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"What the hell?" Dean's eyes practically popped out of his head as he examined the orange cat sitting calmly at his feet. Given his experience with the supernatural, Dean felt it was a little ludicrous that he should be floored by a talking cat, but still, it was a talking cat.
"A-a familiar?" Sam stammered, eyebrows furrowed together. He vaguely recollected encountering a familiar before—two actually—a cat and a dog, and if he was remembering correctly, they also had human forms.
"Yes, a familiar, did I stutter?" Apollo said, arching his back and wrapping his tail neatly around himself as he sat down. "Although given your occupations, it surprises me that you're only now meeting one."
"And how the hell would you know anything about us?" Dean growled, fingering his gun. He felt his heart begin to race and his face grow hot, two things that were never a good sign. The mark on his arm gave off a burning sensation.
"You're hunters, are you not?" Apollo asked.
"How did you know that?" Sam asked, noticing Dean's sudden change in demeanor. No doubt being blindsided by the revelation that Addie was a witch and her cat talked had his blood boiling and his anger mounting.
"Yeah, Salem, how the hell did you know that?" Dean demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.
Apollo looked unintimidated, flicking an ear back, "Friends talk," he offered.
Addie, who had somehow managed to remain silent during the exchange, spoke up, "Will someone please tell me what's going on?" She looked at Apollo, "What's the big deal if they're hunters? Aren't FBI agents allowed to have hobbies?"
Sam and Dean exchanged a long glance. With frustration, Dean rolled his eyes and nodded to Sam. They might as well tell her the truth.
"My brother and I, we hunt monsters," Sam began, "you know, like ghosts and vampires, werewolves even."
"The occasional witch," Dean growled, his voice deadly. Addie's face turned a deep shade of crimson within a second. She felt like the room was suddenly too small for the three of them, plus Apollo. "How long have you been doing magic there, Sabrina?"
"Dean…" Sam began.
"What Sam? I think we have a right to know. This could be a set up. For all we know, she's going to call her little coven friends and bake us into a pie!"
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Apollo said, tucking his paws under his body as he sat down. "Addie's not part of a coven. Her family was banished from the coven generations ago."
"And I definitely don't eat people," Addie said, her eyes narrow, glaring at Dean. "Besides, I'm terrible at magic. I can do a few things here and there, but overall my skills are what you would call below par." Her cheeks burned pink again. This wasn't something she wanted to be talking about.
"So, you're Glinda the Good Witch then?" Dean asked, eyebrow raised. Addie said and did nothing. There was a long silence before Dean spoke again, "I'm not buying it. Come on, Sam, let's get out of here."
"You're leaving?" Addie said, her voice tinged with disbelief. "But…I thought you were going to help me!"
"Listen, kid, we help people. Humans. Not monsters. I hate to break it to you, but you fall into that last category."
"I'm not a monster," Addie said, tears beginning to sting at the corner of her eyes, barely able to get the word across her lips. She had been humiliated before, but never to this extent.
"Dean, I think you're being a little unreasonable," Sam murmured to his older brother, his back to Addie. "She hasn't done anything to hurt us."
"Yet, Sam, she hasn't done anything yet," Dean countered.
He raised his gun again and pulled back the hammer, aiming directly at Addie's forehead. He watched her face drain of color and her eyes sparkle with fear. There was something so…invigorating about that look. The knowledge that in that moment, he held her entire life in his hands. Dean's heart began to beat loudly and he heard Sam call his name, but it was muffled and sounded very far away. The Mark seared white hot on his skin beneath his shirt.
"Consider this a warning," Dean said, lowering the gun, "but let it be known that if we catch even the slightest hint that you're using magic, I will come back and I will shoot you." Dean holstered his gun once again, turned, and left the house.
Sam looked desperately from the door to Addie, who had sunk to the ground and was visibly shaking from head to toe. "I'm sorry," was all he could think of, as he too turned and left the house.