"Dean Winchester!"
Dean's glass of beer was still pressed up against his lips, he had been about to take a huge swig of the amber liquid, when the feminine voice sliced through the bar. Every head turned in the bar, looking right at Dean as he slowly put the glass onto the counter. He slowly pivoted to his right, to see a very pissed off Jody Mills.
"Son of a bitch." Dean muttered as he turned back in his stool, and looked at his half finished beer. After leaving Sam and Lily at home, he came to this bar, instantly hitting on the bartender. He used his charm so she over looked his age, giving him shot after shot. He had been so buzzed that he hadn't noticed the bar owner knew exactly who this boy was and instantly called Jody.
"Do you think I enjoy being woken up in the middle of the night, to find out that John Winchesters son is down at the local bar, drinking himself silly!" Jody huffed out as she grabbed the half-drunk beer and handed it to the bar owner. She slid her arm under his, lifting him up off the chair.
"Hey! Come on this isn't fair!" Dean was in shock as Jody led him out of the bar. She might have been little, but the woman was strong, Dean gave her that much.
Jody didn't say a word as she drug Dean over to her truck, shoving him inside the passenger side. He watched as she walked to the front of the truck and into the drivers side. Not a word was said between them, as she drove away from the bar, Dean scared to death that she would tell his dad. What an ass beating he would get then. He was ashamed of himself for disobeying his dad, knowing how disappointed John would be in him.
Jody noticed Dean had grown quiet, so she turned her head to see him looking out the passenger side window. She let out a sigh, letting her foot off the accelerator, slowing the truck down just a bit. "Listen, this is not the kind of life you want for yourself Dean."
"How in the hell would you know what kind of life I want." Dean turned to face her and Jody could see the anger in his eyes.
"Drinking? Come on Dean. That's your father right there."
"My dad is a great man," Dean huffed, his voice husky with his anger.
"I'm not saying he isn't." Jody navigated the Sierra underneath the Singer Auto Salvage Yard sign, parking next to the porch. She turned off the engine and turned to face Dean, who had his hand on the door. "Dean. She has no one. That poor girls family was killed. Please, for me, just try and get to know her okay? I have a feeling this has to deal with your kind of thing." Jody held up a hand when Dean opened his mouth to interrupt. "Break the cycle Dean. I care for you boys too much to see you turn into your father." Jody sighed as she turned her attention back to the dark house. "Listen. I don't know where John is, nor to I care to know, but he put you in charge Dean and damn it, drinking yourself to death at the bar is not acting responsible. If it wasn't for Bobby, I would have put your dad away a long time ago." She sighed, placing her elbows on the door, cradling her head in her hand. "I should have."
Dean moved his jaw muscles as he carefully thought to what Jody was telling him. For 16 years it had been drilled into him that anything out of the ordinary was to be hunted. Lily was strange, he could almost smell it permeating from her very soul. He wasn't sure it if was instincts kicking in, or something deeper then that, but he knew he had to stay away from Lily, despite what his brain was telling him.
Jody turned to the backseat and hooked her thumb to the large cardboard box sitting on the leather seat. "I gotcha guys some dinner." She leaned forward, grabbing a white envelope from the dash, and handed it to Dean. "Some cash to get you guys through the next week. IF you hear from your dad or Bobby, please let me know, okay?"
"Thanks." Dean said under his breath as he slid out of the passenger door, opening the back. He grabbed the box and turned to look at the house, seeing a the blue and white flicker in the living room.
The screen door squeaked open as he pushed it open with his foot. He held the box under his right arm as he turned to catch the door before it banged against the frame. The wooden floor creaked under his boots as he quietly made his way down the hallway where it opened into the living room. When he walked into the room, he stopped as he saw the sight on the couch.
Lily and Sam had been watching a movie when they had fallen asleep on the couch. She had her head on his shoulder, Sam's head was tilted back on the sofa, his longs legs stretched out before him, his ankles resting on the coffee table.
Dean took a moment to look at Lily, shocked to see her so close to Sam. He didn't think she would ever get over her shyness, so this was a good thing to see. He walked through the living room to where the kitchen was located and sat the bag of food onto the surface.
He took a minute to stand in the kitchen, his hands on his hips, and his boot tapping out his annoyance. He had come to view Jody as a mother figure, even though she was just a few years older than him. But,there was one thing he hated about Jody, the way she could get into peoples heads. It was almost like she knew what you were thinking.
How had she known that since Dean first laid eyes on Lily, he was struggling with fighting his dad and his so called tactics. Dean didn't always agree on what his dad did, but he would never stand up to John. He learned that lesson the hard way.
"Sonofabitch."
Dean muttered as he walked back into the living room to see that Lily had slid over to the other side of the couch, her head resting on the arm. He bent down and slid his hands under her body, lifting her small frame off the couch. As he lifted her to his chest, she muttered something so soft that he had trouble making out what it was. While her head rested on his chest, her thin arms slid around his neck, her hands resting on the back of his neck. It would have been considered an innocent move on anyone's part, but for Dean, this was huge. Not once had he seen her touch anyone, literally going out of her way so she wouldn't bump into someone.
She made it a very huge point to not ever been in the same room as Dean, sometimes getting up from the table when he came into the kitchen. It bothered him that she feared him so much, because he couldn't think of a thing he might have done to her to cause that fear.
He kicked open the door with his boot as he walked into the bedroom, carrying Lily to the small bed that was placed up against the wall. She let out a sigh as he laid her down on the mattress. After a few minutes of deciding whether to leave her in her clothes, or take them off, Dean chose the later and slid the yellow quilt up to her chin.
So she wouldn't be scared when she woke up, Dean turned on the lamp that sat on her dresser, left the door open a crack, and walked back down to the living room. Sam was still on the couch, his feet kicked up on the coffee table and soft snores coming from his half-open mouth. Dean grabbed the red and black plaid blanket that had fallen to the floor and draped it over his brother. He clicked off all the other lamps and the television before he walked back into the kitchen.
He started the coffee pot, grabbing a mug from above his head, along with a plate. He walked back to the table, took out a white sack that was transparent with grease and dumped the contents out onto the table. In a few quick bites, the burgers was gone and as he stuffed french fries into his mouth, he poured the hot coffee into his mug.
He swallowed the last fry as he walked up the creaky stairs, down the hall to the last room on the right. He peeked his head around the half-open door to see that Lily was still asleep in the bed. He let out a tired sigh as he slid down the wall. He straightened his legs out in front of him, his right ankle crossed over his left and thoughtfully sipped on the coffee.
[/**/]
Lily!
With a snort, his eyes flew open, instantly jerking up off the couch. A sharp, burning pain erupted along his shoulders and he groaned. Sam felt his heart beating hard against his chest as he struggled to come to terms with his environment. He was still in the living room, but the television was off, along with the lamps. He slowly turned his head, wincing at the crick in his neck to see that Lily was not on the couch.
He let out a loud yawn as he stretched his head above his arms, moved his feet off the table and stood up from the couch. He noticed something had fallen on the floor when he got up, and he looked down to see it was the blanket.
He smelt coffee, so he headed into the kitchen, stretching his fingers along his chest. "Hey, Dean." He walked into the kitchen, expecting to see his brother sitting at the table, his feet kicked up, and a spiked cup of coffee in his hands. Instead, the kitchen was empty, expect for a box or empty wrappers.
Sam looked into a greasy bag to see some cold french fries and hamburger. He grimaced as he took the bag, crumpled it up, tossing it along with the other wrappers, into the trash. He looked in the fridge to see it was in the same state as yesterday, no food. That's when he noticed an envelope lying on the counter. Inside was a note from Jody, and some cash to get them through the day. So, that meant his brother was home, but where was he?
Confused as ever, Sam climbed the stairs to the upper floor, wondering if this was where Lily was. Maybe she had woken up and decided to sleep in her own bed. That would make sense. But what didn't make sense, is what he saw in front of her bedroom.
Dean was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, his head tilted towards Sam, his eyes closed. It appeared he had fallen asleep while sitting outside of Lily's room, the coffee cup evidence of that theory.
"Dean." Sam bent down and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, giving it a small shake. "Dean."
Dean snorted as he opened his eyes to see Sam looking at him. He let out a groan as he rubbed his face. "W..what time is it?"
Sam squinted his nose as he smelt the alcohol on Dean's breath. "It's early. Hey, I'm gonna make a food run. Where's the Impala?"
"Bar," Dean grunted as he closed his eyes again. "Don't forget the pie." Dean slurred before he passed out, his chin on his chest.
Sam knew his brother was hung over. Never in his life had Sam ever been able to touch that car. He stood up and noticed Lily's door was half-open. He peeked around the door to see that she was lying on her bed, her head turned to him. He wanted her company, but seeing her sleeping so peacefully he knew he couldn't wake her. He turned back to his brother who had fallen back asleep against the wall. Sam shook his head as he realized what had happened. Dean was the one who had put Lily in her bed. As he walked down the stairs, Sam wasn't sure how he felt about that thought.
{**}
Tell me where she is!
The small, stocky man with the bushy hair, shook in the chair as he stared at the man standing before him. The man was very tall, muscular, and his dark eyes squinted as he clutched a silver knife. The portly man let out a gasp as that knife was now pressed to his throat, the man had bent down, looking the small man in the eye. "All you have to do, is tell me where she is"
"I tell you," spittle ran down the small man as he glared at the dark eyes. "And I die anyway!"
The man straightened up and glared at the over weight man, feeling the anger course through his body. "Fine, I'll have to do this the hard way."
His head flew back as he let out a loud scream, a black mist erupting from his mouth. It swirled around his body and the small man struggled against his binds as the mist snaked its way into his mouth.
Light blue eyes flew open, her breath quickened as she was awake with a start. A dream was evaporated from her mind, the memories dissolving. The last thing she remembered was a man tied to the chair, a knife to his throat.
The room she was in looked like a normal room to her. Small dresser tucked in the corner, a white wooden chair sitting next to it. She was lying on a twin bed, light yellow covers over her. Then she noticed the strange symbols that were painted all over the walls and the floor. The symbols were drawn in red and one she instantly recognized; it was the same shape of the image she had a dream about A pentagram was etched on the floor, taking up the room. She felt her heart pound in her chest as her eyes flicked around the room.
She turned her body and slid her hand under the pillow, completely shocked at why she was doing this. Her hands slid back and forth under the pillow, trying to feel the cold metal. She had learned a long time ago, when her foster father first visited her room, to defend herself. She had snuck down to the kitchen one night, grabbed the butcher knife from the block and stashed it under her pillow. One slash from the sharp blade, was enough to stop the attack. So, she kept one under her pillow ever since.
Where the hell was it? She heard footsteps right outside her door, the floorboard creaking under heavy weight. As the door handle turned, she found it.
As the door opened with a creak, she slid the knife out from under her pillow and threw it. With a thunk, the knife sank into the wall; right next to the man who had come into the room. His mouth was wide, his hand still on the door knob.
"Son of a bitch!" A gruff voice barked. "Lily!"
It took Dean a couple of seconds to process what had just happened. He turned his head to see the knife dug into the wallpaper, the handle moving up and down. He then turned to see Lily and how frightened she looked. Her blue eyes were large, her chest moving rapidly up and down as ragged gasps came from her lungs.
He felt something metal in his hands and realized why Lily was s o scared. He had a gun pointed right at her. He cocked the trigger back and then held his hand up in the air. "It's okay Lily. See?" He kept his hands up in the air as he slowly made his way over to the dresser, showing her he was placing the gun on the dresser.
Dean, being the type of her person that he was, quickly scanned Lily's body. Her purple tank top had slid down her right arm, the ends had slid up her slim stomach, her dark hair wild around her head, her blue eyes wide with her fear.
"I'm going downstairs," Dean kept his hands up as he slowly walked backwards to the door, "I'm going to make some coffee. If you want to, come join me."
Lily kept her eyes on Dean as he slowly walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. She ran a shaky hand through her hair, feeling her heart rate slow a little bit. She put a hand to her stomach as she walked over to the dresser. She selected a pair of jeans and a white tank top, then went across the hall to the bathroom.
/**/
Dean placed the pot back under the warm, grabbed the two mugs, and turned to see her standing in the kitchen doorway, looking unsure. Her dark hair was still damp from her shower, handing in wet clumps along her shoulder. He could see several drips from the water had fallen onto her white tank top.
"Just made." He walked to the table, setting the mugs on the table. With a scrap of wood, he scooted a chair back. He motioned to the one across from. "Have a seat."
Lily sized up the situation, feeling fear creep along her spine. She was so tired of feeling like this, so she decided that she would at least try and trust Dean. After all, he had come into her room when she woke up screaming, ready to take on what ever was in her room.
She slid back the chair, keeping her eyes on him as she slowly sat down. She watched as he reached forward, took out a sliver flask from his back pocket and placed it on the table. Dean unscrewed the cap and poured an amber liquid into the coffee. When he looked up, he noticed she was watching him.
"Ever have Irish coffee?" He said with a wink. He lifted the mug to his lips and took a careful sip. "Want some? Might help you loosen up a bit. That must have been some dream." He slid the flask across the table. "You can put it in the coffee...or that." Dean chuckled as Lily took the top off and proceed to drink from the flask. He was expecting her to spit it out once she realized what it was, but his eyes widened as she took two huge gulps.
"Thanks." Lily sat the flask on the table. She welcomed the burn in her throat, the instant feeling of warmth, and the buzz was instant. What ever Dean drank, it was the good stuff.
"So, she does speak." Dean smiled as he stashed the flask back in its spot; underneath Dean's grey and blue plaid flannel, and the back of his jeans. Easy access to when he needed it the stared into the liquid, feeling Dean's eyes on her. She knew he wanted her to talk about her nightmares, but would he even understand?
"Has Sam told you what we do?" Dean watched as her eye slid up from the coffee and lock onto his.
"You...you..hunt things?" She clutched her hands around the mug, savoring the warmth between her fingers.
"That's right. When our mother died, our dad, he..uh..wanted to find out what killed her." Dean leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands across his chest. "Lily. What happened that night?"
She looked up once again to see Dean looking at her and she swallowed the lump in her throat. She wanted to tell someone her secret, anyone but Sam. She didn't want him looking at her differently, like he pitied her. That's not how she wanted him to feel about her. "I couldn't tell anyone." She began in a whisper. Dean, sensing this was going to be a very heavy subject, took out his flask and sat it on the table. Lily opened the top and took another huge swig. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her eyes fixed on the mug.
"I came to live with my foster parents when I was six years old. I had spent some time in the system. I was adopted when I was born, but for some reason, the couple gave me back when I was just one." Lily paused, tucking a wet piece of hair behind her ear, struggling with the words. Dean didn't say a word, just let her talk. "That's how I came to live with Jack and Sally."
"What about your birth mother?" Dean took a sip of his coffee.
"I was never told. It was a closed adoption. Which basically means, until I'm 18, I can't search for her." Lily paused as she took a sip of coffee. "I wonder, sometimes, ya know, if she thought about me?" Lily felt the whiskey warming her, unleashing her inhibitions of wanting to trust someone, to befriend someone. "Jack..always gave me the creeps, from day one. I always...I don't know...felt this weird vibe about him."
"What kind of vibe?" Dean reached across the table, took the flask, downing the liquid in one gulp. He got up from the chair, walked over to the freezer. He opened the door, selecting the whisky from behind a bag of peas. From the frost growing along the bag, Dean knew it would never be used, a perfect hiding place. He refilled the flask, put the bottle back in its place and sat back down at the table. He offered the first sip to Lily, who passed it back to him.
"I can't explain it." Lily searched for the right words, not sure how to explain the uneasiness she felt about Jack. "He was very mean. He drank all the time. I would lie awake at night and hear the fights he had with Sally." She held in her breath, then slowly let it out. "He left me alone..until..." She stared at the silver flask, noticing the etching, as she looked back on the past.
Dean felt bile rise up in his stomach as he watched the turmoil overcome Lily's face. "Lily..you don't have to finish If you want to stop, we'll stop."
"No." Lily whispered as she raised her head up to look at Dean. Her bottom lip began to tremble as tears ran down her cheeks. "You want to know what happened that night Dean? So do I. But..but I can't remember anything. It's like blank."
Dean wanted to leave it at that, but he knew he had to go forward. Dean had to get something from Lily, his dad had been so stern about that. Do whatever it takes Dean. John had told him right before he left on the hunt. He really hated himself for what he had become. A solider. "Lily. What happened the night you were admitted in the hospital? Did Jack do something?"
"Dean"
Dean leaned forward as he placed his hands on the table. "Dammit Lily. Keeping it in is not going to help us here."
Lily sniffed as she angrily wiped a tear from her cheeks. "I don't want to go back."
"You won't Lily. I promise you that."
So, for over an hour, Lily filled Dean on what happened with Jack. She had been lying in her bed that night, reading a book she wasn't allowed to read. She was on the last chapter, when a blood curdling scream came from downstairs. It was Sally. Lily explained that she was used to these fights, but that night, something was different. Her scream was different.
Lily! Run! Lily! Sally's scream echoed in her mind, wishing she could just get rid of it. She placed her hands over her ears.
After a minute, she continued with her story. How she tried to do what Sally was telling her to do, but she was trapped. The only way out of the house was down those stairs. Before she could even attempt some sort of rescue, the bedroom door had been flung open. Jack stood in the shadows, his face had been dark.
"I don't know what happened after that. The next thing I remembered, was walking along that road." Her hand shook as she brushed a tear off her cheek. "But..I can still see it."
"See what Lily?"
"His eyes. They..I could have sworn..the looked yellow. Snake eyes." She shivered as she shook her head back and forth, trying to sway away the memory.
The slam of the screen door prevented Dean from responding to Lily's claim, and a second later, Sam appeared in the doorway holding two bags of groceries.
"You better have gotten me pie." Dean grumbled as he scooted back his chair and stood up, tucking the flask back into its hiding place.
Sam reached into the right bag and produced a cellophane wrapped pie. "All they had." Dean grumbled a thanks as he took the plate from him and disappeared into the living room. "I, uh, got some food." He placed the sacks on the counter and turned to see Lily drinking her coffee. "Listen. If ya want Dean to be on your good side, feed him." He chuckled as he began to take the items from the brown bags. He placed hamburger meat, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles on the counter. "Give him a burger and some beers, you'll have him eating out of your hand."
Shocked at feeling so jealous, Sam turned from the counter, prepared to walk out the room, when he heard her voice. "Sam. Can you keep me company?"