Chapter 11:

You Can't Handle The Truth...Maybe You Can

Part 2

When I woke up, I was alone. This knowledge disappointed me. I frowned deeply into my pillow and pushed myself up. Then I heard the shower running and smiled. I felt slightly stupid. Dean probably went out for food and Sam was in the shower. A smile crept over my face as a light bulb metaphorically went off above my head. I crept to the door and opened it inches at a time. Slowly I squeezed my body through the gap and quietly closed the door. Quickly stripping, I decided that I needed a shower and Sam was going to share. It didn't have to be anything intimate, but I figured I would show him that there is no need to be timid around me. I no sooner pulled back the curtain to get in than I saw Dean in all his nakedness standing in front of me, water dripping down his body. He just smiled and waved. I screamed and threw back the curtain.

"FRATZ! Oh, I am so very sorry, Dean. I thought Sam was in the shower." I had covered my hand over my eyes and backed into the door with a hard thud. I blindly grabbed my cloths and put them on as quickly as I could and bolted out of the door. I ran right into Sam. He was dressed as a F.B.I. agent again.

"What were you doing in the bathroom? Dean is taking a shower." He asked me a little confused.

"Before I pulled back the curtain, I thought you were the one taking a shower." I shook the image from my body. "Gross. Dean saw my lady-junk." I complained.

"He saw your what?" He asked starting to get angry.

I hugged my body and wrinkled my nose. "I was going to surprise you, but I was the one that got surprise. I wanted you to see me naked, not Dean."

Sam didn't say anything for a while. It was making me nervous. When Dean got out of the shower dressed for the job, the tension hung in the air...or maybe I was just being paranoid. I thought I saw Sam eyeing Dean, but Dean acted oblivious. He picked up a beer and took a swig from it, then picked up his phone and fiddled with it for a while. After what seemed like forever Sam spoke.

"There was another one." He told Dean. Walking away from me on the other side of the room.

Dean looked at his little brother. "Yeah? What?"

"Dentist drilled a guy to death." He explained running a hand through his hair.

Dean chuckled and then stopped. "You mean the...non-sexy kind of drilling, right?"

Sam looked at me for a moment then back to Dean. "You'd like that wouldn't you Dean?"

"I swear, Sam...I didn't look." Dean explained. He smiled at me. "At least not much." He winked at Sam.

"It's not a big deal. It was an accident." I added.

"Why are you guys acting like I'm upset about it? It's not like you're my girlfriend, Nikki." Sam looked from me to Dean.

"Cause you're acting like a little bitch about it, that's why." Dean threw his hand up in the air.

"Let's just get back to the case." Sam sat down on one of the beds. "50 bucks says he's mixed up in all the crazy."

"You think?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. Let's go talk to him." Sam suggested.

"Can I go too?" I asked very nicely.

The guys looked at each other. I put my lip out and pouted. "Please?"

"No, you can stay and do research." Dean told me. "We got to know what we're up against, right?"

"I need to get out of this room for a while." I told them. They ignored me.

Sam and Dean grabbed their things and walked towards the door. Dean was the first one out. Sam turned back and looked at me. "You're not mad are you?" I asked him quietly.

"No. I understand that it was an accident...it's just that I wouldn't blame you if it wasn't." With that he left.

A soft sob escaped past my lips. I smacked my hand over my mouth. I didn't want anyone to hear me cry. It took a while for me to calm down, but when I did, I decided that maybe if I figured out the case, tension would ease up. I rubbed my hands across my face and decided to get hard-core into research mode. I re-read the article on Jane Patterson again and again. Her name stuck with me, but I couldn't remember where I knew it from. Jane. Jane. Jane. I closed my eyes and concentrated.

"I pity you." I heard the voice far away and I kept concentrating, trying to remember.

I saw Jane in my mind. She was pretty. "I'm sorry?" The cook looked at her.

"You're sad and pathetic, and I pity you - only reason I'm giving you a head's up. Stay away form the clam chowder. I flavored it with my own... seasoning."

"Veritas!" I yelled. Now I remembered! Grabbing my phone, my first thought was to call Sam, but then I realized that I didn't have his number. I mentally cursed and tried to think where they would be at. There was the morgue or the dentist's office. I didn't know the layout of the town very well so I just started walking. After walking around for what seemed like an hour, I decided to sit down and rest. I didn't know what to do so I called in reinforcements.

"Cas? I know that you are very busy fighting the war, but there is a situation down here that might need your attention, please." I heard a flutter of wings. Castiel was sitting on the bench next to me.

"Why are you frustrated?" He asked me.

"Long story...anyways" I took a deep breath worried that he would say no. "I need dog's blood, but I don't want to kill the dog. Can you pretty please help me?" He disappeared for a moment and was back in a flash.

"It is done. I left it in the hotel room. Would you like to be taken there?" He asked me.

"No, but you can walk back with me if you want. I was going to find the guys to tell them what I know about the case, but I don't have their numbers or anything." I explained. I looked to my left to smile at him, but he was already gone. About ten minutes later, Sam and Dean pull up next to me. I stuck my thumb out trying to be funny. From the looks of it, it was anything but.

"Why aren't you in the hotel room?" Sam asked worried.

"You guys have to stop worrying. What part of I'm protected did you forget?"

"Just get in!" Dean barked. I obeyed.

Once I was seated Dean gunned it. "Hey!" I grabbed the back of the seat. "Slow down speedy."

"You have to be careful Nikki. You can't just go walking around town." He told me.

"Calm the f down, Dean. No need to yell at me. Especially since I know what is going on and who the bad guy is." Dean pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and parked the car.

"You should have led with that." Sam said. They stole a glance at each other.

"How the hell was I suppose to let you know when you two bone heads haven't bothered to give your number's to me?" I poked Sam in the back with my finger. "Huh? Riddle me that captain!" I huffed. Why was everyone in such a poop mood? Yesterday I felt like I was on top of the world. I had my first real kiss with Sam, Dean was being sweet to me. Who would have thought that my accidental bathroom fiasco would cause all this...if it was the cause of all this. I didn't know the truth about it.

Once inside, I turned on the TV and found the news that had the Veritas, also known as Ashley Frank. "This," I pointed to the pretty woman on-screen. "This is your bad guy." I explained.

Both boys shook their heads. "I can't believe Cas pulled us off the case for this." Dean sighed. He looked disappointed.

"What you don't believe me?" I asked exasperated.

"Look, it's just that we've done it a long time and there are things that you must do, like investigate and research before-" Sam was explaining, but I cut him off.

"I'll prove it to you. That bitch is Veritas, Goddess of Truth." I sucked in a deep breath wishing that I didn't have to do what I was about to do. "I wish" I started looking at the screen where the Veritas was smiling. "That everyone would tell me the truth." I squeezed my eyes shut, waited a moment before opening one eye. The boys were waiting patiently.

"Okay. Dean. What do you think of me?" I asked him to test it out.

He looked at Sam and shifted from foot to foot. "Right now, I think you are a pain in the ass." He started. "We were out there doing good work, getting things accomplished, just to get called in by Cas because you "think" you solved the case? I don't think so."

My eyes watered up. "I did solve the case. I have seen it." Dean turned away.

"Yeah like six years ago." Dean reminded me.

"He's right, Nikki. This is serious. You need to stay out of it. Play on your guitar, make pies, whatever, just don't get in our way. We have people to save." Sam told me.

A tear slid down my cheek. I brushed it away. "Fine! Fine!" I shoved the dogs blood in Sam's hands. "This is the only way to kill the bitch...dog's blood. Dip a knife in it and stab her in the heart." I looked at Dean. "It isn't Gabriel's horn of truth...I'm telling you its Veritas. She is taking tributes."

"I don't understand why it didn't work on me. Why didn't it work?" I asked myself out loud. I walked to the bathroom completely ignoring the boys talking to me. I locked the door behind me and crawled in the tub and shut the curtain. The tears started to flow.

"God, hi. I'm trying so hard to do what you asked of me, but I need the strength to do it. I feel stupid and useless. How can I heal those two when I'm broken myself? I should have known. Nobody has ever really cared for me. Well besides you that is." I started crying really hard and I heard the door open. Damn them for their lock picking abilities.

"Nikki?" I heard Sam's voice.

"Leave her alone! You have made her upset. I can feel her emotions now." It sounded like Castiel. He sounded mad. I peeked behind the curtain.

"Since when?" Dean scoffed.

"When I reached into her memories to see what she wanted me to see. She has more juice than I have ever seen and my powers overcharged her causing her blindness. You do remember this, yes? I am now connected to her. I am to be her guardian." Castiel was acting like I was feeling. That was strange.

"That is what we are trying to do. Cas, move out-of-the-way, we are trying to apologize." Dean was annoyed.

Sam took a step forward. "The only reason I have done nothing to chasten you is because it would greatly upset her. She is special. Why did you not believe her about the creature?" Castiel asked Dean.

"Based on what? That she's God's favorite person or something?" Dean shot at him.

"Obviously the Veritas' powers do not work on her. She's marked." Castiel explained.

"So what, she's right? Is that the truth Nikki? I just want to know the truth." Dean said getting defensive.

"Of course it's the truth. This was suppose to be the episode where you found out some harsh truths from Lisa and learned that something was wrong with Sam." I said behind the shower curtain.

"What's wrong with me?" Sam asked.

"This was before. I changed it. No worries." I reassured him.

"Sam?" Dean asked "What do you think?"

"I think a lot of things Dean." He began. "For starters, I think that it bothers me that you have seen Nikki naked and I haven't" He smacked his hand over his mouth. "Dean I didn't mean to say that, I'm sorry."

Castiel patted him on the back. "Nikki really wants to say she told you so, but for some reason she is holding back."

"Castiel?" I hollered at him.

"Do not be embarrassed, Nikki. You were right. They were wrong." He pulled the curtain back to show a very puffy eyed me hugging my knees inside the bath tub. "You need to go with them. You can help distract the Veritas because her power does not work on you."

"Okay." I said meekly grabbing his hand for support to get out. For a crappy hotel, the tub is surprisingly deep.

"I don't think Nikki should go." Sam pipped up.

"Why?" Dean asked. "You heard Cas, she can help." Dean turned and stood next to me and Castiel.

"I don't want to risk something getting her. I don't know if I could handle it. She would distract me." He blurted.

I smiled a little. "I thought you guys were haters earlier." Sam stepped closer to me and put his arms around me. "Please don't worry. I've got God on my side. Literally." I explained pulling my shirt down to show off my child hand print.

"I'm not going to." Sam sighed.

"Let's get this done, I have work to do." Castiel told us. One minute we were in the bathroom, the next we were outside a very big, very nice house. Sam had a knife in his hand and I had the jar of dog's blood in mine. I handed it to Dean and threw up.

"Cas, I get sick every time you do that." I spit once I was done, but of course he was gone. "He left again didn't he?" I asked.

"Yup. Now let's go." Dean said. Dean's phone chose that moment to ring.

"You need to take that Dean." I told him. He wondered off a few feet and then answered it.

Sam and I stayed quiet, watching. We could hear Dean.

"Hey." He paused. "Yeah, it's been crazy." Dean sighed. "Lisa, I'm sorry, but this is actually the worse time in the universe to talk. C-can we do this later?" I took Sam's arm and guided him away from earshot.

"We don't need to know what his heart sounds like when it's breaking Sam" I kicked a rock with my foot. After a few minutes. Dean joins us with an upset look on his face.

"I need a drink. Let's go kill this bitch and leave." He huffed pulling a big knife from his jacket and dipping it in dog blood. Sam did the same with his. I just held the jar.

We noticed a convertible in the drive and Ashley Franks walked into the house.

"Alright, let's do this." Dean charged forward without making much noise. Sam and I followed.

"This house isn't as creepy as I thought it would be." Sam noted.

A cat walked around the room. "We have to follow it." I told them and we slowly made our way downstairs. We came across a mosaic for Veritas. We kept after the cat. I had jumped on a gurney in a different room and was licking up blood from a dead body.

"Bad kitty." I shooed it of the body.

"You came for dinner!" The Veritas announced making herself known. She waved her hands and Sam and Dean went flying. She saw that I hadn't moved and she waved her hands again.

"What are you?" She asked me very frustrated. I unscrewed the lid of the jar with the dog's blood.

"Honestly honey, I don't really care." I retorted and dipped my hand in the blood. She was looking nervous and hissed at me when she realized what was all over my hand. My hand was saturated with dog blood and when it came in contact with her face she fell to the flood and screamed. Dean and Sam used this time to get to their feet.

"Nikki!" Sam yelled. He tossed me the knife and I plunged it into her heart. "I'm sorry" I told her. I didn't like the thought of killing anything, but I did what had to be done.

"At least you tell the truth." With that she died. I pulled the knife out and handed it back to Sam.

"Let's get the hell out of here." Dean sighed.

"Uh, Dean. Cas brought us here remember?" Sam reminded him.

"Let's just get out of this house." I urged.

The three of us walked out of the house and saw the Impala in the drive. There was a note on the window. It was from Cas.

"Didn't want Nikki to walk." Dean crumpled the paper.

"Don't be jealous Dean." Sam told him after we were in the Impala. "He is still your friend. He's just connected to her is all."

"I'm not jealous. He could have hurt my baby!" Dean rubbed the dash carefully.

I just sat in the back seat and smiled. I had finally done something to help.