"What? Dean, what did he tell you?"
Piper was standing between Dean and Sam, looking between them. She was scared again. It was becoming a familiar sensation.
Dean closed his eyes and leaned his head back. "He said that he wanted me to watch out for you, to take care of you." He looked so pained that Piper walked and stood next to him, her shoulder against his.
Sam was scoffing. "He told you that a million times."
Dean leaned a little harder into Piper. "No, this time was different. He said that I had to save you."
"Save me from what?"
Dean finally met Sam's eyes. "He just said that I had to save you, that nothing else mattered. And that if I couldn't, I'd…" Piper's heart stalled, and she had trouble breathing. Please, John, no...
"You'd what, Dean?"
Dean didn't break eye contact with Sam. "That I'd have to kill you. He said that I might have to kill you, Sammy."
Piper closed her eyes against the words, laying her head on Dean's shoulder. For one awful moment, she was glad John Winchester was dead. She had loved the boys' father, and had been more than grateful that he had saved her life. She had never resented his hardness, or his rough training methods.
But she resented him now. She resented the hell out of him. How could he do this to them? Keep some sort of insane secret from Sam? Lay this responsibility on Dean? If John had been alive and in front of her, Piper could have shot him.
Sam was floored. "Kill me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Dean closed his eyes. "I don't know."
Sam was starting to get mad. "I mean, he must have had some kind of reason for saying it, right? Did he know the demon's plans for me? Am I supposed to go darkside or something? What else did he say, Dean?"
Dean opened his eyes again. "Nothing, that's it, I swear."
Sam ran a hand through his hair. "How could you not have told me this?"
"Because it was Dad, and he begged me not to." Piper wanted to wrap them both in her arms so bad it hurt.
Sam threw his arms wide. "Who cares?! Take some responsibility for yourself, Dean! You had no right to keep this from me!"
Piper felt Dean tense against her. "You think I wanted this? Huh? I wish to God he'd never opened his mouth. Then I wouldn't have to walk around with this screaming in my head all day."
Sam turned away from them, running a hand over his mouth. "We've just got to figure out what's going on, then, what the hell all this means."
Dean stared at his brother's back. "We do?" He shifted, but didn't move away from Piper. "I've been thinking about this, I think we should just lay low. You know? At least for a while. It'd be safer. And that way I can make sure-"
Sam whipped around. "What? That I don't turn evil? That I don't turn into some kind of killer?"
Dean's face hardened dangerously. "I never said that."
Sam laughed darkly. "Jeez, if you're not careful you will have to waste me one day, Dean."
Piper moved her head away quickly as Dean stood up. "I never said that! Dammit, Sam, this whole thing is spinning out of control. All right? You're immune to some weirdo demon virus, and I don't even know what the hell anymore. And you're pissed at me, I get it. That's fine, I deserve it. But we lay low until we figure out our next move, okay?"
Sam shook his head. "Forget it."
Dean started to plead. It hurt Piper's heart. "Sam, please, man. Hey, please. Just give me some time. Give me some time to think, okay? I'm begging you here, please. Please."
Sam nodded shortly.
xxxxx
"Winchester, it's-"
"Stop it, Piper. We're going to find him, I know that. Just stop it."
She huffed. "I know you know we're going to find him, jackass. I was going to say it's not your fault. I was going to say it will be fine, but if you don't want to hear it, then I'll shut up." She looked out the window and tried not to pout.
She heard him sigh. "I'm sorry, kitten. I just don't know where the hell he would have gone." A moment of silence. "Or why."
She scoffed, trying not to soften towards him. "Yes, you do. You know exactly why." She turned to meet his gaze with a cocked eyebrow. "Playing dumb will not win you sympathy here, Winchester."
He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it won't." Another sigh. "I'm just mad. He knows it wasn't my fault. And, and how the hell would I have told him that, Pipes? I don't even know what the hell to do with it, and I'm the one Dad said it to."
Damn it. "Look. I don't know what the hell John was thinking, talking to you like that." Anger started to fizz under the surface. "Who does that? Who says that to his kid?"
Dean shifted uncomfortably. "Pipes, I'm not really a kid anymore."
"Shut it, Winchester," she snapped. "It doesn't matter. He was your father. And I know you'll hear no wrong about him, and you know damn well I loved that man. But sometimes, I think that if he was here and alive, I would… I would kick his ass," she finished. Probably best not to share that particular thought.
"He would let you." Dean was smiling. "He did have a soft spot for you, Pipes." He started laughing. "Do you remember that Christmas, we were probably eighteen, when we were on a hunt, what were we doing…"
Piper laughed with him. "A witch. You were hunting a witch."
He snapped his fingers. "Yes! And you called him in the middle, and it was December twenty-third, and you said," he made his high-pitched, "'John Winchester, if you and those boys don't get your asses home for Christmas-'"
"'I will hunt you down and kill all three of you myself,'" Piper finished, laughing. "And he got your asses back for Christmas, didn't he?"
xxxxx
Piper had decorated the house as much as Bobby would let her, and had fought tooth and nail for the tiny tree on the kitchen table. She was cooking dinner, humming in the kitchen when she heard the door open.
She pulled the gun from her waistband and peeked around the corner, to see Dean, covered in snow, walking through the door.
She laughed, stuck in her gun in her waistband, and ran to him. "Dean!" She threw herself into his arms.
He caught her, barely. "Jesus, Pipes, careful," he said, hugging her close.
"Welcome home, Dean," she said pulling back and grinning at him. Then she looked over his shoulder. "Sammy!"
"Piper!" Sam, already taller than Piper at fourteen, caught her and swung her in a circle as John brought the rest of the bags in.
When he put her down, John pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "Hi, Piper, you damn pain in the ass."
She smiled sunnily at him. "Welcome home, John."
"Get your asses in the house, it's cold outside!" Bobby grouched, helping Dean move the Winchester's things into the house.
Hours later, after dinner and drinks, Bobby and John went to the bed. Piper and Sam were in the living room, playing chess, Dean was mixing himself another drink in the kitchen.
"Oh! I got you guys something!" She bounded up the stairs to her room.
Sam grinned. "She was losing."
Dean chuckled and ambled in to sit on the couch as Piper ran back down the stairs, packages in her arms.
"Here, Sammy, open yours first!"
Sam grinned and pulled his open. Inside was a picture of four-year-old Dean, holding an infant. "I found it with Bobby's things, and got a copy made. I made the frame, so you can get another one if you don't like it," she babbled happily.
"No, no, I like it, Pipe." Sam swallowed thickly, then looked down. "What is this?" He pulled out a leather bound notebook, with the his name embossed on the front.
"It's a fancy notebook, for when you go to college." They looked at her in surprise. She leaned forward and whispered in Sam's ear, "You're going to make it out of this life, Sammy. Just don't forget us." When she tried to sit back, Sam pushed the gifts aside and hugged her. He kissed her on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Piper."
She sat back with tears in her eyes. Trying for nonchalance, she tossed a package at Dean. He caught it with his free hand, put his drink down, and opened it. He grinned. "Busty Asian
Beauties. My ladies."
She smiled. "Merry Christmas, Winchesters."
Even later that night, Piper came downstairs for water, finding Dean sitting on the couch, nursing a drink. He met Piper's surprised eyes. "Everything okay, Pipes?"
She nodded, then ran back to her room. When she came back down, she had a package in her hands. She came and sat next to him. "I made this for you, it's stupid, but I wanted you to have it." She blushed, wanting to snatch it out of his hands. She got up and hurried into the kitchen.
Dean watched her go, confused. He set his drink again, and opened the package carefully. A circle of leather lay inside, with knots on either side. He felt something shift in his chest looking at it, and tried to remember when the last time he'd gotten a gift that wasn't the amulet Sam gave him.
He slipped it onto his right wrist and admired it for a minute. Then he stood to go to the kitchen.
He almost ran into Piper in the doorway. She gasped and grabbed his shoulders to keep from falling, his hands settled on her waist. She looked into his eyes, and Dean marveled at how pretty hers were.
"Thank you," he said roughly, still staring at her.
She smiled. "Merry Christmas, Dean." Her eyes flicked up above him, blushed, and tried to push past him. "'Night!"
He held her fast and looked up, eyebrows raising at the sprig of mistletoe hung there. He felt his body come alive, then slowly looked back down at her, smiling. "Come on, now. Christmas tradition, Piper," he chided, then lowered his lips to hers, keeping her gaze until he watched her eyes drift shut.
Fireworks went off on Dean's head. After what seemed like a small eternity had passed,she gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck, coming up on tiptoe. He pulled her firmly against him, then gently walked her back against the doorway and leaned into her. Ragged breathing was the only sound he could hear. His fingers dug into her hips and she whimpered. There would be bruises there that she would cherish tomorrow.
A cough sounded from the Winchesters' room, startling them apart. Piper's eyes widened to saucers, and she slipped away from him. He felt cold.
"'Night, Dean!" She squeaked, not turning around until she got up the stairs.
"'Night." Dean said to an empty room.
Piper blushed at the memory, looking straight ahead, but smiling. It was a little embarrassing still, but she had fancied herself in love with Dean at eighteen. Who wouldn't have at eighteen?
xxxxx
Dean was smiling, too, and she risked a glance at him to see it fading off of his face. He met her eyes for a second, then looked back at the road. "Best Christmas of my life, kitten," he said softly.
Piper smiled and scooted until she could rest her head on his shoulder. He moved and put his arm around her and pulled her close. She smiled at the sight of his right wrist, where that leather bracelet still was. A bit more worn, and there was an extra knot where it has broken at some point, but still there.
They were quiet for a moment. "Hey," she said, looking up at him. "I know you already know this. But we're going to find him, okay? He's going to be fine. You two are going to be fine."
Dean squeezed her tighter for a moment, but said nothing.
xxxxx
Several hours later, they pulled up to a motel. Piper went inside and booked a room while Dean parked. He was exhausted, running on empty, but his mind was still moving fast. He was scared. If he was honest, he was kind of terrified. What if they didn't find Sam before something happened? What if he had to…
Piper interrupted his thoughts by walking out with the key in hand. He watched her walk to their room as he got out of Baby and opened the trunk. Piper was tired, too, but she hadn't said a word about stopping until he'd almost fallen asleep at the wheel. "Just a few hours, then we'll find him," she had said confidently. He didn't understand her faith, but it was strong enough for both of them.
They got ready for bed in comfortable silence. Once the lights were out, Dean couldn't sleep. He couldn't get his mind to stop running. He looked over at Piper, who was still. He got up as quietly as he could and reached for Piper's laptop, thinking he would try to trace Sammy's cell again.
"I swear to Christ, Winchester, if you don't quit fidgeting and go to sleep, I will murder you myself."
He paused. "I thought you were asleep."
She turned around and propped herself on her elbow. "We're not going to find him if we're too tired to think. And tracing his phone didn't work the last 80 times we tried it, he's probably using a burner." She met his eyes. "Come on, Winchester, go to bed."
He shook his head. "Pipes, I can't. I'll just try the trace again."
She seemed to consider something, searching his face. Then she closed her eyes and sighed. She scooted to the far end of the bed and flipped the blankets up. "Come here."
He blinked, then looked away, scratching the back of his neck. "Piper, I don't need-"
"Dean," she said quietly. He looked at her again. "Needing comfort is not a bad thing, Winchester." She smiled. "Get your ass over here so I can sleep."
He hesitated, then walked over to her bed, under the pull of hearing his name on her tongue. She had turned back around, and he took the opportunity to stare down at her. She was wearing a tank top with thin straps, and he was grateful to see the waistband of sweatpants beneath the blankets. Not crawling into bed with Piper not wearing pants, he thought wryly as he slid in beside her. He lay on his back next to her, too nervous to move, only sort of understanding why.
"For God's sake, Winchester. Give me your arm."
Confused, he held up his right arm, the one closest to her, and stayed on his back, not looking at her.
She turned onto her back and glared at him. "Are you doing this on purpose? Your left arm, dummy."
He put his arm down and sighed. "Piper-"
"Shut it, Winchester. If I don't fall asleep soon, I'm going to start getting aggressive." She turned back onto her right side. "Get your ass over here. Don't make me tell you again," she warned.
Slowly, giving her a chance to change her mind, Dean turned onto his right side behind her. He wrapped his left arm around her, and without thinking about it, pulled her close. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. He felt her shiver and lean back into him.
"'Night," she whispered softly.
Dean couldn't believe it. He was already half asleep. "'Night," he mumbled softly into her hair.
xxxxx
Piper woke a few hours later and found that she had turned in her sleep and was facing Dean. His right arm was under her head, and his left hand rested at her waist. She took the opportunity to study him. He looks so much younger, she thought. She had read about that in romance novels, and had never really understood how true it could be.
Her hands itched to run themselves along his face, to wake him up with her mouth on his. Instead, she cuddled closer and rested her head underneath his chin. Dean shifted a little in his sleep, pulling her tighter to him and placing a sleepy kiss on her forehead before falling back into deep sleep.
Piper ignored the pain in her heart, closed her eyes, and slept.
xxxxx
"Come on, man. I know Sam, okay, better than anyone. He's got more of a conscience than I do, I mean, the guy feels guilty surfing the Internet for porn."
Piper and Dean were tied into chairs, sitting what must have been the living room of an abandoned farm. Gordon Walker, who had been hunting Sam without their knowledge, was straddling a chair in front of Dean, talking to him about the rumor that Sam was going to become a monster.
Piper was silent, struggling with the ropes that bound her wrists painfully tight to the arms of the chair. She was also tied around the chest, waist, and ankles. She was losing feeling in her hands and feet.
Gordon was shrugging. "Maybe you're right. But one day he's going to be a monster. Piper, girl, quit trying to get out of those ropes. I'm good at this, and I know you're a good hunter."
Piper glared at him. "Screw you, Walker."
Dean ignored them. "How? Huh? How's a guy like Sam become a monster?"
Another shrug. "Beats me. But he will."
"No, you don't know that!"
Gordon raised his eyebrows and stood up. "I'm surprised at you, Dean. Getting all emotional. I'd heard you were more of a professional than this. Look, let's say you were cruising around in that car of yours and, uh, you had little Hitler riding shotgun, right? Back when he was just some goofy, crappy artist. But you knew what he was going to turn into someday. You'd take him out, no questions, am I right?"
Piper stopped struggling to glare. "That is absolutely nothing like this situation."
Dean shook his head. "That's not Sam."
Gordon had walked over to his bag and pulled out two scarves. Piper glared at him. "You try to put that in my mouth, Walker, you're going to lose a finger."
He nonchalantly backhanded her. Piper didn't make a sound, but her eyes were watering, her head was ringing, and she tasted blood. "Sorry, Piper," Gordon said calmly. "I can't have that pretty mouth causing any trouble for me." He gagged her, tying the scarf behind her head.
He then turned to Dean, ignoring the cold fury radiating from him. "Yes it is Sam. You just can't see it yet. Dean, it's his destiny. Look, I'm sympathetic. He's your brother, you love the guy. This has got to hurt like hell for you." He looked at Piper. "And you. But here's the thing." He got the scarf into Dean's mouth and started tying it. "It would wreck him. But your dad? If it really came right down to it, he would have had the stones to do the right thing here. But you're telling me you're not the man he is?"
Dean was furious, glaring at Gordon. Piper gasped behind her gag, and redoubled her efforts to get free so she could kill Gordon with her bare hands. He had taken them by surprise, announcing his plans to kill Sam without blinking. Piper didn't think he really understood who the hell he was dealing with. Did he think they were just going to let him go free?
And then she could hear the sound of a lock pick being used on the back door. She started trying to scream through the gag, but the sound was too muffled. Dean was looking at her helplessly, both of them struggling to free themselves.
The door creaked open.
"Here he comes," Gordon whispered.
The first explosion sounded through the air. Piper couldn't breathe as tears began falling down her cheeks, her fear was suffocating her. She stopped struggling, trying to understand the terrible feeling in her heart. She felt separate from herself, watching as she sagged in her bonds, unable to meet Dean's eyes.
Dean was screaming at Gordon through his gag, when Gordon held up a finger. "Hold on. Not yet. Just wait and see."
Another grenade went off, and something seemed to turn back on in Piper's head. She started struggling harder against her bonds, her chair shifting across the floor, a low moan coming from her throat. She had to get to Dean, she could hear him sobbing, she needed to go to him. Right after she eviscerated Gordon.
The man had stopped and put his hand on Dean's shoulder. "Sorry, Dean."
As he walked away, Piper met Dean's eyes. They were filled with tears, too. Her tears spilled over again, looking at the pain on his face. She realized that she hadn't stopped moaning, and tried to quiet herself. She was still straining to hear Gordon.
And then, low, warning, was Sam's voice. "Drop the gun."
Piper watched Dean close his eyes in relief. She was crying again, trying to pull free so she could wrap her arms around Sam, assure herself that he was alive. Right after she eviscerated Gordon, of course.
She heard Gordon's voice, also low. "Shouldn't take your shoes off around here. You might get tetanus."
"Put it down now!" Sam shouted.
"You wouldn't shoot me, would you, Sammy? Because your brother and his little girlfriend in there, they think you're some kind of saint."
"Yeah? Well, I wouldn't be so sure."
"See, that's what I said."
There was a scuffle from the other room. Piper and Dean renewed their struggles.
"You're no better than the filthy things you hunt," Gordon snarled.
Another scuffle, then, "Do it. Do it! Show your brother the killer you really are, Sammy."
There was a smacking sound. "It's Sam."
Sam stumbled into the room where they were tied up. He went to Dean first, untying him slowly. As soon as his hands were free, Dean yanked the gag away, stood, and pulled Sam up with him.
He put his hands on Sam's face, examining his injuries. Sam nodded and smiled, and moved to untie Piper.
As soon as her hands were free, she flung her arms around Sam's neck. "Oh, Sam…"
He finished untying her and stood up with her still holding him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. "It's okay, Pipes, I'm okay."
They looked up as Dean started back into the room where Gordon was. "That son of a…"
Sam took a step toward him. "Dean. No."
Dean turned around. "I let him live once. I'm not making the same mistake twice." Piper was nodding in agreement, stepping away from Sam toward that room. "Damn right," she muttered, following him, intending to make good on her internal promise.
"Guys, trust me. Gordon's taken care of. Come on."
Sam grabbed them and dragged them to the door. The three of them got out the door, down the steps, and were walking away from the farm when Gordon came out the front door. He had two guns in his hands, and started firing towards them.
The three of them started running toward the road. "God dammit, Sam, is this taken care of?" Piper shouted as she ran.
They dove into the ditch on the other side of the road. "What the hell are we doing, Sammy?" Dean asked, glaring.
Sam grinned. "Just trust me, all right?"
As he said that, three police cars swung into the clearing, sirens blaring. They surrounded Gordon, several officers leaping out and drawing their service weapons.
"Drop your weapons! Get down on your knees!"
"Anonymous tip," Sam whispered, grinning, as they crouched and walked away.
"You're a fine, upstanding citizen, Sammy." Dean chuckled as they ran.
xxxxx
A/N: Hi, everyone! Here's my notes:
I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural, or the characters (heartbroken).
Reviews and comments give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.
If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.
