A/N:Hello again my lovelies! I seriously didn't think I'd be getting this out before this weekend, but here it is. Enjoy.
Chapter Ten
"She kissed me, Dean. That's just so many levels of wrong!" Athena had slid quickly into 'bitch mode' after talking with her sister. Dean felt like an idiot, continuously trying to get to the window only to be thrown against the wall behind him again. Taylor Blake, his new best friend had decided if she couldn't play with them with out getting shot she wasn't going to come out and play at all.
"You liked it." he accused teasingly. She fixed him with a glare, pushing past him and knocking him right into the fly zone. Again he flew threw the air smacking the wall. "Son of a bitch."
"No, darling, adopted daughter of a bitch." Athena corrected. He rolled his eyes picking himself back up.
"The kid awake yet?" she dropped to the ground next to Jimmy with a sigh.
"Does he look awake to you?"
"What are we doing here?" Emily asked from the back seat, panic spiking her voice.
"We've come to sell you to the devil. Think he'll give us what we want?" Autumn asked climbing out of the Ford and looking at the house appraisingly.
"Autumn!" Sam scolded. "Don't even say that, it doesn't sound good."
"And even the trees have ears in this country." she closed the car door behind her. "You three don't move." Sam shook his head, he wasn't sure if it was Dean rubbing off on her or if she was finally breaking through a façade put on to not scare him and his brother away.
"Let's go." he called already headed in. Autumn scurried to follow. She didn't give the rotting body more than glance before moving onto the closet that housed the alter.
"He's not been dead the whole two months." Autumn told him as she knelt down looking the shrine over. "Got a light?" Sam shined his flashlight in her direction. "I meant like fire, Sammy."
"Oh. Uh, yea." he dug a lighter out of his pocket and tossed it to her. She flicked in on holding the tiny flicker of flame to the photographs, the fire quickly ate through them and beyond a scorched wall and puff of smoke left no evidence of it's life.
"What do we do with this though? Blood's not going to burn."
"What are you doing!?" Blake reappeared flickering in and out of sight.
"Camping. Do you have any marshmallows we could use?" Dean asked in a bored tone keeping himself between the spirit and his two younger charges.
"Don't lie to me, boy." the spirit roared.
"We've not done a damn thing, lady." Athena stood up and moved to stand just behind Dean. "Why feeling faint?"
"She's a witch!" the spirit accused point at Athena. "She's using a spell to destroy me."
"Yea, I'm the bad one here." Athena mocked. Blake rushed her, passing straight through Dean and slamming Athena into the door.
"What are you doing to me?" she demanded using her now-you-see-me-now-you-don't body to keep Athena still.
"You tell me, Taylor, because I don't know what you're talking about."
"Look at me! I'm disappearing!"
"Am I supposed to pity you?" Athena turned her head as the spirit brought her face in.
"You don't want to stop?" Blake purred. "Then I'll make you." Pain erupted in Athena's abdomen where Blake had her hand. It felt like someone was actually squeezing her liver, turning it to mush.
"Dean," Athena ground out. "Help?"
Dean had already run over his options, shooting Blake would mean shooting Athena too, and he couldn't see Autumn being very forgiving of killing her sister. He had to think of something, though, because Blake might just do that.
"Autumn, step back."
Sam had found a tin pail and put the goblet down inside it, pouring lighter fluid in. The flammable liquid mixed with the blood/hair concoction, and soaked the goblet. He'd stuffed napkins, from the car, into the goblet to soak up as much of the blood as possible making it a quicker job. This was far from his brightest idea, but it would get the job done. Autumn didn't need telling twice, she pitched a handful of salt in for good measure and moved back away from Sam and the pail. He struck a match that he'd found in the glove box and dropped it in jumping back when the fire jumped up.
Blake disappeared and Athena fell to the ground, but no one moved. Dean stood holding his breath waiting for the next attack. But even the air felt cleaner. Athena groaned propping herself up and giving him a smirk. She reached for the doorknob giving it a twist before collapsing forward laughing. She sounded more than a little manic, looking like she belonged in a padded room.
"You good to go?" Dean asked nudging her with his foot.
"Holy Hell, dude." Athena pulled herself up on the door and threw her shoulders back working out a kink. "That one was a little off her rocker, eh?" Dean laughed.
"Not as much as you." she puffed up with false bravado.
"It is my greatest duty." Athena bowed, but he caught the wince.
"Go to the car, I'll be right out." he instructed turning to pick Jimmy up. Athena waited on him, walking at his side to the Chevy. Dean's phone rang as he was maneuvering the boy into the back seat.
"Ten bucks says it's them." Athena grinned.
"What, I'm not good enough for dinner?"
"Sorry, man, but I don't go for the short, bossy kind. They're a little tedious." Dean shook his head rounding the front of his baby as he answered his phone.
"Yellow."
"Hey, did we get her that time?" he smiled at the sound of Autumn's voice.
"No, she's just letting me say my good-byes before she offs me."
"Wow, gracious. I hope when I get offed my killer is as kind." There was an awkward pause as they remembered they weren't supposed to be very happy with each other. "How's Teenie, and Jr. Hunter?"
"No worse for the wear. Everyone okay on your end?"
"Emily is going to need a good shrink, but I think we're good. Meet back at the rooms?"
"Yea, on my way." he shoved the phone back in his pocket and dropped in behind the wheel.
Athena had a pretty bruise and couldn't keep anything down for a day. Jimmy told the hunters, when the other teens had been settled, that Mrs. Christy had intercepted him when he'd left the school. The boy insisted on being allowed to stay with Athena instead of going to school the next day, and she seemed to enjoy his company more than anyone else's. Autumn swore it was because she'd never see the kid again so who cares if he saw her throw up.
Emmett called the cops telling them he'd found Mr. Christy. While Robbie, had pulled together a story on his own but wouldn't fill the Winchesters or Daemons in on it. Promising only that if they got out of town and didn't look back that he'd see to it they weren't suspected. Emily was placed in the emergency custody of Chief Forman, when she told of her mother's involvement in Faith and her father's murders.
"Teenie, I'm out. I'll be back after a while, okay?" Autumn twisted her jean skirt straight and looked herself over in the mirror. She had decided that the only way to swallow her pride and make up with Dean was to stoop to a low she hadn't hit in a long time.
"Where you going?" Athena asked watching, the way a child used would watch their mother get ready for a night out.
"Don't worry about it." Autumn ruffled her sister's hair earning a glare and smack on the ass.
"Would you stop doing that! I'm not a four year old!" she protested.
"Bye, Squirt."
The local bar was having a karaoke night, which drew in more than its fair share of participants, as it was settled on the county boarder and the neighboring count was dry. Autumn entered, locking up her nerves and putting on her best show of confidence. She found a spot at the bar and ordered a tequila tell the bartended to leave the bottle. She threw back two shots before seeking out the sign-up sheet. The red head flipped through the binder of song choices trying to find a song that fit her mood.
Men and women climbed up on the stage singing their songs, and Autumn found herself looking for Simon, Paula, and Randy. The good ones were few and far between, she knew all the songs by heart though and sang along under her breath. A lanky man sat down on the barstool next to her and nodded at her empty shot glass.
"You're hittin' that awful hard. Bad day at the office?" he smiled politely, though the flash of pearly whites didn't distract from his eyes trailing over her body.
"Everyday I get out of my office alive is a good day." Autumn said. "I'm Autumn by the way."
"Pleased to meet you, I'm Bob." he grinned. "Go ahead. Laugh, Miss Autumn." She took his invitation laughing harder than she'd meant to. "Okay, it's not that funny."
"No. I'm sorry." she shook her head. "It's just… You've seen the commercials, haven't you?" he chuckled.
"Yea, they're a little hard to miss." he turned his attention to the stage. "So if it's not a bad day at work, what makes you drink your dinner?"
"I've got to apologize to a guy." Autumn found her foot tapping along to the beat of Margaritaville.
"Ah." Bob gave an exaggerated nod. "Whose the guy?"
"My partner." she didn't feel like divulging all the details of her relationship with Dean. Hell, she wasn't even sure what his title was.
"So you're a pig?"
"Tact isn't your best suit is it?"
"No, but I usually get by alright with my charming good looks." Autumn leaned back to take a good look at Bob. He was good looking, in the small town way. No movie star, but his dark hair, blue eyes, and bright smile weren't lost.
"No, I'm not with the police." she paused a moment. "Exactly."
"Exactly? So you do fight crime?"
"You could say that?"
"A crime fighter, and her partner are in Bushwood. Whose your arch nemesis?" he asked with amusement twinkling in his eyes.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The familiar spike in her heart rate made Autumn turn around. Dean was at the other end of the bar ordering a beer. She watched him take a seat in the back of the bar, settling down and watching her.
"That's rude, you know."
"Hmm?" she turned back to Bob.
"See, I'm trying to get your number here and your giving other guys the gaga eyes."
"Sorry, I know him from somewhere." she dismissed Dean, though she couldn't shake his eyes on the back of her head.
"So how 'bout it? Can I have your number?"
"Oh…" she shook her head. "Um"
"Next is Autumn Hyde with I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today." a balding man with a large belly said in a clear baritone into the mic. Autumn smiled again at Bob before sauntering up to the stage "Hi honey." he grinned. "What'd you think of Ole Chuck?" he asked referring to the man who had just exited the stage after singing Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy.
"If he's the cowboy, I'll keep my horse." She pulled her hair around over her shoulder trying to douse the butterflies in the pit of her stomach.
"You ever trade your horse of a cowboy?"
"Well, you're a nosey little fella." she chided. "But no, cowboys are all heart breakers." he chuckled.
"Ya look like quite the heart breaker yourself, hon."
"Better theirs than mine." Several people in the audience laughed, but that fact was lost to her as she scanned the room for Dean. He was standing at the back of the bar leaned against the wall, a table of women not far off were making eyes at him but he didn't seem to notice.
"How 'bout you sing for us?" the crowd clapped and he handed over the microphone.
"I don't feel like loving you today
So Don't you even try to change my mind
The best thing you can do right now is just go away
Cause I don't feel like loving you today
I don't want to talk about last night
I'm angry and I haven't had much sleep
And I'm so tired and bloodshot, there ain't no telling' what I'd say
Cause I don't feel like loving you today
But you know I will anyway
Even though we make it hard sometimes
I'll wind up forgiving you
And probably loving you for the rest of my life
But I don't feel like loving you today
And I've got sixteen hours left to go
I might tell you that I'm leavin' even though you know I'll stay
Cause I don't feel like loving you today
But you know I will anyway
Even though we make it hard sometimes
I'll wind up forgiving you
And probably loving you for the rest of my life
But I don't feel like loving you today
I just don't feel like loving you today."
Autumn sang the lyrics of I Don't Feel Like Loving You Todayfor all she was worth. Pouring more into the song than she thought she had. When the song ended and the music stopped the audience applauded but the sound fell on deaf ears. She needed to talk to Dean now, or she'd never do it.
"I feel I should probably tell you I'm taken." she said walking up to him. "You've been watching me all night, and it's not fair to the other women. I've got a great guy, already."
"Oh," he nodded catching on. "So where is Mr. Wonderful?" he asked.
"Probably out looking for me. We had a tiff and I've sort of been giving him the cold shoulder."
"What'd you fight about?" She shrugged showing it didn't matter now.
"As a joke I hid his car, God his car. You should see it. 1967 Chevy Impala. Beautiful, sleek, sexy ride. It's…" Autumn closed her eyes and sighed playing it up.
"Sounds like your in love with his car." he furrowed his brow watching her, waiting on the point of their new game.
"Car crush." she smirked. "But I've got a great car myself. '65 Mustang." he nodded.
"Nice. So, you hid his car and he did what in return?"
"Stole my dog, egged my car, let the air out of two of the tires, and detached the side mirrors. Nothing, I couldn't fix with a couple hours and some elbow grease, but it's the principle of the thing."
"Yea, I guess. I'm voting for you." he nodded at the stage.
"Thanks, it won't matter, though."
"Why's that?"
"See Erica there?" Autumn pointed at the woman on the stage now, brutally murdering a Shania Twain song. "She's really an Eric, and the owner's son. See the money from this will go to his sexual reassignment surgery."
"Damn." she nodded in agreement.
"Athena was right." Autumn said after a long pause. "There is an underlying psychological reason for what I did. After Billy-Jack I vowed never to fall for another guy. At the time someone like you was as likely as nailing Hugh Jackman. I was doing so good too, then I wake up the other day and there you are. I'd fallen head over heels just like I promised myself to never do. I freaked out a little and… Dean, every time you touch me I wonder when you're going to ask for more than I want to give. Every time you pick up a beer I'm afraid that you'll get plastered and hit me. I keep telling myself it'll never happen but it's hard. I was so young, and had no idea how things were supposed to work. My mind accepted what he did to me as what was supposed to happen."
"Aut," Dean brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. "Why didn't you say something?" Autumn chewed her lip looking away from the man she owed her sanity to. "God, I wish you would have said something."
"I was afraid." she admitted. He swallowed the last of his beer sitting down at the nearest table and pulled me to him. Autumn sat in his lap, leg on either side of him, arms wrapped around his neck so not to fall off.
"Aut, you should never be afraid of me." he coaxed. "I will never hurt you." Dean swore.
"I know, just be patient with me."
"I don't have anywhere else to be, babe."
"Good." a smirk teased at her lips. "Now, isn't there something we're supposed to do now that we've made up? You know to make it official." She claimed his lips for her own drawing him as close as she could
"Aren't you afraid?" he asked when they parted.
"If I say no will you beg?"
A/N: And we're done. I hope you all enjoyed, and as soon as I can I'll start the next fic. But I won't leave you all hanging, I've got a few oneshots lined up between now and the next fic, just in case it's a while before I can write. I mentioned it in some of my replies t o your reviews but for those of you who don't know: 5 years ago we put my grandpa in a nursing home with alzhieimers. He's been bad off since just before Thanksgiving and we're in the last few days of his life now. My mom's a nurse and we've all seen this coming medically for a long while now, so I'm not breaking down in tears or anything. I'm fine, and my family is taking it all really well, but that doesn't remove the parts where I'll need to spend time with them, and even if I can't keep my mind from doing a little writing, I don't know when I'll acutally have time to type it all up. So, be patient with me and I'll do what I can to get you another fic soon. I love you all, you're reviews seriously keep me alive. -Hugs to all-