Title: Catch Me When I Fall (7/?)
Fandom: Supernatural/BTVS/ATS (it's not a crossover per se but I will borrow the mythology from M.E. and mention some characters)
Rating: M – changed to be on the safe side!
Setting: Post-Season 3 episode 12
Characters: Dean, Ruby & Sam
Pairings: Dean & Ruby
Word Count: 2,956
A/N: In my world Katie Cassidy's Ruby is the real Ruby and Genevieve Cortese's Ruby is a demon impersonating real Ruby, it's the only thing that makes sense!
Oh and I checked Katie Cassidy's eye-color on Wikipedia, its green. I think they look blue-green or basically do that thing that SMG's eyes do where depending on the color of clothing and lighting in a scene they look different. Or maybe it depends on what you've been smoking, I dunno.
Dean walked out of the motel room and headed for the park he had driven past with Sam while they cheered their victory in Bello. He remembered appreciating the park for being a place women and children could enjoy when he thought they had saved a real live virgin from being the sacrificial lamb. Boy had he been wrong.
Those deaths were on him. Sam had been ready to go with Ruby's crazy plan and Dean had vetoed it, due to some outdated moral compass his father had given him when he was an impressionable little boy. Daddy's Blunt Little Instrument! The accusatory mental headline screamed in his head. Dean ground his teeth as he stared at the deserted playground.
It was ironic how the place served as a metaphor for his life; the fun, love and innocence came and went leaving him alone, empty and pathetic. Useful only to provide something for people before they moved on to greener pastures, Dean thought morosely.
The scent of spicy roses permeated the air, when Dean turned to his left, Ruby sat down on the bench, occupying the empty space. Forcefully, he slammed the door on the hopeful yet unlikely thought that maybe it was a sign from above. What above? There was no above. God was most probably dead or on vacation.
"You here to personally rip me a new one?"
Ruby shrugged, "It's not my intention but I can't promise not to get carried away with the I-told-you-so's and the cuss words that are bubbling up inside me."
"Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be stalking Sam or tracking Lilith?"
Ruby smiled ironically, "I just wanted to enjoy the quiet."
Dean's lips twisted in an ironic grimace, "Awesome."
In a silence that started off as uncomfortable and stretched into companiable, the demon and the hunter sat on the playground bench until the sun set.
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"I told you so," Ruby sniped.
Dean nodded gesturing for her to go on, "What else?"
"They're all dead because of you."
"Come on Ruby you can do better than that or are you getting soft in your old age?"
"You always have to do it your way, you can never listen to the girl no wait… the demon that knows what she's talking about!"
Dean clapped his hands together, "Now we're getting to the good stuff… More!"
"And you think it's all black and white but the world doesn't work like that, like this vessel for example… she was a Slayer but she dabbled in witchcraft, went all dark side and had a nice three year sojourn in a psych ward, I jumped into her body and did her a favor! I can use this body to do good, to help you and your brother but you still won't listen to me!"
"Oh yeah baby lay it on me!" Dean encouraged.
"You may be tough Dean but sometimes you think with your heart instead of your head, and we're in a war to the death dammit. You can't just fucking go around losing the Colt! After all I've gone through to keep you numb-nuts safe, one bat of an English whore's eyelashes and you're losing unique, irreplaceable weapons!"
"Praise Jesus! Speak on it girl!" Dean said with a stomp of his feet.
Ruby opened her mouth to yell at him some more then suddenly the ridiculousness of the entire situation hit her. Dean turned to look at her expectantly. Her mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish out of water and then she started to laugh. Despite himself, Dean responded, his lips stretching into a smile and a chuckle rumbled deep from within his chest. Bringing her hands up to cover her face, Ruby let out a loud frustrated shriek into her palms then turned to face Dean, eyes twinkling.
"You're a jackass," she said with a grin.
"Well you're a Hoe-bag from Hell and I can't believe that was your best impression of being ticked fancy," Dean retorted with an irrepressible grin.
Ruby stood up, jaded slightly pissed off expression back in place.
"I don't know what that was, but I feel better… so thanks."
Dean shrugged, "Anytime."
Ruby strode away with a pep in her step.
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Dean walked into the motel room to find Sam pacing worriedly.
"Samantha stop, you're making me dizzy and I've only been here for 3 seconds," Dean joked.
Sam turned to face him, the relief obvious on his face, "Dean! Where the Hell have you been! You left your phone in the room."
"I know, I'm sorry, I just needed to get some air."
"Yeah Dude, that was five hours ago! I've been going crazy, I drove around in the Impala looking for you, tried calling Ruby but she wasn't picking up… I thought Lilith had found you."
Dean sat down on his bed and gave Sam a sheepish grin, "Like I said, sorry, I just needed some air."
Sam stopped in front of Dean and placed his hands on his hips, "Well why didn't you stay in here and talk to me about it… I'm freaking too."
Dean rolled his eyes and leaning back on the bed stretched his legs out, no wonder he was starting to feel the most comfortable around Ruby, the pressure to be carefree yet strong and dependable Dean was beginning to get to him.
"Sam I found something out in Cleveland, I've done some research but I think you should check it out," Dean spoke with his eyes closed.
"What is it? What did you find Dean?"
"Have you heard of The Slayer?"
Sam sat down on his bed and faced his brother, "The Slayer? Isn't that a band?"
Dean sat up, and started to untie his boots, "No Sammy, that's Slayer. The Slayer is one girl that is chosen from all the people on the planet to fight demons and vampires."
Sam's eyebrows shot up incredulously, "She's the Chosen One? How old is she?"
Dean pursed his lips in annoyance, now that he had started the subject he really wanted his little brother to get on board so they could talk about how hot Faith and Buffy were; and also discuss how a girl destined to fight demons could fall in love with one, fully knowing what it was.
"Okay, I'm going to take a shower… read these articles I've downloaded off the net, and check out some of the newspaper printouts too, let me know what you think."
Dean unearthed his research papers from his duffel bag and passed them to Sam. The folder was quite thick, containing all his research material on Buffy, Faith, the history of the Slayer, the Watcher's Council, Wolfram & Hart, Sunnydale, William the Bloody a.k.a Spike, and Hellmouths. Pulling out his new, very stylish toiletry bag that housed the nicest smelling bath and hygiene products his fraudulent credit card had bought him, Dean retreated to the bathroom to take a shower.
Sam watched his brother go and frowned in puzzlement, his childhood hero was definitely not handling the blast in Bello well, and maybe he was being paranoid but it felt a little like Dean was trying to get away from him. Shaking his head guiltily, Sam started to read the literature Dean had given him on the Slayers.
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"So according to one of Dad's California sources, Sunnydale was a town built by some demon so that other demons could feed on humans."
"Like a 24-hour, 365 days a year, 7-Eleven for Hell spawn," Dean said with amazement.
They were lying in their twin beds in the dark, discussing Buffy, Faith and all the people in their lives that had been written about.
"Exactly, and the more I've read on them, the more I'm convinced they can't be real," Sam said in a perturbed voice.
Dean frowned up at the ceiling in the dark, "Why's that?"
"Dean, why wouldn't Dad ever have mentioned them? Or gone to help them?"
"Maybe because they are supposed to be a well-kept secret and if these girls are designed as like some kind of super-soldier to fight evil, he wouldn't have wanted to cramp their style?"
Sam sighed, "Yeah I guess, but he could still have told us about them… there's a Watcher's Council in England and they're supposed to have the most comprehensive library on everything supernatural. I'd love to spend one night there."
Dean snorted, "Oh Samantha, you hear that there's a school of superhot super-chicks that fight evil in America and you wanna go spend time with their wrinkly old mentors in a dusty library in England? What am I gonna do about you?"
"Shut up Dean," Sam said with a smile in his voice.
Dean chuckled, "How are you not gay?"
"God didn't want the Winchesters having all the hot men and women ready to worship at their feet, gets in the way of kicking evil-ass." Sam quipped.
Dean snorted then shrugged again, "I guess so."
"Good night Dean."
"Night Sam… and do me a favour, please, please, please don't dream about wrinkly old British men and their libraries. Dream about the secret school for Slayers and all the hot-over 18 slayerettes. Buffy, Faith and the witch are mine though!"
Sam rolled his eyes in the dark and turned over on his side.
"Sammy!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure, okay!" Sam grunted in exasperation.
Dean grinned up at the ceiling and turned over on his side too. He prayed he dreamt of a ménage a whatever with the Slayer and her girlfriends, the other alternative involved him in demon form and he could not face another dream like that right now.
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Two Weeks Later
Ruby watched Dean stumble out of the Irish girl's apartment and smiled to herself. She had done good, steering the fiery exchange student into Dean's path last night. The hunter had not even noticed her as she directed the petite spitfire in his path before she disappeared into the night. The self-satisfied smirk on his face told her they must have had a very good time together.
Dean walked to the Impala and stuck his keys in the door, his eyes caught Ruby's reflection and his cheerful grin died on his lips. Turning around he glared at her.
"What are you looking at bitch?"
Ruby detached herself from the dark corner and stalked over to him.
"Top o' the mornin' to you too Fuckhead."
"Oh baby I love it when you whisper sweet nothings in my ear."
Ruby stopped a few inches away from him, "Come closer, I've got more where that came from."
Dean scowled, "I'm sure you do, but I gotta go get Sam."
"You afraid the twenty-four year old grown ass man will play with matches if Big Brother Dean isn't there to hold his hand?"
"Is your wiring more fucked up than usual or do you not realize you're trailing the wrong Winchester again?"
Ruby's hands reached up and turned down the lapels of Dean's leather jacket, smoothing her hands across his shoulders she smiled at him saccharinely.
"I was just making sure you and Roisin got along okay last night."
Dean's eyes flared with suspicious anger, "How'd you know her name?"
Ruby's hands fell away from his shoulders and she crossed her arms, "I was at the bar last night, told her you were my American cousin who's getting over a bad breakup with an English girl and in need of a good time."
"And why would you do that?"
Ruby shrugged as she started to walk away, "You looked like you needed it."
"Ruby!"
She walked faster, "You're welcome!"
Dean pulled his keys out of the car door and turned around to go after her but she had disappeared. Hands bunched into fists, he cursed the demon with every dirty word he knew. Unlocking the car door he slammed into the Impala, knuckles white on the steering wheel as he realised that after the night he had had, he was indebted to the meddlesome infuriating little bitch. Also, he felt decidedly cheap at the idea that she had facilitated one of the greatest nights of sex he had ever had. With another heartfelt curse he started the car, he was going to get Sam and they were getting the Hell out of Boston. Stupid bitch Ruby had ruined the afterglow!
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Sam glanced over at Dean with ill-concealed concern. They had been driving for twelve hours and his brother had been tight-lipped and cranky the whole way. An educated guess told Sam it had to do with a woman.
"What is it Sam?"
"Nothing."
"You're sure not looking at me like its nothing."
"I'm just worried that's all."
"About what?"
"You, Dean. You've been pissed off and sulky all day."
Dean gave a long-suffering sigh, "Sorry."
"I don't want your apology, Dean, I want an explanation," Sam said patiently.
"An explanation about what?"
"About what's got you in such a foul mood, when you didn't come back to the motel last night I figured you were with a girl."
"I was with a girl."
"So then what happened?"
"Nothing happened!" Dean practically bellowed.
Sam's eyebrows shot up and Dean tossed an irritated gaze at Sam. He clenched the wheel, hands flexing then relaxing before he tried speaking again.
"The girl I took home was great, she was feisty, funny as Hell and she used to be a gymnast, so she could bend like a pretzel… I mean this one position we did it in, she had her legs behind her head-"
Sam raised his hand weakly in protest, "I think I got it… all of it… so, if you and Miss Emerald Isle had so much fun what happened this morning?"
Dean smiled mysteriously, "She woke me up with a morning glory that's what happened this morning."
Sam shook his head, "After you guys did the horizontal pretzel for the-"
"Eighth time in five hours."
"Thank you. So after all that, what happened?"
Dean's smile dimmed visibly, "I bumped into Ruby."
"Ruby?"
"Did I stutter?"
"No… I thought I heard wrong. How do you bump into Ruby? Doesn't she usually appear and disappear without warning?"
Dean rolled his eyes, "Exactly."
"So what was she doing there?"
"Lurking… as usual, being a pain in my ass… as usual!" 'Pimping me out to her fellow country women out of misplaced demon-pity, not so usual!' Dean thought darkly.
Sam bit back a smile, if he did not know his brother any better he would have sworn that the blonde demon had worked her way under his skin. She was possessing an attractive, young and supple-skinned blonde after all.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, I just think if you stopped actively hating her so much, you'd find that you guys have some things in common and you might like her."
Dean slammed on the brakes, "I don't actively hate her because that would mean I think about her a lot and I don't think about her for an extra second more than I have to. And I definitely don't have anything in common with that Hell Skank!"
The Impala was steered off the side of the road, engine still running.
Sam gave him an arch look, "That's why you've spent the last twelve hours in a foul mood? 'Cause you don't think about her an extra second longer than you have to?"
"What are you trying to say Sam?"
"Nothing… I'm just suggesting that you lighten up a little. I know you hate Ruby's guts but maybe if you took a second not to dislike her so much because of what she is…you'd find that she's not all bad. You would find that you don't have to be so worried that leaving me here alone with her means impending doom. It would be nice actually not to feel like shit if I ever find myself relaxing in her presence because-"
Dean turned to glare at Sam with barely restrained fury, "I should hope you're not thinking of relaxing around her, she's a fucking demon Sam and she used to be a witch too, how many more signs do you need to tell you not to trust her!"
"Dean… I had powers that Yellow Eyes wanted to exploit, powers that meant I was not all human, and I know you don't want to hear this but it's true. I was dead and you brought me back, I haven't really felt them since then but… You're so judgmental about this stuff that I feel like I can't-"
"What? You feel like you can't what Sam! Trust me!"
"No! Of course not!"
"Then what Sam? What is it that I don't do, that fucking Ruby the Friendly Demon does?"
"She doesn't judge me Dean. She just listens… tries to understand. And yeah, she's a demon, she's evil, but she's also saved our asses-let me finish- she's saved our asses a number of times. She's been helping us, she's been teaching me and she listens sometimes, just listens… without getting on her high horse!"
Dean felt anger so black and overpowering; he thought he would shatter into a million pieces of boiling hot lava. Motor still running, he stared out into the inky darkness and counted to twenty in his head. Sam wisely kept his mouth shut, the anger and bravado to speak uncomfortable truths seeping out of him.
Blazing green gaze avoiding Sam, Dean shifted the Impala into gear then guided it back on the road. Shifting gears he stepped on the accelerator and pushing a Metallica tape into the deck, turned the volume up, preventing anymore conversation. Sam looked away with a glint of moisture in his eyes. Why did their lives have to be so hard?
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