Chapter Twelve

OK this is the scarecrow episode.

I'm getting married in two weeks now, so updates will be slower as I finalise things for my big day, sorry!

Enjoy this chap!

And as I haven't said this in a while, I own nothing!

We'd been on the road for a month since Kansas; we had done some majorly weird jobs and some damn cool ones too. Me, Bella and Sam had seen some seriously strange shit which had cemented our relationships further. Sam and Bells had this whole sibling thing going on that was similar to mine and Sam's only with more chick flick moments. Bells and I though, well with everyday, with every new thing we faced and hunted I fell more in love with her. I'd never admit as much to her or Sam but it was the truth.

I never thought that it could be like this, I'd never stayed around long enough before for it to be like this. The songs were right love was amazing; seriously being around Bella all the time was turning me soft. I thought, to be perfectly honest, that I would be bored with her by now as had happened so many times to count. I wasn't though, far from it, Bells always surprised me, on a hunt, with Sam, ribbing us and even in the bedroom. It kept me on my toes, I loved that I was always guessing with her and always wrong except for when it mattered. Like when she'd have a nightmare or when she had a girly, damsel in distress moment – her words not mine- then I knew what to do, knew how to act as though comforting her came naturally.

We had been on some truly jaw dropping hunts in the last month, we'd seen our fair share of malevolent spirits, one pissed of poltergeist, a honest to god zombie and we'd even spent the night in a haunted mental asylum with some stupid kids.

Thinking back to the asylum made me smile, I wasn't crazy or anything but Bells nearly always made us smile on a hunt and this time was no different.

We were walking down one of the corridors looking for a way out or Sam either would be good about now. I was at the front the two kids behind me and bringing up the rear was Bella. Bells and me each were carrying a shot gun each full with rock salt.

"You guys ever watch any horror movies before?" She asked the petrified kids in front of us.

"Err…yeah." Replied the guy who sounded nervous, god he wouldn't have stood a chance if we hadn't been here.

"Do me a favour." Bella said to the kids. "Next time pay attention, if someone says somewhere is haunted, don't go in! It never ends well if you hadn't noticed!"

I couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped my lips, yeah Hells Bells was really something giving advice from movies. "Love you babe!" I called from the front around my laughing.

"Yeah, yeah you too soft boy!" She playfully called, soft boy? Oh hell no she was paying for that one later on when we were alone in our room…No Dean focus on the hunt!

The girl, Cat, dropped back to Bells and lowered her voice, waste of time as I could still hear her perfectly. "So are you and Dean an item them?" She questioned my girl.

"We sure are." Bells replied "I'm just not sure which." She deadpanned I turned slightly to see that Cat had a bemused look on her face obviously not getting Bells at all. Well at least I wasn't on my own with that I smirked to myself.

"DUCK" I heard Bella cry and I dropped to the floor with the two kids just in time to hear a blast right where my head had been. I looked up to see Bella's eyes flashing as she reloaded and re-cocked her shotgun. God that woman was sexy, and all mine.

I smiled remembering what had been only yesterday but felt much longer, she was the perfect mix of sexy, deadly, cute and funny. I smiled to myself as I brought her closer to me in our bed breathing in her strawberry scent. She had been asleep for the last hour whereas I had only just come to bed having watched the Terminator with Sam.

Hells started mumbling in her sleep "Dean." I smiled and rested my head in her hair, eyes dropping heavily as I slipped into a deep sleep.

I was woken by the sound of Sam's voice as loud as a brass band in the dead of night. "Dad!"

I shot up in bed and Bells slipped off of my chest where she had been laid. Her eyes were open and she was reaching for the knife under her pillow before she'd taken anything in. I loved that her reflexes were almost as quick as mine.

I turned questionly to Sam; "Dad?" I asked him, he ignored me and carried on talking. The talk quickly became an argument; they couldn't even speak on the phone after almost three years of no contact without fighting.

I motioned with my hand for Sam to give me the phone but he carried on ignoring me and my anger spiked. I reached over and forcibly took the phone from my little brother.

"Dad?" I questioned into the phone, I felt Bella put a hand onto my bare shoulder lending me a little strength as I spoke to my father for the first time in six months.

Dad wasn't giving me any answers to my questions just like I assumed he hadn't answered Sammy's. He finally gave me orders to look into a hunt in Indiana. I answered him as I knew I always would, as the good solider on dad's army "yes sir!" I felt Bella tense behind me and remove her hand, I knew why I really did but I couldn't disobey dad, I never could and I don't think I ever would.

When I had gotten off the phone I told Sam and Bells about the hunt dad had ordered me and Sam to go on. Bella wouldn't look me in the eye and Sam's jaw was tense to the point where it looked painful. I sighed; nope this wasn't going to be a trip to Disneyland.

We were soon on the road again, Sam was actually driving this time as I knew I was still too tired to get us there safely, Bells was in the back with her eyes closed but I knew from her breathing she wasn't asleep.

I babbled on about how great dad was to have found the pattern in Burkitsville. It was true only a master could see that one couple a year disappeared in the 2nd week of April every year just in this tiny backwater town.

Suddenly Sam was pulling on to the side of the road. "What are you doing Sammy?" I asked and Bella sat up ramrod straight in the back seat.

"We're not going to Indiana." He replied in a hard voice.

"We're not?"

"No, we're going to California, I traced dad's phone call from there. If we step on it we could be there in a couple of days, we could find dad. We could help him stop the demon!" Sam was getting very excited, I could hear in his voice that he wasn't going to back down; little brother could be as stubborn as me sometimes.

"Look man I know how you feel." I began trying to calm him down.

"Do you?" Sam questioned his voice holding all the pain he had suppressed for the past six months. "Mom died twenty two years ago Dean and how old were you then? Jess only died six months ago! How would you feel if it was Bella?" I flinched, that was a low blow and he knew it. I could see his point but still that one stung.

"You bastard." I whispered my voice low. "I know that you're hurting but dad has given us a job to do and we will do it."

"You do it Dean, I'm going to California."

"Sam dad gave us a job to do." I reapeated as if this should solve everything and it should. Dad always did what was best for us and if he said to go on this hunt we were damn well going.

"I don't get it Dean!" Sam almost shouted at me, his frustration finally came out. "I don't understand the blind faith you have in the man. I mean it's like you don't even question him!"

"It's called being a good son!" One low blow deserves another.

"Dean" Bella warned from the back, I ignored her. Sam got out the drivers side keys tightly fisted in his hands as he stormed to the boot, his face pained and angry in equal measure.

"What are you doing?" I asked as me and Bella got out of the car as well.

"I'm going to California Dean. I'm going to find dad."

"Don't be stupid it's the middle of the night, and we're in the middle of no-where."

"I'm going Dean and either you're coming with me or your going to Indiana."

Sam pulled out his duffle and his book bag that held his laptop.

"You're a selfish bastard do you know that!" I shouted at the imbecile I had for a brother. Couldn't he just trust dad for once, just go along with out having to know everything?

"Dean!" Bella yelled at me obviously trying to calm the situation some, which made my blood boil like mad. I whipped round to her "Bella keep out of this its family business! It doesn't concern you."

Sam started to walk away from us, and I heard Bella rummaging in the trunk for something. "Sam!" I yelled after my brother, I didn't want him to go but I wasn't backing down and neither was he, that and I was mad as hell. "Sam, I will leave your ass!"

"That's what I want you to do!" He called back already far away his arms spread wide. He turned back round and walked off down the road.

I turned and went to slam the boot but something stopped me as I caught a glimpse inside. Bella's bags weren't there anymore either. For fucks sake could this night get any damn worse. I stood straight and looked around, god she must have moved fast; I couldn't see any sign of her at all. Just fucking great.

I got into the drivers side of my baby and drove very slowly from the side of the road looking for any sign of Bella. Nothing.

I picked up and tried her cell, voicemail. God damn it! I called Sam's cell not really thinking he'd pick up, I was right, voicemail as well. I hit the steering wheel in rage. Great Dean, well done, you've alienated two of the four people you actually care about all in one night! Good fucking job man!

B.P.O.V

He'd made it perfectly clear that I wasn't wanted back there, well fine fuck him too. He'd hurt me deep back there, it's family business, it doesn't concern you! His words rang in my ears; Sam and Dean were two of three people that I actually considered as family, guess the feeling wasn't mutual. I was stupid to let myself think that Dean and Sam cared like that.

Dean and my relationship had gone from strength to strength or so I'd thought. But if he was going to cut me out whenever things got rough between him and Sam then I'd be out of his life a whole lot more than I'd ever be in it. I had always thought, even before anything had happened with him that he was my family, obviously not.

Sam didn't care either, Sam who I considered a brother, he'd not said anything. He felt the same way as Dean otherwise he would say something. I hurt that they didn't love me they way I loved them.

I was breaking the two most important promises I had ever made, one to myself and one to Mary Winchester.

You carry on taking care of my boys Bella. I heard the boys mom's voice echo in my head. "Yes Mrs. Winchester." I had told her. When she had turned to me and asked that of me, I felt that there could be no higher praise, she thought I was taking care of her boys. I had felt honoured that she'd even acknowledged me let alone given me a compliment. I had felt the love come off her and couldn't help but let a tear escape, so that was what a mother's love had felt like. But here I was after all of that breaking my promise to her.

I had let one of her sons walk off in the middle of no-where and had abandoned the other. That was definitely not taking care of them. But they didn't need me, not like I needed them that had been proved tonight.

I needed to stop the pity party though; there was a hunt to do before I could let myself feel the rejection and pain. Before I succumbed to the loneliness yet again.

I cut across a field to the nearest road to where Sam had pulled over and hitched a lift to Burkitsville from a nice enough woman and her teenage kid. I was in Burkitsville Indiana in three hours. Thanking the woman I got out and surveyed the tiny but picturesque town.

Feeling my stomach grumble at me I headed for the diner I could see further along, but as I drew nearer I could see it was closed, I looked at my phone. One missed call from Dean and I could see why the diner was closed. Four thirty in the morning. Well crap, I really didn't feel like sleeping in a field and I was really hungry. I walked around the tiny main street looking for a motel, or a hotel, or even a vending machine. It seemed luck was not with me this evening.

I heard a deep growl coming from the distance. Well shit, luck definitely wasn't with me tonight. I stayed where I was, in the middle of the street as the familiar black car fish tailed round a corner and came into view. The brakes were slammed on and the car slid to a halt about half a meter in front of me, I didn't flinch.

The driver's door was wrenched open and an extremely pissed off Dean slammed the door behind him with force. He must have been angry because he could have damaged his baby with the force he slammed the door with, but he didn't even give it a back-ward glance.

I would never ever admit this to him but with the look of pure fury on his face as he came storming toward me, Dean actually scared me. He grabbed my bags from my feet and threw them into the backseat of the Impala before grabbing my arm and dragging me to the car as well.

I tugged myself free from him, who the hell did he think he was treating me like that? "What the fuck do you think your doing?" I all but growled at him.

"Taking your stupid ass back to the motel room I got over in Scottsdale. Then I'm going to whoop you for taking off back there and scaring the shit out of me just after Sammy had left!" He hissed, his voice was full of malice and I could see a vein popping in his head.

"Try it Dean just try it. You think you've got a right to be mad at me after that shit on the side of the road?" My voice was low and very calm, Dean looked slightly nervous as well he should, I was furious. I was hurt and furious and you know what they say about us scorned women.

"Me and Sam got in a bust up that's all that happened, we're family it happens Bella you know that!"

"Yeah, well I obviously don't do I Dean?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You know what it fucking means!" I screamed at him, oh for the love of all that's holy, I could feel tears forming in my eyes as I thought about his hurtful words, his rejection. Not now! I needed to be strong now.

"I'm not a mind reader Bella you going to have to clue me in on this one!"

"Whatever Dean, just fucking forget it ok?" I stormed to the passenger's seat and pulled out a bag of chips I'd stashed there two days ago. If Dean didn't think what he said was wrong or hurtful, well I wasn't going to tell him.

"I do not get chicks!" I heard him say as he got in the drivers side and peeled away from the nice looking town to a regular shit hole of a motel. We drove the whole way in angry silence.

Life just likes to kick you when you're down don't it? As when we'd actually got in the room and turned on the light we saw we were in another themed motel, this was a love themed room. The bed was actually in the shape of a heart and everything was in either sickly shades of pink or bloody shades of red. Lots of heart motifs and cupids were scattered round the fussy room. There was no sofa either so I had no choice but to climb into the bed with Dean. I turned my back to him and remained fully clothed. A tear escaping only as I closed my eyes.

D.P.O.V

I tossed again in the bed; Bella's back still facing me, her breathing showing that she was still awake also. I just didn't get it, what was she so mad at? I'd snapped at her before, hell we'd had arguments before this, granted not big ones but arguments none the less. This time though she'd taken it to heart, maybe it was her time of the month or something. She was all emotional and angry like she was when it was that time before.

I turned again and punched my pillow trying to get comfy. It was no use; despite being shattered I was much too angry to get to sleep. I remembered the screaming match we'd had at the side of the road.

I'd been searching for Bella for the last four hours, where the hell was she? I'd got a motel room and threw my bags in it without even looking; I was going to search for Bells again.

Why the hell had she gone off like that? Was she ok, safe, where was she? I slammed my hand onto the dashboard of the car, shit. What if something had got her? I fisted my hair with one hand the other firmly on the steering wheel. My stomach lurched as I thought of a worse scenario; what if she had gone for good?

No I couldn't think like that, it was just a fight, like I knew it was just a fight with Sammy. I really thought about what I'd said and done tonight and felt like the worlds biggest dick.

I had been searching for another half an hour since then and my heart was pounding frantically. I knew Bella could take care of herself but that didn't mean she couldn't be hurt. Where the hell was she? Horrible scenarios of Bella dead or hurt kept playing through my head and panic was beginning to take hold of me for real now.

I was driving through the crappy town of Burkitsville itself much too fast, I fishtailed round a corner on Main Street and saw a familiar figure standing in the road. I slammed on the brakes and felt the car slide with the power it had built up.

Bella didn't even flinch as the car stopped less than a meter from her, stupid girl. Relief swept through me, after all my imaginings she was ok. Anger quickly became my main emotion as I fully accepted that no harm had come to her, did she have any idea how fucking worried I'd been about her?

I slammed the door as I got out and headed for her, she seemed slightly worried behind her poker face. Damn right she should be worried, I was fucking furious!

I grabbed her bags and threw them into the back seat then stormed back for her, she was fucking coming with me back to that motel and I wasn't letting her out of my sight. Not till I'd calmed down anyway.

I'd grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward the impala when she yanked free of my grip. She turned to me fury making her beautiful eyes burn "What the fuck do you think your doing?" She growled at me, oh no she fucking didn't not after looking for her for the last five fucking hours!

"Taking your stupid ass back to the motel room I got over in Scottsdale. Then I'm going to whoop you for taking off back there and scaring the shit out of me just after Sammy had left!"

"Try it Dean just try it. You think you've got a right to be mad after that shit at the side of the road!" What the hell was she talking about now?

"Me and Sam got in a bust up that's all that happened, we're family it happens Bella you know that!" For god's sake the girl had been round us since she was thirteen we had bust ups all the time.

"Yeah, well I obviously don't do I Dean?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You know what it fucking means!"

I could feel that Bella had fallen asleep, well good for her but I still couldn't I didn't get what the hell she'd been talking about and it was driving me crazy. If I'd upset, which I obviously had, then why the hell didn't she just tell me instead of keeping me up all night?

Women!

I finally drifted off to sleep only to be woken by Bella two hours later.

"Dean we've got a job to do come on." She was still mad with me, her voice was civil but that was all. Well great this was going to be a fun day.

I was right today had been nothing but a barrelful of laughs, Bells didn't talk to me about anything except the hunt and even then she was very polite and nice. Not like her at all. I was so, so worried that she was slipping away from me and I didn't know what to do about it.

I'd taken my phone out three times to ring Sam and each time lost my bottle, I wanted to make up with the sasquash but saying sorry didn't come easy to me, it was a pride thing. I also wanted his advice about Bells; he probably knew exactly what I had done wrong considering he was a woman and all.

It was when me and Bells split to do research, me at the local college and her back at the motel, that I finally swallowed my pride and let my phone ring Sam's number. He picked up fairly quickly.

We managed to make up in an awkward manly way. I told him of my problems with Bells but he was just as confused as I was. Well if geek boy didn't have the answers to this one I was going to have to ask the woman herself, which scared me slightly, she had a mean right hook.

B.P.O.V

I was back in the motel room, glad that I was on my own and free to let a few of the built up tears leak. I had my laptop out and was looking for pagan gods that could be the freaky ass scarecrow that Dean and I had helped the couple get away from.

Someone knocked at the door; I frowned and picked up my gun sliding it under my t-shirt as I walked cautiously to the door. Dean had a key and Sam was long gone by now. I looked through the spy whole to see that it was just the Sheriff; I relaxed and unlocked the door. I smiled at the sheriff, he raised the butt of his gun to me and the world went black.

I woke to someone screaming my name. "BELLA!" The voice sounded really scared, I was groggy, had trouble opening my eyes and an explosion of pain was going off behind my right eye. "If you've hurt her I'll kill you!" The voice came again this time I recognised it.

"Dean?" I asked my voice coming out weak and raspy, I opened my eyes, well the one that worked anyway the other was so puffed up I couldn't open it, well great, just great. I looked to see Dean rush to my side, we were in a basement somewhere, well this couldn't be good.

"Bella, babe, are you ok? Have they hurt you? I'LL KILL THE BASTARDS!" He screamed at the door, his hands coming to my face and gently lifting it off the floor.

"I'm fine." I said but my voice betrayed the pain I was in. I needed to suck it up, I could have myself a long pity party if we got out of this alive. "Did you find out what the hell we're dealing with?" I sat up, Dean supporting me slightly as the movement caused the world to blur and spin a bit.

"Yeah it's a Vanier." I looked blankly at him he quickly explained about the creepy norse god that took sacrifices of a couple once every year. Well I think I knew what the good people of Burkitsville had in store for us now. This was just brilliant.

Dean tried busting down the door but it was just too secure, I looked round us for anything that could be used as a weapon, nothing. I quickly remembered my gun and knife I had hidden on me in my paranoia. "Shit the bastards have taken my weapons!"

Dean nodded "yeah mine too." He looked at me and his faced softened, "I'll get us out of this don't worry."

I brightened slightly "You got a plan?" I asked my voice infused with hope because I was coming up with nothing.

"I'm working on it."

Ok so we were trapped, no weapons, no plan and I was pretty sure I would have trouble walking when I stood up, let alone actually fight. Well we were screwed.

The door opened and half of the townspeople were stood in the door guns trained on us. They made Dean carry me to the orchard and sit me down; they then tied us both to a tree and backed away.

I tried getting my hands free, no good, shit these guys must have been boy scouts because this knot work was infallible. I asked Dean "you got a plan?"

"I'm working on it he replied." I tried to see if the scarecrow had a moved yet but I couldn't see it.

"Dean can you see if only I had a brain?"

"No."

We heard footsteps approaching and I struggled tighter against my binds but it was no use. I really didn't want to die like this, I heard Dean struggle too.

Suddenly Sam's face was in front of mine and I breathed a sigh of relief, I felt Dean doing the same thing next me.

"I've never been so happy to see you in my life bro. How did you get here?"

"I er… stole a car." I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face at that, Sam was always the good one with a conscious and he'd stole a car that he obviously couldn't give back, he was finally joining us on the dark side.

"Hell yeah Sammy." Said Dean laughing slightly, when Dean was free the brothers cut me free. "Keep on eye on the scarecrow Sammy." Dean told his brother as he lifted me in his arms, my legs still not working properly.

"What scarecrow?" Well shit that wasn't good.

"We've got to burn the tree." I said.

"We'll come back in the morning and do it. Let's just shag ass before leather face catches up." Dean said his voice strained from the effort of carrying me. I tried to get down so they could move faster; I'd promised to take care of them. Dean and Sam could get away from this thing if they weren't carrying my dead weight.

"What do you think your doing?" Deans voice was pissed as he secured his hold on me.

We were almost jogging down an aisle of trees hopefully away from the Scarecrow that was hunting us. God my life was crazy.

"Guys you can get away quicker if you put me down, it wants a couple not a single female. Put me down and run."

"Your crazy B, we're not leaving you. We never leave family behind, you know that." Sam's voice questioned my sanity as we carried on at a slow jog.

"Sam, I'm not family am I? You two, you are. Dean if you put me down you and Sammy you can both get away."

"What the hell do you mean you're not family? If you think I'm letting you go your crazy." Dean's reply was gasped out round his heavy breathing from carrying me; I had a feeling that wasn't just talking about letting me go from his arms. A warm feeling of relief swept through me until I remembered his words from last night.

"You told me last night, I'm not family, you and Sam are. If you put me down you guys can make sure your family is safe."

"So that's what this is all about?" Deans eyes held understanding as he looked at me. "I said something I didn't mean in an argument and not only do you believe me but you think that Sam actually feels like that too?"

I nodded once my eyes tearing up, god must I always be the damsel in distress.

"You are crazy. Bells you've been family since you saved my ass when you were thirteen from that skin walker. Since you came into our lives you've been family and nothing is going to change that. Ever." Deans voice was hard and sincere as he told me this.

"Bella, you're my sister in all but blood." Sam's voice came from my right as we carried on jogging.

"Thank god." Dean's voice whispered from above me. I had to smile slightly at that.

"We all say stupid shit when we're angry but I'm with Dean on this one for once. If you actually believe that you're crazy."

My smile soon dropped from my face as we turned a corner to see the Sheriff in front of us shot gun out and cocked directly at us. We turned to see other members of the town with guns all trained on us as well. Crap!

Dean lowered me slowly to the ground and both guys shielded me with there bodies. That was kind of sweet in a chauvinistic way, I pushed the boys away from me slightly so that I was stood in the middle of the rather than behind, we'd face this together like always.

We spun as we heard a scream from our left, we saw the scary ass scarecrow drag away one of the towns' people by his hook, stopping only for the man's wife. I suppose that's what you call ironic justice.

The next morning we returned to burn down the whole damn orchard, I was actually on my own two feet this time, but my shiner was very impressive.

We stood and watched the orchard burn in silence, before Sam turned to Dean.

"I'm sorry man."

"It's ok, we'll find dad Sam, I promise but if we can save some innocent people before we do then I'm going to."

"You right, we should save everyone we can. I don't want to be away from you guys again, it didn't feel right." Aww Sammy. I wiped away an imaginary tear.

Dean turned to face his little brother "hold me Sam. That was beautiful." I laughed as Sam pushed the wise ass with his shoulder. It seemed that everything was back to how it should be, or almost anyway. While the boys' words had touched me, I wouldn't be forgetting that I wasn't family to them any time soon.

So let me know what you think. :)

Hope you enjoyed.

Love Tametiger x