Anything But Normal

Part 23

Dean was in Maryland with Liz. They sat out in the woods with an EMF detector, checking out reports of something like a beast chasing out trespassing teenagers. No one had died. No one was injured.

Liz knew that this was a crappy Bigfoot sighting. Just kids screwing around. She took the job because Dean needed something to do. He was bouncing off the walls. Sam was in New York and not talking to Dean. He had to hunt something, even if it turned out to be a bust, to stop him from driving himself crazy.

"Dean, he'll come around when he's ready." Liz assured him.

"No, he won't. I know him. Remember when I took you to burn your first body, and we talked about how the white-picket fences freak us out?" Liz nodded. "Sam isn't like us. He still wants that cookie-cutter life. I couldn't even drag him out of Stanford." Dean fretted.

"This isn't Stanford. He might still want that life, but he still likes his life with you. He knows that white picket fences are not an option with a demonic war going on and his name on America's Most Wanted." Liz reasoned.

Dean ignored her as he dialed Sam again. "Sammy, it's been three weeks. Just at least call me...or Bobby or Liz or somebody. You can't cut off the whole world here."

In New York, Sam checked the caller ID and clicked ignore.

"You should call him back." Sarach said.

"What we should do is go back to sleep. It's past midnight." Sam said as he checked the alarm clock.

"He's your brother." Sarah said, turning the light on.

"It's late, Sarah."

"He was right! I'm glad you came here, and I want you to stay more than anything, but you can't."

"Why not?"

"A cop came to the door today."

Sam sat up. "What happened?"

"He showed me a picture of you, your mugshot, and told me that you were wanted by the FBI."

"What did you say?"

"I lied. Said I'd never heard of you in my life."

Sam hugged her and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, Sarah."

"There are some interesting things on that list of charges."

"You know how we do our jobs." Sam reminded her.

"Murder?"

Sam sighed. He hadn't really thought he'd ever have to explain killing people. "Never intentionally. Demons aim to kill people. Hunters try to protect people...but sometimes there are casualties in war."

"Oh." Sarah said awkwardly.

"I've gotta go, Sarah." Sam said as he got out of bed.

"Now?"

"Yeah, it's better if I leave when it's dark." Sam explained.

"Where are you gonna go?" Sarah asked.

"Wherever Dean is." Sam flipped open his cell phone and dialed the familiar number.

"Sammy?" Dean answered on the first ring.

"Dean, the cops are in Bedford. They're looking for me. Where are you?"

"Maryland. I can be in Jersey in four hours. Wanna meet there?"

"Make it Pennsylvania. The farther, the better."

"Pittsburgh. It's good to hear from you, Sammy."

"Yeah, look I'm sorry. I know that–"

"Dude, stop before you start crying or something. I know." Dean could swear he heard Sam's eyes roll.

"Right, no chick flick moments."

"Exactly. I'll text you the address of the motel in a few hours when I get there."

"Alright. I'll see you in Pittsburgh, Dean." Sam hung up.

Dean smiled at Liz. "The cops are after Sam."

"So naturally happiness is the first reaction."

"No, he's running from them. I'm meeting him in Pittsburgh."

"I told you he'd come around. Let's go back to the motel and pack up." Liz smiled.

Dean headed to Pennsylvania in the Impala while Liz drove back to her apartment near the Roadhouse. She flopped down onto the bed as soon as she got in. She was speeding the whole way back, so she made it there in just under eleven hours. She smiled when she noticed that she could still smell the scent of Dean on one of her pillows. He'd been over here almost every night since Dam left. It was kind of nice having him around more.

Liz's happy thoughts were cut off by the ring of her phone. She groaned and picked it up off the night stand. Who called her on her landline? Everyone that knew her knew to call on her cell.

"Hello?" she asked in an annoyed tone, assuming that it was probably a solicitor trying to get her to buy something.

"Hello, is this...is this Elizabeth Atwood?"

"Who is this?" Liz asked. She was listed as Elizabeth Davis on all bills and documents. She didn't want anyone from her past tracking her down.

"My name is Bethany Davis. Look, if you don't know who she is, just tell me I'm wasting my time." Bethany sighed in frustration.

"Aunt Bethany?" Liz was shocked. She had barely talked to her aunt since she moved to Los Angeles. Bethany thought Liz was being too impulsive. They had spoken on a couple of holidays while Liz was living in L.A. and those short conversations always ended in fights. When Liz left L.A., she lost touch with her only living relative completely.

"Liz? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it is. Is something wrong, Aunt Beth?"

"No, it's just...You need to come to Richmond. It's about your father's will."

Liz sat straight up. "I can be there tomorrow afternoon."

"Good. I'm still at the old place. You remember how to get there?"

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Liz."

Liz hung up the phone and went to bed feeling confused.

The next day, she was three hours away from her hometown when Black Sabbath started playing from her phone. "How's Sam?" Liz asked, knowing it was Dean.

"He's great."Liz could hear the happiness in his voice. "We are at the Roadhouse. Where are you, Lizzie?"

"North Dakota." she sighed.

"What? Why? You told me you don't even take jobs there."

"I don't. Somehow my aunt tracked me down. She wanted to see me about my Dad's will."

"What about it?"

"I don't know. She didn't say."

"You know if you're staying for a few days?"

"God, I hope not. I'll listen to what she has to tell me. Hopefully I can leave after that."

"She's your family. You should talk to her. She's the only relative you have left."

"Yeah, I know. We just have our differences. I gotta go, Dean. My cell is gonna die soon. Talk to you later?"

"Sure, bye." Dean hung up his phone and heard Sam on his own phone. "Yeah, we got back fine. I'll visit when the cops aren't putting my picture up everywhere...yeah, you too...I will...I miss you too...bye, Sarah."

"Look at you two. Both calling your girlfriends because you miss them."

"She isn't my girlfriend." Dean said.

"Oh, no? Sam, what do you call it when your dating one girl exclusively? You're always calling her and checking up on her. And you're sleep at her apartment almost every night. Cause I could've sworn I heard a term for that somewhere."

"I think it's...No...Yeah, that's a girlfriend." Sam teased.

"Liz and I aren't...We just...You know what? It's none of your business what we are. Now shut up and get me a beer."

"Order me around like that and the only thing you'll be getting is a punch in the face." Jo warned him.

"May I please have a beer?"

Jo placed one in front of him. "Where is Liz?"

"North Dakota."

"I thought she didn't go back home."

"She doesn't. She hasn't talked to her family since she lived in California. Her aunt hated Gavin." Sam informed her.

"It's about her Dad's will."

"When did he die?" Jo asked.

"Right before we met her. When was that, '97? '98?" Sam said.

"Spring of 1999. Werewolf." Dean said.

"Seven and a half years later his will is coming up?" Jo asked.

"I guess so." Dean said.

Liz had gone through a pack of cigarettes in the last hour. She'd quit after she left L.A., but she was feeling too nervous.

She'd pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building where she used to live. This was where she'd been taken after her father and brother were killed. This was where she had her first kiss. This was where she was brought home by Dean after being bait for a werewolf. Old memories flooded her brain as she stepped out of the car.

As she walked up to the apartment, she felt incredibly out of place. This wasn't home anymore. Then again, Liz thought, it never really was. Liz never felt comfortable, at least not completely.

Liz knocked on the door and her aunt answered. Liz received an awkward hug from her. "Come in, come in. This is Mr. Robert Charlesworth. He is the one in charge of your father's will."

"We've gone through a lot to find you, young lady." the elderly man shook her hand and smiled.

"How've you been, Liz?" Bethany asked as they sat down in the living room.

"Alright, I guess."

"How's Wisconsin? I see you've left California. Why?"

"Wanted to get away. Didn't have anything to stay for." Liz said uncomfortably.

"So you broke up with Greg? Good. I always knew he was too good for you. I hope you weren't heart broken."

"His name was Gavin, and yeah, it's kinda heart breaking when you watch someone you love die."

"Oh Lord, was it drugs? All the kids in L.A. are on–"

"No! He died in a fire over two years ago. Thanks for your sympathies. How did you even find me?" Liz was ready to run out of the apartment and go straight back to the Roadhouse.

"Well, we hired a private investigator. When we couldn't find you under Atwood, we looked under your mother's maiden name. There is an Elizabeth Davis in Virginia, Florida, Arizona and Wisconsin. You were the last one we checked." Mr. Charlesworth explained.

"Okay, so my dad's will...why wasn't it brought up after he died?"

"Well, his will states that you were not to receive your inheritance until your 24th birthday. We've been looking for you since then. See your father left a good amount of money for you when he passed."

Liz stumbled into the Roadhouse around noon. Jo was sweeping while Dean was going through pieces of what looked like a table. Liz passed them by without noticing the mess that was the Roadhouse and sat down at the bar. Her head fell down onto the bar.

"Lizzie? What happened?" Dean dropped the leg of the table and ran to her side as did Jo.

"I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow? Isn't it like a 12 hour drive?" Jo asked.

Liz slammed the check onto the bar top.

"Oh my God." Jo gasped.

"Holy shit. How many zeros are next to that 12?" Dean's eyes were wide.

"A lot." Liz raised her head. "What happened here?" She finally noticed the wreck.

"Drunken idiots fighting. What do you do with that much money?" Jo asked.

"New apartment. I do not like that woman knowing where I live. And a better alias. Something completely random and generic."

"This will definitely cover a new apartment...and a beach house in Maui, a ski condo in Aspen, and a penthouse in New York too." Dean told her.

"Parker."

"Who?"

"Me. Parker. Elizabeth Parker."

"As in peter Parker? Like Spiderman?" Dean asked.

"Yep."

"You take aliases from comic books?" Jo asked.

"Today I do."

"Your name, your choice." she said.

"I should sleep." Liz said.

"Did you drive all night?" Jo asked.

"Yes."

"You drove up from Virginia night before last." Dean said.

"Haven't slept since Monday."

"C'mon, Lizzie." Dean scooped her up in his arms. "I'll be back in a while, Jo."

A/N: I AM A HORRIBLE PERSON! I know that this should've been updated months ago, and I'm really sorry about that. School, life, and now work can be added to my list of excuses. I'm really sorry. But you will definitely get the next update in two weeks. It's already typed up and ready to go. I'd post it now, but honestly, Lord only knows how long it would take me for another update if I did that. I really want this finished by summer, so I should be updating a lot more...and there is only about ten more chapters left (half of which are in a notebook and are now being edited). So, tell me what you think. Feel free to yell at me. I will be talking to you all again in two weeks! l8r Nikki

PS: I gave Liz the name Parker, not as a Spiderman shout out, but as a Roswell shout out to DarkWolfYingFa. I love that show. I felt like Spiderman just worked better with the story. ;)