AN: So many apologies for the delay. I'm running out of steam though. But not to worry, I promise I'll get this out. Here's another chapter. I want to thank everyone who's reading, and a huge virtual hug to everyone reviewing. Toodles, AT.
LorGilFan: got your message about the link to the story on your page. Thanks for that, I have gone to check it out.
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"You're a natural at this" Dean said "Do it one more time"
Isabel looked at her older cousin and smiled proudly as she returned her attention to the revolver in her hands and aimed again at the empty beer can, balancing on the wooden fence of the abandoned farm fifty feet away. She pulled the trigger and a second later the aluminum vessel went flying off as the bullet knocked it off its perch. The gunshot boomed around the open space but there was no one nearby apart from them to hear it.
"Wow" She said "Even I'm surprised with myself"
"Yeah" He said with a nod as he took her gun and loaded the barrel with more bullets "You're good"
"Is that it then?" She asked finally "Can we head back now?"
They'd spent the entire day together. From early in the morning, Sam had sat down with her and described to her every aspect and use of the items in her 'birthday box'. How to draw specific symbols with chalk and salt around the house if she ever needed sanctuary. How to use the oils and pendant to create a protective environment. How to identify and ward off demons through the use of the holy water and other religious artifacts.
Then her cousins showed her some self-defense moves. They sparred in Missouri's backyard, and she could occasionally hear the older psychic's laughter through the kitchen window whenever Isabel either lost concentration or miscalculated a move, and ultimately ended up falling flat on her ass. This would be followed by Sam patiently asking her if she was alright, whilst Dean would either laugh along with Missouri at her loss of balance or sometimes get mad and yell for her to concentrate harder.
"Isabel, why didn't you block my kick?" He frowned down at her, after having missed her cue to block him and ending up sprawled face down on the ground "Focus, will you?"
"I can't Dean!" She protested as she struggled to get up again, clutching her left side where his kick had landed "I'm tired, and I'm hurt, and I don't want to do this anymore!"
"You need some basic fighting skills" Sam continued in a gentler tone as he grabbed her arm and helped to pull her up "You're doing well"
"Can we please finish?" She asked.
"No" Dean said again taking his fighting stance "Now, I'm going to come at you again and I want you to concentrate this time"
She sighed but before she had a chance to protest to Sam, Dean had already started coming at her. She blocked his first kick successfully, and even managed to duck one of his punches and land one of her own. The second punch he swatted off easily and fluidly, catching her wrist in his hand and jerking her body forward. Caught by surprise, instead of using one of the moves he'd shown her, she merely struggled, trying to pull her arm away but it was too late to do anything about his leg swinging around to swipe hers from behind. Before she knew it, she felt her centre of gravity shift and the ground come up to meet her, and too late she realized she was falling, yet again. She fell unceremoniously to the muddy lawn, and let out a groan and a puff, as the air was literally knocked out of her lungs. Dean had half caught her, breaking her momentum as she fell, but not completely. She felt him move behind her and a moment later his weight on her disappeared.
He let go of her wrist and stood up, freeing her body and allowing her to move. She used both her hands to turn onto her back, but remained on the ground, staring at her older cousin with fuming eyes, as she panted to catch her breath.
"You're not concentrating" He said calmly.
"This would be really funny if it wasn't happening to me" She said aloud to herself
"How many times have I told you to use your legs?" He asked her "Don't let me take you down! Let's go again!"
She shook her head and let her head fall back on the ground "No" She said "I've had enough"
"No, you haven't Isabel" He barked at her "Again. Get up!"
"No" She whined and turned to Sam "Sam, please, make him stop"
"Maybe we should take a break" Sam said, again pulling her up "You OK?"
"A break?" Dean asked "Is that what you're going to say to the bad guy? Can we take a break?"
"Dean, she doesn't want to do this anymore" Sam said turning to his brother "She's had enough. Don't make her do this"
"We've still got to show you how to shoot that gun" Dean pressed on.
"Yes, and I can see why you left that for last" Isabel said narrowing her eyes at him "You know, I have the strongest urge to shoot you right now"
"You need more practice" Dean insisted, though his voice had also taken a tone of pleading "You're not ready for a fight"
"Did you really think you could turn me into Xena in one day?" She asked "Dean, just deal with the fact I'm a five-foot-two, hundred-pound girl who doesn't have a knack for hand-to-hand combat, OK? Seriously, if anything comes after me I'll have a better chance outrunning it, or shooting it"
"It still pays to learn some moves" He continued.
"I don't want to do this anymore. I hate this!" She said tiredly "I'm tired and sore and for some reason I feel like I'm about to cry. Can we please stop?"
He sighed and took a deep breath "Fine" He said "We'll take a break, have lunch, then we'll take up target practice"
"I feel like I'm in boot camp" She said, gingerly walking back into the house.
Sam and Dean had agreed with her. If anything or anyone ever came after Isabel, her options were outrunning it, hiding from it or shooting at it. Together with Missouri and Isabel's birthday present, their cousin could potentially hide and not be found, at least not immediately. This plan of action depended on them getting some sort of warning though, and that's were Missouri's and Sam's gifts came in.
Her second option would be running. Isabel was an excellent runner. She still went on her daily runs in the morning. Earlier that morning she'd taken Sam with her on her morning run, as her younger cousin was the only other person awake at eight 'o' clock in the morning on a Sunday. Even Sam hadn't been able to keep up with her. She may not be a fighter, but she was at least fit. Of course, running away was a particularly poor defensive move, and a very temporary one at that.
That's where the shooting came in. Sam and Dean held their breath, hoping that Isabel had, at least, a talent for that. Luckily she did. One hour into their target practice session and she was a pro. Dean smiled smugly as Isabel shot every beer can off the fence.
"She got that from me" He'd said arrogantly to Sam as they walked back to the car.
Isabel was in better spirits now. Even though she didn't like the idea of guns or shooting anyone or anything, it was comforting to know that this was something she didn't suck at. But, although she'd enjoyed shooting beer cans in an abandoned farm, she didn't know if she'd be able to pull this off in a real situation.
Paul came around to Missouri's later in the afternoon and helped her cousins move her stuff. She merely watched as the boys piled clothes, shoes, books and other sundries into boxes for her. It didn't take long for her stuff to be piled into both cars and before she knew it she was ready to go. She gave Missouri and emotional hug, both women choking up before realizing they were going to be living fifteen minutes away from each other anyway.
"I'll see you on Tuesday?" Missouri asked her. They'd agreed Isabel would have dinner with Missouri on Tuesday nights. Missouri would also be making regular trips to Paul and Isabel's house to make sure everything was in order.
"Sure" Isabel said with a sniff "Thank you so much for everything Missouri. And thank you for my party last night"
The drive to Paul and Isabel's house had in fact taken just under fifteen minutes, and then it took an extra hour for them to unload the cars and move Isabel's stuff in. Paul took them around the house. It was small but very pretty and new. Three bedrooms, a large kitchen and dining area, a living room with a large TV that Dean eyed longingly, and two bathrooms. It was a small house, Sam thought, but too big for just two people. He watched Paul closely with his cousin and Sam came to the conclusion that Paul was thinking ahead here. He was thinking marriage and he was thinking kids, hence the extra two bedrooms.
He hadn't been the only one last night who'd thought Paul's present would turn out to be an engagement ring. Interestingly, Isabel's reaction when she'd pulled out the key to the house out of the gift box instead of a diamond ring had been a mixture of relief and disappointment
"I honestly thought there'd be a ring in that box!" She said the night before as she sat with her cousins in Missouri's living room after all the guests had left "I had to remind myself to breathe"
"You've only been together for five months Bel" Dean said, unable and unwilling to accept that his cousin would be settling down any time soon. With a guy they didn't really know.
"Dean, when you know, you know" She said with a smile towards Sam.
Dean watched as Sam and Isabel shared a look, like they were part of a little secret. Of course, thought Dean, Jessica. Isabel had always been more like Dean than Sam; in fact the two were more alike than Dean even wanted to admit. But now, it was changing. Sam and Isabel had found some common ground, a mutual bond that Dean couldn't be a part of or understand. They had both found the love of their lives. Sam had lost his, but he still believed Jessica was and always would be 'the one'. For the first time since the three were together, Dean felt a little left out.
He thought about it as Paul an Isabel showed them around the house, watching as Sam smiled at his cousin and her boyfriend, joking and acting like they were already one big happy family. Dean rolled his eyes and followed the three around as they headed back to the living room.
They were tired after all of that, and agreed that Isabel would unpack the next day. Paul watched in amusement as the three collapsed on the couch, looking drained.
"You guys staying the night?" Paul asked looking from Dean to Sam.
"No" Dean said
"Yes" Said Sam looking at Isabel "If that's alright. We can leave in the morning"
"There's a spare room with two beds" Paul said "Get a good night's rest and then you can head off tomorrow"
Dean closed his eyes as he rested his head back on the couch, inwardly slapping Sam in the back of the head. He'd wanted to head out that night. Well, he didn't really want to, he just felt it would be easier. He was starting to feel comfortable, too comfortable. Being back home, seeing Isabel, just taking a breather from the road; it was nice. The problem was, the longer he stayed there the harder it would be to leave.
"We can leave after breakfast" Sam said as they lay down on their beds later that night.
Dean didn't argue, he just nodded at his brother and turned on his side. The last thought through his mind was a sense of gratitude that he was so tired and would sleep so soundly, he would not be hearing anything coming from the next room where his cousin and her boyfriend were.
As usual he was the last one to wake up the next day. He made his way through the house, following the sound of chatter and the smell of food. He walked into the kitchen finding Sam and Paul at the table while Isabel stood by the stove.
"Good morning sunshine" She said cheerily "Scrambled eggs?"
"Yeah" He mumbled as he sat down at the table next to his brother. Paul reached across the table and poured him a cup of coffee "Thanks"
"Did you sleep OK?" Paul asked him.
"Like the dead" Dean admitted.
"Well, I better get going, or I'll be late for work" Paul stood up and walked over to Isabel, kissing her lightly on the cheek "I'll see you tonight"
"Sure" She said kissing him back "Love you"
"Love you too" He said letting her get back to the eggs and turning to Sam and Dean "Well guys, in case you're gone by the time I get back, it was a pleasure to meet you. Please come back again soon, you're always welcome"
"Thanks Paul" Sam said, touched by Paul's warmth and friendliness "We'll see you soon"
The three shook hands and Paul left, leaving Sam, Dean and Isabel to their breakfast.
"You have to go to work too?" Dean asked as he wolfed down the contents of his plate.
"Not until 1pm" She said picking at her own plate "Are you going to head off straight away?"
They didn't get a chance to answer her as a pounding on the front door startled them.
"Bet you Paul forgot something" Isabel said standing up "You know for someone with a PhD he can be a real scatterbrain sometimes"
But it wasn't Paul. It was Missouri standing on her doorstep with a distraught looking woman by her side. She looked to be about fifty, with graying hair and a frail figure, looking all the more frail by standing next to Missouri's robust form.
"Missouri?" She asked "Something wrong?"
"Can we come in?" Missouri asked, foregoing all formalities and greetings "Are Sam and Dean still here?'
Isabel thought it was a strange question. Their car was, after all, parked in the drive way, in plain view. But she could tell something was troubling the psychic. She moved aside and gestured for the women to walk in.
"We're having breakfast" She said "what happened?"
She followed as Missouri and the woman stepped in and Sam and Dean appeared in the living room, having heard their conversation at the door. The five people looked at each other awkwardly before Missouri finally spoke.
"Thank God you're still around" Missouri said "I think we have a situation"
"What kind of situation?" Dean asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Your kind of situation" She said and turned to the woman who had been standing silently beside her "This is Betty, one of my clients. Something's happened to her husband"
Dean looked at Missouri blankly "Yeah…like what?" He asked slowly.
"My husband Al, went to bed on Friday night and never woke up" Betty said anxiously, her voice shaking with emotion.
"He…died in his sleep?" Dean asked, unsure how to make the question sound any less insensitive.
"No, he's alive" She continued "He's just sleeping. The doctors don't know what's wrong. He just won't wake up"
"A lot of people can suffer strokes in their sleep" Sam said gently "Sometimes…"
"He didn't suffer a stroke" The woman cut in irritated "The MRIs, the CT scans, his EEG, it's all normal. He's not brain dead, he's not in a coma, and he's not awake. He's just sleeping"
Sam turned to Missouri now "What exactly do you want us to do?"
"Al isn't the only case at the hospital like this" Missouri explained "There's another two just like him. The doctors can't wake them up; all in the last week. It just sounds a little strange. I thought maybe you could check it out"
"Check what out?" Dean asked.
"I just went by Betty's house and I sensed something strange" Missouri said "There wasn't a presence there, but I could sense an energy. Could you please check it out? I'll be going with Betty to the hospital now to take a look at Al"
"No problem" Isabel said, placing a comforting hand on Betty's shoulder "We'll take a look at it and let you know if there's anything…odd"
The woman looked at her gratefully and smiled "Thank you dear"
Missouri and Betty left soon after and Isabel turned to her cousins. Dean was watching her with a smirk on his face.
"We?" He asked her "We'll take a look at it?"
"That's right" She said "I have the morning off and you guys have nothing else to do but leave town today. It won't take long and it'll give us a little more time together"
"Suddenly all this supernatural demon hunting sounds appealing to you, does it?" Dean asked sarcastically.
"It's most likely nothing" Isabel said "He probably has a tumor, or took the wrong medication or there's a virus going around or something. I'm sure there's a medical explanation for it"
"What if there isn't?" Dean asked "Maybe there's a supernatural explanation for it"
"Well, that's what we're going to check out, right?" She said.