Chapter 7

The house shook with gale force wind and rain. Riley was once again in that room hidden from site. She peeked between the boxes watching in horror as the man leaned over Davy's still body. He slapped him a couple of times but he still didn't move. The man cursed madly and jerked the body up hauling it out of the room.

Riley woke suddenly with the scream still caught in her throat, as she clutched the blanket to her shaking body. Looking around, she was trying to remember where she was. She slipped out of bed with a pillow and blankets and crossed to the other bedroom. She could just make out the sleeping figures as lightening brightened the room. She took her blankets and made a nest on the floor at the foot of Dean's bed. Sleep seemed to elude her as she tried to shake off the nightmare.

Dean woke with a start as the transformer beside the house blew and power was lost. He heard a mumbling at the foot of his bed and slipped out with his gun ready. With the next flash of lightening, he could just make out a lump on the floor. He pulled a flashlight out of his bag and carefully shone it on the floor. He found Riley wrapped in blankets moaning softly in her sleep.

"Little Sis, hey it's ok." he said laying a hand on her shoulder. "You're having a bad dream." She jerked and whimpered at his touch trying to draw even smaller.

"You're safe." Dean urged.

"Dean you ok?" Sam asked sleepily as he raised up. "What's going on?"

"Transformer blew, powers out, kid's sleeping on the floor, bad dream I think." Dean explained as Riley sat up gripping the blanket. "No ones going to hurt you, why don't you crawl in my bed, it'll be more comfortable than the floor."

"Need help?" Sam yawned still half asleep.

"Naw, she's calming down now, go back to sleep you need the rest." he told Sam as Riley gathered her blankets and crawled onto the bed. Dean slipped back under the covers turning his back to her deciding she might be less afraid that way.

She was feeling safer now with the brothers. They seemed to actually care about her. Snuggling down on her side of the bed, she slept peacefully for the first time in a long time.

The storm finally past over and a beautiful day dawned clear and cool. Sam woke up early and looked over to see if Dean was still asleep. He was laying on his back and the girl was curled up beside him in the crook of his arm. She had a fist full of his shirt grasped tightly in her small hand. Riley jerked slightly and mumbled in her sleep. Sam quietly pushed all the blankets off him frowning and left them sleeping. First, he needed a shower and then laundry. He grabbed the last of his clean clothes and headed for the bathroom.

"You're up early. How're you feeling?" Bobby commented as he sat at the table sipping coffee.

"Pretty good. Thought I was catching something last night, but seems all gone today. I was going to do some laundry, we're out of clean clothes."

"I've got the generator running until the power comes back on so you should be ok."

"Great." he said carrying two bags into the laundry room.

"They still asleep?"

"Yeah, kid must have had a bad dream. She made a bed in our room on the floor, then Dean got her to lay down in his. What's your take on her?"

"I'd say some asshole treated her really bad. Probably starved her, mistreated her, God knows what else. She has some big trust issues."

"Working on that. It may take awhile, but she seems to be warming up to us."

"Are you sure you're ok? You were pretty sick last night."

"Yeah, I feel good, Dean's tottie must have worked." Sam said pouring a cup of coffee.

Riley woke slowly as sunlight streamed in her face from a crack in the curtain. She moved slightly and felt someone move beside her. Freezing instantly, she was afraid of reprisal. After he settled back down she inched ever so slowly to the edge of the bed getting ready to slide out.

"You ready to get up?" Dean yawned as he started waking up.

Riley stiffened every muscle in her body. She held her breath and willed herself to go to the safe place away from any pain. Her tee had slipped off one shoulder and part of her shoulder was exposed. Dean's eyes widened in shock as he saw what looked like scars. He carefully pulled the shirt out and saw more. It looked liked she had been whipped numerous times and burned. He slid up beside her on the edge of the bed and saw the blank look on her face. He had seen that look before with Sam when he would zone out.

"Crap!" he mumbled under his breath as he straightened the shirt. "Kid, look at me." Dean said shaking her shoulder easily trying to bring her out of the trance. She finally looked up into his concerned eyes as tears trickled down her cheeks.

She curled tightly into a ball clutching her arms around her knees as she continued to cry. Dean pulled her into his arms holding her against his chest. "Look, I don't know what your story is, but believe me when I tell you Sam and me, we would never hurt you or let anyone else hurt you."

She buried her face into his chest and clutched his shirt as she let the pain out thru her silent tears. Dean smoothed down her hair and kissed her forehead mumbling to her in a gentle voice. It had been a long time since she had showed emotion like this to anyone. She had kept everything bottled up and locked away in a closet in her mind. The kindness that was being shown to her caused the door to crack open.

"Everything ok?" Sam asked as he strolled into the bedroom with their clean clothes. "What's wrong?" he asked when he saw Riley crying.

Dean motioned his silence and carried Riley to the bathroom door. "Why don't you get a shower, it'll make you feel better. I'll be right out here if you need me. " She nodded slipping into the bathroom and shutting the door. Dean waited by the door until he hear water running.

"What's going on?" Sam asked when he returned to the bedroom.

"Dude, she's been whipped and burned; there's scars on her back." he said madly pacing the bedroom. "No wonder she hasn't trusted anyone? By the way how are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, why?"

"Do you remember last night at all?"

"I went to bed early, my head was killing me and my throat hurt, you gave me a hot tottie, not much after that."

"I went to get you some stronger meds and found Riley sitting beside you, it was like she was healing you. She seemed to be in a trance or something." he told him watching to be sure she was still in the bathroom.

"What? No way, I don't remember any of that."

"I swear there was a soft glow coming from her hands and then your fever was gone."

"I had a fever?" Sam questioned feeling his face. "Is that why I had all those blankets on me?"

"Yeah, but what sick sonofab*tch could do that to a kid?"

"Now we know why she's acting so cautious around us."

"There's something about her that's different, but what?"

"I mean we tested her and nothing showed so what are you thinking?"

"If I ever find out who did that to her, I'll rip his lungs out." Dean swore.

"Stand in line." Sam said as determined. "Come on, let's find some breakfast for her and talk to Bobby."

"Let me check on her first." he said wiping his face with his hand. "What've you been doing?" Dean asked as he tapped on the bathroom door and called, "Kid, if you're ok, we're going to start some breakfast." Riley cracked the door and nodded to him.

"Laundry, I don't think any of us had any clean clothes." Sam told him.

"Good, you know we should pick up some clothes for Little Sis."

"Well we need to make a food run so we can do it then." Sam answered heading for the kitchen.

"Hey Bobby." Dean said pouring a cup of coffee and sighing heavily.

"What's up boys?" Bobby asked knowing that look on Dean's face.

"She was beaten, Bobby, there's scars on her back." Dean growled between clenched teeth.

"Come again?"

"That little girl has been abused."

"Ok. Calm down where's she at now?"

"Finishing her shower, we told her we'd get her some breakfast" he answered rubbing a hand over his face. "Do you have anything?"

"Well there's some eggs in the fridge and bread for toast."

"That's a start." Sam said looking in the fridge for the eggs. He found a frying pan and started making scrambled eggs. "Why don't you do some toast."

"Right toast." Dean said looking for a toaster. "In?"

"Toaster oven." Bobby nodded to it on the counter. "I need to make a parts run, I'll be back this afternoon."

"Ok, we're going on a food run shortly, and we'll talk about Little Sis when you get back." Dean said looking at the controls as he pulled out a couple pieces of bread. Bobby left hoping Dean wouldn't burn the place down.

"Can you do it?" Sam asked as he beat the eggs. "Do you need help?"

"I can do it, it's only toast." he said spreading some butter on the bread.

"Ok, let me know if you need help."

"Bite me." he growled trying to figure out the controls on the toaster.