I am so sorry for the long delay in updating. Thank you to the people who have left reviews. Those warm the heart J I will try to update more often, though I am not a naturally fast writer so I doubt I'll ever be the once a week updater. If anyone would like to be my beta, please message me!
The Astoria Hotel had seen better days. Better years, in fact. What once had been a posh, elegant establishment was now a cheap and shabby building in the bad part of town. Pink hearts with the room number were on every door and Buffy had to wonder if there were heart-shaped beds with mirrors on the ceiling as well. The elevator opened to the second floor and the three exited the lift. Buffy grabbed both men by the arm and turned them toward her.
"Look, I know you probably want some privacy to be with your brother. So, uh, I'll just hang back here and uh, not touch anything," Buffy said, a look of disgust on her face. She look disturbingly out of place, with her golden looks and white sundress a stark contrast to the dingy interior of the motel. The image just reiterated in Dean's mind what he already knew, that Buffy Summers didn't belong anywhere in his life.
"Yeah. You do that," Dean said coolly. Bobby gave him a hard look that the younger hunter just shrugged off. It wasn't the first time he'd been a dick to woman he liked. He doubted it would be the last time, either. Buffy just crossed her arms across her chest and shot a daggered looked at him.
Why the hell is he such an ass sometimes?! Buffy thought irritably. But he had been sweet, too. She could still feel the warmth of his body next to hers. It was the first peaceful sleep she'd had the last four months. No dreams or nightmares to torment her. Just sweet, peaceful slumber. When she had woken up, she found Dean's flannel shirt and arm around her. It was kinda nice actually. Now he was back to being a bag of butts.
Dean and Bobby stood next to each other in front door 207. Neither one of them lifted their hand to knock at first, but Dean took a deep breath and pounded on the door.
A pretty brunette in a tank top and undies answered, demanding to know where the pizza was that took two guys to deliver. Dean thought they might have had the wrong room till he saw his baby brother walk out from another part of the hotel room.
"Hey ya Sammy," Dean said, his emotions making his voice thick. He was alive. That was all that mattered. He walked into the room, his eyes never leaving his brother's.
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Buffy could hear Dean as he greeted his brother and her heart gave a little squeeze as she heard the pain and hope that was there. The moment brought a smile to her face, and made her long to see her little pain-in-the-backside sister. But, the moment was shattered when the woman who had answered the door made eye contact with her and Buffy suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Something about that woman was unnervingly familiar to her, setting off all her Slayer instincts.
Buffy turned around and pretended to be looking for her room number. Once she heard the sound of the hotel door closing, she made her way down the hall, around the corner, and waited. She had a hunch the brunette would be leaving soon, and Buffy was going to have a little chat with her.
Ten minutes later, Buffy heard voices outside of room 207, her enhanced hearing picking up the conversation between the woman and Dean's younger brother.
"So, call me."
"Yeah, yeah. Sure thing, Kathy."
"Christy."
There was an awkwardness between the two lovers as they said their goodbyes. Buffy turned and silently ran down the flights stairs to the lobby. Her Slayer senses were on overdrive and she tried to reason who or what that woman was and why was she so hauntingly familiar . It was too much of a coincidence, and Buffy Summers did not believe in coincidences. Or Leprechauns. Buffy made it to the lobby just in time to see the brunette leave through the hotel's door and turn right.
Buffy followed her at what she hoped was a safe distance. There was no one else on the darkened streets this late at night save for two women; Buffy ran to catch up when the other woman turned into an alley. This would be her chance, she thought. But the alley was empty, even though her slayer instincts were going strong. Coming to a standstill, Buffy looked around to see where the other woman could have hidden.
"Why do all alleys look the same, huh?" Buffy muttered to herself. There wasn't much difference between the alleys in L.A. and here in Pontiac. They all smelled the same, like week-old garbage. There were always boxes and crates everywhere. And vampires. There was always a vampire.
Buffy sensed him as soon as he stepped into the alley behind her. The bright white sundress must have attracted him. Vamps were so predictable.
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Dean couldn't believe that Sammy was here. Alive, and already lying to him.
"So, what did it cost you?"
"What? The girl?" Sam asked. "I don't pay for sex, Dean."
"No, to bust me out of Hell, Sammy," Dean said, his voice becoming harsher. "I know it was you. What did it cost you? Your soul? Something more?"
"You think I made a deal?" Sam asked the two hunters.
"That's exactly what we think," Bobby exclaimed, his hurt and anger coming through his words.
"Don't lie to me Sammy," Dean demanded. He walked closer to his brother and stared him in the eyes.
"I didn't do it, Dean," Sam said sadly.
"The hell you didn't," Dean growled. "There's no other way I ended up topside, other than you sold your goddamn soul to bring me back."
"I did not make a deal with a demon, Dean!" Sam stood up and angrily placed his beer on the tiny table in the kitchenette. "I tried! I tried to make a deal, with every Crossroads Demon that I could, but they wouldn't deal, ok! I tried to bring you back Dean, for goddamn months. Every way I could think of, and none of it worked. Whatever brought you out of Hell, it wasn't me."
Dean watched as his brother turned to him. He could see the anguish and failure there in his face. And for the first time, began to doubt his conclusion that Sam had paid the fare for his ride out of Hell. Looking his brother in the eye, the oldest Winchester nodded his head to acknowledge that he believed him.
"So, if it wasn't Sam, then who?" Bobby asked. He, too, had believed Sam. That boy didn't have it in him to lie so passionately about something unless it was true.
"The hell if I know," Dean replied. Sam had been his only real clue and if he didn't do it, they were back to just shit for answers.
"So, what were you doing around here, if you weren't digging me out my grave?" Dean asks his brother, wanting to find out more about what he had been doing in his absence.
"Well, once I figured I couldn't bring you back, I started to hunt down Lilith, trying to get some payback," Sam said.
"All by yourself!" Bobby accused angrily. "Who do you think you are? Your old man?"
"Yeah, Bobby. I'm sorry about that. I was pretty messed up," Sam apologized, though Dean couldn't tell how much he really meant it. There was something off about Sam and he was going to find out what it was.
"Anyway, I was checking on these demons out of Tennessee and out of nowhere they took a hard left and booked up here."
"When?" Dean asked. This was the best lead they had so far, other than the Slayer.
"Yesterday morning."
"When I busted out," Dean said and sat down to think. There still wasn't a reason about why he was busted from Hell, but once they found the demons, they could get their answers.
"You think these demons are here, 'cause of you?" Bobby asked.
"Why?" Sam asked what they had been all thinking. "I've been watching them and they haven't done anything suspicious at all."
"Well, I don't know, some badass demon drags me out and now this. It's gotta be connected somehow," Dean said. But there had to be more to it than that, right? Was there a blonde connection?
"Fuck," Dean cursed under his breath. "Bobby, what if it was Buffy?!"
"Buffy? Who's Buffy?" Sam asked, looking between the two men, confused.
"Freaky hot chick, with even freakier powers than yours, that's who. Claims to be the Slayer."
"Slayer? Really? But why would she want to bring you back? I mean, what would be the point?"
"Dude, look at me. What chick wouldn't want to bring this back?" Dean said as he gestured to his fully-restored body.
"Dean, I have already told you, everything Buffy's saying is the truth. If you don't trust her, you should at least trust me, Dammit!" Bobby cried out.
"Bobby, what if he is right?" Sam said. "How do you even know a Slayer? There has to be a reason hunters avoid them."
"I trust you, Bobby. But how do I know she doesn't have you under some kind of spell or other freaky Slayer powers?" Dean argued hotly. Everything in his gut was screaming that what he was saying was wrong, that the pretty blonde Slayer was everything she said she was. But rather than listen to that, he clung desperately to the only idea that would make it impossible for the girl to ever get farther under his skin than she already was. "She could be playing all of us. It's too much of a coincidence and I believe in those as much as I do leprechauns."
"I'm not under a spell, you idjit."
"Wait, how did this Buffy get involved, anyway?" Sam asked.
"Blondie was there when I dug my way out," Dean said harshly; that was really the only proof he had.
"Dug your way out? You woke up in your coffin?" Sam said, horrified.
"Yeah," Dean said as he took another swig of beer and looked away from his brother's eyes. Instead, he meet the steely grey ones belonging to Bobby Singer. He could tell Bobby was pissed at him. And part of him didn't blame him. In just the short time he had known her, Dean could tell that the girl was sincere. He didn't want to think of her like that either. But it would just be easier this way, he told himself.
"It wasn't Buffy."
"Yeah, but Bobby, if she was there, she has to be involved somehow!" Sam exclaimed.
"It wasn't Buffy!" He growled out, taking both younger men by surprise at the fierceness in his reply. "And I'll prove it to you two idjits."
"How are you going to do that, Bobby?" Dean asked skeptically.
"There's this psychic I know, not four hours from here. She is damn good. If anyone from the other side knows anything at all about this, she will be able to find out for us."
"I guess it can't hurt, can it?" Sam said, looking at his brother.
"No, I guess not," Dean said, confused about how he felt. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than for Buffy to be involved. Then, he could hate her with reason and get his questions answered. The other hand wanted nothing more than to grip the petite woman in his arms and never let go. Which scared the hell out of him, almost as much as going back to Hell did.
"I'll give Pam a call then and let her know we're coming by," Bobby said, giving a stern look at the two boys. "Y'all go find Buffy and tell her we're leaving."
Dean stood up and swallowed the last of his beer. "If she's a physic, won't she know we're coming?"
"Shut up, boy," Bobby growled as Dean smirked back, but there was humor and affection in his voice, too. Sam went to the chest of drawers and began filling his duffle bag with the meager contents. In less than three minutes, he was packed and ready for the road.
"So, where is this Buffy?" Sam asked as the three men left the motel room and entered the empty corridor.
"I don't know. Reapplying her lip gloss, maybe," Dean quipped, though, he was curious as well. Where was the Slayer?
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Buffy's booted heel gave a highly satisfying thud as it smashed into the chest of the vampire attempting to attack her from behind. Her body twisted around to face the demon as he crashed into the garbage cans six feet away.
"Don't you know it's bad manners to attack a girl without being properly introduced first," Buffy said as the vampire stood again and continued his assault, a snarl leaving his fanged mouth. Buffy blocked and parried each of the blows, though he did finally manage to land one good punch to her right cheek. With another powerful kick to the midsection, Buffy sent the vampire flying across the alley again.
"Slayer, huh? I'm going to see if your blood is as sweet as the rumors say," The vamp said. He started to circle Buffy, who just smiled as she pulled a wooden stake from the front pocket of her sundress.
"I doubt that." Buffy swirled the stake in her right hand and began punching and kicking the demon, the euphoric rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins as the two fought. As the blows were flying, several other vampires jumped into the fray and began attacking the Slayer too. Buffy side kicked the skinny vamp to the left of her and then punched the one who tried to take advantage of her blind backside. She managed to dust two of the vampires in quick succession, which left only three more.
Buffy ducked a right hook from the vampire in front of her but wasn't able to avoid the kidney shot from one of the other vamps that sent her to her knees. She quickly swept her leg out and managed to knock two of the vamps down to the ground and easily staked them. That only left the one who had started the attack. Buffy pushed herself to her feet and looked into the demonic yellow eyes of the vampire.
"That all you got?" Buffy taunted. She was just playing with him now and they both knew it. The vampire launched himself at her again. Buffy met the attack head on and threw him to the dirty pavement. She straddled the vamp and drove the stake into his heart.
"Bye, bye." Buffy pushed herself up and began to dust dead vampire from herself. She walked to the end of the alley, but like she suspected, it was empty. She was going to have to wait to find out who the mystery girl was.
She had just made it back to hotel when she saw Bobby, Dean and Sam exit the front door. The younger Winchester looked even taller next to Dean who had to be at least six feet. He was broad and fit, too. Damn, the Winchester men were HOT!
"Buffy, you're riding with me," Bobby said. She nodded and headed to the truck. She looked back and saw that both sets of Winchester eyes were on her. Neither looking pleased at her presence. Dean looked much like he had earlier in the hallway. Angry and distrustful, but behind that she could see the same longing that she felt. There was definitely an attraction between them. It was Sam's eyes that made her uneasy. There wasn't just distrust there. There was something more. Fear? Why would he be afraid of her? These were the thoughts that troubled her as they drove. Was he hiding something and what could it be?
I want to dedicate this story to my very dear friend Christina. We might not be able to spend all day on the phone anymore but you will always be in my heart. You were the best friend I could have ever had. See ya on the other side.