A.N.: So….it took me forever and a day to post this. Sorry! My only excuse is that I was on vacation. Thanks to everyone who has loved, read, reviewed and just plain gave this story a chance. Your support means more to me than I can ever say. Only the epilogue to go.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Chapter 11
This is not part of the plan I think as Sam and Dean try to move backwards.
I hear the safety of a gun click off as Bailey whimpers. "Please."
I look at the Winchesters who make hand gestures for me to stay put as I slip the gun into my back pocket.
"If you don't want me to put another hole between this dear girl eyes you need to come out," there is a sound of a gun striking into flesh and Baileys' shrill cry. "Now!"
My body pushes up to my feet of my own accord as Dean hisses out. "Kayla!"
Sam grabs his brothers' shoulder and pulls them back under the cover of a picnic table.
My hands rise above my head as I walk out into the open.
Rich smiles at me as he directs. "Now come on over here, and don't think I don't see that gun in your back pocket."
I curse internally and turn my back to him as I take several steps backwards.
"Kayla?" Bailey squeaks, turning her head towards me.
"Hey Bails," I force a grin at my sister as the man pulls my gun from my back pocket.
"Where are the rest of you?" he asks, throwing the gun to the side.
I shake my head. "What rest of us?"
My head whips back from the force of the pistol on my cheek and I taste blood welling up in my mouth. If I could manage to go just one day without being attacked...
"Don't lie to me." He growls, pulling me back towards him.
"I'm not!" I yell. "I had some of my friends with me, but they got scared. They took off as soon as you yelled." His grip loosens from my hair.
"Fair weather friends huh?" he chuckles lightly.
"Yeah." I answer and shoot a look to Bailey hoping it's saying 'Everything is going to be okay' and not "We are so screwed." Terror has a way of making things get lost in translation.
He looks me over with a mocking laugh. "So what was the plan? Were you going to come in and save her all by yourself Annie Oakley?"
He circles me like a predator. "You're in over your head darling." He huffs and pulls me back against his body.
I instantly feel ill and fight back bile in my throat. My brain takes me back to the other night, the violence in his touch, the feeling of utter helplessness. Despair clogs my heart as he yanks my head back towards him.
"Have you figured out where your plan went horribly wrong yet?" His voice is condescending.
"Because I'm thinking it was you ever thinking you could do anything at all." He laughs. "You're only one person, and a woman at that!" He shoves my head away from his with disgust. "Me, I'm doing great things…"
My mind tries to block out what he is saying, my eyes seeking two other pairs in the dark.
Please, please, one more time guys, just one more time I need you to come to my rescue.
Dean eyes find mine in the darkness and to my amazement he winks.
It's unbelievable how much hope that simple gesture gives me. My mind clears as this asshole finishes his speech.
"I've kept the fires of hell away from your town; everything else is burning to the ground, leaving behind only ashes. And you want to bat your eyes over one stupid virgin? I'm saving your piece of crap home." He leans in close to my ear. "Where's the gratitude?"
Keep calm, keep calm, keep calm. Please Kayla, keep it together just a little longer.
Dean moves another couple of feet forward and I hold his gaze to steady my heart pounding in my chest. He nods once as Rich Kipling whispers. "I deserve a fucking metal."
I lock my neck and throw all of the weight of my head into his nose. It hurts like hell, but I grin as I hear the satisfying crunch of a bone giving away.
"You bitch!" He yells, kicking my legs out from under me.
Idiot doesn't even realize how easy he just made it for Dean.
Two pops sound from the darkness and I watch as Rich's body jerks with each slug that slams into him.
Dean jogs towards me now, lifting me to my feet.
"You okay?" he asks.
"Yeah, thanks to you." I smile and watch as Sam comes out of cover from the opposite side.
Rich groans in pain as I step over to him, picking up my fallen gun on the way.
"Do you know what you've done?" he gasps, as his hands attempt to plug up the hole in his shoulder. I can see in the moonlight that the other bullet has ripped a non-fatal but undoubtedly painful chunk from his neck. "You stupid, stupid whore."
I level the weapon at his head with a sneer. "Yeah, I've saved my sister."
"You what?" He sputters.
"Hey Rich, I lied…this is the best night of my life."
Recognition flashes in his eyes for just a moment only to be replaced by shock when I pull back the hammer and unload a clip into his chest. I don't feel anything even close to remorse.
"Kayla!" Bailey screams as I race over to her.
Sam is already working on the ropes that keep her trapped. Seeing my baby sister alive and unharmed lights something warm and loving up in my heart.
"Bailey, are you okay?" I question, my fingers digging into the knotted rope.
"Yeah, yeah I think so." I wipe at the trickle of blood from her lip, thinking how ironic it is that we will have matching scars.
"Thank God." I breathe and give myself a moment to rest my forehead against hers.
"Thanks for coming for me." Her voice shakes. Her imprisoned hands strain against their binds to grab onto the bottom of my shirt.
I can't find words.
"Kayla?"
"Yeah, Bailey?"
She ducks her head so only I can hear her. "Who is that? He's really cute." She moves her head in Sam's direction.
It's so very like Bailey that I am caught off guard by the question and I actually scare myself when I let out a loud laugh.
Sam eyes me sideways still working on the ropes, but expressing concern with green eyes.
"Sorry," I start, pulling at a particularly stubborn knot. "It's just," I pause and a bellow of "SAM!" turns my blood into ice inside my veins.
Lightning casts a clear view to the shadow of enormous wings expanding behind the younger Winchester and I can hear Dean holler from a distance. Sam's eyes go wide in his skull as he throws himself to the side, barely missing the scythe like talons from ripping into him.
"Move dammit!" Dean shouts and I back up as a single shot rings through the air. It hits the Tascona in the side before the beast takes to the skies.
Dean rushes to Sam and pulls him to his feet.
"Sam, you okay?"
A groan of pain is his only response.
"Sammy! Talk to me."
"Yeah," A pant of breath. "She didn't get me. I'm okay."
I move back to Bailey who swings her gaze between the three of us.
"Did you join the Ghostbusters while I was gone or what?" She asks confusion in her voice.
I chuckle again, my eyes shifting between my sister and scanning the skies for the silent terror in the air.
"Or what." I flash a grin at her. "I'll tell you all about it when we get out of here."
Bailey smiles. "Sounds great."
Dean and Sam race up from behind me and join me in my efforts to free my sister.
"Hey Bailey, I'm Sam and this is my brother Dean. We're here to help." Sam slips the letter opener from his back pocket and slices through one of the ropes.
"KAYLA!" Dean yells from a distance as I feel that evil bitch land behind me.
I step backwards as the Tascona narrows her red eyes before she starts to pursue me.
"Run Kayla!" Bailey bellows and I turn and do just that.
I've only made it about ten feet before one of its wings slams into my side and I go soaring.
I screw my eyes shut tight and wait for the impact of whatever the hell I end up hitting.
The impact is against something warm and wet and not a collision with the hard cold ground like I am expecting.
There is a soft "oomph." noise expelled from above me and then I am being turned on my side and checked for injuries at a speed I can't even comprehend.
"Dean?" I question and he doesn't answer just jumps to his feet and fires behind me.
The Tascona lets out a hideous roar and lifts its damaged body back to the stars.
Sam works at Bailey's legs now as Dean and I run back to them.
"Kayla, are you okay? Did it get you? Did you get it?" she babbles, and I calm her with a touch to her now free hand.
"I love you Bailey."
Her eyes fill with tears as she squeezes back.
"We can have dear diary moments after we get the hell out of here," Dean huffs as he pulls frustrated at one of the bonds.
"Son of a bitch." He mutters as Sam slices through it.
He's right, get Bailey safe and then…
"Almost there," Sam mumbles and with a pained groan as the rope cuts into one of Bailey's legs she is free.
Dean swings his gun in a circle, nodding towards Sam. "Get them back to the car." He orders and Sam helps me get Bailey to her feet.
"Got it." He grabs onto my shoulder and tugs me along. "Come on."
Bailey shakes her legs with a frown, complaining about pins and needles and it is such a welcome sound to my ears I have to fight back a lump in my throat.
Dean is at my back, moving the gun left then right, sweeping the area.
There is a cry from overhead and Dean snarls. "Keep moving!"
When Bailey is finally free of the residual rope around her ankles she turns and pulls me into a hug.
Sam swings back around and Dean hisses. "Hurry it up."
I return the embrace and Bailey whispers. " I love you too."
Sam looks apologetic as he moves back to our side. "Kayla, we really have to," and without warning in my peripheral vision is red, raging eyes.
I shove Bailey away from me with all the force I used to gather her to me a moment before and I have just enough time to think 'Thank God she is safe," before wickedly sharp talons rip through my stomach. My body hits the ground with an accompanying volley of gunshots. I don't think the Tascona will be getting away this time…
"Kayla!" all three voices sound with different degrees of desperation as my eyes flutter open. Water spots on my glasses blur my vision momentarily as I blink rapidly. I can make out the Tascona as it flops on the ground and howls in pain and Dean hovers just above me, an unrecognizable emotion on his face. Bailey and Sam are to my left; both pairs of eyes are full of disbelief. The only thing that holds any warmth on me is the torrent of plasma running past my legs and I can see the gaping wound where my stomach should have been.
Bailey whimpers softly the words "Please." and "No." and "Kayla." All of her words, her wretched, forlorn words make their way to my ears. I reach out to her on instinct, body immediately lighting up with a level of pain I have never known before. Her face contorts into misery and it's then that I know I'm dying.
I watch Bailey's eyes trace my form and I groan out. "No, don't let her look." Determined to spare my sister from being haunted by one more grisly image. "Please, don't let her…" My voice sounds so quiet I can't even be sure I've said anything until Sam drags my wailing sister away from my body with one last melancholy glance at me.
"Thank you Sam, thank," I pause and draw in a shaking breath. Dean is still besides me, eyes boring into mine.
"Kayla, don't move okay." His face is sad, so sad as I lift a shuddering hand to jaw. My entire hand is red and I don't want to get Dean's face messy so I drop the limb back to the ground.
"Dean, you don't have to," I start and press a hand to my gut in a futile attempt to keep the necessary contents there.
I can't be sure if it is my intestines or his hand in my palm. It squeezes back. Okay, hand then.
"I can go to the car, grab the first aid kit, come back for you…" he breaks off, eyes bright with dampness.
"You're a bad liar." I cough and Dean smirks at the irony of that statement.
"Is Bailey," I try to sit up and his hand is there to stop me.
Oh right, dying, shouldn't try to get up...
"She's fine. You saved her. She's fine." He tries to smile reassuringly and I think I might just love him for staying with me.
"Good." At least she is okay.
"Kayla, I'm sorry,"
"My fault, not yours. You saved my sister, that's all I need." He leans in closer as if my voice is harder to make out now.
"Thank you for staying with me. I know I look terrible," It's odd the things I'm thinking about in my last minutes.
"You kidding? You look great. I always did like the view of a girl on her back." We both chuff a laugh as a tear runs down his face. I wish he wouldn't cry, his face is too beautiful for such tragic expressions.
"Take care of Bailey, take care of Sam…" I can barely keep my eyes open now. "Take care of yourself."
"Kayla, please," The word sounds so out of place on the hunters' lips.
"I'm glad you're here." I wheeze.
His lips brush my cheek, jaw jostling my glasses and I'm not sure if the tears there are from him or me as he murmurs. "Me too."
My head falls back, I don't have the strength to hold it up anymore and the stars they look so beautiful. Everything looks better close up. All I can register anymore is Dean as he holds my head to his and a gentle breeze that raises up the flesh on my arms and the smell of rain as I take one last quivering breath before I know no more.
A.W.: Hi again. I don't usually put an AW at the end of a chapter, but I felt this one needed it. I just wanted to let everyone know that I didn't kill Kayla to be mean, I really debated on ever posting this (for multiple reasons) and once my beta had told me how much she loved Kayla I was terrified to send her this chapter. I have thought several times about changing the ending, but I had to stay true to the show, the story and the characters. And to myself as a writer. Thank you SO much to all of you who have read this, and I'm sorry if I have offended or upset anyone. Or if you think this AW is stupid, sorry for that too. :P