Moving to the edge of the camp, just out of earshot of those gathered around the fire, Dean sat on the fallen log next to Sam, giving his brother a penetrating look.
"You wanna tell me what's goin' on in that freaky head a yours?" Breaking the silence, he finally asked the question that had been spinning in his own brain.
Shaking his head, Sam didn't look up, his attention on the twig he was twirling in his fingers, "Dean…"
"No, you're not fine." Cutting him off before he could say exactly that, Dean insisted on pushing the issue, "You're like a powder keg, man. It's not like you. I'm supposed to be the belligerent one, remember?"
"Dad's not here." Sam answered after a long silence, forcing himself to speak, "I mean, that much we know for sure, right? He would have left us a message. A sign. Right?"
"Yeah, you're probably right." Reluctantly Dean agreed before falling quiet, the family resemblance coming to the fore as they each sat mirroring each other, "To tell you the truth, I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek."
"Then let's get these people back to town and let's hit the road. Go find Dad." Snapping the twig easy between his fingertips, he couldn't quite keep the frustration out of his voice, "I mean, why are we even still here?"
Taking a deep breath, Dean got up and moved to crouch in front of his younger brother, forcing Sam to look him in the eye. Taking John's journal out of the hidden pocket in his leather jacket, he balanced it on the palm of his left hand, placing his right atop it like he was swearing on the bible.
"This right here. This is why...this book. This is Dad's single most valuable possession. Everything he knows about every evil thing is in here and he's passed it on to us." Shifting, he took a quick look over at the group gathered around the fire, silently including Skye in that 'us', though he hadn't made a conscious decision to do so, "I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people. Hunting things. The family business."
"That...that makes no sense. Why? Why doesn't he just call us?" Shaking his hair out of his eyes, Sam ran a hand over his tired eyes, "Why doesn't he tell us what he wants, tell us where he is?"
"I don't know." He didn't have an answer for that. John never explained his reasoning about anything to anyone, certainly not his boys. Maybe especially not his boys, "The way I see it, Dad's given us a job and I intend to do it."
"Dean...no. I have to find Dad. I have to find Jessica's killer." Meeting Dean's eyes for a moment, he forced the words out a throat gone tight before looking down at his hands, "It's the only thing I can think about."
"Okay, alright." Making Sam look at him, Dean reassured him, "Sam, we'll find them, I promise. Listen to me, you've gotta prepare yourself. I mean, this search could take awhile and all that anger? You can't keep it burnin' over the long haul, it's gonna kill you. You gotta have patience, man."
Hypocrite. Not like he was the most patient person on the planet but hey, if it made Sam feel better…
"How does Dad do it?" Examining his hands as if they held the answer, Sam chuckled without a trace of humor before looking back up at his brother, "How do you do it?"
"Well, for one, them." He inclined his head toward the group sitting around the fire, a smile crossing his lips as he watched Skye make Hailey and Ben laugh about something or other, "I figure our family's so screwed to hell, maybe we can help some others. It makes things a little more bearable. And I'll tell you what else helps...killin' as many evil sons a bitches as I possibly can."
Leaning with his arms on his knees, Sam watched the group illuminated by the firelight. "...you know you're dragging her into all this. You're adding her into the 'family business'. Are you okay with that? Does she know what she's getting into?"
Sam had to wonder exactly how Dean felt about the girl. He didn't really think it was just a physical attraction but was it a crush? Something more? It had only been a couple of weeks but it wasn't like weirder things didn't happen on a regular basis. Hell, a little love would be downright healthy.
"Dude, trust me when I tell you our family is the fuckin' Waltons compared to what she's comin' from. We're a step up for a change." Getting up from where he'd been crouching on his heels, Dean moved over to sit on the log next to his brother, eyes on the slim brunette in that ridiculous denim jacket, a look on his face that Sam had never seen before, "She might have had a couple of biological 'parents' but the girl has never had family. She's never even had somebody she could call a friend."
Lapsing into silence for a minute, Dean shook his head before meeting his brother's eyes, dead serious, "If her mother was still alive, I'd shoot the bitch in the face."
"What...what exactly did you guys talk about last night?" It had been bothering him all day. Well, bother wasn't quite the right word, but it had definitely been weighing on his mind, "Your whole dynamic has just shifted. Literally overnight. Even your insults aren't insulting anymore."
"I can't tell you what we talked about. It's not my place to say. Ask her sometime." Running a hand through his hair before spreading his hands in a 'fuck if I know' gesture, "Man, I know it's only been like, what, seventeen days? Something like that but it feels like a lot longer. I don't know I just-I like her, Sam."
Holding up a hand to ward off the question he knew Sam was opening his mouth to ask, he chuckled, "No, I don't know how much. I mean, a lot, but...I have no fuckin' clue how this is gonna go but... I mean, to go through what she's gone through...The fact that she's up walkin' and talkin' is damn near amazing and she's out here laughing and smiling and trying to take care of people, still tryin' to see the good in people and that's-that's ...special."
Dropping his head into his hands, he snapped his mouth closed before he could ramble on, knowing how stupid he must sound right now. He'd just never been too good with words, that was Sam's thing.
"Okay, I get it." More or less. Sam leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, a smile playing around his lips, "You know, she'll kill me if she ever finds out I told you this but...she feels the same way."
"Seriously?" Pulling his hands away, Dean looked up at him, "She told you that? Because, dude, if you're fuckin' with me, the Wendigo will be the least of your worries."
"Seriously." Laughing, Sam nudged Dean with a knee, "Even if she hadn't said anything, it's so obvious Helen Keller could see it. Christ, Dean, I don't think I've ever seen you nervous over a girl before."
"Then why is she givin' me such a hard time?" Besides the fact that he was doing the same to her? Dean, Captain Oblivious.
"If you ever tell her I told you any of this, I will personally make sure you never eat another cheeseburger in your life." Lowering his voice to make doubly sure there was no way anyone would overhear, Sam tried to explain her reasoning, "She says she's afraid to start anything because, and I quote, 'has Dean ever had a relationship that lasted longer than it took to buy the condoms?' "
Dean made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, "Well, she's not wrong."
"Yeah well, she's never had any kind of a relationship at all and she's ...concerned...that once your 'curiosity' is satisfied, again her words not mine, that you'll lose interest which could turn ugly considering you guys are still stuck with each other unless and until the whole curse thing is resolved. Which, Bobby says you have to die for that so…"
"So…" Sitting very still for a moment, processing everything Sam had divulged, Dean bit his lip before speaking again, "What the hell do I do, Sammy?"
"Do you want an actual relationship?" Studying his brother for a long moment, Sam wondered if he knew what he was getting into, "Not just no-strings-attached one-nights-stands?"
"I think so, yeah."
"Well, you better be damn sure because if you hurt her, I will shoot you." It's a toss-up on whether Sam was exaggerating or not, "I like her, she's kind of like a little sister and it's nice being the older brother for a change. She's a good kid and she doesn't deserve to be jerked around."
"Okay, but Sammy." He had no intention of jerking Skye around, more serious about this than he was letting on.A one-night stand he could handle, even a whole weekend, but he legitimately had no idea how to go about anything more serious than that. Hell, it was rare that he'd even made a point to remember a girl's name come morning. It had never mattered, he knew he'd never see any of them again and that had been just fine with him, "What do I do?"
"Take it easy. Go slow. This is an 'actions speak louder than words' situation." Leaning back, Sam tried hard not to smirk. He'd never figured he'd be giving his older brother relationship advice. Dean had never had a hard time finding female company but it was becoming apparent the man was clueless about anything beyond that. And it was hilarious. Clasping his hands together, he caught Dean's eye, trying to drive his point him. "Prove to her that her worries are unfounded. That you care. ...If you're serious about the girl that, I have to point out one more time, you've known for a whole two weeks."
"...shut up, Sammy."
Any further revelations or chick flick moments were rather rudely interrupted by a cry for help that throbbed in the still night air that hung thick around the camp. All six occupants of their little group got to their feet, heads swiveling toward the source of the call.
"Help!"
Circling the perimeter of the camp, flashlight in hand, Sam searched the darkness beyond the circle of firelight. Standing on the other side of the fire, Dean chambered a round in his Colt, the sound sharp and unmistakable. Not sure why, not like it would do any good against the nightmare creature stalking them.
Standing between Ben, Hailey and the woods around them, Skye kept her attention on the trees, knowing the chances of seeing anything before it struck were slim to none.
"Help!"
It out again, agony in its voice.
"It's trying to draw us out." Holding out a cautioning hand, Dean tried to keep everyone calm, "Just stay cool, stay put."
"Inside the 'magic circle'." Mocking their protections, Roy raised the very large, and entirely useless, gun he held clenched tightly in both hands.
"Hey Winchester…make it $40." Glancing across the fire at Dean, Skye upped the ante, not even a little twinge of remorse that she was literally betting on someone's life.
"Help! Help me!"
Growls interspersed the cries for help. Sounds of a very large predator prowling around a people buffet. The last call turned into a growl that grew into a roar, raising goosebumps on arms and prickles up spines.
"Okay, that's no grizzly." Admitting that he'd been wrong, Roy pointed the muzzle of his gun toward the darkness between the trees.
"No shit, Einstein." Backing up a step, Skye glanced behind her at Hailey and Ben, not bothering to lower her voice, "That's what we've been tryin' to tell you."
"It's okay." Putting an arm around her little brother, Hailey reassured him as best she could, "We'll be alright, I promise.
A growl and the rustle of dead leaves. Branches breaking as the Wendigo moved just past the treeline, feeling close enough to reach out and touch though no one could see a thing. Screaming, Hailey stumbled back, pulling Ben down with her and putting herself between him and the unseen threat.
Skye couldn't blame her. If it wasn't for years of practice not making a sound when she was afraid, she'd have screamed too. Shit was scary.
Growling and something moving fast in the underbrush. The retort of Roy's rifle as he took a shot, then a yowl of pain as the idiot took two more shots, winging the thing.
"I hit it!"
With that announcement, Roy took off into the trees, eager to see what it was that had been menacing the camp. Gleeful at the prospect of proving the weirdos wrong. It had to be something normal. A cougar maybe.
"Roy, no! Roy!," Dean cried out a warning, taking two steps after him before stopping just long enough to give Skye orders, "Watch them!"
With that, Dean was off, sprinting after Roy's dumb ass, Sam close on his heels.
"Shit." Reaching around to the small of her back, Skye retrieved her gun and brought it into view, thumbing the safety off. She knew it wouldn't do any good but, worse comes to worst, maybe she could piss it off and lure it away from the others. With her free hand, she grabbed Hailey's jacket, hauling the woman back behind her so she and Ben were between Skye and the fire at their backs, "I gotta say, if Roy gets them killed, I'm gonna so pissed."
Wide-eyed at the weapon that had appeared in Skye's hand, Ben stood silent for a minute before finding his voice, "Seriously, who are you people?"
"They're Hunters, just not the cuddly forest creature kind." She didn't turn to look at them as she spoke, keeping her eyes on the trees, "I'm just a trainee. Lucky you."
They could hear the boys crashing through the brush, trying to catch Roy before he did something stupid. Well. Stupider.
"It's over here!" Roy called out, exuberant, "It's in the tr-"
His words cut off abruptly and Skye figured she just won forty bucks. She felt a little bad about it but hey, they'd tried to warn him. Several times. Horror movie rules, never be the skeptical asshole.
Bringing up her gun, she pivoted slowly on a heel, following the sounds of movement in the underbrush coming toward them. Hands thankfully steady, they didn't betray the trembling she was doing on the inside. Yay for having a decent poker face earned through years of abuse! Wait. Yeah, nope, that was definitely the sucky way to earn that.
"Easy, Tink." Stepping out of the darkness, Dean announced their presence, Sam a step behind him, "It's us."
"What were you going to do anyway?" Raising a brow, Sam eyed the gun, "Piss it off?"
"Pretty much." Clicking the safety back on, she stuck the gun in her pocket, wanting to keep it close at hand, "Shoot at it, piss it off, try to look extra tasty and get it away from the camp."
"Well, you've managed at least one of those things." It seemed Dean had given up trying to pretend he wasn't flirting. That they weren't flirting. Because they so were.
Looking up at him, she made quite sure he saw the 'keep trying Romeo' look she shot his way, "Such a smooth talker, Winchester."
"Settle in and get comfortable." Ignoring his juvenile companions, Sam was back to issuing orders, "Nobody steps foot outside this camp till full daylight."
None of them were at all inclined to argue.
Settling Ben and Hailey in by the fire as well as she could, Skye made herself comfortable against a fallen tree a few yards away on the edge of the circle, her back to the fire so it wouldn't interfere with her night vision. Pulling up the ankle of her jeans, she slipped silver butterfly knife out of her boot. Dean had gotten it for her, more of a toy than anything, and she'd been getting pretty decent at flipping it around. It was something to kill time, anyway.
Making himself as comfortable as possible, Sam took a spot against a large tree stump on the other side of the camp, well away from everyone. He was still just a tad grumpy.
Checking on Sam for a few minutes, Dean made sure he was as okay as could be expected at the moment before making his way around the edge of the camp. Standing quietly in the darkness for a few minutes, he watched Skye fling around the blade he'd bought. Really, it looked more impressive than it was. She was getting pretty good, though. She should be, he'd watched her practice for hours in the backseat of the Impala when she had nothing else to do.
Getting a little closer, he could hear her singing softly to herself. Huh, she actually sounded better alone, without a radio to back her up. "...when the night has come and the land is dark and the moon is the only light we'll see…"
Moving quietly, he went to sit next to her, leaning back against the fallen tree a bare hands-breadth away. Waiting until she'd finished her little solo, he couldn't help making a crack about it, "Here I thought you didn't like any kind of real music."
"I like everything." Crossing her legs, she sat up a little straighter, "I just listen to pop and metal exclusively to irritate you."
Because of course she did.
"You really are a brat, you know that?" Stretching his legs out in front of him, he leaned over and pulled his wallet out of his pocket, digging out a $20 and two $10's, "Here."
"You know, I was kinda hoping nobody would die and I'd lose." Flipping her knife closed, she took the cash and stuffed it into the inner breast pocket of her jacket, "Could use the money though. I'm a little strapped right now."
"Remind me to teach you how to hustle pool. Darts too. And poker, I bet you'd be great at poker." Tucking his wallet away, he reclined, trying to get as comfortable as possible. Really, he'd been in worse conditions. Aside from the Wendigo that desperately wanted them for lunch, this wasn't half bad, "Great way to make some quick cash."
"I think there was a compliment in there somewhere." Leaning over, she nudged his arm with her shoulder, abruptly changing the subject to what she figured was really on his mind, "You feelin' bad about Roy?"
"Nah," he lied, "Course not. I don't have feelings, remember?"
"Yup, none at all." Not like she knew better or anything, "It's not your fault, Dean. You did warn him. Multiple times."
"Yeah…" picking up a twig, he fidgeted with it for a minute before breaking it into tiny pieces and tossing them away one by one, "I know."
"But you're still gonna feel bad about it because you're not a total asshole."
"Did you just admit I'm not an asshole?" That got a smile out of him, guilty conscience or no guilty conscience.
"No." Smiling, she leaned her head back and watched the sky, knowing it was still hours until dawn, "I admitted you weren't a total asshole."
"Hey, progress." Sliding down, Dean settled in a little closer to the girl who'd so struck his interest, "Gotta admit, you're a little less of a bitch than I thought."
"Aren't you a sweetheart." Somehow or other she managed to end up leaning a little closer, "It's a wonder you're still single."
"Hey, you started it."
"Did not."
"Did too."
There's an old total cliche where two people that are very interested in each other end up just barely touching. Whether it be a shoulder, or hands or what have you, it's a very overused trope. It's also a very accurate one.
Welcome to the protagonists, people. This kind of thing should be expected. It's going to happen. A lot.
They're lame like that.