Like Crowley, I have a complete and utter love for Jody Mills. Talk about a mothering but also a complete badass lady. Nothing but respect for her, so I really wanted to bring her in, even if for a little bit. The boys needed more Mom Looks TM and warm soup in their lives. Then again, I think that woman pretty much is going to have everyone adopted in some capacity by the time she's done in the show. I imagine her finally going out as this old lady in bed with so many people crammed into the room to say good bye that they have to rent a convention hall for her funeral just because she is that awesome.
Chapter 17: Wards
Idioms were a really funny thing, when you thought about it. Metaphors that used simple phrases to explain complex ideas, truths that could shake you to your very core when you really thought about them. 'Love is blind,' was just a three word sentence but to really dig in, to think about what that emotion could do to you, the ways it could move someone to be the best or worst they could be, and how all you could think about was that love and what you needed to do for it…
Yeah, lot more complicated and deep than what the phrase could really do justice, and yet love is blind was still deep and profound in a way that could really speak to a person.
'The more things change, the more they stay the same,' was another good one and in very few places was it as true as it was in Sioux Falls. Passing by the place that had survived its own miniature zombie apocalypse probably should have marked the place as different, and it had in a way. Townspeople don't forget things like that and it hadn't just been the ones who'd had dead loved ones come back. The likelihood everyone was just to shrug their shoulders and figure not to worry about it was pretty low, doctors had been called, children with parents back talked on the school yard, and tax payer zombies had walked right back to their place of work to ask for their jobs back. Then all the nice little zombies in question getting hungry for human flesh, well it hadn't been that big of a surprise that in a town like Sioux Falls where everyone knew everyone that they would talk, especially to each other.
None of the papers had believed them, well except for the crazy little tabloids that conspiracy nuts read, which had gone a whole lot of nowhere. It didn't mean the citizens of the little town hadn't paid attention though. Hell, when Jody had told both Dean and Sam she planned to hold a town meeting with the mayor on the matter, Dean had to scoff because that seemed so achingly normal in comparison to what their crazy lives had been during the apocalypse but what the hell had he known about what normal people did? Apparently people had wanted answers though, and what lie was going to settle down a town who'd seen the dead rise?
Still, he had to admit he always felt a little weird when he was driving down a street in Bobby's former home town and there was always at least one person who gave him a little nod in recognition. It had been going on for the last couple years since 'the incident' as the town called it, any time he had to come through in order to get help from his father figure. It was such a mix of in the know and small town happy apple pie life that it was frankly a little disturbing to him.
He pulled up to street in front of Jody's new house, bought after the mess, unwilling to stay in the place her son and husband had died. He climbed out of the car with Emma and Sam in tow and fingered the flask before tucking it into the glove compartment. Bobby'd been getting agitated lately. It would be best if he got some rest instead of taking in the sights.
"It's… nice," Emma said as she looked up at the white painted house, neatly trimmed hedges and a freshly mowed lawn. She hadn't said much on the trip, just looking out the window and watching the road pass by as they'd drove. He wasn't sure he liked her being so quiet.
"You're going to like Jody. She's a great lady," Sam assured her. "We're just going to come in for a bit, talk and then get on our way to North Dakota."
She just nodded and went up the walk way, knocking on the door.
"Can't tell if she's taking this well or not," Sam noted to Dean, still lingering by the car.
"Yeah. I noticed. Little Miss Chatty hasn't spoken more than ten words since we told her she's staying here," Dean admitted. "I'd expected more… I don't know, an argument about all this, or at least some sulking."
Sam could only shrug in response. He could tell they were thinking the same thing. Maybe she'd finally and truly accepted this would be her life soon. A good thing, cause Dean knew he didn't have it in him to tell her one more time why it would be dangerous for her to stay. Not much longer and it'd be all over, the Leviathans, keeping Emma hidden, all of it.
The two brothers strode up through the lawn to join her just as the door opened. Jody smiled at the sight of them, holding the door for them to allow the Winchesters in.
"Hey Jody," he said as they settled down in the living room. "Thanks for having us over on such short notice."
"Oh, it's no trouble. You boys know that," she said with a shake of her head and walked up to the teenage girl. "You must be Emma, huh?"
"Yes ma'am," the Amazon said as she held out her hand to shake and bowed her head a little bit to her. "It's very nice to meet you."
"Polite too. You sure you're Dean's kid?" she asked with a chuckle.
"Yes. My mom only bred with one man so it's impossible for anyone else to-"
"Emma," Dean said with a forced smile. Crap, she never learned did she? Shame was not a thing his daughter seemed to have unfortunately. "She was just teasing."
"Oh," she said as she dropped her hand. "Sorry."
"I have to admit, I was pretty surprised when you told me about it on the phone," the sheriff stated. "You want me to take her then, so she can grow up in town?"
"Dean figured it would be the safest place for her," Sam admitted. "We need paperwork on her, something that will stand up to a proper background check, get her into school, all that kind of stuff. You seemed our best bet when we need to drop her off. We're thinking a couple weeks, tops."
"Well, the house is always too quiet," the police officer said, for a small second something in her becoming a little subdued. Dean didn't like going back to the places where he'd had a job before, avoided it when he could, and this was exactly why. Killing the things that threatened people was fine, but they never prevented all the deaths. They couldn't, and it always hung on the ones who were left behind in the tragedies. "I'd love to have you here, Emma. I think you'd fit right in. First thing I should do is show you where we keep the borax, huh?"
"Wait, borax?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, you know. For the Leviathans," she explained.
"There are Leviathans in town?!" he asked immediately as he jumped up from the couch.
"Well, not that I know of. We haven't had anyone go missing since the whole mess at the hospital," the woman explained. "Still, everyone has been stocked up since Bobby and I figured out the thing's weakness. Can't hurt to be sure, you know, just in case."
"Everyone?" Sam asked.
"Well the town. We had a town meeting about it as soon as I got back. Had the mayor announce it and I told everyone to get what they could," she explained as the two stared at her flummoxed. "What? We had zombies here just two years ago. Add in the weird vanishing act of three top tier employees at the hospital just months ago, not to mention the patients that had been eaten on the way out? I didn't see any point in lying to anyone so we made a public announcement to the people to keep borax close by in their homes. It is my job to keep the town safe and I don't exactly see much point in keeping it quiet via X-Files or anything."
"Wait, you mean people here know?" Emma asked, her expression going to one of delight. "I don't have to say that I'm human?"
"I would suggest you do," she said with an amused snort. "People here are a might paranoid, especially right now. At least let them get to know you before you start lifting any cars over your head."
"Well, I mean I'm not that strong," she said but there was a goofy smile on her face all the same.
Oh, damn it.
"Jody, can I talk to you for a second?" Dean asked as he pulled her to the kitchen. The cop followed after him until he was sure Emma couldn't hear them. "You went around telling everyone about borax and Leviathans and… all that stuff?"
"Yeah. Granted some people thought it sounded a little nuts, but what are you going to do? Stuff still sold out in the markets so I have to hope everyone is fine," she explained to him.
"Jody, I wanted to take Emma here so she'd be safe," he hissed to her frantically. "I told you about her on the phone hoping you could help her fit in."
"I want her to fit in," she assured. "I can get her enrolled in Marshall High School and help her settle down, no worries. I have to admit, when you called and said you had a daughter I was so happy for you. There's no more joy than..."
She paused for a second, looking down at the floor. She took in a shaky breath before shaking her head.
"Dean, there's no better joy than a child," she informed him. "I know, and I know more than anything how you can think about keeping them safe until you're sick from it. You worry about scratched knees and fevers, and I had no idea about the things out there in the world before you all came along, but if I had I'd have done anything to keep my sweet little Owen and my husband safe too. I'm not going to let anything happen to her, natural or otherwise. She's gonna be okay here."
He found he couldn't meet her eyes when she said that. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, he did, more than anything but something she'd said hit him in the heart he couldn't ignore.
"Sam doesn't get it," he breathed. "I know Emma doesn't get it. All I can think about anymore is what can happen to her. I don't want to hurt her, make her think that I don't want… it's just…"
"It's okay. I know," she assured him as she gently squeezed his arm. "No matter what it takes, Dean, I'll keep her safe and hidden but in a town in the know, where else could she be safe if things slip up?"
He had to admit, she had a good point about that.
"There are other reasons you're here too, aren't you?" she asked him. "About Bobby?"
"You heard then?" he asked her, to which she nodded. For a moment she raised a couple fingers to her lips and with an expression of regret on her face, confusing him. What was that about?
"I saw him come out of a lot of bad stuff. I'd hoped he'd get out of this too," she admitted, her voice wavering a little before letting out a breath. "I'm sorry you lost him. He was a great man. I just wish something could have come of it. Though you think with the end of the world passing us over he would have been more willing to take chances."
Dean was only more confused on that before it clicked in his mind. Jody and… Bobby? Oh, oh ick. That was like thinking of his mom and dad.
"Uh, yeah. I'm uh… sorry," he said, trying to think of a quick way to change the subject without making it sound offensive. "Look, there's something else. The end of the world stuff, how much does the town know about that?"
"Well, Dean it's not hard to look for stuff when you know it's out there. The storms, the unexplained phenomenon, and now food issues?" she asked him. "People talk."
"F-food issues? What food issues?" he asked her.
"Well, everyone is pretty much having to go on what's in the back stock or grow their own. Luckily home gardens were already a thing here and there's plenty of hunting areas around. Sold about fifty tags already," she replied but he could only give her a blank look in return. "You don't know, do you?"
He followed her back into the living room where Emma was looking over a mantle piece with some photos on it before Jody turned on the television and changed channels a couple times, finally hitting the news where none other than Dick Roman was on the screen, giving an interview.
"This has played a couple times now, or things like it," she explained. "He bought a company called SugroCorp."
"Yeah, it makes additives for food," Sam replied. "It was on the list of places Dick Roman was snatching up. How'd you know about him being a Leviathan?"
"Bobby texted me about it. I think he told all the hunters he could. Seemed like a get everyone informed as fast as he figured it out situation," she explained. "I haven't told anyone in town yet. Didn't seem much reason to go into that much detail. Anyone talked too much about it with another calling the papers stunt and we'd just be inviting trouble. Just let them know shape changers were hungry and borax would burn them. So far no panicking, and in fact it's the lack of panic that had me worried. Found a few people completely spaced out in the local grocery and a few gas stations."
"Junkies having fun in a boring town? Shocker," Dean laughed.
"No, not like that. They were acting more than stoned, hardly responsive at all," she informed them. "Got them rounded up and in a few hours were complaining about hunger, but by the next day they seemed just fine so it wore off at least."
"The corn syrup that SugroCorp makes," Sam realized. "It's in almost everything. Soda, snacks, all sorts of stuff."
"What about pie?" Dean asked, feeling terrified at the thought.
"It's been all natural organic in this town the last week," she scoffed. "You three better be careful about your diet. I'll make you some dinner for the road. Baked bread and some deer should fill you right up."
"This is bad," Dean said as the woman left. "We're killing that son of a bitch! No one messes with the goodness that is pie!"
"I guess it's good thing we have ingredients on a weapon," Emma said. "If this gets any worse there's not going to be anyone else left to save. They'll be getting carted off to be slaughtered before much longer."
"We've got one other thing we need to do in town before we go," he informed her. "Something you need."
"Me?" she asked as she pointed to herself. "What?"
"A tattoo, well a couple," he told her. "Kind of like the mark on your wrist."
"Wait, you want to… to brand me?" she asked, her eyes widened a bit in fear.
"What? No, no Emma it's not like that," Sam immediately cut in to calm her down. He pulled his shirt aside a bit to show her the one on his chest. It was actually the first time she'd seen it, on Dean's insistence. It wasn't even to keep her on the dark on that one, but he didn't think it was a good idea for either he or Sam to walk around half naked around his daughter. There had been a strict change in bathrooms only rule for all of them since she'd ended up with them. "These are anti-possession tattoos. It'll keep you safe from demons getting inside of you. It's a precaution, nothing more."
"That looks all black. What did they burn you with?" she asked him.
"Nothing, it's just some ink that's injected in your skin. Doesn't hurt much at all, promise," Dean told her. Really shouldn't have compared it to her brand. That had been stupid. "I'll be there for you, promise. We'll get it slapped on you, won't take long at all."
"You mentioned a couple. What's the other one?" she asked him, and here Dean hesitated. If she was worried about the tattoo then she might really not like this one.
"Something that will keep you hidden from the other side," he said as he gently poked her side, pushing against her rib. "There are these marks, Enochian sigils, that Sam and I have on our bones. They keep you hidden from angels."
"You hide from angels?" she asked as she looked up at him. "Of course, right. I guess that makes sense. Will it... Will it hurt?"
"Only for a second. Come on, we got to get you to a tattoo parlor first, then we'll handle the sigils," he told her.
"How are we going to get them on my ribs?"
"Yeah, gonna need to call in a favor for that," he admitted, hoping that Cas would be well enough in the head to pull that off. There wasn't really anyone else they could ask, but this wasn't something he could put off. "Sammy, hold down the fort with Jody, we won't be long."
In retrospect, maybe the tattoo wasn't really the best idea. Emma kept fidgeting around as they sat in the waiting area. The sound of the machines just in another room probably wasn't helping either. Every time the drill turned on, she flinched.
"You okay?" he asked her, causing her to shake her head.
"The matrons… they… they told me to be brave about pain," she whispered softly. She pulled up her jacket a little, the brand of the Amazons on her wrist, long since healed though puckered and pink like any scar. "Though you walk among others, your heart is only with the tribe. It was a mantra they spoke with every lesson and when they burned me. The told me I needed to learn how to inflict pain as well as endure it. It was my final lesson before I was sent after you."
She looked over at him, tears in her eyes.
"I don't want to do this," she breathed. "Please don't make me do this."
"Emma," he said as he reached for her hands, squeezing them gently in his hands. "It's not like that. I swear it's not. Yeah I mean, it'll hurt a bit, tattoos hurt but it's not the same."
"How?" she asked.
"This is going to keep you safe," he assured her. "No demons can touch you when you get this. I'll breathe easier knowing you'll be okay, but if you really don't want to, you don't have to."
"You'll be disappointed if I don't. You'll think I'm weak," she breathed.
"No, never. You're a strong young woman. I've actually thought you're too strong at times. Hell, it just makes me worry about you more," he assured her with a grin. "You and that nixie? Scared the crap out of me when I saw you fighting that thing, but you took it out like it was nothing. Willing to go against Leviathans in order to protect Charlie? I know I give you orders at times, but it's because I care about you, because I worry."
He reached out for her, brushing away a tear.
"You do not have to do this," he assured her. "We can walk back out right now, no questions asked, but I want you to know I'll be right next to you the whole time. You just hold my hand and squeeze if it hurts, and we'll get through it together."
"Father, if I did that I'd break your hand."
"Eh, make it my left then. I shoot with my right," he joked, earning a little bit of a laugh from her. "I'm serious though. You don't have to."
She hesitated for a moment before chewing on her lip.
"You're a vessel for angels, aren't you?" she asked him, the question catching him off guard. "That leader they lost, Michael... Do angels posses humans, need vessels like skin riders? So that angel, that woman, Hester… she was in a human body, wasn't she? The fury said I'm of the bloodline of the vessel of Michael, and that's you, isn't it? Is that why you don't have faith, Father?"
"Where is all this coming from?" he asked her. Hadn't she been scared about a tattoo just a second ago? Why was this suddenly the topic of conversation?
"I've been thinking about it, all of it, every since she died. I didn't get it all at first but it's starting to make sense now. You're a vessel, and I must be too because I'm your daughter. That's why you want to hide me."
Oh hell, he could forget sometimes how fast she put things together. It was why he didn't like her asking so many questions, not that keeping her in the dark had been doing any good from the sounds of it. One visit from the angels and she'd put together way too much. He found himself sighing and cursing that bitch for even saying anything before she'd gotten stabbed by Meg.
"Emma, listen to me. You do not have to worry about any angels," he told her firmly. "They will not bother you, because they won't know where you are. We're going to hide you here and get stuff that will keep you from being found."
She was silent for so long he was about to get up and just pull her out of the place with him before she nodded her head.
"Okay," she agreed. "I'll do it, but… uh… could you still hold my hand while we do this?"
"Sure," he said. "Guess we should get it on your collar bone or something, like where we have it."
"Actually, I'd like to get it on my wrist," she said, holding out her left, bare and unmarked. "So my heart can go out with my tribe, my real tribe, no matter where they go. I want the same marks my father wears."
He wasn't really sure how to tell her that it wasn't really a family mark so he didn't bother with it. Honestly, the sentiment sounded kind of nice, and if it helped her then he didn't mind at all letting her think it.
When they were called up, her hand went to her necklace, the one he'd watched Lydia give to her as just a little girl. She was whispering something to herself that he only barely caught.
Courage in all things. He tried his best not to think too hard about when she'd been taught that particular lesson.
The session for the tattoo didn't take too long, luckily. Less than an hour, and it had been easier than he would have thought. The second the needle went down to her skin, she'd been tense, but as it had started she looked down at it in surprise. Clearly it had been way better than getting the Amazonian symbol burned into her like she was cattle or something. He was glad there wasn't another memory to cause her any emotional distress. He didn't want to do that to her too.
"Man that smells good," he groaned as they walked back into Jody's place. He still wasn't happy about the lack of snack food but home cooked meals were nothing to knock. "Hey, Jody. Mind if we use your bedroom real quick?"
She walked out with a small cardboard box with tin foil wrapped up around several small bundles.
"What are those?" he said, his mouth already watering.
"Baked potatoes. Figured you three are going to need all the carbs you could handle if you're planning on doing anything strenuous," she explained as she set it down on the table. "What do you need the bedroom for?"
"Gotta make a little call to an angel," he admitted. "Won't cause any trouble, I promise."
"An angel?" she asked with an arched eyebrow. "Sure, why not? He want some food too?"
"Oh no, he doesn't eat. Don't worry, he won't cause any trouble," he assured her. At least he hoped he wouldn't. "Though could you grab a bandage or two for Emma? We're going to need a few extra to keep that clean while she's healing."
"Sure. There's some in the bathroom," she told Emma. "I'll show you where it is."
While they were busy with that, Dean went to the bedroom. He really wasn't sure about making this prayer, wasn't even sure if Castiel would answer, but he didn't have much of a choice. The protection from possession was only half of it. He needed to make sure she was as undetectable as possible.
Closing the door for privacy, just in case the angel didn't show up and he ended up making himself look like some kind of jackass, he tried to relax. Cas was still kind of weird to think about now. He hadn't really quite gotten a handle yet on this whole thing that might be between them. What did he even call it? Affection? Loyalty, nothing more than comradeship to help fight the devil? Love?
He was going to have to have that talk soon, but not now.
"Cas," he spoke into the emptiness of the room. "Cas, listen I know you're off, I dunno, checking out the beauty of life or whatever but I need your help. It's Emma. Well, I need something to make sure she's safe, okay? Same thing you did for me and Sam. That and… I'm worried about you. The state you're in… Can you just show up so I can see you're okay?"
"Of course, Dean. As you can see, I'm fine."
Dean stared at the angel suddenly in front of him and sitting on the bed, too shocked to say anything. He was all too used to the angel touching down to his location, but he'd always been dressed before. The sight that greeted him now was nothing but flesh, making his mouth go dry. Jimmy Novak's body was nothing to sneer at, though honestly he hadn't really noticed. He remembered the odd feeling in his gut whenever Castiel looked at him, the focus in it, and in Jimmy he'd seen nothing. It was easy to think about letting him go back home without a second thought, interest dried up in him the second the angel wasn't around.
Now though, everything exposed, it made his mouth go dry. Fine was a very good word to put to how Castiel appeared right now.
Though he had to admit, the effect was kind of ruined by having a bunch of bees crawling all over him. Only a bit though.
"Dude, why are you naked?" he breathed out.
"Well, it is spring time," the angel explained. "Surely you know."
"Uh… checked the calendar lately, yes. Don't know what that means about the whole… no clothes thing."
Which was honestly making it very hard to think. Very damn hard. Fucking hell, why had he never noticed how good Castiel looked?
More accurately, why had he never allowed himself to notice?
"This is the time that everything is open," he explained in his same low voice, deep and gravely that was all of sudden making Dean's knees feel like jelly. "Flowers opening up, life blooming, pollinating everywhere. Nature itself is-"
"Getting down to business," he finished for him in a kind of croak. It should bother him that Castiel's rambling were starting to make more sense to him but on the other hand that was a pretty difficult meaning to miss. His mind tripped over itself as he came to the realization that this might be on purpose though. Was this a sign of Castiel somehow, a signal he always seemed to missed about his feelings? Was he inviting Dean to… pollinate him? That was utterly nuts.
Then again, so was his angel, and somehow that didn't feel like the turn off that it should have been.
"Yo Dean, you want to help with some of the WHAT THE HELL?!" Sam cried out as he came into the room, immediately covering his eyes at the sight. "Dude! What is going on in here?!"
"Sam! He just showed up like this, I swear!" he cried out. Dean Winchester, who hadn't felt shame about sex or watching porn around his brother since he'd been a teen, suddenly felt himself go red and very insistent about proclaiming his innocence.
"Hello, Sam," the angel said pleasantly. "Dean had called me down. He wanted to see me."
"Yeah, yeah I'm sure," the hunter replied, turning around determinedly. "Have fun then."
"Sam, I said it's not-" he protested before the door slammed shut. "Okay, Castiel. Clothes. Now."
If there had been any mood there before, it was now dead and buried. Luckily the angel listened and it was only a few minutes before he was back in the room, clothed and not an insect in sight. Dean should have been relieved but he couldn't help but feel like maybe a few more minutes of privacy could have led to an interesting discussion between the two.
"Better," he sighed out. "Just do me a favor and stay in here until I can go get Emma, okay? Don't move."
He nodded in agreement and the man went to collect his daughter, actively avoiding any questions about what the screaming before was about.
"Here," he said as he had her stand in front of the angel. "I need you to give her the sigils."
"Ah. That actually is going to be rather hard. I was worried that's what you meant," Castiel admitted.
"What do you mean? Did you lose some of your angel mojo or something?" Dean asked.
"No, that's not it, though it's to the same effect. She is going to be hard to affect is all. My condolences," he said to Emma. "Or congratulations perhaps. I suppose this could go either way for you."
"What are you talking about?" she asked him. "Is something wrong?"
"Not so much wrong as misaligned," he stated. "Being born an Amazon descended from a god, you're more divine in nature than most, a lot more really. My powers have a limited affect on you in several areas."
"Wait, so Emma has some kind of invulnerability to angelic powers?" Dean asked in disbelief.
"No, well in some ways yes, but not all, of course. An angel could still easily kill her by tearing apart her atoms or any other less than pleasant means."
"Oh… goody," she said, eyeing Dean. "Is that a thing I need to worry about?"
"No," he said immediately. "Cas, you think you can keep from trying to scare her?"
"Sorry, I just felt you should be fully warned. I don't want you to hear this news and believe that you're immune to our powers. More, have a resistant to it. I can usually heal others with a touch but it's fairly impossible with you to work that fast. Granted, I still could, but it would take a while to worm past the divine defenses in her blood. Luckily being Dean's daughter, I believe they aren't too strong."
"So what, you can't give her the sigils?"
"I can," the angel assured him. "It's just going to take a while. I was able to engrave yours in immediately. She's going to take a lot longer."
"How much longer?" he asked. Was the angel joking? Could still be killed by an angel but healing was right off the board? Great. Just great. As if this wasn't complicated enough as it was.
"I would say about an hour," he informed him. "And it will be painful."
#-#
Emma groaned as she laid out in the back seat, her whole body feeling stiff. These stupid warding had better be worth it. It had felt like she had been getting burned up from the inside, but true enough her father had held onto her the whole time as she had grit her teeth and gasped out, trying not to cry from the pain of it. She'd have gotten a dozen more tattoos not to have had to put up with that. Gulping down water and a few pain pills, she didn't allow herself to complain though.
This would keep her father from worrying about her, and that was worth anything. Still, she'd be very happy when the burning sensation and aches left her. There was still a long drive to get to North Dakota and she planned to sleep through as much of it as possible in order to just allow her body to settle and be okay again. By the time they got there it would be dark, a good five hours away, long enough to get some sleep and hopefully get rid of this pain.
Her father had been surprisingly forthcoming about the angels. Well, he hadn't confirmed anything she'd asked, but he hadn't denied anything either. It left her feeling she was right on the money with most of it.
A vessel, but angels were dangerous, needed to be hidden from. Her father was a vessel of Michael, the angel's leader. That angel in that woman's body… killed like she'd been nothing.
Don't hurt humans. Killing humans got hunters after you. Her father's words were still firmly in her brain, something she had taken to heart. That vessel had been innocent though, wasn't she? Hester had been hurting Castiel but…
She squeezed her eyes shut. The morality on this was confusing at best, and she was too tired to try and sort it all out. The best she had was guesses, and no real indication on what could be true or false. Then again, it had been a demon that had done it, so her morals probably mattered for very little.
Did it just apply for her then? Was she the one who couldn't attack innocent people? She didn't want to anyway of course. Gods above, why was this bothering her so much? Why had seeing Hester die affect her like this? Why couldn't she stop thinking about it?
Just who was her father? Just what did being a vessel to an angel mean? What did it mean for her?
If her father had his way, it would never mean anything, but she ached to know. Her tribe was her identity. She had long since accepted the Winchesters as her family, her tribe. Deep down she still thought about her sisters and her mother but she'd never go back. She didn't want that life, but she did want answers that something told her she'd never fully receive.
She looked at the two marks on her wrists, the symbol of her clan and then the one of her family. Maybe it was a balance, a way for her to find peace over what her life was. The choice had felt right at the time. The teen was just going to have to trust in her instincts to carry her through all of this.
She was jostled awake when the car stopped, causing her to groan as she sat up straight and rubbed at her eyes.
"Where are we?" she groaned before gasping at seeing Bobby next to her, patting her heart a couple times to try to calm it down. How had she forgotten he was here too?
"At the vampire nest. We're scouting it out before deciding what to do," Dean said as he pulled out a pair of binoculars to take a look. "It's totally dark though. I can't see inside."
"So what, should we wait for daylight?" Sam asked.
"Hell no, we're not waiting. I'll scout it, see if we need to bring in the big guns," Bobby offered.
"I dunno. Look, Bobby," Sam said but the ghost was already gone. "Great."
He was back a few moments later, appearing as quickly as he'd left.
"Anyone in there?" Emma asked.
"Place is all clear, but there's something you're going to want to see," he stated.
Despite the assurance it was safe to go in, the three living people crept in carefully, armed and trying not to make any noise. Never hurt to be careful, though Emma's own knife was made for stabbing, not big enough to take a vampire's head off. Still, she felt better with it in her hand, that was for sure. There wasn't any reason to worry though, three bodies on the table and very much dead, their faces melted and burned around their mouths.
"Know a way to kill vamps with battery acid?" Dean asked.
"Only way I know is beheading," the dead hunter stated.
"Well something didn't agree with them," Sam noted as he looked around before his gaze fell onto a wall, seeming confused for a second. "Hey, look at that wall. It seem strange to you?"
It was actually paneled a little odd in comparison to the rest of the house, now that he'd mentioned it.
"Secret door maybe?" Emma guessed. "Maybe there are more vampires around here?"
"Right, Emma stay back. Maybe there's a switch or something we can find," Dean replied as he started to run a hand down the wall to see if he could find one, though Bobby just walked right in. A few moments of looking and they had the switch found, pushing the button quickly to allow the wall to swing open and reveal a very pink and girly looking room.
Emma was struck still as she saw a young lady scramble up at the wall opening, clutching a teddy bear to her chest and dressed in nothing but a short nightgown. A languished feeling that had nothing to do with the sigils filled her chest at the sight of her, not even hearing the words her father and uncle were saying at the girl's eyes caught her own. The Amazon swallowed a lump in her throat, her mind already buzzing at the sight of her.
She was the most pretty girl Emma had ever seen.
End of Chapter 17
I know in the show Sioux Falls is pretty much played of as no one is aware of what happened in later seasons, but I have to say nuts to that. I just don't see Jody going and refusing to tell anyone the truth since a bunch of people in this small town already saw the dead walking around. Especially since as a cop, you would think the others in the precinct might be better prepared to serve and protect if they knew what was actually out there. I had to giggle whenever there was a scene there they boys would be talking about supernatural stuff and they always lowered their voices so no one could hear them.
Like, why? There's no reason to reset the universe every time end of the world signs start happening, just to keep up the excuse for the fake IDs. It just looks like Clark Kent forgetting to put his glasses back on after he runs around as Superman and everyone just pretends for his sake that he can think he's so clever. The world is allowed to evolve, Supernatural. So yes, if anyone is confused about Sioux Falls pretty much being in the know, that's why. It just makes more sense to me.