wow, i've been busy. sorry about the wait, i promise it wont be that long again. once again, thank you all for the great reviews and i hope you all enjoy this new chapter.
D: as always, this is just for fun.
ETERNAL
Chapter 3
Dean couldn't help but tense as the impala rounded the corner of the dusty road, the large house looming up before him. Ever since he had decided to open his mouth he had been trying to convince himself that this was going to be a good idea. But Sam's words kept echoing through his mind, kept playing over and over again in his already jumbled head.
'You were just begging for a work related reason to go back there.'
Even though Dean had spent the rest of the drive telling himself that Sam was wrong, telling himself that he had thought up the entire plan because it was actually good, deep down he knew that his brother spoke the truth. He wanted to go back, hell, he never wanted to leave in the first place. But their lives required travel, required sacrifice. It was part of being a hunter, part of who he was, and he knew that nothing would be able to change that.
It wasn't that he didn't want normal, didn't want to stop moving. It was just that he didn't think he could. He had been hunting for so long, a nomad since the age of four, and he didn't know how to live any other kind of life. Yes, he had spent months at a time at Kerri's house, but that still wasn't home, no matter how much he tried to make it so. No, home was Lawrence, home was his mother, and it was something that no one, not even Kerri could give back to him.
But that didn't change the fact that, whenever he was away, he missed her. She was the only person in all his life that really understood who he was, the only person he could be himself around. He didn't have to be her protector, didn't have to be her soldier, all he had to be was her friend. And that was what made visiting her so refreshing. She never expected anything, and, even though he still protected her with the same ferocity that he protected his brother, there was still something calming about seeing her.
But, ever since learning of Tom and Evelyn's deaths, ever since learning the truth about the Demon, all that seemed to change. She was in danger, and lord only knew what would happen to her if their enemies ever learned just how close to them she was. She was now clearly in the line of fire; the same place Caleb had been, the same place Pastor Jim had been. And that was something Dean wasn't about to overlook.
But still, despite everything, despite all his very logical reasons, he had still opened his mouth, still volunteered her for a hunt, still returned to her. And he only hoped that it wouldn't be a mistake. She was something good in his life, and he wasn't sure that he would be able to handle losing her.
They came to a stop at the end of the long driveway, the old house before them quiet, the only sign of life being Kerri's black firebird, parked in the far shed. Dean's gaze lingered on the old car for a few more minutes before he climbed out of the impala and followed his little brother towards the basement. His earlier fears grew slightly when he didn't find her there, the old building still strangely silent.
"Are you ok?" Sam's voice broke through the heavy silence, the taller man turning back towards him before entering the large kitchen, Kerri still nowhere in sight.
"Does it seem a little, quiet, to you?"
Instead of sharing in his elder brother's worry Sam simply rolled his eyes and started back towards the stairs. "I'm sure she's fine, Dean."
"Think about it, Sammy. The door was unlocked, there's nothing down here to head us off."
"That's probably because this is a house and not a fortress. And just so you know, the door was locked, I opened it."
"See, my point exactly."
"Huh?"
"We just broke in here, who's to say someone else hasn't, too."
"Man, you're paranoid."
"I am not. I'm thinking ahead."
"Call it what you want."
"All I'm saying is that if we got in here that easy, anyone could."
Sam just smiled and shook his head, both brothers falling silent as he led the way to Kerri's room. He had figured that if she wasn't in her basement or kitchen then this was the next best place to look. He couldn't help but roll his eyes again when Dean pulled out his gun, trained eyes taking in every inch of the house.
He did have a point though, that Sam wouldn't argue with. And, while he was going to have a long talk with Kerri about personal safety, he was still pretty certain that she was fine. After all, what were the odds that someone would attack her the same day they decided to show up. He sighed heavily when he finally made it to her room, the door closed, hallway silent. He gave his brother another look as he leaned against the door, casually pushing it open.
He didn't remain standing for long though, as the heavy door was kicked violently back into his face, sending him flying into the opposite wall. He sat there for a moment, dazed, watching as Dean sprang to action. The elder man pushed back against the door, barreling into the room just as Sam regained his footing. The younger man heard a soft grunt, but instead of seeing his brother battling an armed intruder, he saw him flip forward, someone obviously tripping him as he entered the room, a shotgun pointed at his head by his still hidden assailant.
"Damn it, Winchester, what the hell are you doing?"
"I was coming to say hi." Dean scowled at the hand offered to him, reluctantly taking it as he struggled to his feet.
"No you weren't, you were barreling into my room."
"Actually, that was Sammy. Nice kick by the way."
"Sam?" Kerri peered around the half open door, surveying Sam as he leaned against the wall. He was rubbing his forehead, but other than that he seemed all right. A little embarrassed, but still all right.
"Sorry about that." He answered sheepishly, wondering now why he though barging into her room was a good idea.
"You two've never heard of a phone, have you?"
"Maybe we wanted to surprise you." Dean began, rubbing a sore spot on the back of his head. "By the way, we're gonna have to have a talk about your poor security. What if we weren't the nice guys?"
"Who says you're the nice guys."
"Come on, any crazy person off the street could get in here."
"I've been alone here for over two years, I think I've got it."
"Still--."
"Tell you what, Dean, if it will make you feel better you can devise a whole security plan for me. Trap doors and all."
"As I recall, your dad said I couldn't cut holes in the floor."
"Too true. So, what are you guys really doing here?" Kerri asked, eyeing them both as she made her way back down to the kitchen.
"We can't just visit?"
"You can, but I'm pretty sure that's not what you're doing."
"Dean, wants to run a plan by you." Sam began, smiling when Dean turned angry eyes to him.
"Why does that sound really ominous."
"We just need a little help." Dean began taking a seat at the table, angry eyes still boring into his little brother.
Kerri, obviously not buying it for a second, just nodded at the two of them before turning towards the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later, coffees in tow, smiling slightly when she saw them scowling at each other.
"Wow. I really don't think I'm gonna like this." She began, sitting opposite Dean. "What's going on, Sam?"
"Oh." Sam smiled, taking his coffee, all the while staring at his brother. "I think I'll let Dean fill you in."
"What did you do?"
"What makes you think I did something?" Dean answered back, though he still had guilt written all over his face.
"Ok, what do you need help with?"
"It's just an easy hunt."
"If is was an easy hunt you'd have it finished by now. Try again."
"Like I said, it's an easy hunt, we just need a little help."
Kerri looked back an forth between the brothers, her trepidation growing with each passing moment. She knew them, had grown up with them, and, whether they were ten or twenty, they always seemed to be able to find trouble. Her life just always seemed to get a little crazier when Sam and Dean came to visit
"Well, the library's upstairs--."
"Not that kind of help." Dean broke in, his Cheshire grin growing.
"Uh ok, you can tell me the gauge of the gun--."
"Not that kind of help either."
"Well what else is there?"
Dean just sat up a little straighter and smiled his mischievous, I'm-Dean-Winchester-and-I-have-a-plan smile.
"Dean, I don't hunt."
"What are you talking about, you kicked ghost ass in those tunnels."
"Well actually, no I didn't. And that was extenuating circumstances."
"Huh?"
"You were dying, Dean. I couldn't not go."
"Well, this one will be easier, I promise."
"Why do you need my help? I'm sure you two can handle whatever it is."
"Oh, it gets better." Sam chimed in from the head of the table.
"You'll like it."
"Spit it out, Dean." Kerri folded her arms across her chest, knowing that every minute he spent stalling was just another clue about how bad his idea probably was.
"Well you see, Sammy here actually found the hunt."
"Oh no, don't you go turning this around on me."
"I'm just saying, geek- boy, you're the one that brought this whole thing to my attention."
"I wasn't the one lying though my ass."
"Guys! Hello, remember me? The girl that doesn't hunt yet still somehow managed to get herself volunteered for one."
"As I was saying." Dean continued, shooting Sam a look. "Sam found a hunt in Montana."
"Montana?"
"Yeah, Hot Springs. It's about four hours from here."
"Ok."
"So well, over the past however many years a bunch of girls have gone missing."
"I'm not being bait."
"I'm not saying that you are."
"It sure sounds like it."
"Anyway. These young girls go missing, and then, after a little while, the body of an old lady is found. So far, fourteen girls have gone missing, and fourteen grannies have turned up."
"So someone or something's stealing their youth?"
"Yeah, pretty much. We haven't really figured out why yet. But, we're guessing that it's probably being done with some kind of cursed object."
"Yeah, most times that's true. I mean, witches collecting souls, people feeding off of spirits to stay young. It all requires an actual object."
"Yeah, sure."
"Where do I fit in?"
"Turns out, all of the girls were last seen with a millionaire art collector. William Bramhurst."
"I still don't really see where I fit in."
"Well, here's the thing." Dean began after a moment, squirming in his seat as he spoke. "This guy gives private tours of his collection, and, it just so happens that he is having a party on Saturday."
"And you expect us to just walk into some rich guy's party? No offense, Dean, but none of us really scream high class."
"You and Sam already have an invitation."
"How?"
"Apparently, this guy's weird and he likes to have his parties themed to the collection he's showing. And, it just so happens that he has a bunch of stuff about married couples and junk."
"Come again?"
"Hello, Sweet-pea." Sam deadpanned, smiling weakly at Kerri. "Welcome to the Dean's an ass club."
"You told someone that I was married to Sam?" She began, staring daggers at Dean.
"Yeah, and that you were an artist, and that you ran a gallery with him. And that you've heard of him and you really wanted to see his collections because you like antiquities." The elder hunter's voice dropped off more and more as he spoke, still fidget with his coffee mug.
"And, out of the blue, he just gave you an invitation?"
"Kind of."
"Kind of, what?"
"Well, the last girl turned up about two months ago, and he seemed to think that Sam was pretty young."
"You are using me as bait."
"Not bait, a distraction. And I'm using you and Sam."
"And what are you gonna be doing?"
"I'll sneak in and take care of the artifact."
"Do you even know what you're looking for?"
"No, but how hard can it be."
"Famous last words."
"Look, Kerri." Sam began, trying to quell the rising tension. He knew, as soon as Dean told him he wanted to involve Kerri, that the older girl would not be happy about it. After all, she wasn't a hunter, she was ammunition and information. Yeah, she could handle herself, he had seen her do so on many occasions, but that still didn't mean that she would join them this time.
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Dean and me can find another way in."
"Saturday, huh?"
"Yup." Dean smiled, seeming to think that he had won.
"Let me think about."
"What's there to think about?"
"Dean!" Sam started, the single word silencing his brother.
"I just wanna look into it a little more. Just, give me some time."
"You know, it's only a few days away." Dean called as Kerri disappeared up the stairs. He jumped when Sam kicked him in the shin, hard.
"What?"
"Do you have a conscience?"
"What, like Jiminy Cricket?"
"What?"
"Nothing. And why'd you kick me?"
"Dude, she doesn't want to go. Don't make her."
"I'm not making her do anything, I just don't know what there is to think about. Help us out, yes or no."
"You're using her as bait."
"Why do you both keep saying that? Do you honestly think that I would let that creep get anywhere near her?"
"Dean, it's just. I have a bad feeling about this."
"You always have a bad feeling about my ideas."
"That's because they generally suck."
"No they don't."
"Yeah, they do." Sam sighed, pushing away from the table. "I'm gonna go talk to her."
"You gonna try and talk her out of it?" Dean asked sternly.
"No, I'm just gonna make sure we all know what we're walking into."
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Kerri sat on the bench beneath the large picture window in her room, her blue eyes staring out over the empty fields. She wanted them there, there was no denying that, but she didn't want to be nothing more than a job to them. They had been her best friends, and, while she hadn't seen them in twelve years, she still thought of them as more than just hunters. But now, well now, she wasn't so sure.
She sighed heavily as she continued to stare out the window, the printed photos of the fourteen missing girls spread out before her. She was being naive, and she knew it. They had grown up and, as much as they didn't want to admit it, they had grown apart. Too many years had been placed between them, too many miles left behind them. After all, they weren't children anymore.
She looked back when she heard a soft knocking, Sam standing in the doorway behind her. No, she smiled, they definitely weren't children anymore.
"You don't have to go, you know."
"Yeah, I know."
"But your still gonna, aren't you?"
"Yeah. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I said no and another girl went missing."
"You won't be in any danger." Sam said sincerely as he moved to sit beside her.
"I never thought that I would."
"Then why were you hesitant about it?"
"It may sound silly. But, I guess, I thought that maybe you just came to visit."
"I wanted to. And I'm sure Dean did, too."
"Yeah, but you didn't."
"Well, you know Dean. He stays away from anything that might make him the least bit happy."
"I've noticed."
"I'm sure he'll come around someday."
"You actually believe that?"
"Heh, I guess not."
"The day Dean becomes reasonable is a sure sign that the apocalypse is near." They both smiled at each other.
"So." Kerri began after a short silence, Sam sitting beside her, reading through her research. "We're married?"
"Yeah, seems that way." Sam smiled, turning back to the papers.
"Do you think, deep down, Dean just wants to torture us?"
"I've been thinking that ever since he put nair in my shampoo."
"Oh god, I forgot about that. Oh, Sam, that was hilarious."
"No it wasn't."
"Your dad was so mad."
"And he should have been."
"You had to get your head shaved so you wouldn't look like you had leprosy or something."
"Thanks for the reminder."
"Oh man, I've missed you guys."
"We've missed you, too. Both of us." Sam looked Kerri deep in the eye as he spoke, trying to convey just how sorry he was for how their lives had turned out. After all, they were both living the life of a hunter because of the Yellow Eyed Demon, because it was after children like he and Evelyn.
Even though he knew it wasn't his fault, had told himself over and over again that there was nothing he could do, he still couldn't help but feel guilty about it. Kerri and Dean were good people, they should have had long and bright futures, should have had families. But because of him, because of Evelyn, they had never been given that chance, never been allowed to have what they deserved. And he wished, more than anything, that he could find some way to change that.