Gimme Shelter – chpt 6.
By: sifi.
A/N – Thank you to all who've encouraged me to keep going with this story, I deeply appreciate it and am grateful to each and every one of you, for your time, your encouragement and your generous reviews. Thank You.
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Dean couldn't believe what Sam had just asked, "Of course I do, you know I do. Why would you ask me that?"
Sam leaned back trying not to sigh his relief audibly, because hell hath no fury like a woman scorned man... come on how frikkin' blind ARE you?! "Then you guys'll be fine."
"Oh," Dean nodded leaning back in his chair obviously confused. "Of course we'll be fine," he flipped through the growing stack of pictures, the ones in the envelope had been of Dean moving through various moments of an investigation from just before all that madness in Pennsylvania. The photos themselves were innocuous, just Dean at various locations either in a suit or in his jeans, none of the images were meant to be revealing, but they were meant to let the boys know they were being very closely watched, and had been for quite some time.
"Y'know what I don't get... if this son of a bitch was around when you were taken in Pennsylvania... and if they're so obsessed with us... why didn't they lend a hand?" Dean shook his head and tossed the photos on the table.
"We haven't seen any pictures yet from then... maybe with Bobby there whoever it was hung back?" Sam shrugged and tapped the back of the picture of him and Kitsune, "I mean so far we haven't seen anything from the week of our little 'demon and hunter meet 'n greet' at Bobbys... this one was taken after that."
"Alright geek boy, let's draw us up a little timeline..." Dean motioned to the computer, the two of them putting their heads together to try and remember everywhere they'd been over the last three months and as many people as they could recall interacting with. Including the other hunters and the demons they'd worked with.
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She moved stealthily through the shadows ringing the outside of the young girl's house keeping close, watching through the windows and taking the occasional snapshot. At odd moments when the girl and her little brother sat enthralled by the latest Hollywood adventure on the screen in the basement family room, she sat still and scrolled backwards through the photos she hadn't yet uploaded or printed. She had shots of Dean shooting pool the night before, shots of that silk skirted slut overwhelming him and touching him, groping him before they left the bar. She scrolled forward to her angelic Sam who having spent the day diligently looking into their case and worrying over his selfish and narcissistic brother finally fell into an exhausted sleep at his computer.
She leaned back, a warm smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as she remembered sliding the photo under his pillow, knowing that he was going to be laying there and wondering what it would feel like to lay beside him, to feel him curl around her. Yes he was the one who warmed her heart but Dean... Dean fired her loins as much as she hated to admit it, that bad boy who couldn't even keep it in his pants for the woman he'd made his in Bobby's own yard pushed her buttons too. After all, it was for his pleasure that she spent the last few weeks recuperating from the augmentation surgery, Sam certainly wouldn't care about such a superficial feature. It was for Dean she'd matched the auburn color of his chosen woman's hair, again, Sam wouldn't care about such a trivial thing. But it was for them both she'd learned to hunt. And it was for them both she'd carved her own brand of safety into her own skin. Once they saw what good she was doing, and how capable she was, surely they'd be able to look beyond her less than orthodox methods. And once that time came she would take her rightful place between them. She'd never leave them alone, she'd never abandon them. She would be wife to them both and mother to both of their children. So... Lilith first? Or the emissary? Definitely the emissary, if I can kill Laura it'll be proof that I'm ready to take on Lilith. Then when they've finished their grieving I'll be there, at their sides giving them everything they need.
She sat back waiting for the movie to be over, watching as the blonde haired girl tucked her little brother in for the night. She watched that snake of dark gray start to follow, then turn back and move to the window as if to confirm its task. She nodded and smiled as it took off down the hallway back to the girls' room.
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"You gonna be alright?" Dean asked from the doorway.
"Dude, you're gonna be right outside...in the parking lot..." Sam nodded, "We're salted to the teeth, we've set the palo santo ward..."
"We're dealing with a possibly psychotic human..." Dean reminded him.
"Mmm good point." Sam nodded then seemed to think for a moment, "Windows are locked, door's gonna stay locked and I've got my cell in hand... go talk. If I need you I'm pretty sure you'll know."
"You sure?"
Sam nodded and grinned, "Like... ninety percent sure," he tossed Dean's usual quip back at him.
The elder man nodded, "'Kay... be back soon... hopefully in one piece."
Warmth and shame flooded him as his eyes fell onto Laura leaning against the trunk of her car, a soft smile on her lips as she awaited his arrival.
His breath hitched in his throat when she stepped forward into his arms, leaning easily into the comfort he represented, her arms steady and sure around him, just as they'd been since he first came to know her.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered shaking his head, brushing her hair with his lips, "I'm so sorry."
"Me too," she sighed cupping his cheek and drawing him in for a soft lingering kiss, "Bobby told me he told you... I'm sorry Dean... I never anticipated she'd be able to cause any harm."
"Guh...od...no, no, no, no it's not your fault..." he shook his head fiercely, "and that's not what I'm sorry about... I mean I AM... but...it's not all..." he paused and pulled gently out of her arms placing his hand over her womb.
Laura felt her brows furrow as she read the look on her mans' face, "What did you do?" She asked.
Running his hand through his hair Dean looked down, "I went a little nuts..."
"Dean?" She asked.
"I got... and I was soo damned mad... and so hurt..." he shook his head.
"Dean."
"I did what any Winchester worth his salt would do..." he raised his eyes, something in them pleading with her already.
"What did you do?"
"I went out and got drunk."
"Okaaaaay, and?" She asked knowing full well there was something else coming.
He shook his head, "I went out and got drunk... and I slept with someone else."
The confession splattered to the ground between them and for a long moment Dean could only look at her through the corner of his eye.
After several long beats she cocked her head to the side, her face crinkled in confusion he didn't understand, "Was it a guy or a girl?"
"What?!" He barked completely stunned by the question, "A girl... I slept with another girl..." he stammered.
"Oh... thank god for that..." she sighed.
"Did you hear me?"
"Of course I heard you." She stepped forward and cupped his face between her hands, "Do you love her?"
This time it was Dean's turn to be confused, "What?! No! It was just... weakness, just pure stupid weakness."
Laura took a breath and scrubbed her face then stiffly pushed herself up to sit on the trunk, motioning him to her.
He came forward and let her position him between her legs, her hands fell lightly to his hips while she looked up into his face, "I've never asked you if you've been with anyone else since we've been together."
He shook his head, "I never have been... I promise... but I did and you deserve the truth."
She nodded and stroked his stubbly cheek, "I love you, you do know that don't you?"
He nodded.
"And you've told me you love me."
"I do, you know I do..." he breathed stroking her face, his lips pressed tight as he leaned his forehead against hers.
Again she nodded and seemed to think for a moment, "This is what's going to happen," she eyed him pointedly, "are you ready?"
He nodded.
Laura nodded and took a steadying breath, "I'm going to go get a room, then I'll meet you at YOUR room so I can say hello to Sam and see how he's doing, then you two can fill me in on what the hell's going on here. Together the three of us will try to come up with something that will solve whatever the problem is, and when we can't think straight anymore..." she waited watching to make sure he was paying attention.
"Yeah?"
"We're going back to my room and I will mark you as MY territory, and you will give me your word that you will never, ever voluntarily fuck, screw, bang or make love with any other woman than me, unless I am dead is that clear?"
He swallowed hard, barely able to believe what she was saying as he nodded, "You still want me?"
Clasping his face gently she pressed her lips to his, "I will want you for all eternity, that doesn't mean that I'll let you hurt me though."
"No..." he shook his head and pressed their mouths together again, slim tears beading between his eyelids, "You really forgive me?"
"We've never talked about sex with other people, but now that we are... consider yourself officially claimed," she slid her hand down his front and cupped him gently, "from here," she gave a gentle stroke, "to here," she kissed his forehead, "everything you are belongs with me... or Sam... but not in the same way of course." She smiled wryly.
Dean shuddered, "Eeehh had t'go there didn't cha?"
He drew her tightly to him, "Just out of curiosity... how long was it since... you know... until we did...?"
"Sweetie until you came along I hadn't had a date since 1908... or is it 1918? I never can keep that straight... let alone slept with anyone." She smiled pressing her ear to his heartbeat.
"Well you do have some very talented hands," he sighed stroking her hair, "how did I get so lucky?"
"You must've asked for a girl who loves you just as you are somewhere along the way," she smiled, "Now...go get your information together while I get situated in a room, I'll be there in a few minutes."
"As you wish my queen," he bowed deeply then reached forward grabbing her behind the head and drawing her in for yet another kiss, "Thank you." A second later he turned, "Hey!"
"Yeah?"
"When you asked... you know... if it was... you didn't really think it was a guy...right?" he whisper-shouted across the lot glancing around to make sure there was no one to hear him ask.
From across the lot her eyes bulged and she shook her head trying not to smirk too brightly.
"Course not... right...good," he nodded, "That's good."
"Go." She headed for the office while he seemed to glide back to room number 3.
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"Dare I ask?" Sam asked after thoroughly checking his brother's face for signs of devastation.
Dean turned and sighed, his brows mildly furrowed but his mouth hinting at gladness, "I uh... I've officially been claimed as territory."
"Excuse me?" Sam leaned forward, his expression curious.
"Yeah, she still wants me." He nodded just as amazed as Sam apparently was.
Mystified the younger man sat back hard in the chair shaking his head.
"Well don't be happy for me or anything... you might strain yourself." Dean grumped.
"I don't get it man," Sam looked up into his big brother's eyes, "How the HELL do you rate?" He shrugged and tossed a beer into Dean's hand, "I mean I AM happy for you... but..."
"But what? She's giving me another chance Sam..." he shook his head, "I'm grateful for it."
Sam straightened up, meeting Dean's gaze directly, "I'm relieved, and I'm glad for you, I just hope you have a clue how freakin' lucky you are."
Dean paced back and forth and raised his bottle in a toast, "Oh I do Samwise believe me I do..."
"Mmm y'know you're scary when you're channeling literati Mr. Frodo." He snickered, hobbit...prffft!
"Watch it Sasquatch... and literati my ass... I couldn't get through those books."
"Not unless they made 'em into comics."
"Not unless they were comics." They chimed in unison and chuckling clinked their bottles together while Sam brought his big brother up to speed on what he'd managed to put together of the timeline so far.
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In her own room, two doors down from the men she loved Laura lifted her suitcase onto the dresser trying hard not to let her face crinkle with the burning pulling sensation in her low belly. Digging into the corner for a second she then moved into the bathroom and counted how many pills were left of the prescription. If she didn't heal all the way soon she'd have to get another refill. She threw two into her mouth and swallowed them with a handful of water just as another cascade of tearing cramps brought her to her knees leaving her panting and biting her lips to keep from crying out. Tears squeezed out between her tightly clenched lids as she tried to settle her breathing and calm the whimpers.
Air shimmered at the periphery of her vision and an eighteen inch tall woman dressed in an artful combination of skins and cloth, but with very dirty feet moved quickly to her with a small stone cup in hand. The faerie or sidhe female was the mate of her dearest sidhe friend, the warrior Mustardseed. The pair met and mated when he was wounded in the war against Nergal and his feral minions almost three months ago now. She'd nursed him quickly back to health and doted on him ever since. One of the things the diminutive warrior appreciated about his mate was her understanding of his attachment to the human woman who'd helped save the majority of their race, and with that understanding MilkThistle and Mustardseed had practically adopted Laura into the family.
She stood on Laura's folded thighs and held her head steady while she poured the elixir down her throat then stroked the human woman's sweat soaked hair. They both knew that whatever Lilith had done to her while destroying the child she'd carried was not healing. It didn't help that the woman did not allow herself the rest needed to do so either. MilkThistle wondered if Laura's mate could talk some sense into her and vowed to visit him when there was a moment alone.
Slowly the rending pain subsided and Laura nodded as the sweat dried and her breathing returned to normal. When she described the pain to the doctor the morning she woke up in the hospital in India, with Imdugud at her side all she could envision was a baseball bat with a dozen spikes through it and the feeling that it was up inside her womb and every once in a while someone turned it with a jerk..
Imdugud, the Assyrian demi-god with a vendetta against Lilith had arrived just moments too late to protect Laura or the child she carried. He'd been in the middle of a great run of self-castigation when Dean called him, asking for his help to find Sam who was at that very moment Liliths' prisoner and victim.
The sound of running water brought her attention back to the moment, it was the language of the sidhe and over time Laura discovered she could understand it, though she certainly could not speak it. She nodded and touched her forehead to the smaller woman's, "Better, thank you."
MilkThistle spoke again but Laura shook her head, "It's okay... it'll be fine in no time... there's already enough to worry about... neither of them needs something new." The warrior female scowled deeply at her and started yelling, such as it was. Laura shook her head, "I won't, I promise I'll let them do everything... I won't swat a fly..." but MilkThistle would have none of it, she jumped off her thighs and pointed to the growing glossy red stain spreading through the denim of her jeans.
"Awww shit..." she felt the blood drain out of her head leaving her dizzy and a little nauseous as she bit back a sob, it'd been a couple days since she'd last hemorrhaged and she'd hoped she'd healed that far. "Give it another couple days... it's probably just cause I lifted the suitcase..."
Wagging her finger sternly at the emissary, MilkThistle returned to the other side of the veil for something else she hoped would help the stubborn human.
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Relieved that her men were still at the motel and satisfied that her thoughtform would watch the teenager to ensure she didn't try to seduce either of the Winchester brothers, the self made huntress sat in the last empty room of the motel poring once more over her newly minted birth certificate, social security card, and drivers' license. Her new name drew her eyes with nearly magnetic pull as she glanced into the mirror, then dipped her fingers into a small saucer full of holy water, "I Christen thee Mary Winchester." She sighed drawing a cross on her forehead, "So named for the holy mother, the wife of the first king and the Kings themselves."
She tipped several drops of the sacred water over her head then got down to the business of setting up her altar and checking on the girl through the thoughtform she'd summoned last week.
I should destroy it and summon another one. The book said that if they're kept alive for more than a couple days they get used to living and can turn into wraiths. She reminded herself as she pierced the pad of her finger and drew the entity's shape on a piece of paper in blood, tomorrow, I'll destroy it and call up a new one tomorrow. Besides, what harm do wraiths do? They just hang around in the shadows and freak people out.
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Tbc.
Please R&R.
Thanks.
Sifi.