"Battle Scars"

Chapter 2: Fading Ink

A/N #1: I AM SO SORRY about the long delay for this chapter. I had the idea in my head, the flashback dialogue ready but I didn't have that burst of idea until it hit me today what day it was: Bella's birthday! So I figured, why not update?

A/N #2: I just want to thank all my loyal readers and reviewers. Thank you so much for your patiences. I really hope this chapter makes up for it. (Unfortunately, today was the first day of classes so I couldn't make it longer).

A/N #3: I also got a LiveJournal account so I don't forget to check that out because I have a master list for this story (and all my other stories) on that site. All photoshopped pictures are also connected to the master list as well as any author notes you need to keep in mind. For this chapter, the pictures of the tattoos are on my photobucket and livejournal accounts.

A/N #4: Keep in mind: Normal writing in the flashback are Bella's thoughts.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or Twilight. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place).

Summary: Bella Winchester had accepted her destiny but when she looses what she cares about the most, will she fight back or is the pain too much for her to handle; pain that not even the Cullens could truly understand.

Bella's POV:

[Last week of August 2008]

Another day, another morning. The same routine happens over and over again whether I like it or not. Every morning after my shower, I look in the mirror, at my reflection and see that nothing has changed. I haven't changed physically, not really but one look at my angelic tattoo tells me otherwise. The color is still gray, and I pray to God that I wish for its color to be as dark as night like it's supposed to be. Gray means weakness, it means something is broken. That's what Sam's conclusion is anyways. It was a month after New Hampshire when I saw that Sam's tattoo had changed color just like mine. "I believe it symbolizes the connection between us,"Sam had told me once he took out one of Bobby's books and showed me the passage. When I read that, I wanted to cry because it was another reminder of what we had lost. It's gray because the connection is broken. I never wanted my thoughts to stray to what the discoloration meant but every time I look at the tattoo in the mirror, the memory of the day I received it always flashed through my mind so vividly as if it was just yesterday instead of almost four years ago.

[FLASHBACK]

[Sept. 13, 2005]

It was just another early morning in a motel room in Wisconsin but I instantly knew what the difference was when I woke up with a smile on my face. I quickly and quietly got out of bed and headed for the shower, hoping that Dean didn't use up all the hot water since he wasn't there.

I took a quick shower before putting on a pair of jeans, a black tank top underneath my red long sleeve shirt. I dried my hair a bit since I wanted it to have that messy curly effect I love. I walked out and headed towards the makeshift kitchenette that the room had and I saw my dad sitting at the table, checking over some files for the next two hunts.

I guess I wasn't sneaky enough since Dad looked up in my direction causing him to smirk. I couldn't help but smile.

"Morning Bells." Dad greeted me and I said 'good morning' back as I headed towards the table, but before Dad could say anything the motel door opened revealing Dean holding what I assumed was breakfast.

As routinely as ever, Dean closed the door while placing the food on the table by the door before he came at me. "There she is!" Dean stated excitedly as he picked me up and swung me around. I couldn't help but scream his name and telling him to put me down. Both Dean and Dad were laughing but I didn't care, I didn't want to get sick after all.

Dean finally shouted "Happy Birthday Bella!" before he let me down. Once my feet touched the floor Dean finished off with "You're finally eighteen squirt!" I placed my hands on my hips causing Dean to smirk with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Then why do I get to be called 'squirt' still?" I questioned.

"Because you're still younger." Dean teased. I pouted which caused Dean to laugh again before heading to the table where it seemed that Dad had moved the food.

Dad looked at me while making sure Dean didn't eat his share of the food. "Feeling any different Birthday Girl?"

I shook my head. "Not really. Should I?" I looked between the two older men in front of me while Dad was staring at Dean for an answer.

Dean shrugged. "I didn't feel all that different on my eighteenth birthday Dad." Dean explained before taking a bite of his breakfast sandwich.

Dad looked at his watch. "I guess we won't know for a few more minutes." I started to panic inside. What's that suppose to mean?

"Wait, you think something might happen to me?"

Dad sighed. "It won't be bad Bella. The boys got a power at the exact time they turned eighteen so I don't know if you will too."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Dean said with half his mouth full. I stared daggers at him causing him to roll his eyes at me and swallow the rest of his food before he continued. "She got the connective power like Sam and me when she turned thirteen. So why not have one of her own now?" Dean took a sip of his coffee.

Dad took a sip of his coffee too. "I still don't know."

"What time was I born?" I asked.

"9:13am." Dad replied.

I smirked. "I'm glad I graduated already then." I was relieved for that because if I did get a power, I didn't want to lost control of it at school.

Dean turned to face the clock that was behind me. "That's in less than a minute." Dad nodded as he followed Dean's gaze.

"Not that long of a-"

I couldn't finish my sentence because all of a sudden I felt this burning pain go up my right arm and all I could do was scream in pain while I clutched my arm. I doubled onto my knees and my eyes were shut tight as I tried to will the pain to go away but it seemed like it would be there forever.

"Bells? Dean?" I could hear Dad screaming my name in worry and asking what was wrong but what was confusing me during my pain was that Dad was doing the same with Dean. What's wrong with Dean?

"What's happening?" I finally got my voice to work as the pain continued up my arm.

"I don't know Izzy but why's it affecting me too?" Dean's voice sounded just as pained as mine and closer to my ear. What's happening to us?

"I don't know." Dad finally said and I could feel him behind me as he rubbed my back.

A few moments later the pain was gone. I opened my eyes slowly to see that Dean was doubled on the floor like me and he too was trying to get his bearings while favoring his right shoulder. Just like me.

"You both okay?" Dad finally asked.

I nodded while rubbing my shoulder. "Yeah, I think so. My arm felt like it was on fire."

Dean gave me an incredulous look. "Mine too."

"Shirts off and show me where." Dad commanded and both Dean and my head snap back to look at him. My eyes had widened at the order.

"Dad!"

"I know you have a shirt underneath Bells, now both of you show me where it burned." Dad ordered again without missing a beat. I groaned while Dean snickered as he started to unbutton his blue flannel shirt.

"Yes sir." I replied back before I took off my long sleeve shirt. I gasped once I saw what was now just below my right shoulder. A black tattoo of some sort of rune was now imprinted onto my skin. That wasn't there yesterday!

Dean stopped his motions for rolling his sleeve shirt up and looked at my arm. "What the hell?" Dean didn't hesitate any longer as he rolled up his right sleeve, revealing a very similar black tattoo just below his right shoulder. "Son of a bitch!"

"Daddy?" I looked to Dad for answers as I was freaking out now. Dad was studying both mine and Dean's new body art.

"They look similar to each other but they are different from one another." Dad concluded. He tried to see if he could rub it off my skin but to no avail.

"Not helping Dad, why the hell do I have a tattoo now?" Dean was pissed but I knew that he was freaking out too. He would've been pacing the room if Dad wasn't studying the tattoo.

Dad glared at Dean. "Dean."

Dean started to pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to calm down. "Sorry but why? This didn't happen on my eighteenth birthday or Sammy's."

My eyes widened at the realization. "Sam! What if it happened to him too?" If it happened to Dean, why not Sam too?

Before anyone could say anything, I hear my phone ringing. I quickly took off to find it in the other room before answering it, leaving Dad and Dean to think of ideas on their own.

"Hello?"

"Happy Birthday Little Sister." I smiled at my brother's greeting as well as relieved for the fact that he's able to call.

"Sammy! Thank you and I was just thinking about calling you." I excitedly told him. Saves me a phone call later.

"Really? Well it's a good thing I beat you to it otherwise you might have called during class." Sam teased.

"You're not in class now I'm guessing?" I teased right back.

Sam scoffed. "Nope, hence the call. Plus it's only 7am over here."

"Right, time change."

"Yup also Jess wrote a note telling me to tell you that she wishes you a happy birthday too." Sam stated automatically as if he's trying to remember a message his girlfriend told him. I stifled a laugh. Guess I was the only one blessed with a photographic memory.

"Cool, tell her thanks. Hey Sammy, by any chance did you have this fiery pain on your right shoulder area about a few minutes ago?" I quickly asked him before I forgot.

"Actually yeah I did. How'd you-" I could hear the surprise in Sam's voice but I had to interrupt him, we needed answers.

"Do you have a tattoo like thing there now?"

"What?"

I groaned. "Have you even checked?"

"No, hold on." I could hear the muffling of the phone as he moved it around. The phone was close enough to his mouth that I heard him swear. There's my answer. A few seconds afterwards, Sam gave me his reaction. "Crap Bella, I have an unknown tattoo now! How'd you know?" Sam was now flustered.

I sighed. "Dean and I have one too."

"Dean too?" Sam asked and the surprise in his tone was definitely there.

"Yup."

"Seems like you didn't just get a special gift for your birthday." I could sense that Sam was smirking but there was a pause before he continued. "You did get one right?" Sam finally questioned and I seriously didn't know. The pain and the appearance of the mysterious tattoos were the only things on our minds at the moment.

I shrugged even though Sam couldn't see it. "Don't know. Haven't really tested for it yet. We're kind of freaking out about the sudden tattoos." I explained.

"Well I'll let you figure that out. I have to get ready for class. I'll call you afterwards to see if you found anything." Sam's voice was calm once again after the big bombshell we all received moments ago.

I sighed but I knew it was time to end the call. "Alright. Bye Sammy."

"Happy Birthday Bells." I thanked him again before we hung up the phone. I pocketed my cell before I headed back out to where Dad and Dean were.

"Sam got one too." I informed them causing Dad to rub at his eyes with the palm of his hand.

Dean groaned. "We figured that as a possibility."

"So what does it mean?" I asked as I flopped onto the chair to finally eat my breakfast. It was probably cold but I didn't care, I was hungry.

Dad sighed. "I'll have to ask a friend of mine."

Dean quirked his eyebrow as he looked at Dad. "Bobby?"

Dad seemed hesitant to answer. "Not really on speaking terms at the moment." I snickered to myself, thankfully neither of them heard me.

"You think it has anything to do with what happened on my thirteenth birthday?" I put the idea on the table after taking a sip of my drink to wash my food down.

Dean tilted his head to the side. "How'd you mean?"

I shrugged. "Well think about it Dean. You, me and Sammy got our telepathic ability and all the other powers we have in common on my thirteenth birthday. Maybe this is the same thing." I was thinking about that possibility during my phone call with Sam.

"You think?" Dean seemed to be lost in thought, as if he was trying to see if there was any way that reason couldn't be it.

I rolled my eyes. "Well I am the youngest, maybe that has something to do with it. Same goes for the tattoos maybe, showing up once the youngest turns eighteen which I just did." I pointed out before I finished off my breakfast.

"Does make sense." He finally agreed before he looked to Dad, who was looking through his leather-bound journal. "What'd you think Dad?"

"I still can't believe that my kids have powers." Dad said it in a 'I can't believe it' tone. I couldn't believe it myself.

"None of our ancestors have them?" I questioned.

Dad shook his head no. "Not from my side at least but I doubt your mother had any on her side."

Dean groaned again before he slumped into the chair across from me at the table. "Great, freaky powers from unknown origins."

"Hey, I consider it an advantage, considering what we do." I piped up.

Dean glared at me. "You're not the one that can manipulate fire."

I shrugged. "So, it's still an advantage. Majority of the creatures are afraid of fire and you've had eight years to control your power. I just got mine." I protested.

"Which is?" Dean teased as he was now smirking.

I huffed. "I don't know. How am I supposed to know?"

"Calm down Bella." Dad told me from the other room and I took a few deep breaths.

"Yes, sir but how am I supposed to know?" I asked more calmly.

"Well, let's see if you have Dean's power." Dad motioned for both me and Dean to stand in the middle of the room, away from the furniture. "Dean a little help?" Dean pulled out a lighter, flicked the device open as he transferred the flame into the palm of his hand. It still amazed me that he could do that.

Dad looked to me while I stared at the small flame in my brother's hand. "Now, try making the flame bigger or smaller."

"Okay." I took a deep breath and I focused on the flame, imagining it change in size but before I knew it, the flame froze like an ice pop and it fell to the ground. My eyes widened as the frozen flame shattered into tiny ice shards.

Dean snickered. "I guess she's like the opposite of me."

"Which is ironic since she's more like you than Sam." Dad added in with a smirk. Dean laughed.

"Hey! I'm still here." I protested with hands on my hips causing Dean to smirk and Dad to smile.

"Yeah well we should head out then." Dad suggested as he started to clean up the hunting files.

Dean looked to me before looking to Dad. "To a hunt?"

"Yeah, you guys need to start on that hunt in North Carolina while I take the one in Colorado." Dad explained causing both me and Dean to have confused expressions on our faces.

"What about the tattoos?" I asked.

"Both of you take pictures of them and then hand the camera to me. I'll see a friend of mine on my way to Colorado and show them to her." Dad replied without missing a beat.

I was still confused. "We're splitting up now?" This was not the time to be splitting up and I could tell that Dean felt the same.

"We were going to split anyways; the tattoos are just another puzzle piece." Dad countered as he started to pack his duffel bag.

"But Dad-"

"We can't postpone the two cases Bella. You know that." Dad interrupted.

I sighed. "Alright, but what about my power?"

"Dean will teach you." Dad looked to Dean who nodded in agreement. Dad looked between the two of us now. "Now you two go pack up everything." He ordered with that marine tone of his.

"Yes sir!" Dean and I shouted back simultaneously before we split off; Dean packing our clothes while I cleaned up my scattered flame.

Twenty minutes later, the motel looked just like it did when we first checked in and both the truck and the Impala were packed up and ready to go. Dean and I said goodbye to Dad before we got into the Impala and drove off to North Carolina; neither of us knew that would be the last time we'd see our father in the longest time.

[END FLASHBACK]

After the North Carolina case was the New Orleans case for us but for Dad he headed to Jericho after Colorado. He called us about his friend's advice on the tattoos but he was being all cryptic. All Dad kept saying was to make sure no one else saw the tattoos just like how no one was to see our powers and to make sure that any creature who saw us use it, we had to destroy them immediately. We never found out the meaning of the tattoos until after Dad died due to the crossroads deal he made with Azazel to save Dean.

I sighed at the memory. I always wondered what would have happened if we stayed together that day. Would things be any different? Would Dad still be alive? Would Dean? The only think I didn't want to change was the fact that Azazel was now dead thanks to Dean.

*W*I*N*C*H*E*S*T*E*R*

Like every other day after I finished getting dress, Bobby would tell us that there was a hunt somewhere and I would refuse to go, leading to Sam staying behind too since he wasn't going anywhere without me. I didn't do it purposely, I knew Sam wanted to get back out there just to raise a little Hell but I didn't want to risk it. I wanted to only go if it led to a way to get Dean back. Bobby knew that so eventually he went on those hunts himself or he had to call some other hunters to do it. At times, Bobby was still a little worried about leaving Sam and me alone. I continued to train while Sam kept on researching for any leads on Lilith or for any way to get Dean back.

We were so close though one time when Sam got a hit on Lilith's whereabouts a couple of weeks back but it didn't go so well. It ended up being a trap but Lilith's powers still didn't work on us like back in New Hampshire. Sam and I couldn't use our powers during that fight since they had weakened since Dean, well you know. Let's just say, we were lucky to get out like we did.

*W*I*N*C*H*E*S*T*E*R*

Today was different though. I came downstairs to find Sam packing his duffel bag, throwing as much as he could into them as he paced the room trying to collect everything. I could hear rattling in the kitchen, so I knew that Bobby was still here.

"Sam, what's going on?" I questioned as I leaned against the doorway to Bobby's study.

"Pack your stuff Bella, we need to leave if we're going to be useful." Sam replied without slowing down.

I was confused. "Leave where?"

"There's a job in Idaho." He said without missing a beat. I shook my head.

"I told you I wasn't going on any jobs unless it has to do with Dean." I knew I was being stubborn but I wasn't going to risk my life if it wasn't going to help us get our brother back. I knew it was selfish and it's not something Dean would have liked but to hell with it, I would take him yelling at me any day right now.

Sam paused in his packing motion before he looked me straight in the eye. "The one after Idaho does have to do with Dean, Bella so get packing."

I tilted my head. "Where's the second job?" Sam zipped up his duffel bag before he turned back to me.

"Forks, Washington."

A/N #5: How was that? Does that answer some 'Angel Warrior' questions? I know most of it is a flashback but I really liked that idea when it came to me. I'm sorry it's not long enough but I just threw this all together after school and I just finished editing it.

A/N #6: Alright so as of now you that Sam, Dean and Bella all have telepathic ability with each other, Dean can manipulate fire (pyrokinesis...kind of like Pyro from X-men) and Bella can freeze things (cyrokinesis...kind of like Iceman from X-men). Last chapter, I gave a hint to one of Sam's powers and that would be empathy (feeling other's emotions).

A/N #7: So please tell me what you think in a review. Reviews are welcomed! I do have to warn you, already my course load looks heavy so just a heads up. Once again, THANK YOU for waiting for the updates and sticking with me! You guys are the best!

Originally Published: September 13, 2010

Edited: December 12, 2010