Summary: Dean's and Lara's youngest kid and only daughter wants to follow in her family's legacy and hunt. Dean is anything but supportive of this decision and has been fighting it for years but now she is an adult and with Balthazar at her side he has to let her do what she wants. Her older brother is the second coming of Christ and there are rumors that Lucifer could be set free. Balthazar has sworn his life to protect his little charge but all of a sudden his charge is not a little girl but a woman and he has new feelings for her that he can't accept and Dean would kill him for as well. Can Daphne stay alive or will Dean and Lara lose their youngest?
This is a direct sequel to Becoming Free. Yes it has the same characters as the rest of the free verse but Daphne's life is what her parents lived through in Becoming Free.
Prologue
Daphne's POV
Dad is going to freak out. I don't mean his normal Daphne you are being ridiculous and stubborn I mean freak out. I have done everything he has asked of me but I know this isn't what he wants for me. But it's what I want for me. I can't stand by knowing what I know and not do anything about it!
Mom and dad raised us in a very happy and peaceful loving house. When we turned 12 they would sit us down and tell us the truth about the world around us. The truth about demons and monsters. I know they regret ever having to tell us about it. You could see it in their eyes when they ask you to come into the kitchen and sit down with them on your birthday. They do not want to burst the bubble that is a happy childhood. But we are Winchesters. We have to know because something is always after us and it isn't safe to not know about the world around us.
They started self defense training with us when we were just kids but they never told us why. Dad would teach us how to fight hand to hand and with knifes and other things like it. I am quite deadly now with something has serious as a blade and as benign as a crayon. If you put it in my hands I can defend myself with it. Dad always said I was the most creative of all the kids. Mom would train on us on guns. She can shot just about anything. I used to wonder if she was secretly a super hero. She could have gone to the Olympics if she wanted to but she never wanted to compete and leave us.
All my brother's want to do is lead normal lives, or as normal as a Winchester can have. But not me. I want to hunt. I want to follow in my dad's footsteps and kill evil son of bitches and keep people safe. Mom and Dad didn't want any of us to be hunters but I can guar-an-dam-tee you that they didn't want their youngest and only daughter to be one. God that night did not go well.
It's my 18th birthday and Alex gave me a bowie knife. Asshole thinks he's funny too. He's the only one us of to take after our parents' profession so far. Uncle Sam and Aunt Gabby weren't happy about it but Cousin Alex is fucking crazy and there was nothing they could say to change his mind. I've secretly gone on some hunts with him and both our rents would kill him for sure if they ever find out.
Daddy gives Alex a really pissed off look as I open my present. I know what I want to do with my future and they won't be happy. After cake and presents we all start to disperse. Ben and his wife came over tonight and John and Anachel came into town too. Gabe and Cole couldn't get away from school but will visit me at school next week, or so they promised. The rest of the angels managed to come even Uncle Gabe who has been so busy lately. Uncle Cas even managed to look somewhat happy. All my school friends are going out with me at school next weekend. I am Uncle Sammy smart as my dad likes to say. I graduated high school when I was 16 and I'll be finishing up my undergraduate this year. I should be able to start my masters next year.
Mommy is putting the dishes in the dishwasher and Daddy is sneaking up behind her to kiss her. They are ridiculous. They are always all over each other and much to me dismay I share a wall with them… "I need to talk to you both." I say quietly. They both look at me and smile. I take a deep breath. "I want to hunt when I graduate."
They both actually stop breathing and look at each other scared out of their minds. "I can't sit by and not help when I know what is going on. I am good, no I am great at this and I want to take it up."
Dad face turns bright red and mom grabs his hand trying to calm his down. "Honey you are too young to make this kind of decision." Mom tells me.
I shake my head furiously. "No mom I'm not. I know what I want to do and this is it." Dad stumbles to the table and takes a seat next to me and pulls me into his arms. He kisses my forehead and stays quiet for a long time.
"You are my baby girl and I can't imagine you going into that field. I don't want you to be hunter honey. It's a short painful life." He tells me with me such pain his voice that I want to cry.
"But dad you're life hasn't been short and it looks anything but painful" I try to rebuttal him. I have never seen my dad near tears before but I can sense them building behind his eyes. He looks at mom and frowns.
"Honey there is a lot about your mom's and mine life that we haven't told you and your siblings for a reason. It has been very painful and should have been very short but we got lucky. I don't want you rushing into this." I try to say something but he cuts me off. "I want you to go to school and get a real degree and have an option at a normal life and we will talk about it again after you have had a chance to live." He says with no inch for debate.
I have done everything he has asked of me. I went back to college hell I am close to getting my Ph.D. So maybe my degree is in demons and the occult and maybe I am the world's most respected authority on the subject even if I am only 22 years old. I did what dad wanted. Throughout my life I have trained for this moment. I have studied ballet and gymnastics for agility and grace. I can sneak up on just about anyone and anything. I have studied boxing and many forms of martial arts and my body is a certified weapon. I am almost as good as my mom with a gun and I am downright scary with a blade. Mom and Dad made all of us kids go on a few hunts to learn how to protect ourselves and I was the only one of us excited about it. I've even managed to make dad do extra hunts with just me. Sometimes mom goes with us and sometimes I would just go with Aunt Gabby or Uncle Sam.
I still remember the night that dad found out that mom's and mine mother daughter shopping trips to the mall of America usually ended up with us going on hunts together. Saying dad nearly had a stroke is putting it lightly.
My work on demons and the occult has saved numerous hunters live. I have published books for my scholastic world and numerous books just for hunters. It's not uncommon for me to get a few calls a week from hunters all over the world needing help with a case. Grandpa Bobby helped me distribute my demonology books to as many hunters as we could reach.
I am ready for this. I have done everything my parents have asked of me but I still want to hunt. Dad will freak but mom will calm him down. Even if he says no I am 22 years old dammit! I am adult and will do what I want too. I just want his blessing.
Where the fuck is Balthazar. He said he would be here with me for this. He promised me he would help me convince my dad everything would be alright. He even agreed to hunt with me to keep my dad calm about the idea. What could happen to me with an angel as my hunting partner?
"Getting antsy aren't we Daph." I hear from behind me. I twirl around and hit him in the arm. "You were supposed to be here 15 minutes ago!" I yell at him.
He just laughs at me and looks to my front door. "Your dad is going to freak out isn't he?" I have been pacing outside the house for 20 minutes thinking the same thing. "Yeah he is." I state.
"Fuck it! Lets juts go in and talk to him." He says with a laugh and I follow him to the door and open it. Here I go.
a/n I hope you guys like the first little installment. It's a bit of a teaser for what's to come. I will probably go back in time a bit and build the Daphne's life up to this point and then to the story will really take off. Don't worry you will still see plenty of Dean and Lara for those of you who can't get enough of them but this story is really about Daphne and Balthazar.
