I'm the place you can rest
When your dreams go blind
I'm the breath you can tail
When you're trapped inside
You're the reason I get through
You were there for me
I'm here for you
'Cause I will be, I will be
The one who's there when your world's asleep
And when you wake and if you break
I won't be far, wherever you are
Brought me back to life
Lit my sky on fire
Opened up my eyes
I will be
I Will Be
Mercy General Hospital
Sacramento California
Cole's POV
It was 6:00AM, I only had about an hour or two left of my shift. I was starving, so I'd decided to take a break and finally eat my lunch. I pulled the Tupperware tub out of the microwave and sat down ready to eat.
To say that tonight's shift had been a long one was an understatement. I had the pleasure of caring for the drunk that had eaten tomatoes, the meth addict who smarted off to his celly, and the lecherous old man who desperately wanted to see if my breasts were real.
And I still had forever to go. The door to the staff break room was pushed open and Shea walked in. Shea had worked here for as long as I had we both basically started the job around the same time. Although she'd been an experienced ER Nurse while I had been some fresh faced newbie intern.
"Hey Cole there's a man looking for you." She said as she pulled out a chair and plopped down beside me. Inwardly I groaned.
"Tell Mr. Morton I'll be right there to examine his stool." I said exasperatedly. Mr. Morton had evidently thought he had parasite's and fished his own stool out of the john.
I longed for the days when stool specimen's and vomit used to gross me out. At time's I felt I'd grown way too cynical for this job. Then again at least the crazies and the nut jobs made things interesting.
"Oh it wasn't Mr. Morton." She replied. "It was some older man who'd walked in here on his own, although I'm really surprised he was able to walk. He was slashed up pretty badly. He had a gash on his shoulder and running down his leg. He wouldn't say what did it." Shea said noncommittally.
"Probably some whack job ex-wife of his who found him running to another woman's arms." I said with a smirk. I'd been on this job too long to be surprised why people did a lot of things they did. Lying about what happened that brought you into the ER was one of the things people did most often.
"Anyways he's in curtain two." Shea said rising and moving to the door. I finished my dinner hurriedly and moved with her.
Curtain two was right across from the nurse's station and literally just a simple pull around curtain to provide patient's with some semblance of privacy. Shea went to gather her supplies for Dr. Angie who was the resident in house this shift, I chose to wait for her rather than walk in on a patient uninvited.
She pulled back the curtain and I gasped. John Winchester. He was home.
"John! What the hell happened to you? Are you all right?" I asked anxiously, moving towards him and running my hand up and down his uninjured shoulder, concern in my eyes. He hadn't even called to tell me he was coming home.
Of course he couldn't answer to what had really messed him up with Shea standing there. Shea glanced up at me sharply. She'd heard a whole lot about John. She lowered her head and resumed her work of cleaning and disinfecting his shoulder.
John grinned and pulled me in to him, his free hand running around the base of my neck as he pulled me in to him for a breathtaking kiss. "Hey Cole." He said quietly, a smile apparent on his face.
"Hey yourself," I said, I couldn't help but grin back, hell my whole face was probably lit up like a kids on Christmas morning. God, I'd missed him. This time, it had been almost a month between visit's, and while phone calls at least put me out of my misery that he was in fact okay, seeing him well seeing him just made everything better.
"All right Mr. Winchester," Shea said abruptly, making no secret of observing our interactions, voyeur that she was. "Dr. Angie should be in here momentarily to put some stitches in these wounds." She said brightly turning to me.
"So..." Shea questioned, pulling me away slightly and barely lowering her voice. "John, as in the imaginary boyfriend John?"
I raised my eyebrows incredulously. Seriously did these people have no tact? "Yeah that's the one and guess what? He's not freaking deaf!" I snapped at her, not even lowering my voice.
She turned as red as her hair and turned around apologetically. John simply gave her the trademark Winchester, I'm a sex God and I know it smirk, while I glared daggers at him.
Shea turned and left us alone, drawing the curtain closed behind her. The minute the curtain closed I flew back into John's arms ignoring his exaggerated flinch. Now I knew where Dean got his 'big baby' routine from.
"What are you doing here John? What happened to you? Are you okay?" I asked worriedly. He ignored me and pulled my face down on level with his, kissing me soundly. I melted into the kiss, sighing when he pulled back from me.
"I needed you." He said simply it was our game the one we'd played on and off for years. One of us would show up out of nowhere, needing the comfort, the control, the security in knowing that we'd always be there for one another. "I got a little banged up but I'll be fine, a whole lot better now." He said his eyes on mine.
I sighed, right now I had to get back to work. I reluctantly pulled out of his embrace, with a groan. "I have to get back to work, I pretty much have to give my report to the oncoming shift then I'm done. You want to wait for me or head back to my place?" I asked him with a small smile.
"I'll wait. Maybe we could get some breakfast?" He asked with a grin.
"Baby you…." I was cut off by the sound of glass smashing. I jerked the curtain back glancing around. One of the windows to the trauma room was smashed in. I heard a roar of rage as a man strapped to a gurney, was up and walking, the stretcher still attached to his back. He'd picked up his IV pole and was using it to ward off doctors and nurses, and perhaps more importantly the police officers that had brought him into the ER.
"I need 5 milligrams of Haldol stat!" Greg yelled to anyone listening while he and a nurse were trying to subdue this patient gone psycho. I took off sprinting down the hall to the med room, while John freaking white knight Winchester went to go lend a hand containing Mr. Donovan.
I came back down the hall as Greg, John and another nurse had subdued Donovan. I just jumped right in the middle of their dog pile on top of the stretcher mattress they had used to take him down, jamming the needle into his bicep, while Shea had reached around and stretched out his arm so I could get a clean shot.
We stayed on top of Donovan a moment longer while we waited for the Haldol to knock him out. "So, uh hot date huh?" Greg said next to me giving me a cheeky grin and a wink. I wasn't worried, he was Shea's husband and a merciless flirt.
Shea gave a laugh as she stayed with us releasing Donovan's arm. "Not, honey. So this is John." She said indicating John with a nod in his direction. Greg leaned around me, to better see John.
"Oh hey man, nice to meet you." Greg said, while giving Shea a wink. "So I do believe you owe me twenty bucks." He said with a total playboy grin at his wife.
I opened my mouth to voice my objections that they'd been betting on my love life, when the trauma room doors opened and in walked Romano, our ER Chief resident and total asshole.
He assessed our scene with the newly subdued Donovan as John and Greg both moved away from him. Shea moved around to the other side of the stretcher to stand next to Greg. The tall black man reached around and helped me off of the stretcher. I stood in between him and John while I waited to be patronized or fired or something.
"Please tell me you do still work here?" Romano asked sarcastically. Dick. He knew it was my last day and was probably having a party about it. We hated each other. Actually everyone hated Romano.
I glanced around at the clock and replied. "Yeah I got two minutes to give my report to Maurice." I said as Romano's face showed indifference.
I strolled past him out of the door and I felt the inappropriate touch of his hand on my ass. "Ow!" I growled spinning around to face the creepy little man. My hand went out to grab him but John beat me to it, not missing the action from him. Romano found himself pushed up against the wall, John's forearm pressing against his throat.
"Hey!" Romano cried out, "Let me go!"
"Son of a bitch just grabbed my ass!" I snapped indignantly. Glaring daggers at him, "Easy now, I still have just enough time to push a sexual harassment lawsuit!" I snarled at him, furious. John's face was stony and he was frighteningly silent.
"You're going to apologise to her... now," John said quietly to the man. The short man syndrome was hilarious, and I grinned at John, sometimes it was nice having the white knight around.
Romano glanced between John and I, his eyes starting to look a little scared. "Uh, yeah... sorry Cole, that was very inappropriate of me." Romano said. He looked back at John. "Happy?"
John stared at him a moment longer, not releasing him.
"John..." I said quietly. "Let him go."
He responded to my voice, releasing Romano, who stepped away from him quickly.
"Well I'm not happy! I told you to treat my nurses with some respect. I don't care if you are the chief of the department. We aren't your personal property!" Shea said hotly. "I'll be filing a report about this." She said sternly to him.
Romano looked down at himself, John's shoulder had bled all down the front of his pristine white coat. "Hey! Man you bled all over me!" He complained. John smirked and glanced at me.
"Be thankful it's not your blood, now get out of my sight!" John snapped. Romano scampered off, and John turned to me, slouching against a gurney, suddenly I realised that he was a lot worse off than he'd seemed when he walked in here.
I hurried to him, wrapping my hands around his waist and fitting myself beneath his shoulder, giving him what little support I could offer. "Come on let's get you back so Dr. Angie can stitch you up." I said softly to him, escorting him back to curtain two.
Angie was exiting the curtain as we were coming in. "Ah there you are, I thought you'd chickened out and left." She said with a soft smile at John.
As he sat down on the gurney he looked at me smiling broadly. "I tried to, but I couldn't convince this here nurse to run away with me." He said with a light laugh.
I shot him a glare then turned an apologetic smile to the doc, shrugging. "Yeah so I'm gonna go and get my report given, say bye to everyone. You want me to send Shea back in when she has a minute?" I asked Angie, totally ignoring John's comment about running away.
I wasn't running away from anything. True to my wayward nature I was ready for a break. I needed a change of pace, and going hunting on the road for a while with John seemed like just the ticket, not that he had any idea. But it didn't mean I wasn't going to miss everyone.
Angie shook her head in the negative. "Nah I'm good." She reached out a hand to me, squeezing mine. "I really am gonna miss you Cole." She said with a small sad smile on her face.
I smiled back. "Me too." I said softly. I turned to John, "So I do believe you said something about breakfast?" I said lightening my mood.
He smiled knowingly. "Thank God. I'm starving." He pulled me to him for a kiss, and grinned at Angela's expression of shock.
Diner
Sacramento, California
Present Day
John's POV
Cole waited patiently until the hostess had seated us and taken our drink order and left before turning shrewd assessing eyes to me. "All right Winchester spill it what the hell happened to you?" She said sharply.
I chuckled. "What? No 'baby are you all right'?" I asked in amusement, cocking an eyebrow.
She didn't look amused and simply glared menacingly at me. I swear if I didn't know her I might be a little on edge by her direct stare and one track mind. I sighed softly.
"Can we get into this later when we're alone?" I asked softly almost using a stern voice with her, which would get me absolutely nowhere. She was more stubborn than Mary.
"No baby…" She exclaimed angrily, breaking off and glancing at a young man who had looked towards our table. "Can I help you!" She snapped anger flashing in her eyes. She turned back to me pinning me with an angry glare. "No baby, we can't talk about this later because as soon as we get home you're going to do that thing you do and I'm going to fall for it, because I fall for it every time." She said her voice lowering so we weren't overheard.
I heaved a sigh, it was going to be a long breakfast. I opened my mouth to answer her inquiry when the waitress returned with our drinks.
"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath. I didn't even know where to start. Start at the beginning. Even that wasn't so clear cut, because the beginning started decades ago.
"What I am about to tell you, you cannot tell Beth, or Dean, or Sam for that matter. Too many people have been hurt for this to come out now, and I won't have the kids involved." I was stern, she had to know there was no breaking this one condition.
"Tell me," she said, serious.
"I was down in Jericho a few days ago, working a Woman in White case, when Jim called me. Said he was up in Red Bluff visiting relatives and he'd run into an old... friend... of sorts." I said, swallowing hard. This was going to be difficult to tell, I didn't even know how to voice it, it had been nearly fifteen years since any of us discussed her, I had wanted to believe she was dead, how wrong I had been.
Red Bluff, California
2 days ago
Jim answered the door almost as soon as I rang the bell. When he saw it was me, he smiled and pulled me into a big hug.
"John! It's so good to see you, been too long," he said, showing me into the house. He shut the door, and it was then that I saw things were not as happy as he was making out. Every door and window was lined in salt, and he poured a fresh line of it at the door I'd just passed through.
"Jim... what's going on?" I asked, looking around. Jim's sister was in the kitchen, singing a happy tune and baking, seemingly oblivious to what her brother was up to. I found that odd, but then, this family had been through some strange things in the past, perhaps nothing seemed odd to them anymore.
"Come, sit, would you like a drink? I have whiskey?" He said, showing me into the living room and crossing to the liquor cabinet where he pulled out a couple of glasses and uncapped a bottle of whiskey.
"Sure, whiskey is good," I said, taking a seat on the couch and watching him.
He came to join me, fear in his eyes, and I knew something had him running.
"I saw her," he said cryptically, and I frowned.
"Saw who?" I asked, taking a sip of my whiskey.
"I thought she'd be dead by now, passed on for a new meatsuit, for something different. I should have known better, the demons would love to use her abilities for their own devices. I just, I never thought after all these years, we'd see her again..." he was rambling and I reached out a hand to steady him, bringing him back into his body.
"Jim. Who did you see?" I asked, my gut feeling sick as there were only a couple of people who would set Jim Murphy off like this.
"Grace," he whispered, and my blood ran cold. "I saw Grace, here, in Red Bluff!" His eyes were anxious, and suddenly I understood why he'd barricaded himself in the house with salt, refusing to leave. This was no ordinary demon we were talking about. This was a Knight of Hell.
Diner
Sacramento, California
Present Day
"Wait I'm confused. A Knight of Hell? What is that? " Cole asked looking confused.
I sighed glancing down at the worn Formica of the table we were at. "A Knight of Hell is one of the oldest demons. A first generation of the demons we see today. They are very old, very pure, and a very unadulterated form of the evil we are fighting now." I said glancing back up to see Cole's expression. I detected the faintest shiver of fear sliding down her spine. She looked afraid all of a sudden. Good, she needed to be.
Local Bar
Red Bluff, California
1 day earlier
I made my way through the doors of the local bar, it was small but extremely popular. I walked up to the bar where a bartender was busy wiping down the counter top, "Excuse me ma'am, I'm looking for a woman, she came through here yesterday." I reached a hand in my pocket for the picture of Grace and Patrick that Jim had loaned me.
She stopped wiping and took a minute to glance at the picture. "Yeah she was in here last night. Girl really knows how to party."
"Has she been in tonight?" I asked. She looked thoughtful and the nodded.
"Yeah, earlier. Last I saw she was headed to the bathroom," she answered, pointing down a hallway leading to the back of the building.
"Thank you." I said to her turning away and moving down the hallway. Thankfully the restroom was empty. I glanced around looking for a hint of sulfur. Nothing. Dammit. I stepped into the unisex bathroom locking the door behind me.
I sighed in frustration at finding nothing. How in the Hell was I supposed to track down a demon? I knew one thing for sure I wasn't going to be able to work this one by myself. I was going to need some help. My children were out of the question. Jim was out of the question he had more important things to tend to.
Jim and I had spent over an hour talking about the details of this case. There had been only a handful people who knew Grace was even still alive. One of us was dead, the others however were very much alive but scattered across the map.
I leaned against the sink staring at my reflection in the mirror, what the hell was I doing? I needed to be out there looking for Mary's killer, but I owed this to Patrick to finish what he'd started. I looked down at the sink, splashing some cool water in my face. When I looked back up, blue eyes were also reflected back at me from a very familiar face.
I whirled around in the small confines of the bathroom and was brought face to face with my best friend's wife. "Grace." I practically choked on the word.
She smirked at me. "Hello John." She replied the words were drawn out, lingering.
My heart was hammering, hard. It took a lot to be able to sneak up on me none of my kids had ever been able to, hell not even Cole could do it. Grace was close, too close.
"It's been a long time, and I have to say you look amazing." She gave me an appreciative once over. "You look good enough to possess. We could do some dirty things together." She said leaning into me and lowering her voice so I almost couldn't hear her.
"Grace always did fancy you, maybe not enough to act on it she was truly, sappily, in love with her husband," The demon said with a grimace. "However you could at least give a girl something to go on Winchester." She said with a seductive smile on her face.
I smirked back at her. "Well you're not exactly my type. Plus you're in my best friend's wife, best not to get our wires crossed." I said cockily.
"Hmmm. Perhaps you're right." She said with a light chuckle. Then she pressed her body against me, raising her lips to meet mine. As her tongue snaked inside me, I felt physically ill. Tension was coiling low and mean in my gut. She broke the kiss, pressing her lips against my ear, "Although it never stopped your wife. Or Patrick." She said nipping my earlobe.
I jerked back away from her. "What the hell do you know about my wife?" I snapped at her anger edging my voice. Maybe this demon knew something.
"Mmmm I know they turned her hunter remains into roasty toasty s'mores." She said with a smile. She did know something. "But that's enough of memory lane." Grace said waving a hand dismissively. "I need you to find something for me." She said stepping away from me turning all business.
"What the hell could I possibly find for you?" I snapped at her furious. She would give me the answers I wanted or I'd beat them out of her.
"My daughter of course." She said with a sickly twisted sentimental smile.
"She's not exactly your daughter. She's mine." I said in a harsh voice.
"Well, technically, she's not yours either, but eh. Splitting hairs if you ask me. You say tomato, I say I need a new vessel." She said calmly, and very forthcoming with the information.
I narrowed my eyes at her assessing the condition of Grace's body, from what I could see without being forced to undress her to check for healed wounds, she looked fine. "That vessel looks to be in tip top condition." I said with a forced calmness. Now I needed to get to my kids and ensure their protection.
"Oh you'd be surprised." Grace said with a sarcastic smile, "Right before I came to see you I had to pop an eyeball back in, which by the way is a lot harder than it looks."
Ugh, I fought to keep a neutral expression.
Diner
Sacramento, California
Present Day
"Wait why the hell was this Grace chick looking for Beth?" Cole asked anxiously. If there was a few people I could see Cole willing to kill for, Beth was one of the first.
I sighed looking deep into her eyes. "Grace, as in Grace O'Malley." I clarified, waiting for her to come to it on her own. Nicole definitely didn't disappoint. My girl is quick on the uptake.
"Beth's mother? I thought she died in a car crash?" I shook my head. "So what in the hell are we waiting around here for? Let's go, we have to get to Beth!" She snapped at me. "And all this time you've been evasive as shit. Get a move on Winchester." She pushed herself out of the booth and stalked towards the door.
I grabbed her and pulled her into my side of the booth, pressing my mouth to her ear. "Easy, baby girl, let's not forget that I had a hell hound gunning for me. I did get slashed up a bit. We can take a minute to at least eat something." I said trying to soothe her. She relaxed into me although I could feel her heart pounding.
I reached across the table to her half eaten plate pulling it towards her. "Eat." I said simply to her. "You won't be any good to me if you pass out from a low blood sugar, while you're supposed to be watching my six." I said to her.
She shot me a cocky grin. "Oh I can totally watch your back." She said confidently, winking at me.
"My back, not my backside babe." I said with a light laugh. I couldn't help myself, I leaned in to kiss her. And just like that everything seemed more bearable. I needed her with me on this.
The kid across from us had some wandering eyes, and I met his stare evenly, issuing a warning. One thing was for certain, now that I had her, she was mine and I wasn't letting her go. She saved my life more times than once on this crazy revenge driven sociopathic mission I was on. And in twenty two years I had never had a break this big. I needed her to help me, to keep me going. To pull me back when things got too dark.
I shifted bringing her closer to me, wincing as the movement pulled at my stitches, it didn't hurt too bad, but I needed a distraction.
As distractions go it worked. She turned anxious eyes to me. "How are you feeling?" She said worriedly picking through her fruit.
"I'm fine." I said simply flashing her a reassuring smile. She didn't look very convinced. Dammit. I needed another distraction.
"So is that what went all Freddy Krueger on you? A hell hound?" Cole asked effectively changing the subject. And getting us back to business.
I nodded thinking back to the encounter that lead me to where we were now.
Local Bar
Red Bluff, California
1 day earlier
Grace took a second to glance around the room. She turned a furious gaze on me.
"So? My daughter? Where have you been hiding her all these years?" She asked. I smirked at her. If only she knew. I was careful not to think about Beth, or Dean, or the fact that they were probably looking all over creation for me right now after that voicemail I had left them. Demons can read minds, and I wasn't about to put anything above this one.
"You know John, you're a stubborn man. I knew you wouldn't be easy to break, but I can't deny I was the tiniest bit hopeful." She said huffing out an irritated sigh and pacing away from me.
"Well…." I said with a satisfied grin. "I'm happy to disappoint."
Grace growled at me, turning and stalking along the confines of the bathroom. I grinned again. Tormenting demons was a serious perk of the job.
"Well John, since you won't help me, maybe your son will," Grace said, raising an eyebrow at me.
I smirked. "Dean wouldn't tell you a damn thing," I said to her confidently.
"Oh I wasn't talking about Dean, I was talking about little Sam. Not so little anymore is he?" She said, and one of my worst nightmares was about to be realised. Sam had a demon gunning for him now, and he had no idea it was coming.
I pulled out the knife Jim had given me, the one we'd found in Patrick the day he'd been murdered. It was an ancient knife, a demon-killing knife, and as loathe as I was to use it on Grace, I would if I had to. The demon stopped to look at it, hesitating a moment.
"Aw, come on now, surely you didn't think I would be unprepared, and I have to say you walked right into it." I said with a humorless laugh as I blocked the doorway.
She laughed then, the sound low and mocking. "You honestly weren't dumb enough to think I'd come alone?" She asked calmly.
I heard a growl coming from my left. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a massive outline of a hellhound. The large ruby eyes fixated on me, simply awaiting the command. My stomach dropped. "Damn." I said softly, not dumb enough to move. "And here I was half hoping you were allergic to dogs." I said inching slipping into a defensive stance with the knife, my free hand going to the gun at the small of my back, loaded with salt ammo.
Maybe I could injure it enough to get out of here. I could temporarily trap them both and make a run for it.
Grace gave a light chuckle. "Grace always did love your sense of humor." She said softly.
I waited a heartbeat, simply a fraction of a second. My eyes darting between Grace and keeping the mutt in my line of vision. Grace's eyes went black as the hell hound was inching his way closer to me.
"Sick 'im Yeller." Grace said softly. Her gaze flicking from me to the hell hound and back again.
I whirled then making a break for the door. The hell hound pounced, knocking me to the floor. I rolled trying to get to my feet, my gun fell to the floor on my left and I couldn't quite reach it.
I brought up my left arm trying to keep Cujo off of me long enough to get to bring the knife around. The hound grabbed a hold of my arm, the bite force emanating from the thing was incredible. I swung the knife around into the side of the hound, and it yelped, but it didn't stop.
I cried out in pain as a clawed foot left behind searing gashes across my thigh. With a final swing, I used the knife to stab the hound through the head, and it fell beside me, invisible, nothing more than a heavy weight on my leg.
I got my feet under me scooting back enough to line up a shot at Grace, I took it, wounding her with the rock salt cased shells. I grunted, limping toward her, brandishing the knife while Grace watched, laughing.
"Let's see who can get to Sam first, what do you say John?" She called out and then she was gone in a blur, one second she was there, the next she wasn't. I cursed, and stumbled out the door, past the patrons crowding the hallway and headed for the rear exit. A few women made startled gasps when they saw the blood dripping from me. I was feeling weak from blood loss, and knew that I needed help.
I climbed into my truck clumsily getting the key into the ignition and peeling out of the drive. I did a quick mental inventory of my wounds. As much as I hated to put Cole in danger, I could use a bit of patching up.
Diner
Sacramento, California
Present Day
Cole had finished her breakfast while I recounted the gory details of my attack by the hell hound. One good thing about being a hunter, we didn't have weak stomachs, for the most part anyway.
When I got the part about Sam, and the demon getting into a race with us to get there first she started to get up again.
"Dammit John, Sam is in danger and you're sitting around talking? What the Hell is wrong with you?" She snapped, looking at me like I'd lost my marbles.
"Relax, would you?" I said, shaking my head at her. "I knew I was too injured to make the drive without you patching me up. So I sent Jim to get him. He's gone, apparently he went on a trip with Dean and Beth, they're uh... they're looking for me." I chuckled and shook my head.
Cole stared at me, then shook her head. She seemed quiet. Pensive almost. She leaned into me and wrapped an arm around my waist, I returned the embrace with a sigh, draping an arm around her shoulders. I kissed the top of her head, comfortingly.
"Just the thought of something so vicious getting ahold of you terrifies me." She said so low I almost missed it.
"I know baby. But I'm so close. Closer than I've ever been before, this demon knows something, I know it. I can end this." I said using a calming tone of voice to hide the excitement and adrenaline coursing through my veins. Revenge. So close.
Cole sighed beneath my shoulder. "Well you're not going to go it alone. I'll be there." She said steeling herself against what was to come.
I grinned at her. "I was hoping you would say that." Damn I loved her.
She shot me a quick grin and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah come on Superman let's get you some sleep, then we can go hunt down Lex Luther." She pushed out of the booth ahead of me making her way to the parking lot.
Sacramento California
Cole's Apartment and POV
John and I made our way up to my front door, and I felt anxious and on edge the whole way. I opened the door and deposited my keys and work bag by the table. I turned going into the bathroom. I felt worked up. I couldn't settle, I felt restless.
So I brushed my teeth, shrugged out of my scrubs, and moved around the room, packing my things up while John sat back on the bed watching me.
"Um. Nicole, what are you doing?" He asked interestedly.
I turned away from the bed going to my bookcase pulling out some books, looking for my copy of Whitman's Leaves of Grass. "Packing." I said distractedly.
I heard the bed groan as John shifted, coming to stand beside me. "Why?" He asked curiously.
"Because we've got to beat Grace to Sam that's why." I said aggravated. I turned back to my book case. Where the hell did I put that damned book! I didn't notice as John moved away from me, moving to my dresser. "What are you doing?" I asked him turning to raise an eyebrow.
He was rummaging through my drawers, in particular my underwear drawer. "I'm helping you pack." He said with a mischievous expression. He held up a pair of lacy red boy shorts. "Oh baby these are so going in the yes pile!"
I made a noise of disapproval. "John!" I snapped at him. "Are you actually going to help me pack, or are you just going to perv you're way through my closet?" I asked exasperatedly. "Baby we really don't have time for this." I said in a stern voice. He wasn't listening, he was picking his way through the rest of my underwear, going with his favorites most of the items were getting discarded. I grinned. Seriously!
I bent back down digging through a few more books, in the end unable to find my copy of Leaves of Grass, I settled on the newest Christine Feehan novel which I had yet to even start. And my favorite from the same series which was supposed to feature one of the same characters. Dark Celebration and a book earlier in the series, Dark Legend.
I chucked both in the general direction of the couch where I'd laid out my duffel bag from the night before, I already had quite a couple suits in there for the whole undercover outfit deal and the jeans and shirts I could fit. My weapons were stashed in a different bag, so coincidentally all I really had left to pack was essentials like undies, socks and books.
I bent back down to, looking through the rest of my books, stiffening when I felt John's hand trail down my back. I bit down on my lip to suppress a grin. I don't care how wrong the rest of the world thinks our relationship is. I am right where I'm meant to be.
"Baby, why are you so anxious. I've already sent Jim to get Sam. He wasn't there, we can have a few hours to ourselves, and we'll head out as soon as possible for Stanford." John said comfortingly running his hands lightly, slowly down my back. "I've been away from you for 20 days. That is 20 long, lonely nights."
I felt a shiver of awareness run down my spine. I forced myself not to move. And it took all of my will power not to just rock back into him.
I inhaled sharply when his hands reached my hips, he pulled me back to meet him, oh God. Yeah I could spare a day.
I shuddered as his roughened palm smoothed up my back to unhook my bra. I straightened slightly pushing my panties down to the floor. I turned assessing John's bare torso. He had a couple long angry looking gashes sewn up along his left upper chest, almost reaching his neck.
I ran my fingers lightly over his abdomen, pushing him backwards to the bed. He leaned down capturing my mouth. I moaned into the kiss, hissing when he nipped my bottom lip. If he draws blood I might just have to bite him back.
John stopped when he hit the bed, lowering his hands to his jeans. I broke the kiss lowering my own hands to his jeans, pulling them down over his hips as I assessed the stitched up angry gashes in his thigh. They looked like they'd heal well enough so long as we kept them from getting infected.
Now back to business. I knelt down looking at John from my position below him. He simply smiled at me. "Satisfied that I'll live?" He asked arrogantly.
I rolled my eyes. "Maybe you survived the hell hound but you haven't survived me yet." I drawled knowingly. Twenty long and lonely nights indeed. I smirked up at him as I swiped my tongue across the underside of his erection, chastely, barely enough to elicit a gasp. I opened my mouth wide when I reached the flared head taking as much of him as I could into my mouth, and applying gentle pressure with my teeth as I deep throated him, swallowing when I felt him hit the back of my throat.
He groaned thrusting his hips to push himself deeper into my mouth, but I pulled away with a light pop. That was not what I was after. He groaned in protest, and I licked kissed and nibbled my way back up his body. I pushed lightly against him and he sat back onto the bed, I lowered myself onto his lap careful of the stitches in his thigh, they would be tender for a while.
I sighed in relief as he brought a hand up to massage my breast, his mouth leaving a burning trail down to my collar bone. I gasped as he pulled one nipple into the skilled heat of his mouth. I threw my head back as he brought the other hand up to knead my breast, his magic fingers working and rolling the nipple into an even tighter peak. I moaned arching my back into him, offering myself to him completely.
He pulled away claiming my lips urgently, I raised myself over him positioned directly above his eager body. I lowered myself slowly over him, allowing my body time to reacquaint to his size. Once he was all the way sheathed, he paused as he always did. "You okay?" He questioned. After all these years and he still sought my comfort above his own.
"I'm good baby." I reassured him, I set a slower pace than I normally did, I wanted to enjoy the sensation. I sank onto him with a satisfying sigh. God I'd missed him. I deepened the depth taking as much of him as I could. Slowly the friction and flames were growing, I lowered a hand between our bodies, my index finger finding my clit and flicking across the swollen sensitive nub drawing a moan from me.
I gasped, needing more. John caught my hips, guiding me, taking over the pacing. I moaned burying my face in the crook of his neck. "John!" He fastened his mouth to my neck just below my ear, I was so close. Just a little…. "Yes! Ohhh," I moaned against him.
John never relented, never slowed the pace, he was merciless. I was one hundred percent spent, the only thing I could do was ride the high and hold on for dear life. But it was always that way with John. It was absolutely amazing. I moaned against my orgasm bordering on pain as yet another firestorm built in my bloodstream.
John stiffened, leaning forward and pulling me tighter against him changing the angle yet again. My second orgasm took me over the edge within a matter of minutes. He thrust into me, stiffening even further I knew he was close. I was already lost. He groaned out my name, as I clung to him, sated, and the happiest I'd been in almost a month.
We collapsed backwards onto the bed into a satisfied heap of tangled limbs and lingering kisses. I rolled coming into his side careful to avoid his stitches.
When we both could finally move I crawled up the bed snuggling under the covers. I was exhausted and ready to get a few hours' sleep.
"Hey baby girl?" John said, looking down at me from where I was snuggled into him under the comforter.
"Mmm?" I mused, drifting already, the exhaustion of the night taking me over.
"I missed you." He said quietly, kissing my temple.
I smiled lazily unable to open my eyes. "I missed you and I love you, too." I said happily, he was finally home safe and sound. He chuckled at me. Jerk.
Palo Alto, California
Motel
Cole's POV
I shot upright when my makeshift pillow vibrated underneath me. What the hell! I sat up rubbing the small amount of sleep from my eyes, I hadn't been asleep maybe more than twenty minutes at the most.
I yawned, stretching as John pulled his cell out of his pocket, glancing at the caller ID. Must have been Dean, Beth, or Sam, because he didn't bother to pick up. He turned off the ignition in the truck and opened his door, stepping out. I noticed he seemed to be limping a little as he walked ahead of me. I'd need to check out his stitches in a bit when we were alone.
I moved out my door reaching in and grabbing my bags. John paused glancing back at me, "I told you that you packed like a girl." He said with a teasing grin.
I arched an eyebrow. "Hey you know what? I needed some more stuff that you wouldn't let me take, I need more panties. You have no idea how bad commando chafing kills me. Besides, you only tried to give me enough underwear to wear when I'm in a skirt. I can't go naked the rest of the time." I said snappily.
He turned assessing me with hungry eyes. "Oh I don't know sweetheart, you won't need very many clothes when it's just the two of us." He said his eyes dark with promise. Damn how could he do that! I swear the man could make me wet with a single smoldering look.
He knocked on the door of the motel room twice, and it was opened by an older man, with salt and pepper hair and kind dark eyes. I liked him instantly. He opened the door wider, to allow us in while John stepped back indicating I should enter first while he checked out our surroundings. Paranoid.
I stepped into the dimly lit room, there were maps spread out on the table a laptop open on one bed, and a journal lying open on top of one of the maps. It looked like a decent mission prep. I hated this part, it was boring. I'd much rather be out there in the thick of things, just shoot first and figure out how you screwed up later; much more Buffy the Vampire Slayer style.
I moved to the other obviously unclaimed bed and deposited my bags, my weapons bag clanged ominously. John moved with me his body staying between me and the other occupant of the room. He deposited his things, before moving to the man and shaking his hand. I glanced down noticing John used his left hand, weird. Then I saw it, on both of them, silver rings. Nifty, I so need to get one of those…
"Jim, thanks for coming to check on Sammy for me. After that hell hound I wasn't gonna make it all the way out here without some stitches." John said with a warm smile beckoning me closer with an extended arm. Though he kept himself closer to me than normal, I noticed a slight shift in his position, so he could attack if it was necessary.
"This is Cole Singer." He said introducing me, I noticed he never seemed to use my full name around other people, or hunters, only around our family did he ever call me Nicole.
I shrugged it off, turning to Jim with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you sir." I said politely, formally. I was typically shy around people I didn't know, though after we get thrown through the air together, that tended to change and my true personality would come out.
"Nice to meet you," Jim said, nodding at me. "Would you like a coffee?"
I shook my head and he smiled. "Well, I'm going to make one." He turned to the coffee pot which had been brewing and poured himself a mug which he added milk and sugar to.
"So Jim, have you had any indication that Grace has arrived?" John asked, moving slowly to sit down at the table with a grimace, tenderly touching his thigh where the stitches were.
"No, but there has been a lot of activity – weather changes, and lightning storms. Something is definitely happening around here. Just last night there were reports of cattle mutilations outside of the city," Jim replied, pointing to a couple of circles on the map.
"Sam's girlfriend is expecting him back any time now, apparently he has an interview in the morning," Jim said. John looked at him questioningly.
"An interview?" I asked.
"Yes, apparently he's being considered for law school," Jim said with a smile. John's mouth dropped open a little and he took a breath. "He's done well John, didn't you know?"
"We... we haven't really been talking," John said quietly, looking out the window. "You know we never did see eye to eye on most things."
Jim chuckled and crossed his arms, looking at John. "You two are too alike, that's half your problem."
"Well... I doubt he'd like to hear you say that," John chuckled. He looked over at me, a sadness in his eyes. "And Dean and Beth, they're with him?" Jim nodded, and then cast a wry smile at us both.
"Apparently they broke into the apartment a few nights ago and more or less kidnapped the boy," he said. I had been taking a drink of water and at the comment I couldn't control myself and spat it across the floor in front of me, Jim cast an appraising eye at me.
"I'm not sure I approve of that boy of yours leading her astray like this," Jim said with a grin.
John snorted. "Not sure it's Dean that does the leading astray half the time," he said and Jim laughed, nodding his agreement.
"Well, they looked happy the last time they called in on me, I'm glad to see you let up on them," he said.
"Me?" John asked with a frown.
I laughed shortly, almost snorting and John raised an eyebrow at me.
"John, if you'd let them act on their feelings in the first place, they would have been together long before three years ago, you were a total hardass on them!" I said, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes.
John grimaced and shrugged. "Well, they can thank you for that, you helped me see things in a different light," he said with a grin.
"I bet she did," Jim commented quietly, shaking his head. I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if I should retort with something smart, or let it go. I decided on the latter, he had a kind cheeky way about him, and I don't think he meant any harm, but at the same time, I realised I needed to be careful around this preacher man.
"Am I the only one who didn't realise they were running around behind my back?" John asked, looking around. I thought about it and smiled.
"Pretty much, yes," Jim said with a grin. John shook his head.
"If it makes you feel any better, Beth felt really guilty about it," I said with a raised eyebrow.
"Not really," John muttered, shaking his head again. "I get that you would know all about it, Cole, you're Beth's best friend but Jim, seriously? You knew and you never thought to tell me?" He added looking slightly irritated.
Jim simply raised an eyebrow a small telling smile on his face, he definitely knew something. He glanced at me then back at John, I narrowed my eyes at the movement bristling slightly. I took a moment letting out a breath, fighting the instinct to defend myself. I didn't have to, what John and I did was our business no one else's. If they didn't like it too bad, we were consenting adults and we loved each other, which was more than most people could say.
"Well I didn't know for sure, John. Dean and Beth were always close, so it wasn't really obvious, and they did obey your wishes for a long time. That's why they argued so much, pushed each other away all the time." Jim said.
I nodded. "It was really only in the last few months before you relented that things got serious. Until then it was all 'we can't because of Dad' crap. Do you know how many times I told that girl to get over your bullshit?" I said with a chuckle.
John shook his head. "All right, all right. I can't change anything, can we just move on?" He asked with a sigh.
"Of course," Jim said with a smile, shaking his head at John. "So what do you think is our best course of action?"
Sam's Apartment
Cole's POV
Dammit we were too late. I fought off a wave of tears as I watched in relative safety from the alley side of the apartment building across the street, John and Jim on either side. Once we were through setting up our diversion for Grace, I'd insistently pushed John into driving by Sam's apartment just to make sure everything was okay.
We arrived mere minutes ago, to find flames racing hot and heavy throughout the building, just in time to see Dean bursting through the front doors to jerk Sam out with him. Sam fought desperately in his brother's grasp. Thank God Dean refused to let go of Sam, and then Beth was there, her arms wrapped tightly around Sam's waist as they struggled to pull him away from the burning building.
I moved almost subconsciously, attempting to run for my brothers. John grabbed me from behind a hand circling my waist and covering my mouth. "We're too late, Nicole. Baby there's nothing to be done, the girl is dead." He said. His voice sounded cold and detached.
He held fast, his mouth pressed into my ear as I fought him, trying to get out of his arms. "Dammit Nicole, the girl is dead, you go in there you'll die to! I am not losing you. You're my back up, I need your head in the game!" He said fiercely in my ear, forcing me to calm down and focus.
I relaxed, taking a few deep breaths. He was right. Dean and Beth had Sam. He would be fine. I had John, he was my partner my loyalties lay with him on this mission, I had to force myself to reign it in, and focus. My responsibility was John's life, I had to be able to watch his back or I was completely useless.
Tears were streaming down my face, but they were just tears, simply salt water. I could handle this. For John I could handle anything. I nodded, relaxing in his arms as he let go of me. I straightened and stepped away from him.
Jim bit his lip, watching the fire with a disturbed look in his eyes. I stepped up to his side and he glanced at me, his face expressionless: but the hurt in his eyes, the fury, it chilled me to the bone.
"Oh, come on now! Cheer up, it's not all that bad." A voice said. I glanced to my left and saw a woman with dark hair leaning against the building watching the fire with an amused expression on her face. She looked familiar, then I realised, I'd photos of her before – photos of her with Beth and her father. That was Grace standing before us.
John moved on my left placing his body between me and the woman, she barely spared us a glance. "Well done John. For this you can go first I won't even make you watch what I do to your precious daughter. Say hello to your wife for me."
I narrowed my eyes at the woman, bitch! I turned movement catching my eye. My eyes widened in shock. Holy Shit! Either I'm hallucinating or Lassie is on steroids… How the hell did I get stuck being the bait on this one?
John gripped my elbow tight and in the same moment we turned tail and ran. I could hear the snarl of the hell hound on our asses, and I pushed myself even faster.
John was beside me and in the next instant he was gone. I glanced up for a split second, he'd jumped for the fire escape ladder. I didn't have time to marvel at how effortlessly he was pulling off his part of the plan, all I knew was I needed to keep going.
At the end of the alley a wooden crate was stacked next to a dumpster and I jumped it, going over the top of the dumpster and dropping down into the yard below. I didn't have time to rest from the jarring landing I had to make it to my checkpoint.
I streaked across the yard and made it to the chain link fence just as the hell hound cleared the first fence behind me. I leapt for the fence pulling myself up to the top and then somersaulting my way to the ground below. My lungs were burning for air and my legs were on fire, but I had to keep moving to stop now meant people would die and I would be only one of many.
The wooden fence fast approaching was my only defense. I slipped through the crack that I knew only I would be able to get through, careful not to break the line of salt on the other side. I took a minute, pulling the knife John had given me from my sleeve. Then I reached forward and broke the salt line. The minute the hell hound stuck his muzzle through, I slammed the blade home under his jaw straight into the brain, an instant kill.
I breathed a sigh of relief, jerking the knife from Lassie's skull. "Sorry girl, time for me to go save Timmy. You'd probably just eat him anyway." I groaned a bit pushing myself to a standing position then moving around the side of the alley I was in, back through the apartment district I'd just fled from.
John's POV
I gripped Cole's elbow as we turned and ran together. I caught sight of my escape route and leaped for the bars from the fire ladder pulling myself up hand over hand, until my feet met the first wrung. The hell hound tried to pursue but couldn't get a purchase on the ladder.
Glancing down, I made my way up the rickety stairs. Cole was already disappearing over the dumpster like a pro. That's my girl. I couldn't spare a moment to worry about Cole. I had to trust that she could do her part of the mission and get back to Jim and I to back us up.
I slid into the open window and backed away from it, all the entrances were covered with salt lines. The only opening that wasn't salted was the window I'd just come through. I retreated into the open room, my back to the door. I reached for the door handle, opening it and slamming the door closed then hurried back across to the other side of the room, to one side of the window.
A familiar chill settled in my veins, the one that came with the rush of battle. I leaned my back against the wall and waited for Grace to appear, there was only one way in and one way out.
Grace appeared and climbed in through the window with obvious ease. I remained still, barely bothering to breathe. She stopped half way into the room, perhaps sensing something wasn't quite right, then seeing the broken salt line at the door moved towards it. Until she was thrown back by the invisible barrier of the devil's trap.
She snarled with rage whirling around on me, as I straightened, pushing myself off of the wall.
I chuckled darkly. "You like that huh? Learned that one from Patrick." I said smugly glancing up at Grace's makeshift prison. She glared at me.
Jim opened the door behind her, he and Cole walked in together. I closed my eyes for a brief moment in relief, calm settling over me. She was okay.
I stepped to the next room, grabbing a gallon of holy water from the closet we also had a stash of knives and guns just in case. She was going to give me some answers. I strode back into the main room as Cole was pacing the outer edge of the devils trap. Jim had finished securing Grace to a chair so we could get down to business.
"What do you know about the fire that just tried to kill my son?" I asked darkly. My temper flared when she met my questioning with a laugh. "Answer me bitch." I snarled.
She looked up at me her familiar eyes dancing with mirth, she was captured at our mercy and she was enjoying this… The thought made my blood boil. She had just tried to kill my sons, and she was laughing. In that moment I didn't care if that was my best friend's wife, one of my oldest friends whose body the demon was in; the bitch was going to pay.
I reacted, grabbing the gallon of holy water, and dousing her in it. She shrieked, the sound hideous and accompanied by the scent of burning flesh. I relented, allowing her another chance.
"Who in the hell would try to have my son's killed!" I commanded from her. Nothing. I grabbed her chin forcing her head back and pouring the water down her throat.
"Fine. I'll take talk demon's for five points Alex. Who was the demon that killed my wife?" I asked menacingly. Grace simply glared at me, a smile forming on her lips, her eyes black as night. She spat a mouthful of blood at me. Once again refusing to answer. I backhanded her, the silver wedding ring on my finger leaving a sizzling burn mark across her cheek.
I stalked away from her, the anger driving me getting the better of me, I needed to remain calm. I glanced at Cole to steady myself. She was staring at Grace with a strange expression on her face, a small smirk in place as though she was enjoying watching her suffer. I shrugged it off, I was projecting my own emotions onto her.
I produced a knife from the holster at my waist and poured a small amount of holy water onto it, it would burn like hell. I stepped back into the devil's trap. "Which of you demonic sons of bitches killed my wife?" I demanded harshly. Grace remained stubbornly silent, flicking her gaze over my shoulder. I glanced behind me, Cole had come around to see Grace's face. I raised the hand with the knife in it, ghosting it over Grace's face, making a small incision along her cheek which snapped and sizzled like bacon on the fire.
I felt a change then, a heavy almost oppressive weight, something I'd attribute to not having enough oxygen in a room with too many bodies. The feeling of the air was heavy, thick, full of tension.
I glanced around at Jim, who looked back at me and shrugged. He turned a questioning gaze to Cole. The knife in my hand flew to the edge of the devil's trap breaking the protective hold. Cole had palmed a knife and moved forward in front of Grace, looking around warily.
Something definitely wasn't right. I shifted, coming on alert. "Watch her!" I ordered Cole. She simply looked at me and nodded, but not before raising an eyebrow at me. I turned away, but something gave me pause. Cole would never agree to any order just barked at her like that, if anything she would have already tried to shoot me. I whirled again to face her.
The force of a telekinetic attack struck me. I was pinned up against a wall with Jim across from me. We were being held by sheer willpower from the demon alone.
Cole used the knife in her hand to free Grace, who immediately fled. When she met my eyes they had turned yellow. She grinned at me, a depraved parody of the woman I loved. She stalked closer to me and I shifted my gaze so I could focus on what I'd need to do.
"Hello John." Her voice had changed, it sounded throatier, almost the exact same timbre as the time she'd spent the entire night screaming my name.
I pushed against the telekinetic bonds holding me, the resistance was unbelievable, I'd never felt anything like it.
"What's the matter, don't you know it's me you've been hunting this entire time?" She said, her voice exhilarated, low mocking laughter bubbling just under the surface. I glanced back at her, fury and excitement coursing through my veins making everything so much more bearable.
"That's right for twenty two years you've been hunting little old me in revenge for killing you're wife and when should we finally meet, but while I'm sharing a skin with your whore." Cole's voice sounded almost giddy with excitement.
I swallowed hard trying to control my fury. "Why did you kill my wife?" I breathed out through clenched teeth, attempting some form of calm, I felt a pure living breathing rage and fear and guilt. I'd done this, I'd brought her into this, I'd been selfish and desperate for her, now I'd gotten her possessed. I might even be forced to kill her. Could I do it? Even if it was my only way to avenge my family, my wife could I kill Nicole? No. Definitely not happening I wasn't killing her not even for Mary. I'd failed Mary, I wouldn't fail again. She was mine dammit, I'd find a way to fix this!
Cole smirked at me, producing a knife. I grit my teeth this was going to hurt! "She was mostly collateral damage. A surgical strike for the frontlines of a coming war. Just like that sweet little Jess, who by the way was my doing also. You and your son have more in common with each passing minute." She chuckled the sound low and dark. She ghosted the knife down my throat.
I fought the force pinning me to the wall again trying to break it. It was no use I was trapped. I growled as the knife slid into my belly, not as deep as it could but not some shallow little graze either.
She stepped closer to me, the knife dripping from her hand. "You know she's still in here, still alive. And she's screaming, begging, pleading for me to spare you. She's completely selfless, a true hero, she's thinking only about you, not about herself. She worships you. And yet to you she is simply an upgrade." Cole's voice dropped an octave, becoming husky, and seductive. "She'd be willing to do anything for you, kill, torture, whatever it takes, all for you. And yet still the only thing you can think about is the late, great Mary Winchester." She laughed, leaning into me.
I grit my teeth refusing to rise to the bait. But deep down I knew it was true. Cole deserved a better man than I'd ever been. I was twisted, honed and hardened in the fire that had killed my wife. And yet I was weak. Selfishly, I refused to let go of the only thing that allowed me to see the world again.
When that failed to get a response from me, Cole's face twisted into a sneer and she drew back with her knife hand, intending to go deeper.
"Regna terrae... cantate Deo, psallite Domino – qui fertis ascendit, super caelum..." Jim's voice filled the air and I glanced across the room at him, my gaze meeting his. Cole whirled, crossing the room in no time and hitting him hard across the face. She glared at Jim, raising her voice loud enough for us to hear her.
"You know I'm starting to think this little girl's will is strong, stronger than maybe even Mary was. And she seems to be extremely violent, how interesting." The demon within Cole looked positively fascinated, I didn't like that at all.
"She would make one badass little demon!" Cole's voice was excited, low and amused. "I might have to keep this meatsuit for a bit. She's positively delightful, she's giving me some fascinating ideas."
"Get the hell out of her!" I snarled, rage rising with every minute. She turned to me, coming to my side once more and brandishing the knife again. "You gonna stick that somewhere or just wave it around like a magic wand?" I asked, purposely trying to piss the demon off.
"Oh Johnny boy, I got somewhere I can stick it, and you can actually thank your girl for this one." She stepped into me, lining the knife up tight across my balls. I looked into Cole's eyes, trying to see past the demon to the woman I loved. If she really was still in there.
Her eyes flickered, yellow to brown then back to yellow. The air around us was charging again. The knife had wavered for a second. A mere second. I met her eyes again, they were brown.
I felt the pressure easing from me, not quite as strong while Cole struggled for dominance of her own body. I felt a wave of awareness hit me. "No! Nicole!" I yelled trying frantically to break free.
She'd turned the knife on herself. The yellow eyed demon had taken control back for a split second, just enough to change the target and depth at which the knife entered Nicole's body.
The pressure was gone. I lunged forward attacking the demon, it made me physically ill to strike Cole, but I needed her out. I kicked the knife from the demon's grasp. Jim had joined me, containing Cole with his silver rosary across her neck, pinning her to the floor. I straddled her, pinning both arms above her head, while Jim continued the exorcism he'd already started.
The demon fought us at every turn, bucking trying to throw me off. She screamed from the silver touching her neck. I blocked out everything, needing to focus. I needed the ice flowing through my system. The cold, detachment of a soldier, doing what needed to be done. And yet I couldn't shake the mind numbing terror that I was about to lose Nicole to the same demon I'd lost Mary to.
I looked down at the woman writhing in pain underneath me. I reached forward and gripped her chin, staring into the cold yellow eyes that gave nothing away. "You try me you son of a bitch! She is mine! You're not getting her." I snarled furiously.
The demon looked at me. The look in my eyes must have tipped her off because Cole's mouth opened wide as the demon fled, seeking another host.
I pulled Cole into my arms, holding her tightly to me as she groaned. The knife was still protruding out of her shoulder and she cursed loudly as I accidently bumped it. I pulled back and she looked at me. "Son of a bitch!" She said, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Pull it out already!"
Jim steadied my hand and shook his head. "I'm not sure that is wise," he said. Cole turned angry eyes to him.
"You listen to me preacher man, I'm a nurse, and if I say pull it out you better damn well do it!" She said crossly while Jim raised an eyebrow at her, not much phased him. I smirked, there was no doubt about it, Cole was completely back in charge of her own body.
She braced herself, looking me in the eyes and then nodded. With one swift motioned I yanked the knife out and she collapsed against me with a slight whimper.
Jim pushed a cloth against her wound and I helped hold it in place. Time to get us all to a hospital.
"Let's get out of here, the demon may still come back," Jim said, mirroring my thoughts.
I nodded and picked Cole up in my arms, much to her protest, packing her out of here.
Hotel
Cole's POV
I had just finished shouldering my stuff into the truck. John and Jim were standing beside it talking. I turned around, fitting myself against John under his shoulder. I smiled up at Jim.
"I have to say young lady, you are definitely one tough cookie. I've never even heard of a human fighting off a demon. Although shame you tried to stab yourself to do it." He said with a wry grin.
I shrugged, laughing it off. "Well nothing is more important to us than getting that son of a bitch. Right?" I said, turning my face up to John with a grin. Inside where no one could see it I felt afraid. This was the moment when he realizes he's still so desperately in love with his wife, there isn't room for anything but revenge.
He looked down at me, licking his lips. "Wrong." He said softly. His eyes were conflicted, shit! Here it comes the damn lecture! I held his gaze when I wanted nothing more than to look at the ground. I'd messed up. Big time.
"That demon will not come before everything. It is important yes, but you mean more to me than it ever will." He said quietly. I held his gaze a small smile gracing my face. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on my temple, and I sank into the movement.
I wasn't so confident; John had good intentions, but at the end of the day he was still damaged, and he had a vendetta that was 22 years in the making, it was always going to come first. But I loved him and that foolish part of me would follow him to the ends of the earth to help him in any way I could, until one, or conceivably both of us died. His mission was now my mission.
Jim watched us with a light smile on his face, he'd seemed like a stick in the mud at first but he was kind with a good heart, and he was a good man to have at your back. I stepped forward embracing him. "It was a pleasure to meet you Pastor Jim." I said with a smile.
"You as well Cole Singer. You need anything you make sure to call me. And I do mean anything, help with a hunt, or even someone to bash John's brains in for you. I'm there or at the very least I can help you bury the body and provide an alibi." He said with a laugh handing me a piece of paper with his number on it.
John and I laughed at that. "Nah I'm pretty sure I can take him." I said confidently. With a wink in his direction. I turned to Jim, "Seriously though if I need anything else, I'll let you know." I said with a smile. He turned away from us then, moving to his truck with ease.
I turned to John. "Can we get some food now I'm starving!" I exclaimed.
He chuckled at the expression on my face. "Of course baby. Oh let's get some pie." He said softly, brightening at the idea of pie and kissing me thoroughly.
I didn't know what was coming, but I knew it was gunning right for us. We'd need to depend on each other, that was the only way we were going to make it out alive. I knew one thing, after being possessed by yellow eyes, it was too dangerous to include Beth, Sam, or Dean. No matter how much I desperately wanted to. We had to do this ourselves.
Author's Notes:
The song is I Will Be by Stanfour.
Shout out to ER's Greg Pratt, and Robert "Rocket" Romano. Both were awesome in ER's history. Although I have to say I've never seen the final season of ER, so I didn't even know he died until I forgot his name and you tubed him just now. Wow! Sad day in fandom!
Shout out to Lassie and Old Yeller, dog eat dog heroes of my childhood, shame I had to demonize them.
Also shout out to Christine Feehan and two of my favorite books in the series. I cannot wait until she releases the next book in her current Dark Trilogy Dark Wolf! It is going to be epic and I have been waiting for the story of Skyler Rose Daratrazanoff and Dimitri Tirunul for a decade!
Anyone know that Cole was going to be possessed by YED? Oooh and a cookie to the person who knows where Cole's book is and what exactly happened to it?
And finally freaking huge hugs to Belladonna78 for helping me to continue this story! I loved this chapter for some reason it just took me a little longer.
Also I know I said I was going to end How To Save A Life. But I can't, not yet… So I continue on with it this way. This story is set at the beginning of Season one for those of you who weren't sure.
All righty guys please read and review!