Silence

Chapter Two

The silence crept through the house as the day slowly turned to afternoon. Besides the grandfather clock ticking away, the only sound to fill the house was the turning and rustling of pages. I had only made it through half of one of the boxes, and a headache was beginning to form behind my eyes. Most of the books were written by Christian researchers, so most of them wrote about sin and the path to hell. Nothing really to do with demon deals, or how to break one. Although, there was one book on how someone had fallen in love with a demon that possessed a human body. It was a journal. It went into depth about how they had never experienced such pleasurable torture before. Ibens' familiar handwriting only had one thing to say in the side column next to the words that went into detail about the sexual acts: "Ew." I chuckled at that.

With a deep sigh, I sat back in the chair and stared out the window blankly. There was no way I was going to be able to do this by myself in just a few days. At this rate it would take weeks, a few months even. I chewed on my lip. I needed help getting though all of this.

I grudgingly grabbed my phone next to me and dialed Bobby's number to get Sam's. After getting an "I told you so" from Bobby, I called Sam.

"Hello?" he answered at the second ring. I could hear Dean talking in the background.

"Hey Sam? This is uh.. This is Emery," I said awkwardly.

"Did you find something?" he asked, his voice full of hope.

I glanced at the half empty box with a grimace. "Uh. Not quite. I need some help."

"What do you need?" he asked. I could tell he was trying to keep the disappointment from his voice.

"Just come over. I need help going through this research."

"Oh," he said brightening again. "Okay. Uh, we'll be over there in a few minutes."

He hung up before I could say anything. I felt for Sam. Dean not so much. Sam wanted so hard to save his brother. After not being given a choice, Dean selfishly sold his own soul for Sam, to bring Sam to life. It wasn't his fault, and now he was faced with either saving his brother or losing him. And if Dean was dragged to hell there was no way Sam was getting him back. Absolutely no way. Once you sell your soul, the deed is done. There's no undoing it. But Sam was determined. I glanced around the room. And I wanted to help, but it just didn't seem like there was anyway to help in the situation.

It was about twenty minute later when I heard the sound of a car engine pull up in the driveway. I stood from my chair and went to meet them at the door. When I opened the door, they were tracking up the driveway. Dean looked a little disgruntled, but Sam's puppy eyes were filled with hope. I felt my heart break for him. I was almost positive that there was not a way to help his brother.

I let them inside as Sam greeted me. Dean mumbled something under his breath. I chose to ignore it. One broken cup was enough. I locked the door and lead them back to the room the research was in.

"There's a lot," I said apologetically entering the room. "That-" I said pointing to the desk. "Is the research." Over three-fourths of all the two dozen or more boxes were filled with books, folders and loose paper. "The rest is personal items. Don't touch them."

"That..that's a lot," Dean said surprised.

"Bobby has some of it," I answered his surprise. "But not even half of it. You boy's want to pull that table out to the middle of the room?"

They moved the table carefully, not to disturb the papers laying on it. I pulled three chairs up to it. "Well it's not going to research itself."

It was eight o'clock before I realized it. I left the brothers to their research, though Dean didn't seem too keen on it. He kept trying to tell Sam that it was useless, that there was nothing they could do. What's done is done. It seemed odd to me, that he didn't have any hope that there was a way out of the deal. But I kept my thoughts to myself. I got dressed for work, told the brothers that I wouldn't be home until around four or five. I told them if they needed a break to head to the bar and I'd give them a discount. Dean perked up at that, but Sam barely lifted his eyes.

I was standing behind the bar, leaning my hip against it, wiping some glasses free of spots. I had been at work for a few hours, and it was a slow night. I sat the glass down with a sigh, and picked up the next one. My mind wandered to the books scattered across my mind. The books and papers were only telling us what we already knew. Demons come from hell. They were once human souls. Don't make a deal with one. Don't mess with them. They'll kill you. Nothing about how to break a deal.

I felt sorry for Sam. He was so desperate to find something to save his brothers soul. It was almost frustrating to see Dean so uncaring about the situation when Sam was trying so hard. Even Sam snapped at him a few times for not focusing.

A customer sat at the bar a few stools down, breaking my train of thought. I quickly served him, and he slid off into a corner with his drink, throwing a few bills down on the bar. I picked them up, counted them and placed them in the register. I glanced at the time, eager to be off and back at home. Although the research was tedious and repetitive, the brothers were endearing in their own way. They bickered like children, but their company was welcome sight in the small house. I never had people in the house, other than the occasional repairman. The landlord across the street would stop by every now and then, with a plate of cookies or a cake. She was an old woman who lived alone with her two cats after her husband died. I think she was just as lonely as I was. In the three years I had lived there, she insisted I join her for thanksgiving every year when she found out I didn't have any family or relatives to visit. I told her they all lived too far away. It was somewhat true. Bobby lived over six-hundred miles away. The last time I had seen him was the day after I had given Iben a hunters funeral by myself. He helped me find this place when I told him I no longer wanted to be in that life. It was too hard, and lonely doing it by myself.

"Why don't you head on out of here?" my manager, Jesse, said coming up to the bar. He smiled. "You look like you got somewhere to be, with the way you keep looking at the clock. We're slow anyway."

"Are you sure?" I asked slowly. "It's really no big deal. I can stay."

"Emery, you haven't missed a day since you started. Go. I can handle it."

"..Okay," I said hesitantly. "Thanks Jesse." I went to the back to grab my jacket. After a quick goodbye to Jesse and the other bartender, I hurried to my car and headed home.

The house was still lit up when I opened the front door. But everything was quiet. I kicked my shoes off while locking and chaining the door. I padded back to the room where I had left the boys. I paused at the doorway, taking in the scene before me. Dean had his feet propped up on the table, a book in his lap. His arms were crossed over his chest and his head was tucked forward, his mouth slightly open. Sam looked like he had once had his head propped up on his hand, with his elbow on the table, but had slid down to rest his head on his arm across the book. They were both asleep. I looked at the old grandfather clock in the hallway. It read just after midnight. I went in search of blankets for them. I knew they were exhausted. They had told me they drove over 24 hours to get here. I didn't want to wake them up and tell them to go into the other spare room with an extra bed and a couch because I knew they (atleast Sam) would dive head first into the books again.

When I found two blankets I tiptoed into the room, careful to not bump into any boxes. I carefully picked up the book off of Dean's lap and draped the blanket across him. He mumbled something in his sleep, but didn't wake. I did the same to Sam, but didn't bother to move the book. I knew if I tried he'd wake up. I tiptoed back out of the room. With one last glance to them, I switched the light off and closed the door.

Dean woke with a start, suddenly aware of his surroundings. He was surrounded by boxes and books. Oh. Right. Research. He stretched, glancing at the watch on his wrist. Eight in the morning. The sound of snoring drew his attention to his brother who was asleep with his head on a book as a pillow. He dropped his feet to the ground and stood. He had just noticed the blanket that fell to the ground. There was another one around Sam's broad shoulders.

Dean quietly left the room, taking care as to not to wake his brother. The rest of the small house was quiet. The clock at the end of the hall ticked with the passing seconds. He heard the tv in the living room on with the volume turned on low. He headed towards the noise and saw Emery asleep on the couch, still in the clothes she had left for work in. He scratched at his neck as he turned the tv off. She didn't disturb at the change in noise.

She was sleeping with her head resting on the armrest of the couch. Her dark hair was splayed across her face. He took that moment to really look at her for the first time. She had changed a lot since he had last seen her a few years ago, when she was still hunting with Iben. She looked young curled up on the couch like that, though in reality she was only a year or a little less younger than Sam. Her face was round, her cheeks still shaped full around her cheekbones. Her lips were just as full as her face, and her nose was littered with freckles. Her eyes, when they were open, were round and a bright hazel brown color. She was short, too. Probably only standing about five foot one, or so. She was almost plain looking, though something was cute about her. Not pretty, but cute. When she was a kid, she was quiet, with-drawn. Every time they came across her and Iben though the years, Sam was always friends with her because they were so close in age.

He remembered meeting Iben and Emery for the first time. Iben was huge, just as big as Sam was now. Toned, muscled and strong for being Bobby's age. He had dark swarthy skin, and his black as night eyes were just a few shades darker. He had a full goatee that was black, but graying along with his hair that was shaved short to his head. And, damn did he have a loud voice when he wanted to.

Emery was just the opposite. Pale. Her hair was a little darker then. Short, even for being ten, she only came up to Sam's shoulders then. Her whiskey colored eyes stared at them, Sam, Dad, and himself, curiously peeking out from behind Iben.

They had just arrived at Bobby's house. Dad was leaving them with Bobby for a few days while he went on a hunt. Dean had begged for Dad to let him go, but he said it was too dangerous. He was taking on an entire nest of vampires two states over.

He remembered vividly how Iben tried to get Emery to be friends with them. She looked like a scared rabbit who was cornered by a family of foxes. Iben had kneeled down in front of her and murmured something about not to be afraid. They were friends and they were safe. They weren't monsters. If they were, they wouldn't be able to come inside Bobby's house because his house was a safe place. Then he looked at the boy's, eyes twinkling. "Right, boys?" he asked.

"Right," Dean had answered, clapping his younger brother on the shoulder, with a smile. "We couldn't be monsters. We don't look scary enough."

"My brother didn't look scary," she said, her voice as quiet as the pitter-patter of a mouses feet. Sam elbowed him harshly in the side.

"Wanna play hide and seek?" Sam asked, reaching a hand out for hers. His brother was always able to find broken people and connect with them. Even when he was a kid.

She looked at his hand, then at him. With a hesitant smile, she nodded and took his hand.

She was different now. Even more withdrawn than she was before. Cut off from everyone, quick to anger. He looked at the cup she had lugged at his head still sitting abandoned on the kitchen floor. Definitely quick to anger and quick to act on it.

He remembered the phone call they had gotten from Bobby as Sam was trying to frantically figure something out to save his soul from the deal he had made.

"Alright, boy's I may got a lead. But it's a big may," Bobby said when Dean had answered the phone. Dean put it on speaker for Sam to hear as they sat in the car. "Almost all the research I got on anything demons is from my old friend Iben. You'd have almost thought that he discovered them with how much he knew. You two have met him before, with your Dad."

"Wasn't he killed a few years ago?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, but he didn't hunt alone," Bobby answered.

"Emery?" Dean asked. "That little pipsqueak is still hunting?"

"Well, no. But she still has a lot of Ibens' reasearch. She didn't want to part with all of it. Couldn't bring herself to do it. She's livin' on her own a couple states over. Doesn't really have much to do with people from my understanding."

"Okay, so where is she?" Sam asked, eagerly.

He listed off the address but gave us a warning. "She doesn't want anything to do with hunters," he said quickly. "I'm surprised she even keeps in touch with me, no matter how little it is. She's likely to slam the door in your face."

"So we'll explain the situation to her," Dean said when Sam had a look of disappointment.

"Might not mean nothin' to her. Iben's death shook her real bad. She lives alone, doesn't talk to anyone. Her family and Iben were killed by demons. She might not take any sympathy towards you willingly giving yourself up to one. Just..Just do me a favor. I'm worried about her. If she don't listen, keep trying. Get her to talk to you. Do everything you can."

Dean sighed and headed back to the room where Sam was still asleep.

I started to make this chapter longer, but I felt like it was starting to drag. I tried to find a place that it didn't cut off weird, and I hope it was a good spot.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think :) I'll even take constructive advice. (I don't like to say criticism because it seems harsh.)

While I write this, I'm working on improving my writing, so any advice as to make the story flow better or anything would be greatly appreciated. I want everyone to enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing Emery and planning her character development. So pretty pretty please let me know what you think :)