Author's Notes: I apologise in advance if you happen to be a Travis fan. Clearly I'm not :)
Trigger alerts: underage sexual assault, attempted rape
Oh, dig my shallow grave
It's not me you'll save
'Cause I'm a lost cause
I'm a lost cause
A lost, lost cause
Wait, all this time that I have spent away
Makes me think that I might be okay,
The kiss of death will have to wait
My head, is holding on to all those things you said
You taught me to be strong and get through it, the mist of darkness
In my head
METAMORPHOSIS
Abandoned Warehouse
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Beth's POV
Dean and I crouched by the window of the warehouse that was located at the address Cas had given us. There was a man tied to a chair in the centre of a Devil's Trap. Sam and the dark haired girl I'd now seen twice were there in front of him. I glanced at Dean who was frowning, listening through the broken window.
"Where's Lilith?" Sam asked the demon and he smirked at our brother.
"Kiss my ass," he said, eyes turning black. Sam smiled cruelly and raised an eyebrow.
"I'd watch myself if I were you," he said to the demon.
"Why? Huh? Because you're Sam Winchester, Mr. Big Hero?" He asked. "And yet here you are, slutting around with some demon. Real hero."
"Shut your mouth," Sam said.
"Tell me about those months without your brother. About all the things you and this demon bitch do in the dark," the demon said, smirking as the girl looked at Sam. I started to move, suddenly furious at Sam. I knew he'd been lying to me! Dean grabbed my arm and pulled me back down beside him, shaking his head and motioning with a finger to his lips for me to stay quiet.
"Huh? Tell me, hero," the demon said to Sam.
Sam looked angrily at the demon and reached out a hand, concentrating and I gasped as black smoke poured from the man's mouth. He gagged as the smoke continued to pour to the floor, sinking with a flash of fire. Sam breathed hard, trying to get himself under control. The girl looked down at the floor and then over at Sam who had moved to the man, checking his pulse and smiling up at her, obviously pleased with what he had achieved.
"How'd that feel?" She asked.
"Good," Sam answered with a smile. "No more headaches." He started to untie the man from the chair.
"None? That's good," the girl said as the man started to wake up. Dean inclined his head toward the entrance to the warehouse, taking my hand and standing up, moving silently toward the door.
"Hey, hey, I got you," Sam told the man, helping him up. "It's all right." Dean opened the door and stepped in, I followed him and Sam looked at us, surprised, letting go of the man to stand up straight.
"So...anything you want to tell me, Sam?" Dean asked, approaching our brother.
Sam looked urgently at us while the girl stood behind him, watching Dean.
"Dean, hold on, okay?" Sam said, holding out his hand. "Just let me..."
"You gonna say, 'let me explain'? You're gonna explain this?" Dean asked angrily. "How about this? Why don't you start with who she is, and what the hell is she doing here?"
"It's Ruby," I said, crossing my arms, I'd suspected she had to be around when Sam sneaked out a few times in the last few weeks, but I'd missed the demon sense when I'd seen her both times previous – I'd just thought it was nerves, or grief, or both.
"It's good to see you again Beth... Dean," she said with a smile.
Dean scowled, glaring at Sam.
"Is she right? Is that Ruby?" He asked.
Sam didn't respond and Dean looked at the girl again, the realisation sinking in that we were standing in front of a demon. Her smiled started to drop and then suddenly Dean rushed past Sam, grabbing her and pushing her up against the wall, pulling out the knife from his jacket and moving to strike. Sam reacted to the action, blocking Dean's downward swing.
"Don't!" Sam said, struggling for the knife, he disarmed Dean but the older brother got the upper hand, shoving Sam into a wall. Ruby grabbed Dean around the throat, slamming him up against another wall.
"Hey!" I yelled, rushing for her. Sam grabbed me, pinning my arms to my side.
"Ruby! Stop it!" Sam ordered the girl. I watched, struggling against Sam's hold as Ruby stared into Dean's eyes, keeping a chokehold on him – Dean stared back defiantly at her.
"Sam I swear to God... if she hurts him..." I threatened, twisting to look at our brother. Ruby let go of Dean, and he stood up straight, watching her, and then looking at Sam. I stomped on Sam's foot and he released me so I could move to Dean's side. Dean looked back at Ruby.
"Well, aren't you an obedient little bitch?" He asked.
Ruby didn't respond, staring him down and taking a step forward. I eyed off the knife in Sam's hand, calculating how hard it would be to get it off him.
"Ruby," Sam said, breathing hard and looking at her. She stared at Dean a little longer before glancing over at Sam.
"Ruby, he's hurt," Sam said, indicating the man who was now leaning heavily against a table. "Go." Ruby looked at Dean once more before turning on her heel and walking over to the man, pulling the man's arm around her shoulder to help him stand.
"Where do you think you're going?" Dean asked, watching her move.
"The ER... unless you want to go another round first," she said, her eyes flashing angry. Dean didn't respond and after a moment she walked out with the man.
Dean looked over at Sam, his facial expression saying it all. He was fed up, disappointed in Sam.
"Dean..." Sam said, his face looking panicked.
I felt myself being pulled toward the door and I struggled against Dean's grip.
"Beth," Dean said, looking at me, his expression an order in and of itself.
"No," I said, shaking my head. "No... I got something to say," I said, whirling on Sam and shoving him against the wall. "You lying, gutless piece of work, how dare you? How dare you?!" I said, glaring at him. Sam turned to look at me.
"Beth, come on, you don't understand," he said.
"Oh I understand plenty! You chose Ruby, a god damned demon over your own sister, over your family! And you've done nothing but lie about it ever since. You told me you'd sent her away!" I said, shoving him again.
"Yeah?!" Sam yelled at me and I was a little taken aback at the tone. "Well maybe I needed her to help me get to Lilith, to get revenge for Dean; he wouldn't have even been in Hell if it weren't for you!"
"Guys..." Dean said, but I ignored it.
"You think I don't know that Sam?!" I yelled back. "You think I don't kick myself every damn day thinking about that?"
"Hey!" Dean shouted, looking at us and we paused, turning to him. "It's nobody's fault except mine. I accept that, and you have no right to blame her for that," Dean said to Sam. "But this... using your psychic thing…more lies..." he said, shaking his head. "That's just..." He grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the door and away from Sam.
I knew he wasn't in the mood for playing around, we were leaving. I looked over at Sam, so many things that I wanted to say, and I bit my tongue, sighing and nodding at Dean. He walked away, guiding me to the Impala and getting in, I followed suit.
"Dean!" Sam called out, but it was ignored.
Dean sped down the highway until he came to a deserted part of the road, pulling on to the shoulder and turning to look at me.
"Tell me what he said to you, when I was in Hell," he said and I grimaced, shaking my head.
"No, no, it's not important," I said.
"Yes it is, clearly he said something that has you both biting at each other," Dean said and I bit my lip, shaking my head again.
"I can't..."
"Beth," Dean said, turning my head to face him. "Baby you gotta tell me what's going on between the two of you," he said. "Please."
I sighed, feeling the tears come to my eyes. "Dean..." He looked at me, and all I could see was the unconditional love in his eyes, the complete support for me.
"I'm not a tattletale Dean," I said, crossing my arms.
"Hey, you promised to talk to me in our vows, remember? To trust me?" He said, throwing my usual argument to him right back at me. I sighed, rolling my eyes.
"I don't know that this applies," I said with a grin, looking at him and Dean smiled, shaking his head before his face turned serious again.
"Beth, I need to know how bad this is..." he said and I nodded, a couple of tears already rolling down my face.
"He uh... it was … months ago. We argued about Ruby, I refused to go with him and then I went looking for my own solution to getting you free. I wasn't successful and I found myself back at the motel, and I walked in on Sam, and he was drunk, and so angry," I said, not sure how I was going to word this – I decided to leave out the walking in on him having sex with Ruby part, for now. Dean watched me patiently, not interrupting.
I took a deep breath and looked at him again. "He said it was my fault you were in Hell..." I said, and he nodded, he'd heard that part. "And then he said it should be me down there, instead of you. That I make you weak, that I make the whole family weak," I continued, biting my lip, the tears falling down my face. Dean looked pained, reaching out to wipe them from my face, sighing. "And... and he said Dad should have left me in Wisconsin. That I was poison..." I finished, swiping at my face.
Dean growled, pulling me over to him and holding my head to his chest, stroking my back. "I'm sorry," he said softly as I leaned into his shoulder. "But he's wrong, you're the best thing that ever happened to me – without you, I wouldn't be here, I couldn't have kept going... it's because of you that I'm even half way sane right now." I sniffed back tears, looking up into his hazel eyes.
"Everything you're going through Dean... it's all because of me," I said, biting my lip.
"And I'd do it all over again for you," he said, kissing me softly. "I'd die a hundred times over for you."
I sighed, laying my head against his shoulder. "Well, that's stupid," I said and he chuckled, kissing the top of my head and nodding.
"Yeah, but I can't change that about myself," he said. I smiled, looking up at him.
"You're not stupid," I said.
His face turned serious. "Well if I'm not, I've sure made some stupid decisions. I don't know what to do about Sam, I think we might have to let him go for a bit," he said.
"What?" I asked, surprised.
"Beth, I asked one thing of him, one thing and that was for him to look after you," he said, looking sadly at me. "He couldn't even do that, and he hurt you, he's running around with a demon, lying about his actions and what he's doing..." He shook his head, sighing. "I don't know what else to do..."
Motel Room
Dean's POV
Sam was reading a book when we got back to the motel, I moved through the room, collecting our things while Beth stood by the door, watching Sam who was staring at me, ignoring her. That just made me even angrier than I already way – where did he get off treating Beth like he had?
"Dean, what are you doing?" He asked finally, looking at me. I continued to pack, putting our things into the duffels as Beth finally moved to collect toiletries from the bathroom.
"What, are you, are you guys leaving?" Sam asked as Beth dumped the toiletries in her bag, zipping it up.
"You don't need us. You and Ruby go fight demons," I said, finding it hard to even look at him. I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder and picked up Beth's, carrying it toward the door. Sam stood in my way and I stopped, looking at him.
"Hold on. Dean, come on, man," Sam said. I sighed, shaking my head. I dropped Beth's bag on the floor, letting all the anger I was feeling coming into my chest. I struck out with that rage, punching Sam in the face. He staggered back, surprised by the force that I'd just hit him with. He turned back to face me, rubbing his jaw.
"You satisfied?" He asked, almost mockingly.
I thought about it, narrowing my eyes. No. Satisfied wouldn't be the word I'd use. I punched him again, throwing my bag on the floor to join Beth's. Sam looked over at me again, touching his lip which was bleeding.
"I guess not," Sam said, raising his eyebrow.
"Do you even know how far off the reservation you've gone Sam?" Beth asked, crossing her arms as she looked at him. "How far from normal? From human?"
Sam sighed, looking at her. "I'm just exorcising demons," he said, glaring at her.
"With your mind!" I said loudly at him, he flinched at the tone in my voice, and I shook my head, not knowing what to think.
"What else can you do?" I asked, a little more softly.
"I can send them back to Hell. It only works with demons, and that's it," Sam said to me. I didn't believe him. I grabbed him by his shirt, pushing him back.
"What else can you do?" I asked. Sam hit at my hands, pushing me away and stepping back.
"I told you!"
Beth pushed in, looking up at Sam. "Yeah, because we have every reason in the world to believe that," she said. "You've done nothing but lie to us since Dean got back!"
Sam looked a little pained. "Look, I should have said something, I'm sorry, I am. But try to see the other side here," he said, looking from Beth to me.
"Other side?!" Beth scoffed. "What other side Sam? You told me you'd stopped having anything to do with Ruby. You promised me that everything you said was just 'the alcohol talking', do you know how much you hurt me? Do you know what it felt like to be abandoned by my own brother?!"
"Beth..."
"No I'm done; I'm done with the lies Sam. You want to fuck around with demons, be my guest, but I'm not going to stand by and watch you turn into a monster," she said, waving her hand in the air and walking away. Sam reached out for her but I wasn't about to let him manhandle her again like he had a few days ago in the motel. I grabbed his arm, shaking my head.
"No, you don't touch her again," I said roughly, putting a warning into my expression. Sam sucked in a breath and pulled back, nodding.
"Dean... I'm pulling demons out of innocent people," he tried to reason.
"Use the knife!" I said.
"The knife kills the victim! What I do, most of them survive!" Sam insisted. "Look, I've saved more people in the last few months than we save in a year."
Beth turned and glared at him. "Is that what Ruby wants you to think? Huh? Kind of like the way she's tricked you into using your powers?" Sam looked at her, shaking his head.
"Slippery slope brother," I said. "Just wait and see. Because it's gonna get darker and darker, and God knows where it ends." I narrowed my eyes, feeling sick to my stomach, what was going on with Sam? He was using his powers, gallivanting around with a demon! Where had we gone so wrong with him?
Sam looked back at me. "I'm not gonna let it go too far," he said. I smiled, shaking my head and walking away. I lashed out at a lamp on a table, sending it crashing across the room. Beth jumped, not expecting it and I felt a little guilty at using violence like that around her, especially after what I'd done to her my first night back, but I was so angry with him; I had to get it out.
"It's already gone too far, Sam," I said, turning to face him again. "If I didn't know you... I would want to hunt you," I finished, feeling the truth of it sink into my bones. Sam turned tearful eyes down to the ground.
"And so would other hunters," Beth said quietly, I was hoping that sunk in.
Sam looked up at me, nodding, tears in his eyes as he fought to control himself. "You were gone. I was here. I had to keep on fighting without you..."
"Without me?" I scoffed, looking at him. "What about Beth? What about the promise you made to me to look after my wife? Your own sister!" I yelled the last sentence and Sam flinched.
"Dean..."
"You know I've heard a lot of excuses from you Sam, and each time I come up with a reason as to why you could possibly be like this, but …" I shook my head. "It's Beth man," I said softly. "How could you treat her the way you did?"
"What is it with you Dean? It's always about Beth! Beth this, Beth that… what about me? I'm your brother! The pair of you… you're in this co-dependent can't-function-without-each-other relationship and you just drag me right along with you. She's not made of bloody porcelain, we argue, we disagree, I am not you! I don't see where it's my responsibility to pussyfoot around her feelings."
"Are you even listening to yourself?" I asked, shaking my head in amazement. "All she's ever done is help me look after you."
"I never asked you to look after me!" Sam snapped, glaring at the pair of us.
"Well too bad! Because that's the way it is! Dad made us promise, and where I'm concerned, that means something." I countered.
"Dad?! Really Dean? Where was your damn loyalty to him when you were off screwing Beth?!" Sam snapped back and saw red; I punched him again and Beth gasped, grabbing at my arm.
"You have no idea what you're talking about. How much time we wasted because of that promise to Dad. Why are you acting like some jealous little school girl over Beth? What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked.
"Nothing is wrong with me! I'm just saying it like it is, you both use me as an excuse to not face up to reality, to look at how empty your lives are if you don't have the hunt," Sam said, standing straight and gingerly touching his nose.
"Really?" Beth asked, shaking her head incredulously at him. "You're gonna go there Sam? How dare you? You have no idea about anything we want for our lives, the sacrifices we've made – after everything we've had taken from us, every time we think about getting out and we get sucked back in, and it's usually because of you!" I grabbed at my forehead, feeling like it was going to split in half. Beth paused, looking at me with concern.
"After everything we've had taken from us, everything we've done for you, and you want to toss us aside for a demon to go dark side?" I said finally, shaking my head. What was going on here? It was like talking to a doppelganger, this didn't sound like Sam at all.
"Ruby said she could help. And she was right. What I'm doing... it works..." Sam said.
I sucked in a breath and Beth stepped forward. "If it's so terrific, Sam, why'd you lie about it? Why didn't you just tell me when I came to you about Dean? Why didn't you tell us when we found you?" She asked. Sam looked down guiltily, having no answer.
"Why did an angel tell me to stop you?" I asked, and Sam looked up, surprised.
"What?"
"Cas said that if we don't stop you, he will," Beth said quietly while Sam appeared shocked at the statement.
"See what that means, Sam? That means that God doesn't want you doing this..." I said, waiting for my words to sink in. "So, are you just gonna stand there and tell us that everything is all good?"
I looked desperately at Sam, willing him to understand. He had to, he had to get it and fast because this hadn't sounded negotiable on the angel's part. Sam looked down, staring at the floor as we all fell silent. The sharp trilling of Sam's phone broke the quiet and I flinched, I still wasn't used to the sudden noises up here, it was all different compared to the pit; Beth reached out to put her hand on my arm and I quickly pulled her into me, needing to feel the weight of her against my body, reassuring myself that I still had her with me. She wrapped her arms around my waist, sliding her hands along my back and the touch calmed me.
"Hello?" Sam said quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose and looking pained.
"Hey, Travis. Yeah, hey," he said, and I felt Beth go very still in my arms. "Uh...it's good to hear your voice too, yeah. Um, look it's not really a good time right now. It's..." He paused to listen to the man on the other end of the phone.
"You okay?" I asked Beth quietly and she glanced up at me, her mind clearly a million miles away, she nodded, leaning in to me and resting her head on my shoulder.
Sam was still speaking to Travis on the phone. "Yeah, okay. Uh, well, just give me the details, and, uh..." He paused again and then nodded. "Carthage, Missouri." Sam walked over to the night stand, writing something down on the motel stationery while I squeezed Beth tight, kissing her forehead, she stroked along my back comfortingly while we watched Sam.
"Looking for Jack Montgomery," Sam said, putting down the pen and hanging up the phone. He turned to look at us and I sighed. So much for sorting out our brother, looked like we had just picked up a case.
"That was Travis," Sam said quietly.
"What did he want?" I asked.
"He has a hunt he needs help with in Missouri," he answered.
"Well give little Ruby a call and get going," I said, throwing my hand in the air. Sam sighed, looking at me with frustration.
"Dean, come on…"
"Seriously Sam, you just get through sprouting that entire BS at us and you expect us to not be pissed?" Beth asked. Sam sighed, shaking his head.
Sam didn't respond, just shaking his head.
"Let's go," I said, looking at Beth and she bit her lip. There was something going on there beneath the surface, she was nervous, but I wasn't sure what had brought it on; we'd have plenty of time to talk about it once we got on the road though.
I picked up our bags and moved toward the door, Sam was gathering up his things quickly and mercifully keeping his mouth shut. I could let him get away with a lot, but if he was going to start crapping on about Beth again, I was gonna gag him and toss him in the trunk, I'd had enough.
On the road to Missouri
Beth's POV
"I can't believe it. Mom? A hunter?" Sam said, looking over at Dean in shock after he'd just got through telling Sam what we'd been through in Lawrence. We'd temporarily put aside our argument for the case, although there was a fine tension hanging in the air just the same.
"I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it myself. That woman could kick some ass. I mean, she almost took me down," Dean said with a smile and I snickered, shaking my head, watching from the back seat.
"How'd she look?" Sam asked, glancing over at Dean. "I mean... was she happy?"
"Yeah," Dean said with a smile. "She was awesome. Funny and smart. So hopeful," Dean answered with a little sad look in his eyes as he glanced over at Sam. I sucked in a breath and bit my lip, she'd wanted so badly for her kids to grow up normal, and now we were battling to keep Sam on the straight and narrow.
"Dad, too. Until of course..." Dean trailed off, not saying anything further. Sam sighed.
"What?" Dean asked, glancing at him.
"Nothing," Sam said, looking out the window for a moment before turning back to Dean. "It's just, our parents. And now we find out our grandparents too? Our whole family murdered, and for what? So Yellow Eyes could get in my nursery and bleed in my mouth?"
I sat forward, frowning and Dean looked at me through the rear vision mirror before looking over at Sam.
"Sam, I never said anything about demon blood," he said carefully. Sam froze.
"You knew about that?" I asked, my mouth dropping open.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "For about a year."
Dean shook his head, looking out the windshield again, silently watching the road.
"A whole year?" I asked incredulously.
"I should have told you guys. I'm sorry," Sam said apologetically, but it was starting to sound like a broken record.
"You've been saying that a lot lately, Sam," Dean said. "But whatever. You don't want to tell us, you don't have to. It's fine." I looked at Dean; he had that stone cold look in his face he always got when he'd been pushed too far. Sam saw it too, and he started to look worried.
"Dean..." he said, looking at his brother, but Dean was focusing on the road and it was clear this conversation was over. Sam sighed. "Whatever," he said, as I sat back in my seat, pulling Dean's jacket over me and burying my nose in the leather, letting the smell calm me – I was still mad at Sam everything he'd said. It was going to be a long ride to Carthage.
Montgomery Residence
Carthage, Missouri
Beth's POV
Dean was staring through the binoculars at a house, watching a man moving around in his kitchen.
"Are you sure that's him?" He asked with a frown.
"Only Jack Montgomery in town," Sam said with a nod.
"And we're looking for...?"
"Travis said to keep an eye out for anything weird," he answered. Dean raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Sam.
"Weird?"
"Yeah," he answered.
"All right, well, yeah, I've seen big weird, little weird, weird with crazy on top. But this guy? I mean, come on, this guy's boring," he said, throwing his hand in the air and sighing as he leaned back against the car seat.
"I don't know Dean. Travis seemed pretty sure," Sam said as I leaned forward on the car seat, resting my arms so I could use my own binoculars, putting them to my eyes and making the adjustments necessary for me to see. Sam followed suit and I almost giggled at the thought of the three of us sitting in the Impala, binoculars glued to our eyes. Thank God it was dark.
Jack was leaning on the kitchen bench, looking around and taking a swig out of a beer bottle. He walked to the fridge, opening it and grabbing some food, eating it straight from the fridge. He reached for more food, shoving it in his face and I screwed up my nose as he searched almost frantically through the fridge. He paused, looking over his shoulder and then broke open a package of uncooked meat, starting to eat it.
"Ewww!" I said, shaking my head as he continued to shovel it down his throat, throwing looks behind him as if expecting someone to walk in on him at any moment. Suddenly he stopped eating, looking at the food in his hands, confused. We dropped out binoculars down, all glancing at each other with looks of disgust.
"I'd say that qualifies as weird," Sam said.
Twelve Years Ago
Houston, Texas
Beth's POV
"Dean, you'll be staying out of school this week and helping with this hunt," John said, and I looked up feeling a little nervous. I hadn't been to school without Dean since the incident in Dallas where a group of guys had tried to pull me into the bathroom and have some fun – Dean had stopped it, and John had changed my papers to make sure that I would be included in all Dean's classes, we'd been inseparable ever since.
Dean glanced over at me then nodded at John. "Yes sir," he said quietly, playing with the knife in his hand. "Shouldn't you keep Beth here too?" My heart skipped a little at the suggestion but it was soon dashed as I looked over at John who was shaking his head.
"No, we have enough with Travis to work this case, I want Beth to go to school," John said, looking through some of the police reports Travis had handed him. I stood up and walked into the bathroom, running the water in the sink to get hot so I could wet a cloth and wash my face. I felt incredibly sick at the idea of going to school on my own, which was so unlike me. I stared into the mirror starting to see just how dependent I had grown on having Dean around.
There was a knock at the door and Dean stuck his head around the door, tossing me a smile. "Hey," he said softly and I smiled.
"Hey," I said, turning the water off and leaning back against the basin, facing him. "What's up?"
"Nothing... just checking you're okay with everything," he said with a shrug and I shrugged back at him.
"Not like I get a choice, is it?" I asked softly and he shook his head.
"No."
"Then yeah, I'm okay," I said, putting on a brave face and smiling at him. "Just don't go doing anything stupid while I'm not around to protect your ass," I said with a grin, hoping I was pulling off the nonchalant facade.
Dean laughed and pulled me into a headlock, brushing his knuckles through my hair and messing it up as I shrieked in protest. "Who's the one who needs protecting?!" He said teasingly as I laughed and pushed at him, breaking free.
"Don't be a prick!" I said, shaking my head at him and then running my hands through my hair.
"Dean!" John's voice yelled from the other room. "Leave your sister alone and get in here!" Dean rolled his eyes and smiled at me.
"Duty calls," he said, turning back to the motel room. "Don't strain anything at school tomorrow, huh?" I gasped at the insult and threw a towel at him, but it hit the door, he was already gone.
Motel Room
Dean's POV
Beth opened the door to the motel room and pushed it open, coming to a stop in the doorway as I ran into her.
"Babe..." I said and then I realised why she had hesitated and I smiled, slipping my arm around her waist and moving her aside to let Sam in the door.
"Travis," Sam said with a smile when he spotted the man sitting in a chair, chugging down one of our beers.
"See, Sam. Told you we should have hid the beer," I said and he snickered, shaking his head. Travis got up with a smile, moving toward us.
"Smartass. Get over here," he said, pulling me in for a hug. "Ahhh, good to see you," he said.
I pulled back and nodded. "You too."
Sam moved in to give Travis a hug and the man smiled. "Good to see you," he said again.
"You too Travis," Sam said with a smile, and then pulled away.
Travis looked over at Beth who was watching him quietly and I frowned, she'd never liked Travis, said he was a dirty old man. But she'd never said anything further about what had happened during a hunt we'd done with him over a decade ago, and I'd eventually let it go when she avoided my questioning about it.
"Hey Beth, you're looking good," Travis said, his eyes running the length of her body and I found myself seeing things in a fresh light, and it was making me uncomfortable. Beth raised an eyebrow at him and smirked.
"Better than you from the looks of things," she said, nodding at his arm which was covered in plaster.
"Yeah," Travis laughed, holding the arm out a little. "I'm a little short-handed. How about a hug?"
Beth smiled, glancing uncertainly at me. She made no move to go near him and I concurred with that, moving back to slip my hand behind her, resting it on her lower back, she leaned back into me just slightly, no one else would have even noticed.
"Hey babe, I forgot to grab the food out of the car, do you mind?" I asked, and she nodded. She turned and left the room in a hurry, and Travis watched her go with a smile before turning to Sam.
"Man, you got tall, kid," he said and we all laughed. "How long has it been?"
"Ah, gotta be ten… maybe twelve years," Sam said, shrugging.
"You still a... oh, what was it... a mathlete?" Travis asked while Sam scoffed.
"No," he said, shaking his head.
"Yep, sure is," I countered, teasing my brother.
"Been too long, boys. I mean, look at you. Grown men. Beth, all grown up. John would have been damn proud of you. Sticking together like this," he said as Beth came back into the room carrying a bag.
"Yeah," I said, glancing back at her. "Yeah, we're as thick as thieves." This time I looked at Sam whose smile was starting to fade. "Nothing more important than family," I pushed home, and saw Sam get the message.
Travis walked over to the table and I followed, taking a seat on the bed where Beth joined me, sliding her left hand across her lap to grasp my left hand and hold it. Travis glanced down and saw the wedding rings, and raised an eyebrow, turning to Sam with a smile.
"Well, sorry I'm late for the dance. Thanks for helping out an old man. Like I said, I'm a little shorthanded." Sam and I laughed with him while Beth watched silently. "So, you track down Montgomery?"
"Yeah, we found him at his home," Sam answered, taking a seat at the table with Travis.
"And?"
"Well, he had a hell of a case of the munchies, topped off with a burger he forgot to cook," I said, thinking about the scene we had just witnessed.
"That's him all right," Travis said confidently.
"What's him?" Beth asked.
"Kids, we got a rugaru on our hands," he said, looking at each of us in turn.
"A rugaru?" I asked, glancing at Sam and then Beth. "Is that made up?" I looked back at Travis. "That sounds made up."
"They're mean, nasty little suckers," Travis answered. "Rotted teeth, wormy skin, the works."
"Well, that isn't this guy," Beth said and I nodded.
"Yeah, I'm mean, he was wearing a cellphone on his belt," I agreed.
"He'll turn ugly soon enough. They start out human, for all intents and purposes," Travis said.
"So what?" Sam asked. "They go through some kind of metamorphosis?"
"Yep, like a maggot turning into a blow fly," Travis nodded. "But most of all... they're hungry."
"Hungry for what?" I asked.
"At first, for everything, but then... for long pig," he said. Sam and Beth looked a little shocked, but I didn't get it. What the heck was wrong with pig?
"Long pig?" I asked, looking at Beth.
She glanced over at me, looking a little sick. "He means human flesh."
"And that is my word of the day," I said with a raised eyebrow and she smiled at me. It was the first smile I'd seen out of her since we'd gotten here. I resolved to get to the bottom of this issue as well while we were here.
"Hunger grows in 'til they can't fight it" Travis continued, "'Til they got to take themselves a big, juicy chomp, and then it happens."
"What happens?" Sam asked.
"They transform completely, and fast," he answered, looking over at me and Beth. "One bite's all it takes. Eyes, teeth, skin; all turns. No going back either. They feed once, they're a monster forever. And our man Jack's headed there on a bullet train."
"Well, how did you find this guy if he's a walking, talking human?" Beth asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Let's just say it runs in his family," Travis answered, looking at her directly.
"You mean, uh..."
"Killed his daddy back in '78. Son of a bitch mangled eight bodies before I put him down. Guy used to be a dentist. Cadillac, trophy wife... little did I know, pregnant trophy wife. She put the boy up for adoption. By the time I found out, he was long gone, lost in the system."
"You mean to tell me you couldn't find someone?" Beth challenged, but there was a slight tremor to her hand as she held my own.
Travis sighed, his eyes softening. "I'm not sure I wanted to. The idea of hunting down some poor kid... I don't think I'd have the heart. No. I wanted to wait, make damn sure I had the right man. Apparently I do," he said, taking a swig of his beer.
Motel Room
Beth's POV
Dean and Travis were fixing up gas cans at the table while I sat uncomfortably on the bed watching them. I saw Dean glance over at me a few times, but he was mercifully leaving me out of the preparation. He'd tried to get me to go with Sam, but that seemed worse than staying here and having to play nice with Travis.
I thought back to that hunt where we'd been going after a shapeshifter and somehow I'd found myself alone, at sixteen, with this guy who decided it was appropriate to get hands on with a friend's daughter. It had been a rough month, we'd been in Dallas when a group of guys had decided to try their luck with the new girl, pulling me into the toilets – the only reason it hadn't gone any further was because Dean had seen it happen and come to the rescue.
John hadn't even blinked an eye when I told him I didn't want to have anything to do with Travis again, he got it right away, a steely look coming to his face as he checked whether I was okay, when I'd nodded he stalked off to make a phone call. We'd never crossed paths with him again, until now, and I'd never told Dean what had happened.
"So fire, huh?" Dean asked in the silence of the room.
"The only way I found to kill these bastards; deep fry 'em," Travis answered and I shuddered.
"Well, that's gonna be… horrible," Dean said, glancing at me.
"Is that what you did to Jack's dad?" I asked, feeling a little disgusted at the thought.
Travis turned to look at me and my skin crawled. "Uh-huh," he said with a nod. Sam entered the room at that moment carrying a bunch of papers. He paused, looking at Dean and Travis and shaking his head.
"Not wasting any time, are you?" He asked.
"None to waste," Travis said, shifting his gaze from me. "The guy hulks out, we won't be finding bodies, just remains."
Sam sat down on the other bed, closer to the guys. "What if he doesn't hulk out? I did a little homework. Uh, I've been checking out the rugarus."
"What? My thirty years of experience not good enough for you?"
"What? No. No, I – I – I just wanted to be prepared. I mean, not that you didn't…"
"Sam loves research," I cut in, looking at Travis.
"He does," Dean agreed, nodding. "He keeps it under his mattress right next to his KY. It's a sickness," he said, looking over at Sam who looked a little perplexed. "It is."
"Never hurts to have more than one perspective," I said, moving to sit next to Sam and glance at the paperwork he had. I was starting to think maybe Sam was preferable to Travis right now. Sam looked a little surprised at my sudden comradeship, but went with it.
"Yeah, look, everything you said checked out, of course, but uh. I found a couple of interesting stories about people who have this rugaru gene or whatever. See, they start to turn, but they never take the final step." Sam said.
"Really?" Dean asked, looking over and Sam nodded.
"See, if they never eat human flesh, they don't fully transform," he said.
"So what? Go vegan, stay human?" Dean questioned with a thoughtful look.
"Basically. Or in this case, eat a lot of raw meat, just not…"
"Long pig," Dean said, looking pleased at his new word.
"Right," Sam said.
Dean smiled a little and I could tell he didn't like the idea of crispy frying Jack any more than I did. Travis was sitting still, watching Sam silently.
"Good on you for the due diligence, Sam," he said finally, and I heard the but coming as he stood up, walking past us and patting me on the shoulder as he moved to the kitchenette and poured himself a cup of coffee.
"But those are fairytales. Fact is," he continued. "Every rugaru I ever saw or heard of… took that bite."
I stood up, crossing my arms. "Yeah, well that doesn't mean that Jack will," I said, setting a challenge in my voice.
Dean watched us and then rose, coming up behind me, his hand resting at the small of my back and taking some of the papers I was holding to look through them.
"So what do we do? Sit and hope and wait for a body count?" Travis asked, raising his eyebrow at me.
"No, we can talk to him. Explain what's happening. That way he can fight it," Sam said, looking over at Travis.
"Fight it?" Travis asked sceptically and then he laughed.
"Are you kidding me? You ever been really hungry?" He asked and I felt Dean stiffen beside me as he looked up at Travis. "I mean, haven't-eaten-in-days hungry?"
"Yeah," Dean said and I looked at him, swallowing. Hell had really done a number on him, I felt sick just thinking about it.
"Yeah. Right then. So somebody slaps a big, juicy sirloin in front of you, you walking away?" I looked up at Dean who was thinking this statement over, he looked at me and then back at Travis mouthing the word 'No' and shaking his head. Travis looked justified in his argument, nodding.
"That's what we are to him now, meat on legs. I'm sorry. I'm sure he's a stand-up guy, but it's pure, base instinct. Everything in nature's gotta eat." I scoffed quietly. He'd used the base instinct argument on me when he'd had me pinned to the bed, sliding a hand between my legs as I'd tried frantically to think about how I was going to get away, he'd been so much stronger.
"Yeah well, some base instincts can be fought off, some people are just dicks," I said and Sam raised an eyebrow at me.
"You think he can stop himself just 'cause he's nice?" Travis challenged, eyes narrowing at me.
"I don't know," Sam said seriously. "But we're not gonna kill him unless he does something to get killed for." Dean looked at him, surprised and Sam took a few breaths before walking out of the room. Travis looked over at us, puzzled.
"What's up with your brother?" He asked, and Dean looked at the door, then back at Travis.
"Don't get me started," he said with a sigh, turning to look at me. "We gotta talk, alone."
Travis looked a little surprised at this as Dean guided me toward the door.
"Look, we have work to do here guys," he said, standing up.
"It'll wait until we're done," Dean said, not stopping to listen to any arguments.
I followed Dean out to a small garden near the side of the motel and he sat on a bench, pulling me down beside him.
"You want to tell me what's going on with Travis?" He asked and I sucked in a breath, looking at my hands. "Okay, I might have said I was stupid earlier, but I'm not that stupid. Something happened back when we were kids that much I can tell… did Dad know?"
I nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, sounding a little hurt.
"Because Dad took care of it, and promised I'd never have to deal with him again," I said, biting my lip.
"You still should have told me," he said softly.
"I just… I didn't want to upset you. We'd just had that whole thing go down in Dallas with the school, and … well it was my fault." I said.
"What are you talking about?" He asked, frowning and taking my hands in his own. "Look, just start at the beginning. We were where? Houston?" I nodded, sighing.
"Yeah, Dad pulled you out of school for the week to go hunt that shapeshifter, and I was missing you," I said, and he smiled, brushing a hand along my cheek. "So I ditched school early, coming back to the motel, only you weren't there, you'd gone out with Dad."
"But Travis was there?" He asked. I nodded.
Twelve Years Ago – Houston, Texas
It had been four days since I'd spent any real time with Dean. I didn't like being on my own in the new school. It had only been a month since we'd been in Dallas and I hadn't been apart from Dean during that time, I'd come to rely on him, he was like a security blanket and I only felt safe when he was around.
I rushed through the motel room door, expecting to see him there only to find the room empty except for John's friend Travis who had been the one to initiate the hunt for the shapeshifter John had been after all week.
"Oh hi Beth," he said casually to me, leaning over some maps on the table.
"Hi," I said, hesitating and then throwing my bag on the bed I'd been sharing with Sam. "Where is everyone?" I asked. He shrugged and looked up at me.
"Uhhh, John and Dean had to go out for some supplies," he said. "They'll be back in a bit." I nodded, feeling a little disappointed that I'd ditched school for nothing. Sam wouldn't be back for hours, now I was stuck here more or less on my own.
"I'm cross referencing some maps with the city layout if you'd like to help?" Travis said and I smiled, nodding.
"Sure, that sounds interesting," I said, crossing to the table. He smiled and showed me the blueprints for the sewers, laying them under a map of the city which he'd had copied on to a thin paper so we could see through it.
"See how the different buildings where we've had the victims show up connect to the different access points to the sewers?" He asked, pointing along a particular sewer line.
"Yeah, hey that's cool," I said eagerly, leaning in to look closer. He smiled and patted me on the shoulder.
"Good, good… you're very smart Beth," he said, his hand trailed down my arm and back to the map. I looked at him, feeling a little uncomfortable with the stare he was giving me.
"Uh, thanks," I said, standing up again. "So, I'm just gonna go study…" I said, and he nodded, turning back to the maps. I shook my head, pulling a book Bobby had given me on magical sigils out of my duffel and laying back on the bed, opening to where I'd last been reading.
I quickly lost myself in the book, so much so that I didn't feel the slight depression on the mattress as Travis sat down next to me until he spoke.
"So what are you reading?" He asked, and I startled, looking over at him.
"Um, just this book on sigils Bobby gave me," I said, sitting up a little.
Present Day – Carthage, Missouri
I looked at Dean, taking a deep breath. "I don't think you want to hear this Dean."
"Yes, I do, did he hurt you?" He asked. I closed my eyes, hurt was a relative term. Emotionally it had left me rattled and frightened. So much so that I asked Dean to sleep next to me for protection after that.
"Tell me," he said quietly and I opened my eyes, biting my lip. I moved over to sit in his lap, resting my head against his chest.
"He…he tried… he took me by surprise. He cornered me on the bed and suddenly there was just nowhere to go…"
Twelve Years Ago – Houston, Texas
"Beth, how old are you?" He asked, looking at me.
"Uh, sixteen, why?" I asked, and he smiled, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
"You seem so much older," he said thoughtfully, and I felt my heart start to beat a little faster as he slid his hand down my side, leaning in to me.
I froze as I felt the tickle of his breath brush along my neck and then he kissed me, pulling me tightly into him and I put my hands up against his chest, the book dropping on to the floor beside the bed.
"Relax Beth, it's all right," he said, his other hand sliding around my waist as he moved in, bringing a leg over my own to pin me.
"What are you doing?" I asked, holding him back a little.
"I'm just following my instincts Beth, I'm a man… you're a beautiful, beautiful young woman… and when a man has needs…" he reached down, sliding his hand up along my inner thigh and under the skirt I was wearing.
"Stop," I said, shaking my head.
Present Day – Carthage, Missouri
"Did he stop?" Dean asked, looking angry and concerned at the same time.
"What do you think?" I asked, shaking my head. He moved under me, glancing back toward the motel room.
"Tell me what else," he said finally, looking at me softly.
"I can't…" I said, shaking my head. I'd never told anyone, not John, not even Cole.
I swallowed hard, looking at Dean. He brushed hair out of my face and behind my ear, leaning in to kiss me.
"There is nothing you could tell me that would ever make me think less of you Beth," he said and I felt tears welling in my eyes.
"He slid his hand…" I moved Dean's hand in between my thighs to demonstrate, reminding myself that it was Dean, and I trusted him, and this wasn't twelve years ago. "Like this… and I froze… I just froze," I said. Dean pulled his hand out and brushed it along my cheek, kissing my forehead again.
"I didn't fight him Dean, I didn't say anything, I just let him…"
"No," he said, shaking his head. "It's not your fault."
"I know… you know I know that in my head, but it doesn't feel that way," I said, burying my face in his neck.
"Did he...?" Dean stopped, uncertain of what to ask.
I looked up into his green eyes and bit my lip. "He tried…"
Twelve Years Ago – Houston, Texas
"You are so beautiful," Travis said, ignoring me and pressing me back into the pillow I was leaning against. He ground his groin against my leg and I could feel his hard arousal pressing through his jeans. "You're not going to deny my needs, are you Beth?" He asked and I felt a panic come over me as he took my wrists in one of his hands, holding them down, his leg continuing to pin mine down as he spread my legs, his fingers sliding along my skin and brushing over my underwear.
"Oh god…" he groaned, and I felt my whole body freeze as I gasped for air, unable to catch my breath while he kissed my neck again, a finger sliding just under my underpants and pressing against me.
"No…" I whimpered, trying to move away from him and he pressed a little harder, his whole hand just resting against my centre, covering it as if he was claiming it for his own.
"You're not going to fight me Beth, you want this, you know you do...you're probably already giving it up for the Winchesters… why else would they keep you around?" Travis said, moving his body over me and pinning me under him as he ran his hands along my sides, moving to squeeze a breast as he watched me. I held my breath, looking to the door and wondering just how much longer John and Dean were going to be.
"Oh they're not going to be back for hours," Travis said, seeing my look and my breath caught between a sob and a cry of desperation.
I retreated into a stillness, Travis running his hands down between my legs again, taking his time. How was I going to get out of this? I was pinned, he was so heavy… I wasn't strong enough. Dean had been teaching me hand to hand combat, but I was always on my feet with at least some kind of advantage. I bit my lip; I was going to have to trick him into a disadvantage. I sucked in a short breath.
"Wait," I said, staring up into his eyes and he paused, watching me.
"Let me touch you," I said, feeling his grip on my hands loosen. I pulled my right arm down and ran my hand along his inner thigh, brushing it over his bulging jeans.
"Now that's more like it… good girl," he said and I fought not to dry retch.
"You're right," I said, staring into his eyes.
"I am?"
"Yeah… John… he likes it too," I said, trying to keep a level voice.
Travis laughed. "That dirty dog, I knew it! No wonder he's so protective over you."
"Yeah," I said, licking my lips. "But you know… he says it's much better when I'm…" I stopped talking, and he looked at me.
"What?"
"When I'm on top," I said, looking away shyly.
"Oh really?" Travis said, and he sat back, looking at me thoughtfully.
I nodded, sitting up a little and bracing myself. I leaned in to his neck and licked his skin as I rubbed a little harder against his groin. Travis groaned and then rolled to his back, taking me with him.
He held my hips, thrusting up between my legs and I was just grateful he was still fully clothed. I closed my eyes and felt a hand come up behind my neck, pulling me down to kiss my lips. He held my face in his hands, and that was all I needed.
I took advantage of the momentary freedom, wrestling was something I had done with Dean though never quite in this sort of situation. I shifted quickly once he wasn't holding me down, and brought my knee up hard into his groin. He buckled beneath me, giving me the chance I needed to break away.
I jumped to the floor and ran out the door, not looking back. I ran until I couldn't run any longer, eventually turning toward the school. I'd go wait for Sam; at least I wouldn't be alone.
Present Day – Carthage, Missouri
I looked up at Dean and he was stewing. "I couldn't think of what to do, I panicked…" I said. "Kneeing him in the groin was the only thing I could do."
"That's my girl," he said and I smiled at the pride in his voice. "And you told Dad?"
"Not right away, I just made sure I was always with someone after that," I said. "Until the hunt was over." Dean looked thoughtful and then nodded.
"That's why you wanted to share the bed with me?" He asked and I nodded, biting my lip. "What? Sam wasn't enough protection?" He said with a grin.
I laughed, shaking my head. "No, it's always been you." I said, kissing him lightly, and he smiled softly at me.
"Why didn't you tell Dad right away?" He asked after a few moments. I shrugged.
"I don't know, I guess I was scared that maybe he wouldn't believe me… or something. I don't know." I said.
"I would have believed you," he said, and I nodded, smiling at him.
"I know. I wish I'd told you before now," I said, kissing his lips softly.
"So how do you want to play this out?" He asked, and I could see he was fighting off a very slow simmering rage beneath his cool exterior. He wanted to go and beat the life out of Travis right now, but he was holding it together because of me, because of the job.
"Just… don't leave me alone with him, and let's get this job done. But no more hunts with the guy," I said, feeling a little stronger just from having told Dean.
Dean nodded thoughtfully and then sighed. "I'm sorry baby, we should be cutting him loose right now," he said. I shrugged.
"That's the nature of the job, sometimes we work with people we don't like," I said.
"This is a little different," Dean said with a frown.
I shrugged again. "I can handle it. I don't want him to know how much he rattled me. Let's just get this job done, please."
Dean nodded with a sigh. "Okay, if you're sure?"
"I'm sure," I said, nodding. "But you know, maybe I'll break his other arm before it's over... just for good measure," I added and he chuckled, kissing my forehead.
"You're gonna have to get in line sugarpie," he said with a smile.
We went back to the motel room and Sam was pacing, waiting for us. Travis was once again preparing the flame throwers and glanced up with narrowed eyes when we walked in.
"Okay, Sam, we're going to go talk to this guy," he said and Sam looked surprised. He nodded and moved toward the door, grabbing his jacket before Dean changed his mind. I walked to the bed to pick up my own jacket when Travis reached out and took my arm in his hand.
"You're making a mistake," he said, pulling me to look at him. I froze and then there was the sound of a gun cocking and Dean was holding his gun to Travis' head.
"Let her go. Now. You touch her again you perverted freak and I won't hesitate to put a bullet through your head, understand me?" He said his voice low and threatening.
Travis swallowed, eyes widening a little as he looked from me to Dean, releasing my arm. I stepped behind Dean and he moved us away toward the door.
"Now, you called us in on this," Dean said, while Sam stared in confusion at the sudden showdown. "We're doing this our way, or not at all."
"Whatever you say, Dean. But it doesn't change things. That man is going to hulk out eventually, no amount of talking is gonna fix that, you'll see soon enough." He sat down again in the chair and scowled at us as we left.
Impala
Dean's POV
I didn't feel very comfortable leaving Travis alone at the motel, but at the same time, there was no way I was letting him near Beth again after that. I drove the car toward the Montgomery residence, thinking about what had to come next, bringing the job to mind, trying not to let my emotions get the better of me.
"What the Hell was that all about?" Sam asked, looking from me to Beth, who was sitting in the back seat.
"What?" I asked, deliberately being evasive.
"Dude you just held a gun to Travis' head!" Sam said. "What's going on? Beth you've been on edge since we got here, did he try something?" He turned to look at Beth who shrugged and looked out the window.
"Not exactly," I answered for her. "Look, it's a long story, and we got other things we have to focus on," I said.
Sam was looking at us confused, shaking his head. "Does this have something to do with when we were in Houston?" He asked, observant as always. I turned to him, looking into his eyes and he sucked in a breath at whatever he saw there and turned to Beth.
"I'll kill him!" Sam said. "You were sixteen! Dean… what the hell man? How is he still even alive?!"
"It's a little late to play the protective brother now, don't you think Sammy?" Beth asked, looking over at him. Sam flinched and turned back to her.
"Beth…"
"No, just drop it Sam. I'll take care of this myself, and if I can't, Dean will," she said, looking in the mirror at me. I smiled at her and nodded.
"Yeah, so let's get focused… we're gonna go have a little chat with this guy, which, you know… I'm down," I said to him, sounding a little more cooperative than I felt. I'd really just gone along with this to piss off Travis.
Sam had fallen silent, staring out the windshield with a serious look on his face.
"But I just want to make sure, if push comes, you're gonna shove," I said, looking at Sam. I'd already had this discussion with Beth, she was on board, now I just needed to know he had my back.
"Meaning?" Sam asked.
"Well, odds are we're gonna have to burn this guy alive," I said uncomfortably, hating the words even as I said them.
"This guy has a name, and a wife," Sam pointed out.
"Yeah, who we're probably gonna make a widow, okay? I mean, you heard Travis. He's gonna turn. They always turn."
"Well, maybe he won't," Sam insisted. "Maybe he can fight it off."
"And maybe he can't," Beth said from the back. "That's all he's saying."
"All right, we'll just have to see then, okay?" Sam said stubbornly.
"This is what I mean, Sam. You sure your emotions aren't getting in the way here?" I asked, pointing out the pouty look. Sam looked at me confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"You know, nice dude, but he's got something evil inside. Something in his blood. Maybe you can relate," I pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him. Sam didn't respond, instead turning to look out the window.
"Stop the car," he said suddenly.
"What?"
"Stop the car or I will!" Sam said, glaring at me. I gauged his reaction and decided that he meant it, he wanted to get out. Beth was frowning as I pulled to the side of the road. Before I'd even come to a complete stop Sam was getting out.
"Great…" I muttered as he slammed his door, Beth and I climbed out on the other side of the car, watching as Sam rounded the front, looking at me angrily.
"You want to know why I've been lying to you guys? Because of crap like this!" He snapped.
"Like what?" I asked.
"The way you talk to me, the way you look at me, like I'm a freak!" Sam said, walking past me and then Beth before turning back around.
"I do not," I said.
"You know, or even worse, like I'm an idiot!" Sam snapped, walking up to me and getting in my face. "Like I don't know the difference between right and wrong!"
He stepped back, turning his back to me only to find himself face to face with Beth who was looking pretty unimpressed at his temper tantrum. He put his hands on his hips, watching her.
"What?"
Beth looked at the ground and when she looked up at her I could see the anger in her eyes.
"Do you know the difference Sam? I mean, you've been kind of strolling a dark road lately," she said.
"You have no idea what I'm going through," Sam said levelly. "None."
"Then why don't you enlighten us?!" I said to him and he spun around.
"I've got demon blood in me Dean! This disease pumping through my veins, and I can't ever rip it out or scrub it clean! I'm a whole new level of freak! And I'm just trying to take this – this curse… and make something good of it. Because I have to," he said.
I sighed, he was right, we didn't know what he was going through, but I did know a little something about taking a bad situation and just trying to make something good of it. I also knew how eventually you gave into the dark side, sometimes it took weeks, sometimes years, sometimes it took decades… but everyone broke in the end, and I had to admit to myself that deep down, I was secretly just waiting for that day when Sam was no longer Sam, praying that we could delay it for as long as possible.
I sighed, and then took a deep breath.
"Let's just go talk to the guy," I said finally, and Sam scoffed at me. "I mean Jack. Okay?" I corrected myself, looking over at Beth who nodded at me.
After a while Sam gave me a small, almost non-existent nod, but he refused to look at me, so I knew he was going to be stewing on this for a while.
Montgomery Residence
Beth's POV
Jack was standing in his garden with a hose in his hand, watering plants, when we arrived. He was staring into space, not moving as we walked in through the gate to the yard.
"Jack Montgomery?" Sam asked. Jack didn't respond right away, continuing to stare at the fountain he was standing in front of. Slowly, he turned to look at us, a questioning look on his face.
"I'm Sam Winchester. This is my brother Dean and sister Beth," Sam said with his big puppy dog eyes. "We need to talk."
Jack looked at Sam, and then over at Dean and I .
"About?" He asked.
"About you. About how you're changing," I said, looking at him pointedly.
"Excuse me?" Jack asked, looking confused.
"You're probably feeling your bones move under your skin. And your appetite's reaching, you know, hungry hungry hippo levels. How am I doing so far?" Dean asked, looking at Jack.
"Who the hell are you guys?"
"We're people who know a little something about something," Dean answered, tucking his hands into his jeans and watching Jack carefully.
"We're people who can help," Sam added. "Please, just hear us out."
Ten minutes later Jack was pacing the garden, shaking his head.
"A – a what?" He asked when we told him what he was.
"A rugaru," Dean answered. "Sounds made up, I know, but believe me, it's not."
"All right," Jack conceded. "I've noticed certain things. I mean some strange things. But I just, I – I don't know. I'm sick or something."
"Your father was one of these things," Sam said and Jack turned around to face him.
"Your real father," I said. "He passed it on to you."
"No," Jack said, shaking his head. "Are – are you guys listening to yourselves? You sound like you're..."
"Let's skip the whole 'you guys sound crazy', shall we?" Dean said. "You're hungry, Jack. You're only gonna get hungrier."
"Hungrier for?"
"Long pig," Dean said, using his newfound word of the day. "You know, a little manburger helper, may have crossed your mind already," he answered.
"No..." Jack said, shaking his head.
"It doesn't have to be like this Jack. You can fight it off," Sam said, stepping up to him.
"No."
"Others have," Sam pressed.
"We're not gonna lie to you, though," Dean said. "It's not gonna be easy. You're gonna feel like an alcoholic swimming around in whiskey. But I'm telling you. You gotta say no... or..."
"Or what?" Jack asked.
"You feed once, and it's all over. And then we'll have to stop you," Sam answered.
"Stop me?" Jack said, looking shocked. "My dad... did uh... somebody stop him?"
"Yes," I said, looking at him plainly. The truth was the only thing that was going to save him now.
"Get off my property right now. I see you guys again, I'm calling the cops," Jack said, looking from Dean to Sam.
"Jack, your wife, everybody you know, they're in danger," I said urgently, trying to get him to see sense.
"Now!" Jack shouted, and I saw a neighbour look up at the raised voice. Dean took my arm, guiding us back to the gate, Sam sighed, shaking his head.
"Good talk," Dean said, and I shook my head.
Apartment Building
Beth's POV
Travis was nowhere to be found when we got back to the motel room; it was a relief because I really hadn't wanted to see him again. I was feeling sick to my stomach every time I looked at him, and when he touched me... it just made my skin crawl.
We'd decided to trail Jack, and make sure that he wasn't going to do anything stupid. He had followed a girl home to her apartment, and then just sat down outside on a bench, listening to his phone. He looked up at a window and then he stood up, moving toward the fire escape.
"Dammit, Jack. No," Sam said, reaching in the back seat where I handed him one of the flame throwers, at the same handing one to Dean too. We ran for the apartment, racing up the two flights of stairs to where we'd seen him at a window. Dean and Sam both kicked at the door, smashing it and splintering the lock and the woman screamed at them as they barrelled into the apartment. She backed into the bedroom she'd been walking out of.
"Wait!" Dean called out to her, but she slammed her door shut.
"Whoa... uh, we're here to save you, I guess," Dean said, shrugging at the empty apartment and looking back at me.
"I'm calling the police!" The woman shouted through the door and I frowned. Jack was nowhere to be seen.
"We should go," I said and Sam nodded.
"Yeah," Dean agreed, moving for the door. He turned and closed it behind us, giving a little embarrassed laugh; I shook my head, the door was practically hanging off its hinges, the lock completely broken.
"What now?" I asked Dean when we reached the ground floor.
"I say we check on his wife, make sure she's okay," Dean answered, moving toward the Impala.
"Dean he didn't do anything!" Sam insisted.
"Not yet!" Dean said, shaking his head and getting behind the wheel of the car.
By the time we reached the Montgomery house it was getting really late at night. I nodded at the car on the other side of the street, recognising it.
"I guess now we know where Travis is," I said as the boys got their flame throwers in hand and exited the car.
"That stupid son of a bitch," Sam said, leading the way over to the house.
Dean took over as we reached the porch, opening the door – it was unlocked. He moved in, followed by Sam and then myself. There were signs of a struggle, a chair fallen to the ground and I started to feel sick to my stomach. We moved into the livingroom one by one, coming to a big patch of blood on the floor which had drag marks leading around the back of the couch.
Sam walked over to the couch with a sigh; Dean looked at me and shook his head, his eyes clearly telling me to be careful. He then walked over to join Sam, and I followed. There were a few pieces of meat on the carpet behind the couch.
"Oh, God. Think that's Travis?" I asked, shuddering.
Sam sighed. "What's left of him."
Dean looked at Sam and then me, before frowning down at the remains. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," he said with a shrug, looking up at me again. He definitely wasn't cut up about this turn of events.
"Guess you were right about Jack," Sam said, and before Dean could respond he was tackled from behind, Jack slamming him into the ground.
"Dean!" I yelled as they hit a coffee table, and I watched in horror as Dean was knocked out. Sam moved quickly around them, holding up his flame thrower and putting his lighter to the front to light it. Jack turned, jumping Sam before he could get a flame as I scrambled across the floor for the flamethrower Dean had dropped, kicking myself for not having had one each.
Jack and Sam wrestled to the floor but clearly the creature was stronger. He got a hold of the flame thrower and smashed Sam in the back of his head, knocking him out.
"No!" I yelled, and reached the flame thrower on the floor, spinning to use it on the man, but he was fast, much faster than me. I found myself suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled over to the fallen chair we'd seen on the way in. I fought Jack, kicking at him and punching, but he was too strong. He forced my arms around the back of the chair, tying me with a phone cord, tight and painfully.
"Jack, don't do this... you don't want to do this," I said, watching in horror. He stopped, looking back at me with a hideous face. He'd begun the transformation, there was no going back.
Dean's POV
I came to in the closet, looking frantically around for Beth but only seeing Sam. I grabbed him, shaking him and when he didn't wake up I slapped him, hard. Sam startled awake. I moved to the door, trying to open it, but he'd locked it.
"Beth?" I called out, feeling my heart starting to race in my chest.
"Dean!" I heard her call out and then there was the sound of someone moving and she sounded scared. "No... no don't..." she fell silent.
"Beth can't come to the phone right now," I heard Jack say on the other side of the door and I cursed, slamming my hand against the door.
"Jack! If you hurt her, I swear to God!" I threatened, looking over at Sam.
"Calm down!" Jack yelled. "Your sister's alive," he said a little quieter. "But not if you... don't... calm down."
I stilled myself, nodding and swallowing back my fears. I had to be calm, we had to get out of here and to Beth, and then we could deal with Jack.
"All right. Jack. Listen. Open the door. We can figure this out, okay?" I said, and Jack laughed.
"We'll have ourselves a little...brainstorming session," Jack said.
"Please," I said.
"I don't think so," Jack answered and I groaned in frustration. "After what you did?"
I looked at Sam who shrugged at me.
"What?" Sam asked. "What are you talking about?"
"You send your friend here. He tried to burn my wife alive," Jack said.
"What?" I asked, frowning. "Why?"
Sam started going through his pockets and I realised he was looking for a lock pick. I felt in my own pockets, but I had nothing.
"He didn't say," Jack answered. Sam reached out and took down a metal hanger from the clothes rack. I nodded, moving out of his way so he could get to work.
"I guess psychopaths don't have to explain themselves," Jack said.
"Listen to me," I said to Jack, trying to stall while Sam worked at the lock. "You gotta believe me. My brother and I... we never would have hurt her, okay?"
Beth's POV
Jack wasn't buying what Dean was saying, I could see it in the way he was looking around the room. He was crouching down, head moving erratically from side to side as if he was hearing things outside our normal range of hearing. Then he turned his bloody face to me and I gasped through the gag he had shoved in my mouth.
He looked at me, reaching out a finger and running it down my face, then licking the blood he found there off his finger. "Oh, God, I'm so hungry," he said, rocking back and forth.
I could hear Dean and Sam doing something at the door and I watched it, willing myself not to look into Jack's eyes.
"Jack, don't do this," Dean's voice sounded from the other side. "She's not my sister, all right? She's my wife... please, don't hurt her. You gotta believe me; we would never have hurt your wife."
I nodded, tears in my eyes. Jack stepped away from me, moving back to the closet door.
"I can't ever see my family again," he said. "You guys... your friend. You made me into this!"
Dean's POV
Sam was having trouble with the lock so I took over, leaning down to look at the handle as I worked the coat hanger in the lock.
"No one's making you kill us," Sam said to Jack. "Listen to me...You got this dark pit inside you. I know," Sam said, the pain in his voice evident. "Believe me, I know. But that doesn't mean you have to fall into it. You don't have to be a monster."
Jack laughed at that statement. "Have you seen me lately?" He asked.
"It doesn't matter what you are," Sam said while I cursed quietly at the lock. "It only matters what you do. It's your choice."
Jack fell silent on the other side of the closet and I started to panic, thinking of what he might be doing over there. I twisted at the coat hanger once more, hearing some groaning coming from the creature.
Suddenly the lock clicked and I got the door open. Sam rushed past me and I looked up to see Jack hovering over Beth who was tied to a chair and gagged.
"Jack!" Sam yelled, holding up the flame thrower. Jack whipped around and looked at us, and then it was almost as if he decided something and he launched himself at Sam. Sam flipped the lighter and the flame thrower went off, setting Jack alight. I ran toward Beth, pulling the chair away from the burning man and untying her, pulling her into my arms.
She sighing with relief, grabbing me and holding me tight as we watched Jack scream, finally falling to the floor in flames. As I looked over at Sam I saw a look of defeat cross his face, he was sad that we had failed the man; he had turned, just as Travis had said he would. There was no fairytale ending for this one.
12 years ago
Houston, Texas
Beth's POV
I'd gotten sick of waiting for school to let out, but I was too scared to go anywhere else. For all I knew, Travis might come after me, I didn't know what he'd do. So I sat on the steps to the school, waiting for Sam. Suddenly a young man in a brown leather jacket caught my eye and I stood up, smiling, and then ran down the steps toward him.
"Dean!" I called out and he spotted me, smiling as I reached him and threw my arms around his waist.
"Well hey," he said, chuckling and hugging me back.
"I've missed you," I said, holding on to him tight, terrified to let him go.
"Yeah sugarpie, I've missed you too," he said with a smile, stepping back to get a look at me. "Everything okay?" He asked when I reluctantly let go.
I sighed, wanting to tell him, fighting back tears. "Yeah," I said instead. "Yeah... I just don't like being at school on my own."
Dean nodded and wrapped his arm around me.
"Well, how about we go get a milkshake or something. Sammy can get home on his own." I nodded enthusiastically and he chuckled, leading us down the street.
"So, tell me about your day," he said, and I sucked in a breath. Could I tell him? Should I? How could I? I looked down and then up at him.
"Uh, long... I'm glad to be going home." I answered. He nodded and smiled. "What did you get up to?" I asked, just wanting to keep him talking a little longer.
By the time night had fallen I was a jittery mess. Travis was pretending like nothing had happened and while John had sensed something going on with me, he hadn't asked because Travis had kept him pre-occupied on the job.
I looked at the bed I was going to be sharing with Sam. The same one where I'd come so close to … I shook my head, wrapping my arms around myself and standing near it. Travis looked up at me and smirked, I felt my stomach crawl, what was I going to do? I went into the bathroom where Dean was brushing his teeth, closing the door behind me.
Dean frowned when I shut the door, spitting out his toothpaste and leaning down to take a drink out of the tap, rinsing his mouth out. "You okay?" He asked. I shook my head.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing... I just... how well do you guys know Travis?" I asked quietly. Dean frowned and shrugged.
"Forever," He said, "Since we were kids, why?"
"Nothing," I said, dropping the subject. They wouldn't believe me. Maybe Dean would, but John? Travis was one of his oldest friends.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" I asked instead, looking at Dean. He turned to gaze curiously at me, reaching out a hand to brush along my cheek.
"Yeah, sure, if you want. Are you sure everything's okay?" I nodded, touching his hand.
"It will be," I said with a smile. Dean smiled and walked out into the motel room.
"You're on the couch tonight Sammy, I've slept there for weeks straight, my back needs a rest," Dean said, tossing Sam's things on to the couch, not waiting for a response before he climbed into bed. I quickly brushed my teeth and then exited the bathroom too, moving to climb in to bed with Dean.
Sam shrugged and turned off the majority of the lights. "Get some sleep kids, big day tomorrow," John instructed, and I felt a shudder pass through me as Travis looked over at me. I curled in under Dean's arm for a moment and stared back at him, almost daring him to do something now I had protection.
Dean shifted on to his side, rolling to face me as I stared at him with his eyes closed. I smiled and relaxed into the pillow. Everything would be all right now; Dean wouldn't let anything happen to me.
Impala
Beth's POV
We were all silent as Dean rocketed the car down the highway, keen to get us away from the house. I watched him looking at Sam who was staring out the window dejectedly.
"You did the right thing, you know," Dean said finally, looking over at Sam again. "That guy was a monster, there was no going back."
Sam didn't say anything, just looked down at his hands.
"Sam, about earlier… I know I've been kind of hard on you lately," Dean said and I looked up sharply, catching Dean's eyes in the mirror and looking puzzled. Hadn't we decided we had to go hard on Sam to keep him on the straight and narrow? I looked back at Sam who had lifted his head, staring out the window again. He looked broken and I sighed, I was supposed to be looking after this man, my brother, not pulling him down.
"Don't worry about it Dean," Sam said quietly.
"It's just that your, uh, your psychic thing, it scares the crap out of me," Dean continued.
"Look, if it's all the same... I'd really rather not talk about it," Sam said, looking over at Dean, who tossed him a little smile.
"Wait a minute. What? You don't want to talk? You?" Dean said with a chuckle, clearly trying to lighten the mood. Sam didn't respond, letting out a breath and looking out the window again.
"There's nothing more to say. I can't keep explaining myself to you. I can't make you understand," he replied.
"Why don't you try?" I asked, and he glanced back at me. There was genuine remorse in the way he looked at me and I felt a little guilty at how hard I'd been on him a few days ago, but I couldn't forget the things he'd said to me. It was all right for Dean, I didn't expect him to stay mad at Sam for too long, even after all we'd been through, because at the end of the day he'd been looking after Sam since he was four, that was a hard habit to break.
"I can't," Sam said, shaking his head. "Because this thing, this blood, it's not in you guys the way it's in me. It's just something I got to deal with."
"Not alone," Dean insisted.
Sam sighed and looked out the window again, falling silent for a while.
"I'm always alone... Dean..." Sam said and Dean looked at him a little shocked. "You guys, you've always had each other, ever since we were teens, and that's great, I'm happy for you, I really am. But I've always been different, always the third wheel, the little brother who needs looking after... even before you guys were together it was still the two of you, always hanging together, always..." He stopped, looking down at his hands.
"I'm sorry I said what I did, I know it hasn't been easy on either of you with Dad, having to look after me."
"Sam..." Dean said with a sigh.
"No, it doesn't matter Dean. You guys are right, these powers... it's playing with fire. I'm done with them."
We both looked at him for a moment, contemplating this statement.
"Well, that's a relief," Dean said, a little easier to convince. "Thank you."
Sam scoffed a little at him. "Don't thank me. I'm not doing it for you. Or for the angels or for anybody else. This is my choice." Sam said adamantly.
I caught Dean looking at me again in the mirror and he tossed me a smile when Sam wasn't looking, hope in his eyes. I smiled back at him, trying to let his optimism sink in, it was Sam after all. I wanted to believe him, I really did, but I'd heard it all before. He was going to have to do a lot more than talk if he was going to convince me.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Song for this chapter is: Lost Cause by Imagine Dragons
Out of curiosity, I have a small sidestory to tell between Beth and Cas, do you prefer to have these stories woven into the episodes (like this one) or stand alone? It's not likely to be long enough to be a big chapter like this on its own, but I could post it as a short chapter….just wondering what people's preferences are. I could probably get a few little updates out faster if I did them in short pieces in addition to the long ones.
As always, thank you to EarthhAngel for her beta reading and encouragement :) And thank you all for your reviews. I was away all weekend so haven't had much of a chance to reply, will attempt to get some replies in over the next few days.
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Also, Wendigo from Highway to Hell has been updated a little in my (slow) re-editing of the previous chapters. It has a new little side story in there which wasn't there before.
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