The faint creak of footsteps jolted Lee awake. The cot she was sleeping on groaned as she sat up to check on Betty. She continued to sleep soundly on the other side of her room nestled deep into her Barbie blankets.
She held tight the tiger Lee had given her for her birthday and Lee smiled fondly at the memories. Hearing more noises downstairs, Lee reached for a bat that her aunt kept in every room.
Lee peered out into the dark hallway. The doors to both her aunt's room and the guest room were shut and gave no sign of movement. Her heart pounded in her ears as she eased down the stairs. Gripping her bat tight, holding it high above her head, Lee spun around the corner into the kitchen.
"Ha!" She cried, battle ready, but deflated at the sight of the empty room. Lee continued to make her rounds to each room and found each as empty as the first.
Lee went back into the front room and did a last once over when a shadow caught her eye through the window. Dean was sitting on the porch taking long sips from a bottle. She paused to observe him while he took another lazy sip and decided to join him.
"Nightmares?" Dean sputtered and turned around to face Lee.
"Jesus Lee," His hissed with wide eyes, "Wear a bell next time or something! What's with the bat?" Dean added, noticing her hands.
"I heard noises," Lee explained and took a seat next to Dean. "I thought there was an intruder, but I guess it was just you."
Dean nodded and took another sip of beer. Lee shivered slightly from the night air as silence fell between them. The crescent moon cast gloomy darkness, but the outlines of the houses were still visible.
"You didn't answer my question." Lee said.
"What the nightmares?" Dean questioned. He shook his head and breathed a laugh, "I don't get nightmares."
Lee tilted her head to the side, "Everyone gets nightmares. Especially if they have to deal with the stuff you and Sam do."
"Well I don't," Dean answered with defiance.
"Sweet pea, I know about your trip downstairs," She saw Dean stiffen out the corner of her eye, "That angel Uriel mentioned something and then I sorta – I sorta saw…it."
Lee winced at the tense silence, waiting for him to respond. "What like a vision or something?" he said without looking at her.
"No, I don't think so."
"Think it has something to do with your 'angel belssing'?" Dean asked, changing the subject away from himself, "Uriel was pretty pissed about how you resisted his powers."
"Honestly, it's been scaring me," Lee studied her hands, "I mean, a couple days ago and I would have thought it was wonderful, but after meeting actual angels… I'm not so sure."
"Yeah they're dicks a lot of the times," Dean gulped down a drink, "But Cas is decent. Mostly. But I wouldn't be scared if I were you."
Lee gave him a curious look, "Why? I don't even know what this means! How far does my blessing actually go?"
"Lee, I doubt angels would be giving you a power that could be used for evil," Dean said, staring her right in the eye. She could barely see the whites of his eyes in the dim lighting but shivered as they penetrated her soul, "Whichever angel blessed you did so because they thought you were worthy and could shoulder this power."
"Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit," Lee smiled and bumped shoulders teasingly, "That's one of the nicest things you've said to me Dean Winchester."
"Keep it down will you!" He joked and looked around, "Nobody needs to know I paid you a compliment."
"You're secret's safe with me sweet pea." She chuckled.
"I mean it though. Your abilities could be useful. Usually I don't bring people into this kind of life, but given your family history, you could be a good hunter if you wanted," Dean said with a shrug before adding, "Not that I'd really recommend this life."
"Never." Dean turned to Lee, surprised by the acidity of her tone. "Some people experience the darkness out there and feel a need to end it as some sort of payback." She continued in a softer voice, "Me? I've seen enough of it to make me want to never even know it's out there. I have no need to seek out what goes bump in the night."
Dean didn't know how to respond. He knew where he fell in her categories. Putting everything behind him and ignoring what was out there seemed impossible, especially now with the looming apocalypse. Already knowing what was out there, he might as well gank some evil too.
"I saw my mama die." Lee whispered. "I know your mama died too, but I saw everything that happened. I used to live across the street. It happened right there near the top window." She pointed to the old brick house directly across from where they sat.
"I'm sorry…" Dean whispered back.
"I was six when a ghost began to haunt us. He was a chief that died during the colonization of our land and cursed anyone who fraternized with the enemy. He reached inside her and he h-he crushed her heart–" Lee covered her face with her hands trying to stop the tears. Her throat made a strangled choke as she held her breath.
Dean rubbed his face and breathed in sharply. Not knowing what else to do, he lifted his hand onto her shaking shoulders. His comfort made Lee burst with fresh tears and her silent sobs made Dean cringe internally.
"I'm sorry about that," She hiccuped and wiped her eyes haphazardly, "I don't talk about it much. My daddy hated talking about it because he felt it was his fault, being white and all. But at least he came in time to save me."
Lee turned to Dean's stony expression with foggy eyes. "Thanks for listening sweet pea."
He clenched his jaw deep in thought. Dean broke her gaze and glued his eyes to the ground, "I was having a… nightmare." He said in a hoarse whisper.
Lee's brows furrowed but dared not to utter a word. Admitting something like a nightmare was hard for him to do, but there he was, right there with Lee, exposing his fears.
"I know you heard Cas talking to me at the hospital." He said without looking at her, "What did you hear?"
"I… you broke the first seal. And now you're the one that needs to end the apocalypse." Lee whispered, "And that you think you're not strong enough."
Lee turned to face him and saw Dean nodding slowly. "Dean it's okay to not feel like you can do this! This is a big responsibility. It would cause doubts in anyone!"
"You don't understand."
"Then make me understand!" Lee shot back, "Just, let it out Dean."
Dean let out a sarcastic chuckled, "I went to hell, Lee. You don't just come out of there like nothing happened. I feel like a part of me is still trapped in there. I–I feel like there's a piece in me that's not supposed to be there…"
He wiped his hand across his face and chugged the last bit of booze from the bottle, "I should've been left behind. God wants me to save the world? God's out there watching me? Out of everyone down there, he saves me?" He chucked the bottle across the lawn. A clang echoed down the desolate street as it hit the mailbox. "I don't deserve salvation."
Lee stared at him with wide eyes, "Is that what you really think?"
"No Lee, I'm joking. April Fools!" He said while waving his hands in the air. "I'm responsible for all of this! The apocalypse, the seals being broken…All of it!"
"Sweet pea–"
"Don't Lee," He begged, "Don't 'sweet pea' me. Don't, don't tell me I'm wrong. Don't lie to me." Lee cringed at the sound of his voice faltering. He angrily wiped his eyes and studied his hands.
Lee sat there in the cold silence racking her brain for the right things to say, "Dean, you remember when you asked me if I actually believed my tribes stories yesterday?" Dean remained silent as she continued, "Well I do. I also believe in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hindu, Buddhism… Even the Greek Gods."
Dean shot her a curious look, "Seriously?"
"Every religion has some similarity that it'd be silly not to think that they all could be right. All religion stemmed from somethin' and I think it's from the same thing. I think of my culture's beliefs as a simple form of religion. Humans and nature as one. Our Abababinili created us, a world for us to live in. He protects and watches over us, but he gives us a choice." Lee fixed Dean with a gentle gaze before continuing, "Sweet pea, I know you think that what you've done makes you unworthy. I'm here to tell you that you are worthy."
Dean let out an ungraceful snort at her comment.
"I'm serious, Dean!" She glared, "You feel horrible about what you did. You feel guilty. You feel like you're this evil and empty person because hell broke you–"
"Stop…" He pleaded.
"No!" Lee pounded her fist on the porch, "You take on all this blame and responsibility… God sees this. He sees how hard you try to make up for what you did." Her voiced continued to raise in volume, "You would lay down your life for a stranger, and you're gonna sit there and say that you aren't worthy?"
Lee was breathing heavily, waiting for his response, but all he did was keep his head down, "What do you want me to say Lee?"
"God doesn't care about what you did, what was done in the past." She said in a lowered voice, "He cares about what you are doing because of what you've done. All he wants is for his children to acknowledge their sins and to grow from them. You know what it's like to stray from the path and turn on everything that you thought was right, but you're making up for it! You're changing because of it. That's all that God wants. He knows that you, more than anyone, know how precious life is. What better follower to have than one who's strayed from the path and fought to make his way back on?" Lee looked at the side of his face before continuing, "He knows you are worthy, Dean. You are a good person."
Lee continued to study Dean for what seemed like an eternity. His tight lipped silence forced her to tear away and sat back awkwardly. Dean stood up abruptly and held a hand out for Lee, "We should head back to bed." Lee felt herself being pulled up form the old wooden steps and saw his hardened gaze become gentle when he ushered her inside.
The screen door shut with a whack behind them. Lee's nose crashed into the back of Dean's neck as he stopped without warning. "What in the Sam Hill!" She rubbed her bruising nose. "What–" She was cut of by a sharp shush as Dean looked around.
"Did you ju–"
"Shh," He shushed again, "I thought I saw something…"
"Maybe it was my aunt Tala. Or Sam?" Lee offered while watching Dean look around.
"No, it was taller than Tala. And it looked pale. Almost…ghostly."
Lee's hands tremble into tight fists and the cloud of peace from the heart-to-heart moment they had just shared evaporated. Reaching up, she grabbed a fistful of his collar and pulled him to face her. "You think this is funny!" Lee spat and watched Dean blink when her spit sprayed his face, "I practically pour my heart out about my mama not two seconds ago and you turn around a pull this shit! Did you even see anything or are you just pullin' my strings just for the fucking heck of it!" Lee's voice rose with every word into a sharp, shrilling whisper so the whole house wouldn't wake up.
"You really think I'm that much of an ass Lee?" Dean shoved her hand off roughly, "I am the last person who'd mess around with stuff like that. Come on!" He finished with an angry wave of his fists.
Both stood toe to toe, Dean only inches taller, casting venomous glares. Dean sucked in his lower lip and shook his head trying to search for words to say. Her jaw remained clenched–Lee refused to move an inch of muscle. "Well then how come I haven't seen anything yet!" Lee seethed.
As if to answer her, an upstairs door slammed shut followed by a high-pitched scream echoing throughout the house. Both their heads snapped in the direction of the scream.
"Betty!" Lee cried as she toppled forward trying to sprint up the stairs. Dean followed close behind and the shrieking continued to pierce the night. The door to Betty's room was shut tight, "I don't understand, this door doesn't lock!" Lee howled and jiggled the door handle.
"What's going on!" Tala shot past Dean to pound the door next to Lee, "Betty, Betty open this door!" She ordered desperately.
"It's coming closer!" Betty's voice mumbled from behind the door.
"Dean!" Sam came out from the guest room and tossed him a gun with salt round. Both of them aimed at the door. "Move! We need a clear shot!" He ordered.
"You are not shooting at a door blindly you shithead!" Lee hissed with wild eyes and Tala continued to scream at the door.
"It's either that or Betty gets hurt!" Dean yelled back. "Do you want to save her or not!" With a furious glare, Lee turned and rammed her shoulder into the door. She cried in pain as the frame splintered enough for them to barrel into the room.
A tall white figure floated closer to Betty as she cowered in a corner. Lee ran in before Sam or Dean could shoot the ghost, swooping in to cover Betty with her body. Her hand was outstretched as if to keep the ghost at bay and pressed Betty deeper into her side. Everything slowed down like they were underwater. The sight of the ghost slowly inching its way closer made Lee feel like she was six years old on that horrible night. No matter how hard she tried, Lee could not look away, like it was a horrible car crash.
"You get away!" Lee's voice rang loudly off the walls, "You will not hurt my family again!" The ghost crept closer, reaching out his hand. A shot fired and it evaporated nearly a hair length away from touching Lee's hand.
The whole room froze for minutes to process what had just happened. Lee dropped her hand and looked down at Betty as she continued to sob, "It's alright sweet pea, it's not gonna hurt you no more." Lee soothed her tears and gently cupped her cousin's face.
Betty's cries subsided and she reached out for Tala as she rushed to their side. Sam stood looking confused at the scorch marks from under where the ghost floated. "I guess we're staying longer." He stated to Dean.
Dean nodded without taking his eyes of from the huddled family. Lee looked up from Betty and locked eyes with Dean. She held his gaze for a few moments and he saw all the pain welling up inside her. Her lip quivered before she tore herself away.
"We need to end this for good." Dean said. He marched out the room and left Sam. "I'm going to check the other rooms."
"Okay…" Sam trailed off and was left standing alone in the leftover chaos. He fidgeted on his feet, watching Dean's back as he walked away with his shoulders tightly hunched by his ears. All he could do was watch from the sidelines as Lee and her family held tightly onto each other.
Author's Note: The school year just ended for me so I'll be able to update more frequently! Thanks to everyone who leaves a comment, they are greatly appreciated!