Author's note: I do not own anything having to do with Supernatural, only Leah belongs to me. Just a reminder SUPERNATURAL signifies a break in time. Please excuse any mistakes as I don't have a Beta but if anyone is interested send me a PM! As always please remember to ~Read and Review~
*Hides behind a large rock* I totally wanted to get this chapter out before vacation but it just wasn't happening. Even though we are following the episodes again, I tried to make this chapter super original. And guess what? The next chapter is the season two finale! I know in the show it is in two parts but I'm going to be putting them together in one epic chapter :)
HUGE thank you for all my reviews, you have no idea how happy each and everyone makes me! Can you believe we have over 150! Just a side note for some of you who said I didn't give credit to the author of the poem in my last chapter…I actually wrote that a few years ago so credit goes to me ;)
And a quick shout out to wandertogondor and Jenmm31 for letting me bounce a few ideas off of them, check out their stories! I have seriously met some amazing people through this site!
Chapter 40- Be Careful What You Wish For
"Leah Marie!" Dean hollered walking into the motel room and slamming the door behind him, the vein on his forehead pulsating and cheeks red with anger.
"What's going on?" Sam asked looking up from his laptop, taking in the level of his aggravation and immediately thinking the worse.
"Leah!" Dean hollered again, ignoring Sam's questioning looks and stomping over to the bathroom door.
"What in God's name do you want?" I exasperated swinging the door open with one hand while using the other to dry my hair with the sorry excuse of a towel.
"Don't give me attitude after what you did," he started to growl but stopped suddenly sticking his nose slightly into the bathroom and scrunching it up in disgust. "Why must you make the whole room smell like a damn candy shop?"
I raised an eyebrow at him confused before taking my wet hair in my hands and giving it a sniff. Sure it smelt like strawberries and cream but what was wrong with that?
"Tell her, Sam!" Dean rounded facing Sam with an outstretched hand in my direction.
"I don't think…" Sam defended but was cut off by the volcano that was my eldest brother.
"And what the hell is the deal with these things?" He asked, going from one subject to the next so fast he wasn't giving my brain enough time to figure out what he was talking about.
"What?" I asked again. Thinking that maybe with all the concussions he had growing up that a screw had finally been knocked out of place. Not one screw, more like two, or three…nope definitely a dozen.
It had been a week since we left the roadhouse and I had my little 'breakdown'. In all reality it was the best thing that could have happened, there was a weight lifted from my shoulders and I was finally getting back to my wonderful self. But then there was Dean. It was weird actually, Sam and I had always been the ones to butt heads, not saying Dean and I always got along but it had never been like this before. He seemed to think everything I did was done deliberately to piss him off.
"These…these…lock picky things," he spat out taking a handful of bobby pins that were on the counter and shaking them in the air.
"Bobby pins?" I questioned not understanding the problem. I took them out of his hand and used a few to hold the hair out of my face.
"Every time I turn around they…like…multiply or something and do you know where I found one? Do you?" He shouted, the vein in his forehead pulsating so hard I thought it might actually explode.
Sam had shifted in his seat so that he was facing us. It would have been comical if you were a bystander seeing his head whip from one of us to the other like he was watching a very intense tennis match.
"Alright, why don't we talk about the case," Sam interjected and I could see the pleading in his eyes to just drop it, to plaster on my smile and get excited about the case. But he should have known better, I mean this guy has known me my whole life; I wasn't just going to drop it.
"Up your ass," I replied with a smirk barely missing a beat.
"You know, I've had it up to here with you!" He yelled raising his hand above his head and the look in his eyes told me we were either going to slug it out and be done with it or this was going to be a very long night.
"Yeah, because you're such a thrill to live with, princess," I drew out the last word sarcastically as I rolled my eyes.
"There is nothing wrong with the way I live," he defended himself looking at me like I had just told him the sky was red and the grass was purple.
"Ha," I laughed in his face, "What about your dirty socks that always manage to end up on the heater and stink up the whole room? Or I don't know, have you heard of a washing machine? Because let me tell you they could walk away on their own."
"Well, why must we put the seat down?" He challenged throwing me off guard for a second. Could he sound anymore like a five year old? Yes, in fact he could. "There are two of us," he motioned between Sam and himself, "and only one of you. Why don't you put the seat up when you are done?"
"Leave me out of…" Sam started but this time was cut off by me.
"Are you sure there are two men that I live with?" I questioned, hands resting on my hips with the anger building inside of me. He wanted a fight; he was going to get one. "Sometimes I swear I have an older sister, Deanna, you take longer to get ready in the morning than I do! You have a buzz cut, please tell me how hard it is to wet it in the shower and let it air dry. But that's right, I'm sorry, God forbid you couldn't flirt yourself into some tramp's pants…or lack thereof the world might actually come crashing down around you!"
"I'm not the one who was shaking her ass on the top of a bar," he snarled, "so let's talk about who the real tramp is."
"This is going too far," Sam stated sternly as he stood up. But, per usual, he was ignored.
"I was dancing, douche bag, you know having a little fun? But hey, at least I'm not the one who tells people he is Dr. Sexy and by sleeping with you 'they are single-handedly finding a cure for cancer'."
"No, you're the one who drinks herself into oblivion instead of talking to us like we asked you to on multiple occasions!" He shouted and just like that the real truth had found its way out.
I couldn't help the laughter that escaped, I even put my hand over my mouth to try and silence it but it was no use. Dean and Sam both stood there looking at me like I had finally cracked and needed a straight jacket.
"You…you've been mad at me this whole time because I drank a little alcohol?" I managed to ask while trying to catch my breath from laughing so hard.
"Apparently, you had enough bottles in your room to serve the U.S. army, right Sam?" Dean turned his attention to him waiting for an answer.
"There were a few but…"
"You of all people are judging me?" I asked Dean losing any control I had on my temper, skipping passed angry, skating over pissed off and going straight to furious. "Where do you think I learned to numb the pain? Between you and dad I realized at fourteen years old that downing a half bottle of Jack was the answer to any problem. Besides Sam, no one in our family ever talked! We did our job, co-existed and drowned any emotions we ever had. So don't you dare, Dean, don't you dare stand there and be pissed at me for something you taught me to do."
"I never taught you anything like that!" Dean roared, his breathing becoming rigid the angrier he got, "and how can you say no one ever talked, huh? As I recall, it was my shirt that got soaked with your tears, it was my shoulder you cried on when you were upset, and I was the one who took the knife out of your hand before you had the chance to drag it across your wrist! If you ask me, I'm the best thing that has ever happened to you! If I wasn't here watching your every move you would have been dead a long time ago!"
"Stop!" Sam shouted coming to stand next to me, most likely to make me feel like I wasn't being ganged up on but I didn't notice.
"You think I was trying to kill myself?" I asked and felt Sam stiffen beside me as the question left my mouth. Dean, however, ran a frustrated hand over his face and through his hair just waiting for me to continue. "I know better than to slit my wrists if I wanted to kill myself or do you not remember the arsenal we have in the trunk, Dean. You want to talk? Let's talk. The cool blade sliding across my skin, easily splitting it in two, and forming that beautiful little red line was a bigger release than I would ever be able to explain. I did it because it was better to feel the physical pain it caused than the numbness that had consumed me. And now? Now I look at those scars and I for one am proud of myself. They are a reminder of how far I have come and how strong of a person I am. But there is still that little voice in my head that tells me…pleads with me to do it again and everyday I ignore it and everyday it gets quieter. You may have been my shoulder to cry on and helped me out on a couple of hunts but to say I'm alive solely because of you? I don't think so. Get off that high horse you think you are riding and come back down to earth or I promise I will knock you off it myself."
I thought I would have seen his facial expression soften but the anger never left his eyes as he responded, "I'd like to see you try."
"I wish you weren't my brother," I whispered, the words rolling off my tongue with great ease but the look on his face was as if I yelled it with a megaphone from the top of the highest building. I had finally gotten through the wall of anger he had built up but I would be lying if I said it was the only reason that statement came out. Here I was talking to him about everything he had been begging me to and my only reply out of him was a nasty comment.
He stood there for a minute blinking his eyes, looking like he was trying to wake up from a dream before walking over to the bathroom and slamming the door behind him without even one word spoken the shower starting up a second later.
"Freckles, where you going?" Sam asked nervously as I made my way to the door after throwing on my jacket and slipping into my shoes.
"Out," I answered simply not trusting myself to say anymore.
"No," he shook his head walking over to the door and trying to stand in my way, "we don't know where the Djinn is held up, it's not safe out there."
"Contrary to popular belief I can take care of myself, I'm just as much Winchester as you are Samuel," I told him trying to hide the pain that I felt when he said that. I knew deep down he was thinking nothing more than of my well being but I couldn't help but think I had become the weak link in our family.
I strode out the motel room making sure to slam the door behind me the noise echoing in the empty parking lot. That's when I saw it, the best way to piss Dean off. Sliding into the front seat of the Impala I reached my hand down and skillfully hotwired the car. The moment the engine roared to life I backed the car out of its parking spot and just as I pulled onto the road I saw our motel room door swing open and Dean trying to chase me down in nothing more than a towel wrapped around his waist.
I had no destination in mind as I drove the dark deserted roads. I just needed space to breathe and time to think, attaching my Ipod to the radio Lil Wayne's song 'Mirror' blared through the speakers. A smile formed on my lips as I thought about what Dean would say if he knew that something other than mullet rock was played in his car. In my opinion, music was music. I listened to everything from Beethoven, to Blink-182, Robert Johnson, Johnny Cash, Guns and Roses, the Spice Girls and everything in between. It was the lyrics that really mattered, the ones that spoke to your heart and explained exactly how you were feeling without ever having to say a word.
I see the truth in your lies, I see nobody by your side. But I'm with you when you are all alone. And you correct me when I'm looking wrong. I see the guilt beneath the shame. I see your soul through the window pane. I see the scars that remain. I see you Wayne, I'm looking at the mirror on the wall.
Dean had been right, he was my rock and the one I ran to especially when Sam was away at college but being Winchester meant I was stubborn as a mule and the only word that repeated in my head was hypocrite. I tried to figure out how we went from arguing about the type of shampoo I had to such heavy topics but I supposed it was just the family way of doing things. A plan started to form in my head and I could feel the little devil on my shoulder kicking the angel off the other side. He didn't think I would survive without him to protect me, fine, then I was going to prove to him how strong I was by going after the Djinn myself.
I remembered dad's journal saying Djinns were usually held up in some kind of ruins and the bigger the better the only problem was we had no idea how to actually kill it but with everything we had in the trunk I wasn't too worried. Finding an abandoned factory a few miles up the road I decided to check it out. Checking my .45 for ammo I stuck it in the small of my back as I grabbed a flashlight and my silver knife. I was pleasantly surprised the door wasn't locked and started walking through the run down hallways that were cluttered with rusty chairs and broken glass.
Suddenly someone, or something, was behind me slamming me into the wall and banging my wrist against it until I dropped my knife. I was turned around and faced with the Djinn who was covered from head to toe in tattoos as he held me against the wall with one hand around my neck.
"Oh shit," I cursed as his free hand started to glow blue and he placed it on my forehead.
SUPERNATURAL
I woke up to the sound of someone screaming as I shot up in bed I realized it was an old black and white horror movie. I ran a hand over my face trying to wake up and casually glanced next to me expecting to see Sam and jumped out of bed when there was a half naked man laying next to me, that's when I looked down and saw the leopard print outfit I was wearing. What the hell? Quietly making my way to the closest I changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Happy I didn't wake whoever was sleeping in bed I pulled out my cell phone and slipped into the living room. As much as I didn't want to call Dean and hear the immediate 'I told you so' that was going to come out of his mouth, I needed help.
The phone didn't even ring instead there was the dreaded message:
I'm sorry but the number you are trying to reach is currently out of service. If you feel like you got this message in error please hang up and try again.
What? No way did Dean lose his phone and no way was it out of service. I dialed again this time much slower and very carefully to make sure I hit the right numbers but I got the same annoying message. Closing my eyes for a second and taking a deep breath I dialed Sam's number.
"Leah?" Sam answered as if he was surprised I had called him.
"Sam," I sighed in relief feeling a little better that I could at least get a hold of one of them.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know," I admitted, "I don't know where I am."
"What? What happened?"
"The Djinn attacked me," I answered hesitantly; "I know it was stupid but tell Dean to calm his horses I'm sure his car is fine."
"Gin? You're…drinking gin?"
"No, you idiot, keep up with me here. The Djinn, the genie creature thing, remember? It put some glowing hand to my head and I woke up next to some guy…kind of hot not going to lie."
"Who? Leon?"
"Who?" I questioned. What the hell was going on? How did Sam know this guy?
"Leah," he sighed, "you're drunk. You're drunk dialing me."
"I'm not drunk! I haven't had a drop of alcohol since we left the roadhouse!"
"Look, it's late. Alright, just get some sleep and I'll…see you tomorrow. Ok?"
"Wait, Sam!...Sam?" I looked down and saw he had hung up on me.
So much for Sam helping me, I guess it was up to me to figure out what the hell was going on. The first thing that caught my eye was a stack of mail on the table, hoping I would figure out at least where I was I picked them up and thumbed through them. The first couple were addressed to a Leon Porter in Lawrence, Kansas.
"Lawrence?" I questioned out loud. The last I knew we were in Illinois hunting the Djinn. What really got me was the next piece of mail…addressed to me at the same address. "What the hell?"
"Honey, what are you doing up?" I heard from behind me and whipped around to see the man from before leaning in the doorway of the bedroom wearing only pajama pants.
"Hey, Leon. Leon, uh, I just uh…" I stumbled over my words not really sure what to say as I set the mail back on the table.
"You can't sleep, huh?" he questioned with sad eyes.
"Yeah," I nodded ready to go along with just about anything.
"Well, why don't you come back to bed and let's see if I can do anything to help."
Ok, well I would go along with everything…but that. "Sure," I lied, "in a minute, you go ahead."
He walked over and kissed me gently on the lips before going back in the bedroom. I stood there in shock. Can anyone say twilight zone? There were just too many things that were not adding up. How did I get to Kansas? Why did I have mail addressed to me? I don't think I have ever gotten a piece of mail in my whole life, not junk mail, a magazine, bills…nothing. How did Sam know this Leon person? Looking around the room a little more my eyes landed on the picture above the mantle of Leon and me at the beach with him down on one knee. I instantly lifted my left hand and saw the most beautiful princess cut diamond on my ring finger. Was I engaged? The sickening feeling only grew as I saw the picture next to it.
SUPERNATURAL
I banged on the front door as hard as I could before ringing the doorbell several times. My stomach folded in on itself when the porch light came on and she answered the door.
"Leah?"
"Mom?"
"What are you doing here? Are you alright?" She asked reaching her hand out for me and resting it on my shoulder.
"I don't know," I answered both questions very honestly.
"Well…come inside," she smiled and moved us into the living room.
There was a warm welcoming feeling that you got just by the way things were displayed the trinkets and pictures each placed with care.
"Leon just called and said you just took off all of a sudden," she continued.
"Leon?...right…Let me ask you something. When you used to tuck us in at night; Dean, Sam and I…what did you always say?" I asked, not that I ever remembered but Dean had told me one night and I would never forget it.
"Leah, I don't…"
"Just answer the question," I demanded wanting, no needing, this to all be real.
"I told you angels were watching over you."
"I don't believe it," I mumbled as I closed the distance between us in two big steps and wrapped my arms around her, a smile plastering my face as I breathed in the sweet strawberry smell of her long blonde hair. She embraced me, rubbing my back a little before letting go.
"Sweetie, you're scaring me. Now just tell me what's going on."
"You don't think that wishes can…can really…" I trailed off not wanting to get my hopes up.
"What?"
"Forget it," I smiled and pulled her into another hug. The hugs that I had missed out on growing up, hugs that I needed and could never remember. "I'm just happy to see you is all."
"Everything alright down here?" A familiar voice asked and I stiffened in mom's arms.
"Yeah, I think so," mom answered.
I moved out of her arms to see my dad standing in the hallway. There was something quite different about him though, less worry lines around his eyes and softer features.
"Daddy?" I smiled even bigger as I walked over and pulled him into a hug as well.
He must have given mom a questioning look because I heard her say, "she's in a hugging mood tonight."
"I'll take it," he replied wrapping his arms around me and slightly lifting me off the ground, "I've missed this little girl."
"Hey," I stepped back to be able to look at the two of them together, "when I was a baby was there ever a fire here?"
"No, never," mom shook her head as dad walked over and put his arm around her.
I watched the two of them in awe never having seen my dad look so happy. "I thought there was. I guess I was wrong."
I walked over and looked at the pictures hanging on the wall very similar to the ones I saw in Leon's apartment. There was a family picture of the five of us, one of Dean with a prom date, one with Sam at his high school graduation, one with dad in a coach's uniform standing next to me in a softball uniform and then the picture that brought tears to my eyes. A picture of Dean with a newspaper clipping stuffed into the bottom of the frame, his obituary.
"Dean's…Dean's dead?" I asked my voice cracking. "And the thing that killed him was?"
"A car accident, hit by a drunk driver, you know that," dad answered and I saw the smile fall from his face.
"You've been drinking," mom sighed and dad ran his hand up and down on her arm.
"No, I haven't, mom," I argued getting annoyed that everyone thought I had been drunk.
Mom walked over to the phone that was sitting on an end table, "I'm just going to call Leon and have him come pick you up, ok?"
"Wait! No, no!" I shouted louder than necessary, "Don't…don't do that I want to stay here."
"Why?"
"It doesn't matter why," dad spoke up and handed me a blanket that was draped over the rocking chair.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Mom questioned running a smooth hand along my cheek.
"I think so," I tried to reassure her.
"Ok," she answered and kissed me on the cheek before heading upstairs, "get some rest. I love you."
"Me too," I nodded and moved for the couch where my dad had piled a few pillows at one end for me.
I lied down and he covered me up, placing a kiss on my forehead before walking back to the hallway to follow mom upstairs. He stopped in the doorway though and turned to look at me. "We'll get through this weekend together little girl. I can't lose you too."
I didn't have a chance to ask him what this weekend was before he disappeared up the stairs but I decided that dream or not I was going to enjoy every second I had with my parents.
I woke up the next morning to birds chirping and I laid there for a minute until it registered in my brain. Birds were chirping? I sat up and saw I was still in my old house on the couch I had fallen asleep on. It wasn't a dream.
I dialed Sam's number but this time it went straight to voicemail, "Hey it's me, can't come to the phone right now. Leave a message."
SUPERNATURAL
"I don't think I've seen you in my class before," the professor stated as we sat in his office at the closest college.
"You kidding me? I love your lectures, you make learning fun," I easily lied and was shocked at how much I sounded like Dean.
"So, what can I do for you?" he asked shifting in his chair as he took his glasses off.
"What can you tell me about Djinns?"
"Well…" he started as he got up and placed a large book in front of me on the desk, flipping through it until he got to the page he wanted, "a lot of Muslims believed the Djinn are very real. They're mentioned in the Koran."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Get to the wish part," I rudely interrupted.
"What about it?"
"Do you think they could really do it?" I asked looking up at him with hope in my eyes.
"Uh, no. No, I don't think they can really do it. You understand these are mythic creatures?"
"Yeah, I know. But I mean in the stories, say you had a wish but you never even said it out loud. You know, like that…that a loved one never died or that something awful never happened. Or if you did say it out loud like you wished you didn't have an older brother watching your every move."
"Supposedly, yes. I mean they have Godlike power. They can alter reality however they want. Past. Present. Future."
"Why would the Djinn do it?" I wondered, "It was self-defense? Or maybe it's not really evil."
"Miss?" the professor broke me out of my thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"You been drinking?"
"Everybody keeps asking me that but uh…no," I shook my head.
SUPERNATURAL
"This is the best sandwich ever!" I exclaimed sitting at the small kitchenette table next to the back door.
"Thank you," mom replied walking over and placing a glass of soda in front of me.
"I tried calling Sam earlier. Where is he?"
"Oh, he'll be here soon," she answered sitting down at the table next to me.
"Good, I'm dying to see him."
"Sweetie, don't get me wrong, I am thrilled you are…hanging out here all of a sudden but isn't dad expecting you?"
"Where?"
"At the garage," she replied looking at me confused, "I know you two close early on Friday's but usually not for another hour or so."
"Right," I nodded, "he gave me the day off."
"Yeah, he's probably just worried about this weekend," she smiled sadly at me and patted me on the arm before getting up and doing the dishes.
I got up from the table, grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat on the front porch enjoying the sunlight when a blue car pulled up in front of the house.
"I don't believe it," I mumbled as a young blonde girl got out of the car.
I ran right over to her and squeezed her tight, almost checking that she was real, "Jessica!"
"Good to see you too, Leah," she laughed but when I didn't let go she continued, "Can't breathe."
"Sammy!" I smiled as I let go of her and gave him a hug as well.
"Hey," he greeted awkwardly using only one arm to hug me back.
"Look at you with Jessica," I beamed, happy that he had gotten what he always wanted, "Where did you guys come from?"
"We just flew in from…Califor-" he started but I cut him off.
"California! Stanford, huh? Law school, I bet."
"I see you're drinking…again," he sighed motioning to the beer in my hand, "and this weekend of all times, really?"
I couldn't wrap my head around what was so special about this weekend; everyone seemed to look at me carefully when they brought it up except Sam who just looked disappointed.
"What's this weekend?" I asked, not having the brain power to try and figure it out myself.
"Don't play dumb, he would have never even been on the road at that of night if you had never called him to come pick you up since you were so drunk you couldn't stand. But you always did have him wrapped around that little finger of yours, promising time and time again that you would stop drinking. He believed you, you know, every time he stuck up for you, believed that you would stop drinking and this," Sam sneered snatching the bottle from my hands, "this is how you are going to remember him this weekend? Three years of being sober just thrown down the drain!"
I had to take a step back, the Sam in my reality had never looked at me with such hate in his eyes before, but then again we weren't in my reality.
"Why don't we go say hello to your parents," Jessica stepped in putting an arm around his waist and leading him into the house.
So not only was Dean not around in this world but he had died because of me.
SUPERNATURAL
"We are gathered here today to remember our brother Dean on the third anniversary of his death," the reverend spoke the next day as we sat in the church dressed in black with friends of the family. "The loss of this young man still cuts deep with many in the community and we pray to you Heavenly Father to help the family in their time of need."
The tears silently rolled down my cheeks as Leon held my hand tightly. There were dozens of flowers set perfectly around a large picture of Dean. The service continued and I got the feeling I was being watched. When I turned around I saw a girl dressed all in white just standing in the back of the church staring at me. She stayed there until the service ended and as my parents and Sam were talking to old friends I quickly made my way to the back to talk to her but as I weaved in and out of people to get closer to her she disappeared.
"I was really worried about you the past couple of nights," Leon said walking up behind me and putting an arm around my shoulders that felt oddly comforting from someone I didn't know.
"I'm fine," I replied leaning into him and resting my head on his shoulder.
"I know it's hard having Sam back here but remember it's only for a couple of days and then he will go home. Do you want to go to a meeting later tonight?" He asked moving so that he could look me in the eyes.
"Meeting?" I questioned and then I realized he meant an alcoholics anonymous meeting.
Being Winchester meant alcohol was one of the major food groups. We all had our fair share of hangovers but we watched out for each other and went about our day. I was starting to get a sour feeling in my stomach. Djinns granted wishes, made dreams realities, or were supposed to but why then was mine so screwed up. I loved the fact that I had both parents, Sam had Jessica, hell even I was engaged but there was no happily ever after without Dean. I hoped that my mind wasn't so twisted and warped after all the years of hunting that my mind actually thought this was paradise.
"Sam mentioned you had a beer in your hand when he arrived yesterday."
"I'm fine," I repeated being honest about not having to go to a meeting.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered, moving us outside where there were less people and I just shook my head against his shoulder.
We sat on a bench in silence as people started exiting the church and heading for their cars. A few minutes later mom, dad, Jess and Sam joined us.
"I'm going to take your mother home, we'll see you all later," dad spoke up as they got closer turning to shake Sam's hand and then leaning down to kiss me on the forehead.
"Be safe, please," mom whispered as dad led her to their car.
"Can I talk to you?" Sam asked.
"Yeah," I shrugged and walked with him down the sidewalk a little noticing Jessica and Leon watching intently from the bench ready to step in if things got heated.
"So, you left pretty quickly after the service was over," he commented keeping his voice down.
"I thought I saw someone," I replied, "I'm sure it's nothing."
"What has gotten into you?" he asked looking me up and down like I was a completely different person and I suppose to him I was.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean this whole warm, fuzzy ecstasy trip thing. Since when do you allow Leon to show public displays of affection and since when do you hug people?"
"I'm just happy for you, Sammy," I told him as I put my hand on his arm but he moved away from me.
"Yeah, right. That's another thing, since when do you call me Sammy? Leah, come on we don't talk outside of holidays."
"We don't? Well, we should. I mean you're my brother."
"'You're my brother'?" Sam repeated incredulously.
"Yeah," I drew the word out not seeing a problem in what I just said.
"You know, that's what you said when you snaked my ATM card, or when you bailed on my graduation, or when we caught you dancing on the hood of my car before prom."
"I'm sorry," I tried to apologize for things I couldn't even remember doing. Sure, dancing on the hood of a car or even stealing his ATM card might have been things I had done but I couldn't imagine in any reality me bailing on his graduation.
"No, no look it's alright, I'm not asking you to change, I just…I don't know," he shifted his weight on his feet like he was literally weighing the options of what to say next, "I shouldn't have yelled at you yesterday but seeing you with that beer…I just lost it. And after all these years I guess we don't have anything in common. You know?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, yes we do!" I protested. This was my best friend in the whole world and he thought we didn't have anything in common?
"What?"
"Hunting," I stated obviously.
"Hunting? I've never been hunting a day in my life, Leah."
"Yeah, well, I think you would be great at it. We should go sometime."
"You with a gun? I think I'll pass," he chuckled and started walking back over to Jessica.
SUPERNATURAL
I sat on the couch in Leon's apartment, I guess our apartment, and flipped through the channels as he got ready for work.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright here alone? I can stay home with you tonight or I'm sure your parents wouldn't mind you staying over there for another night," Leon double checked as he tucked his light blue button up shirt into his pants.
"I can't believe I'm engaged to a cop," I muttered under my breath before giving him a small smile, "I'll be fine."
"Alright, well, call the station if you need anything, ok?" he questioned walking over and locking our lips together. It took me by surprise at first but returned it nonetheless feeling the emotion he had put behind it. "You don't stop that, I'm going to be late."
"Sorry," I blushed pulling back. He gave me one more quick kiss on the lips before grabbing his keys and leaving for the night.
"And tonight marks the anniversary of the crash of United Britannia Flight 424," the reporter on the news said grabbing my attention back, "Indianapolis residents held a candlelight vigil in memory of the hundred people who lost their lives."
No, that can't be, we stopped that crash. Dean almost broke my hand on that flight. I turned on the laptop we had sitting on the coffee table and went through the headlines for the past year. Plane crash kills 108 people. The striga had claimed nine lives. Parents mutilated, Killer leaves children unharmed. The killer clown that I had stabbed in the funhouse was still alive. Tyler, the little girl from the Inn, drowned in the pool.
I stared at the screen, my hand covering my mouth in shock. It had never occurred to me that if I wasn't a hunter in this life that all those people would be dead. Something moved from the corner of the room drawing my eyes up in time to see the girl from before walking into the bedroom. I got up to follow her but when I entered the room there was no one there. I checked the closet and saw two dead, rotting bodies hanging by their wrists. Jumping back the girl appeared in front of me with a cut bleeding on her forehead and looking more disheveled then she had when I saw her in the church. As she flickered away I looked back in the closet and the bodies were gone.
SUPERNATURAL
It took me a little over an hour but I finally found the right headstone.
Dean Winchester
1978-2006
Loving Son and Brother
"All of them. Everyone you saved, everyone Sammy and I saved, they're all dead. And there's this woman haunting me. I don't know why. I don't know what the connection is, not yet anyway. It's like my old life is coming after me or something like it doesn't want me to be happy. Course I now what you'd say, well not the you in this world but…you'd tell me to go hunt the Djinn and to make sure I was careful or you'd kick my ass. He put you here, it can put you back. Your happiness for all those people's lives, no contest, right? But why? Why is it my job to be some kind of heroine?" I asked thought I knew I wouldn't get an answer. I paused to blink back a few tears. "What about us, huh? Mom and dad aren't supposed to live their lives. Sammy's not supposed to get married. Why do we have to sacrifice everything, Dean? And where are you, huh? You said you would always be there for me!" I shouted tears streaming down my cheeks. "I need you," I whispered.
SUPERNATURAL
After checking Leon's apartment for anything silver I made my way home knowing there had to be something there. I quietly, or so I thought, rummaged through the bottom of mom's china cabinet looking for a silver knife when Sam, who thought I was an intruder, tried to knock me out with a baseball bat. I ducked out of the way and tackled him to the ground a lot easier than I would have been able to with my Sammy.
"That was so easy, I'm embarrassed for you," I laughed.
"Leah? What the hell are you doing here?"
I moved so that he could get up and just shrugged, for once in my life a lie didn't come to my mind quick enough. Sam turned the light on and his eyes got wide as he stared at the floor. "That's mom's silver."
"Sam," I tried to think of something…anything to say.
"What you…broke into the house…to steal mom's silver?" He questioned in an infuriated tone, "You're lucky you didn't wake up dad, he wouldn't have asked any questions he would have just shot you."
"It's not what it looks like," I defended, "I didn't have a choice."
"Oh, really? What's so damn important you have to steal from your own mother?"
"I owe somebody money," I blurted out and internally kicked myself. Who the hell would I owe money to?
"Who?"
"Uh…" I stuttered obviously not thinking this completely through, "A bookie. I got into gambling when I stopped drinking. I lost big on a game and if I don't bring him the money tonight things aren't going to turn out too well."
"I can't believe we are even related," he mumbled and shook his head.
"Sam, I'm sorry. I'm sorry we don't get along and I wish to hell I could stay and fix it but I got to do this. People's lives depend on it," I told him as I bent down and grabbed a silver knife.
"What are you talking about, Leah?" He asked his demeanor changing when I only took one knife.
"Nothing, forget it. Just tell mom and dad I love them," I smiled sadly as I moved for the front door.
"Wait," he stopped me as he slipped on a pair of sneakers and grabbed his jacket, "I'm going with you."
"What? No way," I argued. I wouldn't have had a second thought about him coming if he was truly my Sammy but I didn't have it in me to protect myself and him.
"Look, I know we don't really get along but you are still my little sister. I don't know what you are getting yourself into but you're not going alone," he stated pushing past me and walking down the front steps.
I carefully closed the front door and jumped on his back, forgetting for a minute we weren't in the real world, and causing us both to tumble onto the grass.
"What the hell was that for?" he asked looking at me like I had purposely tackled him.
"You were supposed to catch me!" I exclaimed as I stood up and brushed the grass from my jeans.
"How am I supposed to know that? You came at me from behind!" He argued as we got into my car.
"It's called a piggy back ride," I sighed, realizing how much I missed not only Dean but Sam, my Sam, as well.
We drove in silence as the rain poured down, beating against the roof of the car until Sam spoke up.
"What's in the bag?" Sam asked motioning to the brown paper bag I had on the seat between us.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" he questioned.
"Yeah, nothing."
"Fine," he smugly replied and grabbed the bag.
"You don't want to do that," I warned.
"Oh really?" he took out the jar that was in the bag and I thought he was going to get sick in the car. "What the hell is this?"
"Blood."
"Yeah, I can see that it's blood, Leah! What the hell is it doing in here?" He asked with the volume in his voice rising with every word.
"You don't want to know."
"No, I…I do really want to know. I really, really, do."
"Yeah, well, I guess you're going to find out sooner or later. I needed a silver knife dipped in lamb's blood."
"You needed a sliver knife dipped in lamb's blood, why?"
"Because there's this creature, a Djinn, and I have to hunt it."
"Ok. Um…stop the car."
"I know how it sounds."
"Just stop the car, Leah."
"It's the truth, Sam. Alright, there are things out there in the dark. There…there…there are bad things. There are nightmare things and people have to be saved and if we don't save them then nobody will."
"Look, I want to help you alright. I really really do, but you're having some sort of psychotic breakdown so…just…"
"I wish," I mumbled as I noticed Sam trying to call someone on his phone. I rolled my window down before grabbing it out of his hands and tossing it out the window.
"What the hell was that, Leah? That was my phone!"
"I'm not going to a rubber room, Sammy. And we've got work to do."
SUPERNATURAL
"Where are we?" Sam asked as I pulled up to the same factory I had my encounter with the Djinn at.
"Well, were not in Kansas anymore," I tried to joke but he didn't even crack a smile, "Illinois."
"And you think something is in there?" he questioned ducking his head to get a better look at the run down building.
"I know it is," I answered taking the top off the jar and dipping the knife in before getting out of the car.
Sam followed behind as I searched the factory everything looking the same as when I had the first time.
"See? There's nothing here, Leah," he protested as I walked to the point where I had been attacked, "Look, Leon's got to be worried sick about you. Come on, let's…let's just go."
"Shh," I hushed him hearing muffled cries.
"What the hell is that?" he questioned uneasily. I wanted to roll my eyes, the guy was the size of a giraffe but as scared as a bunny.
"Just stay behind me and keep your mouth shut," I told him.
We entered a large room and I saw two bodies hanging from the ceiling by their wrists, the same two bodies that had appeared in the closet, and off to the side was another girl. They all had IV bags attached to them that looked like they used to be filled with blood.
"It's her," I realized as I walked closer to the girl who was off to the side, "she's the one that I've been seeing."
"Leah, what's going on?"
"Shh," I hushed him again pulling him behind some crates to hide as I saw the shadow of the Djinn walking in the hallway.
We ducked down just in time as he walked up behind the girl.
"Where's my dad?" she sobbed incoherently, "Where's my dad?"
"Sleep," the Djinn told her moving his glowing blue hand towards her face and grazing her cheek, "sleep."
He pulled the needle out of the IV bag and drank some of the blood before reconnecting it and leaving the room.
"This is real? You're not crazy?" Sam breathed out heavily clearly trying to keep himself from panicking.
"She didn't know where she was," I realized standing up from our hiding spot and making my way back over to the girl, "she thought she was with her father. What if that's what the Djinn does? It doesn't grant you a wish, it just makes you think it has."
"Look that thing could come back, alright? We need to go," Sam said as he started walking out the way we came in but I didn't move, "Leah, please."
"What if I'm like her? What if I'm tied up in here someplace? What if this is all in my head? I mean it could, you know, maybe it gives us some kind of supernatural acid and then just feeds on us slow."
"No. Leah, that doesn't make any sense, ok?"
"What if that's why she keeps appearing to me? She's not a spirit. It's…it's more like I'm catching flashes of reality. You know, like I'm catatonic, and I'm taking all this stuff in but I, but I can't snap out of it."
"Yeah, ok. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. I was wrong. You're not crazy but we, we need to get out of here," he told me grabbing my arm and practically dragging me towards the hallway.
I yanked my arm out of his grasp and took a few steps backwards, "I don't think you're real."
Sam exhaled noisily, taking a few steps forward and shaking my arms, "Leah, you feel that?" he asked holding firmly onto my shoulders now, "you feel this? I'm real. This is not an acid trip. I'm real and that thing is going to come down here and kill us for real. Now please."
"There's one way to be sure," I stated pulling out the knife.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing?"
"It's an old wives' tale. If you're about to die in a dream, you wake up."
"No, no, no, no, no, no, that's crazy, alright?"
"Maybe."
"Leah, this isn't a dream, I'm here with you now and you're about to kill yourself."
"No, I'm pretty sure," I paused and thought about it again, "like ninety percent sure but I'm sure enough."
I took the knife in both hands and raised them up ready to slash into my own stomach when Sam yelled out.
"Wait!" I looked up and saw my mom and dad walking into the room from the left and Jessica and Leon walking into the room from the right. "Why'd you have to keep digging? Why couldn't you have left well enough alone? You were happy."
"Put the knife down, little girl," dad walked over and stood in front of me.
"You're not real," I said looking into his chocolate brown eyes as I held in my tears, "none of it is."
"It doesn't matter. It's still better than anything you had," mom added walking up and standing next to dad.
"What?"
"It's everything you want," mom answered, "we're a family again. Let's go home."
I shook my head to try and stop the tears from falling but it was too late as the cascaded down my cheeks, "I'll die…the Djinn will drain the life out of me in a couple of days."
"But in here, with us, it'll feel like years…like a lifetime. I promise, no more pain or fear just love and comfort and safety. Leah, stay with us," dad pleaded with me.
"You don't have to worry about Sam anymore, you get to watch him have a full life," Jessica added.
Mom and dad stepped aside as Leon walked up taking my face in his hands and kissing me softly. "We can have a future together. Have our own family. I love you, Leah. Please."
"Why is it our job to save everyone?" Sam asked taking a step closer, "haven't we done enough? I'm begging you, give me the knife."
I stood there taking it all in, I could be happy in this reality, I could watch the people I cared about the most be happy but it would all be a lie. Life wasn't supposed to be easy, it was supposed to be hard, to test your strengths and find your weaknesses. You were supposed to make mistakes, learn from them and move on with your life. This wasn't my life, this wasn't my reality. I took a step back and plunged the knife into my stomach as hard as I could.
SUPERNATURAL
"Leah!" Sam yelled.
"Oh God," I heard Dean breathe out as he shook my arms, "come on angel, wake up. Wake up, damn it!"
I grunted in response so he knew I heard him and I felt Sam running a hand over my cheek, "Hey, hey babe, wake up."
I opened my eyes and blinked a couple of times trying to focus, "Auntie Em…there's no place like home."
"Thank God," Sam whispered carefully putting an arm around my waist to support weight and give my arms a rest, "thought I lost you for a second."
"You almost did," I admitted, wincing a little as he pulled the needle out of my neck.
"Let's get you down," Dean said taking out his knife to cut the ropes, half way through I saw the all too familiar blue eyes appear behind him.
"Dean!" I screamed as loud as I could letting the fear slip though my voice.
Dean whipped around just missing the Djinn with the knife. They started struggling against each other when I saw the Djinn's hand start to glow blue.
"Sammy, help him!" I screamed again, "Don't let it touch him!"
Sam picked up the knife that had been thrown to the floor and stabbed the Djinn in the back, twisting the knife to make sure he was really dead.
SUPERNATURAL
"And the others?" I asked once we were back in the motel room and I had showered. Sam had fallen asleep on the other bed not long after we had gotten back and he had made sure I was alright.
"Only one girl was alive, she's in intensive care at the hospital but they think she's going to make it," Dean answered taking sleep clothes out of his duffle and walking to the bathroom to change. When he came out he sat down on the bed next to me his back resting against the headboard, "You alright?"
"Yeah. Look, De, about what I said before I left…" I wanted to apologize, to tell him that life really wasn't the same without him but he it was as if he knew a chick-flick moment was coming as he picked up the remote and turned the television on.
"Novellas?" he asked turning on the Spanish soap operas we used to watch all the time.
"Sure," I nodded not being able to remember the last time we actually sat up and watched them together.
After five minutes or so Dean threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled my close to him, "you are stronger than I give you credit for, most people would have stayed and I for one am happy you didn't."
"Yeah, lucky me," I sighed resting my head against his chest.
But I guess in all actuality I was lucky, this is where I belonged, as hard as life was the three of us would always have each other and that was more than enough for me.
"Maria got fat," Dean commented as the show came back from commercial.
"Dude, she's pregnant with Marco's baby," I rolled my eyes at how stupid he could be sometimes.
"But she was married to Jose," he argued.
"Jose was killed by Marco's father in some shoot out at a bank robbery," I explained and felt Dean move to look at me.
"How do you know that?"
My only answer was to smile and lay my head back down on his chest. Just because we didn't watch them together didn't mean I wouldn't watch them when I could. It was something I would do when I felt alone in the world, knowing I was never truly alone when I had two of the best big brothers a girl could ask for.
"Hey Le," Dean spoke up just as I was about to fall asleep.
"Mm?"
"You ever take my car and douche her up with your music player thing again; I'll kick your ass."
Yup, this was my Dean, and I wouldn't have him any other way.