AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have all of my readers in the US had a good Thanksgiving and that everyone is staying safe and healthy. I've finally gotten moved into my new home and things are mostly settled. Believe me, it's something I don't want to do again for a while.
Thank you to everyone who has posted a review or liked or favorited this story. It's great knowing that others are enjoying what I'm having so much fun writing.
CHAPTER 10
Dean didn't knock before opening Krissy's bedroom door. She hadn't shown up for her training session that morning, and he was pissed. He didn't care what excuse she tried to give, he was going to bust her ass before making her hit the gym. She knew better to ditch her workout, especially considering they'd had a discussion about it only a few days before.
It took Dean a minute after he stepped into the room to register that the light was on and Krissy was lying on the bed curled up on her side, her arms clutched over her stomach and her legs pulled up to her chest. He started to approach the bed when Krissy let out a moan of pain. He backtracked and stuck his head out the door. "Sammy!" he yelled down the hallway, "get in here."
"What's wrong?" Dean asked as he approached the bed. This kind of thing was Sam's area, not his, and he felt completely out of his element.
Krissy opened her eyes and glared at him. "Just go away and leave me alone."
Dean gave her a hard look before turning back to the door. "Sammy!" he yelled again just as his brother rushed into the room.
It was obvious Sam had been shaving when Dean had yelled for him. Half his face was clean shaven, while the other half was still covered in stubble. "What's the emergency?" he asked, eyeing Dean then taking in Krissy's position on the bed.
"Will you two just go away and leave me alone!" Krissy demanded again in a sharp voice. She just wanted to die in peace, not with Dean Winchester standing over her with his arms crossed over his chest and glaring at her.
Sam moved to sit on the side of the bed. Krissy's back was to him. "What's wrong," he asked as Krissy batted away the hand that had come to rest against her forehead to check for a fever.
"Nothing," Krissy said shortly. "I just want to be left alone."
"Well, that ain't happening."
Sam glared at Dean, clearly communicating his opinion on his older brother's comment.
"Turn over and sit up. I'm not going to keep talking to your back," Sam ordered.
"Sounds like a good time to leave then, doesn't it."
Krissy heard Dean take a step forward toward her bed and a sigh from Sam. She wasn't all that surprised when a large hand wrapped around her biceps and pulled her over onto her back. Knowing it would be futile, she didn't protest when Sam grasped her other arm as well and hauled her up into a sitting position.
"Now," Sam said, his voice taking on a stern edge, "tell me what's going on with you. It's obvious you're in pain, but what's causing it?"
Krissy studied Sam for a moment before turning her gaze to Dean. He was standing at the foot of her bed with his arms still crossed over his chest. The expression on his face clearly showed that he was quickly losing patience.
Fine, she thought. She wasn't going to be embarrassed by what she had to say, but she was sure Dean, at least, would be. "Oh, I don't know," she said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe it's because one of my major organs is shedding its lining even as we speak?"
Krissy had to fight back the smile that threatened to cross her face at the look of panic that spread across Dean's features as he grasped her meaning.
"Menstrual cramps?" Sam said, bringing her attention to him. "All of this over menstrual cramps?"
"Yes, Sam," she responded as she drew her legs up toward her chest. The position seemed to relieve some of the pain and pressure in her lower abdomen. "Menstrual cramps -- double over in pain, want to rip my uterus out of my body with my bare hands, menstrual cramps." She glared first at Dean before turning her attention back to Sam. "So unless you have a miracle cure, please just leave me alone. I'd like to die in peace."
"I … um …" Dean didn't know what to say. He turned on his heel and walked from the room, leaving Sam to deal with the situation.
Sam studied her for a moment. "Have you taken anything yet?" he asked as he rose to his feet.
Krissy was slightly confused. She'd half expected the younger Winchester to make an excuse to leave the room just as Dean had done. She shook her head. "No."
Sam remembered that Midol had been on the shopping list she'd given him when she first came to the bunker. "Do you have any of that Midol I bought you left? Is it in the medicine cabinet?"
Krissy had forgotten all about having the bottle of medicine and mentally smacked herself on the forehead. If she'd remembered having it, she would have taken it and at least lessened her misery a lot sooner. "Yeah," she responded in a small voice.
Sam gave her an exasperated look as he turned to the medicine cabinet situated over her bedroom sink. Moments later he handed Krissy a couple of pills and a glass of water. While she swallowed them, he pulled the chair away from her desk and moved it to the side of her bed. He sat and began studying the teenager in front of him.
When she began squirming in her seat he asked, "Do you cramp like this every month?" he asked matter of factly.
Krissy could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks. Her plot to get some enjoyment by using her period to unnerve Sam and Dean had worked on Dean. But, it had backfired with Sam. Instead, she was the one being unnerved by his questions. "Saaaaam," she whined in protest.
"No, Krissy, " he responded in exasperation, "I really do need to know. Having you in debilitating pain every month has to be factored into your ability to hunt. Maybe we need to take you to the doctor to get some birth control pills to help." He knew without a doubt that the young lady in front of him was in severe pain. He also knew without a doubt that she had intended to use it to her advantage that morning. What he wanted to know, though, was if this was going to be a regular occurrence.
Krissy sighed. She could see that there was no getting out of this. "I do cramp, but they're usually not this bad. It might have something to do with the fact that I missed my period last month." She picked up a pillow from her bed and propped it against her raised knees, then hid her face in its softness. She didn't remember being so embarrassed in her life.
Sam was momentarily taken aback? Missed period? All the possibilities of what that could mean flashed through his mind. "Krissy, I have to ask," he said gently. He was almost reluctant to ask the question. "Is there a chance that you missed your period last month and are in so much pain now because you are pregnant and are miscarrying? Do we need to get you medical attention?"
Krissy's head shot up, and she gaped at Sam. She couldn't believe he'd just asked that. "What?!? No!" she exclaimed. "I'm not all that regular to begin with, and it's even worse if I'm under a lot of stress."
Sam nodded his understanding. "Fine, give the Midol time to work, then come to the kitchen. You and Dean need to hash out what you're going to do about your missed training session, and I'm starting your latin lessons this morning. Not to mention that Charlie will be here around lunchtime." He rose to his feet and moved to the door. Before stepping through it, he turned and pinned Krissy with a look. "And, Krissy, don't think for a minute we will put up with any disrespect behavior that you might try to blame on PMS."
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
Krissy sat at a table in the library playing with her phone. She'd had a lousy day. First her period had started, along with killer cramps. Then, Dean had lectured her about skipping her workout, even though he'd known why she'd done it. To top it off, he'd made her do her full workout plus twenty burpees at the end. She'd thought that as embarrassed as he'd been that morning when learning about her menstrual cramps that he'd have taken it easy on her. Noooo -- if anything, he'd pushed her even harder.
Then, there was Sam. As he'd told her earlier, he'd started her latin lessons after she'd showered off the sweat from her training session. He'd even assigned her homework. That's why she was in the library at the moment.
She glanced down at the notebook in front of her. The latin words sum and possum were written at the heads of two tables. Along the rows, Sam had written 1st person singular, 2nd person singular, 3rd person singular, 1st person plural, 2nd person plural, and 3rd person plural. The tenses present, past, future, and imperfect were written along the top of the columns. She had been instructed to conjugate the given verbs and provide a meaning for each conjugation. She'd filled in the first two cells of the table -- sum (I am), es (you are). She'd lost interest at that point, and had begun a text conversation with Josephine.
She was in the process of typing a response to her friend's latest message when the phone was pulled from her hand. "What the hell? Give that back!" She demanded.
Sam didn't immediately respond. Instead, he glanced down at the phone in his hand to see the partially typed text Krissy had been preparing to send. He erased the text and quickly typed one of his own: Krissy won't be responding for a while - Sam.
"Give me my phone back, please," Krissy decided a nice approach might get a better result than her previous demand.
Instead of returning the phone, he hit send and slid the phone into his hip pocket. "I don't believe that texting your friend is what you are supposed to be doing, is it?" When Krissy didn't respond, he continued, "you'll get it back later, after you've finished the assignment I gave you. You should have had it done already."
Krissy sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "And if I don't want to?"
Sam leaned down and braced his hands on the arms of Krissy's chair so that his face was only inches from hers. "Then I keep your phone for the rest of the week. If you still want to argue about it, you'll be doing the assignment anyway sitting on a sore ass. It's your choice." He really didn't want to go there with her over homework, but he wanted to nip any inclination she might have to argue about doing it in the bud. He just hoped the threat would be enough to deter her, and that he wouldn't have to actually follow through with it.
Dean chose that moment to step into the library. "Problem?" he asked as he took in Sam's position looming over Krissy.
"I don't know, " Sam said, not taking his gaze off Krissy's face, "is there a problem here?"
"No." Krissy looked away.
"No, what?"
"No, sir," Krissy responded through clinched teeth.
Sam gave her a hard look, then straightened. "What's going on," he asked, turning to face his brother.
"I could ask you the same thing," Dean responded. "But I came in to tell you that Charlie's almost here. I'm going out to meet her and let her in the bunker."
Sam nodded. "I'll meet you in the war room in a few minutes. We have something to finish here."
Dean shrugged. Whatever was happening was between them, and he knew Sam was more than capable of handling it.
Sam waited until Dean had left the room before turning back to Krissy. "That assignment should have taken you only half an hour at most, and you've more than an hour to do it. So, you're going to sit here and finish it. I'm keeping your phone until it's done." He shook his head and held up a hand to forestall any argument Krissy was about to make. "These lessons are part of your hunter training. I'll remind you that part of your training is to do what you are told, when you are told. I suggest you keep that in mind." Without waiting for a response, he turned and left the room.
Krissy was mad. How dare Sam treat her that way. He had no right to take her phone or threaten to spank her over a lousy homework assignment. Still, she huffed out a breath before she picked up her pen and started working. She knew Sam didn't make idle threats, and she really wasn't in the mood to face the consequences if she pushed him too far.
A few minutes passed, and Krissy had completed the first verb conjugation and had just written possum (I can) in the first cell of the second table when she heard a loud scraping sound. Figuring that could only be the main door to the bunker opening, she tossed her pen on the table and went to stand just inside the door between the library and the rest of the bunker. She wanted to see what was happening in the other room without being seen by the occupants of the war room.
She watched as a woman came through the door followed closely by Dean. The woman was probably medium height, but since she was standing next to Dean it was hard to tell. Even from that distance, Krissy could tell she had pale skin and bright red hair.
"What's up, bitches?" The woman said loudly as she came to stand at the railing. She then rushed down the stairs only to be enveloped in a warm hug by Sam when she reached the bottom.
Krissy felt a pang of jealousy. Neither of the Winchester brothers had ever greeted her that way. In fact, the only time she'd received a hug from either of them was after she'd been spanked. Add to that the fact that they would have never let her get away with greeting them the way Charlie had.
She was still stewing over her thoughts when she turned back to the library table. Sam still had her phone, and, as much as she wanted to go hide in her room, the only way to get there was through the war room. That was the last thing she wanted to do. Sighing in resignation, she sat down at the table and picked up her pen. Maybe by the time she finished her assignment, the war room would be empty and she could make her escape.
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
"So, what have you been up to lately," Sam asked when Charlie stepped out of his embrace.
She shrugged, "Oh, you know, the usual stuff -- LARPing, hunting, hacking, that kinda thing."
"Hunting?" Dean questioned, his voice suddenly going hard. "We've talked about that before."
In the library, Krissy's ears perked up. Was Charlie about to get in trouble for the same thing she'd done? Once again, Krissy's curiosity got the better of her and she took up a position just inside the door. From where she was standing she could still see the glare on Dean's face as he stood with his arms crossed over his muscular chest. She knew that expression all too well, and it usually didn't bode well for whoever was on the receiving end.
"Relax," Charlie said lightly as she reached out and patted Dean on the shoulder. "I'm not hunting solo. I've joined up with a group out of Denver. If there's anything they're working on near where I happen to be, I meet up with them. It doesn't happen all that often, but that's perfectly fine with me. Mostly, I've been using my hacking skills to hunt monsters of the human variety."
Krissy didn't know if she was glad or disappointed when Dean relaxed and dropped his arm around Charlie's shoulders and gave her a companionable squeeze.
"That's still dangerous, kiddo," he said, meeting Charlie's gaze.
"And that's why I make sure I cover my tracks well and keep on the move. I don't stay in one spot for very long."
Sam had been listening to their exchange. "Still, Charlie, be extra careful. The human monsters can be just as deadly as the supernatural kind."
Charlie nodded. "I will. Now, when do I get to meet Krissy? Surely you two haven't chased her off already."
Krissy ducked back out of sight behind the door frame. She still wasn't in the mood to deal with the Winchester brothers and their crap or to meet his woman who seemed to be such a special friend to the both of them. She hoped Sam would have the decency to cover for her, since he was the one who put her in her present mood, and make an excuse for her.
"I left her in the library," Sam said. "She has a homework assignment to finish and was in a bit of a snit over it."
Krissy could feel heat rising to her cheeks. She couldn't believe Sam would embarrass her that way.
"Well, she can just get over her snit," Dean said drily. "Krissy!" he yelled in the direction of the library.
The teenager chanced a glance over her shoulder into the war room. The older Winchester brother was standing with his hands on his hips and was intently watching the library doorway. She could almost feel his angry green eyes boring holes into her.
"It's okay," Charlie said, stepping in front of Dean. "I'll just meet her later. Besides, I've got some information I want to pass on about possible demon activity."
"You sure?" Dean asked. "She knows better than to act this way." His eyes were still studying the library door. He knew without a doubt that Krissy was hiding just out of sight behind the door frame and had heard every word that was being said.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Charlie said. She didn't know what had happened between Sam and Krissy before she arrived at the bunker, but she didn't want it to spill over into any friendship she might try to start with the teenager. She quickly decided she'd pass on her information to the Winchester brothers, then track Krissy down and offer her a shoulder to cry on. Charlie was sure after spending a month living with Dean and Sam the teenager could use some female company.
"Come on," Sam said as he straightened from where he'd been leaning against the map table. "Let's go to the kitchen and get some coffee while we talk." He figured that would give Krissy the change to escape from the library without having to deal with Dean.
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
"What do you know about Bobby Mackey's Music World?" Charlie asked as she and the Winchester brothers settled around the kitchen table. They each had a steaming mug of coffee in their hands. Her bags were lying in a heap where she'd dropped them by the kitchen door.
Sam narrowed his eyes as his mind worked to recall information he'd read about the nightclub. "It's located in northern Kentucky, isn't it?" When Charlie confirmed his recollection, he continued. "It's rumored to be haunted by a couple of ghosts, and then there's that alleged portal to Hell in the basement."
"A portal to Hell?!?" Dean asked in surprise. "And they use it as a nightclub?"
"It's never actually been proven," Sam responded as if the topic of conversation was the most natural thing on Earth. "If I remember correctly, the building was originally used as a slaughterhouse. Rumor has it that there was a well dug in the basement to hold blood and offal from the slaughtered animals. After the slaughterhouse closed, supposedly, a group of satanists used the site for their rituals."
Dean gaped at his brother for a moment, then shook his head slightly in awe. "How do you manage to remember all that . . . stuff?"
"I read," Sam responded shortly before turning to Charlie. "Why are you asking about it?"
"According to information I've been given from a credible source," Charlie said before pausing to take a sip of her coffee, "there may be more truth to the rumors about the portal to Hell than previously thought."
"Come again," Dean directed, not quite understanding exactly what Charlie was implying.
"There have been reports of increased demon activity in the area over the last three or four months -- unexplained electrical storms, reports of the stench of sulfur in and around the club, especially around the basement area, and a rash of unexplained disappearances. Recently, a couple of bodies were found with their eyes burned out."
"Where did you get this information?" Dean asked skeptically.
"From someone in my hunting group. They've asked to be kept anonymous when I pass the information on. But I know this person, and I trust them. It could cause a lot of personal and professional problems for them if they are ever connected with the paranormal or the supernatural. They sent it to me, knowing that I'd come to you with it." Charlie paused to pull something out of the messenger bag she still wore across her body. She dropped the folder of papers on the table in front of Dean and flipped it open. "Newspaper articles about the unexplained incidents, coroners' reports on the dead bodies, police reports, it's all there."
Sam sat forward and pulled the stack of papers in his direction. "Say the portal to Hell in Bobby Mackey's basement is real and demons are using it as a doorway. Just what do you think we can do about it?" He'd studied Charlie's face as he talked.
"Go check it out and see whether or not the rumors are true," Charlie responded as she leaned back in her chair. "If demons are coming through there, then you can decide what, you can or want to do about it. I mean, don't you two have a direct connection to the King of Hell or something?"
Sam and Dean just stared at Charlie for a moment. They hadn't been aware that their connection with Crowley had been widely known. Or that Crowley was the self-proclaimed King of Hell was known outside of their immediate circle, for that matter. Charlie grinned at their reaction as she came to her feet. "I'm going to go find Krissy and take her for a girl's day out. I'm sure she could use some time away from the bunker." The "and from them" was implied. She headed toward the door, intending to investigate the bedroom corridor until she found Krissy's room. She had a feeling that was where she'd find the teenager. "I'll text you when we head out and when we're headed back. "
"Okay," Sam responded before Dean could speak up and put a stop to Charlie's plans. "Just keep a close eye on her. She's tried to run in the past."
Charlie nodded her understanding. "Don't worry, I know all the tricks. I've even pulled a few of them myself a time or two. I'll watch out for her and bring her back in one piece."
The two men watched as Charlie left the room in search of Krissy. "What do you think," Sam asked, turning to look at Dean.
"About the hunt or about Charlie taking Krissy into town?"
Sam glared at his brother for a moment. Dean really was such a hardass at times, he thought. "About the hunt." He paused a moment before continuing, "although, back off about Charlie and Krissy. They'll be fine."
"Fine," Dean said in a voice that clearly broadcast his annoyance. "When she takes off on Charlie, you can be the one to track her down and haul her ass back here."
"Dean," Sam said with a sigh, "you have to learn to trust her at some point. It's been a month, and she's calmed down a lot since she got here. Give her the benefit of the doubt today. She may just surprise you."
Dean picked up his coffee mug and drank the remaining contents in one large swallow. He rose from his chair and went over the coffee pot sitting on the side table and refilled his mug. He resumed his seat at the table and studied his brother's face while taking a sip of the hot liquid. "I don't know if what Charlie told us is even worth looking into. I mean, so what if Crowley's people are using the basement of a nightclub as a doorway. As long as they aren't causing major havoc, do we really want to waste our time on that?"
Sam looked at Dean in surprise. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my brother?" he asked. "Just the other day you were itching to head out on a hunt, now you're reticent about it? What's changed?"
Dean looked into the cup of coffee he still held in his hand. Without saying a word he rose from the table and poured the steaming liquid into the sink and set the cup in the basin to be washed later. Avoiding his brother's gaze, he moved to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. After he popped the cap, he carried it back to the table, where he resumed his seat.
"I guess I'm just sick and tired of dealing with demons. It never seems to end well for us." He drained half the bottle in a few swallows. "Yeah, I want to get back to hunting -- but give me some vampires or a pack of werewolves. You know, the old fashioned stuff."
"I get that, Dean. I really do," Sam said as he, too, rose to get a beer from the refrigerator. Returning to the table, he took a drink from the now open bottle. "But Hell has been quiet. There's no pending apocalypse. No one is trying to take over the world."
"That we're aware of," Dean interrupted.
Sam nodded his acknowledgement of Dean's statement. "Regardless, when have we ever said no when a friend has asked for our help. Plus, this is Charlie we're talking about." Sam paused to take another drink of his beer and to allow Dean a few seconds to absorb his words. "She's never said no to anything we've asked from her. Doesn't she deserve the same courtesy from us?"
Dean glared at Sam. He wasn't going to come out and admit his brother was right. He just didn't have that in him. Instead he sighed and sat back in his chair. "If there really is demon sign around Bobby Mackey's, we don't let Krissy anywhere near there. She's not getting anywhere near demons until we get her an anti-possession amulet."
"I completely agree with you on that. We investigate, and the minute it looks like the demon signs are real, she goes to stay at the motel." Sam drained the rest of his beer and stood.
"Where are you going?" Dean demanded.
"I thought I'd try to catch Charlie and Krissy before they leave. I still have Krissy's phone, and I'd feel better if she has it on her while she's outside the bunker."
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
Charlie carried her bags into the bedroom she always used when she stayed at the bunker. She sniffed at the sheets on the bed and quickly recoiled at their musty smell. They hadn't been changed since the last time she'd slept in them. She quickly stripped them from the bed and left them in a pile by the door to be tossed in the washer before she and Krissy left. Then, she opened the linen chest -- only to discover those sheets were nearly as bad. She added those to the pile, then gathered everything up before making her way to the laundry room.
Once all the linens were in the wash, she found herself standing in front of the door to the bedroom next to Dean's. All of the other doors along the corridor, including her own, had been shut. This one, though, was slightly ajar -- as if the occupant of the room had closed it quickly and hadn't taken the time to make sure it had latched. Reaching out, Charlie knocked on the door. "Krissy, it's Charlie. May I come in?"
Krissy looked up at the sound of the knock. She'd wondered how long it would take one of them to come find her. Although, she was a little surprised that it was Charlie who was knocking on her door and not Dean or Sam. She had expected either of the brothers to show up and yell at her for her behavior.
"Yeah, come in," she responded to Charlie's question. As the door opened, the teenager sat up from where she had been lying in bed and leaned against the headboard.
When Charlie stepped into the room she quickly took in the brightly colored bedspread and the posters taped to the walls. She was pleased to see that the Winchester brothers had allowed Krissy to make the room her own. It told her that they intended the girl to be there for a long time.
She held out her hand in greeting as she approached the teenager sitting against the headboard of the bed. "Hi, Krissy. I'm Charlie."
"Yeah, I kinda got that," Krissy replied as she closed the book she'd been reading and laid it beside her hip, intentionally ignoring Charlie's offered hand.
Charlie bit back a sigh. As she'd left the kitchen Dean had warned her that Krissy had an attitude problem. He'd also told Charlie to let him know if Krissy gave her a hard time, and he'd take care of it. Because she was under no illusions as to what he meant by that, she had no intention of following that particular command. But, she wasn't going to be put off by a teenager with an attitude problem. After all, she'd been one of those once.
"So, which one of them are you sleeping with?" Krissy asked without preamble. "My guess is Sam. No offense, but you don't look like Dean's type."
Charlie took a seat on the foot of Krissy's bed and turned to face her. "Neither. First of all," she said matter of factly, "they aren't my type. I'm more into women. Secondly, ewwww." She grinned at the brief smile that crossed the teenager's face. "They're like my brothers."
Charlie's face grew serious. "Look, I'm not here to challenge you or get between you and them, or whatever you think my motive for coming here is. I had a favor to ask them. Yeah, I could have done it over the phone, but I wanted to meet you." She sighed heavily before continuing, "Dean and Sam help out a lot of people. It's who they are. But, they very rarely let anyone past the surface. I'm lucky to be one of those people." It was clear that the statement wasn't intended to be a brag, but was one of fact. "You're even more special -- they brought you into their home." Charlie gave Krissy a steady look that clearly said her mission was as much one of protection of the Winchester brothers as it was of curiosity.
Krissy met Charlie's gaze for a moment as she thought about what the woman had said, then she nodded her understanding of both the spoken and unspoken. There was a lot more to the woman sitting on the foot of her bed than met the eye, and Krissy was willing to give her a chance -- at least for now. "How did you all meet?"
"They introduced me to the supernatural a few years ago when they showed up where I was working. It turns out my boss wasn't who he wanted everyone to think he was. I was already suspicious of him, but not for the same reason they were. Anyway, Sam and Dean learned that I had a particular set of skills they could use and talked me into helping them. They took down the bad guy, and I decided to disappear because I knew his people would be after me. A year or so went by, I had set myself up somewhere completely free of the supernatural -- or so I thought. They showed up there on another hunt -- this time it turned out to be a fairy, of all things. I got involved again later with a Jinn, and we ended up growing really close. We've been friends ever since."
Krissy eyed Charlie for a moment. She knew some would consider her next question rude, but she was going to ask it anyway. "There's more to the story, isn't there? I recognized the warning in Dean's voice after you told them you'd been hunting."
Charlie gave a short laugh. "Yeah, I decided after the Jinn that I was going to start hunting. I didn't tell them, though. You know how overprotective they are. I didn't want them to interfere, so I started doing some research and training myself. Anyway, I was getting my ass kicked in a fight with a grigori when they showed up out of the blue. They took care of the monster and hauled me out of there. Neither of them were very happy that I was hunting by myself. Let's just say that I have reason to know just how hard Dean's right hand is."
Krissy grinned at the idea of their shared misery. "Yeah, and I'm here to tell you that Sam's right hand is even harder. Plus, have you seen how huge it is?" She winced at the all too recent memory of that hand lighting a fire on her backside.
Charlie shook her head in wonder. "I wouldn't have thought that of Sam Winchester."
"He isn't as quick about it as Dean is, but he'll do it if he's pushed far enough," Krissy replied.
"I'll have to keep that in mind." Charlie was curious to know what the teenager had done to push the usually reserved Sam Winchester into spanking her, but she chose not to question her any further. They were developing a rapport, and Charlie didn't want to take a chance on damaging it. "So, you want to get out of here and away from all the testosterone for a while? Go to lunch, do some shopping, and maybe watch a movie or something?"
"Yeah, I suppose. If my jailers will actually let me leave the bunker," Krissy responded. Despite her initial reaction to Charlie, the woman had grown on her over the last few minutes. Plus, she'd kill for a chance to get out of the bunker without one of the Winchester brothers watching her every move. She rose from the bed and grabbed a pair of shoes from her closet. After running a brush through her hair, she turned to Charlie and asked, "so, where are we going?"
Charlie came to her feet. "I thought we'd do a search for the nearest mall after we got to the car and decide from there." She paused. Normally, she didn't have a problem speaking her thoughts, but she was debating whether to tell Krissy what was on her mind. Seeing that the teenager was watching her anxiously, she quickly made a decision.
"Before we go, there's something I want to tell you, and I want you to think about it, okay? "
Krissy didn't know what to expect from Charlie, so she just shrugged in response.
Charlie took a deep breath. "We're a bit more alike than I think you realize." She cringed inwardly. She knew exactly how her statement had sounded, and she couldn't blame Krissy for stiffening. "We're both orphans. You lost your parents as the result of the supernatural, and I lost mine to a drunk driver. But, where I was alone in the foster care system, you've got Dean and Sam. They may be as overprotective as hell and a bit overbearing at times, but they care about you. That being said, I'll give you my number. If you need to talk or just complain about them, get in touch with me, okay?"
Krissy nodded. "Charlie, I … ah … I'm sorry for what I said earlier. You know, about you sleeping with Sam or Dean? I shouldn't have said it."
Charlie moved to where Krissy was standing and pulled the teenager into a hug. "It's okay," she said. "I knew you didn't mean it when you said it."
A few minutes later they walked into the war room and found Sam there waiting on them. He was leaning against the map table with his long legs stretched out in front of him. As they entered the room, he looked up from the phone he'd been studying.
He straightened and slid the device into his shirt pocket. "Hey" he said mildly, "I wanted to catch you two before you left."
"Why, so you could give us the rules?" Krissy asked icily.
Charlie gaped at her while Sam gave her a raised eyebrow look that clearly told that she'd better drop the attitude quickly if she wanted to go anywhere.
"No," he said, "I wanted to make sure you got your cell phone back." He pulled the device from his back pocket and held it out to her. "Make sure you keep it with you and on the entire time." Sam had taken advantage of having the phone in his possession and had installed the same tracker app he had on his and Dean's phones.
Krissy eyed him suspiciously as she took the device. She slipped it down into the bag she carried. Sam looked at her expectantly, but she refused to thank him for returning it to her as she thought he'd not had the right to take it in the first place.
Sam decided to pick his battles. Pressing Krissy on her manners at the moment wouldn't serve any useful purpose and would only serve to embarrass her. That wasn't his wish. Instead, he turned to Charlie. "Once you decide where you're going, please shoot me a text to let me know."
Charlie nodded. "I'll let you know. I think we're going to find the nearest shopping mall and do the whole girls' day out thing."
XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX XxxxxX
Five hours later, Charlie and Krissy tossed their shopping bags into the back seat of Charlie's small car. They'd found a mall about half an hour away from Lawrence, Kansas. They'd enjoyed lunch, some shopping, and a movie -- not to mention some good conversation. Krissy now understood why the Winchester brothers were so fond of Charlie. She felt like she'd found a kindred spirit -- not to mention that Charlie had given her a few hints on how to deal with some of Dean's more overbearing tendencies.
"You'd better send Sam a text letting him know we're on our way back to the bunker," Charlie told Krissy as they settled into their seats. "Tell him we'll be back in about 30 to 45 minutes. Ask if they want us to pick up dinner as we pass through town."
"Okay," Krissy responded as she pulled her phone out of her bag. Her stomach rose into her throat when she saw the number of text messages and missed phone calls she'd received during the two hours they were in the movie theater. As she read through them, she saw nearly all of them were from Dean demanding to know where they were and why she wasn't answering him. There was one from Josephine wanting to know what was going on after Sam's response and if Krissy was okay. The last text she read was from Sam, reminding them to let him know when they were headed back to the bunker. "Um, Charlie, you might want to check your phone, too. I've got a ton of texts from Dean, and he's not happy."
Charlie looked at her quizzically then pulled out her own phone. Sure enough, she had half a dozen texts from Dean. As with Krissy, he had made increasingly angry demands to know where they were and why she hadn't responded to him.
"Why don't you text Sam like I said. I'll deal with Dean," Charlie told Krissy as she began typing a reply to his last text, in which he threatened to turn them both over his knee the minute they got back to the bunker if one of them didn't respond in the next five minutes.
Krissy nodded. "Sounds good to me." Hey Sam, she typed, we're heading back now and should be at the bunker in 30-45 minutes. Should we pick up dinner on our way through town? She hit send then began composing a second message. Sorry, I had my phone on do not disturb while we were in the movie. I just now got all of the texts.
She glanced over at Charlie. She'd started the car's engine. Instead of pulling out of the parking space, though, she was busy typing a message. Krissy could only assume she was still dealing with Dean.
Krissy was going to say something about Dean being such an ass when her phone dinged, signaling an incoming text. She unlocked the screen and read the message from Sam. Thanks for letting me know. Text again when you get closer to town, and I'll let you know about dinner. A second message quickly followed the first. I've calmed Dean down, so don't worry about him. Be careful traveling back.
TBC
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Some of the information I've included about Bobby Mackey's Music World is based on information available on the Internet. It is located in Wilder, Kentucky, and is alleged to be the most haunted nightclub in America. Several paranormal television shows have done segments or episodes there. I leave it to you to decide what is factual and what I invented for this story.