Chapter 9 Fourth of July
Friday, July 3. Forest Edge, Oregon
The waiting room was painted in cream and pale blue, a bland, boringly square room, red plastic chairs lining the walls, and a number of framed prints hung above them. To one side, the receptionist sat, visible through a square window in the wall, head bowed over her paperwork, the multiple coloured strands in her hair gleaming under the fluorescent light above.
Dean kept his gaze on the artwork, above the eyeline of the other people who were waiting there with him. Making eye contact with strangers in doctors' offices was a mistake; he'd learned that a long time ago. Better to look at the floor or the walls or keep your eyes shut than invite a conversation about the possible or actual medical afflictions of the other patients.
He rubbed a hand over his face, and closed his eyes. Ellie had been tired the last two months, more than tired…exhausted half the time, despite the fact that she was sleeping longer and deeper every night. Three times last week, he'd found her crashed on the living sofa, or in the bedroom in the middle of the day, with no other explanation than just feeling tired, and the last time she'd been hard to wake.
"Ah…Dean?"
He looked up, seeing the doc's face peering through the gap between the door frame and his door. He got up, walking slowly toward the consulting room, wondering what could be so wrong that he had to be told personally by Winsett. He could feel a flutter in his stomach as the man held the door wider for him to pass through and closed it behind him.
Ellie sat in the chair next to the desk, her mouth curving up in wry, one-sided smile. Couldn't be too bad, he thought, relief filling him.
"Congratulations!" Dr Winsett smiled at him as he walked around his desk, gesturing to the seat beside Ellie, and sitting down.
"Uh..." He looked from the doctor's beaming face to his wife's.
"There's nothing wrong. You're going to be expanding your family," Dr Winsett clarified, leaning on the desk.
"What?" He looked at Ellie, who gave him a slight one-shouldered shrug.
"Now, I've made an appointment for you for the ultrasound next week, in Portland. That'll be the sixteen week check; the next one will be at twenty weeks and you can make another appointment for that when you get there." He looked up at them, one brow raised. "Is that going to be suitable?"
Ellie glanced sideways at Dean, seeing his mouth open slightly and close again. She nodded. "That'll be fine."
"Everything is looking good, although after two, Ellie, I'm a bit surprised you didn't think of it yourself." He looked over the top of his glasses at her, fingers shuffling the papers on the desk.
She smiled thinly. "Things have been kind of hectic lately, and I've never been very regular. And I was on the Pill."
"That particular type isn't as…protective as some of the others. We'll sort out a better one once you're through the next eighteen months or so," he said, making a note on her file.
"Right. I'll see you after the ultrasound, and we'll make it a monthly appointment until September, and then I want you check in more frequently." He smiled, one brow lifted. "Well, you know the drill."
He stood up and Ellie and Dean got up as well. "And no more electric gardening tools, Ellie, you let Dean take care of that stuff for awhile," Winsett added as he followed them to the door.
Dean glanced at Ellie. She screwed up her face and tapped a finger against her left shoulder. Belatedly, he remembered the cut from the faery sword early last month.
"That's right, leave that stuff to me," he growled, straight-faced. He looked over his shoulder at the doctor. "She's kind of klutzy anyway."
Dr Winsett laughed as he closed the door behind them.
Ellie went to the counter and paid for the consult, then walked out of the offices with her head down. Dean followed more slowly, his thoughts spinning.
"Another baby?" He looked at her as they got in the car.
"Looks like," she said, fastening her seat belt. "Due Christmas."
He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what he was feeling about it. He was acutely aware of how bad that was, him sitting there staring at the steering wheel in front of him, the silence stretching out.
"Uh…"
"It's okay. Shocked the hell out of me too. Sit with it for a while; we can talk about it later."
He looked at her, nodding gratefully. It was an odd thing he'd discovered about himself over the last few years. If there was any pressure on him to think something through—something like this anyway—he took forever to get it clear in his mind, but if there was no pressure, he'd come to a conclusion quickly and easily, not even thinking about it. Ellie had known that about him almost right from the start. He had no idea how.
The drive didn't take long, and as he pulled into their road, they could see that the preparations for the party tomorrow had already started. He slowed down as they passed Idan, Oran and Sariel lugging trestles and long table-tops out to the trucks, loading them in. In front of Sam's house, his brother was on a ladder, stringing lights along the trees, Garth handing him coil after coil.
It had been Sam's idea: a street party for the Fourth—a hunter's street party, that was—and even Frank had been moderately enthusiastic about the idea, volunteering to do a run down to Corvallis and pick up a range of fireworks.
"You know those cars?" He frowned as he saw a half dozen cars parked in a semi-circle around their gate.
Ellie craned her neck to look out the window, and grinned. "Yeah, that black monster is Laney's truck. Guess they made it after all."
He drove between the cars and into their driveway, brows rising at the crowd of people sitting on the steps and lounging along the porch railing.
"How many hunters has she picked up?"
Ellie twisted around to look past him as he pulled around in front of the house. "A lot more than the last time we saw her."
Dean killed the engine and they got out, walking up to the front porch.
"Dammit, Jer, shift that big butt of yours!" The voice was female, irate and a warm contralto. One of the men moved aside and Laney Pike shot through the gap, almost falling down the stairs and into Dean's arms.
"Laney," Dean grinned down at the diminutive blonde woman. In her early forties, slender to the point of skinniness, Laney's tan face showed few lines around her eyes, which were a deep, coffee brown.
"Dammit, Dean, why is it you're always witness to my most ungraceful moments?" She laughed, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.
"God's way of saving me from temptation?" he suggested diplomatically, looking over her head at Ellie.
She snorted against his chest, and let him go, turning around to Ellie. "Well, look at you! You're knocked up again!"
Ellie's mouth dropped open and from the corner of her eye she saw Dean's brows shoot upward.
"C'mere and give us a hug. That boy is far too virile for his own good—or yours." Laney hugged Ellie with considerably less bone-cracking strength than she'd given Dean. Ellie hugged her back, letting go and looking at her.
"We have just this minute come back from the doctor, Laney—how the hell did you know that?"
"I always know." Laney grinned and tapped her nose. "It's the glow you get."
Ellie snorted. "That's not glow, that's fatigue."
"Same difference. Got a few new folks I really want you to meet," Laney added, turning and looking at Dean. "Where's Sam at? Tell him to get his butt up here pronto."
Dean pulled his phone out, slipping an arm around Ellie as they followed Laney up the steps.
"Sam, Laney's here, she says she's got a surprise…how should I know? Yeah…anyway, get a move on."
Trish wound her way through the hunters cluttering up the front hall and smiled at Ellie. "See what happens when you two go off together? We get invaded!"
Laney poked the man in front of her, and he turned around, eyes crinkling up as he grinned at Ellie and Dean. "You know Jeremy and Steve, don't you?"
The two hunters were about the same height, but that was the only similarity they had. Jeremy Mann was a third generation hunter, with a long, lanky build, long dark blond hair he kept tied back, and a long face with bright green eyes under sandy brows. Steve Coulson had started hunting seven years ago, during a stint in a lockup in Kentucky. The prison had been filled with ghosts with the rising of Death, and Steve had been one of the two men out of forty five who'd made it through the night alive. The other man had been his cell mate, Paddy Morrison, a hunter from Missouri, who'd shown him what to do to protect himself. He was broad and packed with muscle, an ex-boxer who could still move lightly on his feet when he needed to. Dark brown curls cut short and bright blue eyes, in a square face with prominent dimples, gave him something of the look of Kurt Russell, a fact that Sam couldn't somehow get over and had to comment about every time they saw him.
"Hey, nice place you guys got here," Jeremy said, holding a hand out to Dean. "So I'm guessing after Laney's announcement that congrats are in order?"
"Yeah. We…uh, yeah," Dean said, taking the offered hand and giving Jeremy a shrug. "You been keeping busy?"
"As you might 'spect," Jeremy said, going to Ellie and wrapping his arms around her.
"You look beautiful as always, darlin'."
"You might want to get your eyes checked," Ellie remarked. "It's good to see you."
Ellie realised it was going to be a weekend with a lot of hugging as she extracted herself from Steve's enthusiastic bear hug.
"Man could die of thirst around here before anyone offered him a drink?"
"C'mon then," Dean said, glancing at the man standing beside Jeremy. "How you doing, Steve?"
"Can't complain…well, hell yeah, I can complain but I ain't gonna. Congratulations," Steve said with a smile as he followed Dean and Jeremy into the house.
Ellie turned to Trish and raised a questioning brow.
"They're fine," Trish said, smiling. "They're at our place with Laney's girls, watching a movie."
"Thanks for taking care of all this." Ellie wasn't sure how long she was going to be able to deal with it, given the latest shock. She already felt like retreating upstairs and spending some time alone.
Tricia stepped closer, slipping an arm through Ellie's. "You look a bit ambushed."
Ducking her head, Ellie acknowledged that. "Yeah, I didn't see it. It came as a total shock to both of us."
"But a happy surprise, right?" Trish asked.
"Yes." Ellie turned to see Laney bustling toward them as Dean returned from the kitchen. "Don't let me hold you up, Trish."
"I'll see you later," Tricia said, smiling at Dean as she turned back for the front door. "Send Sam back once he's done the meet and greet?"
"Will do." Dean glanced down at Ellie as Trish left. "You okay?"
Ellie smiled and shrugged. She'd sneak upstairs as soon as she could, she decided. In the meantime, she'd be as sociable as possible.
"Guys, this is Emma Jones." Laney came to a halt in front of them, a tall woman with long, jet-black hair and a strong Native American heritage beside her. The wariness in the young woman's dark brown eyes wasn't surprising, Ellie thought. Laney liked to railroad people.
Emma held out her hand to Ellie, a confident strength in the long-fingered grip as the blonde hunter continued the introduction.
"Emma started hunting with us last year, saved my life twice now. Emma, Ellie and Dean Winchester."
"Winchester…?" Emma smiled as she turned to Dean. "Yeah, that name I've heard a few times."
Dean shrugged. "Don't believe everything you hear about that name."
"Already told her that, Dean. Told her you put your pants on one leg at a time, jus' like every other man!" Laney snorted, turning around as a stocky man with short blond hair came up behind her. "And this is Greg White."
She lifted her face to him and he dropped a kiss on her mouth. "The new man in my life."
Dean took the extended hand. "You must have a lot of energy."
Greg raised a brow at him. "Yeah, you have no idea."
The corners of Dean's mouth tucked in slightly. Ellie hid her own smile as well. Dean had spent a few days with Laney when they'd finished a hunt in Michigan, in 2008, and he had a good idea of how exhausting the pint-sized blonde could be.
"Like being in bed with an octopus and two bottles of laughing gas." He'd told her a couple of months later. "Didn't think I was going to make it out alive at one point."
"God almighty!" Laney was looking past them to the doorway. Dean turned, seeing Sam come in. "Gigantor, have you grown again since I saw you last?"
"No." Sam smiled down at her. "You shrank."
"Impossible," she retorted, turning around. "Sam, this is Emma and Greg, you can get to know each other later. Now come on, you gotta meet these folks!"
She grabbed Sam's hand and hooked her other hand out for Dean's, dragging them back out the front door. Ellie lifted an eyebrow at Tricia and they followed behind. Laney stopped beside a young man and woman who were standing at the corner of the porch.
"Dean, Sam, this is Carl…Winchester," she said, with all the gratuitous flair of a ringmaster. "And this…is Charlie Campbell. They're your relations…somehow."
Carl Winchester was six foot tall, broad-shouldered and big-chested, with black hair and dark blue eyes. His lopsided grin was reminiscent of John's as he nodded to the brothers.
"I don't know what they call it, but your dad's dad was my Gramps' brother," he said, with an apologetic wave of his hand.
Sam and Dean exchanged a look. "Well, you'll have to meet Adam sometime."
"Adam?" Carl asked.
"Our half-brother," Sam explained. "He's down in Texas right now, helping some other hunters down there."
"Okay, cool."
Charlie Campbell was a little taller than Ellie, with an hourglass figure accentuated by the tight button-through shirt and black denim jeans she wore. Her hair was blonde, streaked through with pink and green, wavy and cut above her shoulders. She smiled at them, holding out her hand, clear blue eyes sparkling in a heart-shaped face.
"Hey, I'm not sure what you'd call it either, but my great-uncle Claude, is Joseph Campbell's brother," Charlie said, her accent southern Tennessee.
"And Joseph Campbell is related, how exactly?" Dean asked as Sam leaned past him to shake her hand.
"Samuel Campbell's grand-daddy."
Laney grinned at them. "So, you boys've got some family again!"
Dean drew back at that statement, his gaze swinging around to find Ellie. She was behind him, and he moved to stand beside her. He had his family, all the family he wanted; and the last time he'd acquired family rapidly and in a bunch, he hadn't liked any of them much.
The blonde hunter had a habit of seeing things in black and white, he knew, and the last time they'd talked about family and the things he'd wanted had been in '08. Back then, he'd felt differently. He supposed that he couldn't blame her for thinking she'd come up with a gift for him and Sam.
"Well, you're all here," Ellie said, her tone neutral. "Laney, you and Greg and the girls are in the two rooms at the end of the second story hall. Carl, Charlie, your rooms are on the other side of the house. Uh, Jeremy and Steve—"
"The boys are sacking out at Twist's place for the weekend," Laney interrupted, waving a hand toward the road. "We do tend to overwhelm folks as a bunch. I'm hoping you'll come to Michigan for a return visit? We're going to have more than wendigo the way things are going."
Dean glanced at Ellie. "What do you mean?"
"No talkin' shop till after dinner." Laney shook her head. "This is my vacation and I'm gonna enjoy it."
Dean was happy to find that Sam's front yard was the flattest, the biggest and the most centrally convenient for the outdoor barbeque dinners that his brother had insisted on for tonight and tomorrow night. He spent a couple of hours lugging tables and chairs around, and then retreated back to the house when he considered he'd done enough.
He found Ellie in the kitchen, wearing a light summer dress, looking cool and composed as she wrapped up the platters of sliced chicken, beef and pork, salads and rolls for later. She looked up as he came in, smiling as he looked her over appreciatively then rolled his eyes at the food.
"Sam's going all out," he said, walking up behind her and putting his arms around her. He kissed the side of her neck. "I had no idea he was gonna be so into this."
"How 'all out' is all out?" she asked, leaning back into his arms as she dropped the roll of plastic wrap on the counter.
"Enough Christmas lights to knock out the power supply to the region," he said. "I personally set up enough seating for about five hundred…he's got the stereo speakers hanging out the upstairs windows, but you know we're going to be listening to that crap he likes the whole night."
"Driver picks, Dean." Ellie smothered a laugh. "It's your rule."
"I know."
She turned around in his arms, running her hands up over his chest, watching as his eyes widened slightly. This was one thing she should've recognised, she thought a little hazily, as her breathing became ragged. He bent his head to hers, and she traced the shape of his mouth with her tongue. Second trimester horniness. Always a winner with Dean. She unbuckled his belt, and slid her hands inside the waistband of his jeans.
"Hell, Ellie—" His eyes closed, and he pulled her close. "Here?"
"Gotta get the kids from Trish at four," she whispered against his mouth, pushing his jeans down his hips. "You can manage that, right?"
He laughed breathlessly. "Is this the part of the pregnancy where you can't get enough of me?"
"Yep." She pushed him back to the chair at the table behind him. "This would be that part."
"I love this part," he murmured, watching her strip off her panties, lift the long skirt, and settle herself over him. Ellie smiled down at him.
"I can never get enough of you."
"God, you're wet." His hands were under the skirt, fingers slipping into her.
"Been thinking about this for the last hour," she agreed and lifted herself, bare feet braced on the chair supports. He moaned as he slid into her, her hips swinging slightly as she changed the angle and began to move faster.
"Anyone could come in," he said, hands tightening around her hips.
"Then they'll get an eyeful—although—" she said, pausing as she lit up inside and quickened. "—you could've had me bent over the table."
The image that jumped into his mind coincided with what she was doing and he thrust up against her, struggling to hold onto the shreds of his self-control.
"Don't hold back, Laney and Greg are coming up the path," Ellie whispered against his temple, rocking him harder now. His eyes flew open and he saw her smile, her head tipping back as a spiralling tremor rose inside her, gripping him tight. He came through her orgasm, arms wrapped tight around her, perversely aching for more as they shuddered against each other.
Laney came into the kitchen, her gaze flicking around the room. Dean looked up from the interior of the fridge, a beer in one hand, and Ellie glanced over her shoulder, setting the roll of plastic wrap on the table.
"Were you guys having sex in the kitchen?" The small blonde stood between them, head tilted to one side and her hands on her hips.
Dean laughed. "Us? Nah, we're an old married couple, Laney."
"Could've sworn I saw—well, never mind, don't go going into a rut just 'cos you're married. You should be having sex all over the place," she said.
"Laney, leave 'em alone," Greg followed her into the kitchen. "Don't think these folks are having any problems in that arena."
Ellie caught the glint of amusement in his eyes as he glanced at the baseboard next to the pantry door. Following his flickered look, she saw her underwear scrunched up against the wall.
"So what time is Sam's shindig?" Laney sat down at the table and took the beer Dean offered her.
"About five," Dean said, turning to see Ellie stride to the wall and scoop something from the floor. He felt a nervous laugh tickling the back of his throat as he realised what it was. Turning back to the fridge, he pulled out two more beers. "That right, Ellie?"
She was back at the table, picking up a platter. "Yep, that's what he said."
Laney lifted her bottle. "After, we should probably have a pow-wow about what's going on, Ellie."
"Yes. We will." Ellie nodded and glanced at the clock. "Dean—?"
He handed a beer to Greg and nodded toward the door. "Gotta get the kids."
Greg stood up, glancing at Laney. "I'll get the girls. You two have some catching up to do."
"Thanks, hon," Laney said, watching them as they left.
Ellie walked to the table and sat down, looking at Laney. "We do?"
"You know how much quicker we can cut through the bullshit without all the men around, Ellie," Laney said with a smile. "We need help. A lot of help. We're spread too thin for what we're facing."
Ellie looked at her. "How many do you need?"
"As many as you can spare." She looked out the window at the sunshine-filled garden. "As many as will come."
Ellie rested her chin on one hand as she thought about their numbers. "You'll meet the Watchers and the nephilim tonight. They've been training for a while now, and it'll be good experience for them. Twist said he was up for another tour."
She closed her eyes, feeling the familiar desire for sleep settle in. Pushing it away, she rubbed her eyes, and regathered her thoughts. "Katherine found Soleil, down in Texas. Said she had a few working with her."
Laney blinked in surprise. "God, I haven't heard from that woman in years. Thought she died when the devil rose."
"So did I, but she's always been sneaky." She looked at Laney. "Six or seven from here, and I'll ask Trent and Katherine to check with Soleil about sending some of hers when they see her next week?"
"That would be great, honey." She shook her head. "I know we'll get the skinny on this goddess later, but what's the short version?"
"We've got a spell that will put her back to sleep. But we haven't figured out a way of getting ahead of her yet. Frank's working on it." She straightened her back and sat back in the chair. "That's not what I'm worried about though, Laney."
"You're not worried that we got monsters comin' out of our asses and every hunter we lose makes the odds that much worse?"
"Surprisingly, no." Ellie smiled wryly. "What I'm more worried about is who raised her—and why they risked it."
Laney's eyes narrowed. At once, the pretty, outgoing woman disappeared and the hunter, whose reputation for efficient and ruthless kills was well-known across most of the country, sat in her place. "Who raised her?"
"She didn't wake up on her own," Ellie leaned on her elbow, her gaze cutting away then returning to the other woman. "Michael got out, through the Devil's Gate in Pasadena."
Laney's eyes widened. "You're shitting me."
"Wish I was." Ellie shook her head. "He told me the Seven were trying to open the circle. I spoke to a Roma just recently and she confirmed it. She said that they had raised the oldest goddess but they couldn't control her."
"Hell."
"Yeah." Ellie hid a yawn behind her hand. "The Roma told me that the circle needs nine to open it. Michael said that the nephilim are looking for Dean and Sam, and for their children."
"Son of a bitch," Laney said, concern written over her face. "Why?"
"We're not sure why," Ellie answered with a shrug. "Because of the bloodlines? Because of what happened? No idea."
"What are you going to do?"
"We're looking for the pieces. Frank set up a database, and we're feeding the library into it. We could use whatever you have as well. Which reminds me, I need to get Frank to give you some equipment so you can scan your stuff in and send it to him." The next yawn she couldn't hide and Laney's face split into a grin.
"You two were having sex in the kitchen!"
Ellie laughed. "Sixteen weeks."
"Hoo boy, I remember that. Lucky you've got him around, I was climbing the friggin' walls!" The smiled faded away and her expression became contrite. "Ellie, I'm sorry for making a thing about Carl and Charlie. Didn't think of how he'd see it—or how it sounded to you—I kept thinking of him telling me how much he missed his family."
"It's okay, Laney," Ellie said. "Everything changes, doesn't it? Life seemed pretty damned simple back then."
"Yeah, got that right." She got up and took her bottle to the trash can. "What happened to Michael?"
"I killed him." Ellie stood up, looking away. The memory of it, and what had followed were not for public discussion. "He was a demon. And he didn't want to go back."
"I'm sorry." Laney stood up and walked around the table, leaning over to put her arms around Ellie.
"At least he's free now." Ellie leaned on her for a moment, then straightened. "I'm going to crash for an hour or so. Make yourself at home."
"Will do."
Closing the door of the bedroom behind her, Ellie felt the unacknowledged tensions she'd been carrying for the past few hours disappear. She walked to the windows, drawing the curtains. In the cool dimness, she stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes.
A baby. Another child. Another hostage to fortune and whatever it was that was hunting for Dean and Sam and the children. She hadn't told Laney about the powers that were manifesting slowly in John and Rosie, in Marc and Laura and Adrienne. Hunters overall weren't a logical bunch. Sooner or later, someone would hear about it and decide that they weren't human.
Her hands curved protectively over her stomach. From past experience, she knew she wouldn't start to show for another month at least, and then nothing overt until she was at least seven months. She searched through her feelings, her thoughts, for how she felt about it, and found her mouth curving up into an involuntary smile. The child would be another part of Dean, and that was always a good thing.
A wave of warmth rolled over her, a deep and yearning ache, a richly textured blanket of love for the man who'd held her heart for so many years. People said that love faded away, or disappeared, under the familiarity of living together, under the pressure of having a family. That wasn't her experience. Every year—every day—the way she felt for him got stronger, more complex, deeper and wider and higher, giving her strength and courage she didn't think she'd have otherwise, solely from being with him.
She rolled onto her side, her eyes closing. His love of family was much greater than hers, even now. He'd given her the joy of their children, shown her the contentment of really belonging somewhere, feeling safe and loved and accepted, taught her the most difficult lesson; that one didn't give up who they were when they loved deeply; instead one became more oneself, more comfortable and secure in oneself, because someone else could see all those things one believed could never be shown, never be understood.
He hadn't believed her when she'd told him that, had said that it was the other way around. But without him, she wouldn't have been here, this person, in this place.
Dean swallowed a mouthful of beer as he looked around the garden, the lights and tables and people wiping out everything familiar in it. Setting the bottle on the picnic table, he had to admit that Sam had done a good job. Except for the music. He tilted his head slightly, trying to catch the lyrics of the song playing softly from the house. He couldn't even make out the beat, it was so low—and there was no melody, just a repetitive riff with the mumbling singer overriding it every now and then.
"This would have to be the most bizarre situation I've ever seen hunters in."
Dean looked around to see Emma taking the seat next to him at the table. Her jeans and jacket had been exchanged for a short, shift dress, leaving her arms and legs bare. He raised a brow in tacit query and she gestured at the fairy lights, strung through the trees and overhead to the house, the tables scattered over the lawn.
"If someone didn't know better, they might think that you've all been turned into house-pets."
"You might want to see what we can do before you start making judgement calls," Dean responded, his voice soft.
She smiled lazily at him. "I wasn't trying to offend."
"Sure you were."
"It's just…I mean, Dean and Sam Winchester…" She looked across the yard at Sam, who was talking to Idan and Sima, holding Adrienne against his shoulder while Tricia cleared away another load of dishes. "You guys had—have—the reputations of being the best. Hunters who've brought down everything: angels and demons and monsters…and you're here…dandling kids on your knees, in a small town, under fucking fairy lights."
Dean inclined his head. "Too lame for you?"
She nodded, resting an elbow on the table as she leaned toward him. "Yeah."
His lip curled up. "Too bad. We like it this way."
"Really? You don't feel like you've been…neutered?"
The laughter burst out of him unexpectedly, and she drew back, her eyes narrowing.
"Oh sweetheart, you've been watching way too many movies." He picked up his beer, getting up from the table. "No offence."
Walking back to his house, he wondered what the woman had wanted. Neutered, he thought. First time he'd heard that one. Had she been trying to come onto him or just trying to pick a fight? Either way, he wondered how Laney had found working with her.
Four tables had been put together, and every seat was filled. Ellie looked around the faces surrounding it, old, familiar ones and new, wondering what their reaction would be when they'd heard it all.
"The increase in the populations of every kind of monster and the mutations and deformities that have been found on some of the species, is due to the raising of ancient goddess, name of Asase Ya. She's a creation goddess, probably the creation goddess, and she's been roaming the country over the last eight months." Frank's gaze dropped to the files in front of him, then lifted, his face expressionless as he continued.
"She didn't just get up. She was raised by a ritual supposedly lost. Like so many others, it wasn't lost, just hidden." He cleared his throat. "I think—we think—we've found a key, a signature, that will give us a way to track her and possibly get ahead of her. Where she goes things grow, and not in a normal way. They grow fast, forced into maturity at a rate many times more than natural. In addition to the monster populations increasing, the human population has also seen a surge in births, and in mutations."
There are a dozen countries utilising a relatively new technology to map climate change across the globe using multiple filters and satellite photography. Took me until last week to be able to hack into them, but I've got enough data now to form a baseline. Another few days and we hope to see a pattern in the way she's moving. Once we have that, we can go and get her." Frank drew in a breath and turned to Dean. "We'll need three teams of two or three each."
Dean nodded. "Depending on where we find her, we'll have enough with us and any local talent." He glanced at Laney who nodded.
"Good. That brings us to who raised her." Frank pushed his glasses back up his nose, and opened another file. "The intel we have is that the seven firstborn children of the Watchers have rejoined and are trying to build something called the circle." He looked at Baraquiel, gesturing with one hand.
"The Circle is a part of Heaven's mythology." Baraquiel stood, his gaze moving around the table. "It was a ritual to build a way back to Heaven, for those of us who Fell and became mortal, if we failed at our tasks. It needed nine to make it. The firstborn child of each of us to be completed."
"Nine? I thought there were only seven of the firstborn?" Steve looked across the table at the Watcher, brows drawn together.
Beside Dean, Sam turned and whispered. "There, right there, doesn't he look like Russell?"
Dean rolled his eyes at him. "Every time, Sam?"
"There were twelve Fallen, chosen by God, to teach humanity the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge," Baraquiel turned to Steve. "We were sent to this plane before the First War, before Lucifer rebelled. When the rebellion came, three of the Watchers joined with Lucifer, and their children with them. They were killed in the conflict."
He drew in a deep breath, his expression tight. "Of the nine remaining, we all had sons or daughters. The Circle required nine. Lucifer was defeated and thrown into the cage in Hell, and our council made a decision to destroy any chance of the Circle being used by Lucifer to regain entrance to Heaven."
Baraquiel sat down, his face shuttered.
Frank cleared his throat. "The Seven firstborns are Idra, son of Baraquiel. Maluch, son of Bezaliel. Chasina, daughter of Sariel. Chuma, son of Chazaquiel. Kitra, daughter of Penemue. Lazio, son of Shamsiel. And Reuma, daughter of Araquiel. They're here, somewhere in the country but we haven't been able to locate them yet."
Bezaliel looked across to Dean and Ellie. "They may come here."
Ellie nodded. She didn't want to have that conversation in front of everyone. Clearing her throat, she said loudly, "Laney needs more hunters to go back with her. Volunteer only."
Chazaquiel stood up, and with him Twist, Idan, Oran, Sariel and Sima. Amidst the two Watchers and three nephilim, Twist looked battered and very human.
"How long we staying for, Laney?"
"As long it takes to wipe out the immediate threats. If we get a shot at the goddess before that, we'll help out there." The blonde hunter shot a look at Frank, who shrugged.
As Ellie sat back down, Dean slid out of his seat. "Back in a minute."
She watched him zigzag under the shadows to the house.
"Frank, Laney needs the scanners and the software to download her library to you," she called across the table. He nodded and picked up the files, skirting around the chairs until he reached her.
"I'll talk to her in the morning about what's she got there." He looked around the table. "Good move on not giving them the full story on the nine firstborn," he added softly.
She looked up at him, her mouth twisting. "We don't need factions right now."
"No, we don't."
Well you wake up in the mornin´ you hear the work bell ring.
Sam's head snapped around as the song poured out of the speakers at almost full volume.
And they march you to the table to see the same old thing.
"Yeah, that's more like it," Steve laughed. He stood, extending his hand to Emma.
Dean sauntered casually back through the shadows, meeting his brother's glower with an innocent look. "What?"
Ain´t no food upon the table and no pork up in the pan.
"What happened to driver picks, Dean?"
Dean looked at the table, gesturing expansively. "Dude, they wanted something different."
But you better not complain boy you get in trouble with the man.
Steve and Emma were dancing to one side of the tables as the song picked up tempo, and Idan was walking with Charlie to the other side. Laney and Greg sang along as the whiskey bottle was passed around.
Let the Midnight Special, shine a light on me,
Let the Midnight Special, shine an ever-lovin' light on me
Sam sighed.
Ellie turned to watch Dean as he dropped his clothes onto the floor beside the bed. It was just past one, and they could still hear the music playing down at Sam's place.
"You know anything about Emma?" He slid into the bed beside her.
"Not much. She grew up in Idaho, on a reservation, I think. Her people were wiped out when she was a kid, a nest of vampires. She was the only survivor, and she started hunting with Gordon Walker. Ellen mentioned seeing them together from time to time."
Dean grimaced. "God, what a fucking mentor to start with."
She nodded. "Laney said she quit Walker after a couple of years, was hunting down in New Mexico for a while. Why?"
"She, uh, seems to think that Sam and me have turned into house-pets," he said with a slight grin, looking down at her. "Asked me if I felt neutered."
Ellie snorted into the pillow. "Every woman I've ever met with a yen for you thinks that, Dean."
He rolled onto his side, propping himself on his elbow. "That's the first time I've heard it."
"You don't remember that woman last year, the one who came in with Twist for a few days?" Ellie stretched out. "Uh, Mandy? She told me I'd ruined you for life."
He frowned. "The blonde who couldn't hit a barn if she was next to it?"
"Yep."
"And how'd you ruin me for life, exactly?"
She smiled, her voice rising a half octave and gaining a twanging Southern accent, "That man, honey, he should be free, not chained down to a wife and kids like any old dude. He's a warrior!"
Dean's eyes widened. "You're kidding."
"Nope."
"That's, uh, kind of creepy," he said. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought you knew," Ellie said, her brow rising. "Actually, with all of them, I kind of assumed they were talking to you first, and then coming to me when that didn't work."
"All of them? How many have there been?"
"A few." She thought about it for a moment. "Seven or eight, at least. I haven't actually had to fight anyone for you yet, but I'm sure it'll happen."
"This is insane." He rubbed a hand over his jaw, looking down at her amused expression. "This isn't funny, it's creeping me out."
Ellie shrugged. "It's the rep, Dean. Well, among other things."
She ran her hand over his ribs, and he shook his head. "And you're okay with random chicks telling you to get out of the way?"
"Not much I can do about it." She grinned at him. "You're too hot."
"Nuh-uh," he said, catching her hand and holding it still. "Next time, tell me. I mean it."
"Sure." She looked down at her hand, trapped by his against his chest. "I thought you'd find it funny."
He chewed the corner of his lip. He'd had a lot more offers in the last few years than when he and Sam had been hunting together. He'd put it down to being more or less in one place. At first, it had been kind of funny, in a perverse sort of way. Then it had become irritating. Now, he felt annoyed.
"I thought having this would be clear enough." He held up his left hand, the gold band glinting in the light from the lamp.
"Nope, that's just a challenge," Ellie said, with a soft sigh.
Dean shook his head again. Everything he'd done, everything they'd gone through, had bled and suffered through, to get to here, this place where he was completely himself and happy and comfortable, didn't these chicks see that? Didn't they see how much he loved this woman laying beside him, the mother of his children, the person who'd given him everything he wanted and had never let him down?
"It's insulting," he said, his voice grating slightly.
Ellie looking more closely at him, seeing his rising anger. "They don't know you, or what you've done, or anything about you."
"Exactly." He focused on her.
"So why get worked up about it?" She wriggled close to him, slipping her arm around his neck.
"How can you be so calm about it? They want you to disappear!"
"They can want what they like, it's not going to happen, is it?" she said, smiling at him.
"No." He looked down at her, feeling the anger subsiding. "Not in a million years."
She lifted her face to him and he kissed her, the deep pulse of desire filling him instantly, and wiping out everything else.
Saturday, 4th July
Laney wandered into the kitchen, bleary-eyed, as Ellie added a fresh batch of pancakes to the breakfast table, and Dean lifted a couple onto Rosie's plate, then passed the plate to Sara, Laney's oldest daughter. Sara looked up at her mother's face and shook her head, exchanging a look with her sister.
"Coffee," Laney said, her deep voice almost rumbling as she squinted around the bright kitchen.
Dean grinned at Ellie and got up, getting a cup and filling it. He pushed Laney into a chair at the end of the table and put the cup down in front of her.
"Hard night?"
"Great night. Hard morning," Laney muttered, curling both hands around the cup and sipping the black coffee gratefully. She opened an eye to look at her daughters.
"You guys okay?"
Sara rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mom."
At six and a half, Sara had already taken on the role of her mother's helper. Dean repressed a smile at the tolerant look she gave her mother. Leah was two years younger and worshipped her older sibling, her expressions occasionally reminded him of Sam's, when he'd been very little.
"Everyone else hungover too?" He sat down beside his daughter, glancing back at Laney's drawn face.
"Probably."
He snorted, and looked at Sara. "What do you guys want to do today?"
"Um, Aunty Trish said she could take us down to Corvallis today, for shopping." Sara glanced sideways at her mother.
"Uh…that woman's a sucker for a sweet face, honeypie." Laney leaned her head on her hand. "It's okay with me. Come get some money first, and make sure you get new clothes for school, okay?"
"Yes, Mom." Sara gave her little sister a very discreet high-five.
"Can we go too, Dad?" John looked up at Dean imploringly. Rosie turned immediately to her father.
"Can we?"
Dean looked at Ellie, "Uh…"
"I'll talk to Aunty Trish first, " she said, one brow raised at Dean. "I'm not sure she had it in her mind to take along seven kids when she made the offer."
"Tamsin's going too," John said immediately. "Please, Dad, please?"
Laney laughed at Dean's hunted expression. "Better wait and see what your mom says, John. She's a hard case, no one's ever won an argument with her yet."
Ellie gave her a sour look. "Opponents lacking in logic do not make me a hard case."
"Dad, come on, we'll be good," John persisted with his father, already aware he was easier to wear down than his mother.
"I rest my case." Laney swallowed her coffee. "Any Tylenol around here?"
"If we all go, do you want to see if we can find that park to play in again?" Sara asked John, and Leah shouted her approval.
Ellie walked to the cupboard and got a bottle down from the top shelf. "Go back to bed. You're on vacation."
"Daddy, Daddy, we go? Can we? Go?" Rosie climbed into Dean's lap and stared into his eyes from a distance of two inches, her nose almost touching his.
"We'll see what your mom says, Rosie," he prevaricated awkwardly. "Have you finished your breakfast?"
"Yes!"
"Yeah, I'll need a vacation from the vacation." Laney took the bottle from Ellie, shaking two pills into her palm and swallowing them, washing them down with the rest of the coffee. "I need grease, carbs and ketchup."
"I'll make her something, if you want go and talk to Trish," Dean said, getting up and swinging Rosie around before he put her back in her chair. "Head off the potential rebellion before it starts."
Ellie nodded and looked around at the children. "If you guys do want to go to town, you'd better get out of your PJs and dressed."
They slid off their chairs and disappeared into the hallway, their shrieks echoing in the stairwell as they thundered up the stairs. The kitchen's silence seemed very deep for a moment.
"Nice job," Laney said, closing her eyes. "Now I can actually think again."
Ellie walked out into the hall, and grabbed her jacket.
"Bacon, eggs, toast?" Dean went to the fridge, looking back over his shoulder at Laney.
She nodded. "Man-sized breakfast, please." She watched him pull out a pan from the cupboard, lay the bacon strips on the broiler and put the bread in the toaster.
"You're nicely domesticated," she commented lightly. He turned to look at her, brow raised.
"You think I should leave everything to Ellie?"
"God, no, I'm impressed. I've never found a hunter who'll pull his weight in the house." She yawned, knuckling her eyes. "I'll have to get Ellie's secret off her."
He snorted, flipping the eggs. "She didn't do anything."
"Yeah? All your own idea?"
He glanced back again. "I guess this explains why Emma—and every other attached or unattached female hunter apparently—thinks Sam and me have been beaten into submission."
Laney laughed. "Well, Dean, last time we were together, you were kind of…wild, as I recall. I would've laid serious money down I'd never see you with kids and a house, standing at a stove and cooking breakfast for a hungover house guest."
He gave the eggs a cynical smile, sliding them out of the pan and onto a plate. "Even back then, Laney, I wanted a family so bad I could taste it."
She looked at him in surprise. "Bull."
Extracting the bacon from the broiler and buttering the toast, Dean added them to the plate. "Nope. That was what I dreamed of."
He put the plate in front of her and went to the coffee pot, pouring himself another cup.
"Well, I didn't see it," she said, piling her eggs and bacon on top of the toast and squirting ketchup over the pile.
"No one did," he acknowledged, sitting down across from her. "Back then, I thought it was a weakness, to want that stuff. And I never thought I'd get it."
She looked up at him, mouth full, one eyebrow arched in a tacit query.
He shrugged, a smile creasing his face as he waved a hand indiscriminately. "Now I know better."
She swallowed and shook her head. "If you say so."
"Where's Moses?"
"Died a year ago." She looked down at her plate for a long moment. "A pack of skinwalkers, in St Louis."
"I'm sorry, Laney." Dean watched her cut up her food, wishing he'd asked Ellie earlier. "Greg alright?"
"He's a good guy." She loaded her fork. "And he wants to stay."
Dean nodded. "You might get domesticated too."
Her mouth twisted up at the corner as she looked at him. "Might."
"This chick, Emma," he said, looking down into his cup as he wondered at the advisability of asking about her. "What do you think of her?"
"Why?" She frowned at him.
"She said something last night," he said. "I'm not sure if it was a pass, or if she was trying to pick a fight, but it didn't seem friendly and it made me wonder if she's going to screw up your team."
"It would've been a pass. She's asked me about you and Sam a few times." Laney nodded, chewing her mouthful. "Must have heard some pretty awesome rumours from someone." She put her fork down and got up, going to the coffee pot to get a refill. "She's neutral with our group, at home. Doesn't shit where she eats."
"It's not going to work out so good for us in a team if she thinks she can stir things up here."
"No. I'll have a word with her." She sat down again. "I should've done it before we got here. I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "I just don't want anything to be more complicated than it already is. What's coming, we're going to need everyone, and I want to be sure, really sure, that we're all on the same side."
"Yeah, got that."
"Is she any good?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know, or that he'd believe Laney's assessment even if he did.
Laney grimaced slightly, getting another forkful. "You heard who she trained with?"
"Gordon?"
"Yeah." She looked up at him. "That ought to tell you something right there. Yeah, she's good. She's fast and accurate; she does the job. She gets emotional sometimes, a bit too bloodthirsty. She lost her whole family—hell, her whole tribe—when she was fifteen. It did something to her."
He nodded. "Is she a liability?"
"Not to me." Laney tucked her food into her cheek. "She took a bullet for me six months ago, so I'm kind of biased about her, but no, I think she has the control that's needed."
Ellie helped Trish load the kids into the mini-van. "You sure about this?"
Tricia laughed. "My god, it's just a shopping trip with a few kids, Ellie; I'm not taking them into the wilderness for weeks."
"Yeah, but…you'll have eight, with Henry."
"My cousin, Max, has nine kids. All through college I spent my weekends earning money babysitting them. Trust me, I know how to deal with a pack." Trish checked the seatbelts and closed the door. "And this lot are positively angelic compared to Max's brood."
"Okay, call if you need help," Ellie said doubtfully. "And have…as good a time as you can."
"We'll be back around three or four." Tricia climbed into the driver's side. "Stop worrying!"
Ellie stepped back and waved when Tricia started the engine and reversed down the drive, watching them disappear down the road. Compared to her sister-in-law, she felt completely non-maternal. The idea of a day spent herding a bunch of kids around a shopping centre was right up there with facing a demon's nest so far as she was concerned. Actually, the demon's nest was preferable, she realised.
She rested her hand over her stomach lightly, looking down at it. You've just got a head-case for a mom, little one, she told the baby inside ruefully.
The morning was starting to heat up, she realised as she walked toward the house. If they were going to do any training today, it'd better be now. Any later and it would be too hot.
To her surprise, the dojo was filled with people. Emma and Charlie were on the uneven bars and balance beam. Steve was sparring with Sam at one end of the floor, and Jeremy with Sima at the other. Chaz, Greg and Twist were working on the punching bags along the far wall. She turned to look at Dean.
"Guess we have to take a number."
He laughed, shaking his head. "Guess so."
Ellie turned and walked down to the mats near the bars. She could at least warm up, she thought, finding a clear spot where she wouldn't run into anyone, or anything, and starting the stretches.
Dean went down to the other end of the long building, watching Sam's bout with interest as he passed by. Despite his brother's longer reach, they looked about even, neither having the advantage in speed or weight.
Emma and Charlie finished their warm up and moved to the floor as Sam landed a mean hook and Steve went down. The older man laughed, rubbing his jaw and rolling to his feet.
"Nice. Didn't even see that comin'," he said, holding out his hand. Sam grinned at him, taking it.
"Yeah, well, you were wearing me out, I had to do something."
They cleared the floor as the two women moved onto it, sitting down on the bench that ran along the wall to watch.
Ellie moved onto the bars, watching Charlie and Emma in glimpses, feeling the satisfying pull and stretch of her muscles as she worked. Another couple of months and she would have to stop, the hormones that began the slow release of the muscle and tendon softeners in preparation for birth would put her at risk of injury. Back to yoga and meditation then, she thought.
She flipped off the top bar and landed smoothly, balanced and light. It had taken almost eight months to get back to here after the Rome gig, and she closed her eyes, searching her body for stiffness or weakness, smiling as she found none.
She walked over to the bench, sitting down beside Steve and watching the women on the floor.
Charlie was less experienced, she thought, watching the younger woman circling Emma. She didn't yet know how to read an opponent, didn't know how to use her greater weight to its advantage. Emma…Emma looked like she'd been trained by Walker. She was cold and light-footed, experienced and fast. Ellie winced as Charlie got a little too close, and Emma's fist snapped out, the thump on Charlie's cheekbone clearly audible, the punch not pulled in the slightest. Charlie shook her head, retreating out of range as she tried to get her concentration back.
The attack, when it came was almost too fast to see. Emma's foot slammed into Charlie's ribcage, sending the woman cartwheeling across the floor, and the taller woman was on her in a flash, one arm hooked around her neck as the other lifted, elbow pointed for a temple strike. The strike stopped just at the skin, but Ellie saw the blonde shudder, as if she hadn't been sure the killing blow would be stopped, and she wondered at the relationship between the two of them.
Emma got to her feet, and held out her hand to Charlie, pulling her up.
"You really need to work on your speed, honey, you're just too slow."
"No one's as fast as you, Emma, and you know it. If you're going to spar with Charlie, you should be teaching her, not kicking her ass," Steve called out, an edge of anger in his tone.
"Even an ass-kicking is a lesson, Steve," the dark-haired woman said with a slow smile as she walked toward them. Her gaze turned to Ellie. "I hear you're pretty fast, do you feel like a round?"
Ellie smiled back at her. The request wasn't a surprise. Emma wanted to kick her ass in front of the others. "Sure."
She stood up, and walked out onto the floor, feeling the spring in the boards beneath her bare feet, turning and facing Emma as the taller woman approached.
She was fast and she had a weight and height advantage, Ellie considered, keeping her face expressionless. Not to the same extent as Sam or Dean when she faced them, but she would still need to keep out of the woman's reach.
She looked into Emma's face as they stood close together, seeing a smug satisfaction in the other woman's eyes. She was looking forward to this, looking forward to what she thought would be an easy win. Just to be tog dog? Or for some other reason? Shutting out the thought, Ellie took a deep breath and expelled everything she didn't need. In that moment, her awareness narrowed to her immediate surroundings and the woman she faced.
She wasn't aware of the silence in the long room, the men coming up from the other end to watch, the low buzz of chatter from those in the building as they moved to get better views.
She watched Emma as they moved slowly around each other, her observations gathered with a cool objectivity. Trained by Gordon Walker, scarred by the loss of her family and friends, she could see Emma's weaknesses, the emotions that were just under the surface, powering her strength with their explosive energy, but putting her in constant danger of losing control. She was arrogant, considered herself the best that Laney's group had to offer, with the most wins, the most kills. She'd never faced an opponent she'd feared. It was another weakness, not knowing yourself well enough to understand that fear was a tool too. Emma was underestimating her, Ellie could see, not even considering she didn't know anything about her. As she circled, Ellie turned those things over in her mind, seeing how they could be used.
Emma attacked in an eyeblink and without telegraphing the move, her foot lashing out and finding nothing as Ellie faded away from her. The taller woman lost her balance with the over-extension and Ellie watched her correct, seeing the thinly veiled astonishment in the dark eyes as she replayed the move and realised how fast her target had moved away. Rethinking that one, Ellie noted.
On the sideline, Dean watched the women, an uneasy flutter in his stomach. He hadn't seen Emma's bout with Charlie, but he could see the red patch along the younger girl's cheekbone, skin torn off and purpling as the bruising started to come up. Emma wasn't sparring, he thought, watching the dark-haired woman. She would fight full out, doing as much damage as she could.
She attacked again, this time charging in close. There was a gasp beside him from Steve as Ellie shifted slightly, Emma's closed fist passing her face within an inch, the next moment a blur to everyone watching, then Ellie was out of reach, moving back and Emma lay on the floor, rubbing the side of her knee as she got to her feet again, a trickle of blood coming from the corner of her mouth.
"Looks like you met someone better, Emma," Jeremy called out, his tone derisive.
Emma's head snapped around, her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. She turned back to Ellie, and Dean groaned internally.
Great, make her madder, why don't you? Dean saw the flush of red over the woman's cheeks.
Ellie's face was smooth and impassive, her movements light and perfectly balanced. He'd faced her a million times and knew how it felt to watch her; looking for tells, for predictability, for any sign of what she would do next…and finding absolutely nothing. He could see Emma was learning that now, her dark brows drawing together as she waited for something to telegraph what her opponent was thinking.
Later, replaying the fight in his mind's eye, he thought it had been a strange fight to watch. Moments of blurred action interleaved with complete stillness as they watched each other. Twice Emma over-extended, believing she could make the move count, and had run into Ellie's hand or foot, not learning from the encounters, not believing that she was facing someone faster, more skilled.
Dean almost felt sorry for her. But not quite…because as the fight went on, it was getting more and more apparent to those watching Emma was looking for a way to hurt Ellie as much as she could. He could see that Ellie had recognised that as well. Both women were still breathing easily, their stamina holding up, both were lightly sheened in perspiration.
He flinched as Emma attacked again and Ellie's foot slid slightly on the smooth wood floor, her balance dropping with the misstep, letting the woman's fist through her guard. She sprang awkwardly aside, twisting and riding the body blow to her ribcage. Emma closed in tight, her elbow lifting, swinging for Ellie's throat.
The next moment was all but inexplicable to those watching. Ellie snapped her head back, catching the elbow with both hands just before it landed and throwing herself backwards. Emma's momentum and weight added to the speed of the move as Ellie's foot flashed up and planted in the woman's stomach, the length of her leg straightening out when her back hit the floor. Balanced on the fulcrum of Ellie's leg, Emma soared in an arc over her head, eyes wide with astonishment when she hit the floor several feet away with a resounding bang, winded and uncertain of what had happened.
Ellie was already on her feet, still and waiting when Emma rolled over and got up. Dean's lips compressed as he held down a snort of laughter. Sneaky. Tricky. Unpredictable. He could have told Emma that about his wife, if she'd bothered to ask before challenging Ellie. He looked at the graze along Ellie's jaw, and the splotchy red lump patch on her upper arm and thought he probably wouldn't have told her. The woman was just too vindictive.
Watching Emma walk back toward her, Ellie could see the fury in the dark eyes, the fast pulse beating in the hollow of her throat. Whatever the emotions were that drove her, they were all right up there now, she thought. It was time to end it, before Emma lost any more control. She waited, flat-footed, hands by her sides, offering an opening that she was sure the other woman would be unable to resist. Emma's hands had risen, curled into fists as she got closer, the squeak of her boot soles on the floor the only noise in the room.
She was wary now, looking for the trick, Ellie thought, pivoting slowly in place as Emma circled her.
Emma stepped in, the combination fast and accurate. Ellie's forearm swept the first punch past its intended target, her head flicking to one side as the second shot past her ear and Emma overbalanced and fell in toward her. She hooked her foot behind the other woman's leg and twisted her hip, putting all of her body weight behind the stiff-fingered jab that hit Emma in the solar plexus, precisely over the nerve centre. The blow froze the muscles of the diaphragm, and the taller woman dropped to the floor, her eyes rolling up as she struggled to get air into her lungs.
Ellie knelt beside her, massaging the area slowly until Emma could breathe on her own again. She looked down at the white face of the woman lying on the floor. "You done?"
Emma nodded. Getting to her feet, Ellie offered her hand and Emma took it, holding on as Ellie pulled her to her feet.
She sucked in a lungful of air, hissing at the pain the movement provoked. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?" There was a thread of something in the woman's voice.
"Here and there," Ellie said, letting go. "I don't really follow a single technique."
"No, I could see that."
Ellie made a small gesture toward Emma's chest. "You all right? It's a paralysis blow but the effect should dissipate completely in a few hours."
She nodded. "I will be. That was—" She glanced at Steve, still sitting on the bench and watching them. "—an interesting lesson."
Ellie smiled. "It was just a sparring bout, Emma. No need to read anything more into it than that."
She turned away, walking over to Dean and taking the towel he held for her.
"You okay?" he asked in a low voice.
She nodded. "Just had to make it look easier than it was." She wiped the sweat from her face and neck. "She's fast, and skilled. And she doesn't have much control over what she's feeling."
"Yeah, Laney said that too." He slid his arm around her. "Want to watch me getting beaten up next?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
He laughed, his hand lifting her chin to kiss her. "If I do, I expect a lot of TLC afterwards."
"Full massage, the works," she promised him, trying to quell the flutter of hormone-enhanced desire that his kiss had brought. It really was too much to be this needing and aware of him for the third time—and when the damned house was full of guests.
Ellie sat next to Tricia, cradling a half-asleep Rosie in her arms as they waited for the fireworks, Zeppelin pouring out of the speakers from the house, signifying another win for Dean on the music front.
Leaves are falling all around,
It's time I was on my way
"What's going on over there?" She peered through the darkness at the spot on the other side of the garden that had been designated for the fireworks, fenced off to keep the kids out.
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged
For such a pleasant stay.
Tricia laughed, tucking the blanket more closely around the baby in her arms. "Frank thinks that because he went and got them, the fireworks are his responsibility. Sam is insisting that it's his house, and his garden and his idea to even have the party, so he should be the one setting them off. Dean…actually I don't know why Dean is over there."
Ellie sighed. "I do."
But now its time for me to go,
The autumn moon lights my way.
On the other side of the table, Laney sat with Sara and Leah. She leaned across toward Ellie.
"Greg told me about Emma."
Ellie looked at her quizzically. "Just a sparring match, Laney."
Laney shook her head. "Bullshit. Greg told me she came after you with everything she had."
And with it pain,
And it's headed my way.
The corner of Ellie's mouth tucked in slightly. "Well, it wasn't enough."
"Don't brush it off, Ellie." She lowered her voice. "Are you okay?"
"As you see," Ellie shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal."
"Yeah, well I got a pretty damned filthy look from Dean at dinner, so I'm guessing it was some kind of deal." Laney said. "I don't want to lose my oldest friends over it."
Ramble on,
And now's the time, the time is now
To sing my song…
"You won't," Ellie reassured her.
"Is she too unstable?"
Ellie lifted a hand in a vague gesture. "I don't know her, Laney. She gets emotional, but I don't even know why she was mad at me."
Tricia turned around and looked at Laney. "Sam said she wanted to fight Ellie. And that it looked like she wanted to kill her by the time they were two minutes into it."
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Ellie said. She remembered the fight as a series of moves, not the emotions, not her thoughts. It was the same with every one. Emma had been smug, sure of herself, and in the increasing grip of her anger, Ellie thought. Beyond that, she couldn't remember the details.
Tricia shook her head. "He was sure of it. He said he thought he'd have to jump in if she got the drop on you."
Laney looked thoughtfully at her and back to Ellie. "She gave Charlie a pretty good hit today. She's never done that before."
"I don't know what to tell you, Laney," Ellie said. "She wasn't pulling her punches with Charlie, I saw that. And she definitely wasn't with me, but what that means, for you, for your team—"
A whistling noise filled the garden, overriding the music and the conversations, and the sky exploded into colour, golden and purple sparks falling across the blackness. Rosie jerked awake, and Ellie lifted her up, pointing at them. Another one went off, exploding like a star above them, everyone in the garden making the universal noise for fireworks…oooooh…aaaahhhhh. Rosie's eyes were like saucers, and Ellie looked around for her son.
Laney looked up as well, wondering what the hell the deal was. After Greg had told her about the fight, she'd gone to talk to Emma. The woman had admitted to losing her temper after Jeremy's comment, but had sworn up and down that she hadn't been deliberately trying to hurt Ellie. And, she'd said, she'd had no chance of doing so anyway.
She didn't want to ask Dean about it. But she could talk to Sam, his opinion would be pretty objective, she thought. She leaned back as Leah crawled into her lap, and Sara leaned against them both. She didn't want a loose cannon in her team, but she didn't want to ditch Emma unless she had to either. She scratched the puckered scar under her collarbone absently. The woman had saved her life. Twice.
Ellie shifted on the bench as Dean walked up with John on his shoulders. He settled himself behind her, lifting John down.
She looked over her shoulder at him as the next rocket launched itself into the sky, and the explosion of silver and blue and yellow painted his face with vivid colour.
"You didn't have a shot, did you?"
He looked at her, a grin spreading across his face. "Nah. I gave them my experience and references but no hope; they're fighting over them like little kids."
"Got the music, though," Ellie said, tilting her head slightly as the chorus roared out of the speakers.
Gonna ramble on, sing my song
Gotta keep-a-searchin for my baby...
Gonna work my way, round the world
I can't stop this feelin in my heart
Gotta keep searchin for my baby
The grin got wider.
Sunday 5th, July
Ellie stood next to Laney on the front porch, watching Dean, Frank and Greg load the equipment into the back of the truck.
"See you soon, eh gorgeous?" Jeremy stopped beside them, and hugged Ellie.
"Not sure how soon, Jer, but sometime," Ellie said, smiling up at him. "You look after yourself, no playing hide-and-seek with monsters without backup."
"No, ma'am." He lifted his hand and walked down the steps, stopping to say goodbye to Dean and Frank then heading out for his car.
"Quick! Gimme a kiss while Dean's not looking," Steve's voice was in her ear and she snorted, dodging his lips and kissing him on the cheek chastely.
"Get outta here, Steve, and take your death wish with you," Laney said to him as he walked down the steps. "What is it with men?"
"Genetic imperative to compete," Ellie said, looking around as Carl, Charlie and Emma walked up to them.
"It was nice to meet you," Charlie said, glancing past them to Laney's truck. "I should go say bye to Sam as well."
Ellie's mouth tucked in at the corners at the young woman's obvious disinterest. "Nice meeting you too, Charlie. I think Sam's coming up in a minute."
"Uh, I was going to ask Laney if I could come back, do some work with you guys, sometime?" Carl looked between Ellie and Laney nervously.
Ellie raised an eyebrow at Laney. "We'd love to have you working with us, Carl, but I guess what's going on in Michigan is going to take precedence for a while?"
Laney shook her head. "We'll see how many teams we can get together, if we've got enough to deal with the problems, I have no issue with it."
"Great, thanks, uh…thank you," Carl gripped Ellie's hand between his own and shook it enthusiastically. "Do you, uh, know when Adam gets back?"
"In a couple of weeks, I think," she said, nodding down at the car. "Frank spoke to Trent last night, so you could check with him."
Carl nodded and turned, striding out quickly for the group of men standing in the driveway. Ellie turned back as Emma held out a tan, long-fingered hand. For a second, the fingers bit into hers, then released, the odd gesture a warning, possibly. Or just a reaction. Ellie wasn't sure which. She could feel Laney's tension, radiating from the diminutive blonde as Emma inclined her head.
"I'm not really one for hypocritical small talk," Emma said, her voice low. "It was interesting to meet you, but I hope we don't cross paths again soon."
Ellie smiled. "My sentiments as well."
Emma nodded and walked down the steps, walking around the car to avoid Dean and Frank. Both men raised their heads to watch her go by, neither smiling. Laney's mouth twisted.
"Well, that wasn't as bad as I expected," she said dryly.
Ellie glanced at her. "She hasn't forgiven or forgotten, and she probably won't. I still don't have the foggiest idea of why she felt so threatened to begin with."
Laney glanced at her. "Hon, if you don't know that, then me explaining it isn't going to help."
Ellie looked at her curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You have what she thinks she wants," the blonde woman said with a one-shoulder shrug.
"Dean?" Ellie glanced at the truck.
"Not just Dean, but yeah, he's a part of it. Your rep is just as formidable as his, you know, in certain hunting circles." Laney smiled.
"Then it would probably be better if there was no reason for us to have to work together."
"Yeah, I get that." Laney nodded, then turned to the house and hollered through the doorway, "Come on you two, get your asses moving, we're leaving!"
Shrieks and thundering steps sounded from upstairs as the girls ran down, closely followed by John and Rosie.
"Can't we stay a bit longer, Mom?" Sara's hand held John's tightly. "We're having fun!"
"Please, Mommy?" Leah added her plea to her sister's, holding Rosie's hand just as firmly.
"Nope. We gotta get going," Laney said heartlessly, winking at Ellie. "Say your goodbyes and jump in the truck, I want to make Idaho by dark."
Ellie crouched down and gave the girls a hug, picking up Rosie as tears filled the little girl's eyes, watching her new friends head down the steps.
"Laney, if you need a safe place for them, anytime…" Ellie said, trailing off as Laney turned back and nodded.
"I know, hon. You take care of yourself and yours," she said, hugging John and kissing Rosie on the cheek. "And keep me up to date with what's happening. And call me when you know if it's a boy or a girl!"
She turned and walked down the steps, hugging Sam and Dean when she reached the truck. The three men moved back slightly as Greg started the engine and the truck pulled out, turning onto the road.
"Let's go make a big chocolate cake," Ellie said to Rosie, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"'Kay."
"Can I lick the bowl, Mom?" John turned with her, the thought of cake wiping the loss of his friends instantly.
"Sure can."
"Quite a weekend," Ellie said, leaning on the porch rail.
The night air was still and quiet, the skies clear, filled with stars. Dean walked up behind her, slipping his arms around her and looking out over her head, across the valley. The peace was welcome after the noise and socialising of the last two days.
"Yeah. Understatement." He bent a little, his cheek lying alongside hers. "I'm really happy about the baby, Ellie."
He felt her cheek lift slightly against his. "Not the best timing."
"When would it ever be?" He laughed, his breath warm on her neck. "We've managed before with crappy timing."
"That's true."
His arms closed around her. "How are you feeling about another baby?"
She tilted her head back so that it rested against his shoulder. "I'm good, I think." Her hand slid down her stomach. "I know we're really in a pretty smooth routine at the moment, but I think it'll all adjust okay."
"You know you're off the active roster, right? I'm not going to get any arguments about it?"
"Well, in two or three months, sure," she said. "But not yet."
He exhaled gustily against her neck. "Two more months. That's it."
"Deal." She turned to face him. "What do you think about your new relatives?"
"They're not family. They're strangers right now." He shrugged, and looked back down at her. "I guess we'll see."
"Carl asked if he could come back out, stay with us for awhile, work, get to know you and Sam, and Adam."
He nodded. "That's okay with me. He seemed like a nice kid. If he comes back in a couple of months, he can back me up."
"So long as Sam's with you too, I have no objections to that." She smiled. "I've just noticed something."
"What?"
"You can't help it, can you? You're just irresistible."
He snorted in disbelief, but his eyes lit up. "That's a quote, isn't it? I can't remember from what."
"Maverick. Doesn't matter. It's still completely true." She grinned, winding her arms around his neck. "Take me bed or lose me forever."
"Okay, that one I do know." He bent a little, sliding an arm behind her legs and picking her up. "You know there's no way I'm singing the song."
"I'll sing it," Ellie said, wriggling in his arms to give her lungs more room. "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips. And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips…"
Dean laughed.
