Sorry about the long wait! Also I hope the chapter doesn't end too abruptly, but I kinda wanted to get this up before you ran away and forgot about me and my little story. Hopefully the next one will be better. :)
Disclaimer: Still not mine.
"Don't shoot! Please!" The redhead's voice rang out before Dean could take the shot, and he couldn't help the sudden hesitation he felt. In all honesty the main reason he hated witches so much wasn't just the nasty murder stuff; pretty much everything they faced was as bad or worse on that front. It was the fact that they were human. The fact that they chose it; the fact that every horrible, evil, twisted thing they did was undeniably human. And also that even in spite of what they did, he still felt a twinge of guilt at killing people. Not that that stopped him.
The brunette was looking at them wide eyed, avoiding eye contact and subtly shifting away from them, while the redhead had her hands held up in front of her, looking directly at them.
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?" Dean demanded. Thinking about it, he probably ought to find out why there were witches in Bobby's living room before he killed them.
"Returning a book." She held out the volume in front of her and Dean leaned in to look a little closer, not making a move to take it. "The spell was to send it back, we weren't meant to come with it." She looked at her companion strangely, as if figuring something out.
"Right, because that's believable." Dean said sarcastically. "A couple of witches just decided to return a book to a hunter's house. I'm sure you were just worried about getting a library fine."
"Okay, for starters, I'm the witch and she's just a friend; actually the baby sister of a friend who's totally gonna flip and probably go on a bloody rampage when she finds out I let her do a spell like this. And I'm just gonna add here, before you get all shooty and killy on us, that I'm a good witch; a nice witch. No warts or cackling." The redhead rambled, shaking her head to emphasize the last sentence.
Dean was only half listening. He was sure he'd seen this girl before somewhere.
"Dean?" Sam looked to his older brother in askance.
He shook himself out of his daze and his eyes widened. "Dude, she's the chick out of American Pie!"
Sam looked puzzleed for a moment and looked between his brother and the redhead before realising what Dean meant. "Woah, Michelle's a witch?"
She shrugged and nodded seemingly to herself. "Better than an evil vampire queen-type."
The boys frowned in puzzlement and the brunette giggled nervously.
"Sammy, how 'bout you get Glenda and Dorothy here down to the panic room and I'll go call Bobby." He didn't wait for an answer as pulled out a battered mobile phone.
Sam gestured to the girls to stand and led them at gunpoint to the basement.
Once alone in the panic room Willow looked sympathetically at Dawn. "How you holding up, kiddo?"
Dawn pulled a face. "Kiddo? Really?"
Willow stifled a giggle at Dawn's indignant expression. "Sorry."
"And I'm okay. Guess the spell didn't go exactly to plan, huh?" She sat down on the floor and rested her head back against the wall.
"Must have something to do with you being... Well, you know." The witch gestured uncomfortably.
"It's okay, you can say it. It's to do with me being the Key, isn't it?" Dawn looked up at her friend, a little irritated by the avoidance, but more guilty. She should have thought; it's fairly obvious that an inter-dimensional key shouldn't be casting spells to send things between dimensions. "Shame Glory didn't know it was that easy."
Willow gave a half smile in response.
"So, do you think if we do the spell again we can get home?" Dawn's tone was neutral. Even she knew it was a long shot.
Willow shook her head warily. "I don't know, Dawnie. It was a fluke to begin with. I'm not sure we should even try to-"
"What's the worst that could happen? I mean, we're already stuck in a parallel universe where all witches are evil and there are two guys outside the door that I'm pretty sure want to kill you 'cause they think you are too." Dawn pointed out.
"We could end up in a hell dimension, or somewhere without oxygen, or something like that." Willow tried to reason. She didn't want to stay here any more than Dawn did, but she didn't see much of a choice given the risk. They'd find a way, but repeating the same freak accident wasn't going to be it.
"Fine." Dawn huffed. "Good luck with Dean; he doesn't seem too keen on witches in the show."
Willow just pulled the face of an adult looking at a petulant child before walking over to sit next to her. "It'll be fine, we'll just have to show them that we're not from here. They've dealt the weird stuff too, they'll understand."
Dawn shot her a sceptical look.
"Okay, so maybe it's easier said than done. But still, we'll get by. We always do." She bumped her young friend's shoulder, receiving a small smile for her efforts.
Silence filled the room for a few minutes before Dawn broke it.
"Do you really think we should tell them?" She asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Should we really tell them who we are, where we come from? They won't believe us anyway and who knows if they'll ever let us out." Dawn clarified.
Willow frowned. "So what are you suggesting?"
Dawn shrugged. "That maybe you're an overambitious new-age wiccan who accidentally stumbled on a real spell, and I'm a naïve friend who was there when you decided to try it out?"
Willow looked surprised at her young friend; she hadn't thought to play dumb, but it made sense. The boys would probably still be suspicious but they'd at least have a chance to get out and find a way home. "That's actually not a bad idea."
Dawn beamed.
Bobbie didn't take long getting home after hearing that his house had been invaded by witches, and within an hour, all three men were gathered around the spot where said witches had appeared while Bobby examined the book the girls had claimed to be returning.
"Ain't never heard of a teleportation spell before. 'Least not one that works at any rate." Bobby said, more than a little impressed at the feat.
"Yeah, well, it happened. What should we do with them?" Dean deferred to the older man. Even with his blunt instrument days firmly behind him, old habits died hard.
"Well, we could ask 'em what in the hell they were doin' with one of my books in the first place? I haven't seen it in years!" Bobby was making his way downstairs as soon as he'd finished speaking. He would never let on to the boys, but the thought of witches teleporting at will into his house was worrying to say the least, and he'd like to clear up the issue as soon as possible.
They found their captives sat on the floor thumb wrestling; hardly a threatening sight, but they all knew better than to be taken in that easily.
"Would you ladies mind explaining to me what you're doin' in my house?" Bobby asked without introduction.
"We... We were just sending back your book. But something went wrong. I don't know if I read the words wrong or something." Willow tried for confusion, although she was pretty sure she knew why it had happened the way it did.
"And just how did you get your hands on my book?" Bobby showed no outward signs of either belief or disbelief.
"I found it?" Willow didn't have to act nervous, the old man had an air about him that instantly made you feel like a misbehaving child.
"Where?" His arms were folded across his chest.
Willow decided a half truth would do. "Well, I personally didn't find it. My friend did and it's really more my kind of thing so I took it to have a look and..." She trailed off under the sceptical stare she fell under.
Silence fell for a few moments before Bobby spoke again. "How long have you been..." It was his turn to trail off.
Willow jumped in before he could finish the sentence. "I've been a practising wiccan since I was sixteen, and I was a member of the Daughters of Gaea at College. We did blessings and stuff all the time, but this... This is..."
The three men relaxed a little at this; since when did real witches call themselves 'wiccans' or 'Daughters of Gaea'? Besides, blessings weren't exactly the same as spells, they were more a wishy washy prayer to pagan gods with some incense, spring water and a smattering of 'blessed be'. And not a sacrifice in sight.
"How about your friend?" Bobby nodded towards Dawn.
"Oh, I've..." Dawn started.
"She's not really a part of it. Her sister's a friend of mine and she just wanted to join on on a circle..." Willow wondered if she'd overdone it with the 'circle', but none of the men looked phased, and if anything the look of wariness in their eyes only dissipated further.
"I got hooked on it all when I went to the bake sale." Dawn added helpfully.
"Bake sale?" Dean asked incredulously.
"Let me get this straight, you guys aren't real witches?" Sam clarified.
Willow did her best to look offended. "What did you expect witches to do? Ride around on our broomsticks?"
The Winchesters exchanged a glance while Bobby kept his gaze firmly on the two girls.
"Look, all we did was bring your book back. I don't think that's grounds for kidnapping!" Willow started to argue her case.
"You trespassed on my property; I'm legally allowed to hold you until the police get here." Bobby replied flatly.
"And when will they get here?" Willow challenged. In the silence that followed, she decided to continue. "People will be looking for us, you know."
"Will they now? And just where will they be looking?" Bobby pointed out. Even if you took out the fact that it was a whole other dimension, there was still the fact that having teleported, there would be no trail to follow, no clue as to where they went.
Here, Dawn showed her truly exceptional acting skills as she began to cry. She hunched in on herself, and although knowing who her captors were and how powerful her companion was meant that she had no real fear for her life, she pulled all the similar situations she'd been in to mind (of which there had been far too many for comfort), and sat snivelling as all the eyes in the room turned towards her. "Please, I just want to go home." She begged in a small voice.
Bobby's eyes softened, though he made no move to let them out. "First thing's first; boys, get the holy water." He pulled out a silver blade from his belt as two separate flasks of holy water were offered over his shoulders.
Dawn's eyes widened. She'd forgotten their little habit of cutting people. She hated being cut. Still, not like she hadn't had worse.
Both girls sipped holy water and reluctantly held out their arms when ordered to do so. Satisfied to some extent, the men drew back to consider their next course of action.
Willow watched on with a still sobbing Dawn in her arms as they nearly whispered back and forth. She could see Sam getting exasperated and could only hope he was the same in life as he was in the show, and was arguing their case. Dean was whispering fiercely to his brother, and Bobby was listening, interjecting every now and then, but mostly watching the girls thoughtfully.
"How'd you find the spell?" Bobby's voice broke through Willow's inward ramblings.
"Umm..." Willow thought desperately on what to tell him.
"'Cause the way I see it, you don't just stumble on a spell like that, and it sure as hell ain't in my book. So where'd you get it?" Bobby had the attention of everyone in the room now, but no one spoke. Willow looked away a little guiltily. "That's what I thought."
So much for playing dumb. Willow berated herself for not being able to come up with a plausible way for her to have come across the spell. "I-" Willow cut herself off, staring a little in shock at a space just behind Dean's shoulder.
Dean looked at her slightly slack jawed face and turned, jumping away a little in surprise at the proximity of the angel he found standing behind him. "Dude! Little warning next time?"
Castiel looked at him for a moment before turning back to stare at the strangers. "My apologies, Dean, I did not mean to startle you." He was squinting a little as his eyes focused on Dawn.
"There something we can help you with?" Dean asked a little sarcastically when it became apparent that the angel wasn't going to speak.
Again, his eyes turned back to Dean, this time with a contemplative look which said he was working out how to explain in terms Dean's lowly human mind would understand. "There was a... disturbance in the fabric of this universe..." He paused, making sure he was explaining properly. "Something from... Somewhere else, came through."
Dean took a moment to unravel what Castiel had just said. "Something like what? And from where?"
"Something like that," Castiel pointed at Dawn, "And I don't know from where. Probably a parallel world."
"That? That's a girl, Cas. Hardly an extra terrestrial." Dean pulled a face.
"That isn't a girl."
"Really?" Dean looked back at Dawn, looking her up and down as if scanning for some evidence to support Cas's assertion.
"But you are right, she is from Earth. Just not this one."
"Because that makes sense." Dean puzzled over Cas's use of 'she' when he had only just said she wasn't a 'she' at all, but let it go in favour of 'not this one'. You kind of had to prioritize what you were going to be confused about when talking to angels. Or maybe it was just Cas.
"So, what is she?" Sam piped up.
"I can't quite tell..." Cas stopped speaking to continue his in depth examination of Dawn.
"What about the other one?" Bobby had kept watchful eyes on the girls after a quick glance at Cas when he first entered and didn't look away as he said this, just nodding slightly towards Willow.
"A witch." Castiel's eyes flickered briefly in the red-head's direction before he frowned a little and looked again properly. "An extremely powerful one." He stepped forwards. "Why are you still here?"
Willow looked confused. "I... Is there any reason I shouldn't be?"
"You could have left a long time ago. Why would you stay here?"
She had to admit, he had a point. But she hadn't really thought about using her magic to get them out; it was using magic that got them here in the first place. A part of her actually wondered if it would work here anyway.
"What do you mean she could have left a long time ago? We've got them under lock down." Dean's eyes were wide and he sounded a little angry, as if his abilities had been questioned.
Castiel didn't reply, trusting what he'd said to explain itself.
Willow decided to answer Castiel honestly. He was an angel after all, maybe he could help them get back. "We didn't mean to come here, it was accident, and we don't know if we can get back."
"You opened a door between dimensions by accident?" Bobby looked a little awed, though he'd never admit it.
"My friend, she's... Well, she's kinda..." Willow stumbled over saying it.
"They key." Dawn piped up. She was sick of it being danced around, if they were going to help, the boys needed to know and dragging it out wouldn't help anything.
"Key?" Several voices chorused.
"Inter-dimensional portal opener." She rolled her eyes a little and gave a small shrug like it didn't matter, when really it'd hurt more than she'd expected when Castiel had said she wasn't a girl and saying this felt like agreeing with him. Not being quite human never got all that much easier. Nobody seemed to know quite what to say about that so she continued. "I know, it's kinda dumb to play with magic like that when you're... Well, me. But we thought it needed a certain ritual to do anything. That at least I'd need to bleed all over the spell first."
Four pairs of eyes shot down to her still bleeding arm.
She glanced down herself. "Oh. That. It's fine, it won't do anything. I've been cut before and all I did was get everything messy." And because she felt it needed to be said, "I am human, by the way. I have memories, a sister, friends. I even have a stupid high school diploma. I... Just didn't start out that way."
Willow gave her a small sympathy smile and looked back up at Cas. "So, can you help us? To get back, I mean."
"Why can't you just do the spell over again?" Dean asked before the angel could answer.
"'Cause it wasn't meant to do this in the first place. If we tried it again without knowing what happened it could jump us somewhere else. Somewhere worse." Willow replied.
The look on Dean's face that suggested there wasn't a worse place out there for them to jump to.