Ally's mind was a mud puddle. Disdainable and polluted, she was desperate to avoid it at all costs. But memories, ones akin to déjà vu sliced through her head like horrific shears, cutting her memories to ribbons.
She tore through her motel, packing at a first rate pace. She'd be damned if she was going to stay in this area for another second with a madman kidnapper on the loose. A gorgeous, eerily familiar kidnapper that her mind couldn't stop running circles around—
NO! No, Ally, mind out of the gutter and on the task at hand.
Still, she couldn't shake the sensation that she'd met her sexy kidnapper before. Maybe even knew him. What was happening to her? Fear joined the fray a second later when a knock sounded at her door.
Sidling up to it, she peered through the peephole. A tiny blonde girl in a pink leather jacket stood on the other side, scoping out her surroundings. "W-who is it?" Alice called out. She refused to take any chances, little innocent-looking Blondy McBlonderson or no'.
"The name's unimportant. Just open up." Came the only reply.
Before Ally could open her mouth a man's whispered voice came from the right of the door. "She isn't going to open the door if you freak her out!" He had obviously been hiding so she wouldn't spy him from her view. She suppressed an eye roll. UGH, amateurs.
"I know what I'm doing," the blonde said through gritted teeth.
"You said to trust you, that diplomacy could be your thing as well. You cannot always rely on your looks to placate people's concerns. Even if you look damned adorable in pink." The man again. Their words were harsh but subtly delivered, as if in a teasing frenzy.
"I told you," the blonde muttered, "I don't need diplomacy damnit. I'm the slayer. I break things, not mend them. If I want in bad enough, boot meet door."
A slight shuffling noise dragged the blonde from her view.
"What the hell is going on?" Ally called out. "I will call the front desk if you don't leave right away!"
A tall handsome man with a flannel shirt and puppy dog eyes appeared in front of the peephole. His face looked calm and compassionate. "Look, Ms. Dennings, I know how this looks to you." He threw a sidelong glance to his left where the blonde was obviously standing, then continued, "Please give us a chance to explain. We are from the Northwestern Research Facility of Vermont and caught wind of your operation via the Dean of Kansas State. He said you may require our assistance and since our team was already—"
Ally threw open the door, hand held up to stop the giant's ramblings. "Let me stop you right there. My brain may be turning into a slice of swizz cheese but I am not so stupid as to believe anyone else would take interest in Snowden. I was the laughing stock of Kansas State before I left. Your lies should've been better researched, Mr. Research Facility Man."
The blonde inched closer to the brunette towering above them both. The man was a freaking moose! Strong and domineering, yet in a subtle way. Kindness and understanding radiated from him all the same. Alice immediately trusted him. The blonde she wasn't so sure about just yet.
The little thing elbowed her way past Ally into her room, making herself at home. "Well, now that we bungled that up. My names Buffy. This is Sam. We help people in situations such as yours."
Alice's hear rate skittered to a stop before racing away again. "And what exactly is this situation you speak of?"
Buffy grinned, flashing perfect white teeth. "All the right questions you ask." The girl was gorgeous. Funny how you didn't realize it at first glance. Her features all too mismatched and severe, but somehow they painted a masterpiece on her petite face.
Sam stepped forward, softly clicking her motel room door behind him. "I know it sounds strange, but we have been tracking my brother here. He disappeared last week. We think he was investigating the forest before he went missing. Then the guy at the front desk told us you were here doing research and we thought we'd take a chance to see if you knew anything about him or his whereabouts."
He fished in his breast pocket and drew out a picture. When her eyes lit upon it it was like two memories clicked into place for her. Her captor, the gorgeous—insane—body thief was also her fake FBI agent, Ian Anderson! How the hell could that have slipped her mind? Her fingers found her temples and rubbed. "This can't be happening," she murmured under her breath. "He is him and him. Two Ian's. Well, one Ian, one idiot kidnapper. How the hell could've I have forgotten a face like that?" She knew she was babbling. Couldn't help it.
Buffy plopped onto the bed, feet rising up before they hit the ground unceremoniously with a clank together. "Great, you broke her." She pinned a harsh look on the towering male.
Sam sent a loaded glare her way. One that said, "shh or you will get it later." Buffy grinned wildly, jutting out her chin like a child making a point, one that spoke volumes. Something was going on between these two. "Um, are you two together?"
Buffy slid her grin to Ally. "Together, together? Sure, you could say that."
Sam merely shook his head as if Buffy was being foolish. "We have to get to the bottom of what is happening. Please Alice, your help is invaluable. Have you seen my brother?"
She reared back, trying to judge this couple who had just barged in on her life. For some unfathomable reason, she felt like she could. "Yeah I saw him."
Relief flooded their faces, Sam's brows smoothing out in favor of a hopeful stare. But before he could open his mouth, Ally dropped her truth bomb. "The bastard stalked me through the woods, then kidnapped me and tied me up, locking me away in some old bar basement. I only escaped because my very, very founded threats drive fear into even a Goliath's heart." She threw him eye daggers, ones that said "just try me for round 2 of kidnapping and I go moose-hunting."
Sam let a small smile past his defenses. The brunette was mouthy, unpredictable. She reminded him of Buffy in measure. He wondered just what brick walls Dean had come up against with her that made him think holding the little scientist hostage was his best bet instead of reasoning with her.
He re-evaluated his next words, slowly saying, "My brother can be…rash. Especially when it comes to innocent people dying. We are in the business of saving the souls often forgot by rationalization. I am sure on some level you can understand that."
Alice Dennings frowned. "Are you trying to reason out loud about your brute of a brothers actions?"
Sam let loose a small breath. Perhaps the girl was coming around? "Yes."
Alice looked offended. "You are an idiot. I'm not your ball to bounce your conflicting ideas off from. Your brothers more than rash, he's a criminal. I should be calling the police right now."
O-kay, maybe not. "Alice, please, you have to trust us that we mean you no harm. Dean never meant to—"
Her head snapped around to attention. "Dean? Thanks for the info. Name? Check! Face? Check! Your brother's as good as serving time."
Alice scuttled around him but Buffy intercepted her before she could reach the door. "Funny," Buffy started, her tone dry. "You keep throwing out threats like you have an arsenal of them at your disposal. But I don't think you want to call the 5-ohs in." She leaned in, the two girls almost toe to toe. "I think your fast-churning scientific brain cells already discarded that idea." Buffy tapped her bottom lip with her pointer and Sam bit back a groan. Those lips! "Nay, Smarty-Pants Dennings, you won't be tattling on us anytime soon. The real question is…why?"
Buffy ushered a flabbergasted Alice backwards, inching her towards the bed until the backs of her knees made contact and she plopped down. Buffy continued to lean over the brunette aggressively. "Why, indeed? I think Ms. Dennings you know there is some otherworldly stuff going down in that forest and no po-pos are going to listen to anything you have to say. You are smart enough to know when to cut your losses. Now fess up so we can move on and save some damned lives."
Sam's chest bowed with proud. Seeing Buffy in action was like a roller coaster of emotion, fear crawled forward slowly, threatening each and every mission, then humor encased his every thought as she (usually) proceeded to threaten—which of course was hilarious given her size and everyone's blind reaction to it, not understanding they were dealing with a massively powerful slayer. Then, well, then came the icing on the cake, when she threw truth bombs that either left people deaf to reason, or re-awakened their deadened minds.
Alice Dennings looked to be rousing from a long slumber. Yet another reason why he let his little blonde soul mate take the reins on these kinds of missions. Plus, watching her in action when people refused to see reason was a major turn on. She man-handles me with those arms!
Alice's mouth floundered open on repeat, like a fish out of water. "I, uh…I refuse to be brow beaten like this!" She shot a wild look at Sam and pointed an accusing finger. "Your brother kidnapped me!"
Buffy grinned, waving away Alice's concerns like they were merely flies circling. "Oh, shush, you are being dramatic. He didn't hurt you, now did he? In fact, I'm suspecting you gave him a run for his money and he panicked to rescue you. That forest is evil or houses evil, we both know it. You just believe it stems from scientific purposes, not supernatural ones. Either way, we are both on the same damned mission; save the people who are taking their own lives."
Alice looked like she'd been smacked. "I want to make a discovery! Not save lives!"
Buffy looked incredulous. "Are you saying you wouldn't save a life if it was in your power to do so?"
Alice looked at a loss for words. Buffy nodded with a hmmph! that said thought so!
"How can a forest be compelling people to end their own lives?" she asked on a reluctant whisper.
Sam moved forward, concerned for the suddenly forlorn spitfire of a girl. His brother had felt this wildcard of a girl could help them; he must have, why else would he have forcibly taken her from Snowden? Therefore, Alice Dennings was worth saving. And he felt drawn to her. Protective of her. Like she was a long lost sister or friend.
Buffy sat next to Alice, casual. "Whatever Dean did? We will kick him in the nether regions for it later. I promise? Okay? But for now, we need to know what you have found out about the forest. Sam's brother called us several days ago, but his cell connection was bad. From the sound of it he was in trouble. Or perhaps…you were."
Buffy's words were layered, heavy. Alice seemed to understand that Buffy was implying Dean had done what he'd done simply to save Ally, nothing more. And the stubborn scientist seemed to be coming around to the idea.
"I did feel disorientated before…before he took me. But I wasn't going to harm myself! I'd never do that."
Sam inched even closer. "With the supernatural, some things do not make sense. Whether you were in danger of harming yourself or not is now irrelevant. Any findings you have stumbled across would be helpful. Please, trust us. We only want to put an end to all this death."
Alice appeared to be gauging Sam's words. "I… There is, well, was a gap in my memory." Her shoulders sagged. "I lost bits and pieces of myself in there."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"I'd met your brother before he tied me up for some kidnapper/hostage bondage time. But I hadn't remembered it until now. It was almost as if my mind was fragmenting. Many chemical compounds can cause temporary memory loss…"
Buffy snorted. "You think Dean drugged you?" A light peal of laughter left her.
Alice's features wrinkled in distaste. "It's not impossible to assume he used some sort of concoction on me to force compliance."
Buffy's blonde curls bounced about her shoulders as she shook with more laughter. She ignored the pointed looks she was receiving. "What? Get to know him and you will find that as hilarious as me."
"Alice," Sam said, "what Buffy is trying to say is that is not my brother's style. He isn't the most…brainy in that area. He would've used force only if he felt you were in danger. The memory loss you experienced is most likely linked to your time in Snowden. What is the last thing you remember before you saw Dean?"
Alice's brow furrowed in silent thought. "I was elongating my perimeter. Mapping coordinates to reveal any hot spots for where the majority of the suicides took place. Then things get fuzzy around the edges. I felt some depression perhaps, but that could've been because I have been hitting walls everywhere I turned. There are no anomalies in that forest. No traces of compounds in the soil, trees or air. Nor the surroundings areas that could be causing severe disorientation."
Sam nodded. "I suspect you won't be finding a scientific explanation for what is going on there."
Alice stood, throwing her hands up in surrender. "I give up. You people are out of your gourds. I need to get back to work. I promise I won't press charges against your handsy brother, but I have limited time here and I am wasting it chatting impossible impossibilities with you."
Buffy shrugged. "Suit yourself, dear. Tootles!" She gave Alice a pinky wave and winked at Sam. Adorable slayer.
Sam watched as the feisty Ms. Dennings struggled with the weight of her cases, dragging herself out of the motel room with huffs and grunts. She never looked back.
His eyes found Buffy and she shrugged again, saying, "Catch and release?"
He gave a curt nod, agreeing that giving Alice space was the best possible bet. They'd follow the girl and see exactly what she was up to. Perhaps she would lead them to Dean. Cause from what it sounded like, the eldest Winchester couldn't keep his distance from her.
Encircling his fingers in hers, Sam tugged Buffy off the bed and they trailed after Alice in search of answers.