Chapter 18
Koven knew what to expect next. She knew the next afternoon, Dean would talk Ben into kicking a kid to get back his game.
She just didn't know she'd be sitting next to Dean when it happened. She thought she'd just sit in the car, waiting for Dean to finish up, but instead of Dean letting her into the car, he pulled her over to talk with Ben. She sat on one side of Ben, Dean on the other side.
"Hey kid, you alright?" Koven asked. Ben looked up, first looking at Koven, then at Dean.
"You guys were at my party yesterday." He said. Koven smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, we were." Dean said. Koven looked up at the kids who had taken Ben's game. "I'm Dean, that's Marissa."
"That game thing yours kid?" She asked.
"Yeah. And my name's not 'kid', it's Ben." He said. Koven put her hand up in surrender. "His name is Ryan Humphrey. He borrowed it and now he won't give it back."
"Well, since we can't go over there because, only bitches send over adults." Ben's gaze shot to Koven. "And you know that right?" Ben nodded. "And you're not a bitch are you?" He shook his head. "I'm gonna let Dean tell you what exactly you need to do to get it back." She smirked.
Soon, she watched as Ben walked towards Ryan.
"I think we'd make great parents Winchester." She said. He scoffed, then chuckled. Ben turned to them and they both gave him thumbs up.
"Yep. We'd make the best parents. We do give the best advi-" He stopped talking when Ben suddenly kicked Ryan in the nuts.
"Oh yeah!" Koven chuckled, then scooted over to sit next to Dean. "We are the best teachers as well." She said. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as Ben came running over. Both adults high-fived him before he sat down.
"Benjamin Isaac Braeden, what as gotten into you." Lisa said walking over, ignoring Koven and Dean.
"He stole my game." Ben said.
"And since when is violence the answe..." She trailed off when she saw Koven and Dean who looked sorta like kids who were being yelled at by their mothers. Koven was looking at the ground and Dean was looking at his lap. "Did you two tell my son to beat up that kid?"
"Well... Sorta. I guess it was both of us. I suggested that Dean show his what to do, then Dean told him how to kick a bully in the nads. Someone had to teach him to do that." Koven said, running a hand through her hair.
"Who asked either of you to teach my kid anything."
"No one really, he was just... Well he was just there. And I mean, I would have taught my own kid if it had made it to birth." Koven leaned back. Lisa's expression lightened, then she frowned and pulled Dean to his feet, who then pulled Koven's to hers, and pulled them to the side.
"Look, Dean, we had a weekend once very long time ago, and I don't even know who you are Marissa. You have no business with me, and you have no business teaching my kid anything you would teach your kid. So just leave us alone." She said.
"Lisa." Dean said.
"No. Just leave us alone." Lisa took Ben's hand and began to pull him away, but he pulled his hand back, and ran towards Koven and Dean.
"Ben what are you doing?" Lisa asked. Ben hugged Koven and Dean. Koven's expression was one of shock, and she had through he was going to only hug Dean.
"Thanks." Ben said. They nodded, and he ran back over to Lisa. Koven gave a soft smile, then felt the same pain in her side as she had the last night. Her put her hands on her hip and let out a small groan of pain.
"Hey, Koven, you okay?" Dean asked. She nodded as slowly as the pain went away, which took a minute or so. "You need to throw up again or something?" He asked. She shook her head quicker this time.
"No, no I'm fine." She looked up at the three kids who watched Ben and Lisa walk away, then looked at her and Dean. "Dean. Those kids." She nodded towards them and he glanced.
"Strange." She took his hand.
"Let's get going." She said, pulling him towards the Impala. "But not to the motel. You're not supposed to meet up with Sam until later tonight." She said as they got in their seats.
"Then where?" He asked. She shrugged.
"I don't know. Target? Wal-mart?"
They ended up going to some clothing department store, because as Dean said, Koven needed more clothing of her own and needed to stop stealing the boys shirts. They were in the boy's department, looking at graphic t-shirts.
Koven had already chosen a mickey-mouse t-shirt, a plain grey women's t-shirt and a shirt that had Darth-Vader on it, walking an At-at. She glanced up and a smirk appeared on her lips. She walked away from Dean and he looked confused. He caught the eye of a child standing with his mom, and he had the same blank stairs like the kids at the park.
Koven came back wearing a dark-blue almost black coat that reached down to her knees.
"I am Captain Jack Harkness." She said, saluting Dean.
"Who?" Dean raised an eyebrow.
"You like classic music, I like classic TV-shows. Well it really wasn't classic... It was based off a classic TV show... I'm getting the coat weather you like it or not." She picked up one more t-shirt that had Abraham Lincoln riding a skate-board while wearing a pair of neon-pink sunglasses.
"Why graphic?" He asked.
"Because I'm dying asshole, that's why." She said, shoving the shirts at him. She took the coat off and draped it over her arm. "Let's buy this shit."
When they later entered Sam's room, Koven was dressed in her normal clothing, but now wore her coat, and her hair was pulled back into a low pony-tail.
"What's with the coat?" Sam asked.
"I am Captain Jack Harkness." Koven answered quickly. Ignoring his friend and his brother, Dean spoke up.
"The kids in this town are acting really weird." He said as Koven fell down on the single bed Sam's room had, her new coat spread out beneath her, and her blue hair falling in her face.
"No kidding."
"Changelings." Koven said, sitting up. "Changelings right Sam?" She asked, crossing her legs Indian style.
"Yeah."
"Evil monster babies?" Dean asked, setting the bag with Koven's new shirts down.
"Not exactly babies." Sam said, typing on his computer.
"Their children?" Dean asked, sitting down next to Koven
"Yeah. They feed on some strange liquid in the moms. But then there are the others, like a dad and a baby-sitter who get in the way of their food, so they have to get rid of those." Koven began to ramble on. "And as Sam would have pointed out, there is one in every victim's house, and as you would have pointed out if not for me, they kinda stare at you like you're their lunch."
Soon, Sam and Koven sat on the bed, Dean packing away the home-made flame thrower they had, and Sam squeezing a substance from one container into another, while Koven calmly played with his hair.
"Trying to braid your hair is somewhat comforting..." She thought out loud. Sam let out a soft chuckle. "So. If I remember correctly, and I usually do, Changelings can perfectly mimic children. And according to the lore you searched up on, they climb into a children's window, snatch the kid, and take their place." She said, fluffing up his hair a bit. "And you think you found blood on one of the victim's windowsills."
"And flame is the only way to gank them?" Dean held up another home-made flame thrower.
"Yep." Sam and Koven said at the same time. Koven stood up from the bed.
"And as Koven pointed out, they feed off of a fluid in the moms. The mothers have strange bruises on the backs of their necks." Sam said.
"They can feed on the mom for a few weeks before she kicks the bucket." Sam nodded as she stood herself in the room, between the brothers. "Then great. Let's drag 'em out and torch 'em on the front lawn, it'll do great with the neighbors." Dean and Sam chuckled a bit.
"What happens to the real kids?" Dean asked.
"Well, according to the lore, they stash them somewhere underground." Sam said. "I don't know if it's true, but if it is, the kids might still be out there." He finished as Dean stood up.
"Wait." Dean said.
"Yes, Dean any kid is vulnerable." She nodded.
"Then we need to make a stop." Dean said, shouldering his bag.
"But if the real kids are still alive, we don't have time."
"We have time Sam." Koven said before fallowing the older Winchester out the door.
Dean knocked on the door of Lisa and Ben's house. Koven stood next to him, her hands shoved into her jean pockets. The door opened and Lisa looked at them.
"Dean. Marissa." She said.
"Hey Lisa, we just through, we didn't get Ben anything for his birthday..." Koven said.
"It's okay." Lisa rushed her answer.
"No, no we feel terrible." Dean held out his credit-card. "Here, take a long weekend." He said. Lisa slowly took the card.
"Yeah, I hear Six Flags is great around this time, and if you leave now, you can avoid all the traffic." Koven smiled. Lisa looked at the name and frowned.
"Siegfried Houdini?" She asked. "Who's card is this?"
"Dean's brothers." Koven lied
"It works. I promises" Dean said. Lisa shook her head. Ben stepped into the room behind Lisa.
"Mommy what's wrong?" He asked. Koven glanced at him.
"Hey Ben. Don't worry, we're just speaking with your mom." Koven smiled.
"Make them go away mommy." Ben said. Lisa shoved the credit card into Dean's hand.
"You heard him." She said.
"Come on Dean. We shouldn't be a burden to them any longer." Koven took Dean's hand and she noticed the saddened expression on his face, and the slightly confused one on Lisa. "Good night, Miss. Braeden." She said bitterly before pulling Dean along.
When they approached the window, Lisa had just sat down. Koven didn't even notice Dean checking the windowsill until he grabbed her wrist and pulled her away towards the Impala.
When the arrived at the unfinished house, Koven could feel her heart racing.
Fighting the major battle Vermont. How does it feel?
"I feel a bit sick." Koven mumbled as the boys began to exit the car, but neither seamed to hear her.
Like you told Dean, you'll get used to it.
"Not helping." Koven said before exiting the car herself. Dean began to explain the plan, but Koven was just staring into the house. It was dark, and the wind blew her hair into her face, and her new coat flapped in the wind.
"Here comes hell." She mumbled.
"You hear me Koven?" Dean asked. The turned around.
"Sorry, what?"
"Dean!" Koven called/whispered when she entered the next room. Inside, children, looking rather weak, were inside cages. She walked up to one of the caged. "Ben." She said. He raised his hand through one of the bars and she took it. "Hey kid, we're gonna get you out." She said. Dean rushed in and saw Ben.
"Come on Dean, let's get the locks off." She rushed over to get a rather large piece of wood and passed it to the older Winchester. He raised it before crashing it into the lock. It popped up as Koven picked up another slab of wood.
"This is going to fail." She said before crashing the wood into one of the other locks. It didn't even seam to dent. She tried again, but failed. "Shit..." She muttered. Dean motioned her back, and when she stepped back, he smashed the lock. "I need to work out." Koven sighed. She helped the kids out of the cages after Dean broke the locks.
"Cover your eyes." Dean said. Koven pulled Ben behind her and shielded her own eyes as Dean smashed the window. Dean tried to clear the glass from the windowsill, but instead Ben took off his jacket.
"Here. Use this." He said, holding it out to Dean. Dean took it and placed it atop the broken glass.
"Come on. First one up." Koven said. She picked up ont of the girls and helped her onto the ledge. When they were almost done, Sam rushed over.
"There's a mom."
"Ben." Koven turned to the younger one as the boys rushed to fight the mom. "Ben, Help the others okay? If one of those things comes over here, just yell alright kid?" She asked, and he nodded quickly.
She rushed off to help Sam and Dean, but then got a punch to the gut, and then a knee to the face. She fell backwards, the annoying sales lady person standing above her. She went to take another punch but Koven grabbed a nearby pipe and smacked her across the face.
Once she was knocked back, Koven got up, dropping the pipe.
"Sam! Dean!" She yelled, since they had the flame throwers. Sam had gotten up, and Dean was holding a brick. Then, Cassidy let out a yelp. She held her stomach and fell over. The mother changeling had struck her in the gut with the metal pipe Koven had just used. She turned around to fight the boys, but Sam held up the home-made flame thrower and his lighter, that was already lit.
He pressed the handle of the flame thrower, and the mother changeling screamed as she burned into nothingness. Ben an the other Children had made it out, and Koven held her stomach with one arm, still on the floor, her knees pulled closely to herself with her other arm. Dean rushed over and asked her is she was okay.
"I just got bitch-slapped by a pipe on my stomach. I feel like shit." She said. Dean quickly gathered her up in his arms, and pulled her up.
"Ben!" Lisa exclaimed, running towards the Impala. Ben got out of the car and rushed to his mother, the three others getting out. Koven, who had fallen onto broken glass with her arm, held her bandaged arm close to her stomach, which was bruised badly. She smiled as Lisa hugged Ben closely, and she stood next to Dean, her free hand in his.
Lisa looked up at them.
"Thank you." She said. "What happened?"
"I could explain it to you. But I'm not sure you'd really want to know." Dean said
"It's out job ma'am." Koven bowed lightly, drawing a small chuckle from Dean. They all looked at Sam.
"I'll leave you guys alone."
Inside, Koven sat with Ben at the table, talking. Dean had just finished telling Lisa what was happening, including Koven's story.
"You're right... I didn't want to know... But if she knew what was going to happen, why didn't she stop it?" She asked, looking at her son who was having an intense staring contest with the 25-year-old fan-girl.
"Koven says it's because she can't change fate. I don't know really. IT's all just so complected. She can tell us a few things, like where to be and when, but... Really she's just a mystery." Dean shrugged. "You asked me those eight years ago what my job was. This is it." He said.
"Dang it!" Koven said, making Ben chuckle. She had blinked. "Rock, paper scissors!" She said
"Well, she seams to get along with Ben though. That should be a good thing, but I don't know why." Lisa said.
"So. You're a hundred percent he's not mine?" Dean asked. Lisa nodded.
"Yeah. Had a blood test. Some dude from a biker joint."
Later that night, Koven slept alone on the single bed in Sam's room, but the brothers stayed up, talking.
"What are we going to do about her deal?" Dean asked. Sam frowned.
"She told us she didn't want us to do anything about it. Besides, that Banana lady summoned the demon and she told you that there's no way out of the deal."
"Yeah, but Banana was named after a cartoon character, and she was a crazy cat lady. Half of the goddamn cats were fake, and one of them was a bird." Dean pointed out.
"Still, there could still be no way out of the deal. What would happen if you got her out of the deal, and I really did drop dead. Do you want that?" Sam asked. Dean frowned, and put his face in his hands.
"I... I don't know... She sacrificed herself for you Sam, we have to try something. We can't just sit here with out junk in our hands and wait for her to die." He said, looking at his brother again.
"Why do you care? You once told me 'We're not calling her, she was just some crazy chick with a strange devise who just happened to know the vampires were friendly' and those were your exact words actually."
"Because I care now." Dean said, trying not to raise his voice and wake her up.
"Are you falling in love Dean?"
"No." He shook his head. "No Sam I'm not in love with Koven Vermont." But even as he said those words, he knew they weren't true. Or at least, they weren't completely true. She was funny, and nice, and she had a good taste in music and food. But no.
Dean Winchester had not fallen in love...