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. As always please remember to ~Read and Review~
I have some very exciting news! SPNxBookworm has graciously accepted the role as a beta for this story! Are you excited? I am! I can't thank her enough for going through, fixing my mistakes and being my own personal cheerleader. Sending much love in her direction but the best thing you could do is hop on over to her page and check out her stories. Trust me, I read one and was hooked!
I know the chapters take forever and a day to get updated but I thank each and every one of you who are sticking with me! And a special shout out to those who send me PM's reminding that I haven't updated in awhile, thank you for not being too cruel! I can only hope that the length of the chapter makes up for the lost time!
Here's my newest attempt at an original chapter while still trying to keep in line with the episodes. Hope you enjoy! :)
Chapter 43- Who's Your Daddy?
Dean's comfort on letting me drive didn't last long. In fact, I barely made it over the state line before his fidgeting had become a lot more noticeable and somewhat entertaining.
"Something wrong?" I asked innocently as I switched lanes to pass one of the slowest drivers I had ever seen.
I mean seriously they make flashers for a reason, mister, to warn people that you don't know the gas pedal is on the right. Or better yet get off the road and let people who know how to drive pass you. I glanced over at the car as we passed it and saw a little old man with both hands firmly set at ten and two, his bifocals set on the end of his nose and concentrating on the road a little too hard for my liking. Does anyone else think people should get re-tested after a certain age? I certainly do! I mean between the medication they are on, their failing eyesight and their less than speedy reflexes they could actually be worse than a drunk driver.
"Nope," Dean replied, though I saw him tighten his hold on the door handle. Hey, at least he made it a few hours. I met Sam's eyes in the rearview mirror who also seemed to be enjoying our older brother's uneasiness.
"Good," I nodded pressing down on the gas pedal and watching the speedometer climb higher and higher as I weaved around a few of the slower cars.
"Enough of this," Dean growled ripping my ipod jack out of the radio and chucking it in the backseat as the song switched from 50 Cent to Frank Sinatra.
"Watch it!" Sam exclaimed dodging to one side as it flew past his head and hit the rear window. "But seriously, Le, can't you pick one genre of music and stick to it?"
"No," I replied simply. Did I really have to explain for the millionth time that I listened to all types of music? I mean I've been stuck with these morons for twenty three years of my life you would think they would know me by now. If he wanted to listen to his music all he had to do was put it on, it's not like I couldn't enjoy a good Metallica song.
The speed at which we were flying down the highway had my adrenaline pumping through my veins craving for more. It was almost indescribable, the sense of freedom I felt at that particular moment but I was broken away from my thoughts by Sam.
"I think you proved your point," he spoke up from the backseat but I didn't let up on the gas, "Leah, you're going to get us pulled over!"
"They'd have to catch me first," I smirked but slowed down a little only because I saw a sign on the side of the road that told you what attractions were at the next exit.
"Take it easy on her," Dean warned reaching out to pet the dashboard. Yes people, he pet the dashboard. Are you worried? Yes? Good, me too. Sometimes I wondered if Dean had to make a choice between Sam and I or the Impala that we wouldn't be his first pick.
"Yeah, yeah," I waved the comment off, "Sam, tell us more about this super girl that saved your ass."
Sam shifted in his seat and gave a slight shrug, "Nothing really to tell, she was there and then she was gone."
"And she killed the demons with a knife?" I questioned making sure I had understood him correctly.
"No, the worst part is, a chick saved your ass," Dean added with a chuckle relaxing a little since I had gotten back in the right lane and for the first time since we had gotten in the car I was actually doing the speed limit. Well, like eight over but close enough, right?
"I had three demons, Dean, three demons and I already asked Bobby. He said he never heard of anything like that but not to be surprised if we stumble on new things, things we've never seen before," Sam answered.
"Hey," I punched Dean in the shoulder, "and what's wrong with a chick saving people?"
He used the back of his hand and smacked the side of my leg, "you're not a chick, you're our sister."
"You sure know how make a girl go weak at the knees, De," I smiled sarcastically. I couldn't help but think about what new 'things' we would be encountering and apparently I wasn't the only one.
"Maybe we'll run into Frankenstein," Dean said with a look of hope in his eyes, "and we would have to take him down with lightening bolts or something."
"I was thinking something more along the lines of a huge three headed dog," I daydreamed for a minute taking on the world like Xena the Warrior Princess. I would look totally amazing with long black hair and an all leather outfit. Don't even get me started on the kick ass blade she used to fight people or the fierce look she got in her eyes every time she took out a man twice her size.
"Like Fluffy," Sam spoke up breaking me out of my fantasy.
I met Dean's eyes before we both turned around and looked at Sam, "Fluffy?"
"Keep your eyes on the road," Dean yelled hitting me in the leg again. I couldn't help the sigh that escaped but obeyed anyway turning back to watch the open road in front of me.
"Harry Potter…three-headed dog…you could put him to sleep with a harp," Sam explained as though we should have known such a thing and I met Dean's eyes again for a brief second.
"We aren't related," he shook his head as I turned my blinker on to turn into a parking lot.
"What happened to looking for a motel or a new case?" Sam questioned as I parked the car and pulled the keys out of the ignition before they were snatched out of my hand by Dean who shoved them into his jacket pocket.
"I am looking for a room," I winked pulling my shirt down a little and fixing my hair in the side mirror.
Truth was I hadn't stopped thinking about Dylan since everything had happened; the look in his eye when he thought I was with Ash, the small smile that played on his lips as he saved me from the demon and the defeated expression on his face as he drove away. But the best way to get over someone was to get under someone else, right? Well, I figured it couldn't hurt to try the theory out and though it would take a little more work than usual since I had both brothers with me I didn't really see that much of a challenge as we walked into the smoke filled bar.
Sam coughed a little and waved a hand in front of his face, "Charming place."
"Supposedly they have the best margaritas in the whole state," I shrugged remembering what I had read on the sign lining the highway and made my way up to the bartender to order three of the 'special' before walking over to the table the boys had sat down at.
"I'm not drinking that," Dean stated with disgust as he stared at the drink with salt lining the top of the glass.
"I'm with him on this one, freckles," Sam shook his head staring at the drink like it was poison. I took a big sip and slammed the glass back down on the table as I gasped for air. Sam patted my back, "That bad?"
"If that's the best in the state I'd hate to taste their worst," I cringed stealing the peanuts Dean had de-shelled and popping them in my mouth to get rid of the foul taste. "I'm pretty sure that's the foulest tequila I've ever had."
Dean made some comment about stupid sisters or whatever but my focus was on the blonde chick trying to go unnoticed in the opposite corner of the bar. It wasn't the fact that she was standing in a bar and not drinking and it wasn't the fact that she looked like a hunter that unnerved me. It was the way she was just staring at Sam like she was watching his every move. Now I was used to the attention my brothers got from the female population. I wasn't blind, we had great genes, and were gorgeous human beings but Dean was usually the one that got most of the attention with bar wenches drooling all over him not my Sammy.
"Earth to Leah," Dean waved a hand in front of my face drawing me back to whatever conversation they were having.
"What that one sip more than you can handle?" Sam teased tousling my hair earning him a hard swift kick to the shin. "Ow!"
"No, there's this…" I trailed off as I turned back around to point out the blonde chick but she wasn't there. I looked around the rest of the bar figuring she had moved but I didn't see her anywhere.
"What?" Dean questioned trying to follow my line of sight.
"She's gone," I mumbled confused as to where she had gone it was almost like she had disappeared.
"Who?" Sam asked sharing a look with Dean who shrugged as if to answer silently that he had no clue what the hell I was talking about.
"There was this blonde girl checking you out," I started to answer but was quickly cut off by Dean.
"Really?" he questioned and I swear he sat a little straighter as he eyes darted around the bar trying to locate her.
"Not you," I hit him in the chest, "Sammy."
"It's Sam," he corrected with a sigh before he held his hands out for the car keys, "you two have fun. I'm going to go find us a motel room for the night so when you two are too plastered to stand you'll have somewhere to pass out."
"Who says we're going to need a room?" Dean wiggled his eyebrows placing the keys in Sam's waiting hand as he got up but stopped to remind me again of our 'rules'.
"Yeah, yeah," I waved him off and watched as the stupid grin appeared on his face as he stood between two women at the bar.
"You're going to stay?" Sam asked and went I met his gaze it was like he was searching my face for something.
"Like I said, I'm going to find a room for the night," I plastered on my smile but the look on his face told me he saw right through it.
"Come on, why don't we go pick up a couple of movies, order a pizza and eat our way to the bottom of a carton of ice cream?" He suggested nearly pleading with me.
It was tempting to take him up on his offer, have a fun night just the two of us and eating away my problems but I knew that would lead to talking. Not the 'honey, how was your day?' type of talk but the 'tell me you don't want to go to hell' kind of talk that I wasn't ready to have again so soon. Telling Dean was hard enough but to have the same talk with the more emotional brother was something I wasn't ready for and to be honest wasn't sure if I could handle it at the moment.
"No, I'm good, Sammy," I patted him on the arm as I got up to search for someone worth my time.
For once he didn't correct me and watched until I started chatting it up with some guy who claimed he was only in town for a few nights. We kept the conversation light and non-informative as he ordered us shots and a couple rounds of beer. I received a text from Sam letting me know the name of the motel he had found as well as the room number just in case. Our conversation ended when I turned to ask him a question and was answered by his lips on mine. I kissed him back on instinct but there was no spark and no desire behind it whatsoever, at least not on my end. The guy however took my response as a green light and made his way to the side of my neck nibbling slightly before kissing the same spot before moving down to my collarbone. I tried to block out the people around us and the fact that my mind kept wandering back to Dylan but I couldn't and it all just felt wrong.
"Stop," I said trying to push him away a little but he must have thought I was just teasing him or playing some kind of game because he wrapped his arms around me a tighter and bit my neck more forcefully. "I said stop!" I pushed away nearly making him fall off his stool and causing the people who were around us to look over in our direction.
I caught Dean's eye as I headed for the door and gave him a small nod to let him know I was alright before calling a cab. I should have gone to the motel room where Sam was but I just wanted to be alone so I bought a bottle of tequila and got my own room across town.
SUPERNATURAL
"Dude, how much did you drink last night?" Sam asked as we sat in a diner the next morning with Dean hovering over his coffee cup like it was his lifeline.
"Enough," he admitted running a tired hand over his face and nudging me with his foot under the table, "what happened with you last night?"
"Looks like you found someone interesting," Sam commented with a smirk moving my hair and revealing two small hickeys I had tried to cover up.
"I don't know what you're talking about; they're bug bites," I sighed moving my hair back to cover them and pulling the collar up on my jacket.
"Must have been some bug," Sam laughed as the waiter came over to refill our coffees and take our order.
"Now a lot of things from last night are hazy at best but from what I remember you left the bar alone," Dean spoke up trying to get me to tell him where I really was the night before.
I could have answered him, I could have lied or made some sarcastic comment but I decided to ignore it all together as I picked up the newspaper and skimmed the article Dean had circled earlier about a man who fell onto his own power saw. "So, you think this is a case?" No one answered me so I kicked Dean under the table to get his attention, "Hello?"
He tried to kick me back but I moved my legs and he ended up kicking Sam instead. "It might be."
Sam grabbed the paper out of my hand and read over the article, "And? That's it? One power saw?"
"Yeah," Dean answered.
"I don't know, man," Sam said taking a second look at the article.
"Ok," Dean sighed as he took a sip of his coffee, "there might be something better in Cicero than just a case."
"You going to tell us what or do you like it when I kick you?" I asked sarcastically. I hated that we had to play twenty questions every time we wanted information out of each other, can't anyone just be straight forth?
"Well I was thinking," he started and I couldn't help the laughter that poured out of my mouth as I started building a pyramid out of the jellies packets even Sam let out a small chuckle but quickly covered it with a cough when he saw Dean's not so amused face. Wimp. "Anyways, like I was saying, I was thinking about this whole wish thing."
"Oh God," I groaned. If talking about going to hell was the last thing I wanted to talk about, my 'wish list' as my brothers had so conveniently named it was the second to last thing I wanted to talk about. They had decided that I make a list of everything I wanted to do before I went downstairs.
Everyone has certain things they want to do or accomplish before they kick the bucket so to speak and I wasn't any different. However, there were specific things on my list I didn't feel comfortable sharing with my brothers. Thank God they didn't know I actually did make a list before they even brought it up but had hidden in it my duffel.
"No, not yours, ours," Dean motioned between himself and Sam.
"What?" I asked confused as I grabbed a couple packets of sugar to build a makeshift moat around my pyramid. Ok, so it wasn't a castle but who says a pyramid couldn't have moat, have some imagination people.
"Well I was just thinking it's only fair that Sam and I each get to pick one wish on our own lists," Dean answered giving me a knowing look trying to use the information I had told him that Sam would die if they got me out of the deal. Damn, he was good at blackmail.
"Fine, fair is fair, but only one. I mean," I started fake coughing, "I am the one dying."
"Wait, you want to use your one wish on some guy that may or may not be a case?" Sam asked as I stole the lemon out of his water and squeezed it onto the sugar to mold it into a little wall.
"No, Lisa Braeden," Dean replied with a look of longing in his eyes that to be honest creeped me out a bit.
"Should I even ask?" Sam questioned shaking his head at me as I tore up the wrapper from my straw to make a small flag.
"Remember that road trip I took, uh, God about eight years ago now? You two were in Orlando with dad wrapping up that banshee thing. You know the five states in five days trip."
"Yeah, I don't think I'll ever forget that," Sam glanced over to me.
*Flashback*
"I'm telling you she's not here," I complained as I followed Sam through the fourth cemetery that night. "We should be on the other side of town helping dad, not out on some wild goose chase because you had some kind of epiphany. A banshee is usually around the woods, wailing and screaming as a warning of someone's death not in the middle of a city strolling through a cemetery."
Sam audibly sighed, "It wasn't an epiphany. But there is also legend that she is actually very distraught over losing someone so I thought maybe she would visit their grave."
"They, who? We don't even know who she lost. Samuel, she's a thing I don't think she'll…" I trailed off as the highest pitched scream I ever heard echoed off the tombstones. "Holy mother of God, that's loud!"
Sam dropped to his knees and started clutching his chest as if it was hard to draw in much needed air.
"Sam!" I yelled grabbing his shoulders and to try and figure out what was happening but his face only got redder.
Grabbing the gun out of the back of my pants I ran forward and shot the banshee four times before it finally fell backwards and three more times until I saw her eyes roll back in her head. Turning back to make sure Sam was alright I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding when he gave me a thumbs up.
*Present*
"Ok, so you were right and I was wrong but if I remember correctly I totally saved your ass that night," I mentioned folding my napkin to make a walkway.
"Can I hear that first part again?" Sam cupped his hand around his ear and leaned sideways in the booth so that our shoulders were touching.
"No, but I'll repeat the last part that I saved the day," I smiled pushing him back to his side of the bench.
"Yes, all hail Leah, goddess of all," Sam sarcastically said as he pretended to bow before me.
"Much better," I nodded to my masterpiece that I had created on the table, "and this is my kingdom."
"Even back then you were trigger happy," Sam mentioned and I rolled my eyes at the comment. I couldn't help it that I liked the way my gun fit perfectly in my hand and the power it gave me.
"Can we get back to my story please," Dean grumbled looking between Sam and me like we were two over grown kids. Please. That was Sam, I am an adult. Don't laugh at me, so what if I am an adult that makes pyramids and moats on the diner table? It's called entertaining yourself.
"Yeah, five states…five days we know," Sam replied flicking the little flag I had made off my pyramid.
I pinched his side as hard as I could and smiled in victory as he jumped while Dean continued his story as if anyone was actually interested in what he had to say. "Well, it was more like five days in Lisa Braedan's loft. She was a yoga instructor and that was the bendiest weekend of my life."
"Oh, oh, oh," I complained covering my ears, "Ok, I don't need to be hearing this."
"So, what do you say? Give me twenty four hours with Gumby girl?" Dean asked ignoring me like always as he bit his bottom lip before his face scrunched up a little, "Wait, does that make me Pokey?"
"Ok, that's enough, I'm going to be sick," I pushed Sam out of the way and left my brothers at the table to talk about 'Gumby girl' and what fun they had together. Let me tell you walking into your motel room to find your eldest brother tied to the bed with fishnet stockings was enough to scar anyone for life, I didn't need to add to the nightmares I had.
SUPERNATURAL
"Dean, you slept with this chick…what almost nine years ago? How do you know she will even remember you?" I asked with my head leaning against the cool window. Yes, that's right, I had been demoted to the backseat again after Dean went on a little rant about how I couldn't possibly understand his 'baby' as much as he thought I did or I would have never put her in such grave danger. It's not danger, big brother, it's called a gas pedal and I'm like ninety nine point nine percent sure my reflexes are better than yours old man.
"Don't you remember every guy you've ever slept with?" He questioned glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "Never mind, don't answer that."
"Well, isn't this just post card perfect," I mumbled as we passed a sign welcoming us to Cicero, Indiana. "How do you even know she still lives here? I mean I can't remember everywhere we've been in the last eight years. We should just go do something. I'm sure a town like this has something exciting the three of us could do."
I purposely stressed the three of us part hoping he would pick up on the fact that I didn't want to be left alone with Sam. It was always long conversations about what makes the world go round or heart to heart talks about our feelings. Dean was a nice barrier being able to break up those chick-flick moments. However, he didn't catch what I was trying to say or he did but the idea of getting laid was more appealing.
"Look there's a bowling alley," I pointed out as he drove us towards one of the only motels in the town. "We haven't been bowling in years, come on, it will be a lot of fun!"
"No, no bowling, or do you not remember what happened the last time we tried to be normal for a day?" Dean asked slightly shuttering at the memory.
*Flashback*
"What do you want to do today, little girl?" Dad asked as we sat around the small table in the motel room eating our breakfast he had picked up.
"I'm not a little girl anymore, dad," I sighed dramatically, "I'm thirteen. I'm officially a teenager."
"Yay!" Dean cheered sarcastically earning a small laugh from Sam. I chucked a piece of sausage at his head and stuck my tongue out at Sam having the nerve to laugh.
Dad just shook his head at the three of us, "You know the birthday rules. You get to pick what we do for the day and I don't care how old you get missy. You will always be my little girl."
"Hmm…" I thought tapping my finger against my chin.
It was one of the few traditions we had. Instead of buying each other presents the birthday girl, or boy, would chose what the family did on their day. One year Dean chose to fill it with a marathon of Transformers and pizza which dad fell asleep within the first hour. Another year Sam chose to go to the National Art and History Museum. Not the most thrilling place on the world but because it was Sam's birthday, I got to ride around on Dean's back all day.
"Bowling," I finally decided.
"Are you sure?" Dad questioned taking a long sip of his coffee that I thought was permanently attached to his hand.
"Yeah," I nodded enthusiastically, "How hard can it be?"
Famous last words. Not only did dad have to threaten extra training for Dean to even put his feet into the rental shoes but Sam managed to get his thumb stuck in a bowling ball. A half hour, two ice cubes and a stick of butter later he chose a ball with bigger holes. Now came the time to get those ten menacing pins to fall down. Watching my dad, the scruffy hunter, kick his leg to the side as he threw the ball was probably one of the most hilarious times of my life. Never having been bowling before I didn't know the right technique or that they oiled the lanes so when I tried to mirror what my dad did and accidentally stepped over the line, I ended up flat on my back staring up at the ceiling. My dad never knocked down less than six pins and I was convinced there wasn't anything he couldn't do. Sam was alright, not the best but at least was a good sport about it and he had fun keep track of our scores. Dean, however, was not thrilled and nearly chucked the ball down the lane as if the pins were little evil creatures he was out to destroy. Then there was me who just loved the fact that we were trying something normal families did all the time. Not wanting to be anything less than perfect in front of my dad I tried my hardest which turned out to not be very good. A couple of times the ball went flying backwards and landing on Dean's foot who let out a string of curse words I didn't even know existed. One time I even managed to get a strike…but in the lane next to ours who had a little girl about five years old playing with her family. After she started crying hysterically that I had knocked her pins down dad thought it was time we go for ice cream.
*Present*
"It wasn't that bad," Sam disputed giving me a small smile over his shoulder.
"She almost broke my foot!" Dean exclaimed pulling up to the front of the motel to drop us off.
I got out and threw my duffel over my shoulder as I walked to the trunk of the car to get out my toiletry bag but as soon as Sam and I were out of the car he sped off.
"Dean!" I yelled after him not that I actually expected him to turn around. "I hope she gives you crabs, asshole!"
"Leah!" Sam scolded in a loud whisper as the few people in the parking lot stared at us.
"Oh, please," I rolled my eyes and pointed out the 'couple' that was walking out of one of the rooms. "You're telling me that Miss I-use-sex-to-pay-my-bills and Mr. please-don't-tell-my-wife are any better?"
We checked in and made sure to not get the room that was just occupied with a pay-by-the-hour guest. I was tempted to get my own room, I mean I am almost twenty four years old I think I could handle being in a different room than my brothers but I figured it would raise more questions than it was worth.
I was contently flipping through the minimal channels the motel offered before eventually deciding on one when I got that eerie feeling that someone was watching me. I glanced over to Sam whose eyes were already locked on my face almost searching for something.
Normally, I wasn't self-conscious about how I looked. I was a Winchester which automatically made me drop dead gorgeous and of course a little egotistical but the way he kept staring had me feeling uncomfortable.
"What?!" I finally snapped.
"Nothing," he quickly replied shrugging off the question and I went back to watching Maury until I got that feeling again. I swear, Sam, there isn't a treasure map to Atlantis on me so please stop looking.
"Dude, you're creeping me out," I admitted not being able to take it anymore. We had been in the room for a few hours now and he had done nothing but sit there quietly…watching me. "Blink or something!"
"Do you want to go bowling?" he blurted out and now it was my time to stare. I was almost certain he was ready to ask me some life or death question.
"What?" I questioned trying to keep up with the conversation.
"You mentioned seeing a bowling alley earlier. We could go if you want."
"No, its ok," I offered him a small smile as my hand automatically went to the charm on my necklace sliding it back and forth along the chain.
You ARE the father! Maury read the paternity test results as the woman cried hysterically and the man flipped his chair before running off the stage.
"I knew it!" I exclaimed motioning to the television earning an eye roll from Sam, "Look at those eyes and that crooked smile; there was no way that was not his kid!"
"I don't understand your fascination with shows like these," he shook his head, "Who doesn't know if they have a kid or not?"
"Let me guess you would rather watch the news."
"You say it like it's a bad thing."
"Sam, anyone who watches the news for more than a couple minutes a day will want to jump off a bridge by the end of the week," I declared and he just sat there waiting for me to continue. "When is there ever something good on the news? It's always someone got murdered, some catastrophe happened, or some horrible weather that has everyone running for cover. Watching the news religiously is a sure fire way to a road of depression. So, if you don't mind, I'd rather watch Maury or Jerry Springer and at least get some amusement out of other people's drama."
"Yeah and what about that doctor show you and Dean must watch once a week?" Sam challenged.
"Dr. Sexy M.D.?" I questioned not understanding how Sam was still not a fan of the show we made him watch with us. "What isn't there to like? There's blood and surgeries and romance and this one sleeping with that one's half sister and ex wives showing up and hot lesbians and even steamier doctors with plane crashes and drownings all mixed together with a sprinkle of fun."
"You need a new hobby," Sam sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Here," I tossed him the remote as I grabbed my duffel and headed for the bathroom. After changing into a pair of yoga pants and one of Dean's old t-shirts I walked back out into the room where I laced up my sneakers.
"Where are you going?" Sam asked and I couldn't help but shake my head as I heard the news channel on the television.
"Just out for a run. I'll be back," I waved my cell phone in the air to let him know I had it on me before heading out the door.
I stretched a little in the parking lot before taking off towards the middle of town. I didn't have a destination in mind or really even wanted to be out for a run but the longer I sat in the room alone with Sam the more anxious I got that he would corner me into a conversation. Running was supposed to be a distraction but the longer I ran, the more my true feelings came out. I was scared, no terrified, of going to hell and what would be waiting for me once I got down there. Once I got up to speed, I didn't want to stop as if I could almost literally run away from my troubles. The only problem was I wanted more, craved more, so I pushed myself to go faster and harder until I was hunched over holding myself with my hands on my knees trying to get much needed air into my lungs.
As soon as my heart no longer felt like it was going to pound out of my chest I straightened myself up and went to walk back to the motel when the all too familiar pain in my knee made its appearance. It wasn't unbearable, but I groaned in annoyance when I remembered my knee brace was in our makeshift first aid kit in the trunk of the Impala. I stood there for a minute weighing my options. I could try and walk back to the motel without totally destroying my knee, I could call Sam to come carry my ass back to the motel room or I could call Dean and tell him I needed my brace. None of those choices really appealed to me though. Sam was already acting super weird and the last thing I wanted was for him to baby me even more. To be honest, I don't know if Dean would even answer his phone since he was probably 'busy' but if he did I would never hear the end of it.
That's when I noticed the convenient store across the street, quickly looking around to make sure no one was watching I reached in my sports bra and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. What? I had to keep it somewhere and it's not like these pants had pockets. The little bell chimed as I limped through the door and I gave a polite smile to the less than enthused employee behind the counter. I finally found the right aisle and was ecstatic that the brace was on sale. Translation; I could also buy chocolate. I started walking towards the front of the store when a conversation from the next aisle over caught my curiosity.
"Did you hear who showed up at Lisa's today?" A female voice asked.
"No, who?" The other woman questioned in pure interest of some good gossip.
"Dean," she replied and I found myself leaning closer the shelves trying to hear why they were talking about my eldest brother but whoever she was talking to didn't respond. "You don't know about Dean? The Dean. Best-night-of-my-life Dean."
"No, tell me!" Yeah, lady, tell us, I nodded leaning even closer to the shelves. Not that I wanted to hear what activities my brother had done in the past but the fact that he was remembered and talked about all these years later sparked my interest.
"Oh my God, so they had this crazy, semi-illegal…" the woman started to share what happened when I leaned a little too far causing me to lose my balance. I tried to steady myself before I face planted into bottles of aspirin but the shelf was strong enough to support my weight causing the bottles to go flying in the air and for me to end up laying there sprawled out in the middle of the aisle.
The employee who had been at the register appeared at the end of the aisle with the two women who had been talking about Dean, all just staring at me as I sat in the middle of the mess with my hair plastered to the side of my face with sweat.
"Uh…clean up in aisle four," I tried to joke. No one thought it was so funny.
You would have thought I burnt the place down with the looks the cashier was giving me as I paid for my king sized Kit Kat and knee brace. Seriously lady you should be thanking me, at least now you have something to do besides sit behind the counter for the rest of your shift and count the dust particles that were illuminated by the sun. I was about to tell her just that when I received a text from Sam saying he walked to the diner and for me to meet him there. I plopped down on the bench outside the store and rolled my pant leg up before sliding the brace into place. It was a little tight since it was brand new and not worn in like the other one I had but the extra pressure felt amazing looking up I saw a couple of kids just standing on the corner before all three of them turned to look at me at the same time. Ok, weird, but totally grateful that the diner was the opposite direction.
I ate my candy as I strolled to the diner suddenly nervous that this was going to be some sort of intervention and I was going to get ambushed into talking. I opened the door of the diner slowly as I took a deep breath preparing myself for the worst when Sam waved me over to the booth he was sitting at. I slid into the opposite side, it wasn't strange that he had already ordered for me since I always got the same thing but it looked as if he had eaten some of my food.
"Did you put ketchup on my fries?" I asked sitting down and thoroughly checking my food to make sure he didn't do anything to it.
"No, there was…" he went to say something else but the moment the fry touched my tongue I was in greasy food heaven. I mean angels were singing halleluiah little cherubs were playing harps the whole nine yards.
"Holy shit, this is awesome!"
"Like deep fried crack?" Sam questioned watching in amusement as I stuffed my face with more.
"What?"
"Never mind," he shook his head as his cell phone rang. "Hello?...Really?...That is weird…alright, Le and I will check out."
"We'll check what out?" I asked through a mouthful of fries.
"Turns out it wasn't just one freak accident. There were four more that didn't even make the paper and it was all in some gated community. Finish up and we'll go check it out."
I looked at Sam and then down at myself, "I'm going to need to shower."
SUPERNATURAL
"So, once again, we're very sorry to disturb you. We just really want to expedite that life-insurance policy," Sam rattled off of the lie so professionally it made me smile with pride as we followed a young woman to her backyard.
Dean had graciously dropped off my toiletry bag as well as his stuff before leaving Sam and I to investigate. Usually, I had my hair wrapped up in a bun when I wore my pant suit to pull the look together but unfortunately my hickeys were still visible so I had to leave my hair down making me not only uncomfortable and in pain for wearing heels but extremely hot.
"Of course," the woman agreed walking us down the porch and pointing to a ladder that was still leaning against the house from whoever put plywood over the hole from where the window used to be. "This is, um, where he fell."
"I see. Now, how exactly did he…" Sam continued trying to get as much information out of her as possible while I gritted my teeth as we walked down a few stairs. Like really? We couldn't have seen all of this from the porch? We just had to torture me? Apparently.
"He was just inside changing a light bulb. Must have lost his balance."
"Were you here when it happened?" I asked hoping to move this along so I could lose the heels and head back to the motel room where there was a very large pain pill with my name on it waiting for me.
"No, I was out. Uh, the only one here was our daughter, Dakota," she replied motioning to another window where a young girl was watching us.
I gave her a small wave and smiled but she just kept glaring at us with no emotion on her face whatsoever. Sam caught my eye and glanced over to the red smudge by the edge of the window and another on the fence that closed in the yard. I gave a slight nod so he knew I had seen it too.
"Ok, well, uh, I think that's all we need. We'll get out of your way now," Sam told the woman and as she turned to walk back inside I noticed a strange mark on the back of her neck that almost looked like it was made by teeth.
SUPERNATURAL
I had never been so happy to change into comfortable clothes. After taking a couple of pain killers I dozed off on one of the beds only to be woken up by someone talking on the phone.
"What do you mean you don't think it will work, Bobby? It's a demon de-spelling ritual…well, maybe we got the translation wrong…Look, we can't just let Leah fry in hell while we…I know! But there's got to be something!" Sam yelled into the phone before turning and realizing I was awake and staring at him with crossed arms. "Yeah. No. I got to go."
There was no way avoiding the elephant in the room now, especially since Dean was conveniently not back yet from wherever he was.
"Something tells me you're not going to believe I was ordering a pizza," Sam half smiled setting his phone down next to his laptop.
"Sam," I sighed throwing my hair up into a loose pony tail trying to prepare myself for what was coming next.
"What do you expect?" He snapped making me jump slightly from his sudden outburst though I should have known it was coming sooner or later, "You're going to hell and I'm the only one who seems to give a damn!"
"Sam," I tried again but he stood up and started pacing the room as he continued.
"You understand that time is ticking, right? That every day you pretend that this isn't really happening or that it is some kind of big joke we are losing precious time to get you out of this. And Dean!? God, he should be tearing demons apart trying to break your deal but instead he is letting you drive and listen to whatever kind of music you want. I want to know what the hell is going on Leah! I feel like I'm living in the damn twilight zone. Don't you give a shit that you're going to die?!" He asked waving his hands around as he talked.
"Not really," I answered softly considering the alternative.
"Die, Leah. Not breathing, no pulse, dead, Le!" He yelled as if I didn't comprehend what it meant.
"I know."
After a few shaky breaths he came and sat down next to me on the bed with his back leaning against the headboard, "You promised me that if you ever felt that depressed again, to the point that you felt like you couldn't go on, that you would talk to me instead of doing something you would regret."
"Sam, I…" I started unsure of really what I was going to say and was surprised when he cut me off.
"You lied to me, Le. I know we've fought in the past and we don't always see eye to eye on everything but I always felt like I could trust you no matter what but you lied to me, Leah, and I don't know where to go from there."
I chanced a look in his direction and any control I had on my emotions went right out the window when I saw how hurt he was and tears started pouring out of my eyes like someone had turned on a faucet.
"Y-y-you can trust me," I stuttered out through my tears before giving in and spilling my secrets, well attempted too. "It…it isn't a m-m-matter of if I w-w-want to die or n-n-not, S-S-Sammy, if…if…y-y-you…"
"Hey, hey, hey," Sam soothed pulling me into his side and I could feel the confusion radiating off of him as I clung to his shirt and finally let it all out in heart wrenching sobs. He wrapped his arms around me and held on tight as if he was scared that I might crumble if he moved. "Babe, you've got to tell me what's going on, you're scaring the shit out of me."
"I…you…Dean…" I tried but I could barely breathe let alone form a complete thought.
"Alright, it's alright, just breathe," he rubbed my back waiting patiently for me to get a hold of myself. "Ready to try again?"
I nodded against his chest not being able to look him straight in the eyes as I told him what I had been hiding. "Sammy, there was more to the deal than just a year to live."
"What are you talking about?" He asked and I felt him stiffen a little though he continued to rub his hand up and down my back.
"It's unbreakable."
"No, no that's not true there are always loop holes we just have to look for them. Even if there is only one we will find it and I will get you out of this," he promised in that big brother tone that was supposed to make everything better.
"You can't," I went to explain.
"Le, stop fighting me on this."
"Dean will die!" I shouted and it came out much harsher than I meant it to.
"What?" Sam questioned softly.
"If anyone breaks my deal, Dean drops dead. So if you want to keep looking for a way to save me then you are looking for a way to kill him."
We sat in silence for a few minutes letting the new information sink in for Sam and feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered.
"Don't be, I would have done the same thing for him," I confessed using the heel of my hand to clear my face of any remaining tears.
Sam grabbed the remote and flipped through a few channels before leaving it on Spongebob, "Cartoons?"
"Sure," I nodded leaning into his side. I knew this conversation was far from over but maybe now I could worry a little less about the two of them doing something stupid. Maybe.
SUPERNATURAL
Our door flung open as Dean waltzed in, "Something's wrong with the kids in this town." He took one look at the two of us and then to the television, "Why do I feel like I missed a major chick-flick moment?"
"Jealous?" I teased as Sam got up and tapped the mouse on his laptop to get his screensaver to disappear and pull up the research he had done earlier.
"No, not really," Dean shook his head handing Sam and I a beer out of the case he had brought back with him, "relieved actually."
"So, what do you guys know about changelings?" Sam asked as he scrolled through a couple of pages he had pulled up.
"Evil monster babies?" Dean questioned smacking me in the back of the head as I popped the top to my beer with my teeth and giving me a look that said I should know better.
"No, not necessarily babies," Sam disagreed as I chucked the cap successfully hitting Dean in the neck.
"The kids," I realized remembering the weird ones I had seen earlier. "The creepy stare-at-you-like-you're-lunch kids?"
"Yeah," Sam nodded checking his notepad he had on the table, "there's one at every victim's house."
"You saw that mark on the back of that woman's neck, right?" I questioned keeping one eye on Dean in case he decided to retaliate.
"Yeah, no way that was a bug bite," Sam smirked as he clicked on a few more pages on his laptop trying to find the page he was looking for.
"Ha ha, very funny," I mocked tossing a pillow in his direction but his grin only grew as it fell a few feet short.
"So, changelings can perfectly mimic children. According to lore, they climb in the window and snatch the kid," Sam read off the screen.
"Makes sense, there were marks on the windowsill at one of the houses," I told Dean, "looked like blood to me."
"The changeling grabs a kid, assumes its form and joins the happy family just for kicks?" Dean asked feeling like there was something missing.
"Not quite," Sam replied scrolling a little more down the page before he started reading again. "Changelings feed on the mom: synovial fluid. The moms have these odd bruises on the back of their necks. Changelings can drain them for a few weeks before mom finally croaks."
"Syno-what?" Dean questioned.
"Synovial fluid, it's basically the stuff between your joints that acts as a lubricant," I answered and Dean tipped his beer in my direction as if to say 'ok, then'. "But don't you have to burn a changeling to kill it?"
"Yeah," Sam nodded.
"Great, we'll just bust in the front door, drag the kids out, and torch them on the front lawn. That'll be awesome," I smiled sarcastically.
"But that's not all," Sam continued, "The real kids usually get stashed underground somewhere. If it's true the real kids might be out there somewhere."
"So, any kid in the neighborhood is vulnerable?" Dean asked setting his beer on the table and pulling on his jacket.
"Yep," Sam nodded.
"We got to make a stop; I want to check on someone."
SUPERNATURAL
"Dean, do you really think right now is the best time for a booty call?" I asked from the backseat as I assembled our torches attaching new canisters of kerosene.
"She's got a kid," Dean replied flying down the residential street and coming to a screeching halt in front of her house. "Give me five minutes."
"Didn't think he had a thing for mom's," Sam commented with a smirk as I passed him his torch and went to work on Dean's.
"You don't think…" I trailed off giving Sam a knowing look. "You know…"
"No," Sam chuckled with a slight shake of his head. "You have to remember this is the guy that bought me three boxes of condoms for my sixteenth birthday."
"I remember dad choking on his beer when you pulled them out of the bag but accidents do happen, Sam."
"Accidents? Le, Dean's a walking billboard for 'glove or no love'."
"Yeah, alright. I guess even Mr. Horny can be responsible," I agreed as Dean slid into the front seat.
"They took Ben. He's changed," Dean announced starting the car back up.
"What? Are you sure?" Sam asked as Dean did a three point turn and headed back the way we came.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I checked his windowsill. I don't think its blood and I think I know where the kids are," Dean replied with a tight grip on the steering wheel and a look on his face that I only saw when Sam or I were hurt.
"Care to share with the class?" I asked handing Sam Dean's torch.
Of course, answering would have been too easy for him. Instead he parked the car in front of one of the modular homes that wasn't finished yet.
"Thinking of buying?" I questioned getting out of the car and instantly regretting putting so much weight on my one leg as I bit my lip to stop the scream from coming out.
Sam, thankfully, was already out of the car and quickly looped an arm around my waist, "You alright?"
"What's going on?" Dean asked looking at us over the roof of the car.
I loudly sighed, "I maybe…slightly… might have aggravated my knee…again."
"And you didn't think to mention this before we left the motel to go hunting the fuglies?" Dean questioned in an annoyed tone. You don't fool me big brother I see the worry in your eyes even if your voice won't give it away.
"I'm fine," I declared stepping out of Sam's grasp to show I could stand on my own. I even thought about doing a little jig to prove my point but decided against it.
"We don't have time for this," Dean growled. "Just stay here. I'm going around back, Sam take the front."
"You can't be serious?!" I argued. I'm old enough to sell my soul; I think I'm old enough to choose if I stay back or not.
"Leah, stay here!" Dean hollered before sneaking into the backyard. Yes, Dean, go try and be stealthy after yelling at me. Idiot.
"Leah, stay here," I mocked leaning against the hood with my arms crossed over my chest.
Sam gave me an apologetic smile and slipped through the front door. Save your smiles traitor you should have stuck up for me. As soon as both brothers were out of sight I started counting.
One Mississippi…
Two Mississippi…
Three Mississippi…
Four Mississippi…
Five Mississippi…
Ok, that's long enough I decided as I grabbed my torch and went around to the side of the house to look for a way in. Let's see if I was some evil creature where would I store my snacks? The basement. It's always the freaking basement. Finding an opening where they hadn't added a window yet, I sat down and slid through the opening biting my lip again as my feet hit the floor. After waiting for a minute for the sharp pain to go away in my knee I readjusted the torch in my hand and started my way through the basement.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are, you creepy bastard," I taunted in low voice when I heard glass breaking. I froze in my spot for a minute trying to figure out which direction it came from.
Deciding it came from the other side of the basement I started to make my way over there when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. Without a second thought I lit my torch throwing a large flame towards whatever it was, satisfied it would be dead I chanced a look and saw I had just barbequed a rat.
"Hey, Dean, there's a mother," I heard Sam's voice and quickly made my way to the room they were in.
"Leah, what the hell are you doing?!" Dean hollered once he saw me standing there.
"Thought I would help the exterminator," I joked thinking about the rat that was charcoaled.
"We don't have time for this, we need to get these kids out quick," Sam broke up our little argument as he went to break the last kid out of the cages they were being kept in.
"Ben, get them out of here," Dean instructed helping the boy out the window with the rest of the kids.
I was so dumbfounded that this kid looked exactly like a mini-Dean that I didn't even know someone was behind me until I got shoved from behind falling into Sam.
Dean wrestled with momma changeling while I fumbled with my torch. These things never work when you need them to, anyone else notice that?
"Sam, get him out of the way," I yelled and the second Sam's hands were on Dean's shoulders moving him to the side I lit her up watching as she disappeared in ball of flames. "See, you do need me."
Needed me to baby-sit was more like it. We couldn't fit all the kids in the car so I got chosen to sit with a few while they made the first run. One of them being Dean's little double. I watched as the kid talked to one of the girls and threw his jacket over her shoulders.
"So, Ben, is it?" I asked walking over and sitting next to him on the porch.
"Guilty," he nodded. Damn, he even sounded like Dean.
"How you holding up?"
"I'm fine," he replied shortly.
"Good," I smiled and thought about how wrong it would be for me to interrogate a kid who was just held captive by an evil creature. Oh well, I'm going to hell anyways what's the difference. "So, how old are you?"
"Just turned eight. My birthday was yesterday." Eight? Let's see Dean went on his trip almost nine years ago. No, it can't. Can it? "I got this sick AC/DC CD that I've wanted for awhile now."
"That's nice," I tried to smile but the more the kid talked the more he sounded like Dean. "I bet your dad is real worried about you."
"Wouldn't know," he shrugged, "I don't have one."
Of course you don't, I thought to myself. "Well everyone has a dad."
"Mom said he was long gone before she even knew about me but its ok," he replied and I was surprised at how mature he sounded. I'm pretty sure that at eight years old I was still picking my nose and flicking the snot at my brothers.
Why I felt this growing need to protect this kid as if he was my own blood was beyond me but I gave him my cell phone number anyway and told him to call me if he ever needed me. You know just in case he gets kidnapped by a changeling that wants to suck the life out of his mom again because let's be honest shit like that happens all the time, right?
After dropping off the last little girl we brought Ben home and I got to get a good look at this famous 'Lisa' person.
"Ben?! Ben, baby are you ok?" she asked frantically checking him over for any injuries before pulling him into a hug.
"I'm ok, mom," he sighed giving her a hug back. Way to be man, little dude.
"What the hell just happened?" she asked turning her attention to Dean.
"I'll explain everything if you want me to, but trust me, you probably don't. The important thing is that Ben is safe," Dean answered patting the kid on the shoulder.
"Thank you," Lisa smiled before smashing her lips against Dean's, "thank you."
"We'll, just give you guys some time," Sam said sliding into the driver's seat as I got out of the back and into the front.
"Doesn't he remind you of someone?" I asked Sam as we headed back to the motel.
"Who, Ben?"
"No, Freddy Krueger," I rolled my eyes at how clueless my supposedly smart brother could be. "Yes, Ben."
"Not really," Sam shrugged stopping at a red light and that's when I saw the blonde chick from the bar leaning against the wall of the bookstore. I went to get out of the car and Sam grabbed my arm, "Where are you going?"
"I'll meet you back at the motel, I suddenly want to buy a book," I answered getting out of the car and slamming the door.
Sam stared after me with a confused look on his face until the car behind him honked since the light was green. Walking closer to the chick she started to walk away but I grabbed her shoulder before she could disappear and shoved her up against the building.
"Why the hell are you following us?" I demanded.
"Not all of you, Leah, just Sam," she answered and the fact that she knew who we were unnerved me a little.
"You're the bitch with the knife from Lincoln, aren't you?" I realized and I was ready to go for the gun I had in the small of my back. "Why are you so interested in my brother?"
"Because he is tall and I love a tall man," she smirked and I went to hit her but stopped when she added, "And then there's the whole antichrist thing."
"Excuse me?"
"Generation of psychic kids, yellow-eyed demon rounds them up, celebrity death match ensues and big brother Sam is the sole survivor. Yellow-eyes had some pretty big plans for him."
"Had being the key word, bitch," I sneered.
"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right, ding-dong that demon's dead. Good job with that. It doesn't change the fact that your brother is special…in that Anthony Michael Hall E.S.P. visions kind of way."
"You seem to know an awful lot about our family," I commented taking in a deep breath through my nose and letting it out through my mouth in an attempt to contain my temper and the want to beat this shit out of this chick on principle alone.
"I'm a good hunter and I'm thinking your brother is still a pretty big deal. I mean, after all that business with your mom."
The back of my hand came up so quick to hit the side of her face that she didn't even have time to try and dodge it. "Watch your mouth, bitch."
"So, you know then?" she questioned but when I didn't answer she pulled a pen out of her pocket and wrote her number on the palm of my hand. "You've got a little catching up to do, my friend. Why don't you look into your mom's pals and then give me a call and we'll talk again? I like you, you're feisty, I think we could be good friends. The bitch thing is getting kind of old though, I'm Ruby."
I looked down at the number on my hand and when I looked back up she was gone.
SUPERNATURAL
"Where's your book?" Dean asked as I walked back in the motel room still playing through today's event in my head. Nothing in our family was ever easy. I had less than a year to live, this Ruby chick was a little too interested in Sam and I was almost ninety nine point nine percent sure I was an aunt. "Leah!"
"What?" I met his gaze and noticed Sam was now looking at me too.
"Where's the book that take you an hour and a half to pick out?" Dean questioned motioning to my empty hands.
"Give me your keys," I walked over to Dean with my hand out careful to keep the other one closed so he wouldn't see the phone number.
"Who do you think you are?" He asked staring at my outstretched hand.
"Keys, Dean, claves," I repeated with no amusement in my voice whatsoever. The questions were piling up quicker than I could get answers and I felt like I was starting to drown in then.
"You didn't have to pull out the Latin," Dean mumbled looking over to Sam who tossed him the keys but instead of handing them over he dangled them in my face. "Where you going?"
"Out," I snatched them out of his hand and turned on the balls of my feet ignoring the confused looks and questions both brothers were asking as I slammed the motel room door.
The drive back to her house was longer than I wanted and I was fuming as I banged on her door impatiently until she finally swung the door open.
"Can I help you?" Lisa asked and took a better look at me, "you're Dean's sister, right? You two have the same eyes."
"That's awesome. Who is Ben's father?" I asked getting right to the point. I was not in the mood for small talk.
"Excuse me?" she asked completely taken back by my question. "Are you asking if your brother is his father?"
"Yeah, I am," I nodded placing my hands on my hips. I didn't care if I was his younger sister or not, no one messed with my family and got away with it.
"No," she exclaimed placing one hand on the door getting ready to close it in my face.
"You sure?" I asked moving so that even if she tried to close the door I would be blocking it.
"Don't worry your brother is off the hook. I did a blood test when he was a baby. There was this guy…some bar back in a biker joint," she answered nastily and continued when she saw the look I was giving her. "What? I had a type. Leather jacket, couple of scars, and no mailing address? I was there. Guess I was a little wild back then and your brother fit the profile."
"Thought the guy left before Ben was born," I challenged and watched as her face faltered under my accusation.
"How did you know that?" she asked softly.
"There was no blood test, was there? Truth is you don't know who his father is," I stated taking a step back to look at Ben through the front window as he sat on the couch playing a handheld video game.
She took the opportunity to slam the door in my face and I heard the all too familiar sound of the dead bolt.
How did the night ever get like this? One shot and the whiskey goes down. Down, down. Bottom of the bottle hits, waking up my mind as I throw a fit.
"Relax, I'm on my way back," I answered my cell as I stormed back to the car.
"Leah?" I stopped when I realized it wasn't my brothers.
"Dylan?"
"We have a problem."