So hey guys, this chapter is a little longer than most. It's kinda episodic in that it follows the skeleton of the episode but I cut it in the middle because otherwise this chapter would have been way longer.
Lou's POV
Memories had always been strange to me. They could be changed or rewritten completely. I didn't remember the night my parents were killed. I knew what happened because Bobby once caught me speaking to a girl at school who had asked what happend. I told her what I remembered, that one night, I had a nightmare about something or another, probably that home invasion nightmare I always had, and I crawled into bed with them like I did everytime I had a nightmare. Only this time they were cold and didn't wake up when I called their names. So I went into the closet and hid. That's when Bobby found me.
Bobby corrected me when we got home, said that vampires tracked my father from a bar nearby, and followed him home. There were three of them total in the nest, just starting out, and they were undisciplined. When Bobby got there, he killed the monsters but it was too late for my parents. Their throats were torn out and they were gone. He found me crying in the closet, covered in their blood.
I had no memory of that at all, just the one I created, like scar tissue wrapping itself around a wound so that it could heal, my imagination painted me a better story of how my parents died.
It had been about a week or maybe more since I put a drunk Dean to bed. Sammy and him went out to see Kevin and they Sam called saying that they would be away for a little while. They got back yesterday. Yesterday was a blur like the rest of the week. I stayed in bed for most of it. But today, today was a good day.
I finally took a shower, which if I was being honest, was needed...badly. I washed my hair with the shampoo and conditioner that made me feel pretty and sweet because it smelled like roses and vanilla. When I finally emerged from the showers, smelling edible and freshly shaven, I felt better than I had in a long while. I think the correct term was pampered.
When I got back to my room, just two doors down from the showers, I towel dried my hair, finger combing my too long bangs out so they didn't go crazy, and slipped into Dean's blue button up shirt, some frilly red underwear, and fuzzy knee high socks. It was a cozy kind of day.
When I emerged from my room, I called out, seeing if anyone was there. No one answered. I smiled to myself and grabbed my computer before racing as fast as I could in fuzzy socks to the kitchen. I set up my computer to play music, any music, all the music, my Spotify shuffle of everything. I grinned wildly as Runaway by AURORA came through the speakers of my laptop. It was slow and fast and sad and happy all at the same time so I twirled around the kitchen to the strange little beat.
And I was running far away
Would I run off the world someday?
Nobody knows, nobody knows
And I was dancing in the rain
I felt alive and I can't complain
But now take me home
Take me home where I belong
I can't take it anymore.
I spun all the way around the kitchen, grabbing a pan and some potato pancake mix, some eggs and vegetable oil. I could never figure out how to make them from scratch but I liked the mix well enough to not care very much.
Then the song changed to Glitter and Gold by Barns Courtney and my spinning changed into more hips and jerkier movements to match the beat as I whisked the mix together.
I am flesh and I am bone
Rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold
I've got fire in my soul
Rise up, ting ting, like glitter
Like glitter and gold
Like glitter
I had miss this. Just dancing when no one was looking. Just cooking for no one but me. Just living and breathing and existing in a moment that was only for me. As the latke mix settled I made some coffee, spinning around like a ballerina on the balls of my feet to Dynasty by MIIA. Before the song ended I had a coffee cup in my hands, half coffee, half creamer, and 100% sugary goodness. I hopped up onto the counter, crossing my legs under me and slowly sipping at my cavity in a cup.
After 10 minutes, my coffee got colder and the latke mix had sat long enough. I tested the temperature of the oil in the pan with a small amount of the mix, watching it sizzle and splatter, looking to burn little red dots on any exposed skin I happened to be showing. I smiled and scooped three pancakes into the pan and let them cook as I took another sip of lukewarm coffee, bobbing to the music. I finished the coffee just as the pancakes needed to be flipped. I took a spatula to them, revealing the crunchy golden brown perfection. Suddenly Most Girl by Hailee Steinfeld and I couldn't help but sing along to the upbeat radness that floated through the speakers. I used the spatula in my hand as a microphone and danced to the reflection of me in the refrigerator. Once the song ended I couldn't help but laugh at my silliness as I started on three new potato latkes.
Dean's POV
I hadn't seen her like this in a long while. Since she lived with Bobby I think. I came home with groceries planning on putting them away when I heard music coming from the kitchen. She hadn't gotten out of bed for more than the bathroom and a quick bite to eat since I came home drunk. SInce she said those things to me.
She didn't even get up when we left to find Kevin who deciphered the second trial. She didn't call when Sam sent Bobby's soul to heaven. She didn't flinch when we got back and I told her that Kevin was missing. I wasn't even sure she heard me.
But when I walked into the threshold of the kitchen, I saw her, wearing my shirt, spinning and smiling and raising her hands to the ceiling revealing red panties that looked… I just smiled and walked back to the table in the war room so that she could have this moment to herself. I opened myself a well deserved beer and took a swig from it. That's when Sam walked in looking like the walking dead.
"Man, I'm telling you, give me five minutes with some clippers, and…" I started, motioning with my hands to my own hair, I mean the kid was starting to look like bigfoot.
"Oh, shut up." He grumbled half heartedly at me. "Uh, what time did I lay down?" He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
"You took a siesta around noon. Yesterday." He grimaced at me and I took another drink of beer. I grabbed another beer for Sammy and chucked it at him but he didn't move to catch it and it smashed on the floor. There was a scream from the kitchen and Lou came running out nearly slipping in those ridiculous socks she had on.
I wasn't looking at Sam when he mumbled his apology, "I'm sorry, I uh…"
Lou looked slightly bewildered and almost embarrassed that she hadn't been aware of us until now. I turned back to Sam. "That's why we don't have nice things, Sam." He glanced at Lou and gives her a tired smile, making his way towards the table but he stumbled and looks like he might just tip over right there. "You okay?" I knew he wasn't.
"Yeah, I'm, I'm fine, I just…" he steadied himself on the edge of the table and I could feel Lou stopping herself from helping him. I ran a hand down his face like he was trying to rub away the sleep. "Uh, you know what, I'm gonna get dressed. We should go find Kevin." He was in no shape to go anywhere.
"Hey hey, hey hey hey, easy, easy, sleeping beauty." I forced myself to stay seated. "Look, man, I've hacked into every security camera around Garth's houseboat, Kevin's hometown, where Mrs Tran lived.."
"And?" He pushed.
"Well, nothing so far." That wasn't what he wanted to hear.
"Dean, we have to find him."
That was the moment Lou decided to jump into the conversation. "Kevin is missing? What happened? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
I sighed and Sam looked at me with those, are you going to tell her, eyes. "I tried Sunshine but you weren't really in a place to listen. Sammy did the second trial and so he's out of commission for a little," this earned me a scoff from Sam but I plowed on, "and the kid is MIA but it's okay."
"Hey is any of this okay? Dean, we have to find him." She sounded so serious but it was hard to take her seriously when she looked so damn adorable. I shook my head and lowered my gaze to the table.
"I know. I know, but Garth is out looking for him, we got a hunter APB out on Kevin, we will do what we can from here while Sam gets better."
"I'm fine. Dean, I can still go out there, I can still hunt," Sam argued.
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. I doubted he could make himself soup without collapsing. I stood up, leaving my half empty beer on the table. "Follow me." I began walking through the bunker, but I only hear the shuffling of one pair of feet. I look behind me to see that Lou disappeared into the kitchen again and I smiled, but when I didn't hear her music again, I knew that she was thinking about Kevin and blaming herself.
I mean it wasn't her fault the kid went AWOL, and she had to stop blaming herself for everything that goes bad or she was gonna live in a consistent cloud of depressed, I would know. It was kind of my move.
I led Sam to the shooting range be had way back in the bunker. It was a concrete room with four stations and four targets on the back wall. It wasn't anything too special other than the fact it was a real person shooting range. Freakin' men of letters man. I loaded my 1911 quickly and took aim.
"This is stupid," Sam muttered under his breath but I didn't listen. This was important. I shot twice, hitting the target in the chest. Then I handed the gun to Sammy.
"Alright. You hit that target, we'll talk about getting you back out there." If he couldn't hit the target he couldn't even think about hunting, any hunter out there knew that.
"No problem," he replied seeming too confident. Then he took aim, his right hand shakin' like a junky in withdrawal. He steadied it with his left hand, barley, and fired landing two bullets in the concrete on either side of the target. He sighed.
"Look, man, this second trial hit you a lot harder than that first one. I don't know whether it was just more intense or what…" I shook my head.
"It felt the same… Til the next day."
"So, we're gonna sit tight. Keep an eye out, til you, uh, get better." I picked up a shell that was on the table of the station and throw it into the shooting area. I turned and walked out leaving Sam with his pensive and brooding shoulders behind me.
"Dean, wait." I stopped and looked at my little brother. Maybe I'd cut his hair in his sleep. "Lou?" I knew what he was asking.
"She seems to be having a good day, and that's good. She was dancing when I got home." Sam nodded though it looked painful. "She uh," I rubbed the back of my neck, "she put me to bed because I came home drunk two weeks ago." Sam looked at me with that look that told me I shouldn't have said anything but I needed to get this off my chest. "She said some stuff because she didn't think I could hear or remember or something."
"What'd she say?"
"She said that she was in love with me, obviously." I tried the cocky grin but it failed when I looked at Sam. "She said she had a crush on me since she was in pigtails and that it was horrible and ruining her life and that she hated me." I sighed.
"She doesn't hate you Dean," Sam assured me.
"Well she ain't jumpin at the opportunity to spend any time with me is she." I was getting angry.
Sam looked at me for a long time. "Do you really blame her? You aren't exactly Mr. Feelings and she has always been the type of girl that wants feelings and flowers and stuff like that and you know it." I nodded turning on my heels and leaving.
I needed more beer. We made our way back to the war room to find Lou sitting on the table, eating a plate full of those weird circle hashbrown things and drinking a beer. I would have smiled, I would have said something to her about how she looked beautiful or that it was good to see her out of her room or something, but I didn't. I just picked up my beer and went to stand on the other side of the room. There was a ding on the laptop that Sam went to look at.
He leaned over and leaned over to see who the email was from. "It's from Charlie," he said with the slightest hint of a smile. Lou nearly spit her beer out when she heard that. Her crush on Charlie was far from secret or discrete. The girl lost all ability to talk around the redhead. A sickly heavy weight dropped into my stomach when I thought about it. Sam read the email out loud. '"In the neighborhood, found you guys a case."' Found us a case?" His eyebrows scrunched together. I walked over to the table where Lou was trying to scoot closer to the laptop without anyone noticing.
"In the neighborhood? How the hell does she know where we are?" There was something in my tone close to anger, but at Charlie? No it couldn't be, I loved Charlie like a little annoying sister that was shorter than Sam.
"Uh, well, she doesn't. Not exactly, at least. It says she tracked our cells to a twenty mile radius, then the signal went out. Huh. This place must be in some kinda, like, Bermuda Triangle." Freakin' nerd.
"What, are you saying we can make and receive phone calls from here and nobody can track us?" Sam nodded. "Man I love this place."
Lou fidgitted. "So Charlie is coming here?" Sam nodded. "Okay, I am going to go change then and then um maybe do my hair or something and um…"
I cut her off, she was spirling. "Woah, easy there. It's 8 at night, she'll be here tomorrow."
She looked at me like I was crazy but then nodded. Smiling and then frowning and then smiling and then frowning again like her face couldn't figure out what she was feeling. 'Right, yeah of course." She shook her head. "I'm going to go to bed then because yeah okay, see you guys in the morning." She shot a finger gun at us and left hastily, beer in hand.
I shot Sam a look once she was out of earshot. "Well this should be fun."
It was grey and cloudy outside as we waited for Charlie to show. Sam and I were
dressed for the weather, but Lou not so much. What she was wearing… it was damn criminal. She was in a tight blue tank top, no bra (take a guess to how I figured that one out) and jeans that were cut low that looked like they could have been painted on. To top it off she was wearing one of my flannels on top. Her hair was down and curled slightly and she looked… son of a bitch she looked good. It wasn't for me though, it was for Charlie.
I looked over her head at Sam who was just smirking like this was the funniest thing he had ever witnessed. I couldn't help it I had to say something. "All dressed up for Charlie?"
She shot daggers through her eyes at me. "Shut up Dean," she snarled.
I put my hands up to defend myself. "Hey I am just saying if you have such a crush on her…" I never got to finish the thought.
"I don't have a crush on her… it's more of a massive respect for her intellect and that fact that she is gorgeous and funny and just fucking amazing and… shut up, no one asked you." Her cheeks flamed bright red as we saw a yellow car pulls up. Charlie got out of the car with a smile and I couldn't help smiling back.
"Your Highness!" I called to her.
"What's up bitches?" She replied with enthusiasm. I shot a glance down at Lou who was grinning like an idiot. Charlie leaned in to give me a hug then moved to Lou, who blushed at the touch, and then she hugged Sam who stumbled back once she let him go. "You okay, Sam?" No.
"Yeah, no, I'm, I'm good, yeah. What're you doing in Kansas?" He asked changing the subject.
"Uh... a comic convention. In Topeka." That didn't sound true at all.
Sam didn't think so either because he asked, "In the middle of the week?"
"Girl's gotta get her collectibles." She told him and Lou nodded as if she understood completely even though the girl only owned five comics in total. "So, are you gonna invite me into your dungeon, or do I gotta answer your "questions three" first?" Freakin nerds, but Lou laughed at that a little too hard. I just smiled at Lou almost snorting.
"Allow us," Sam started, "let us introduce you to the Men of Letters."
Lou's POV
Charlie freakin Bradbury was here, sitting at the table. I opted for a chair instead of my usual choice of sitting on the table, but in a completely casual way so I don't think anyone noticed. Except Dean who wouldn't quit glancing at me.
"Holy awesome." Charlie said after we told her everything that had happened since we last saw her, including my memory laps. "Too bad they got wiped out, though that is what they get for the sexist name." I tended to agree with her on that. Dean looked somewhat offended though.
"Well, anyway, that's our skinny. How about you?" I asked, sounding totally casual and cool. I saw Dean looking at me again, but this time his eyes weren't on my face, but on my chest. Ugg damn it Dean. When he saw me noticed he he dipped his head and looked at the table.
"Um, made a deal with the yesteryear weirdos, we're gonna team up to stomp the shadow orcs. You guys are still coming to the mid-year jubilee, right?" I nodded though LARPing wasn't really my thing, Charlie looked damn good in a crown.
"Wouldn't miss it." Dean replied. He actually did enjoy himself the last time. Charlie looked happy that we said yes, maybe she missed me.
"So what about this case you brought us?" Sam interjected, always one to want to get straight to the point.
"When I was in Topeka, I saw this pop up over the wire." She pulled out her surface and began tapping at the screen. "Tom Blake, a checkout clerk in Salina, who went missing on his way home from work. He was found dead yesterday, his insides liquefied. Locals have no idea what happened, they tried to bury the report so people wouldn't freak, but I flagged it. I have eliminated the following things that go bump in the night…"
I had to stop her there. "Wait a second. When did you become such an expert?" Not that I was all the surprised. When she set her mind to something it was pretty amazing what she could do.
"Well, after you guys left, I dug into all things monsters. I'm a wee bit obsessive. If "wee bit" means completely. I also found this series of books, by a Carver Edlund?" I tried really hard not to laugh. Though I had been in the books, they were about the boys and that made it so much fun. "Did those books really happen?" I nodded and smiled. Sam and Dean refused to answer. "Wow. That is some meta madness." She turned to Dean, "Thanks for saving the world and stuff." I laughed because Dean looked like he might actually object. "Sorry you have zero luck with the ladies." She said to Sam who look so offended even though it was true. "And Lou," her eyes landed on me and I stopped laughing, "I don't know how anyone could call you a side character. I mean after everything you did to save them, not to mention how pissed you were everytime Dean would leave you behind because he wanted to…" Dean cut her off.
"Yeah okay." I was confused. I had all my memories back so I remember everything that happened to me in those books. Not that I actually ever read past the first four or so, considering I was just a sidekick in a lot of them.
"We need to find every single copy of those books and burn them," Sam declared. I knew the boys hated them, which is why I was so surprised Sam got me the first six.
"They're online now, so good luck with that." Charlie didn't look too broken up about telling the boys that. Maybe I would look up the rest and see what all the fuss was about. Maybe it got better.
"Awesome." Dean rubbed his face and stood. "Well, you crazy kids deal with that, I will go see if there's anything to this, uh, case of yours." Was I being benched with Sam?
"I'm coming with you," Sam argued.
"Yeah me too." I stood, my flannel "accidently" slipping off my shoulder. Dean stared at that shoulder but Charlie didn't seem to notice. But that could be because Sam decided to stand up and nearly fell over, and Charlie being Charlie grabbed onto him, steading him.
"Woah, are you sure you're okay?" She was so sweet.
Sam waved her off. "Yes."
"No." Dean answered. He was right, Sam was way not okay. "You're taking a knee as long as you're off your game. And you," he pointed at me, "you're on babysitting duty." He was crazy if he thought I would be okay with that.
"I'll go with you," Charlie offered.
"No disrespect, okay, but there's a big difference between reading about hunting and actually hunting." I knew Dean didn't mean it like how it sounded but to anyone with two brain cells, it sounded like a challenge.
"I'm. Coming. With." She punctuated every word for led her out to the back of the bunker. I watched them walk away and slumped down to take a seat on the table.
I sighed. "I really like her new bangs." I wasn't really talking to anyone in particular, but Sam was there and so he replied.
"You should have told her."
I glared at him. "Oh yeah, I'll get right on that. While I'm at it, I'll tell Ryan Reynolds that I am in love with him and his wife and I'll tell Dean I was the one who used all of his shampoo. Come on Sam, get real."
"You're in love with Ryan Reynolds?" That was what he was hung up on? "After Green Lantern?" I laughed.
"Shut up Sammy."
He held up his hands. "No, I get it. It's the same reason you won't tell Dean how you feel." I whipped my head in his direction.
"I don't have feelings for Dean," I protested.
"Yes you do." I tried to object but he pressed on. "They only got stronger after you lost your memory and now you're freaking out." He couldn't be this perspective.
"What do you know?" It was a challenge.
"I know that you two are idiots if you think I haven't noticed the way you guys look at each other all the damn time or the way you guys stand too close or the way…" I cut him off.
"Okay I get it. You noticed that maybe I like him." I breathed through my nose.
He looked like he maybe wanted to say something else but Dean and Charlie came back. "I'm taking Charlie out. You guys stay here. Sammy, you rest, heal." Then they were gone.
I huffed and left Sam in the war room, going to my bedroom to pout. Yes pout.
I stayed in my room for about two hours, reading more of the Supernatural books. Then of course I got hungry. That's kind of the downside to not being hungry for a long time, once you get your appetite back, it hits you at full force.
I walked into the kitchen, noting how quiet the bunker was. I grabbed an apple and a bag of chips to take back to my room, but first I would find Sam, make sure he hadn't passed out and whacked his head or something. When I did a quick sweep and couldn't find him I called out to him, with no answer. I put my food stuff down and pulled out my phone, calling him. I didn't even listen on my end, I was more calling to see if I could hear his phone. I couldn't I went to the garage and looked for my car, still there thank god.
Then I went outside and saw what I was really worried about, Charlie's car was gone. I huffed and said some maybe not so nice things about the younger Winchester and then some accurate, but also not so nice things about the older one for leaving me incharge of a grown man who towered over me. I ran back into the bunker to grab my go-bag and then looked for my car keys. Where were my car keys?
"Balls! That fucking giant!" Sam must have stolen my keys so that I couldn't follow. He knew that I wouldn't hotwire my Shelby, that bastard.
I looked around the garage, because let's face it, there was more than just my car hanging around in there. I decided to just grab one of the motorcycles because it would be faster. I slid my bag over my torso and grabbed a helmet and I was off.
Dean's POV
Sam was here. Lou wasn't. To say I was pissed would be an understatement. To make it better, Sam beat us to the crime scene.
"What took you guys so long?" He asked as if he was in the right for being here, without Lou.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I wasn't even trying to hide my anger.
"Working the case, same as you. Jake Hill, librarian. Went missing yesterday, no relation to the other vic. Coroner already swooped in and scooped up what was left of him." I had to calm down before I said something stupid.
"Yeah, we met her, bit of a stickler. Well, if there's not a body, there's nothing else to see here, so why don't you head on home? I bet Lou is worried sick." I sighed. She would be worried and pissed and absolutely adorable.
Sam scoffed, "She is fine. Still have to talk to the witnesses." He motioned to the two kids playing on their phones.
"Well, we can handle that." I looked down at the redhead. "Charlie, why don't you go talk to the witnesses." She looked nervous about it.
She whined, "But I don't wanna miss the broment."
"Charlie!" I snapped at her. She huffed and moved to the kids. "Look, man, I know you're frustrated, but you're also sick."
"I'm not leaving, Dean." He sounded like a kid.
"What happened with Lou?" I didn't want to sound like I was overly concerned but I knew how she got.
"She'll be fine, I took her keys." Sam flashed the Shelby Mustang keys as if he was some sort of genius.
I ran a hand down my face. "Oh she is gonna kill you." I turned and headed back to Baby, knowing Sam would give Charlie a ride. I drove off thinking about how Lou was probably freaking out that Sam was gone and that he stole her keys. She loved that car more than most people loved food.
I stopped to fill Baby up when I saw a motorcycle parked at one of the pumps. It looked cool enough, just an older Harley, but it was in pretty good shape. I had seen something similar to this in the bunker garage. I was looking at it when I felt someone come up behind me. I pivoted to see who it was, and there she was, still in that very tight tank top, Lou.
I couldn't help but smile, where as she just looked annoyed. "Hey Sunshine."
"Your brother ran away and stole my keys to Shelby!" She poked me in the chest and I felt my throat tighten.
I nodded trying to figure out what to say. "I'm sorry Lou. I should have known he would pull something like this."
"He. Took. Shelby!" She was fuming.
"Technically he only took the keys. You're car is still in the garage." She glared at me. "But I get what you mean. They are probably headed to the coroner's."
"I'll follow you," she growled. Before I walked back to Baby, I heard her grumble, "If he wasn't sick I would punch him in the nose." I laughed to myself.
Hey guys thanks for reading. I don't own Supernatural just my slightly angry rage ball Lou.
You guys are amazing. Tell me if you like longer chapters!