Author's Note: This chapter got changed a lot because of some stuff that happens later, so I might come back and edit it at some point, but I think that this is its' final form. I made Ember pretty powerful, particularly later on, so I think it'll help to have her immune to witches. It makes a lot of sense, too. Let me know in reviews. I don't own Supernatural. It has *ahem* influenced me a lot. (Just kidding. Seriously, has anybody watched the conventions?)
***Dean POV***
Thursday, October 29, Morning
(Over One Month Later)
Dean didn't see or talk to Ember again for over a month, until nearly Halloween. The brothers were riding in the Impala when they got the call.
"Babysit Ember?" Dean heard Sam ask Bobby over the phone, and he immediately snapped to attention, turning down Bob Dylan on the radio. "Sure, but you know Ember can take care of herself. Why does she want someone to babysit?" Dean cuffed him on the ear. "Ow! Dean, what the hell?"
The phone call continued for awhile after this, though Dean wasn't able to make out anything significant from the caller. "Yeah, I understand… yeah, I'll tell him," Sam said. "Out of curiousity, why won't you be hosting her then?" At this point Sam ducked as Dean attempted to cuff him once more across the head. "Oh, okay. You sure you don't need any help? We don't have a case at the moment… Oh, okay… well, say hi to Rufus for me. Okay… yes, I've noticed… yes, I believe he does… yes, I'll tell him."
Once Sam hung up the phone, Dean immediately attempted to play it cool. "So, Ember, huh?"
Sam rubbed his head where Dean had cuffed him, not fooled by Dean's attempt at a cavalier attitude. "That hurt, jerk."
"Shut up, bitch."
They were silent for awhile, before Dean asked, "Why now? And why did Bobby let you know? She could've called us herself…"
"Get this… apparently Ember has spent the last several Halloweens with Bobby, because demons… well, they tend to find her on Halloween, more than any other time."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Dean said. "They're more active."
"Yeah, I guess she's got a lot of bad memories of Halloweens. I guess it's sort of their thing, her and Bobby."
Dean nodded, thoughtfully. "Yeah, okay. But he bailed on her?"
Sam shook his head. "Nah. Apparently he's got a situation. He didn't say much, but it sounded like he and Rufus have got some demons in the basement that they're trying to interrogate – at least three, judging by the screaming. So, Ember asked if she could spend some time with us on short notice."
"Are you sure Bobby doesn't need help?"
"Apparently it's personal. Something about Rufus' step-daughter." Sam shrugged. "Anyway, Bobby asked if Ember could stay with us instead."
"Awesome!" said Dean. "Think she'll want her own room?" He stopped, pulling into a fast food restaurant. "Oooh, she's a therapist. Bet she'll pay for her own room!"
This time it was Sam's turn to cuff Dean on the side of his head.
"Ow! Don't hit the driver!"
"One, you're parked, jerk. Two, the whole point of this operation is for her to stay in the same room as us. You know, because of the whole 'demon attraction' thing? And three, what you're really asking is if you think you have a shot at sleeping with her, and the answer is no, she's not that easy." Sam got out of the car and slammed the door.
"How do you know?" Dean followed him.
"Because we've talked about it."
Dean was so busy staring at Sam in shock that he was only narrowly missed by a black Mustang driving too fast through the parking lot. Sam, looking back, began to laugh. "It's not that big of a deal, dude. We've just talked on instant messenger a few times."
"She's never on when I'm on," Dean pouted.
Sam rolled his eyes. "That's because you only ever get on the computer to look at porn."
"Don't knock Asian chicks," was Dean's only response, and he stepped up to the counter.
After the brothers had gotten their food, Dean asked, "So what'd she say, when you apparently talked to her online? About being… easy?"
"Well, we didn't talk about that, exactly," Sam said, "I just consulted her on a couple of demon cases, that's all. And she said she has to be careful about who she hangs out with, what she does, etcetera. She's really scared of going demon, going dark. Apparently…" Sam paused. "Apparently she and Bobby have discovered that with her being half-demon and half human, she has to work extra hard to make sure the good deeds she does outweigh the bad, in order for her to get into heaven."
Dean thought about this for a second. Then, "Are you sure the bad deeds count even if she does them while she's invisible?" In response, Sam threw a french fry in Dean's face.
As it turns out, however, at the last second, the brothers did have a case that Halloween. Reluctantly, Dean made the phone call to Ember to let her know. "I can direct you to another hunter if you'd like, if you need someone to protect you…" he let his voice trail off. "But you're always welcome to come with us." Sam glared daggers at him, but he continued, edging the cell phone out of the way of Sam's long arms in case he decided to make a grab for it. "Plus, it doesn't look like this new case involves demons. At first glance, the case sounds like witches. 'Guy got killed after finding razor blades in the candy. Like, a bunch of them. It's a bit weird, but not demons' style." He really hoped she would agree to come along.
"I can protect myself," came the indignant voice from the other end of the phone, "It's Mom, or my roommate I'm worried about. And when it comes to hunters, I know who to place my bets on…" Ember laughed. "You know, a demon found me about three weeks ago, and he was a strong one, and got to me while I was asleep. Thought I was gonna have to shoot him. 'Threw out your name, though, and he sure knew who you were, Dean. He paused so long I was able to exorcise him instead of killin' him. Good thing, too. Host was a father of three, with a little one on the way! He sent me a thank-you card and $100. I'll be paying for a hotel on the trip, by the way. I can go as high as 3-star, no higher."
Dean grinned despite himself. "Awesome! I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Sure… text me the address, and I'll meet you there."
-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-
***Ember POV***
Friday, October 30, Evening
"I gotta say," Dean said late the next day, "I'm really glad this case has hit a dead end for now." Dean was relaxing in the hotel's hot tub with his eyes closed, giving Ember the opportunity to glance freely at his bare chest. He looked so relaxed that she almost felt as though she was invading him in a private moment. Hot tubs were a luxury for her, and she was at least used to an apartment complex rather than a variety of flea-bitten motels.
"Agreed," she said. "For a second there, I was afraid we wouldn't have time for the pool or hot tub." Dean opened his eyes again, just long enough to take a long, smoldering look at her breasts, then closed them again. He had been doing that a lot, and it was making her feel as though she was on display, though not altogether in a bad way.
"So what do you and Bobby usually get up to on Halloween?" Dean asked conversationally.
"Well, two years ago we exorcised a pair of demons that thought they'd jump in on the trick-or-treating," Ember answered.
Dean laughed. "What did they dress up as?"
"A ballerina and a vampire."
Dean snorted, his eyes flying open. "A ballerina? Seriously?"
"Looked like a bargain bin costume," Ember said, laughing. "I don't think the demon knew what it had dressed up as. I think they were in the neighborhood, got wind of me, and bought the first costumes they found thinking it was a clever idea to get in the door."
"And did they get in the door?"
Ember grinned. "Yeah, that's when the fun started."
Dean was silent for a second, then said seriously, "You'd be a good hunter, you know."
Ember, who had been relaxing, turned her eyes toward him, silently asking a question.
"You're quick, you clearly attract trouble, and you still manage to make light of it."
Ember thought that Dean might be talking about himself, as well as her. It surprised her that he was willing to discuss this so early in their friendship.
"Like you?" Ember asked, and Dean smiled slightly.
Suddenly Dean's phone began to ring, making both Dean and Ember jump. Ember could hear Sam's voice through the phone. "Another death, this time a high school girl," he was saying. "She was bobbing for apples, and the water suddenly started boiling, they're saying. Police just called. You coming?"
And, they were off again.
-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-
As it turned out, the case apparently did involve a demon. Apparently the witch in question was attempting to summon the demon of Halloween, Samhain, as Sam Winchester discovered later that night while going through the lore.
"We'd understand if you wanted to leave," Sam told her before they went to bed that night. "This wasn't what you signed on for."
"Well, with any luck, we'll find the witch and I won't need to worry about it," Ember said. "But until that point, I was right – you guys are gonna need me." A knock came, and Ember rose to answer the door. "Excellent! My cot bed is here."
"Cot bed?" Dean and Sam asked at the same time.
"Duh, cot bed," Ember answered. "This room has two beds, and there's three of us." She wheeled the cot into the room and began setting it up, thanking room service.
"Ember, you didn't need to-…" Sam started.
"Don't be stupid," Ember answered. "The cot bed is six feet long. Both of you are taller than that."
Sam opened his mouth to speak again, but Dean said, "You could always just share my bed."
Ember looked him up and down slowly, this time making it extremely obvious, then turned away. "Nah."
"Why not?" Dean said indignantly, and tried (and failed) to hold in his laughter.
Ember grinned, smiling at him flirtatiously. "'Cause I don't want to be thrown out with the linens in the morning," she said, and tossed her hair over her shoulder on the way to the bathroom.
"She got you, dude!" Sam's laughter echoed through the bathroom door.
When Ember came out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, however, Dean was asleep on the cot.
***Dean POV***
Saturday, October 31, Morning
It was late the next morning before Dean finally dared bring up last night's conversation. He and Ember were sitting companionably in the Impala on a stake-out, making their way slowly through the Halloween candy found with the first death.
"So…" Dean said, looking for the right words. "About last night… can I ask who told you that I'm…"
"A man-whore?" Ember asked, laughing.
Dean almost choked on his candy. He had been going for "promiscuous", but he couldn't deny that he would appreciate the "man-whore" description in other circumstances.
"Bobby," Ember answered. "And, Bobby again. And Sam. And then Bobby again, before I came this weekend."
"Sam's almost as bad," Dean said indignantly.
"Yeah, Bobby mentioned that too," Ember said, laughing again.
"So… so Sam said… you have to kind of atone for being half-demon," Dean said, venturing into more serious territory but still continuing the same train of thought. "So, what, you never have any fun? You never, you know, let your hair down a little?"
Ember laughed. "Are you asking if I'm a virgin?"
"Are you?" Dean asked. He hadn't been asking that exactly, but the possibility had occurred to him.
Ember scoffed. "Don't be stupid, I'm 25. And yes, I have fun. Just, probably not as much fun as you have, and not with as many fun people." That was good to know, thought Dean. If she had been a virgin, he definitely would've given up the chase.
"They make it sound like I'm… I don't know, unable to have a serious relationship," Dean said, pouting.
"Aren't you?" she asked, and the way she looked at him, her brown eyes wide and innocent, made him wish more than anything in the world that he could say no.
"I could have a relationship," Dean answered. "It's just… hunting… this life doesn't exactly lend itself to that kind of lifestyle," he said honestly. "I mean, with most girls… what am I going to say? 'I'm going demon-hunting this weekend, I'll be home when people stop dying?' There's a foundation for a solid relationship."
"Fair point," Ember said, then added, "It's not easy for me, either."
Dean looked at her, urging her to continue.
"What would my boyfriend say? 'Hey, honey, you know there's a corpse on the floor, right?'" Ember mocked. "And I'd respond, 'Yeah, it's cool, it's just a demon. He broke in here because he thought I smelled sexy, but I shot him in the chest until he found another host.'"
Dean laughed dryly. "Has that happened?"
"Only when I was younger, before Bobby taught me how to exorcise them," Ember said. She rolled her eyes. "Normally if I have a boyfriend, the demons just stow away in him. It's easier, and demons are lazy. I can always tell, though."
"Shit, and I thought I had it bad," Dean said. He wondered at Ember's ability to make light of what he knew must have been horrors in her past, though he knew better than to voice this aloud.
Ember shrugged, and the two were silent for awhile, until another topic emerged.
-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-
Dean was just on his way into the hotel room when he heard Sam shout, "Who are you?"
Dean spotted Castiel, and vaulted into the hotel room ahead of Sam. "Sam! Sam, wait! It's Castiel… the angel." There was another man in the room too, a black man. "Him I don't know."
"Hello, Sam." Castiel replied in his deep voice.
"Oh my God!" Sam responded, clearly at a loss for words. "Er, uh… I didn't mean to… sorry. It's an honor. Really, I've heard a lot about you." Sam attempted to shake Castiel's hand, which Castiel returned reluctantly.
"And I, you," Castiel said. "Sam Winchester, the boy with the demon blood. Glad to hear you've ceased your extracurricular activities." Castiel turned to Ember, who was still in the corner, looking quizzically at the angel. For a second, Castiel looked quizzically back. Finally, in his deep monotone voice, Castiel asked, "Dean, why have you not killed the half-demon?"
Ember drew out her revolver, and Castiel in turn drew his angel blade. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sam and Dean screamed. "Everybody put the weapons down!" Ember and Castiel both reluctantly lowered their weapons, staring daggers at each other, each poised to strike.
"Ember is a friend," Dean said to Castiel. "She's helping us with the case."
"But she's half-demon." It wasn't a question. "She will kill us all."
"No, she won't!" Dean said.
"I've never killed anyone I could save," Ember spat at him. The angel seemed taken aback by this, and looked at Dean for clarification.
"She's a friend, Castiel. We're all friends here. Cas, put that away. Ember, your revolver won't work on him anyway." A beat passed, then another. Slowly, at the same time, Ember and Castiel both put away their weapons. Then Castiel made to approach her, looking at her quizzically. She shrank back, putting her hand up to stop Castiel with her invisible force if needed, and Dean moved to stand between Ember and his angel friend.
"I won't kill you," the angel promised. "I won't hurt you, either, just keep your hands to your sides. I just want to look inside your mind, to judge you. It may make things easier for everyone."
Dean looked at Ember questioningly. "And what if you judge me unworthy?" Ember asked the angel.
Castiel thought for a moment, then said, "I will inform you before I kill you."
Ember thought for a second, then sighed, and nodded to Dean, who moved out of the way. Castiel took two fingers and stretched them out to Ember's head, allowing them to linger there for a minute.
Ember screwed up her face in expectation, but when Castiel's fingers touched her head she opened her eyes again, staring up at his fingers curiously, her eyes crossing.
Castiel removed his fingers, stepping back away from Ember. "Very curious," he said. "You have maintained control of your demon powers. You have never made a kill that was not a demon. You have even spared the host, when you could manage it. I must consult with my superiors about whether or not we should kill you. But, do not fear, it will not be today. We have other matters to attend to. This raising of Samhain, have you stopped it?"
Ember looked at Dean quizzically, who caught her eye and shrugged while Sam answered the angel's question. "Angel's," he said. "They're weird like that."
-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-
***Ember POV***
Sunday, November 1, Early Morning
Ember, Dean, and Sam had failed to save the seal. The three of them had barged in on the art teacher, who had the blond cheerleader strung up from the ceiling to use as a sacrifice. Dean had shot and killed the art teacher, but then the blond cheerleader had revealed that she, too, was a witch., throwing all three of them back. And that was how Ember found out that witches were immune to her powers.
It was Sam, ultimately, who had exorcised Samhain, with only the use of his mind. This scared Ember more than anything she had yet seen.
It took her several hours to corner Sam alone, but she finally managed it, when Dean made a run to go get food for the next morning. "Look, Sam," she started, then sighed. "Fuck it. I'm not skirting around this issue. Does Dean know you're drinking demon blood?"
Sam froze in the process of folding a shirt. "How did you know?"
"You've told me you were fed demon blood when you were a baby, by Azazel.. That should give you some powers, but I wasn't aware that exorcising demons with your mind was in your repertoire." Her tone had become sarcastic. "It's that demon that was with you when I met you, wasn't it? The one that ran away from me? You told Dean you didn't know she was a demon."
Sam had the decency to look ashamed of himself.
"Sam, did it not occur to you that I came to you on Halloween to protect myself from demons?" she snapped at him, and he finally faced her.
Ember stalked Sam across the room, her anger palpable. "Now I know you've convinced Dean that you'll be fine as long as you don't use the demon powers," she continued, "but we both know he has no idea how you got them in the first place. And maybe you've even convinced yourself that you'll be able to control it." She came closer to him, using her powers to force him against the wall, and he didn't resist. "Do you know how easy it would be for me to drink some demon blood and smite everyone who tries to get at me? But I don't do it. Do you know why? Because I'll end up becoming like them. And you will too. And where does that leave me when I come to visit, hmmm? Did you think about that? How much demon blood will you drink before you turn into that?"
The look that Sam gave Ember then was one of fear, and in that second Ember realized something else. "That's why you've been sending me off with Dean all weekend, isn't it? At the pool, and again at the stake-out? It's not because you think we're a good match… It's because you can feel the effect the demon blood has on you when I'm around, and it scares you, because you know if you drink much more you won't be able to control yourself."
Sam looked back at her, hurt. "Ember, how can you think… You must know I would never try to…"
"Of course I know that!" she snapped. "I've heard stories about the two of you since I was 15, from Bobby. But demon blood, Sam? What are you thinking?"
Sam looked down at his hands. "I stopped doing it."
"What?" Ember asked, surprised. She could tell he wasn't lying. She backed up from him, and he slumped somewhat against the wall.
"I stopped," he said. "I did it for awhile, but I stopped, about 3 weeks ago, because it scared me… just like you're saying. It just… hasn't left my system yet completely."
Ember searched him for signs of lying, but found none, and sighed, finally releasing him both physically and mentally from his place against the wall. "It'll take longer than a few weeks," she said.
Sam nodded. "That's what she said… Ruby, is her name. She said it'll be months before the demon blood is out of my system entirely, if ever. But I can already feel it lessening, each day. And also… Dean knows about her now. About Ruby, I mean."
"Yeah?" Ember said, curious now. "How did he handle it?"
"Exactly like you'd expect," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "It's pretty tense. But neither of them have killed the other one, so that's probably best case scenario."
Ember laughed. "I still don't like it, Sam. I know you say she saved you, but a demon is a demon… they're bad, all around."
"You're not," he pointed out, a big grin on his face.
Ember rolled her eyes, nudging him in the shoulder. "Half-demon, remember?"
Sam nodded, returning to his work folding the shirt.
"Look, just promise me one thing," Ember said.
"Yeah?" Sam asked.
"If I see you and Dean again… be honest with me about how long ago you've had the demon blood, and about how much you've had. I can't risk… well, I can't risk anything happening because you've… overdosed."
Sam nodded. "That's more than fair. I promise."
-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-
***Dean POV***
Sunday, November 1, Early morning
Dean was not the least bit surprised when Castiel joined him to debrief the next morning, as he sat on a bench in the park. What did surprise him, however, was Castiel's first question.
"Your friend is interesting."
Dean scoffed. "Have you decided whether or not to kill her?"
Castiel paused. "My superiors will watch her, but for now they have determined that she does not pose a threat and may in fact be helpful to our cause."
"Too bad you pissed her off, then, isn't it?" Dean said, rolling his eyes.
"She understands our initial hesitation. Half-demons are extremely rare, and usually very powerful. Finding one that has not indulged in that power for demonic purposes is rare and special indeed."
Dean nodded, but sensed there was something else Castiel wanted to discuss. It was a full minute before Castiel finally said, "She makes me feel funny, and I don't like it."
"Are you trying to tell me you desire her?" Dean asked in amazement.
"No," Castiel said immediately in his deep voice. "Angels do not desire humans, and they certainly do not desire demons."
Dean rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Castiel."