Meg kicked a rock outside, more just to keep herself moving. She dug her hands deeper in her jean pockets and took a glance around. It really was inconspicuous really, the bunker, she thought. The Winchesters really lucked out on finding it. She knew it was just a matter of time before she would be forced to leave. She could almost make her escape now. No one was really around, none of the knuckleheads inside had pursued her. She could leave now and no one would be the wiser, at least for a few hours, but a few hours would be all she needed to find a spot to lay low. Of course, that led to other issues…like not having the protection of her powers, plus an angel and the Winchesters backing her.
"Crap," she muttered. She sat down on a fallen log and stretched her legs out. "I'm a freaking neutered demon relying on people I'd rather not be relying on…"
"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity," the Doctor said walking over to sit next to her.
"You'd know I take it?" she asked raising an eyebrow at him.
"Try any powers yet?" She shook her head. "I could do another scan if you'd like."
"Why? So your machine can tell me the same thing it already told me?" Meg sighed. "Nah, I'm good. I'm here and that's better than being there."
"What was that place anyway?" the Doctor asked.
Meg shrugged, "Demon purgatory of sorts. Wait around torturing each other until they decide you can be shoved back on the rack or moved on to other things. At least that's the talk. Not really sure myself."
"Sounds like a lot of violence, not my kind of place," the Doctor replied.
"Wouldn't be, would it?" Meg smirked. "Used to be my kind of place. Been hanging around with dumb and dumber too long."
"And you're fallen angel?" the Doctor asked giving her a knowing smile.
"Yea, him too," she huffed.
"You love him," he said rather than asked. She raised an eyebrow at the bow-tied stranger. "What I don't get is how that all came to be."
"You try taking care of an insane angel 24/7 for an extended period of time and we'll see how many warm fuzzies rub off on you," she replied. The Doctor was silent. "What made you help Ryse anyway?"
The Doctor huffed, "She seemed lost and confused and I could tell she wasn't from around my normal traveling path of sorts and Clara insisted."
"Yea, chickee seems like a generally kind human."
"She is," the Doctor said giving a proud smile.
"She also accepts the weird pretty well."
"Yes, she does," the Doctor chuckled. "So nothing has come back yet?"
Meg huffed and made a waving motion at a fallen tree laying nearby. It gave a slight wiggle before rolling comfortably back into its original place, "Nope. Still stagnant as ever."
"Let's go back to the TARDIS and see if I can figure out what's doing that."
"No offense, but I really don't feel like being prodded and poked," Meg smirked.
"No offense taken. I'm just curious what it was Ryse did to allow you back here. Castiel said demons possess people, they don't really have a solid form up here and not knowing what happened to your..."
"Meat suit, yea, part of me is sorta curious about that as well," Meg finished.
"Right, not knowing that fact, I'm generally curious to how it is you're solid rather than a like, ghosty or something. It could also be why your demonic abilities aren't working correctly, though I'm sure the Winchesters are perfectly ok with that fact." Meg made a face at him. "How'd you meet up with those two anyway?"
"Oh, you know…a girl's gotta have a cause and mine at the time I met them was to keep tabs on them, kill Dean if necessary, almost managed to a few times and keep an eye on that brother of his so that Azazel could prime Sam up to be Lucifer's vessel."
"Oh….well…that's uh…-"
"Yea, I was purely evil back then," she sighed. "A force to be reckoned with. And then they locked Lucifer back up and Crowley took over and things went to shit for me." They heard gravel crunched and both looked towards the bunker entrance. Meg smirked, "Howdy Clarence, come to join the party?"
Castiel looked at the Doctor, "Clara called, they're on their way back. She said Ryse has control over the hellhound and not to worry."
"Brilliant," the Doctor said jumping up onto his feet. He looked back at Meg, "Don't forget, if you want to me-"
"Got it," Meg said cutting him off after shooting a glance at Castiel. The Doctor gave them both a thumbs up and hurried back inside to his precious TARDIS. Castiel stood in front of where Meg was sitting, an unsure look on his face. "Something on your mind sunshine?"
"Are you still angry?"
She took a deep breath, "Does it matter? I mean, is it really going to change anything?"
"I suppose you're right," he nodded.
"Of course I'm right," she smirked. "You should just accept that fact now if we're going to be spending a lot of time together in the near future."
"That thing is not coming into the bunker."
"Yes Uncle Dean," Ryse huffed. "Doug never comes inside anyway. He's either here or at home. Wherever I am or I tell him to be."
"Yea and who's going to boss him around when you're not here?" Dean snapped still not happy with the fact that there was a hellhound now living with them, no matter how tame the thing was.
"Mom will."
"And she agreed to that?"
"Not in so many words," Ryse said shifting uncomfortably in the back seat next to Clara. Clara tried to hide a smile having been told quietly how the conversation had gone.
"Awesome," Dean grumbled.
"Come on Dean," Sam said from the front. "Maybe it won't be so bad having a guard dog at the bunker. I mean, it's warded and everything, but that may not mean squat if a fight comes down to it."
"Shut your pie hole," Dean muttered, tightening his grip on the wheel as he pulled down the road to where the garage entrance was. He pulled in and parked the car. Ryse got out and jogged outside quick before he closed the door so that she could make sure Doug was outside. She was pleased to see him waiting patiently for her near the entrance to the bunker. She scratched his ears and held in a giggle when he tried to lick her face.
"So this is it?" she heard her mother's familiar voice say from behind her. Ryse turned to see her parents sitting on a fallen log across the clearing.
"Uh, yea," Ryse said. "What are you guys doing?"
"Getting some fresh air," Meg said standing up and walking over. Doug gave a little growl before Ryse patted him on the head. "Growl at me again and I slice your throat."
"Oh he didn't know you," Ryse defended as Meg walked up to looked over the hellhound. "You're the one who's going to keep watch until…ya know."
"Yea, yea, got it," Meg rolled her eyes. "And the Winchesters are ok with their new guard dog?"
"Um…."
"That would be a no," Castiel said. Meg smirked.
"Well if that's the case, me and Doug here are going to be the best of friends, aren't we boy?" Meg said scratching it's chin.
"I've never seen a hellhound act like that," Castiel observed as he stood up to join them. "What did you do to it?"
Ryse shrugged, "My gut said to touch him, so that's what I did and wa-la."
"Sort of like what you did to get me back?' Meg asked quietly. "What do you do, go around purifying things?"
"Um no, not really," Ryse answered looking down at her shoes. They were all silent for a while, the only noise was Doug's panting as Meg patted him.
"Are you alright?" Castiel asked as Ryse hadn't looked up at either of them. "I'm sure Meg did not mean it as an insult."
"I know," Ryse nodded, "I just…I miss home. I miss my parents, no offense."
"It's ok," Castiel said. He looked at Meg who was watching the girl, "We understand the situation is strange for us all. How are your powers?"
"Ok," Ryse shrugged. "They feel almost a hundred percent."
"Good. The Doctor was checking the TARDIS last we heard. Maybe you'll be home before you know it."
Ryse gave him a small smile as Clara came bounding out of the bunker. She swung an arm around Ryse, "Come on girls, let's go to town."
"I'd rather stay here," Meg replied.
"It's probably a safer bet anyway," Castiel agreed.
"Nonsense," Clara said waving them off. "The Doctor said at least another hour or two and we'll be outta here. Let's go do something girlish."
"I'm not really the girly type," Meg said making a face.
"We're going and that's final," Clara said making Ryse giggle when Clara grabbed a hold of Meg's hand that had been petting Doug.
"I don't think she's giving you a choice," Ryse giggled as Clara pulled them along.
"I've noticed," Meg grumbled. She planted her heels, "A second at least?"
Clara stopped and gave Meg and inquiring look. Meg gave her a smirk before taking the few steps back to stand in front of Castiel and grab his shirt collar, pulling him in for a goodbye kiss before sauntering back to where Clara and Ryse were exchanging looks, "We'll be back, linger on that bit will ya?"
"Be careful, all of you," Castiel called to them as they continued to make their way.
A/N: apologies for the delay in updates lately. like my other fic, i'm almost up to the point that i have written to what i have posted and i've been getting distracted by other things plus getting sick. hoping to get a bunch more written at work today so hopefully updates can be a little quick. hope everyone is enjoying :) thanks for reading