(Disclaimer: Don't own anything except the following story)
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Return of the Dragon Slayer.
Chapter Four.
Finn looked into Sam's worried and confused eyes "Give me a hand getting him into the house, Sam"
Sam lifted his brother into his arms "How do you know our names?" he asked as he followed the woman into the house. He walked into an open-plan cabin, a fire was burning in the fireplace, there was a small kitchen off the main room and three doors to his right.
"Bring him this way" she went to the first door and opened it, turning on the light and going to the bed, pulling back the covers "Lie him down"
Sam lay Dean down on the bed, he removed his jacket and boots as the woman left the room. She came back a few minutes later with a towel and cleaned the blood from Dean's face and neck as Sam pulled the covers up. She took a small vial from her shirt pocket and opened it; she opened Dean's mouth and put some of the liquid under his tongue, then put the vial in the drawer near the bed.
"We need to call the paramedics" said Sam urgently.
The woman smiled at him "No. He'll be alright now. He just needs to rest"
Sam watched as she put a hand gently to his brother's face before rising and drawing the curtains across the windows.
"Come on, let him sleep, Sam. He'll be fine, I promise" and she pushed Sam gently from the room and switched off the light "I'll leave the door open so you can keep an eye on him but he won't wake til morning" she walked to the kitchen "You want a coffee? Beer?"
"I want some answers" said Sam as he followed her to the kitchen. He watched her as she put a kettle on the stove. She was tall, over 6ft, short pixie-style dark hair, green eyes and incredibly fit "You seem familiar…"
She turned and smiled at him "I would"
"I remember now…we saw you once, me and Dean, at Mickey's…about six years ago. You were leaving as we got there. Dean thought he knew you…but couldn't remember your name. Finn was it?"
She nodded "Finn Jacobs. So you want anything, Sam?"
"Answers. Lets start with how you know our names"
Finn poured herself a coffee and Sam felt his mouth water at the smell of it. She smiled at him, got another cup, poured and passed it to him "Come sit" she smiled "Don't worry, I'm not a serial killer or anything" and she went to the couch.
Sam followed her slowly, sticking his head into the room to make sure Dean was alright. He was out. He went and sat in one of the armchairs "Well?" he sipped his coffee and then looked at it.
"Good huh?" he nodded and took another sip. She smiled at him "Yeah, you liked it last time you had it too"
"Last time?"
"Alright, Sam. I'll give you some answers, not all of them, I need to speak with Dean first before I tell you everything" she looked at Sam and asked earnestly "How's he been?"
He was about to say 'fine' and stopped himself, this woman seemed to genuinely care for his brother. He sighed and shook his head "Shithouse. This last year especially; he's…bad dreams, or good ones according to him. Disappearing…and why am I telling you all this?"
"He found his way here?" she asked.
Sam shook his head "Mickey told us to come here for answers" he looked at her "Still haven't got any"
She sipped her coffee "Shit, Sam. I don't even know where to start"
"How 'bout with how you know our names and how even though Dean said he didn't remember yours all those years ago, he does now"
She nodded "Dean remembered my name because his memories have come back. I think they've been trying to come back for a while now if what you're saying is true"
"Why would I lie? And what do you mean his memories have come back?" he sipped at his coffee.
"I didn't…forget it. Alright, you're gonna have to believe me now, Sam. I know you'll find it difficult but I'm telling you the truth" she took a shaky breath "We've met before Sam, we worked together about six years ago; you, me, Dean and Mickey"
Sam shook his head "No, we didn't. I'd remember"
She shook her head "No, you wouldn't" she shifted uncomfortably on the couch "I…ahhh, shit."
"Just tell me"
She put her cup down and looked into his eyes "You don't remember because I took the memories from you. From you and Dean"
Sam laughed "Yeah, right"
She gave him a small smiled "I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's true. Look, I know that your name's Sam Winchester, you're twenty-eight, you used to go to Stanford before Dean dragged you away to look for your Dad. You and Dean are hunters, Sam. And that beautiful car out there is Dean's pride and joy."
"Google us did you?"
She laughed softly "No. I know more about Dean than I do about you, Sam. Tell me, these dreams Dean's been having…blue fields?"
Sam stared at her "How do you know what my brother's been dreaming?"
"They're not dreams, Sam. That place is real" said Finn.
Sam looked at her, Jesus, she believed it. Great. He'd bought Dean to someone that was only going to feed his brothers delusion "Alrighty then, thanks for the coffee but we'll be on our way now" he stood.
Finn stood up "Sam, I know this is difficult to believe…"
Sam laughed "Ya think?" he shook his head "I thought Dean was losing his mind so we come here to find answers and we're supposed to get them from someone who's clearly already lost hers!"
She laughed softly "Thanks, Sam" she sighed again "Listen, you can't take Dean anywhere now. Sit down and I'll tell you what I can…come on, sit. Please" she smiled "I'll make you something to eat and get you another coffee if it'll persuade you. Come on, please"
He looked between the bedroom where his brother slept and the woman pleading with him to stay "Shit"
She smiled "Good" and she went to the kitchen to fix him something to eat.
They sat on the floor in front of the fire as Sam ate. He'd never tasted anything so good, the food seemed to melt in his mouth and he hadn't realised how hungry he was. "So talk"
"Okay. You and Dean came to New York about six years ago because you were having dreams about me. Me and, as you liked to call her, 'an old evil chick', who was coming for me. Her name was Baba Yaga…" Fin watched for Sam's reaction, he frowned "You don't remember?"
He shook his head "But the name…it's familiar"
She nodded "You and Dean helped me kill her"
"You're a hunter too?" he asked as he continued to eat.
She shook her head "No. I'm kind of like a 'protector' of sorts. It's difficult to explain" she paused "What comes to mind when I say the word 'Ancient'?" she asked.
Sam shrugged "Old. Aged"
She nodded "Sam, you ever wonder why you and Dean haven't aged? Why you look exactly the same as you did six years ago?"
"Never really thought about it" he lied.
She smiled at him "Uh huh"
"Good genes"
"No" she shifted on the floor "Okay, Sam. Get ready for a story that's gonna blow your socks off"
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Sam sat staring into the fire as Finn finished the story. It had taken almost two hours and he was even more confused than before they'd arrived. What she'd told him couldn't be true. But he'd had a sense, deep down, that it was true. He looked over at her, she was watching him, concern in her eyes.
"Why would you do that? Why would you take our memories from us?"
"I thought I was doing the right thing. You and Dean were needed here…to hunt. You do good things, Sam and you had unfinished business with the yellow-eyed-demon…" she shook her head "Look, why don't you get some sleep. You can crash in with Dean or sleep on the couch. I need to speak with Dean before I explain anything else" she got up and Sam rose as well.
"I'm sorry, Sam" she said earnestly.
He nodded "I'll crash in there" and he pointed to the room where Dean was still sleeping.
"He won't go wandering about, Sam. You don't need to worry about that anymore" he nodded "I'll see you in the morning" and she went to the other room, opening it quietly and locking it behind her.
Sam stared at the door for a long time before going to the room and crashing out next to his brother.
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Dean woke as he felt someone kick him in the leg. He looked over and saw Sam sound asleep next to him. Fully clothed, thank Christ. He sat up slowly and looked around…where…and then it hit him. Finn. This was Finn's place. He felt the anger rise in him as it all came back. All his memories came back. The ones she'd taken from him. Stolen from him. He got out of bed quietly, opened the door and closed it behind him. She wasn't there but he could smell freshly brewed coffee and went and poured himself some. He looked out the kitchen window and saw her sitting on the porch steps, coffee in hand. Oh, he and Finn were going to have it out.
Finn turned as the screen door opened and her smiled stopped when she saw the look on his face. She wasn't surprised, Dean's memories had come back last night and he'd have realised what she'd done to him "I'm sorry, Dean"
He went and sat on the other side of the porch steps "Sorry doesn't cut it, Finn"
She nodded "I know it doesn't"
"You stole my memories from me. I never said you could do that. What right did you have to go into my…my mind and take that away from me? Fucking hell!" he sipped at his coffee "You knew how much I loved that place and you took that from me! I thought…" he laughed "I thought I knew you, Finn. Those two weeks…"
"Dean, those two weeks…" she shook her head "You and Sam were needed here, in this realm, to fight and save people like you always had. I thought I was doing the right thing"
He laughed hollowly "Yeah? Well I've been…how long has it been, Finn?"
"Six years" she whispered.
"SIX FUCKING YEARS?" he stood and walked down the porch steps "Six goddamn years! I thought I was losing my mind Finn! I've been dreaming of Larten Vola…fucking hell…I've been stopping 'Wrong Ones' coming through in my sleep, goddammit!"
"Keep it down, Dean. Sam's still sleeping. We were up late last night"
"You took all his memories didn't you? Not just the ones of the killings" she nodded "Did you give them back? Sam's memories?"
She shook her head "I can't"
"Why not? You gave me my memories back…eventually!"
"No, I didn't. Your memories came back on their own. All I did last night was help you sleep through their return"
"Well give them back to Sam. All the ones except the killings"
"I can't, Dean. I don't have the magic anymore"
Dean went and sat down again "What do you mean you don't have it anymore? You're a freakin' Ancient. I've seen what you can do" he laughed "Jesus, you wiped my memory, Finn"
"Yeah, well I'm still an 'Ancient', that's never gonna change but…I had to make some choices…and it meant I lost my magic, well most of it, the powerful stuff anyway. I can still do rudimentary healing but not a lot more"
"Bullshit"
She shook her head "No bullshit"
"Well I want my swords and I want to go back to Larten Vola. I want to take Sammy there so he knows I'm not crazy"
She sighed "I can't take you, Dean. I'm not allowed back there"
"What? You're a freakin' Princess"
She laughed hollowly "Not anymore. I've been banished"
"What? What do you mean you've been banished?"
"Just that" she said.
He shook his head "I don't understand, Finn. You killed Baba Yaga, you fulfilled that prophecy and you saved your people. How…there's no way Gideon would have allowed that" he paused "Oh, Jesus…he's not…"
She shook her head "No, he's alive. But he doesn't rule Larten Vola anymore, Jonas saw to that"
"So…wouldn't that make you the next in line?"
"Normally, yeah. But like I said, I had to make some choices and …" she shrugged "I live here now"
"Shit, Finn. I know you've made some pretty crappy choices" he pointed to his head "but what would make you give up your home?"
They turned when the door opened and a small boy came out rubbing his eyes, a stuffed dragon under his arm "Mamma?"
Dean dropped his cup as he stared at the boy, he had dark hair and green eyes like his mother but he was all his father.
To be continued…