Six Weeks After Dean Winchester's Death
Leave a message. Beep. Piper, good job on that shifter in Tennessee. Stupid to go on your own, though. Call me back.
Leave a message. Beep. Piper, five vampires? You could have gotten yourself killed. Get your ass home, girl, so I can beat it.
Leave a message. Beep. Piper, would you call Bobby so he'll leave me alone?
xxxxx
"Never forgive!" the spirit snarled before Piper shot it with buckshot, moving backwards the whole time.
"Shut up, already, I get it, you're mad," she muttered as she ran to the room where the woman had hung herself years before. The house had been abandoned, and somehow nobody had noticed the freaking body in the attic.
After the salt and burn was done, Piper drove back to her motel. Once inside, she microwaved the cup of noodles she had gotten and sat down to listen to her voicemails.
Call me back. Get your ass home. Call Bobby.
She couldn't go home. If she rested for too long, she started to think again, and thinking hurt. Thinking led to crying jags and late night drinking. So, instead, she hunted.
She flipped open her laptop and perused news sites. Hm, some mysterious deaths in Florida (So much f'ed up crap happens in Florida). Yeah, okay, not that one.
Bloodless bodies found in Denver, though. She smiled as she finished her noodles. This one.
xxxxx
Leave a message. Beep. Piper, I'm sending someone to help you. He… Takes a little getting used to. If you won't let me help, at least let him.
She rode up in the elevator of the hotel, machete hidden under her jacket. Her blood was singing, her mind crystal clear, her emotions taking a backseat.
Three vampires. Shouldn't be hard.
She approached the door and unlocked it with the key card she had stolen off of the maid. She opened the door and walked in, head held high, machete in her hand, openly carrying it now.
"What the f-" Three vampires, two women and one man, turned to look at her. "Who the hell are you?"
Piper slowly turned, shut the door, and locked it.
When she turned back, one of the woman's eyes had gone wide. "You're… You're Piper Finley."
Piper felt a feral smile stretch across her face. "Bingo." Then she was moving.
The man first. He tried to grab her, underestimating her. He was easy, one quick swing and he was down.
The woman who hadn't recognized her used the opportunity to tackle her to the ground. Piper fought with her, rolling her over and over until she was on top. Piper tried to find the third vampire, but she couldn't. She took the machete in both hands and pressed it against the vamp's neck, beheading her.
Piper jumped up and looked around, spotting the third vampire backed into a corner, whimpering. "Please, please, I'll be good, no more killing humans."
Piper killed her anyway.
xxxxx
As she was walking back to her car, a voice called out to her. "Piper?"
She turned and laid eyes on the skinniest man she'd ever seen in her life. "Who's asking?"
He grinned. "Garth Fitzgerald the fourth," he introduced cheerfully, extending his hand. Piper shook it cautiously. "Bobby sent me to help out."
"With the vampires?"
He shrugged. "With whatever you're hunting. Buddy system!" he spouted cheerfully.
"Oh, Christ."
"Neat hair."
xxxxx
Ten Weeks Since Dean Winchester's Death
A month later, Garth had grown on Piper. He was a perfect gentleman, had started to make her laugh again, and was a good hunter. She could have done a lot worse.
"So, I'm thinking Indiana next, there's some bodies there," she said over breakfast.
Garth gave her a look, then put his fork down. "Look, Smalls, I know you're trying to run yourself ragged." She glared at him, and he ignored her. "And you're doing a good job. But I need some sleep, yo."
She cocked an eyebrow. "I can go by myself, yo."
"Or you could go home," he suggested calmly.
"Screw you, Garth," she snapped.
He waited her out, and it irritated her. Garth had never taken the bait, never let her start a fight with him, never responded when she cried or called him names. Garth was just… Garth.
"I can't, Fitz," she whispered.
He reached across the table and took her hand. "Look, Smalls, I get it. I do. I know you're hurting, and I know you miss Dean." He was the only hunter she knew who was so comfortable talking about feelings. It wigged her out frequently, but it was also kind of nice. He was also probably the only person who could say Dean's name without her wanting to punch him in the face. "But you should go home. Get some rest. Cook Bobby a decent meal. You guys are family, you need each other."
She gripped his hand tightly, unable to look at him. "Garth, I… I don't know."
He smiled gently at her. "I know you don't, dummy, that's why I'm telling you."
She smiled.
xxxxx
Bobby went to the door when he heard the Jeep's engine. When he saw Piper, he tried to hide his shock. She had lost weight, but had more wiry muscle at the same time. There were a few new scars, the most jarring was the line just below her right eye.
"Piper, you're back."
She nodded sheepishly, stopping at the stairs. "I'm sorry, Bobby. Garth convinced me to come back."
He shook his head. "Don't apologize, just come here."
He caught her gratefully as she threw herself into his arms.
xxxxx
Twelve Weeks After Dean Winchester's Death
"Garth! Go get the beer from the fridge in the basement!" Piper shouted out of Bobby's kitchen.
He saluted her as he walked through. "Yes, ma'am!"
She was in the kitchen with Ellen, cooking for Bobby, Garth, and Jo. It was impromptu, but Piper felt something besides being dead inside start to fill her heart. It was… Kind of nice.
"How you holding up, baby?" Ellen asked softly.
Piper surveyed the kitchen and realized that there was nothing to do for a few minutes, so she got the last two beers in the fridge and handed one to the older woman. "I don't know. It comes in waves. I think I'm all right right now." Garth had gotten her to talk about what was going on in her head, and as much as she had wanted to strangle him during that particular conversation, she did feel better.
Ellen met her eyes with sympathy. "I know what it's like to lose a man you love. If you need me, let me know."
And there it was. Right out in the open. She was in love with Dean Winchester, and now everyone knew it, three months after he was dead. Tears filled her eyes as she hugged Ellen. "Thank you," she whispered.
Garth came back through with the beer. "Let's eat, ladies," he said cheerfully.
xxxxx
That night was hard. Three months to the day. Now that she thought about it, Bobby had probably called everyone there to keep her busy all day. She would be grateful later, for now she was devastated.
She was crying, clutching her pillow, when her phone rang. She saw the caller ID, debated for a moment, then flipped it open. "Sam."
"Piper. Come outside." He hung up.
She debated again for another long moment. She didn't appreciate being barked orders through a phone, especially since he had tried to kiss her the last time she saw him, and because he'd pretty much ignored her since then. She sighed as she wiped her face and swung herself around to stand, pulling on a sundress and flip flops. It was Sam, of course she would go.
When she went outside, he was leaning against a silver sedan. She frowned. "Where's Baby?"
"I didn't want Bobby to hear and come out."
She sighed. "Sam, I'm not sneaking around with you behind Bobby's back. You have to talk to him sometime."
Sam shook his head. She was standing close to him now, almost close enough to touch.
"Three months."
She felt like she had been punched in the chest, but she was used to it, so she nodded. "Three months."
Sam looked at her, pain etched on his face. "Pipe, I'm sorry, I know I've been a jerk."
She nodded, but was stepping forward into his arms, resting her head on his chest. "Yeah, but it's okay, Sam. I get it."
His arms came around her and he held her close. "Still, I shouldn't have-"
She smiled and looked up at him. "Let's never talk about it again, okay? Kissing my brother is not something I want to relive."
He laughed. "Yeah, kissing you wasn't so hot, either."
She rested her head against him again. "Oh, Sam. I miss him so much."
"Me, too, Pipe."
xxxxx
Hi everyone! Here's my notes:
I own only Piper Finley, the original character. I don't own Supernatural or the characters. (heartbroken)
Reviews, comments, and kudos give me the warm fuzzies and keep me going.
If there are any mistakes in continuity, canon, or geography, blame me.
