore. Buffy sighed and sat down on the bed. Weariness replaced the anger in her eyes. "I just ... don't know what to do." She murmured.
Dean's attitude changed. He looked almost sympathetic.
"Look ..." He began in exasperation, sitting beside her. "Sam and I ... we got a system. We're looking for Labolas too, okay? He'll show. I'm just saying if you're gonna find the way back, then that means going out and lookin'. Less Anne Frank, more Katniss." Dean explained, a serious look in his eyes.
The blonde didn't react. All her worries and fears were festering uncontrolled in the back of her mind. " ... It might not even matter anyway. I find my way back. My homecoming festively involves the death, evil, and mayhem of post-apocalypse splendor. The world already ended." Buffy answered sullenly, stricken with guilt as she imagined it.
Dean looked incredulous. "You're gone a few weeks tops and you're already advertising D-Day?"
"Yup." The slayer confirmed with ease, expression flat. "That's the drill. Apocalypse after apocalypse after apocalypse. Take a quick pause to watch The Bachelorette or get a mani-pedi ... oh look, another apocalypse. So a vacation out of Buffyverse? Mustn't break tradition!" Buffy summed up in bitter sarcasm.
The hunter stared at her uncomprehendingly.
The slayer didn't stop. She pouted. "I knew it. I knew two years was too long for the world to not be ending. All that peace ... it was just waving the red flag right before the floodgates open. They open and ... voilà. Here comes something horrifically, monumentally, and colossally apocalyptic." Buffy raved, gesturing with her arms.
Sudden husky chuckling startled the blonde slayer. She looked at Dean sharply, incredulous. Was he laughing at her?
"What is so funny about this?" Buffy demanded.
Dean, still chuckling a little, just shook his head. Under the slayer's judging glare, he tried harder to get hold of himself. "It's just ... you really gotta be a special kind of cynic to think your world has constant TNT strapped to it." The Winchester said in amusement
The blonde stared at him hard. " ... If you knew half of what my life has been like, you wouldn't blame me." Buffy responded, expression meaningful.
"No. No blame. Actually ... heh. I can relate." Dean clarified, his amusement fading towards the end as he became more earnest. "Me and Sam ... we've seen it all. Plagues, demonic takeovers, zombie apocalypse, unkillable bastards hellbent on destroying the world. Hell, you ain't scaring me off."
The casual but still matter-of-fact experience in Dean's voice took Buffy by surprise. He seemed entirely unflappable. It wasn't a reaction she was used to on people outside of her inner circle. Then it hit her. Castiel had mentioned a biblical apocalypse to her back in Illinois. Was that why Sam and Dean had accepted the possibility of a apocalypse for their world so calmly? They had seen it all before?
"So ... you lived out a few armageddons yourselves." The slayer said, her tone carefully neutral.
Dean shrugged. "Once or twice. But we stopped them. My brother and me. So believe me when I say I get it. The whole ticking time bomb theory, swimming in worst case scenarios. You walk knee deep through an ugly-ass apocalypse and come out the other side, you get jaded." The hunter acknowledged.
If Buffy had been surprised before, now she was mind-blown. "You saved the world?"
"Well, when you put that way ..." Dean deadpanned, reacting to her obvious disbelief.
She couldn't help but be startled. Sam and Dean had no powers yet could claim they not only saved the world, but more than once? Xander couldn't say that and she couldn't think of any other regular person that could. It was so unreal ... yet explained so much. Their notorious reputation in the demon world, an angel's trust in their capabilities, even Dean's very underwhelming initial response to her background.
These brothers were not monster slayers. They were champions.
The more it sunk in, the more it hit Buffy. She's lived out a supernatural life for ten years and in none of those years had she ever been in this situation: talking with a normal, human guy who could relate to her on facing apocalypses and stopping them without any of the weirdness factor or feeling like she was twenty steps ahead of him. Dean and her were on an even playing field. When had that ever happened to her, ever?
It just didn't compute. Normal. Human. Slayer. Powers. Even playing field. It was a very strange feeling, but at the same time ... refreshing. Maybe, in the deepest parts of Buffy's heart, even freeing.
A smile tugged at Buffy's lips. "Look at that. Two end-of-the-world veterans. All the disillusionment and systematically stripped away optimism you can provide." The blonde joked good-naturedly.
"Screw optimism. That's what I say. Who needs it?" Dean said in his own tired humor.
The blonde slayer smiled with just as weary indulgence. "And now when feeling down in the dumps, I know not to go to you. Noted, dated." Buffy quipped, a hint of affection in her voice.
The Winchester studied her contemplatively. A slow smile spread on his face. " ... Oh, you can come to me anytime, sweetheart. I know a thing or two about keeping your mind off things." He responded, his tone playful but eyes meaningful.
The subtle-not-so-subtle innuendo didn't fly over her head. Tension squirmed in Buffy's body, but she kept her pokerface. "We're not talking about pep talks anymore, are we?" She questioned flatly.
Dean's response was a mere smirk. In a manner practically habit at this point, his appreciative gaze wandered all over her until finding it's way back to her face. His eyes found her lips and finally rested there, smirking a little wider.
The signals he was broadcasting could not be any louder.
The blonde squirmed under his attention, but (god) was not entirely turned off by it. Suddenly she was acutely conscious of Dean's proximity and how easily the small space between them could be closed. He was dressed in a blood-red overshirt over a black shirt with the jeans and it looked very nice on him. It all terrified Buffy. Her mind was a mushy bundle of nerves, uncertainty, and a certain something far less practical.
It was so stupid. Dean was literally the textbook definition of a bad hook-up. He'd be a mistake even if they lived in the same universe. She should be completely unaffected. But no matter what your brain told you, your body had a mind all of it's own and Buffy did have eyes. Dean was very easy on them and he knew it. Of course he took advantage of it and out of every girl everywhere, it had to be on her. That was the worst part.
The frustration was so real it was sad. Buffy hadn't sex in a very, very long time. For a gal as sexually deprived as her, all you really had to do was just look at Dean or even Sam and you'd have some thoughts. Dean made all that so much worse though by his ruthless flirtations and making himself so open. It was all his fault. He kept putting the idea in her head and she hated him for it.
An alternate universe, a roguishly sexy Dean, and a sexually frustrated Buffy. What a sitcom. Also, a recipe for disaster if there ever was one.
Her irrational inability to move or even speak was apparently a green light for said hunter. Dean smiled more softly, shifting closer to the slayer. Slowly the started to move in, tilting his head as he subtly leaned downward ...
Nothing like a fresh dose of panic to bring you back to Earth.
Buffy immediately recoiled. She got off the bed, practically leaping away from Dean in her haste to stop herself from doing something she'd regret. Dean could only stare uncomprehendingly, as if he wasn't sure what just happened.
Newfound frustration crackled out of Buffy in waves. "This will not be a business and pleasure mix. Strictly un-mixy. Got it, hotshot?" The blonde grumbled, projecting herself to be as resolved and adamant as possible. Temptation? What temptation?
Dean gazed at her incredulously. After a moment, he shook his head. "All hands barred." He reassured in a resigned tone, holding his hands up in surrender.
Buffy was still quietly fuming. Dean was a nice piece of eye-candy, but that's all he was. All he was allowed to be. Too many times in the past had Buffy recklessly listened to her libido and it only led to a road paved with misery and bad decisions. Almost every person she ever slept with, she regretted it. And Dean ... boy, would he be a choice making that list fast.
Dean was a Parker. A more relatable Parker who just so happened to be into killing monsters and stopped a few apocalypses like her, but a Parker nonetheless. She had to keep reminding herself that. No more Parkers.
In fierce rebellion against anymore lusty thoughts, the slayer directed the conversation to something more relevant than anything that went on in the past ten minutes. "All I care about is going back home. Everything else? Disappearing in the rearview mirror." The blonde reiterated, glaring at Dean pointedly.
The hunter seemed to sober up at the hint, though the shred of disappointment still lingering in his eyes wasn't something she just missed.
Buffy scowled deeper. Parker. In every way possible.
"Labolas is MIA and currently my best friend is nothing. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of nothing." Buffy went on, disgust and frustration coating the word at the end. "I can't afford nothing, okay, Dean? Not in my world. If I find one more dead end ..."
Dean listened to her long-winded rant, his expression now entirely solemn. He watched her intensely from the edge of the bed for a while, appearing deep in his own thoughts. The full change in attitude caught Buffy's attention despite her foul mood. She couldn't help but notice a sudden tenseness about him.
Suddenly the Winchester rose. Hesitation was on his face, which startled Buffy since that wasn't an emotion she'd ever seen on him. "... Dead-end dimensions. Been in that love-boat myself. About five months ago ... I was stuck in a world of weird too." Dean was trying to sound nonchalant, but there was a far-away look in his eyes. He hesitated again. " ... It was a place. A place called Purgatory." He revealed seriously, raising his head and looking her in the eye
Surprise at the confession pierced her. "Purgatory?"
Dean gave a terse nod. "It wasn't like here. Fish-out-of-water scheme. Max." The older hunter clarified lamely. "I was there ... heh. Way too damn long." Dean mused with a bitter scoff and a shake of his head, his weary amusement melting away into pure weariness. "Some days I never thought I'd leave. I had to fight tooth and nail to get out of there." Underneath the tiredness, there was a note of wistfulness in Dean's voice.
The slayer eyed him curiously. This guy is just full of surprises ... Buffy couldn't help but muse, intrigued.
The Winchester walked over, stopping in front of her. "But I did get out. It was lousy ... and didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell ... but I did." His gaze rested on her intently. "Now I don't know much about this Vulcan-Planet Terra crap ... but what I do know is that if there is a way, it's gotta be up to you." Dean told her simply.
Buffy took a moment to absorb this. She found she appreciated the practical honesty. She doubted everything before ... but after Dean's own experience in Purgatory, maybe he wasn't all that wrong? Maybe following Labolas' trails, as dead ended as they currently were, would change and might lead her somewhere?
Dean had managed to surprise her again. His words were serious and truthful, not filled with coddling or saying whatever she needed to hear to get her in bed. It didn't seem like he was saying this hoping for sex. This was literally the same guy that tried to sleep with her just a few minutes ago and here he was being straight with her.
Buffy smiled softly at him. Maybe this guy might be a little more than your average Parker after all ... The blonde slayer considered gratefully. He seemed to care, at least. She still wasn't entirely sure he wasn't a Parker, but maybe ...
Steps alerted the blonde slayer. "Dean!" Sam called from the hallway. The slayer and hunter turned their head as the younger Winchester appeared in the doorway, an urgent look on his face. "Just got a call from Kevin. He gotta meet him right away."
"Did he finally crack open the Gates?" Dean sounded surreptitiously hopeful.
Sam meet his gaze steadily. "He wouldn't say over the phone. Just that it's emergency. He sounded pretty freaked ..."
The worry in Sam's eyes changed his brother's tune. He looked more uneasy while the blonde slayer frowned at Sam, wondering with her own concern what was going on. Buffy and Dean exchanged a worried glance. This was not going to go well.
~~Dean~~
Dean banged impatiently on the metal door, standing at the entrance to Garth's boat. "Kevin, open up!"
Sam and Buffy were clustered beside him, pensive. For a just a little too long, the three of them had been out here, waiting to be let in. Dean pounded louder. "Hey! Kevin!" He yelled more harshly.
Finally there was a sound of a lever being pulled. Kevin peeked out the door skittishly, a huge cast iron skillet raised and a wild look in his eye. Sam jumped in alarm while his older brother instinctively pulled back. "Whoa, whoa. Hey. Just us." He reassured tersely, throwing out his hands peacefully.
Kevin made a wary show of looking around. Dean rolled his eyes, concerned and aggravated. The kid didn't look as sick anymore. Over the past two weeks, they helped him keep up with at least showering and a slight change of diet. He still looked disheveled though, dressed in the same ragged gray sweater and jeans the last time they visited. The bags under his eyes indicated severe lack of sleep and there was a haunted look in them that hadn't quite been there before.
Finally the boy gave a barely perceptible nod. The hunter shook his head. "Geez ..." Dean muttered, starting to go inside.
Before Buffy could even get one foot in the door, Kevin stopped her with his skillet. Dean and Sam paused halfway in the door, glancing back with a frown. "Wait. You. Not you. How do I know you're not just another demon?" The black-haired boy demanded.
The blonde rolled her eyes. "Universe Girl, remember? Slay-er, not a demon." Buffy reminded him meaningfully.
Kevin didn't seem to hear her. "Crowley could've sent you after me. You could be using Sam and Dean to find me and bring me to him." The black-haired prophet said with certainty, suspicion creased across his face.
Dean listened to the conversation with a rapidly growing sense of tiredness. He exchanged a exhausted look with Sam. Yep. It happened. Kid's finally cracked.
Buffy was unimpressed. "More trust issues and monster-calling." She shook her head in exasperation and put her hand on her hips. "All you boys in Winchesterworld sure know how to roll out the welcoming wagon, don't you?"
"They're everywhere. You could be just like them. It's Crowley. Crowley's behind all this." Kevin seemed to be in his own world of worst-case scenarios, nervousness, and wild paranoia.
The blonde slayer raised her eyebrows. "I think someone has watched Panic Room a little too many times." She said with feeling, giving him a stern look.
Kevin raised the skillet again defensively. Dean tensed. Afraid he was about to get violent, he stepped in. "Alright, Kristen Stewart." Dean cut in in deadpan fashion, putting himself between Kevin and Buffy. "Quit the paranoid schizo act. She's no demon."
Sam nodded. "We can vouch for her. Buffy's a friend."
The young boy still looked doubtful, skillet raised and his eyes flicking all over them. Dean took this in with more disapproval. "You can trust her." The Winchester stated seriously, his gaze on him severe.
Kevin hesitated, then finally gave a small nod and stepped to the side to let them pass. Exchanging an indignant look with Sam and Buffy, the hunter shook his head and followed. "Thanks a bunch." Buffy muttered sarcastically from behind Sam, giving the young boy a pointed look as she passed him.
"Alright, so what's going on? What's with the S.O.S?" Dean finally was able ask the number one question on his mind, his tone slightly exasperated as he glanced at Kevin.
The boy clutched the handle of the skillet even tighter. "It's him." Kevin bit out pensively.
"It's who?" Sam's words came out in a sigh, a hint of annoyance in his voice also.
The prophet turned away from the door, staring at them with a new kind of nervousness. "Crowley."
That sure got Dean's attention. He stopped, glancing back at the boy. Sam echoed him.
Buffy had screeched to a halt closer to the door, quickly whipping around and staring at the prophet. "Crowley?" A hint of anxiety was in her eyes. Dean knew too well why.
"What about Crowley?" The older Winchester pressed.
"He's in my head." Kevin told them desperately, pointing to his head with his free hand.
Dean and Sam stared at him uncomprehendingly. Pure disbelief siphoned through the hunter. That's his S.O.S? Buffy, however, was taking this information much differently than the brothers. She looked alarmed.
"He's ... in your head." Sam repeated incredulously, looking at Dean skeptically and then back at Kevin.
"Can demons here do that?" Buffy asked uneasily.
"No. No, they can't." Dean replied, the last part more meaningful in response to Kevin. "Kevin ... you're dreaming. Crowley is not in your head." The older Winchester told him firmly.
"How can you know that?" The prophet burst out in panic. He was still holding the frying pan, which irritated Dean a little but he ignored it.
"What I know is that we need to up your anxiety meds." The older Winchester responded dryly. More conscious of the fear in the boy's eyes, the hunter sobered again. He considered it a second, then shook his head. "Look, even if Crowley did know where you were, he'd be doing a hell a lot of more than mess with your head." Dean reminded reasonably, throwing out his arm.
"Where's Garth?" Sam suddenly asked, his eyes flitting across the room.
Dean followed his gaze, realizing the lanky hunter was nowhere to be found once again. In their periodic visits these past two weeks, neither him or his brother had run into their friend.
"On a case again or-or the dentist. I don't know! I haven't heard from him!" Kevin answered, his voice suddenly growing high pitched with frustration as if all the questions were overwhelming him.
Dean waved a calming hand at him. "Okay, well, what did want to tell us that you couldn't say on the phone?" The hunter questioned in a deceptively even tone, his irritation growing at the fact the boy was still waving around the frying pan. Finally he couldn't take it. "Would you put the frying pan down, please?!" He snapped, gesturing to it with his hand.
Kevin blinked, then glanced at the frying pan as if he hadn't realized he was still holding in it. He finally set it down on the nearby stove. He paused, glancing up at them. "I figured out how to close the Gates of Hell." He revealed at last wearily.
The older Winchester's eyes widened. He exchanged a surprised glance with Sam and Buffy. "You ..." He began in disbelief, satisfaction and relief bursting in his chest after so many months of nothing. A genuine smile came to his face. "You crazy prophet, you. Nice work!" He praised enthusiastically.
Dean would've hugged the prophet right then and there, but something in Kevin's expression stopped him. He didn't look triumphant or even relieved. There was still that haunted look in his eyes. The hunter's glee quickly got dampened. Buffy and Sam also seemed to realize based on Kevin's mood, it wasn't the time for celebration.
"Somehow putting Hell out of business isn't even worth a small victory dance?" Buffy noted whimsically.
Kevin turned sharply towards them, pausing with a wild expression. "And if Crowley's in my head, he knows!" The black-haired boy told them urgently, anger coloring his voice.
"Okay, he's definitely not your head."
"Okay, he's not in your head, Kevin."
Dean and Sam spoke at the same time, both shaking their head as they tried to calm the disheveled prophet.
Kevin, however, was having one of it. "Yes, he is! I can feel it. I swear, these past couple days Crowley's been driving me up a frickin' wall ... tormenting me. He knows. And if I spill everything about closing the Gates, he'll know that too. I'm not just making this up!"
The older Winchester was flabbergasted. Wow. I mean, I knew the kid was white-knuckling this demon tablet thing, but this? 'Beautiful Mind' material. Dean thought in disbelief. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor kid. Everything was clearly eating at him. Maybe he and Sam should've checked up just once or twice more these past two weeks. They had been busy hunting, but someone needed to keep Kevin together.
"Okay, Kevin. Just relax. Out of Paranoia Town, back in the land of the sane." Buffy stated in a level tone, moving her arms calmingly. "Say Crowley does know. You're still the one with info and a nice security squad. So instead of doing a reenactment of something out of Y2K, how about you just tell us-them what they need to do?" The blonde reasoned, her words quick and awkward a second when she accidentally said us.
"It's okay, Kevin. Just ... we know you're distressed, alright? But Buffy ... she's not wrong." Sam acknowledged, understanding but no less firm. "Stay with us, alright? What do we need to do about closing the Gates?" His brother questioned intently.
A prickle of satisfaction trickled in Dean. It was nice to see his brother so determined now to get this done.
The prophet hesitated, suspicion and doubt still floating in his eyes. Finally he sighed. "I ... I didn't get much." He admitted reluctantly. He walked over to his wall of notes and pulled a piece of paper off the wall. "But it's spell. Only a few words of Enochian, but ..." He began, handing the piece of paper to Dean.
Dean was pumped. "Oh, here we go." He remarked dramatically, taking the paper and studying the ancient language curiously.
"You have to speak it after you finish each of the three trials." Kevin continued on solemnly.
The older hunter raised his head at this. Sam was frowning. "Trials, like 'Law & Order' trials?" His brother asked in slight bewilderment, Dean handing him the slip of paper as he was speaking.
Kevin shook his head. "More like Hercules. The tablet says ..." The black-haired boy trailed off in thought, screwing his face up in memory. " 'Whoever choses to undertake these trials should not fear danger, nor death, nor ...' A word I think means getting your spine ripped out of your mouth for all eternity." He summed up, looking at the brothers uncomfortably.
"Good times."
"Colorful."
Dean and Buffy spoke simultaneously, the brief responses dry and unimpressed. Realizing, the two of them exchanged a surprised glance. The blonde slayer quickly looked away and focused back on Kevin, her awkwardness obvious. Dean stared at her a moment longer, smiling as he found the reaction both amusing and endearing.
"Basically ..." Kevin was continuing on, not reacting to the small moment that passed between Dean and Buffy. "God built a series of tests, and when they're all done, you can slam the gates."
"So ... God wants us to take the SATS?" Sam described a little incredulously.
"Would rather have had that than the real SATS." Buffy remarked casually, shrugging.
Dean clapped his hands together. "All right. Where do we start?" He prompted determinedly, pumped.
He knew without even knowing specifics that was no way this trial thing wouldn't have risk, sending all these demons back home all at once. He didn't really care though. He just cared about getting it done himself. Getting rid of these demonic bastards once and for all.
The prophet had a tired look in his eyes. "That's the part I don't know yet. I'm getting closer to the tablet break, and ... things are messy. And the prophecy from a couple weeks ago? I've been trying to find more on that too. Nothing. I think all that's left of that is just the phrase."
His very rare bout of enthusiasm seemed to vanish as quick as it came. Dean had waited forever to know what exactly they had to do to close the gates. Now he had to wait even longer because of that stupid tablet break? Resentment towards Crowley festered in Dean again. Better hope our half of the tablet doesn't keep being screwy all the way through.
"The prophecy puzzle piece might not be that big of a biggie. 'Cause it's lookin' like we just found out a slice of it." Buffy said unenthusiastically, grimacing. At Kevin's questioning look, the blonde slayer continued. "We ran into this ... demon. Big player, likes to hear himself talk, and a whole rainbow of pain."
Sam and Dean exchanged a serious look. They had a conversation about this before these past couple weeks about figuring out this prophecy. On one day, the three of them had meet up and cracked their skulls together. It became very apparent to the Winchester brothers how easily it was looking to tie Labolas into all this. There wasn't a question anymore. A lot of discomfort and fear, but no doubt.
"His name's Labolas. He has way too many powers. He's as a big as a freak as demons come. And we don't know how to kill him." Dean elaborated reluctantly, apprehension plaguing him as he reflected on it. The hunter shook his head. "The Legion of Doom, all wrapped into one."
"The prophecy said something about a commander leading an army. Like a general." Sam took over solemnly, thoughtfulness in his features. "Labolas used to be Lucifer's general. He led an army of demons. Everything lines up."
Kevin listened and internalized everything they said in one speechless, drawn out moment. He looked between the trio uncomprehendingly. Then a bitter laugh escaped him. "So you're saying I not only have to worry about closing the Gates, but stopping an unkillable demon wanting to destroy the whole world? And he's gonna be after me?" The black-haired boy responded resentfully. He laughed again bitterly. "Wow. This is actually my life."
"If it makes you feel any better, it's also our lives." Buffy offered, forcing a sympathetic smile.
The prophet shook his head several times. "We're screwed." The black-haired boy said with certainty. Kevin started pacing, running one hand through this hair. "God, we're so screwed." He muttered in more angry feeling, panic and distress on his face.
"Hey, come on. We're screwed when we get screwed." Dean admonished, giving him a stern look."We can fix this, okay? Just keep prophetin' it up with that tablet and we'll have Labolas' ass blown away back to pit with the rest of them in no time."
Sam paused, a skeptical look on his face. "Are you sure?"
"What?" The older hunter said incredulously.
His younger brother looked uncomfortable. "Look. You know I'm not usually the negative one ... but we gotta face facts, Dean. We don't know anything about Labolas. And what's keeping him going? It's a hell of lot more than just our kind of demon." Sam pointed out with feeling, serious. "He's not like any demon we ever faced. How do we even know when we shut down Hell, he's gonna go with it?"
Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. "He's a demon, Sam! A glorified, juiced up, diva demon. We close the gates, shut down Hell and eject every son of bitch back in the fire. That's the dessert at the end of the day. Labolas will not be any different." The hunter insisted just as adamantly.
Sam meet his gaze steadily. "Maybe ... or maybe not." The younger hunter replied honestly, shrugging. "We don't know, Dean, and that's the truth. We can't assume every one of our problems are just gonna be solved that easily."
The older Winchester listened with growing aggravation. He swiped his hand over his face. "Okay, you know what? You're right! We don't know! But it's still the only solution we got." Dean acknowledged in frustration, giving his brother a look.
It hit the older hunter a little harder than he wanted to admit considering Sam's scenario. Dean already had enough doubts on how they could possibly beat a demon like this, let alone kill it. Based on Buffy's description, it all looked pretty abysmal. At least with closing the Gates, it was clean. He knew what to do. It was a simple solution to a monumental problem and god knows in their lives they didn't get enough of that. It was literally all he could hold onto right now.
"Either way, you can't just do nothing. Even if the gates doesn't send him away, you won't really know that until you try." Buffy supplied solemnly, looking between the brothers.
Dean nodded agreement, more uneasy than ever but still appreciating Buffy's input.
His attention drifted back to their prophet. Kevin had sunk into the chair by the small kitchen table during the conversation, hunched over. He looked nearly catatonic with a miserable, far away look in his eyes. Concern for the ragged boy swept over the hunter.
"Kevin? You still with us, buddy?" The older Winchester prompted.
The black-haired boy blinked, then slowly turned to look at them. After a long moment, he sighed. "I heard it all, okay? But ..." The prophet trailed away as doubt crowded his expression. "It's just ... if I find out about the trials, Crowley will know too."
Weary annoyance nagged at Dean. "Kevin ... we get it. You've been cooped up in this place ... all you've really been doing is stewing in all your crap." The hunter acknowledged unorthodoxly, trying to be sympathetic. "But look. Crowley is not in your mind, okay? You're just white-knuckling."
"You've just been having nightmares, Kevin. That just means is you need to relax." Sam told him understandingly.
Buffy was eying the young boy sympathetically. "Like I said before. Even if Crowley does know somehow what's going on, we do too and that's what's important." The blonde reminded him
"It's just ..." Kevin trailed away again, a disconcerted look in his eyes. "Crowley. It's like he's right there, every time I turn around. I can't focus on the tablet because every time I do, Crowley's breathing down my ass. Like he's about to get me." The black-haired prophet reflected uneasily.
"We're not gonna let that happen." Sam said steadfastly.
Kevin seemed inconsolable. He shook his head. "I can feel him in my head. It's only a matter of time."
Dean finally about had it. "Kevin ... I'm only gonna say this one more time. Crowley is not watching you!" He began impatiently. "I get it. It's been a little too long of the same old same old and you're feeling the pressure. Now this whole thing sucks. But you gotta focus here, man. Keep translating. No more crying the blues." The Winchester told him sharply.
The prophet was silent. "... That's it? It's just that easy." Kevin remarked incredulously. He stood up quickly. "Not too long ago my life was pretty normal. Now I have to deal with this every day and you expect me to what, just shrug it off?" The prophet said angrily. "I want my life to go back to the way it was. I just want it over." Kevin said in frustrated weariness.
"It's not gonna be over!" Dean countered with passion. "It's never gonna be over ... for any of us. But we suck it up and we deal with it because that's what we do. Other people got it different, but it's how it is." The Winchester went on matter-of-factly, expression stern. "Y'know what? You were right. We are screwed. Our lives suck. Nothing but walking through a steaming pile of crap. But at least out of the crap, we can do a little good." Dean declared strongly.
Every word of brutal honesty seemed to cut down Kevin even more, but it just couldn't be helped. Dean was not the type of person to give someone illusions. He had been where Kevin was many times. The difference between them was he already accepted it. Kevin, him, Sam, even Buffy ... their lives were ruined by the life at some point and it was never going to heal. The least Dean could do was make the most of it and try to stop anyone else from ending up the same way. There was silver lining, maybe not for him but for others.
Sam was staring at his brother's adamant expression, visible discomfort and dismay on his face. Buffy in contrast was stoic, watching the hunter intensely through unreadable eyes.
Kevin was rendered silent again, gazing at the older man with weariness in his eyes. He shook his head. "I can't take it." He mumbled miserably.
Dean softened a bit. "Yes, you can. Just accept it and keep on pushing through. The sooner you get on board with that, the ride's gonna be a whole lot easier. There's a lot of demons out there, killing. Shutting down these gates will save a whole lot of lives. You can't just walk away from that." Dean reminded him meaningfully.
The prophet stared at him hollowly, looking like he didn't know what to say anymore. After a moment or two, the young boy turned away. "I'm gonna ... I'm gonna be in my room." He told them wearily, walking past them to his room. "Let me know when there's a good day."
"Kevin ..." The older Winchester called after him.
The boy just slammed the door shut.
Dean stood there, a quandary of mixed feelings. He hadn't wanted to Kevin to go through this. It wasn't like he didn't know exactly how he felt. That's why though on some level it was so hard for him to sympathize. He did know how that felt, but he moved past that. He was focusing on what mattered which was shutting down Hell and freeing the world of demons. It was too important for Kevin to cast aside just to wallow in self-pity.
"Dean ... don't you think you were being a little hard on Kevin?" Sam suddenly said, looking a little unimpressed.
"Honesty's hard on him?" The older Winchester answered incredulously, turning to his brother. Sam gave him a stern look. The older hunter faltered. "I was just telling him the truth, okay? It's how it is, hate it or love it. He needs to pull himself together." Dean refused to apologize for what he said. The prophet had needed it.
Buffy had her eyes trained on Kevin's door, expression impassive. "Are we really sure Crowley hasn't found him?" She asked quietly.
"It's just Kevin. A life on the run is getting him paranoid." Dean responded with certainty, his arms crossed. Mixed feelings assaulted the Winchester again. "I mean, I get it. He's under a lot of pressure. We just don't have time for that." He admitted reluctantly, shaking his head. "The kid's got a job to do and if he can't do it, then we can't do ours. He needs to get it done."
The blonde slayer looked at him sharply. "But he's still just a kid. He keeps jumping through rings of fire and there's never an intermission. And if he doesn't do it, people pay for it." Buffy retorted with feeling, her gaze intense. "Everyone expects everything from him. To have the weight of the world on your shoulders that like that at that age ... you have no idea what's that like."
The sudden passion and near-disgust Buffy was exhibiting took Dean by surprise. He pulled himself together and meet her eyes steadily. "Hey, you're right. It sucks. No one here wanted this." The hunter relented earnestly. He shook his head. "But we can't change it. It is what it is. Kevin's gotta suck it up."
Buffy said nothing. She just stared at him, a suddenly very tired look in her eyes.
Dean was still baffled. He just couldn't grasp where her odd reaction was coming from. Then it finally hit him. Right. The whole teen Neo, 'You-are-the-One' thing. She must be putting herself in Kevin's shoes. He realized.
He knew it. He knew there had been more to it than just being called as a slayer. That she just accepted everything right away and didn't have any demons of her own. Dean had known that, without needing any details or talk about apocalypses, just because she was a hunter. There was some kind of resignation about Buffy. Her life had been a lot more unhappy than she was letting on. He couldn't help but wonder what she had gone through in the past ... but it wasn't Dean's place to know and the chances of Buffy telling him that on her own were close to zero. He respected that.
Sam, surprisingly, looked nearly as weary as Buffy. "Look ... let's just leave Kevin alone for a while. Give him some time to cool off. Maybe when he's cleared his head—"
"I'll talk to him." Buffy interrupted.
Both Winchesters faltered, staring at her.
"Is that really a good idea?" Sam asked incredulously. "I mean, no offense, but Kevin doesn't exactly know you."
The pretty blonde looked at Sam, expression unreadable. After a few moments, she gave a small smile. "Well, good thing I have my charm and a whole lotta charisma. I'll get through to him." Buffy replied, her flippant tone becoming more genuine as she nodded reassuringly.
Sam still looked doubtful, but Dean nodded. "You heard her, Sammy. Girl charm. Can't ever top that." The older Winchester agreed only half-jokingly, hitting his brother playfully on the shoulder. Sam frowned at him in disapproval, but Dean just smirked and turned back to Buffy. "Well, good luck to you and your ... charms." The hunter remarked, unable to help the tease.
The flirty innuendo didn't get to Buffy this time. The blonde slayer quickly become serious, pausing as her green gaze met his steadily. " ... I'll take care of him." She swore decisively.
The look in her eyes sobered Dean and he gave a small nod.
Buffy stood in the place a few seconds more, looking between the brothers one more time before turning and walking to Kevin's room.
Joking aside, Dean did understand what Buffy was trying to do. Sam may be right. Kevin didn't know the mysterious blonde other than the fact she was from an alternate universe and likely only trusted her at all because of Sam and Dean. But at the same time, Buffy was the only who could really relate to him. Maybe Kevin having a little talk with her would raise his spirits.
"So ... now what?" Dean thought out loud, throwing out his arms.
Sam sighed. "Maybe we should comb out this place." At his older brother's confused look, the younger hunter clarified. "Kevin's probably wrong about Crowley. He's just really strung out. But we should check anyway." He voiced reasonably. "Who knows. Maybe it might give him a little piece of mind."
Dean mulled that over, pursing his lips. While he was still skeptical, checking for signs of Crowley was a smart precaution. "Yeah, well. Not like we got anything better to do." The Winchester agreed flatly with a shrug, his hands on his hips. "We should go and lay traps."
Dean turned and headed towards the front door, his brother right on his heels.
~~Buffy~~
The blonde slayer stood outside the small metal door, frowning at it's engraved and mysterious red markings. Probably some kind of protection against demons. Buffy glanced around the boat. Dean and Sam were gone. The two of them had apparently gone outside to check for demons. They'd be back.
The problem was with the brothers gone for now ... that just left her. Her and Kevin.
A minute ago she had been so sure this was the right call. Now all she could do was stare at the door. I don't really know Kevin ... how's he gonna feel if I just barge in and start waggling a finger at him? She wondered uncertainly. Not that she was trying to waggle ... but no matter how you sliced it, she was a stranger to him. No one took well to a stranger trying to tell you how to live your life. She knew that better than most.
Maybe I should go. The slayer thought uncomfortably, her resolve retreating. She didn't want to make the situation worse.
The blonde was two seconds from finding Sam and Dean, but then she remembered. Kevin was in a place right now very few people experienced and that was the responsibility of the whole world. A responsibility you couldn't run from no matter how much you hated it or how much you should instead be living your life. What better person would be to talk to him than her?
Buffy calmed, serious again. No ... I have to do this. I'm the only person who should do this. He doesn't know me? Well. He's about to. The slayer reflected determinedly. Not risking another moment overthinking it, the blonde knocked on the door.
"Go away, Dean!"
Kevin's aggravated, weary voice instantly answered through the door before the slayer could even speak. Buffy faltered, dropping her hand with a frown. "Uh ... not Dean. It's Buffy." She corrected awkwardly.
There was a pause. "... I really don't want to talk right now." The prophet said at last, sounding stiffly unenthused.
She hadn't expected a different reaction. A part of her considered respecting that a second, but Buffy pushed it aside. "Okay, I know. Martian, literally from Venus ... but I come in peace, I swear. No hostile takeovers." She insisted, quirky but genuine. "Is it okay if I come in?" She asked politely, trying desperately to not come off as pushy.
Another longer pause. It was at the point Buffy was literally holding her breath. Then there was the sound of a lever and the door opened, revealing Kevin. He looked at her tersely a second, then averted his eyes and quickly retreated back in the room. The blonde cautiously followed.
Not unlike everything else in this boat, Kevin's room was one cluttered and claustrophobia-inducing hazard. A ragged-looking twin bed was squatted in the middle of the room, unmade. Books were thrown in every direction. A table, covered in books, was at his bedside. His only closet was a small bag of clothes. The walls were covered with countless red sigils, a lot of them looking fresh. The only light entering the room came from small windows, each one of them also marked. The place was dark and dank and reminded her eerily of Xander's old basement ... yet somehow worse.
Buffy took the sight with a dim sense of alienation. " ... Wow. Love the ensemble." The slayer finally declared lamely, still looking around. "Dark, clutter-y ... just screams front page for Coastal Living."
Kevin was shoving a couple books off the bed, letting them fall carelessly to the ground. "Yeah, well, it's not like I have a housekeeper." The black-haired prophet muttered with just a hint of bitter.
Realizing her inappropriate timing, the blonde slayer waved her hand in peace. "Sorry. Me joking. Just some ... at sea at sea humor." Buffy apologized. Kevin gave her an irritated look despite her earnestness. Too late the slayer realized she slipped in another pun. She shook her head vigorously, waving her hands around. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean—I'll stop." The blonde added quickly, shutting up self-consciously.
Kevin stared at her a long moment. " ... You're really weird." He commented bluntly, shaking his head and sitting back down on the bed.
Buffy frowned. " ... You mean weird in a cute way?" She offered hopefully.
The prophet shook his head. "Just weird." He clarified with little inflection, his expression nearly as unresponsive. He was even more focused on putting books back on the table than her.
Buffy pouted. Weird. What a great first impression.
"So you're really from a different universe?" Kevin asked, still organizing the books as he finally looked back at her.
The sudden question startled the blonde slayer. She gave a friendly smile. "Buffyverse. A universe filled with sarcasm, social awkwardness, and inappropriate humor." Buffy quipped glibly, not able to help it. Remembering the situation, she sobered and stepped forward. "But I'm not here to swap stories or compare notes. I'm here because ... I know what you're going through." The slayer finally said genuinely, standing beside the side of the bed.
Kevin scoffed. "Nice try, lady. No one does."
Buffy said nothing, her features twisted in compassion. " ... I know how unfair this all is. The tablet translating, the demon dodging, hiding under a rock this whole time. None of this should've happened to you." The blonde acknowledged feelingly, sitting down slowly beside him on the bed. She eyed him sympathetically. "But the problem with should'ves is that they never happen. This did."
The prophet avoided her eyes. Regrettably, Buffy continued. "You are the only one who can translate this demon tablet. Doing that and helping them close the gates will save a lot of people. Even if you never asked for it ... it's the right thing to do."
"You sound like Dean." Kevin said in frustration.
The blonde paused, weighing her words. " ... Dean was right." Buffy replied softly, her tone even. "I mean, he could've been a little less ... Dirty Harry about it ... but he was right." The slayer went on, her mild distaste switching to certainty in the end. "And believe me, I know how much it feels to hate that." She added empathetically.
All the prophet's frustration seemed to melt away, replaced again with misery. "It's just too much. A little over a year ago, I had a normal life. Didn't know about demons or monsters or anything. I was just a kid. Now all of a sudden I'm prophet. I need to keep looking over my shoulder for demons and worry about shutting down something as big as Hell because no one else can. My whole life changed."
Buffy listened to the rant with growing sympathy. Everything Kevin was saying, word for word was practically a mirror version of all the times she had lamented her burdensome slayer status. It's like looking at me when I first became The Slayer. She recognized, overwhelmed.
Disappointment hit her hard at the thought. It was so tragic to Buffy that even in another world, there were still kids that weren't allowed to be one—just like she had been.
"Dean and Sam ... they just don't understand." Kevin remarked wearily.
"... No, they don't. And they never will." Buffy responded point-blank, her tone soft and honest. Kevin glanced at her sadly. "They can rationalize and hit you around like a ping-pong ball as much as they want ... but at the end of the day, they still won't know. What it's like. To be chosen." She declared, resonating with experience.
The prophet stared at her incredulously.
Buffy gave a sad, knowing smile. "Back in my day ... I used to have the dull, everyday life too. I didn't have powers. I didn't know about demons. I was just ... normal." She began distantly. "In my world ... slayers get called, and finally my number was up. That's how I became this. The Chosen One. The One destined to fight the forces of darkness. I was younger than you. And after that my life pretty much ended ... and I never got it back." The blonde slayer confessed resignedly, overwhelmed. She shook her head. "And I hated it. I hated it so much. I just wanted my old life back. Not responsibility. Not destiny. Just one where I wasn't constantly about to be killed or worrying about the fate of the world."
Every word torn out of Buffy was a mirror image of her own weariness. The blonde had accepted this was how her life was long time ago, but reflecting on her angsty early slayer years still hurt. She still couldn't help wishing her life had turned out differently. That she could've just been a regular girl, free of worldwide responsibility and happily ignorant to all the things that go bump in the night. Free of leading an army of slayers, free of losing people she loved or herself ... everything. Buffy still wondered how much easier her life would've been if she had never been called.
Forcing herself out of her suddenly dismal thoughts, the slayer glanced back at Kevin. "So trust me when I say I get it ... more than Sam and Dean do." She finished lamely, though no less earnest.
" ... Wow. I had no idea." The young boy finally uttered, looking stunned. "That might be worse ... honestly. I'm sorry." Kevin answered with his own sympathy. The slayer avoided his eyes, discomfort shooting through her. "But you're still here. You've been dealing with stuff like this for years, and you still are. How? How can you still do it?" He pressed desperately.
That's a good question. Buffy thought tiredly. She recalled all the periods in her life she had bad day after bad day that all eventually blurred together in one ugly nightmare. Too many times she asked herself how she could do it. On some of her worst days, she didn't have an answer. But deep down, under all the pain and bad luck ... she did know. Despite everything.
"Because ... there are things more important than me. People. People that need me. And just because I didn't get the luck of the draw doesn't mean I should let the same thing happen to them." Buffy answered sincerely. "Believe me, it's not my idea of a 401k or a Hail Mary, but it's ... what I have to do." She justified seriously.
Kevin looked amazed. After a few moments, he lowered his eyes. A look of guilt and sadness entered his face. "I don't know how to be like that ..." He seemed lost.
"Takes time. A lot of practice." The blonde slayer reassured, giving him a wry smile even as more pity spilled inside her. It wasn't easy to have that kind of mindset. Sometimes even she forgot it, but at the end of the day ... she knew it was the right thing to do and that's what mattered.
Kevin still didn't look too sure.
Buffy paused and her expression became harder. The similarities between the burden of a prophet and a slayer roared to life. "I'm not gonna say it gets easier because it doesn't. You can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone. But you're not alone. Even if they can't understand it ... they'll still be there for you."
~~Dean~~
Dean was knelt down on one knee out on the docks, just a short ways away from the safeboat with an angry grimace on his face. Sam was looming over him from behind. Intense frustration and disbelie was coursing through the older hunter. Stiffly, he moved his arm and swiped his hand. It instantly collected the one yellowy, powdery substance he had not been counting on not seeing today.
"Son of a bitch." The Winchester said in disgust, rubbing his fingers together.
"Another demon sign. That makes three." His little brother identified tersely. As Dean got to his feet, the younger hunter was shaking his head. "We were wrong, Dean. They're close." Sam expressed worriedly, his eyes darting around as if he expected demons to leap at them any minute.
To say Dean was pissed and disappointed was an understatement. He had been so certain Kevin was wrong. That the stress was just getting to him and he was only being paranoid. As soon as he and his brother started actively searching the place their simple routine check-up had gone to Hell so fast it was enough to make their heads spin. Copious tracks of sulfur surrounded the grounds. The only thing that made angrier than the fact it was there was that he and Sam missed it.
Frustrated and wired, the older hunter thought fast. "We gotta get Kevin out of here. Relocate him somewhere else, stat."
Sam nodded quickly, moving at once with his brother as they started rushing towards the prophet's location. The Winchesters hadn't gone more than a few feet when something stopped both of them dead in their tracks.
"Hello, boys."
Dean and Sam whipped around, immediately on the defensive. None other than Crowley, as collected and suave as ever, finally stood before them dressed in his black suit and his hands in his pockets with his plastered on condescending smirk.
"Crowley." Sam growled in recognition.
Both brothers were practically seething hatred towards the demon, but the King of Hell only seemed to find it amusing. "Been some time." He remarked in deceptive casualness.
"Not long enough, you dick." Dean countered, his mouth set in a hard line as he glared at him.
"Oh, I missed you too." Crowley played off mockingly, his eyes surveying them. "I heard you Winchesters have been up to mischief, capturing demons and wheedling information out of them on little old me. Unseemly, I must say. You know it's always better to keep the mystery." The crossroads demons remarked evenly.
"Well, now you're here. So let's just the cut the crap and get to the part where we kill you." The older Winchester taunted, drawing his demon knife out of his canvas jacket as Sam pulled the angel blade out of his.
Crowley raised his hand, reflexively moving back as both brothers advanced. "Now, now boys. Let's not to be so eager." He interrupted pointedly. "You forget I still have the other half of the Demon Tablet. Kill me and you'll never know where I left it." The crossroads demon reminded them. "How is Kevin, by the way? I miss our little nights together." He snarked suavely, sudden meaning entering his expression.
Dean was tense, stomaching the urge to nervously glance back at the safeboat. This was not good. He would take any location for a battle, anything but this. Crowley was too damn close to the kid.
Hiding his worries, the Winchester faced down Crowley with a hard look. "You're not getting Kevin. And we might not be able to kill you yet ... but we can sure as hell make you wish we did." Dean threatened harshly, raising his knife meaningfully.
The King of Hell looked amused. "Please. There's nothing you could do to me that I don't do to myself every Friday night." Crowley responded, dark humor and meaning in his eyes that very much revolted Dean.
"You're not gonna win, Crowley. We're getting that other half of the tablet, and we're keeping Kevin." Sam declared with confidence. His gaze on him became more intense. "Kinda funny, you coming out of hiding now of all a sudden. Got tired of sending your demon minions after us?"
A slight shift in Crowley's flippant look. "... Change of scenery. I was getting bored slumming it with the background dancers." The King of Hell answered smoothly, smirk still in place.
"Well, we're honored." Dean said sarcastically, a contemptuous smirk on his face. "How's Hell, by the way? Y'know, after that whole massacre back in Michigan? You got a Rebel Without a Cause on your hands and Hell's been going straight to hell. Tough times, huh?"
Sam nodded just as insincerely. "Must be hard ... finding Lucifer's crypts." He added meaningfully.
Crowley's cool demeanor cracked, his smirk faltering just a bit as surprise and displeasure flitted over his face. He paused. "... Well. Your boys certainly have been busy." He remarked in forced pleasantries. "Careful where you keep letting those lumberjack boots go. Once of these days you might wake up in a gutter with your intestines ripped out." The crossroads demon warned with a tinge of anger, looking at the boys meaningfully.
Dean forced a smirk. "Been there, done that. Didn't stop me."
"Why do you want the crypts, Crowley?" Sam demanded.
The demon's briefly disrupted suave returned. He watched Sam in amusement. "Sorry, Moose. I do like the vague disclaimer. Now let's go back to Kevin, shall we?" The King of Hell deflected with ease. "I know you two have been the little prophet's Team Mom ... keeping him preserved, washing his tighty whiteys and making his eggs sunny side up. But now ... Daddy's home." Crowley remarked drolly. His expression became more serious. "You stole him from me. I intend to get him back. Him ... and the tablet." He said in no uncertain terms.
"No way in hell." Dean refused, his tone harsh and final as he stared down Crowley.
"Really, boys? Must we turn this into a custody battle?" The crossroads demon reacted glibly, throwing out his hands.
"You're not getting him." Sam reiterated just as threateningly.
Crowley surveyed them with an unimpressed expression. "So dramatic." He said drily. In the face of the brother's unamused expressions, he sighed and straightened his posture. "Well. Back to Short Round. I am taking him, one way or another. And according to what a little birdie told me ... the boy is right in here." The King of Hell went on, drawing out the last three words as he pointed to the Garth's safe-boat.
Dean's worst fear was confirmed. Doing his utmost to show Crowley nothing but his disgust and distain of him, he kept his expression controlled. "Well then, birdie told you wrong. Kevin's nowhere here." Dean lied with confidence.
"Don't con a con artist, Dean. I know you've been holing the boy up in this squalor. My sources were very ... accurate." The demon stated meaningfully.
Giving up the charade, Dean glared. "Go screw yourself, Crowley. You ain't getting anywhere near Kevin without going through me and Sam." The Winchester insisted adamantly. "And even if you do? Still S.O.L. The whole boat is demon-proofed."
"The entire boat, made of iron. Good luck getting in." Sam informed him contemptuously.
Crowley remained unaffected. "Yes, I'm aware. I'm also sure you two set traps around this place. " The King of Hell acknowledged with ease, nodding his head. "I was thinking of a more ... unorthodox approach." He said vaguely, snapping his fingers.
Before either Dean or Sam had a chance to question the cryptic remark, demons slithered out from behind a couple cars. Tension and alarm shot up in the older Winchester as they flanked Crowley, black-eyed and eager and five in total.
Dean took in the sight with growing apprehension. Five were too many, even between him and Sam. His hunter instinct was screaming at him just take down a few, trap the others, then take Kevin and skedaddle as far away as possible. The only trick to that plan was ... they needed to survive first.
Crowley smirked. "Have at it, kids."
On command, his demon minions charged the brothers. Dean and Sam exchanged a quick bracing glance, then threw caution to the wind, armed their weapons and met the influx of demons head-on.
~~Buffy~~
Buffy left Kevin alone in his room. The boy seemed to calm down some after detailing her own life experiences. She couldn't offer him false comfort—that the "chosen one" feeling will ever stop being lonely—but what she did was remind him of the right thing. She knew that was still a lot to ask of someone his age and she in no way expected him to just understand it ... but she felt like she had gotten somewhere with him.
Your welcome, Dean. Sam. What would you do without me? The blonde thought wryly.
Buffy was still a little exasperated at Dean's gung-ho approach to Kevin. It was big on the straightforward, soul-crushing reality checks which was fine, but he cut all niceties known to man. At least with her she was more sympathetic and tried to soften the blow which clearly worked better. Maybe there was hope for her counseling skills after all?
Buffy turned and started to leave the safe-boat to help Sam and Dean investigate the area. By the time she was halfway to the exit, something at the edge of her vision distracted her. The small blonde stopped slowly and glanced at the window with a frown. She walked over to it, peering outside to the docks.
The first thing she saw was Sam and Dean. The two brothers were locked in a fight with at least six individuals that appeared human, swarming over them. One of them that stood apart was an older man, dressed in all black wearing an expensive-looking suit with an equally expensive-looking coat. He was short ways away, seemingly detached from the brawl and just watching as a spectator.
Alarm at the sudden sight ignited in Buffy. When Dean beat back a man, she saw the shine of a knife in his hand as he stabbed the person. A second later she caught a long blade in Sam's as he battled beside him. It was the demon knife and the angel blade. They're fighting demons!
A flurry of racing thoughts speeded through her mind. They're outnumbered. They can't fight that many. And Kevin? Kevin's in trouble. Buffy recognized in a burst of worry, self-awareness crashing down on her painfully.
Mindset slipping to 'Slayer Mode' like a light switch, Buffy rushed over to get her angel blade. Snatching it off the kitchen table where she had left it, the slayer walked determinedly towards Kevin's door. "Kevin! Open up! Now!" She demanded impatiently, banging on the door loudly with her palm. It was so tempting to just rip the door off.
Sound of a lever. "What the hell?" Kevin exclaimed, opening the door with a startled look on his face.
The slayer's expression was grave. "Demons." She responded curtly.
Horrified dismay filled the prophet's face. "I knew it. I knew Crowley was on my ass!" The black-haired boy answered in terrified frustration. He was shaking his head vigorously. "I told you guys. I told you. He was in my head!" He repeated near-hysterically.
Impatience funneled through Buffy. "Wait later for the 'I told you so's." The small slayer told him sternly, restlessness surging through her as she worried for Sam and Dean. "Sam and Dean are fending them off. I'm joining the party. None of them are gonna lay a hand on you." She told him with conviction.
Kevin was still unhinged. "I need to get outta here. Move out. Find another place."
The blonde was in no mood for paranoia. "You are not going anywhere until the Hell squad gets cleared out. Pack up as much demon defenses as you can, but that's all. Stay inside this boat and don't even think about making a run for it." Buffy ordered with absolute authority.
"But what if—" The prophet was arguing, fear and uncertainty on his face.
"Just do what I say, okay?!" The blonde insisted in frustration. Running on a deadline, Buffy grabbed the outside lever. "Stay inside." She reiterated warningly. She met the bedraggled prophet's eyes with one more authoritative stare before closing the metal door herself.
The blonde slayer bolted through the safe-boat out the front door, angel blade in hand and heading for the docks. Concern for the two brothers she was beginning to consider her friends clouded her mind. Six demons were too much for people without powers, no matter how experienced they were. They were going to get killed.
Buffy halted as the docks came into view. Sam was on the ground in a chokehold, cornered by two demons while Dean had been thrown by another one, sliding across the floor. The blonde slayer headed for Sam first. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the man in the suit's surprised expression before she embedded the angel blade right in the demon choking Sam. Not even pausing, she turned on the other one as that demon fell, backhanding it across the face and kicking it away with all her strength.
Sam blinked up at her, his breathing ragged and looking a little dazed. Buffy held out her hand to tall hunter, and he accepted it. "No demons?" She reminded him flatly as she helped pull him to his feet.
The Winchester tilted his head awkwardly. " ... Make a mistake once or twice." He answered lamely, still catching his breath.
The blonde slayer turned her head sharply, seeing the other demon already on her feet and with another one with her. Buffy grimaced. "Let's hope you live long enough to make more." The slayer remarked dryly but with feeling.
Sam and her split. The younger Winchester had his vigor back, his angel blade in hand and scoring punches on this demon even as the superiorly-powered creature landed a few himself. Dean, looking a little more bruised before, had managed to find his footing and was doggedly matching the demon as he kept trying to stab it. Buffy was taking on the third demon. The ranks had cut down almost to half and with her added to fight—excluding the Winchesters' absence of powers—the fight was more even.
The blonde slayer and demon battled. She collided with demon in a clean show of punches, kicks, and slashes with the blade. The demon retaliated, it's speed and grace not quite at the same level which made it easier for her to dodge it's attacks.
However, a part of Buffy's mind couldn't help but be divided. Sam and Dean were still getting more blows on them than her, fueling her fear of them getting seriously hurt. She heard Dean groan, snapping her attention to him. The demon he was fighting punched him in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him as it tried to stab him ...
That one quick, concerned glance was all it took for the slayer to slip. The demon hit her with a particularly crushing punch, then unleashed another and another. Pain radiated on her face and stomach. As soon as Buffy registered the attack, the demon tripped her and she fell on her back to the ground. The demon gleefully closed in on her, it's hands out to choke her.
Anger surged through Buffy. "Did I forget to say break a leg?" She asked glibly. Before it registered, the small slayer kicked the demon in the right lower leg harshly with pinpoint precision. She heard and a felt a bone breaking just before the demon screamed, falling on one knee. "Hope that made up for it." Buffy deadpanned.
Determined to make up for her slip-up, the small blonde continued her assault mercilessly. She kicked the demon in the face as he fell, then elbowed him with her whole arm. The last blow was especially backed with slayer strength, knocking him straight on his back with a pained groan before he actually fell unconscious.
In the safe zone for now, Buffy spared a quick survey of the battle. She immediately sought out Dean and as soon she had eyes on him, she was greeted with the hunter gripping the demon's arm with one hand while he stabbed the creature right into the chest. Surprise washed over the blonde slayer as light flickered and it died. Dean withdrew his knife, then immediately rushed to help his brother.
Relief washed over the Buffy. At the same time though she was startled. Dean had been so close to death in that second she stole, yet somehow in her quick blur of fight with her own demon the Winchester had gained the advantage without a single stab wound. He was bruised and sore with probably a few internal injuries and broken bones, but still had enough energy to defend himself and run to Sam who actually looked like to be turning the battle in his favor even without him. These brothers were resilient.
"Well, well, well. What do my eyes spy?" A suave, light voice with a British accent filtered suddenly into the slayer's ears.
Buffy whipped around. It was the strange man in the dark clothes she had seen earlier, walking towards her with exaggerated casualness. "A demon's porch lights snuffed out by a itty, bitty teacup hunter ..." The man mused, stopping a short ways from her as he finished. She smirked. "You must be the supernatural Fergie I've heard so much about."
The slayer stared. Heavy realization began settling on her shoulders. " ... You're Crowley. The King of Hell."
"And you're the new kid on the block. A pleasure." Crowley responded in deceptive geniality. "Tragic to see you in league with the Winchesters. Their fanclub should really put it's death rate on the warning label." He stated, saying it less like a threat and more like a fact.
Buffy glared at the demon. "You're the one that's been sending all those demons after me. Having them follow me around everywhere I go ..." The blonde slayer mentioned more angrily.
"Nothing personal. Just gathering all my duckies in a row." The British demon brushed off in infuriating disregard. He tilted his head, studying her. "And you are quite the special duck. Scientifically fascinating, in fact. Your torrid affair with the Winchesters alone ... questions, questions, questions." Crowley said meaningfully, morbid curiosity in his eyes.
"Denied, denied, denied." The small blonde mocked. She threw out her arms. "You want scientifically fascinating? Go dissect a frog. Binge-watch Mythbusters. Or y'know what, even visit the World's Largest Rubber-band Ball. I am not going to audition to be your personal carnie." Buffy rejected, her sarcasm ending with disgust.
The King of Hell's eyebrows raised slightly at the unexpected wordplay. "Ooh, sassy backtalk." He commented in slight surprise. A twisted smirk came to his face. "How'd you know that's what makes my nethers quiver?" He responded teasingly.
"You're disgusting." Buffy retorted hatefully, revolted. Looking back on Dean's disdainful description on the King of Hell's personality a couple weeks ago, she realized he had been right. Every time he opened his mouth, you really did want to stab in the face.
"It's a gift." The King remarked with a shrug. He started circling her, maximizing the blonde slayer's guardedness. "Now to start off my twenty questions ... you wouldn't by any chance know anything about Operation 666 in Michigan, would you?" He interrogated, his tone casual but his expression meaningful.
He means Labolas' massacre of those demons. The slayer realized warily. Was he trying to connect her to it? She keep her expression unconcerned. "You mean other than fact your demons reek incompetence and can't even tie their own shoes?" Buffy questioned innocently.
Crowley stopped, his expression becoming more intent. "So you weren't behind it. All those demons' deaths ..."
"Regrettably ... not my handiwork." The slayer admitted mockingly. She uncrossed her arms. "If that's your reason for searching high and low for me, then maybe you oughta lay off. I'm not the one that did it." Buffy told him sharply.
The King of Hell studied her intensely. " ... About a quarter of the reason." He answered smoothly. "The rest is all about you, Golden Girl. Your powers, working with the Winchester Wonders ... you disturbed the waters and it's making waves. You're a rockstar." Crowley explained with feeling. He smirked. "So please. Indulge an old demon's curiosity. Who are you? What are you?"
The questions aggravated Buffy on a deep, offensive level. "Bored, annoyed, and just bordering on violent. Twenty questions over or I swear, I am going to resolve two of those." Catching her own words, she frowned. "Actually ... I think I might anyway." Buffy declared, casually raising the blade.
"More attitude and rejoinders. Keep it up, Sunshine. You may just become one of my favorites." Crowley remarked in amused feeling, showing no visible reaction to her "ready-to-stab" posture.
Annoyance swept over Buffy. God, she already hated this demon so much. He just never shut up! "And I can promise you from the bottom of my heart ... you will never be one of my mine." The blonde slayer snarked, her mock earnestness ending in disdainful finality.
Eager to finally let loose the growing anger she felt the minute she saw this demon, Buffy charged. Even though she was worried and still unsure about Crowley's status, he had outstandingly pissed her off so much none of that mattered anymore. Somehow it felt like killing this creep solved all her problems ... or was at least some kind of therapy.
Crowley dodged several swings of her blade, stepping back on the last one as she just barely missed his throat. The blonde slayer glowered, the blade gripped in both hands as she held it up close beside her head. Ready to attack again.
The King of Hell's expression was lit with surprise. "Grace and elegance of a ballerina." The demon observed flatly. "I'd really like to get to know you. Bond over a little Stockholm Syndrome. I'll even bake cookies."
Pure frustration coursed through Buffy. Suddenly every one of her demons of late (literal and figurative) flooded to the surface. "Right. Everybody's gotta have a piece of Buffy. Love me or hate me, I'm still 'it' girl. Someone finally leaving me alone? Gasp! Blasphemy. God, it doesn't matter where I am, does it?" The blonde unleashed incredulously, swinging angrily at him again with the blade. "Wouldn't it be a nice change if someone was just indifferent to me? Like I'm a non-person? Gosh, wouldn't that just be nifty?" Buffy raved as she attacked, throwing out a punch between blade strokes.
Crowley caught her arm with the blade. "Talk to your therapist." The King of Hell deadpanned. "... Buffy, is it? Beautiful name ... for a Cocker Spaniel."
The blonde slayer countered with a charged left hook. "I don't." The slayer punched Crowley angrily again in the face. "Need." She wrenched her arm out of his grip, pulling back the blade as she kicked him in leg. He stumbled slightly backwards. "A." Buffy sailed the blade towards the King. "Therapist." She ground out the last word, her last slash arc missing his chest by a whisker.
Demon and slayer squared off, leaping back from each other. Tension was crackling between them. Disgust was strong in Buffy as she glared balefully at him, her angel blade raised in the face of his seemingly painted on smirk.
"Crowley!"
Dean was running towards them. Sam had his angel blade embedded in the demon she had knocked unconscious earlier, pulling it out immediately and followed right after his brother determinedly. Crowley's smirk widened, amusement and even more smugness radiating off him.
Suddenly the blonde faltered. A strong, pungent and distinguishable smell filled her nostrils. Buffy turned her head sharply to where it was coming from, alarmed. Clouds of smoke were seeping out of Kevin's safe-boat. Upon closer inspection, she could see a sign of harsh and unnatural light through the window.
"Kevin ..." The blonde slayer said in worried realization.
Dean and Sam screeched to halt as soon as she uttered the word. Both brother's attention flew to the boat, disbelief and speechless horror etched on their faces as they connected the same dots as she did.
The King of Hell stood there, pretending not to notice what they were staring at it. After a beat, he followed their gaze. "Ah, yes. That." The crossroads demon finally said in mock realization, nodding. He looked back at them. "Molotov cocktail. Messy, but effective. I'm trying new flavors." Crowley explained in chilling nonchalance. He smiled slowly. "To drive out the rabbit out of the burrow ... you need to flush it."
Sam's expression was hard. "You had a demon in waiting to torch the place. The rest of them were a diversion."
"You sick bastard." Dean retorted with feeling, shaking his head with hate and disgust.
Both Winchester brothers charged, Dean towards Crowley and Sam in the direction to the boat. The King of Hell made a gesture with his hand and suddenly Sam went flying, colliding straight back in the opposite way and landing harshly on the ground. Shock at the display at the telekinesis shot through Buffy just as the crossroads demon caught Dean's arm, the knife looking to be aimed directly at his face.
"Buffy! Go! Go save Kevin!" Dean yelled to her urgently.
The blonde slayer did not need to be told twice. Buffy nodded, immediately breaking away and taking off in a run. She cut through the docks and pathways so fast it was like her feet was hardly touching the ground. The doorway to the safe-boat came in sight, unoccupied and with no other demons around. The blonde kicked at the door with all her strength, breaking it's restraints and moving inside without any hesitation.
Buffy stood inside, surveying the boat frantically. A small but gradually building fire stood directly in the middle of the boat, angled in perfect sync with a single broken window to the right. Signs of a bottle that used to be Molotov cocktail shone in the flames. There was no sign of Kevin.
The blonde slayer bolted towards the door, ignoring the fire and smoke inhalation. The second she stood in front of the door, it suddenly flung open. A splash of water hit her in the face, making her rear back as it sprinkled her clothing. "Leave me the hell alone, you black-eyed freaks!" A shrill angry voice sounded.
Kevin was standing with holy water in one hand and half of the tablet nestled under his arm, anger and fear in his eyes. Recognition filled his face as he took in Buffy, then he looked past her and saw increasingly growing fire. His eyes widened in shocked alarm. "Oh, my god." He uttered in horror.
"I'm getting you out of here." The blonde told him assertively. Before the teenager could speak or possibly panic, Buffy grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room, ushering him slightly behind her. She surveyed the boat critically for means of escape. "I'm not gonna let Crowley take you."
"You mean Crowley did this?!" The prophet exclaimed incredulously.
The slayer didn't respond, too busy searching the boat, but the name dropping apparently brought a fresh wave of energy to the prophet. He moved to break away from her, heading towards the front door.
"No!" Buffy snapped urgently, immediately grabbing his arm and forcefully pulling him back. "Not that way."
Kevin stared at her in disbelief. "Are you crazy? There's no fire! It's clear! We have to get out!" He argued desperately, futilely struggling against her slayer-powered grip.
Buffy casted a nervous glance towards the fire, acutely aware it was starting to spread. "Not the entrance. He'll-he'll find you! That's exactly where he expects you to be!" The slayer told him in a hurried, urgent tone. She looked around wildly for to a different exit and caught a particularly large window just above the dining table. "Window. Window works." She muttered, pulling Kevin along and maneuvering them around the fire.
Buffy immediately punched the window, thrusting her whole arm through and shattering the glass on impact. As soon as the blonde glanced back at Kevin, sparks flew in the air. The fire grew in a sudden burst, catching a nearby carpet and hitting in a straight line right towards them. Desperate and out of options, the blonde grabbed the prophet by the shirt. Kevin only had time to gasp in surprise before she lifted him and tossed him up on the table, climbing herself a second before the fire tore a path exactly where they had been standing.
"Go." The blonde slayer told him tersely, crouched just behind the boy and glancing at him briefly before looking back at the fire. The window was larger than the other windows in this place, but it wasn't built for two people at once. It was a tight squeeze even for one.
Kevin looked a little thrown. "B-but there's water out there ..." He pointed out anxiously. His eyes went from the window to the tablet and then to her in a one quick moment.
Every second being just another second waiting for the table to catch fire or collapse completely under their weight, the small slayer was as far removed from wasting any of their sweet time as possible. Buffy looked at him sharply. "Then I guess we're going for a swim." She deadpanned. She yanked the half of the tablet out of his arm, securing it under hers with a pointed look to put his silent question to rest.
The prophet looked uneasy, but common sense won over and he turned to the window. As soon as his hands grabbed the sides, more sparking drew her attention. The blonde snapped her head back as fire caught one of the table's legs. Just as Kevin was halfway out the window, the small blonde did the rest for him. She urgently shoved him, hearing his startled yelp before diving out the window herself.
With the half-tablet clutched tightly to her side, Buffy dimly registered the sound of intense sparks as the table went up entirely in flames just before her and the prophet hit water.
~~Dean~~
The Winchester glared feelingly into Crowley's eyes, his knife just a few inches away from the crossroad demon's face. He resisted the King's grip on his both his arms, struggling as his anxious mind raced to find a way out of this. Sam had been flung somewhere, either dazed and unconscious. Kevin was getting chased out of his own safehouse like some kind of animal and might not even make it out and now Buffy had been thrown in that fire as well. Everyone was in danger.
Dean's worries fueled his anger and he resisted the demon more determinedly, ignoring the pain as he fought to break free and stab him. There was a simple solution: kill Crowley, quick and fast.
As if sensing his resolve, Crowley smirked even more fully. "Oh, Dean. Already with the evil eye and playing with the pointy, pointy knife ..." The King of Hell mocked, still holding him away. "I guess my half of the tablet might as well just be one of those cheap trinkets you could buy at a gift shop."
"What about Kevin?" Dean countered sharply, unfazed. "All that time you spent chasing him around, needing to bring him in alive. Now, now you're risking roasting his hide?" The Winchester pressed incredulously. It was so sudden of Crowley. There definitely was a desperate feel on the King that hadn't quite been there before.
"Fret not. I made sure the entrance would be last to go. And Kevin, he is a smart boy. Bursting with survival instinct." Crowley reasoned in complete nonchalant disregard.
His callousness infuriated Dean. "He could still die!"
The King of Hell paused, his expression faltering just a bit. Feeling his grip loosen, Dean took the chance and headed in closing the distance between his knife and Crowley's face. In a burst of movement, Crowley got back his grip back and twisted his arm away, punching him across the face. Pain stung the hunter, but he immediately countered with a punch of his own. Crowley pushed him away forcefully and the two separated. Dean stumbled to keep his footing, glaring at the demon.
Crowley looked less amused than before. "Well, it's a good thing he has you two clods. The Rescue Rangers, Chip and Dale. That, and Gadget." The King of Hell responded in absolute coolness. "Nice girl, by the way. A bit of an ugly duckling. You Winchesters ... always one to let in strays." He added off-handedly.
"Dean!"
Sam was running over towards the brawl, angel blade in hand and looking largely unharmed. Relief to see his brother on his feet coursed through the older hunter. "Sorry, boys ..." Crowley began, just as Sam reached Dean's side. "Have an appointment with a prophet." He stated smoothly.
Dean scowled defiantly at the words. Simultaneously, he and Sam rushed towards the demon. Just as the two of them were within stabbing distance, Crowley smirked and snapped his fingers. Their blades suddenly slashed through air. Crowley had disappeared.
Fury rushed inside the older Winchester. "Crowley, you son of a bitch!" Dean shouted as he looked to the sky, his voice harsh with outrage.
Sam grabbed his brother's shoulder, drawing his attention back to him. "Kevin should be with Buffy. We need to find them."
'If they made it out.' The traitorous voice in Dean's mind couldn't help but say, looking at the other hunter grimly. Pushing aside his uneasiness, the older Winchester nodded. Together, the two brothers broke into a sprint towards the safehouse boat.
~~Buffy~~
Buffy was running, desperately and with purpose as she cut through the nearest street, and then the road. She had Kevin in tow, clutching his hand as she forced him to keep up with her slayer stamina. Both of them were drenched with water and soot smudges from the boat. They managed to leave, but that left finding someplace to hide or get the hell out of here. There were very little avenues with Crowley so close. The only thing she could think of was getting them to the Dean's car.
Just as they were half-ways towards Dean's car. before either of them could think of the next thing to do, something interrupted it. A sensation crawled up the base of Buffy's spine and she turned around quickly. Dismay and anger sank inside her like a stone in water.
Crowley was walking towards them. "Really now? This was your getaway strategy?" The King of Hell began in a mocking tone. He paused, surveying Buffy with an unimpressed eye. "Aren't you a natural blonde."
"It's Crowley!" Kevin said with a slightly shrill edge, instinctively holding the half-tablet tightly to his chest.
At his voice, the crossroad demon's eyes landed on the prophet. His expression softened. "Ah, Kevin. Nice to see you're still alive." Crowley greeted in mock affection, though there seemed to be a degree of relief on his face. "Apologies for the Rambo venture. Not my finest work, but you are a elusive little prophet. Had to sink my claws in you again somehow."
The King began to advance menacingly. Buffy instinctively shoved Kevin behind her, pressing his back against the Impala as she pointed her angel blade out defensively. Before the blonde slayer could speak, the demon continued on. "Aren't you tired of this, Kevin? The fear, the running. I know I am." Crowley drawled meaningfully.
"So jumping on the Dem Team. Getting used and abused by a evil psychopath. That just solves all his tiredness." Buffy said sarcastically, disgusted.
"And the Winchesters are so much better?" Crowley challenged. "The boy is signing his own death warrant. Join their Scooby Gang, your life expectancy is cut down to a fruit fly's. If Kevin was smart ... he'd run." The King of Hell said matter-of-factly. He turned to the prophet ominously. "They don't care about you, Kev. You're just the tool they store in the shed until you're too used and too broken to work anymore. Deep down, you know it's true."
Kevin was staring at Crowley with an uncertain look.
"Don't listen to him, Kevin. He's just trying to turn you against them." Buffy reassured in a decisive tone. "He's lying."
The King of Hell studied her. " ... You really are the new kid, aren't you?" He suddenly said drolly. A meaningful look entered his eyes. "You're applying for a job in Winchester Investigations with just the catchy jingle and not the messy bits. You don't know what they've done. What they still do. Self-righteous, hypocritical prats, the both of them. Just walking, talking sacks of damage control." He described in marked contempt. The King shrugged. "I mean, at least I'm honest about myself."
Buffy's face remained impassive. She knew Crowley was just trying to get to her. A part of her though, couldn't help but but wonder. She had only known the brothers for a few weeks. They weren't open about their past or even themselves. Sam and Dean were still such a mystery to her. The only reason she had chose to trust them so soon was because with her situation, she had been forced to. Just how many secrets were they hiding?
The slayer pushed away that thought immediately. Crowley was a demon. Crowley was evil. You don't trust evil.
"You really love to hear yourself talk, don't you?" The blonde responded flatly.
Crowley was unfazed. "... Think on it." He said simply with a tilt of his head, attitude unfailingly nonchalant.
"Ohh, I don't think thinking is in order anymore." Buffy answered with feeling, glaring at the King of Hell a second before rushing him with his blade.
Crowley barely even blinked, doing a wave of his arm. Realization hit her a second before the blonde slayer was tossed aside, flung away. She hit the top harshly of a nearby parked car several feet away, denting it badly. A car alarm was set off. Soreness danced across her stomach that took the brunt of the landing. She shook her head, oblivious to the car alarm and emitting a small groan.
The King of Hell smirked. "Wait your turn, kitten. One gag gift at a time." Crowley responded in mock indulgence.
He turned to a now scared Kevin, still clinging to half-tablet like it was his lifeline. The prophet appeared frozen, unsure what to do. "Kevin, Kevin, Kevin ... thought you could elude me forever?" He drawled as he continued approaching him, his false pleasantries slipping into very real menace towards the end. "Wonder how I found you?" The boy tensed as he continued. "If you can't find one Tran ... find another. Your mummy."
That snapped Buffy out of her semi-daze real fast. Her eyes widened as she took in the Crowley's increasing proximity to the boy. Horror and protest burned inside the blonde slayer. No. No, I'm not letting you take him! Blocking out the car alarm and the bruises, Buffy pushed herself up and jumped off the car.
A myriad of emotions flooded Kevin's eyes, but the prophet kept a brave face. "She never would've told you."
"Moms are like, aren't they?" Crowley responded, his casualness soured by the suddenly cold look in his eyes. "So we killed her and got your address off her smartphone." He revealed in brutal matter-of-factness.
That cracked the boy. Sheer anguish filled his entire expression. "NO!" He shouted, unshed tears in his eyes.
Buffy was dashing towards them, her registering of the massive bomb dropped on the boy just giving her more energy. However, she finally registered another thing that snapped her out of her tunnel vision: the arrival of Sam and Dean, closer to the King.
The Winchesters brothers swooped in, gaining a surprise attack on Crowley as they came at him from the side. There was a blur of punches between Sam and Dean and Crowley until Dean got the final blow, kicking him to the side from the prophet as forcefully as he could. The blonde slayer hadn't even paused in her running, beside them in no time and standing between Kevin and Crowley.
"Get Kevin in the car." Dean told Sam curtly.
His younger brother nodded. He turned his attention to Kevin, who looked shell-shocked. "Come on, come on. We gotta go." Sam was muttering hurriedly, starting to usher the prophet towards the backseat.
"Again, boys? Isn't this getting a bit old?" Crowley said flatly, anger starting to slip into his normally cool tone as he advanced.
Buffy and Dean tensed, both ready to fight Crowley tooth and nail to get Kevin to safety.
Then suddenly Crowley abruptly stilled. Disbelief echoing her own filled the crossroad demon's face, then hardened and he looked down. Buffy didn't see anything at all other than the hard black ground. Then with closer inspection, she saw a faded but slightly darker lining that branched out all around the monster. It was barely noticeable, but with a little squinting she saw what it was resembling: a Devil's Trap.
Dean was smirking. "Put a couple Devils' Traps right around the Impala, just in case." The older hunter revealed in intense satisfaction. The King of Hell's expression was rapidly darkening and becoming more threatening as he continued. "Gasoline-style. My personal touch." He clarified just a little smugly.
Aren't you supposed to do it with spray paint or chalk or something? Buffy couldn't help but think, remembering her notes. But doing that would too obvious in this kind of setting if you were wanting to trap demons. With the gasoline, it was faded and blended in so well with this coveniently paticular dark road you wouldn't even notice unless you were looking.
Surprise and even a little respect for Dean's orthodox but clever method washed over Buffy. She had been slaying for years and the fighting style that always worked best to her was the one the hunter was showing: improvisational, out-of-the-box techniques. Those were key if you ever going to live a little longer than most in killing monsters and Dean had that. He was a natural fighter.
He's good. They both are. The blonde thought, a level of respect and comfort settling over the blonde slayer. It was nice to be fighting alongside a couple skilled, experienced human demon hunters for a change.
Crowley met Dean's mockery with a dark stare. " ... You realize this won't hold me long." The King of Hell stated matter-of-factly.
The Winchester's smirk disappeared, his expression morphed into a more hard and serious one. "... It'll hold you long enough." He answered grimly.
Dean turned away. Sam, who had already secured Kevin in the backseat and was standing just outside his door, tossed his older brother the car keys as he headed quickly towards the driver's seat. In quick, urgent movement, Buffy and the brothers bundled themselves into the Impala. As Dean turned on the ignition and stepped hard on the accelerator, the blonde slayer heard a furious and rapidly fading voice in the distance.
"I'LL FIND YOU! I'LL BLOODY FIND YOU!"
~~Dean~~
Kevin sat in a chair back in the bunker. He was holding the half-tablet with both hands, his eyes staring unseeingly into space. He was still partially damp from the swim he had taken earlier and had signs of soot, his black hair matted and bangs unevenly splayed across his forehead. He looked like absolute hell, more than ever it seemed like.
Dean and Sam were clustered around the prophet awkwardly. A long, painful silence passed between them, Kevin seeming nearly catatonic again while the brothers they just didn't know what to say. A heavy heart weighed on Dean.
" ... Do you need anything, Kevin? Food maybe?" Sam finally broke the silence.
The black-haired prophet just shook his head. "I'm not hungry."
Dean studied him uncertainly, still in the realm of having no idea how to what to say. What could you really say to someone who just lost his mother and his entire life even outside that fell into the crapshoot? He let out a small sigh. "How are you feeling?" He asked at last.
Kevin didn't respond right away. " ... I just got flushed out of my safehouse like a rat, manhandled around and pushed out a window by a girl, swam at least a quarter mile, and found out Crowley killed my mom. I think 'crappy' would be an understatement." The prophet answered listlessly.
Okay. Bad question. The hunter lowered his head uncomfortably, immediately regretting his stupid words.
"But you still have half of the tablet. And you're alive, Kevin." Sam reminded him with feeling. "You made it. Crowley didn't win." He added with conviction.
The prophet just looked at him wearily. His pity for the kid sharpened. He couldn't hold it back anymore." ... Hey, look, Kev. We're sorry what happened to your mom, okay? We should've kept tabs on her." Dean told him in all seriousness.
Kevin said nothing, staring at him with an blank expression. There was a long pause. Finally he shook his head. " ... I think I'll just go upstairs. Try to get some sleep." The prophet said tiredly, rising.
Dean looked at him, then nodded understandingly. The black-haired boy stepped away from the table with the half-tablet still clutched between his hands. He walked away from the two brothers and headed upstairs with a single word.
"Poor Kevin ..." Sam said sympathetically, once he was out of sight.
The older Winchester shook his head. "That kid's been getting one proverbial crap sandwich after another. The prophet biz, Crowley and his douche demons, and now this. Plenty of people go through their whole lives without having to deal with this kind of freak." Dean remarked with feeling.
His younger brother nodded. "That's why we he have to help him. Keep him grounded. Make sure he doesn't completely fall apart." The brown-haired hunter declared. "Garth's boat ... that thing's torched. We gotta keep him here, at the bunker. No other choice." Sam pointed out, sounding reluctant but not unsure.
The hunter absorbed those terms. He shrugged. "Yeah, but there's not much we can do for him now. Dexter just got orphaned. Flowers and cards ain't gonna heal that." Dean said resignedly. "Only thing we can do for him right now is give him all-out access to Winchester Inn."
"Does it come with mints?"
The casual sudden quip interrupted them. Buffy was walking towards them with her hands on her hips, smiling wryly. Her blonde hair was freshly combed, washed and blow-dried, slightly wavy with her bangs styled to the side. Both her and Kevin had looked like drowned rats when they first got here. Now the slayer showered and got a change of clothes: a medium-length sleeved, loose-fitting blouse in a faded dark pink color with dark jeans. A long necklace with a large cross was accessorizing it.
Humor sparked in Dean. "Junior ones. One each rock-hard pillow." He played off dryly, a slight smile on his lips despite himself.
Buffy looked amused. They stared at each other a second before she glanced upstairs. "I'm sorry about what happened to Kevin's mom, and ... god, everything else. He never should've had anything to do with all this." She stated seriously. She looked back to the brothers. "But it's only going to get harder. He needs to be ready. The Gates ... that's not something he can just shrug off." There was sympathy in Buffy's voice, but not uncertainty.
Dean said nothing, pity for Kevin stirring again. She was right. Even though he and Sam would try to keep Kevin safe, things did happen and the demons were just going to keep coming. He had to shut off his grief to do the job. That was just his life, sad as it was.
Buffy gave a small sigh. "I had a talk with him before. I ... I think I got through to him. About ... coming to terms with everything." She revealed. She frowned, shaking his head. "But after that fight with Crowley, I'm not sure if my Oprah audition is enough anymore. It's a very strained bungee. Now there's the mom thing and ... I can't help feeling it's gonna snap and Kevin's just gonna fall off the cliff." The blonde admitted uneasily.
Dean couldn't call the reasoning in that unfounded. Kevin had clearly been floundering under all the pressure even before this incident. It could easily just be the last straw that broke the camel's back. It'd make sense for him to skip out. I wouldn't blame him.
"It wouldn't be a surprise. Crowley knows what to do to get under your skin." Sam acknowledged with distaste, echoing his older brother's thoughts.
The older Winchester half-shrugged. "Hey, at least we got Kevin and half of the tablet. Two for one."
"Wouldn't that technically be one and a half?" Buffy pointed out flatly, uncomprehending.
Dean shot her a hard look. "Hey. Picking our battles here, alright? One problem at a time." The hunter answered just a tad defensively, gesturing with his arm. "Kevin ditched Crowley. That's a win. We got him away from the Candyman."
The blonde paused contemplatively. " ... So he's the King of Hell, huh?" Buffy mused, a wry smile on her face. "Interesting guy. Snappy dresser. Can I kill him?" She said casually, looking at the boys expectantly.
"Get in line." Dean responded meaningfully, unfazed.
Sam scoffed. "Starts right behind us."
The slayer smiled. She studied them thoughtfully. " ... I think I might be starting to get why you have a belt or two in monster-fighting." Buffy said suddenly, startling both brothers. She looked slightly awkward. "You two were good in that fight. It ... surprised me." She admitted a little lamely.
For someone who certainly seemed to have a very high view of her own hunting skills, the confession also surprised Dean. Buffy this whole time seemed to have a thinly veiled "I'm-Just-As-Good-If-Not-Better" complex even when she was taking notes off them and following their orders.
Satisfaction welled up in the older Winchester. Finally a little respect in hunting. That went a long way with him.
"And who says you need powers?" Dean couldn't help himself, smirking a little triumphantly. As he said it though, he was acutely conscious of him and Sam's bruises and cracked bones based on Buffy's near-flawlessness. He certainly wouldn't mind that healing factor of hers though.
"That gasoline trap ... real spur-of-the-moment, on the fly kind of deal, right?" The blonde prompted suddenly.
Dean stared at her in more surprise, but nodded.
Buffy nodded. "That's what I thought. You couldn't just lay a bunch of normal devils' trap everywhere or else they'd see it. Gasoline graffiti on a road like that? Not obvious. Perfect mouse trap." She explained matter-of-factly. "Nice work. So there is a brain in that overwhelmingly jock head of yours." Buffy commented, the barb more teasing than snide.
Supreme pleasure at the unexpected praise warmed Dean. For the first time, Buffy actually looked really impressed with him. A smile of satisfaction broke out on his face. "You kidding? I'm ... I'm like a modern-day Patton." Dean described in suave confidence.
An immediate sound of incredulity came from Sam. "Yeah. Yeah, you're a Patton." His younger brother said sarcastically.
Dean didn't let that distract him, still projecting the same confidence as he didn't take his eyes off Buffy. Buffy rolled her eyes at him and immediately turned to leave, though the hunter caught an amused smile on her lips.
Dean remained unfazed, his pleased smirk not leaving. His mind wandered to their conversation this morning just before crap hit the fan with Kevin. There had been a connection between them there in a very weird, twisted way. It wasn't often he could talk to someone who had a life just as six ways screwed as his and Sam's. It intrigued Dean in a morbid sort of way.
The situation was complicated. Buffy was being snarky towards him and still pretty resistant, but he had felt a spark from her a minute this morning. Despite her rejections, he was starting to see openings. He could sense a slight shift in Buffy's attitude towards him. With a little more work, he might actually get that "fun night" he's been betting on.
I'm softening her up. Dean thought with certainty, watching as the slayer disappeared upstairs.
"You're full of crap, Dean." Sam suddenly remarked condescendingly. The taller Winchester was giving him an unimpressed look. "The gasoline Devil's Trap? No guarantee of working. It could've just got ruined by people just passing right away or you messed up it somehow because of the liquid and all the magic, gone. It wasn't solid like chalk or spray paint. You got lucky." He declared matter-of-factly.
The hunter still had his eyes in Buffy's direction. "... She doesn't know that." Dean responded meaningfully, pointing in her direction.
Sam just made a unimpressed sound and rolled his eyes, shaking his head.
~~Buffy~~
Buffy stood in her room, a block in one hand and a silver knife in the other as she ran the block across it's edge. A few other knives and the angel blade were arranged neatly to the right of her on top of her bed, all of them sharpened to perfection. Sharpening weapons every night had been one of the few compulsive habits of hers that was surviving this alternate universe thing. The familiar routine gave her an odd kind of calm.
I miss stakes ... The blonde slayer couldn't help but think. Lately she was starting to feel like her kickass whittling skills were going into early retirement.
As blonde did the final touches on the blade, her mind raced with today. It been a day of fire, fighting, and running and in a strange way Buffy realized she felt a little better. She had been trapped in this room for two weeks and finally got out and did something. It wasn't tracking a lead to Labolas or that special scythe, but it was what she usually did: fighting evil and helping people.
Dean was right. I really did need to get out. She reflected in hindsight. All the 'strained-just-waiting-to-snap' tension in her body seemed to seep out of her through all the adrenaline. Granted that didn't solve her frustration at everything else, but she was taking what she could get.
She wished it hadn't been at the expense of Kevin though. The boy had been going through the ringer, probably more than she even knew. But Buffy had helped save him and that was a silver lining at least for her.
Sympathy washed over Buffy. She felt so sorry for Kevin, having to juggle the prophet responsibility and now the death of a mother. It reminded her painfully of how she had felt when had to do the same, fresh off her mother's death and dealing with Glory's apocalypse while protecting Dawn on top of that. It had been so overwhelming. Buffy hoped Sam and Dean would stick by him, even though they couldn't ease his loneliness.
Buffy knew she had only just met Kevin, but she felt a kindred connection to the boy. He reminded her a lot of herself: bound by duty and responsibility over something that happened to you you had no say in when all you really wanted to do was just walk away. Kevin didn't know how to handle that yet. The slayer just prayed with his mother's death he wouldn't fall off the edge and the brothers would be there for him because she couldn't.
But with the harsh kick in the face from demons, comes another harsh kick. I can't just keep sitting around hibernating in Bookville. I need Action Girl back. I need to be me. The blonde thought with certainty.
Her answers weren't in the Men of Letters files. She needed to go out there. Out in the world and finding any sign of a trail home. She might find what she's looking ... she might not. But anything was better than this.
The blonde slayer finished off the knife, putting it in her duffel and bagging the rest of the weapons inside. Her scythe was last. Buffy paused, staring at it before slowly reaching for it. She held it up with one hand, studying it pensively. It reminded her so much of home. It was her last link to her own universe.
Determination flowed through the small blonde. I need to go home. I will go home. My friends are waiting. Buffy thought, pushing aside everything else as she shoved the scythe in.
The blonde slayer checked the inside of the bag just in case. A sudden pang struck her right to the heart. All of the weapons and other supernatural defenses inside ... belonged to Sam and Dean. Only one of the weapons was her own.
The sniggling voice of guilt in the back of her mind suddenly became loud. They've done so much for me ... giving me their weapons, teaching me. Trying to help go make my way back to my world. They're practically holding my hand.
When this only thing had started, Buffy had only cared about going back. She had been just so desperate for help. Now though she felt awful. She had showed up when Sam and Dean had bigger problems and they still did, even more so now with Labolas. And what did they do? Help her research. Keep promising to find her that ticket to her world. Give her company. Rent her out a room in their bunker. All the while trying to juggle their own issues and hers.
The more she thought about it, the worse the slayer felt. They didn't need to do these things for her. In fact, they actually had every right to slam the door on her. But they didn't and wouldn't. Who was Buffy to worm her way into their problems? She felt like she was just wrongly taking advantage of the brothers' kindness.
I can't keep doing this to them. I ... I need to leave. I'm ... I'm just distracting them. Buffy thought in resigned acknowledgment. She wasn't going to be that sponge that just lived off everyone else.
Regret swept over Buffy despite herself. Breaking out on her own now would be breaking out with no leads and no clear solution. She didn't want to leave Dean and Sam so soon. They were at least her quasi-friends and lord knows she had no familiarity in this world with anything really except them. But she wasn't the type of person to let this keep going. It has to end.
She tried to tell herself it couldn't be too bad. Buffy knew how to handle things on her own. Been doing it for years as The Slayer. Deep down, she knew she could find a trail and follow it home all by herself. She'd be miserable and bordering on depressed the whole time, but she could still do it.
For a second there, she almost believed.
Mindlessly, Buffy took each of the brothers' weapons out one by one. The next to go was the holy water and the faux credit cards. Even the angel blade wasn't excluded from her literal cleansing of anything Winchester property. She lined each one of them neatly on the bed. The only thing left in her bag now was her clothes and her scythe.
Sighing, Buffy zipped her bag and put the strap over shoulder. She had to leave Dean and Sam ... even if it was prematurely indefinitely. I have to. No more Velcro Girl. They don't need me. The small blonde thought, mentally berating her own feelings. No more weepiness. No more doubt. No more fear. Only the right thing.
With a bracing strength, the slayer turned and walked out her—the bedroom. Buffy paused at the doorway, craning her neck cautiously as she looked both ways to make sure no one was there. The coast was clear. The blonde slayer crept down the hall stealthily, moving with particular awareness when the communications room was visible. She peeled herself to the wall, giving one cursory glance below to make sure no one saw her.
No one did.
Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, Buffy continued towards the exit. Just as she turned sharply to head down the tunnel out, Dean suddenly appeared from inside it. In one precarious second she was dangerously close to his face. The blonde slayer drew back quickly with wide eyes, narrowly saving herself from the collision.
Dean stood in the middle of the tunnel entrance, a bag of fast food in his hand and staring at her with a surprised look on his face. Then he took in the bag and Buffy's "deer-in-the-headlights" look and that surprise turned into suspicion. " ... Going somewhere?" He deadpanned.
Crap.
####
Buffy's split-second plan had been quite simple really.
Leave the bunker without a single goodbye. Just discreetly leave through the tunnel and face the differences of this world and her mission to find that dimension scythe/Labolas, alone. Dean and Sam would come to her room, see all their things she returned, and figure out she skipped. They'd call her. She'd give this really short, clipped explanation of going their separate ways and then she'd hang up on them. She wouldn't tell them where she was. Then she'd figure out a way to mail the cell phone to them so they couldn't use it to track her and that'd be that. She'd never see them again.
What actually happened?
Caught by Dean on a food run at the last second. Her still in the bunker standing awkwardly in the middle of the library in front of Sam and Dean, tension thick between them and a sea of Winchester questions that demanded answers. Phasing through the floor or even melting into a puddle would've been pretty liberating at that point.
Buffy squirmed under their intense stares. Were they really gonna make her the first one to talk?
" ... I'm ... leaving." The slayer forced out lamely.
"Yeah, thanks for telling us." Sam responded sardonically, a noticeable edge to his voice.
Dean looked wary. "Brand new information, Escapist Girl. Fast-forward to the why."
The blonde slayer sighed softly. No getting out of this one. "The only reason I go anywhere. To get that dimension scythe or maybe an answer or two from demon Doc Brown." Buffy answered resignedly.
"You found a lead?" The older Winchester asked in surprise.
More not-so-comfortable feelings. Reluctantly the blonde shook her head. "Hence the 'out-and-about-to-look' move." She explained shortly, hoping that was enough.
"So you're just going. No direction, no ideas. Just ... wherever the wind takes you." Sam reacted incredulously, throwing out his arm and raising his eyebrows.
Okay. That definitely sounds pretty bad. The small slayer recognized uneasily, not quite knowing what to say to that a second.
She forced a smile. "Like the Mayflower and the Pilgrims. Just channeling a little pioneer spirit." She quipped weakly. At the brothers still unconvinced looks, she dropped the act. "I can't just keeping staying inside and reading books that won't help me. So I'm gonna go and try to find a trail. That's what you told me, remember?" Buffy explained a little impatiently, addressing Dean in the last bit as she gestured to him.
The hunter raised a hand at her calmingly. "Hey. Not taking it back. I mean, that's great. Go proactivity." He clarified quickly. "Just don't forget about us. We got feelers out for Labolas and that giant magic toothpick. Any sign of either, we'll help." Dean assured with ease.
Instantaneous frustration crashed into Buffy. There it was. Exactly the answer she expected to hear and exactly the one she didn't want to. She let out a tight breath, fighting to control herself. "I don't want anymore of your help. I'm doing the rest of this solo." The slayer asserted in a final tone.
Both brothers stared at her incredulously.
"But you don't even have a lead!" Sam protested.
"Which is my problem, not yours, okay?!" Buffy said just a little pleadingly, her distress finally starting to seep through. "You guys have so many other things to worry about. Serious, important things! So no more Dorothy, Scarecrow, and the Tin Man." The small blonde argued passionately. "This is it. Curtain closed on Hurricane Buffy."
"So that's what your rapid exit was, huh? The crappy Great Escape?" Dean realized scornfully.
The blonde slayer paused, mixed feelings of sadness and resignation hitting her. " ... It's better like this." She responded in quiet certainty. She shook her head, desperate for them to understand. "The Gates, Crowley, Kevin ... If I keep this thing up with you, I'll just get in the way."
"In the way? You just helped us save Kevin!" Dean reminded her, throwing out his hand and actually looking a little angry.
"That doesn't matter. You still have Kevin and the Gates to worry about." The small blonde insisted.
Dean was scowling at her. "Kevin is still translating! We can't do a damn thing about the Gates 'till he lights the torches. We got time to kill!"
"And what about Crowley? Finding out how to kill Labolas? That just falls under a little time-killing?" Buffy challenged sternly.
Before Dean could respond, Sam beat him to it. "Buffy. You're not ... in the way." The brown-haired hunter disagreed, looking baffled as he threw out his hand. "I mean, you're right. We are juggling a lot. But we're not just forgetting about it. It's called multi-tasking."
"The thing about multi-tasking? Only great in theory." The slayer began pointedly. "My drama is taking away from your drama. And mine is ..." Buffy went on as she pointed to herself and the brothers, trailing off with a shake of head as she struggled to express herself. She let out a breath. "I just don't want to wear out my welcome." She finished simply.
"So that's it. You're just gonna cut us loose. Trooping the rest out, alone." Dean said accusingly, gaze sharp with disapproval.
Tired aggravation resurfaced in Buffy. She shook her head agitatedly. "Right, 'cause it's not like my road trip of one to Demon University didn't get the 'okay'. Remember that, Mr. and Mr. 'We-Got-Our-Own-Problems'?" The
"Because we got you a lead!" The older Winchester retorted. "Because that was before Dr. Evil blew up our whole spot and knocked you around a bunch of times thanks to his 'special vitamins'. It's different!" He reasoned impatiently.
Intense emotion swept over Buffy. Sam and Dean were both so desperate to help her. It hurt so much. She just wasn't used to being in this situation. The blonde slayer had needed help several times before as the slayer ... but never like this. Never a situation where she was quite literally helpless. Apocalypses she could handle. Not this. Not depending on and taking advantage of these good people with world-sized issues just because she couldn't stand on her own feet.
The distress and shame inside reached a crescendo. Buffy stared at them unhappily. "I'm not ... your responsibility. Kevin and the demons and everything else is. My 'Little Lost Girl' routine shouldn't be going so far on this one." The small blonde stated sadly.
Mixed feelings of guilt and regret funneled through the blonde slayer. She didn't want to be alone. Alone in doing everything, again. Being in this world made everything so much harder. But she didn't want to be a liability. Buffy would rather brave the loneliness and the confusion than hold anyone back ever again.
" ... Neither one of us can stop you from leaving." Sam acknowledged seriously. "But ... you've been helping us, Buffy. With Kevin, with the prophecy, hell even the hunting. We needed your help. You can't say you don't need ours too." The brown-haired hunter said, shaking his head.
Buffy couldn't be swayed. She looked over both brothers with remorse, then shook her head sadly. "I can't do this to you two. I'm sorry." The blonde slayer said quietly, starting to turn away.
"Okay. That it's." Dean grumbled suddenly. The slayer glanced back as the Winchester moved, walking determinedly right up to her. He paused, pointing behind her with a stern look in his eyes. "You go out that door, you're going on a suicide mission. And you ain't gonna come back to your friends dead!" The hunter stated harshly, looking at her angrily.
A long moment passed. Buffy could only stare at Dean, not knowing what to say.
"You should listen to us." Sam began meaningfully. He shrugged, throwing out his hands. "I mean, it's not like we don't have something in common, y'know? Crowley, Labolas. They're your problems too. And with finding the scythe, you might need Cas again. You can't just ... cut us out. Like, it's not that simple." He argued reasonably.
The blonde slayer tensed momentarily at the mention of the angel. She'd been thinking a lot about their confrontation with Labolas and the simultaneous misleading scythe deal. There was just something very off there. Buffy's been having a really weird feeling about Castiel ever since.
Dean snapped her out of her musing. The older Winchester's anger seemed to melt away just a bit. He stared down at her intensely. "Don't Lone Wolf this. We work this thing, we do it as a team." He expressed forcefully, in a tone meant for no 'buts'. "I got out of Purgatory ... because I didn't do it alone. And if you're ever gonna get out of here, you can't do it alone either."
Buffy floundered, torn. She just didn't know what to do. No matter what Dean or Sam said, she still had her doubts. What if I'm just turning them into my packhorse?
But as she filtered in everything the brothers said, she realized they weren't wrong. Most of her problems definitely overlapped with theirs. If Crowley found her again or if she found Labolas, they were by definition "their" problems. Trying to completely distance herself from the Winchesters wouldn't work long at all. And if just went back to doing everything alone ... could she honestly say even as a slayer she'd last long in a world she didn't even know?
The blonde slayer stared at Dean and Sam, struck deeper this time by their earnest and genuine desire to help her. Even though they didn't truly owe her anything, they refused to abandon her. They wouldn't let her do everything alone, just like her friends. Her friends back at home never let her, even when she tried to. Something about Sam and Dean reminded her of them ... and maybe she needed them for more than just help.
Acceptance and gratitude settled over the slayer. Buffy extended out her hand to the brothers in a handshake, a sincere smile on her face. "Team."
A/N: Premature chapter finished. :) I hope it came out good. I'm kinda nervous about it. There was some writers' block for parts of this, which I don't often get surprisingly, so I had to rethink a few certain areas and make a way for it work around my planning outline. I just hope you guys enjoyed it more than my inner critic did lol.
The Dean/Buffy moments, though, were definitely not one of those. The beginning especially I was literally either laughing or smiling as I wrote it. Buffy undeniably attracted to Dean and his charm, but desperately logic-ing her self out of it over and over is just so cute lol. Their banter. They have the same sense of humor and I fucking love it. Buffy's hopeless "Dean's another Parker" mantra (Parker is the ass that used her for sex in S4, if anyone forgot). Her reactions tho. xD Poor Buffy lol. So sexually frustrated and Dean's just not going easy on her. ;)
The Kevin-Buffy bonding was an unexpected surprise in the pre-writing. All the similarities between being a slayer vs. being a prophet/Buffy's angst vs. Kevin's angst. I have a lot of fondness for it though. I loved Dean's big brother relationship with Kevin in the show so Buffy having a strong sisterly bond to him also works for me. Her speech to him was beautiful. Buffy is my favorite heroine ever and writing that reminded me of all the reasons I love her. :3
Buffy finally meeting Crowley. xD Getting Crowley's voice down perfectly continues to be the bane of my existence, but the slinging battle of snark between them even with the spots of seriousness still entertained me. We all know Buffy would hate him so much LOL.
Dean/Buffy are going to start getting more attention now, as you can probably tell. No instant seriousness tho. Their relationship IMO is literally one that would go through every stage. Dean's not the type of guy surface-level Buffy just goes for while Dean avoids emotional intimacy religiously so yeah, not a Disney romance. IMO it'd definitely happen tho and finally being able to focus a little more on them in the gradual ride is exciting. ;)
NEXT CHAPTER: Finally coming to a understanding, Buffy and the brothers are a team stronger than ever. Buffy determinedly continues to look into Labolas' disappearance and the missing scythe despite being weighed down my a massive lack of leads, ending into a unsettling revelation followed by a little solace and companionship in an unexpected place.
Thanks for the 49 favorites, 97 follows, and 39 reviews!
