I don't own Supernatural or any references to anything else you may recognize.
What if she's been bitten? What if she's dead? She can't do this on her own. She's never actually gone up against a werewolf alone before. I've always been there with her. What if she can't handle it herself?
I was jolted out of my paranoid thoughts as Sam reentered the room. "No one saw anything last night," he informed us.
Dean stopped pacing and ran a hand over his face. "Why'd she do it? Why'd she have to run off alone?" he muttered.
"That's just Ella. Werewolves make her crazy," I replied.
"Your amulet, Gari," Sam said suddenly. "It got us here, so it can find her, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so." I walked over to the large map of the town that Ella had pinned on the wall and tore it down, hearing a loud ripping sound as it pulled off the pushpins holding it in place. I unceremoniously shoved the objects on the cluttered table to the floor and spread the map across it.
"So how does this work?" Sam asked, standing behind me and looking over my shoulder. I tried to ignore the conflicting emotions caused by his close proximity, but it wasn't easy. It was just like my Lucifer dream. Part of me couldn't stand to be around him, but the other part of me was just thinking, Sammy.
I shook off the emotions and removed my amulet, then let it dangle over the map. "Quarere," I mumbled. Sam's eyes widened slightly as the blue stone in the middle began to glow and the pendant twisted on the string. The amulet started swinging back and forth, then began to make wide circles. It stopped abruptly over an empty area of the map.
"But there's nothing there," the younger Winchester said.
"Don't be too sure about that." I marked the spot on the map with a pen, then placed the amulet back around my neck.
"She's right," Dean said. "There's probably sewer tunnels all under the town."
"This is the last night of the full moon," I mused. "Our last chance to catch the wolf in the act. We better get going."
About thirty minutes later, we pulled up in front of an old warehouse. After about five minutes of Dean protesting against leaving his car unprotected, we finally made our way to the small clearing behind the building. Sure enough, there was an open manhole, the cover nowhere to be found.
"Looks like we got the right place," Sam said.
"Told you so," I replied. Without waiting for the boys, I walked over to the edge of the manhole and quickly descended the ladder. I jumped the last little bit and landed with a wet thud on the floor. Ugh. What's up with all of these creatures living in sewers?
Two more thuds sounded, alerting me to the Winchesters' presence. Dean turned on his flashlight and pointed it at me. "Where's yours?" he asked.
"Don't need it," I said. It was true—ever since I'd started drinking the demon blood, I'd been able to see in the dark. I guess it had something to do with embracing the "creature of the night" side of me. I took off at a quick walk without waiting for them to follow.
"Alright then." Dean said from behind me as he and Sam caught up.
As we walked, I began thinking more and more about the case. "This is wrong, guys," I said, deciding to voice my thoughts aloud. "Doesn't this seem weird to you? The wolf didn't just eat her heart and leave the body… It took her. Just like that wolf did to Camilla so long ago. Something's just not right."
"Yeah, awesome point, Gari," Dean said scathingly. "But I really don't see how that's important. What's important is finding Ella and killing the son of a bitch that took her." I nodded in agreement and decided to keep quiet, though I still couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't a normal case.
You're straining yourself, the voice said suddenly. I knew it was right—I was starting to get that telltale headache that happened whenever I was running low on fuel.
I don't care, I replied stubbornly. I have to find Ella. She's all that matters.
You could at least use a flashlight. Even seeing in the dark is taking its toll on you now.
Shut up. I'm fine.
You sure about that?
God dammit, ye—! My thoughts stopped abruptly as searing pain shot through my head. I let out a cry and fell to the ground, squeezing my eyes closed tightly. I'd never felt anything like this before. I was used to just getting dizzy and nauseated from withdrawals—the migraine was completely new.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and knew it had to be Dean. Sam wouldn't care. I turned my head in his direction and forced my eyes open. Black spots danced in my vision, but I still saw the extremely worried look on the older Winchester's face.
"Gari, hey, you okay?" he asked, and his voice sounded as if it were coming from very far away. I groaned and blinked rapidly, curling in on myself as another wave of agony hit me. "Gari, c'mon, stay with me," Dean pleaded. "You gotta help us find Ella, remember? She needs us, Gari." At his words, I gained a new determination. I strived to push the pain to the back of my mind, but it was barely working. "Sam, she can't go on like this," Dean muttered to his brother. "Stay with her or get her outta here or something. I'll go find Elle."
That did the trick. I halfway managed to ignore the pain. Now there was simply a dull, throbbing ache. "N—no," I protested faintly, uncurling from my ball on the floor. "G—gotta find Elle."
"Gari, whatever's goin' on with you isn't something we can just ignore," Dean argued.
"Yeah, we can," I replied, my voice growing stronger. I rose shakily to my feet. "Elle's more important. I'm fine."
"Are you s—?"
"I said I'm fine!" I interrupted agitatedly. "Let's just go!" I stormed forward, then hesitated. I couldn't use my powers anymore until I got more blood. I didn't bother to check the flask in my pocket—I already knew it was empty. I sighed and turned to Dean. "You lead." He nodded and started walking, his flashlight held strangely weapon-like in front of him.
"So what was that back there?" Sam asked as we followed Dean.
"It was nothing!" I snapped. I really didn't feel like talking, and especially not to him.
"Oh, c'mon, Gari. That's bullshit."
"Y'know what else is bullshit?" He raised an eyebrow curiously. "You acting like you actually care!" I picked up my pace and fell into step beside Dean, trying not to cringe as Sam chuckled behind us.
"You really okay?" Dean asked quietly.
I pressed my fingers into my temples and sighed again. "We can worry about me later," I said. "And don't argue with me 'cause I know the first thing on your mind is finding Elle, too."
"Okay, you're right," he relented. "But this isn't something that's gonna get in the way of saving her, is it?"
"No," I replied shortly. "It's under control. I'll wait and have my mental breakdown after we get her back."
"Oh, yeah, let's joke about it," Dean said sarcastically. "That makes everything better." I grinned halfheartedly and we continued forward in silence.
Maybe ten minutes later, I noticed that the tunnel was getting lighter. Sam must have, too, for he told Dean to turn off the flashlight. We moved toward the increasing brightness slowly and softly, and I once again marveled at how someone as gigantic as Sam could move so quietly.
We got to the end of the wall and stopped. The tunnel turned to the right, and the light was even brighter up ahead. Dean cautiously poked his head around the corner, then drew back with an expression somewhere between panic and fury on his face. "She's there," he mumbled. "Tied up on the other side. I don't think there's anyone—"
Before he had time to finish, I darted out into the room and sprinted over to Ella. It was reckless, I know, but all I cared about was getting to her. She went psycho whenever she picked up on a werewolf case; I went psycho whenever she was in danger.
I dropped to my knees beside her and tried not to focus on how bloody and beaten she was. "Ella," I said urgently, taking her cherubic face in my hands. I pushed her lank, filthy curls behind her ears and ran my hand over her sweaty forehead. Shit, that's a really bad fever… "Ella," I repeated, shaking her gently. "Wake up, sweetie."
She let out a low moan and her eyelids fluttered weakly. "Milla?" she croaked. Milla? Why would she call me Milla?
"No, sweetie. It's me, Gari," I corrected.
"Gari?" Her face twisted up in puzzlement as she opened her eyes and looked up at my face. Recognition suddenly sparked in her sapphire eyes. "Gari!" she exclaimed hoarsely. "Y—ya found me!" Tears clung to her eyelashes. A few of them broke free and trailed paths through the dirt and grime on her cheeks.
"Of course I found you!" I wiped her tears away and grinned. "I always have, and I always will." I glanced down and noticed that her hands were tied. "Here, lemme get that," I said, taking my dagger out of my boot and slicing through the ropes. I barely had time to put my knife back before she threw her arms around me and pulled me into one of her spine-crushing hugs. I tried not to let the weakness of the embrace bother me as I hugged her back tightly and fought back the tears of that were threatening to spill over.
"Gari!" Dean hissed from the tunnel. Ella and I both jumped. I had completely forgotten about the Winchesters. "Everything okay?"
"Dean!" Ella yelped happily, her face breaking into a large smile.
He looked around the room once more before running over to us and kneeling down. "Ella," he breathed, his shoulders sagging in relief. "You okay?"
Ella released me immediately and flung herself into his arms. "I'm so sorry!" she cried, burying her face in his chest. "I didn't know this was gonna happen! It was s'posed to be quick and easy and I was s'posed to be home before ya got back! I'm so sorry!"
"Shhh, it's okay," Dean murmured, rubbing his hand in small, soothing circles on her back. "It's gonna be okay. I've got ya."
She clung to him for dear life as she continued to cry. After a little while, she sniffled and said, "I didn't mean to scare ya like that. Y'know I didn't. And I left the kids and just dropped everything and I'm a terrible mama and—"
"Hey, hey," Dean interrupted gently. "Don't talk like that. The kids are fine. They're with Jack and Carrie. You're still a hunter, Ella. You gotta go with your instincts, and that's never gonna change. And you're an awesome mom, okay?"
Ella sniffled again and looked up at him with big, watery, adoring eyes. "I love you, Dean," she whispered.
"Love you too, Elle."
"Okay, now, if this little love-fest is over," Sam said as he joined us, "we should go. If I'm right, the moon's about to set. We only have a little time to catch this thing. We don't get it tonight, we've lost it for another month.
Ella shifted uncomfortably in Dean's arms. "It's not gonna come back," she said with false conviction. "It dropped me here last night and left. I haven't seen it since."
She's lying, I realized with a shock. Why is she lying?
Dean gave her an odd look and I knew he had realized it, too. "Okay, well, let's just get you outta here," he said, helping her to her feet.
She started to stand, but her knees buckled beneath her. Dean just barely caught her in time. Her hand went to her stomach, and when she pulled it away, it was covered in blood. "Dammit," she sighed. "Forgot about that."
"So, next stop: hospital?" I suggested as I attempted to stay calm. That much blood couldn't be a good thing.
"Can't ya just heal me?" Ella asked, her eyebrows scrunching in confusion.
"I… no," I said apologetically. "I can't." If just trying to see in the dark was enough to cause that weird migraine, I didn't want to know what trying to heal her would do.
"This somethin' to do with earlier?" Dean questioned. I nodded.
"What happened earlier?" Ella piped up worriedly. "Gari, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Elle," I replied. "We'll worry about me later, 'kay?"
"'Kay."
Dean slid his arm under her knees and lifted her easily. "You good?" he asked. She nodded and gave him a small smile. "Sam, lead the way. Take the flashlight."
"I'll watch our backs," I volunteered.
"Good. Let's go."
We had been walking for about five minutes when I got the sense that we were being watched. I ignored the feeling, but picked up my pace anyway. A little while later, the feeling came back stronger, causing the fine hairs on the back of my neck to prickle uncomfortably. I turned to look behind us, walking backwards are I peered into the darkness.
You're not about to do what I think you're about to do, are you? the voice asked skeptically.
It's just a little bit of energy, I replied. And it's just for a second. No big deal. I shrugged mentally, letting the voice know how totally not worried I was.
I'm in your mind, dumbass, it snapped. I know you're scared of getting that migraine again.
Shut up.
I drew forth what little power I had left and looked into the dark again. The dull, throbbing ache became worse, feeling as if someone were driving a railroad spike through my forehead. However, the pain was no longer the biggest problem at hand.
Staring back at me from the shadows were two bright yellow eyes. A large mouth full of razor-sharp teeth opened and a bright pink tongue shot out to lick thin, chapped lips. My gaze travelled down to long, wicked claws splayed out menacingly, the hands occasionally tightening into small fists.
It was a woman. She looked to be about my age. She had short, choppy, caramel-brown hair and a face that would've been beautiful if it weren't for the scars and the dirt coating her cheeks.
Oh, and if she hadn't been a feral monster.
"Um… guys…" I said slowly. "I don't wanna alarm you… but we're not alone."
Sam grabbed my shoulder and made me turn around. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the wolf girl who's standing right behind us."
Ella's already large eyes widened even more, and panic and devastation shone clearly on her face. "No…" she breathed. "What's she doin' here?"
Once she realized that we knew she was there, the wolf girl stepped forward into the circle of light surrounding us. She snarled menacingly, advancing on Dean and Ella. She's targeting the weakest prey. Elle's hurt and Dean's gotta protect her. Whoa, if our lives weren't in danger, I'd find this extreme animalistic behavior fascinating.
Sam pulled out his pistol and I did the same, both of us aiming at the werewolf. "Would you like to have the honor?" I muttered sarcastically. He nodded, a wry grin on his face.
"No, wait!" Ella exclaimed just as he was about to pull the trigger. She carefully climbed out of Dean's arms and stood beside him, using his shoulder to support her.
"What?" Sam and I snapped irritably. I glared at him—I didn't like how in sync we were at the moment.
In that little bit of time, the wolf decided to pounce on the next weakest prey—me. I fell to the ground with her on top of me, and I struggled to avoid her claws and teeth. "Get her off!" I yelped. She scratched at my face and I let out a small gasp of pain as one claw left a long scratch maybe two centimeters from my right eye.
Suddenly she was lifted off me and thrown back into the darkness. Sam grabbed my arm and hoisted me up off the ground. "You're welcome," he said cockily before I had the chance to open my mouth. And after he said it like that, I certainly wasn't going to thank him.
The wolf girl moved forward more cautiously this time, walking in a prowling crouch with her hands almost touching the ground. Ella limped in front of us and addressed her. "Please," she begged the monster. "Ya know who I am. Ya can fight it. It's me, Ella. Ya know me!"
Her words had no affect on the creature, and I had no time to puzzle over them, for the wolf girl pounced again, this time aiming for Ella. Dean lunged at Ella and knocked her to the ground. The wolf leaped straight over them, then turned and prepared to pounce again.
Sam raised his gun, and this time, I knew nothing was going to stop him. His finger tightened against the trigger, then, just as he pulled back all the way, Ella jumped at him. "No!" she shrieked, causing his shot to go off course and the bullet to ricochet off the wall.
He shoved her aside forcefully and she fell backwards, her head hitting the wall of the tunnel with a loud thud. She slumped to the ground, unconscious.
"Ella!" I dashed over to her, but the wolf girl beat me there. She stood crouched in front of Ella's body and growled menacingly, daring us to come closer.
Sam cocked his gun again and aimed it at the wolf. She made a low, whining noise in her throat and shrank back. She backed up to where she was beside Ella and turned to her. Then she did something that shocked us all.
The wolf girl whined again and raised a clawed hand to Ella's face. However, instead of attacking, she pushed Ella's hair behind her ear and nudged her face, continuing to whine pitifully.
Suddenly, I got it. "Camilla?" I called hesitantly. The wolf girl whipped her head around to stare at me, a small snarl escaping her mouth.
"Wait, what?" Dean glanced between the two of us bewilderedly. "You're sayin' that's Camilla? That's Ella's sister?"
I ignored him and took a tiny step forward. Camilla growled at me, baring her fangs. "Camilla," I repeated softly. "We're not gonna hurt you. We've gotta get Ella to a hospital. She's really hurt." Camilla cocked her head to the side as I talked, and I desperately hoped that she could understand me. I took another step forward and she dropped back into a defensive crouch. Okay, so much for that…
"What now?" Dean asked quietly.
"We could wait for the moon to set," I suggested. "It won't be long now. If we can stall her until then—"
"You're joking, right?" Sam broke in, giving a disbelieving chuckle. "She's a monster! She's killed people! So we've gotta kill her!"
"She's Ella's sister, Sam!" I argued. "Her sister! Who, until now, was supposedly dead! This isn't a regular case!"
"Yeah, it is! I don't care who she is; she needs to be put down before she hurts anyone else!"
"Sam, Gari's right," Dean said slowly. "This isn't a normal case. We need to think. We can't jump the gun on this one."
Camilla had been quietly watching us argue the entire time, though she was still in her crouched position in front of Ella. Sam glared at her and she shrank back and growled again, her yellow eyes gleaming with fear and ferocity.
"I'm not 'jumping the gun,'" Sam said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I'm doing my job. Letting her go isn't right. We let her go, we're responsible for everything she does and everyone she kills."
"I know that," I said pleadingly. "But we can't kill her. Not yet. Don't you think Ella deserves to say goodbye?"
"She's unconscious, Gari," he said exasperatedly. "Not like she has any say in the matter."
"Because you knocked her unconscious, you dick!" I spat.
"She got in the way," he replied evenly.
"Would you do the same if I got in the way?" I asked, crossing my arms angrily. "If Dean got in the way?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he said, "She has to be stopped. And if you won't do it, I will." He raised his pistol again and pointed it at Camilla, who snarled in defiance.
"No," I said sternly. I stepped in between the two of them, staring up into those emotionless eyes of his. I wasn't too comfortable having my back to an unpredictable werewolf, but I wasn't about to let Sam kill her.
"Gari, get outta the way," he ordered, clenching his jaw in annoyance. I didn't move. "Gari, get outta the way or, so help me, I'll shoot you too."
"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" I sighed, giving him a bitter smile. "Well, alright." I stood my ground. "Make me." Rage filled his eyes—the only emotion he ever truly showed—and it was almost psychotic. What happened to you, Sammy? I wondered despairingly as fear bubbled in my stomach. I knew for a fact that he was about to go through on his threat.
"Gari, move," Dean half-begged.
"No!" I snapped. "He wants to kill her so badly, fine. But he's gonna have to go through me."
"Sam—" Dean started.
"I told her, Dean," Sam interrupted. "We've gotta kill this thing."
"But that doesn't mean you gotta go threatening Gari's life!" Dean desperately tried to reason.
I glared defiantly up at Sam again, silently daring him to pull the trigger.
The next thing I knew, there was a click, a bang, and an exclamation of shock and pain as Sam shot me in the shoulder.
Then all hell broke loose.
Ella gasped awake as I staggered backwards, clutching the wound. Camilla leaped at Sam and tackled him to the ground, clawing and biting at his face. Dean stood stock-still, torn between helping his brother and helping Ella and me.
Sam threw Camilla off him and Dean made up his mind. He dashed over to us and dropped down beside Ella. "Elle, you okay?"
"W—what happened?" she asked weakly. Her eyes widened as she saw my bloody shoulder. "Gari?"
I leaned against the wall, breathing deeply and wincing as my shoulder moved. "I'm okay," I said through gritted teeth.
Suddenly, Camilla crashed onto the floor beside me, giving a pathetic whimper as her head hit the wall. Sam advanced on her, that terrible smirk growing on his face.
"Sam, no!" I yelled, but it was too late.
Another gunshot sounded and Camilla let out a cry of pure, animalistic anguish.
"Milla!" Ella shrieked, breaking free of Dean's grasp and crawling over to her sister.
Camilla was slowly becoming human again. Her eyes, though glazed and filled with agony, had changed to a dark, chocolate brown. Her teeth were no longer sharp and her claws had receded backwards until they looked like normal fingernails. Why do they have to turn back human?
"Ella?" Camilla rasped, her eyes brimming with tears as she saw her sister's face.
"I'm right here, Milla," Ella assured her, her small frame shaking with barely suppressed sobs.
"I—I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Milla. It's not your fault."
Camilla took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm just glad I got to see you… one more time…" She forced a smile, though it looked more like a grimace. "I—I love you, little sister…"
Ella choked out a sob. "I love you too, Milla." Camilla's smile grew larger, and then she closed her eyes. She gave one last breath and her body went limp. The ghost of her smile was still etched on her face. Ella dropped her forehead to rest on Camilla's and sobbed, reminding me of how I had cried over Greg's body so long ago. "Milla…" she whispered, her breath hitching in her throat. "No… I just got ya back…"
I placed a hand on Ella's back hesitantly and she immediately turned and flung herself at me. I held her while she cried, whispering, "It's okay. It's gonna be okay. I'm here. I've got you." As I said the words, I realized they were the same words I said to her after Greg died. I've gotta get some new material…
"What the fuck was that?" Dean snarled suddenly, turning on his brother.
"Just doing my job," Sam replied calmly, that self-satisfied smirk on his face.
"You shot Gari, and you knocked Ella out!" Dean raged. "She was already hurt! She could've been killed because of you!"
"Dean—"
"No! I tried to deny it, but I can't. I just can't." Dean sighed, emotional pain etched on every line of his face. "Gari was right. You are not my brother." I knew I should've been happy that he finally agreed with me, but he was just too distraught for that to matter.
"Just listen," Sam said pleadingly as Dean took a step forward.
"What are you?" he growled.
"I'm me, Dean. Look, please, just let me explain." For the first time since he got back from Hell, Sam actually looked scared. And some sick part of me found that immensely satisfying.
"Why the hell should I believe anything you say?"
"Okay, okay." Sam stepped back as Dean continued to walk forward, his hands held up in a placating gesture. "You want the truth? Here it is. Here it is. God's honest. There's something wrong with me, really wrong. I've known it for a while. I lied to you. Yeah. And...I let you get turned by that vamp."
"You did what?" I gasped furiously, finally joining the fight. "Why didn't I know about this?"
"It's not about you, Gari! Can't you stay out of it for five fucking seconds?" Sam snapped. I flinched backwards, stung by the harshness of his tone. I should be used to this by now. Sam turned back to his brother. "I let you get turned because I knew there was a cure,Dean, and we needed in that nest! And I knew you could handle it!"
"'Handle it?'" Dean yelped. "I could've died! I could've killed people!"
"And that should stop me cold," Sam said, nodding eagerly. "But I—I just don't feel it."
"You what?"
"Ever since I came back, I am a better hunter than I've ever been!" Sam explained earnestly. "Nothing scares me anymore! 'Cause I can't feel it!" He paused for a minute and looked down at the ground. When he looked back up, he was doing a poor imitation of the old Sam's puppy dog eyes. Dean looked disgusted, and I was definitely with him there. Those puppy dog eyes made me feel sick. Sam stepped toward Dean, trying to look as unimposing as possible. "I don't know what's wrong with me," he said quietly. "I think... I need help."
Dean stared at Sam for a minute, conflicting emotions warring on his face. He turned away, seeming to debate something, and then faced his brother again. Sam gazed back hopefully, empty eyes still in puppy dog mode.
Before Sam had time to react, Dean drew back and nailed him right across the jaw so hard that he fell to the ground. I leaped back in alarm, though I couldn't help but think how much he deserved that and how much I wish I'd done it.
Dean punched Sam again, equally as hard as the first time. Again and again his fist connected with Sam's face, and still I stood there, watching with no emotion as purple splotches bloomed all over Sam's face.
Finally, I began to get worried. Sam was bloody and unconscious, and had been for a while now. Dean was going too far.
"Dean, maybe you should stop now," I suggested, but he ignored me, continuing to take his anger out on his brother. "Dean, seriously! He's unconscious! Stop!" Still nothing. I latched onto the older Winchester's arm and stopped him before he could land another punch. He spun to face me furiously. "Stop it!" I commanded.
"Why? You said it yourself—that's not Sam. It hasn't been Sam for a while."
"No, but that's still Sam's body. You're still wailing on your brother's body. When we fix him, don't you think he might need that?"
His shoulders relaxed as he let my words sink in. "Okay," he said at last. "Okay."
Ella gazed at us from her spot next to Camilla's body, something akin to fear in her eyes. "Dean?" she asked hesitantly.
He exhaled deeply, glancing down at Sam again. "Okay. Let's get outta here."
Ella and I shared a deeply worried look, and I knew she wasn't gonna forget his freak out any time soon. That, paired with Camilla's death, was going to bother her for a very long time. I just hoped she'd be okay eventually. That's all I can hope for now, isn't it?
Hope is for children, the voice said mockingly, and I couldn't think of any retort. We'd been through enough to last a lifetime just in one night, and all I could think of was putting this all behind me. I never thought I would miss being on my own, but right then, I would've taken loneliness in a heartbeat.
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