Hello dearest readers, I am very much alive, I am truly sorry for my long absence, although I don't regret the reason. February 1st, 2019 I learned I was pregnant and on September 20th of that year I had my wonderful son, Jameson, who every day keeps me a little more on my toes. He's almost 20 months and now that I reread this story to continue it in my "free time" I laugh at some of the Channing moments because in many aspects that's my life now 3
You may notice changes in my writing style, I've been sober for over two years now whereas most of what you've previously read was written under inebriated circumstances.
I hope you all have been safe during these unprecedented and rather sad times, it's been a rough year and some change, but I'm hopeful for happier times ahead soon.
Thank you for being here- unless you're the person who reported me for promoting my book, not you ;p
The motel door shut behind Morgan, hiding the unnaturally frozen figures of Bryan and Claire from the empty, dark parking lot. She first twisted the pistol from Claire's hand, reaching her free hand inside the other girl's jacket and returning with an angel blade.
"You know these kill witches too, for next time you try to kill me," Morgan smirked and turned to Brian, repeating the check she'd done on Claire.
A strained moan escaped Bryan's throat when Morgan lifted the Colt from its home inside his jean jacket, she knew he must be screaming, fighting within the captivity of his body to make that one tiny sound of protest. She wasn't here to be cruel, though a significant part of her was rather enjoying the control, but Morgan wondered how different this reunion would be going had Claire not tried to shoot her.
"Okay," she dumped their weapons, including the Colt, on the bed nearest the door and waved her hand over the pile, a watery blur bubbled and engulfed them, "I don't recommend sticking a hand in here, but I'd like to ask you two some questions without getting stabbed, or shot at again," the last bit she said directly to Claire, "Now," waving her hand casually towards them and both frozen victims nearly fell to the floor, "let's talk."
"Morgan, I didn't see you!" Claire insisted, "Please believe me, I was so scared when I let go and realized I didn't know who it was, and then it was you-" Claire inhaled sharply, "I'm so sorry!"
That, was not the reaction Morgan had expected, though it certainly made the cruel part of her dissolve, suddenly finding no amusement in the control she had. Bryan's expression of angry resentment focused on the bubble of magic keeping him from the Colt added to Morgan's sudden regret, he was refusing to even look at her.
"I'm not, I won't keep them," she stammered, "I want to know what you're doing! And you're not, you can't-"
There were no words she could find to finish what she felt and Morgan let out a pained growl, sinking her hands into the pile of weapons, popping the bubble and hardly less than throwing the Colt at Bryan.
Silence stood between the trio for several long moments before Claire knelt next to her friend on Bryan's bed and gently took her hands.
"What happened to your wrists?
Morgan expelled a hard breath, "Dean didn't want me leaving the bunker, or using magic, or having any say over my life!"
"Dean did this?" Claire asked in quiet shock.
"He tricked me," Morgan whimpered, "He pretended, I thought he was trying to hug me, but he slapped those anti-magic cuffs on-"
"He didn't!" Claire gasped.
Morgan nodded sadly, "After everything! Lucifer! The vampires! I helped them kill a Prince of Hell! Hell, I just killed Phelan single handedly!"
"What?! You what?" Bryan found his voice, "Phelan, how?"
Morgan scoffed, "You guys missed a good party."
"The wolves? At the bunker?" Claire asked slowly.
"Yeah, Phelan, Marco and Kane, almost got us too," Morgan hadn't thought about the recent attack, it felt much longer ago than mere hours.
"Phelan's dead?" Bryan asked and released a heavy breath when Morgan nodded.
"They're all dead," she confirmed in a near whisper.
"Except Julian," Claire pointed out, "And that Dagon bitch."
"Is that why you left?" Morgan asked Claire, then turned to Bryan, "Why you stole the Colt?"
"I didn't steal anything," he answered flatly, "But yes, I took back the gun that's belonged to my family for over a century so I could protect you from Dagon and Phelan. Clearly I didn't give you enough credit for being able to protect yourself."
"Well, you're certainly not alone," she muttered.
"How did you get here?" Claire asked, "After Dean put those cuffs on, and how did you get them off?"
"Crowley," Morgan let out a short, dark chuckle, "Pretty sad when the only person I can remotely trust for help is the King of Hell."
Claire and Bryan said nothing for a few moments, Morgan saw them exchange glances the same as her brothers and suddenly felt very alone. She had no bonds so strong words were unnecessary, no one she trusted or trusted her implicitly. Crowley had been right, for people like them, it was best to trust no one but herself.
"Morgan," Bryan hesitated, taking a deep breath before he continued, "I'm here, Claire's here, risking everything to keep you safe-"
"I never asked that, of either of you!" Morgan stood, finding herself more confident in a less vulnerable position, "Don't pretend you're not here for glory, for the rush," she threw at Claire, shifting her attention to Bryan and spat, "And don't tell me you're not still angry about having to sit out the Alpha Vamp."
"Of course I am," he nodded, "Yeah, I'm gonna enjoy taking that kill from your brother, but that doesn't mean I'm not doing it for you."
"Tell yourself whatever you want," Morgan said, "But it's not for me, I don't want you to do this for me, so don't think you can convince me that's true, even if you've convinced yourself."
Bryan said nothing, his jaw set and his eyes were devoid of their usual kindness as they dropped from Morgan to focus on the Colt in his hands.
"This was my great-grandfather's, my grandfather's, it should have been my dad's," he swallowed hard and shoved the Colt back into the inside pocket of his jacket, "It's mine, rightfully. So whatever you want to tell yourself, that's the truth."
Morgan's phone vibrating broke the quiet following Bryan's proclamation. Sam's name flashed across the screen and Morgan looked at Claire.
"They gotta know where we are by now," the blonde shrugged.
"Unless they got help from Crowley they're still hours away," Morgan said and answered the call on speaker, "Yeah, Sam?"
"Morgan!" he was obviously surprised she'd answered.
"Where is she?!" Dean yelled in the background, "Tell her to stay the fuck put!"
"I'm safe, I found Claire and Bryan, they're fine," she found herself speaking evenly and without emotion, "I told you I would get here if you guys wouldn't take me with and that's exactly what I did. It's painfully obvious that no matter what I do, what monsters I kill, what spells I accomplish, no matter how many times I save all of your asses-"
"Morgan-" Sam tried.
"Nothing," she continued forcefully, "I do will ever be worthy of you and Dean's trust, or Claire's, or Bryan's," she looked at each in turn, "you all think I'm fragile, and nothing, nothing I have done, and despite all I've been through, can convinced you otherwise. I will not be forced to the sidelines of my life any longer under the façade of protection, I don't appreciate the overbearing concern and I am certainly not grateful for it. Now, I'm hanging up and I'm not going to answer again, I'm sure I'll see you guys soon."
"Morgan-" but Sam's protest was cut off and she dropped her phone back in her jacket pocket.
"So," Morgan looked from Bryan to Claire, "are you going to let me in on this suicide mission or am I on my own?"
Listening to the calm, collected young woman, so vastly different than the child she'd been acting like for weeks, made Bryan take a step back, both in his emotions and in the room. Morgan had been through hell, quite literally, since the moment of her birth, with very little reprieve. Had his intentions for protecting her been truly more selfish than he would let himself believe? Maybe he was as self-righteous as Dean, and equally as ignorant to it.
"Okay," Morgan shrugged when neither Claire or Bryan made a sound, "You don't want my help, then stay out of my way."
Her movement towards the door sprang Bryan's mind from stilled shock, blocking Morgan's exit.
"You're right," he said, "And I'm sorry I haven't given you the credit you deserve, but you're right, you are strong. You're probably the strongest person I know, your brothers included. I think," he looked at Claire, "I know, we want your help, we need your help."
Morgan looked to Claire, who smirked, "You know I want you in, you shouldn't even have to ask."
"Then why'd you leave me behind?" Morgan asked, mostly hiding the hurt in her voice.
"Because," Claire sighed, "I was thinking of me, I didn't, I never meant to hurt you, we honestly were trying to protect you, but I get it," she stopped Morgan's attempted interruption, "If I was you, well I'd be way more pissed."
All three of them chuckled a tiny bit before silence fell again.
"So, is there a plan here or shooting from the hip?" Morgan asked.
"We have a plan," Bryan assured her, "We even have some help from a shape shifter."
Morgan blinked hard, stammering a moment before she said, "The guy who just recently was able to be in the same room as Crowley is excited to work with a shape shifter?"
"I wouldn't say excited," he smirked.
"Why would you trust this, shifter?" Morgan's question was resentful and Bryan didn't blame her, but Claire jumped in with an explanation faster than he could.
"He's friends with a hunter we met, Ennis, him and David, that's the shifter, they've actually kinda worked with your brothers before."
"So have a lot of untrustworthy people, and monsters," Morgan reasoned.
"Well, having you now just gives us one more leg up on the situation," Bryan said, "I don't trust Ennis or David anymore than I'm sure they trust us, I'm banking on having a common enemy being enough reason to work together," after a deep breath and holding unwavering eye contact, he promised, "But I do, and always have, trusted you."
It was small, but he saw a glimmer of the smile that brought him instant happiness appear on Morgan's lips. He had no idea if he could keep her safe, almost sure he couldn't, but Bryan was finally understanding that supporting the young woman he loved was what she needed from him. He'd protect her until his last breath, but, looking at the fiery determination in her bright green eyes, he wouldn't attempt to hold her back anymore.
Three hard knocks sounded on the door.
"Speak of the- shifter," Claire stood, quickly packing her weapons back into place as she did so.
"Okay," Bryan looked to Morgan a bit pleadingly, "just, let me introduce you first, they kinda know who you are, but-"
"Why, what's the problem?" she asked.
Bryan hesitated with his hand on the knob and said, "They're not like, huge fans of your brothers."
Morgan stifled a hard laugh and muttered, "Join the club."
Thank you for reading, I promised I would finish Morgan's story and I will, I can promise I will do my best with the time I have and hope to bring you another chapter before the month is over.