A/N: Welcome to the New Year, ya'll! I took the day off and didn't write a single word of any story, on Jan 1st. That was the first time since I started writing way back in... Oh golly September, I was 14, so 2004... That don't sound right but the point was it was a LONG time to finally be taking a day off and it damn near killed me too. I ended up writing penpal letters and taking a mary sue quiz... I need to read the directions and take it again it said I should kill Autumn she's so Mary Sue, not the idea of killing her hasn't occured to me. My alerts still aren't working right, and I figure your's aren't either, because no one has said diddly squat about chapter 7 -tear- Okay I'm rambling so I'm gonna let cha'll go. Sarah
Chapter Eight
"I so can." Marc smirked. Sam shook his head.
"No, you can't hit the ceiling with the fan running." he argued. Autumn sunk deeper into the booth wondering how bad it would of her to move to a different table. Sam, Marc, and Dean were shooting spit balls at each other and their battle had just expanded to include the busboy, and ceiling fans. The waitress gave her a pitying smile as she walked up.
"Gentlemen, I'm going to have to ask you to put away the straws or leave." their waitress was an older woman who had taken over for the busboy after he'd asked Autumn 'what can I do you for?' and she'd told him more that he made in a year.
"Yes, ma'am." Sam lowered his head abashed.
"Can you bring us the bill?" Dean asked dropping his straw in the middle of the table. The woman nodded pulling out her tablet and ripping off their bill.
"Bring it to the front when you're ready." she put a hand on Autumn's shoulder before leaving.
"I think the ole broad likes ya, Autty." Marc grinned wolfishly.
"No, she probably has three boys somewhere that used to do the same thing you guys were just doing. I swear I just can't take you anywhere." she slid out of the booth Dean right behind her looking over credit cards in his wallet.
"Technically, Dean did the taking." Sam pointed out. "He drove and he is paying."
"No, George Clinton is paying." Dean amended.
"Dude, that's not even funny." Marc shook his head dismally. "Abraham Clinton would have been better. The man who can not tell a lie and the one who ruined his rep lying."
"You know what would be better?" Autumn asked leading the group to the cash register.
"What's that Aut?" Dean asked mildly interested.
"Not pulling scams. There are perfectly legal ways to make cash."
"Not that can't be tracked." he countered. Autumn rolled her eyes and dismissed herself to the car. Pre spitball war they decided to put Fred's details to use and check the farm out again. Then they'd swing back and check on the girl. Marc joined her in the backseat of the Impala, when the guys came out. Sam complained that the back was too small for his long legs, or she'd have put his butt back there instead of her own. "How old do you think that farm house is?" Dean asked pulling out.
"Hundred tops, why?" Autumn asked.
"She said every room she ever saw was windowless, cribs that old don't have huge ass basements or attics." Dean started.
"And nearly every other room has a window." Sam finished furrowing his brow dropping into thought.
"What about the barns?" Marc asked. "They like barns, not so much feuding over who gets what room, they just all stay in the loft."
"A horse stall or milk room can easily be converted into a prison cell." Autumn added.
"We'll check the house first then sweep the barns." Dean decided.
Athena and Jimmy stayed in her cabin. It was easier to sleep knowing someone else was in the cabin with her. She couldn't imagine how Autumn had managed while she'd been off hunting with Dean and Sam after the fire, of course her sister did have the dog. Jimmy begged to learn to shoot, but Athena was completely against that. She could just see the boy's dad going off because she'd armed him, it was bad enough she was revealing what lurked in the shadows, he didn't need to accidentally blow himself to Kingdom Come.
Jimmy made the coffee while she took care of the pancakes. He'd found endless amusement in her lack of skills with the tiny machine. Will had joined them, for a farewell breakfast, and was egging the kid on. So far they'd decided she couldn't use a microwave, toaster, ice machine, or easy bake oven and the list was still growing.
"Do you think she'd be okay with the real oven?" Jimmy asked rocking from side to side in his seat.
"Kid, you're going to fall in a minute and I'm not explaining to your folks how you got the knot on that freakishly large head of yours." Athena scolded trying to reign in her temper.
"Did she just say I have a big head?" Jimmy feigned surprise.
"I believe her words were freakishly large, but don't worry rugrat, it means she likes you. She always insults those she likes. Watch." she caught Will's grin from the corner of her eye. He pushed away from the table coming up behind her making a grab for her waist to pull her a way from her cooking.
"William Raining Cloud! I swear to God, if you don't sit down, shut up, and mind your damned manners I'm going to kick your scrawny little Indian ass out the door." she vowed nearly burning her hand on the skillet.
"Feel the love?" Will laughed going back to sit with Jimmy.
"I get it now, so she really likes you? Because that's like the millionth time she's 'insulted' you."
"Once, not so long ago, she like liked me. But I'm the run to fight kind of guy. I don't bring my woman in on my battles."
"Your woman?" Athena asked sliding a plate in front of both her guests.
"Yea, you were my woman." Will nodded stealing the syrup.
"I swear." she rolled her eyes going back to the stove to drain her coffee mug.
Will eventually coaxed her back to the table to eat with them, promising to drop the games. They had a civilized conversation, at least as much as possible when your topic isn't civilized. Athena was shocked at how well he got along with the boy. Will was an absolute fountain of information, spilling kernels of wisdom at the boy's feet. Jimmy gathered up all the tips and hints hungrily, stopping just short of taking notes. After they'd finished eating Jimmy jumped to wash the dishes and Will drug her into the living room for private good-byes.
"You take care of yourself, Angel. I don't want to come back and find you worse off than you already are." he warned her.
"I'll be fine. You watch you're back though. I'm not getting my passport out to bring your sorry dead ass back to the states." she teased, already sensing the awkward hug that was coming.
"And keep a close eye on Jimmy."
"I will." she nodded. Will stepped closer, and she started count down to the hug.
"He reminds me a lot of you, the way he doesn't sit still, and is so easily excited."
"Sounds more like a puppy." Will gave her a weak smile. "You better getting moving, Willy, your party'll be waiting." she reminded him. He leaned in for a quick embrace and she held on a second longer than she'd meant to, every good-bye could be your last in this business. He mistook the gesture for more than friendly worry and kissed her cheek.
"I always wanted a puppy." he grinned when she released him.
"I like him, Will I mean." Jimmy said chewing on a pen cap as they sat in the library.
"I do too." she smiled.
"Then why did you break up?" he queried. Athena batted the option of calling it a long story and moving on around in her head a moment before answering.
"He left me for a hunt, I sort or realized then that he wasn't good for me. He's a good friend, and we'd die for each other. But I'd rather be with someone who doesn't try and protect me from those sort of things than with someone who runs and hides them from me. If he can hide a shadow shroud from me what else can he hide?" Jimmy nodded sagely.
"You're afraid."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Jim, baby, do your homework or no TV tonight." she winced inwardly recognizing the phrase as a threat Mrs. Morton had used on her.
"Don't mind, that screen is so small you need a microscope to see the people anyway." Athena denied herself the pleasure of smacking the boy upside the head instead turning to her books. She'd left him on his own research so she could further pursue her own project, being illustrations for their latest book.
"House clean?" Marc asked though he already knew the answer. Autumn sent him a bored look, she was obviously ready to go back home. He doubted she really had ever been one hundred percent on board with this hunt. She usually didn't seek revenge, it wasn't her style. She claimed it just clouded your sense and that was definitely not a good idea for a hunter.
"Clean." Dean nodded confirming. Marc hadn't decided what he thought of this guy yet. Dean seemed nice enough, and a blind man could see Autumn was wild about him. Most the time that would have been more than enough for him, but Marc couldn't get past the stories of the man's brutal slaughtering on some hunts. The last thing he wanted for Autumn was a brutal guy, she'd already had one of those.
"Let's go check the barn." Sam said already starting down the stairs. Marc had made up his mind about this one the moment he'd laid eyes on him. He liked Sam, he genuinely liked him. He felt connected to him because of what had happened to both their mothers. But there was a constant undercurrent of fear he had for Sam Winchester. A real psychic is hard to find, and licking one is like licking a car battery, but they always had a way of knowing too much about exactly what you didn't want them to know.
Marc followed the trio down the steps and slipped into his stealth mode as they neared the barn. He knew before he got to the door that there weren't any vampires here. Sam could see the future from time to time, this was Marc's talent: he could sense vampires. We'll most supernatural things, but vampires the most. No body understood how he could get lost in the grocery store but find a possessed engine with fewer details than make and model.
They entered weapons drawn and scanned the open room. Nothing out of the ordinary, abandoned broke down farm equipment, a few bats in the rafters, and the remains of some cat's dinner. Nothing remarkable. Nothing strange. Definitely nothing paranormal. Autumn threw him a questioning glance when he lowered his blade and carelessly walked into the heart of the barn.
"There's nothing here." Sam said disheartened. "It's a total miss."
"Come on, let's go talk to Freddie, she should be a little less…" he trailed off not knowing what word would best describe the girl's behavior.
"Loopy." Autumn supplied. Marc caught the exchanged that followed. Dean glared at her a split second for showing him up, she batted her lashes clearly untroubled by what she'd done, then he bobbed his brow causing her to twitch in a silent laugh. Marc shook his head and caught up with the long legged Sam, at least he wasn't sickeningly and shamelessly flirting with anyone.
"No, it wasn't a farm." Fred rolled her eyes and shimmied up into a sitting position. Her arm had been put in a sling and she held it close to her body, an IV fed her pain killers keeping the pain tolerable.
"Then what was it?" Dean asked impatiently. Sam and Autumn hung back, sooner or later he'd realize that his method would just keep leading them in circles.
"It was a place." Fred grinned.
"What kind of place?"
"A place where you keep people you want to eat." Dean growled running his fingers through his hair.
"You aren't helping."
"You aren't being very clear with your questioning Dean-o."
"Fred, describe the place again. What was the room you were in made of, was it wood or concrete? How low was the ceiling? Could you hear sounds outside, like birds or cars?" Autumn stepped forward and leaned toward Dean, not enough that they touched just enough so he knew his turn was over, she'd disabled him.
"Ceiling was normal seven feet maybe, room was like a storage room after the shelves and shit had been removed." she pinched her eyes shut a moment summoning the memory. Her meds made her mind fuzzy and she had to struggle to get anything clear out. "We were close to a road. Not a main road, maybe residential if you live on the out skirts." When she opened her eyes the auburn haired woman was nodding trying to coax more information out of her. Fred wished the woman and her boyfriend would back down and let Sam talk, she liked Sam. He looked like a big ole puppy dog, and she just wanted to hug him, but she knew he had a vicious side too that could rip her to shreds. Fred smirked inwardly, that's probably why she liked him.
"What did it smell like?" Autumn asked.
"What did it smell like? What am I a blood hound?" she hadn't expected this question.
"Yea, did it smell like an old abandoned place, or a storage room for food, or a animal shelter? Was it musty, moldy? Did it smell wet?" that was the puppy himself.
"It hadn't been empty long, you could still smell hay out in the big room. Where they kept us…" she trailed a minute forcing down the emotions that came with remembering her parents and baby brother locked up with her. There were others too, mostly teenagers scared out of their minds. "Where they kept us was definitely like a pantry." Sam looked perplexed, while Dean and the funny looking guy, Marc, just looked clueless.
"There had been hay and food?" Autumn repeated confirming the facts. Fred nodded even though it made her head spin. "You ever been to a Honky-tonk?"
"I've seen them on GAC, why?"
"Okay well they glorify them, mostly, but did it feel like what you'd expect one of those to feel like?" Fred read a fear in Autumn's eyes, she'd obviously run into some trouble in a place like this before.
"Yea, I guess, sorta." Autumn stuck her head into the hall and asked a passing nurse for a phone book.
"What you thinking?" Marc asked Autumn as she perched on the window sill flipping through the yellow pages.
"That you need to brush you're teeth, you're breath could kill a dragon. What have you been eating White Castles with extra garlic?" Marc turned a quick shade of red.
"No Sliders but yea, extra garlic. It don't taste good in your blood, that's why the mosquitoes stay away when you eat a lot of it." Autumn looked up from the thick book and smiled.
"Cool, I'll remember that." she returned to her scan of the page. Fred's heart jumped into her throat when Sam sat on the foot of her bed.
"How you holding up?" he asked.
"I can't wait to get out of here." she answered honestly.
"You're safe here," he gave her a lopsided grin with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Stay until we seriously piss off the nest." Fred saw Autumn jerk up from the corner of her eye.
"I think I've got it." she dug out her cell and started dialing the number ignoring the sign glaring at her demanding no cell phone use.