AN: Okay, here's the next chapter! We've already written out a lot more but going back and editing is taking a good bit of time. Some minor fluff ahead-can't go too long without it! As always, PLEASE!, read and review! I promise one or both of us will return the favor if you do!
Mara looked up at Sam and Dean, giving them a cool once over as she closed her phone and put it back in her pocket. "Well if it isn't the infamous Winchester brothers," Mara said with a completely blank poker face.
Sam and Dean both reacted like they'd been smacked, stuttering back a step.
"What the hell! How'd you...? What?!" Dean practically yelled.
"How do you know who we are?" Sam asked in a slightly lower voice.
Serena didn't move her gaze from them. "Raven?" she asked Mara.
"Yep. She pulled through. God knows I'm going to owe her the life of my firstborn before this shit is over," Mara replied, levering herself up off the floor. "I guess the question really is, what're we gonna do now?"
Dean looked at the women. "What exactly do you think is going on here? And what in the world makes you think you can even begin to handle what's going on?"
Mara started to go after Dean with a growl, but Serena put her hand on Mara's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. "We know enough about what's going on to figure out that you weren't agents, immediately, I might add. And enough to start our own investigation into this, with our own sources," Serena answered Dean, never dropping her frozen glare.
Sam put a hand on Dean's shoulder to stop him before he got them all into trouble. "I don't think this is the place to go over things. Why don't we all go back to our motel room and talk about this?"
Mara and Dean both stood back and crossed their arms, obviously disappointed that they couldn't take out their frustrations on each other.
Serena finally dropped her glare and nodded to Sam. "Yes, I think explanations are in order at this point. But my house is just across town, and would be better suited for this than a motel room. You're more than welcome to follow us back, if you'd like."
Sam glanced over at his brother, who was still staring down Mara. He shook his head before answering, "Thanks. I think that would be a good idea."
"Okay. Now to get these two out of here without starting up Round 2…Mara!! You guys can finish this at the house," Serena called out.
Mara gave Dean one final glare before relaxing and breaking out into a smile. "Sounds good to me. I'm still raring for another good fight. You and me hot stuff….think you can handle it?"
Dean couldn't help but grin back. "Sammy's the gentleman, you might get more than you bargained for."
Mara's eyes lit up. "I certainly hope so."
As the tension left the room, the four gathered up their things that had become scattered around the room and left the house. Serena ushered everyone out in front of her and pulled a key out of her pocket to lock up the front door.
"The realtor's an old friend from school," she explained as she saw Dean's raised eyebrow. He merely shrugged before turning to look at the car in the driveway.
"Alright. Now that we have a plan, which one of you claims the '68 GTO?" he asked.
Mara shook her keys at him. "That would be me, big boy. I'm assuming the '67 Impala is yours, then?"
"Gotta love a woman who knows her cars," Dean laughed as he pulled his own keys out of his pocket. Serena and Sam both shook their heads as they climbed into the passenger seats of their respective cars, and headed back across Savannah to Serena's house.
Twenty minutes later…
Sam and Dean slammed their car doors shut and stared up at the large Victorian house in front of them surrounded by ancient-looking trees draped with Spanish moss. They had been surprised when Mara's GTO had turned down a tree lined driveway and then continued for a good half mile but the end destination truly took their breath away.
"This is your house? Wow!" Sam exclaimed.
"Yeah, this is the place," Serena said with a smile, clearly pleased that it had made such an impression. She then turned and hopped up the stairs to unlock the front door.
Mara sidled over to the boys who were still standing by the Impala, staring. "Laney does all right for herself, that's for sure."
Dean whistled in admiration. "You're telling me. You can't tell me she's not screwing somebody though…you just don't get places like this at her age…"
Mara couldn't help but laugh at that. "Yeah, I've been trying to get that information out of her for years," she said after she looked back to make sure Serena was not in ear shot. "In all seriousness though, this house has been in her family for years. It was built for her great-grandparents but it came to her after her parents took off for Florida a few years ago. Not gonna lie, I'm still a little sore something like this wasn't on my side of the family so I could get a crack at it, but I can't complain. I've got my own little abode elsewhere."
"You guys coming in?" Serena called from the porch.
"After you boys," Mara said, gesturing them forward.
Sam and Dean took one last look at the outside of the house before making their way to the wraparound porch that boasted a few potted plants, a pair of rocking chairs, and a large welcoming swing. Sam ducked inside first, giving Serena a smile.
"Nice place," Dean said as he came alongside her at the door.
"I like it," Serena said smiling, "but just so you know. I never have to sleep around to get what I want." She kept smiling at him as she said this but he got the impression she was not exactly smiling on the inside.
Mara came up behind him at that moment and shoved him forward. "Mouth shut honey, just walk."
Dean looked back at her and opened his mouth to say something but Mara just shook her head and shoved him harder until he gave in and allowed her to push him through the front door.
Sam was already wandering around the entrance hall, clearly impressed with Serena's choices for decorating. While the house itself was clearly old, the interior had obviously been recently renovated with gleaming hardwood floors, tract lighting, and comfortable modern furniture. While he and Serena got into a lively discussion about several art pieces she had chosen, Mara grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him with her into another room.
"I'm not much for the whole art thing and I get the feeling you aren't either. Besides, I'm STARVING!" she exclaimed as she dragged him into the spotless kitchen that was filled with stainless steel appliances and shiny black marble countertops.
"This is what I'm talking about!" Dean exclaimed happily. He made a beeline for the fridge while Mara rifled through the cabinets.
Within minutes, the island in the middle of the kitchen was overflowing with junk food, soda, and beer cans as Mara and Dean happily stuffed their faces and chatted about their cars. Mara had her head tilted back, dropping chips by the handful in and Dean was trying to talk around the sandwich he had shoved into his mouth when Sam and Serena joined them.
"Want some? It's delicious!" Dean said as he noticed them, holding out the mangled remains of his sandwich to his brother.
"No thanks," Sam grimaced. "What is on that thing??"
"I'd venture a guess of a little bit of everything he could get his hands on," Serena answered, surveying the contents of the island.
"And you would be right," Mara said with flourish as she tossed the empty chip bag into the trash can across from her. "Have a seat Gigantor and pull up a beer."
Sam could only look at her in astonishment, mouth hanging open as Dean almost fell off the bar stool he was sitting on laughing. "Gi…Gigantor??" he howled laughing. "Hey-that's a good one Sammy!! Gigantor…I love it."
Mara was still looking at Sam expectantly. She pulled a stool out and patted it. "So…park it. You wanted to talk, so let's talk."
Sam looked beside him to Serena who was desperately trying to not burst out laughing. "I'm just…yeah…okay…" he stammered in frustration as he plopped down in the stool Mara had scooted out for him.
"All right, all right, let's get down to business," Mara insisted, banging her hand on the counter for emphasis. "So Sam and Dean Winchester, I've heard a lot about you."
Dean finished off his mishmash of a sandwich and quickly grew serious. "Yeah. Well what I want to know is how you knew who we were. You can't seriously tell me you two are hunters?"
Mara grinned at him and began twirling the steak knife that had been sitting beside her around in her fingers. "And what makes you say that?"
"You don't really seem the type, that's all," Sam interjected, finally recovering from his earlier pout.
"Well, you're right, but only partly so," Mara replied. "Serena is not a hunter. I am."
"I thought you were a folklore historian?" Sam asked.
"I am. On the side. I get to do all that research and paper writing while I'm moving around from case to case. And is it really such a leap from folklore historian to hunter?" Mara asked with a touch of sarcasm.
"Doesn't tell us how you knew who we were," Dean reminded her.
"Yeah well, you two are kind of the poster children for our group," Mara pointed out. "I've heard a few stories from…a…a friend I used to know. Can't say he was your biggest fan, but lucky for you I've heard nicer things from others whose judgment I trust better these days. All I really needed to do was ask the right people the right questions. Simple as that."
Serena had been quietly watching their exchange but chose this moment to step in. "Guys, the point is, we know a little bit about what we're in for and now we know that we've all got the same end goal in mind. We have to figure out a way to stop whatever this is so it can't hurt anyone else."
Four pairs of eyes studied one another cautiously for several tense moments until Sam broke the silence.
"She's got a point. This is a little out of the ordinary for us but…"
"You're damn straight it is," Dean interrupted. "If you ask me you two just need to stay the hell outta this. Trust me; you're in over your heads."
Sam noticed the dangerous flash in Mara's eyes and spoke back up before she yanked out Dean's tongue with her bare hands. "What Dean's trying to say is that we normally work on our own. But from what you've said and what I've seen, you know what you're talking about." He paused to give Dean a look that strongly suggested he keep his mouth shut. "For the sake of time, let's pool our resources and finish this thing."
"I've got all the files here," Serena said, throwing a grateful smile to Sam. "Since my kitchen is fairly destroyed," she pointedly looked at Mara and Dean, "we can head into the living room and go over everything if that's fine with you."
"Nothing personal, but why in the hell should we trust you? Far as we know you're in on this thing too," Dean quipped, leaning dangerously towards Serena. "Always gotta watch the pretty, quiet…" he stopped as a cool, sharp blade slid against his throat.
"Honey, if we were in with this thing, you would have been dead long before now," Mara said as she pressed the blade's edge in to emphasize her words. "Nothing personal…but if you don't start watching your tongue when it comes to her, I'll cut it out."
Dean held his hands up in a gesture of submission and Mara flipped the gleaming blade around before tucking it back into the side of her boot. "Laney, I take it you and Gigantor are gonna do the nerd thing. I think Dean here owes me a sparring match so if it's okay we're gonna head to your workout room and get to know each other a little better. Aren't we hot stuff?" She nudged Dean with her elbow.
"What are you crazy?" Dean exclaimed. "You just pulled a knife on me!"
"Just all part of the getting to know you experience," Mara said flippantly. "Besides, wouldn't have been an issue if you didn't keep switching moods on us. Pick one and stick with it. I recommend one that lets you get that stick out of your ass."
Dean stared at her for a moment, flailing around for a comeback. "Yeah well you….you…"
"I know, I know. So can we go beat the hell out of each other for a while? I promise I'll even let you get in a good hit or two, just to make it fair," Mara said with a wink.
"Oh I won't need any help from you," Dean promised as he stood up, cracking his knuckles. "Go on and lead the way. It's your funeral."
Mara laughed. "We'll see about that one. See you guys in a little bit," she called to Sam and Serena as she left with Dean close on her heels.
Serena merely shook her head as she stood up. She looked over the mess in front of her and held up hands up in defeat. "I'm not touching that. Mara can get it later. So Sam, looks like it's just me and you doing the dirty work."
"Yeah well I'm used to that," Sam chuckled. "Listen, I want to apologize for Dean earlier. We really do appreciate the help. Plus it's always nice to meet people who know what you're doing and still don't think you're crazy."
Serena smiled. "Never said you weren't crazy. Let me grab my laptop and we'll get to work."
A little over an hour later…
"Wow…I'm hurting in places I didn't know I had," Dean groaned. He was lying flat on his back on the padded floor of Serena's workout room, trying to catch his breath. "I wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley when you're pissed off, that's for sure."
Mara grinned as she tilted her head to the side. There was a loud crack and she eased up. "Yeah, you're not so bad yourself. Best workout I've had in a while. So since I didn't turn demonic on you and rip off your head, does this mean we can work together?" She moved to stand over him and held out her hand. "Truce?"
Dean eyed her outstretched hand for a moment before grabbing it and letting her help pull him up off the floor. "Truce," he agreed.
She grinned at him and moved to grab her discarded jacket and weapons. "You know, this may turn out to be fun after all," she said.
"Yeah, it just might be," Dean said without thinking. He shrugged it off and followed her out the door, back towards the kitchen.
They spent a few moments dumping the remnants of their earlier assault on the kitchen into a garbage bag before heading into the living room. They found Sam and Serena sitting on a sleek suede couch, surrounded by folders and papers, staring at Serena's computer intently.
"Guess they're still at it," Dean surmised.
"Yeah well, you have fun with that. I can't think when I'm this dirty," Mara said, looking down at her rumpled and sweat-stained clothing. "I've gotta get a shower before I can tackle something that doesn't have a Y chromosome." Before he could say anything, she turned on her heel and disappeared into another part of the house.
Dean stared after her for a moment before laughing to himself and heading into the living room to join Sam and Serena.
About half an hour passed as Serena, Sam, and Dean glanced over all the information the two groups had been able to collect. They were wading their way through a site Mara had shown Serena, trying to pin down what exactly it was they were up against.
"Mara's pretty sure it's one of these," Serena insisted, gesturing at the page on incubi and succubi. "It would go along with everything we've found so far. Her friend Raven is digging around trying to find the best ways to kill them just in case."
"Yeah, I think we're on the right path here," Sam agreed. "Especially after going through the files you had. You think we could actually talk with one of the kids you're seeing or even one of the parents?"
"Yeah," Dean snorted. "That won't freak them out any more than they already are. Hey Bobby did you know that your mommy was killed by a monster? Yeah, the kind that's under your bed every night."
Serena gave Dean a frosty glare. "I think that if we handle things the right way we could. I already threw every question I could at them but I'm sure I could set it up so you could talk with them as well. Under one condition though, I have to be there. No offense, but these are my kids and I want to make sure that they don't go home thinking that something's under their beds." Her eyes narrowed and grew slightly darker as she glanced from brother to brother.
"Looks like I'm out of the running for that," Dean mumbled as he leaned back in the oversized chair he was sitting in.
"Hey, where's your bathroom at?" Sam interrupted.
"Easiest one to find is pretty much at the top of the stairs. Just go around the corner to your right and you'll see it," Serena answered as she turned her attention back to the computer.
"Thanks," Sam said, standing up. He caught Dean's attention and mouthed "Be nice!" before heading up towards the stairs.
Dean crossed his arms as he studied the blonde woman sitting across the room from him. Ever since they had first run into her, she had given him the impression that she did not like him. At all. Well, except for that night at the bar…but she was pretty damn wasted, he reminded himself. He sat there for a few moments, at war with himself as to whether or not he should say anything. His reckless side won out as usual and with a sigh, he pushed himself out of the chair and moved to sit down beside Serena.
She glanced up at him curiously and cocked her head to the side, as if to encourage him to say what was on his mind. Although her body language was neutral enough, those bright blue eyes seemed to paralyze him and he had to swallow hard before speaking.
"Hey….umm…listen, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what I said earlier. Your cousin and I kinda worked through things and well I just wanted you to know that I'm not really a jerk, honest," he said, his voice sounding slightly nervous.
Serena contemplated his words for a moment before answering. "I know your type Dean. You're cocky, overconfident, and you try to nail anything with breasts. Am I right?"
"Well, I like to think I'm a little more selective than that," he said, laughing nervously.
To his utter amazement, she smiled at him. It wasn't a big one, but it was enough to make him think it was genuine. "You're a lot like Mara then. If you've got half the heart she does, I'm confident that you aren't in fact a jerk. While we're at it, I'm really not a frigid bitch either. Just on Tuesdays and Thursdays," she said with a wink. "Just keep the womanizing to a minimum til we finish this up and we'll be fine."
"No problem sweetheart," Dean promised, sliding a little closer to her. "I think I'll have enough to deal with if we're working with you and the spitfire."
Serena laughed and turned her attention back to the computer. When Dean craned his head to see what she was looking at, he was dumbfounded. Instead of looking at research, she was watching…a cartoon??
"Homestar Runner?" he asked. "What is that??"
"You really haven't seen this before?" Serena asked in amazement. "Well well Mr. Winchester, let me introduce you to Trogdor…."
While Dean was waving the white flag in the living room, Sam had climbed the winding stair case to the second floor. He was mentally going through some good points Serena had made as he turned the corner and collided with a freshly showered red head. He reached out to keep her from tumbling backwards and as he did so, their eyes met.
In the fraction of a second it took for him to meet her furious gaze, he suddenly remembered just where he had seen those green eyes before…
Mara had just stepped out of the bathroom, feeling better now that she had clean clothes and a clear mind once again. As she walked toward the stairs, she looked down to finish buttoning the plaid shirt she had put on when she walked straight into what she thought was the wall. Then the wall reached out to keep her from falling.
Her eyes automatically flashed angrily and she opened her mouth to verbally accost Sam for not watching where he was going, but her retort died on her tongue as she scanned his face. The way he was looking at her made her spine turn into a column of ice at the same time the rest of her body burst into flame. For the first time, in a very long time indeed, she was struck speechless and the heart she thought had been shredded into pieces and tossed to the four corners of the earth began pounding in her ears.
They stayed frozen like that, his arms holding her above the ground at an awkward angle, for only a few seconds but it felt like an eternity to Mara.
"I'm so sorry Mara," Sam apologized, finally finding his voice as he pulled her back up to standing. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah….I'm fine," she stammered, trying to find her confidence again. "See you downstairs," she said, edging around him and trying desperately not to meet his eyes again.
Instead of heading for the stairs, she ducked into a room across the hall once she heard the bathroom door close behind her. She didn't know what in hell had happened, but it shouldn't have rattled her like that. Her face was almost as red as her hair and there was no way she was coming out until she calmed down.
It took her a few minutes before she was sure that her complexion was back to normal and she could form normal sentences. Thankfully, when she reached the living room, Sam was still missing. Instead, she found Serena and Dean with their heads together in front of Serena's computer. Mara eyed them quizzically but then they simultaneously leaned back, roaring with laughter.
"I told you it was funny!" Serena gasped between laughs.
"Hang on, go back. I gotta watch that again," Dean insisted.
"What's so funny?" a deep voice from behind Mara asked.
She couldn't help but jump slightly and she looked back to see Sam descending the last few steps. The flames leaped in her stomach as he smiled sheepishly at her and stopped at her side.
"Sammy….you gotta see this!" Dean insisted, waving his brother over to the couch.
For the next few minutes, the four crowded around the computer as they all took turns showing one another their favorite videos and cartoons. Finally, they were all laughing so hard, tears were streaming out of their eyes.
Dean swiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt and as he did so, he noticed the time on his watch.
"Hey Sammy, we'd better get back to the hotel if we're gonna hit this thing running tomorrow," he said.
"Yeah, it is getting late. We'll just meet you back here at 9 tomorrow morning right?" Sam asked Serena and Mara.
"Sounds good," Mara agreed, looking to Serena.
"Well, I have another idea," Serena added. "Why don't you just check out of your hotel and stay with us? We have plenty of room and it'll save you some cash. Besides, isn't the first thing you learn from watching horror movies never split up?" She grinned.
Sam and Dean laughed as they looked at one another and shrugged.
"Hey, you know I'm okay with that," Dean smiled. "I'd always rather have beautiful women down the hall instead of giant cockroaches."
"We really don't want to be intruding," Sam insisted.
"No! Please stay!" Serena urged. "We have plenty of room here! It'll be so much easier than driving halfway across the city."
"Well, if you're sure it won't be a bother," Sam mused, "then we'd really appreciate it."
Mara sat there through the entire conversation, willing herself to not turn red all over again. Sam Winchester was going to be in the same house as her until they got rid of this thing. After what passed between them earlier, she had a dilemma. She could either keep her distance and act like nothing happened or she could tackle the boy.
She watched as Sam and Dean stood up, getting ready to go gather their stuff from the hotel. Her eyes ran the length of Sam and her self confidence came flooding back to her as a grin tugged at her lips. Second choice, definitely.
As Sam and Dean drove back to the hotel, Sam was lost in thought as he went over the events of the day in his mind over and over. He mentally castigated himself for not realizing it was Mara from the vision when he first saw her. Hell, he'd seen her a couple times since he and Dean had gotten to Savannah and he never even realized it. He'd shoved the dream-vision to a lockbox in his brain because it had been so overwhelming. Thankfully, for once, Dean wasn't trying to talk to him, and he was left to make a decision as they packed their gear and checked out of the motel. When they loaded the Impala up and got in, Dean put the key in the ignition but didn't start the car.
"Dude…you look like you've got something on your mind. I wanna know what's up," Dean said with concern barely hidden in his eyes.
Sam sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. Here we go, he thought to himself. "Well…you remember the first day we were here and I spaced out for a bit?"
"Yeah…" Dean said with a frown. "You were pulling a lot of space cadet stuff that day and I remember you hadn't been sleeping well either. So what's up? What did you not tell me?"
"Well…I did have a vision." As Dean opened his mouth to let loose on his brother, Sam hurried on. "But it didn't have anything to do with the case, so I didn't say anything. It was…well…it was more or less just a really…umm…really intense dream." Sam turned a furious shade of red as he finished.
"O-kaaay….so if it was just a naughty dream then why are you trying to stab my brain with it now?" Dean asked as he started the car.
"Well…that's the thing…at the time I didn't think it was about the case. But I realized earlier tonight that it's indirectly linked," Sam said with a grimace. This was getting embarrassing. How was he supposed to live this down? Dean would pick on him for months if Sam gave him the full disclosure of the dream he'd had.
Dean stopped with his hand on the gear shift and looked over at his brother, "What? Indirectly linked? How the hell is something indirectly linked? It's either linked or it's not dude." Dean heaved a sigh as he put the car into gear and started to pull out of the parking spot. "Dude…just tell me. Hit me with it full frontal. My brain is too tired to try and get the hints you're dropping at me."
Sam turned even more red as he thought, Full frontal doesn't even begin to cover it. "It was about Mara."
Dean slammed on the brakes and turned to stare at Sam. "Mara? As in Cousin of Doom-kick my ass six ways to Sunday- Mara?!"
Sam gave him a sheepish look. "Yeah."
"Well what was the dream, and how do you know it was her?" Dean asked as he recovered and finished pulling out of the parking space.
"The dream was something I'm not going to share with you…other than it was intense and scared the hell out of me. And yeah…I'm positive it was her," Sam said with a far off look in his eyes.
Dean kept his astonished gaze on the road as the impact hit him…his brother had had an erotic, might as well be porn, dream about the redhead that had kicked both their asses. Then he couldn't help himself, he busted out laughing.
"What is so funny?" Sam asked indignantly.
It took a few minutes for Dean to calm down enough to actually speak. "Dude…it's about damn time!!!"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Dean??"
"What I mean is…it's about damn time you became interested in a HUMAN, Sam." Dean cocked his head as he thought that one out. "Well…as far as we know she's human," he finished with a laugh.
Sam took offense to that. "You know…that's not exactly fair…who was it that shacked up with an angel, Dean?"
Dean laughed. "Yeah well…one paranormal buddy was enough for me…but you've got Madison, and Ruby, and God knows who else. I think Mara's good for you…you should definitely tag her."
"Dean…I'm not going to tag her. I'm going to try and stay as far away from her as possible."
"Well…good luck with that. Seeing as how we'll be staying in their house and working with them for however long this job takes."
"That's my point, Dean. It's a job we're working on. Unlike you…I don't confuse reality with porn."
"Fine then, Oscar the Grouch. Hook up with her after the job's over," Dean said with a shrug. "But just remember….the job isn't worth it if you can't learn to live a little."
Sam got quiet as he thought that one over. He honestly didn't think he was capable of one night stands the way his brother was. He couldn't do that to any woman, let alone one who knew who and what he was. No, he would focus on the job and try his best to forget the dream and not let it affect the temporary partnership they had with the MacKeltar women. Not to mention, the dream had elicited emotions in him that he thought had died with his former love, Jessica. He wasn't comfortable with all these intense feelings he had had in the dream, for a woman that he barely even knew. Especially since said woman was nowhere near his type. She was loud, feisty, and more into Dean's lifestyle than his own. He preferred a quiet partner that he could share things with, not one who was just as likely to kiss him as to hit him. As they pulled back into Serena's driveway, he promised himself that he would stay as emotionally distant from Mara as he could; ignoring the hollow ache that suddenly hit his chest at the thought.
Serena and Mara were rummaging around in the closets, getting towels and extra pillows for the rooms that the Winchesters would have when they came back. Mara faltered in her steps as she heard the Impala come roaring into the driveway and she passed a wide-eyed stare at her cousin, which Serena pretended not to notice. Serena didn't know what was going on with Mara, but her cousin had been skittish as a newborn colt ever since she had come back from her shower. Serena was about to ask what was going on when the boys knocked on the door and walked in, calling out.
"Be down in just a sec, guys!" Serena yelled down the stairway. She turned to Mara and asked, "Mara…what is going on? Are you alright?"
Mara looked up with a shocked stare, "Huh?"
"Are. You. Alright. Mara, you're acting so strange and it's worrying me," Serena said as she laid a hand on Mara's forearm.
Mara looked at the hand on her arm, realizing that she had to pull herself together damn quick. "Yeah I'm fine, Laney. Sorry. I had a run-in with Sam earlier up here and he gave me the most intense look earlier. I can't get it out of my head. But I'm good, no worries."
Serena didn't look like she believed a word of it but she let Mara go and they went downstairs to where the boys were standing in the hallway, looking unsure.
Sam looked around the hallway again, not sure of what to do. This was something they had never encountered and he didn't like being uncertain of where he stood in matters. As he looked over at Dean, he realized his brother looked uncertain too. Dean opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but at that point they heard footsteps on the stairs and looked to see Serena walking gracefully down the curved stairway, with Mara following behind her. As he watched, Mara's face turned slightly red, but she stared defiantly back, until she misplaced her foot and went sprawling past her cousin down the stairs. Serena jumped onto the banister to save herself from being taken down the stairs as well, and Mara landed flat on her butt at the bottom. Sam started for her to help her up but she held out her hand, silently telling him to back off. She gave the floor a vicious stare and rubbed her shoulder as she stood up. She looked up at the boys with the same stare that dared them to pick on her for falling, to which Sam wisely kept silent. His brother, however, was not so smart.
"Do that often, kiddo? Or did you just buy new feet?" Dean asked Mara with a grin.
Mara leveled a glare on Dean that would've fried him on the spot. "As a matter of fact, yes. It happens quite often. And no…these feet are old…I should probably invest in new ones though since I run into walls all the time."
Sam was slightly confused by that statement, but Serena laughed lightly as she hopped the rest of the way down the stairs.
"It does happen a lot… but it's because your feet are too big for my stairs and you don't watch where you're going," Serena laughed.
Mara looked sheepishly at Sam, and he couldn't help but turn slightly red. He realized then that staying away from her was going to be harder than it sounded, especially if they kept locking eyes like that. He tried to look at anything and everything but her, and his gaze finally settled on her cousin, who was giving him a quizzical stare. He gave a slight smile and ignored the question in her gaze.
"Soo…now that we know Mara isn't Wonder Woman…where do we go from here?" Dean asked with a chuckle.
"Hey now…just because I'm not Wonder Woman doesn't mean I'm not an Amazon, Tonto," Mara retorted, shifting into a fighting stance. "Or do you need another reminder?"
Sam laughed as Dean visibly paled. He turned to Serena and asked, "So…umm…where do you want us to bunk?"
Serena was laughing so hard she almost missed Sam's inquiry, but she recovered and said, "Upstairs. But let me give you two the grand tour first."
"Yea…so you won't get lost," Mara finished with a laugh, while Serena gave her a chiding glance.
Sam was hoping that was a joke, but from the looks of the house it wouldn't be hard to get turned around. He adjusted his bag over his shoulder and followed the two women as Serena gestured around them.
"Obviously this is the hallway…and there's the den off to your right. Kitchen's on your left as Dean has already found and destroyed once." Serena held up her hand as Dean started to retort. "With the assistance of Mara," she added. They continued down the hallway as Serena pointed out the living room to the left of the stairs again and the towering library off to the right. The library itself was a spectacle. It stretched up through both stories of the house, ending in a turret. Shelves of books lined each wall and towered up all the way to the windows that wound around the very top. Sam could only stare in awe as he realized just how enormous her collection of texts was.
"Whoa…bookworm thou art Serena," Dean said with a low whistle. Sam tensed, waiting for Mara or Serena to come back at him but, luckily, Serena laughed.
"If you think this is impressive you should see Mara's library. Most of my texts are doctoral works in psychology but I do have a sizeable section of books that I have for personal enjoyment. Mara, however, has a library just like this one…only it's not big enough for her collection so she has books in stacks all around the library as well," Serena finished with a light laugh as Mara gave Dean a look that dared him to pick on her. After a few moments, they piled back into the hallway through the library's double doors.
"Anyways…the door right next to this one is the door to the workout room. And up the stairs we go…" Serena instructed as she started up the stairs with the boys following her and Mara bringing up the rear.
She went on to show them three very spacious rooms and two bathrooms that surrounded the open hallway that looked down onto the first floor hallway.
"So where's your room sweetheart?" Dean asked with an unrepentant grin.
"Last door on the left. Not that that knowledge is going to do you a damn bit of good, handsome," Serena replied with a easy smile. Mara laughed and clapped Dean on the back.
"Why is it always the last door on the left?" Dean muttered to himself, causing Sam to laugh long and hard, while the women waited to be let in on the joke.
Sam shook his head at Serena's silent inquiry saying, "It's just an inside joke that we've got going currently. It doesn't really have a basis in anything."
Both women shrugged and turned around simultaneously, making Sam and Dean share a raised eyebrow. Serena then turned to Dean and told him he could have the bedroom closest to the first bathroom, while Sam could take the one directly across the hall from it.
Sam noticed his designated room was right next to one of the rooms they weren't shown a glimpse of and he asked, "What's behind the door next to the one I'm staying in?"
"A weapons cache," Mara replied, crossing her arms over her chest, while Serena started laughing so hard she was doubled over from it. Sam passed a curious look to his brother and started to reply but was cut off.
"Is it really? What kind of weapons?" Dean asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him.
Serena could barely talk around her laughter and she gestured at Mara to tell them.
"It's my room," Mara answered, looking completely serious.
Sam just stared, while Dean doubled over laughing along with Serena. He felt his face begin to turn red as he realized just how hard this was going to be for him. He was going to be staying in the next room from her for who knew how long, with only a thin wall separating them. He barely noticed the slight glare that Mara shot at her cousin and he immediately began to wonder why she would give her cousin that kind of look when she spoke up again.
"But unlike my cousin, I don't have deadbolts on my bedroom door…so feel free to come in any time you want Gigantor," Mara said with a wink, as she pushed a few strands of hair that had fallen from her messy up do out of her face.
It was then that he noticed she never wore her hair down. Or at least hadn't worn it down yet around them. As it was, it was braided and coiled up around her head. It only served to make him wonder just how long it was and just how she kept it pinned up like that. He was shaken from his musings when Serena reminded them that it was nearing midnight and they decided it was best to go to bed and get some rest so they could start early in their investigation tomorrow. The four of them bid each other goodnight and headed into their own rooms.
As Sam unpacked his clothes and gear, he realized just how much space he had in this room, and he was immediately thankful that for once he wouldn't have to share a room with his brother. Unfortunately, he couldn't get his mind off of a pair of intense green eyes and long legs that were owned by the fiery redhead that was sleeping in the next room over. He shook himself and got settled, laying down and willing himself to sleep despite the pain in his groin that formed whenever he thought back on the dream-vision.
Mara waited a full half hour before she took the chance to peek out of her room. Satisfied when she saw that both of the doorways she looked at were dark, while Serena's was still lit, she cautiously made her way to her cousin's room. She knocked lightly and walked in, seeing that Serena was sitting in bed surrounded by files.
Serena looked up to see Mara's stern expression, and cut her off as Mara opened her mouth, "I know…I know…I should be asleep. But you're still up, so don't try to lecture me."
Mara didn't have anything she could say to that so she just shrugged and walked over to the bed. She started gathering the files, sighing in relief when Serena took the hint and started gathering up the ones next to her. Mara handed her the files she had picked up and she patted the bed cover, silently urging Mara to sit and speak what was on her mind.
"So…I'm torn between wanting to shoot you and hug you, Laney," Mara said with a small grimace.
"Now why would you want to shoot me, my dear cousin?" Serena replied, all false innocence. Serena knew that Mara was attracted to Sam, and she had a sneaking suspicion that he was attracted to her also, if the way he was looking at her tonight was any indication. She wasn't sure what to do about it, but she was also mature enough to know she couldn't control Mara. She just really didn't want Mara to go through a repeat of Bristol, or anything like it. She wasn't completely sure that Mara could survive another rejection of that magnitude.
Mara stuck her tongue out at Serena, "You know why…good lord, Laney. I don't know how to jump him. But believe me…I do want to jump him."
Serena laughed lightly at that, but then got serious, "You know…if you aren't ready for something physical with a man yet then don't let anyone make you feel pressured about it. I know it's been a while since you 'got any'…for lack of a better phrase…but it's high time you started coming out of your shell. But just because I want you to come out of your shell doesn't mean that I want you to fall for the first hot body you meet."
Mara shook her head and laughed. "So says the family shrink that hasn't gotten laid in what…a year? Longer?"
Serena playfully shoved at Mara, almost pushing her off the bed. "That's none of your business. Besides. I'm not in a shell. Men just can't meet my standards."
"That's because your standards are impossible, Laney. No human can meet all of them. But mark my words…you're going to realize that standards don't mean much when the man in question makes you feel like you can fly through the sun and not get burnt," Mara replied with a wistful look. "Besides…the job's not half as fun if you can't live a little. So enjoy your flirting with Dean. Because I know under the frigid bitch act, you're starting to warm up to the dolt. He seems like a good guy. They both do. I just don't want to get run over again." Mara pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them and she hugged her long legs closer to her body.
Serena shared a quiet moment with her cousin. She knew Mara was right about the job being more fun when you live a little. But she and Mara had taken very different paths…and not by choice. Mara was, by nature, an incredibly passionate person. She fell hard and fast and completely. Serena, on the other hand, could be just as passionate…but she tended to use rationale when dealing with relationships. More reason than emotions, while Mara was the exact opposite. Unfortunately, they both had to learn to use a little more even proportions of reason and emotions, or else they were going to become the crazy old cat ladies that lived down the street. She mentally shook herself out of her musings, and lightly poked one of Mara's feet.
"Get thee to bed, cousin of mine. Dawn comes early," Serena said with a flourish, succeeding in getting a chuckle out of Mara.
"I hate mornings. Hate. Them," Mara replied with a grimace as she got out of bed and said goodnight to Serena.
Heading back to her room, Mara paused at her door. She stared at the door to Sam's room, debating on whether or not she could afford to truly take a chance on another man. Chemistry like that doesn't come out of nowhere though, she thought. Shaking her head and deciding to leave that decision for later, she went into her room and settled down for the night.
The next morning, Sam walked out of the bathroom he was sharing with Dean, right as his brother was walking out of his room towards the bathroom. He waited until Dean came back out before he spoke.
"Morning, Dean," Sam said with a smirk.
"Morning, yourself, c-block," Dean replied, yawning. Sam laughed and clapped him on the back.
"Dude what are we doing here? We shouldn't be here. These women…I don't think they should be in on this job," Dean said as he visibly started to wake up.
Sam nodded and replied, "Yeah…but how are we going to keep them away? They know what they're doing. They've done some very good research. I think they could help us get more information and then we'll figure out the rest when we come to it."
"I don't like that plan but alright, whatever," Dean said as he started to shuffle down the stairs, with Sam following closely behind. As they came down the stairs, Dean stopped. "Dude…do you smell that? Damn that smells good, what is that?"
Sam laughed at Dean, watching him make a beeline for the kitchen and trying to catch up to him. When they rounded the corner they saw Serena at the stove cooking, with food piled up on the counters beside her, and the stereo playing a soft song. But what held Sam transfixed was the fact that Mara was fast asleep, barely sitting on a stool, with her head laying on the island top. She was clutching a Mt. Dew to her chest like it was a life preserver, but it looked as though she'd fall off the stool at any moment. He cautiously walked over and pulled the soda out of her hand, setting it to the side. He gently lifted her up and set her back on the stool more fully, softly brushing the tendrils of hair that had fallen out away from her face.
To his utter amazement, she opened her eyes and gave him a soft smile, touching his nose lightly and softly saying, "Hiya handsome." He was so stunned all he could do was return her smile. He had no idea that Mara could be this affectionate, and he wasn't completely sure she was fully awake. He couldn't help but soften towards her and run a thumb across her cheek, liking the way she leaned into his touch. To his utter dismay, Dean chose that time to speak up rather loudly.
"Is that eggs and bacon?! Serena you're a goddess!!" Dean exclaimed, making everyone jump slightly.
"Yes, I know. I'm the best. Have a seat, handsome," Serena replied, without turning around.
"What's the name of the song playing? It's kinda catchy," Dean asked as he turned it up a little bit more.
"It's Maroon 5, and the song is called 'Secret'," Serena replied nodding her head in time to the soft beat.
Mara started to wake up and Sam saw a veil fall back over her face. He could have sworn he saw a mixture of sadness and yearning in her eyes, but it passed so quickly that he wasn't sure. Still, he chose to let it go for now, as he pulled out a stool close to her. She shifted a bit when she realized they were so close their thighs were flush against one another, but she didn't move away. Sam looked up to see Dean staring at the both of them with a soft smile on his face. Still smiling, he nodded to them, and got up.
"Serena, tell me what I can do to help," Dean said looking around, trying to find something he could do to help with breakfast.
"Do what?" Serena asked with an incredulous look.
"Where are the plates and silverware and stuff? I'll set the table. The cook shouldn't have to do everything," Dean replied without looking as he started looking through the cabinets.
"I pulled out the plates and stuff already…but umm…thanks. Setting the table would be a big help," Serena said with a confused look. She wasn't sure what to do with this side of Dean, and as she watched him count the plates and set the table for everyone, she mentally shook herself and went back to cooking, trying not to pay too much attention to it.
As they began to eat, Sam noticed that Mara still hadn't really spoken. Serena didn't seem to notice and as he looked at Dean, he realized his brother had noticed it as well. They watched Mara quietly as she slowly ate and looked around although it was obvious she wasn't really seeing anything.
"Hey, Red. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Dean asked Mara as he gestured at her with his fork.
Mara gave him a dull glare and grunted, but didn't actually answer.
Serena started laughing lightly. "Mara's not a morning person…I would suggest you don't speak to her until she speaks to you first. Otherwise she'll only grunt at you."
Dean made an 'oh' with his mouth and apologized to Mara, which stunned everyone at the table. Mara waved him off and Sam kept staring at his brother, wondering what had happened last night to make him so damn cheerful this morning. Deciding not to push his luck, he let it go. It was then he noticed Mara's hand resting lightly on his thigh. Without looking, he reached down and covered her hand with his, squeezing lightly as they both went back to eating.
"So what's the plan, boys?" Serena asked as she finished off her plate and sat back.
"Well…we need to get more information and track this thing's movements. And find out for sure what exactly it is," Sam replied as he sat back from his plate as well. Everyone nodded in reply, agreeing.
"I think we've maxed out on the research end of this venture," Dean suggested, trying to speak around a mouthful of food. "We've gotta get out there and see if we can chase the bastard out."
"I think I can arrange a meeting with the last child to lose a parent if you think that would help," Serena suggested. "She's one of my patients and maybe we could find some clue to where it went next."
"How long do you think that would take?" Sam asked.
"Probably a day or two," Serena replied after thinking for a moment. "Technically I'm out because of 'family business' but I'm sure I can set up a one on one fairly soon. In the meantime, I think we should try to cover as much of the area as possible and see if there are any other signs we can pick up on."
"Hunh….good call," Dean admitted, nodding his head at her. "Someone had better tell Sleeping Beauty over there when she finally wakes up though," he said, indicating Mara who had fallen face forward back onto the island, barely missing her plate.