AN: I'm sorry for the long delay. Finals ate up quite a bit of my time to write. This is the longest chapter yet so your patience has been rewarded. Thanks to all of the people following and reviewing. And as always, thank you peddlergirl. You know what you did.
This chapter begins with a memory.
THEN…
You had dealt with everything your father put you through. The abuse. The neglect. Over the last few months though, you thought things might actually start to get better. Life was far from good, but the mind games and abuse had stopped.
You'd found a boy you liked at school. He asked you out and it wasn't long before you were a couple. Brandon was the first taste of normal you had in a long time. Later, you realized that you missed the signs of a controlling boyfriend because he simply wasn't as bad as Dad. But with everything being relative, things felt stable to you.
You invited Brandon to dinner one night to meet Dad. It was a big deal, you never invited people over. For once, you just wanted to believe you had a relatively normal family. You wanted to be a normal teenage girl bringing a boy home to meet her dad. It didn't seem like an unrealistic desire now. The goal was to keep it simple, some pizza, ice cream, and small talk. But when Dad started drinking during dinner, you started to get worried.
Things were going alright, though, all things considered. Dad was drunk, but at least he was getting along with Brandon. You smiled as you did the dishes. It felt like you'd successfully made it through the evening. But your dad decided to change the topic of conversation. His statements sent your world crashing down around you.
Dad pulled Brandon closer and spoke to him in what he thought was a whisper. He began to give Brandon tips on how to get you into bed—all based on if you were anything like your mother. You froze. He smiled and briefly glanced at you as the blood drained from your face and nausea rose. Brandon at least had the decency to look shocked. Dad continued to spew forth sex tips and you ran for the bathroom.
You learned two things that night. First, pepperoni pizza was not good the second time around. Second, the reason Dad had stopped being so abusive. Given how drunk he was, these weren't spontaneous thoughts. He'd thought about this before.
Another wave of vomiting hit. You realized that you couldn't stay here anymore.
You tried to apologize to Brandon after nearly prying your dad away from him. It came out poorly. Nothing you could say would make any of this right. Staying with Brandon would be too awkward for a while so you worked on another plan. You didn't have a ton of friends and running to Aunt Sarah so suddenly would cause more scrutiny than you wanted.
You decided to call Ashley. The two of you weren't bff's, but her parents were pretty relaxed and she wouldn't have a problem with you staying until you could figure something else out.
That night, you packed a few bags and took Mom's old car. Dad had signed it over to you as a present for your sixteenth birthday. And so began your life of alternating between couch surfing and homelessness.
You tried staying with Brandon for little bit after moving on from Ashley's house. It didn't last long. He wanted to have sex one night while his parents were away. It seemed like a good idea. It felt like a great idea—until he decided to try taking one of Dad's tips. If he had stopped taking your dad's advice, you would have stayed. But he didn't.
He knew about your life. He fucking knew how you felt about Dad, about everything... Brandon didn't care about how you felt. You realized that Brandon only cared about Brandon. He was only interested in another notch in his bedpost tonight. You left repulsed, screaming obscenities at him. You'd take your chances sleeping in the car until you found some place new rather than stay one more minute with him.
Continually moving from couch to couch became a way of life for you as you worked your way through school and tried to save money in the hopes that you might get to go to college. If college didn't work out, then you'd have money for an apartment at least.
You eventually achieved a semi-reliable rotation of friends to stay with. Staying with Emily every other weekend provided some unique opportunities. Emily's family lived just outside of town. Emily's dad liked to take his kids hunting.
After a few months, you were spending almost every weekend there. You sustained the illusion of living at home and managed to keep your friend in the dark. Neither she nor her family ever suspected that something was different about you. You loved Emily and you would keep her as far away from the ugly truth as possible. As time went by, you convinced her to teach you how to shoot a gun. Because she lived on the outskirts, shooting in her enormous backyard was perfectly legal.
You started out at close range with bottles and moved them out further as you got better. An idea had formed in your head and you became obsessed with becoming better. Becoming deadly at seventy yards was when you finally allowed yourself to feel pride in how far you'd come. After a while, you reached the opposite end of the property and were still hitting the bottles. Instead of simply hitting the bottles, you focused on how many times you could shoot the same one. If you hit the bottleneck first, you could usually get in one or two more shots on the same bottle.
On graduation day, you picked up your diploma with pride despite the echoing silence in the auditorium when your name was called. There was only one way you wanted to celebrate both graduation and getting into college. You were eighteen now, determined to shut the door on your old life completely. You drove towards your old neighborhood, full of focus. Freebird started playing on the radio as you parked the car and stepped outside.
The bastard was sitting out on the back porch, drinking and smoking just like you'd expected. Old habits died hard. You were hidden in the tree line across the retention pond with a rifle you'd managed to purchase through less-than-legal means. You tested it a few times at Emily's—she assumed that it belonged to your family—and it was a reliable weapon. The cartridge was full, but you knew that it wouldn't take ten shots. You decided one was best. You didn't want to get caught and he wasn't worth the extra bullets.
The sights lined up as you aimed for his heart—or the spot where it should be. You squeezed the trigger and it felt as easy as breathing. The kick felt more like a gentle nudge as you watched him fall back into the chair. You stood and waited a few moments. You were relatively certain you'd hit the mark, but you wanted to be sure. The good die young, bastards live forever. He stayed down and something inside of you knew he was dead.
A weight seemed to lift away. You searched for the shell until you found it a couple feet away to your right. You left after retrieving it. You were already driving away before the guitar solo was over.
It was clean. The police never caught the shooter and put it down as a stray bullet or random violence. You kept the shell and turned it into a keychain as a memento.
NOW
The last day or so had passed just as the day before had. The hours dragged on as you spent your time frantically researching ways to help Cass while fighting off sleep. You lost that fight a few times and nightmares continued to stalk you as you pushed yourself forward.
It was just so goddamn frustrating. The Men of Letters had more research on how to kill witches than on spells or how one might become a witch. It still provided a lot of material for you to filter through, but you were getting the sense that you were on a wild goose chase. The next resort would be going on the internet to research witchcraft and that could be dicey at best without solid lore and research to back up what you found.
Your head was throbbing with the beginnings of a migraine that you'd been trying to ignore. You swayed on your feet as you walked back to your room. There were some painkillers in your drawer. You took a couple and regretted dry swallowing them as you felt them slide uncomfortably down your throat.
Hoping a change of environment might help, you set up to study in your room for a while. Books, music, notes. You went to turn on the music you'd been listening to, a playlist of Dean's favorite songs. But your mood had gradually switched as his favorite songs caused you to sink further into yourself. Instead, you started playing music from your old playlists… You'd worked for about an hour before your phone sprang to life with Sam's ringtone and face appearing onscreen.
You hadn't heard from him since before he said he was going to meet with the sheriff and you were starting to feel a little worried now. You'd told yourself that he had until tonight to check in before you let yourself imagine all of the reasons why he would miss a check in. That didn't stop you from imagining those things anyway, but it helped you reel those thoughts back in just a little bit. You had no way of knowing what Sam was about to tell you, though.
"Sam! You missed check in. I was starting to get worried." You listened for any sign that something was amiss.
"Hey, Y/N." Sam sounded exhausted. It was barely the middle of the day. The first red flag went up in your brain. "I just wanted to call and let you know that I tracked Dean down to a Gas n' Sip in Amherst Junction yesterday, but he's long gone now. The demon that attacked Dean dropped his cell phone. I went through the recent calls and texts. You'll never guess who tipped him off."
"I was wondering why a demon would attack Dean. What did you find out?" That puzzle still hadn't come together for you.
"I called the number. It was Crowley, Y/N."
"What!?" You stood up suddenly. That made absolutely no sense.
"Yeah, I know. I managed to trace Crowley's cell phone to a place called The Black Spur in Beulah, North Dakota. The street address is 156 Knife River Road. I'm headed there right after I call Castiel. I'm hoping he can back me up on this." Sam's voice sounded like sandpaper and sent up a second red flag.
You fought the frustration you felt at not being able to leave the bunker. You knew there was no way Cass was in any shape to fight. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Sam. Cass… He's seen better days." You felt a pang in your chest for the angel.
"Well, it's an all hands on deck situation, Y/N." Sam spoke without really thinking.
There was a long, palpable silence. "All hands on deck huh? Wow, Sam. I have to stay benched in the bunker but Cass—Cass is in good enough shape to play?" You couldn't keep the edge of anger out of your voice.
"Y/N… It's not—I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." Sam's tone softened and you could almost see him hanging his head in guilt. "You're not benched. I need you to keep tabs on the police reports in case they hit the road again."
It was a nice try on Sam's part, but you could smell the bullshit a mile away. "Yeah, whatever Sammy." You rubbed at the back of your neck. Getting in an argument with Sam was the last thing on your to do list right now. "Long night Sam? You don't sound so hot. Why'd you miss check in anyway?"
Sam let out a long sigh. "I ran into an old acquaintance of Dean's apparently."
You really didn't like the tone of Sam's voice. You could tell when he was hiding something. Red flag number three. Something was up. "Acquaintance?"
"Yeah. Uh, it looks like Dean went on a hunt—probably while I was in college—anyway, there was a family involved. Whatever it was, it had something to do with the dad. One of the kids, his son, came downstairs just in time to see Dean kill his father. Long story short, that kid is grown up now. He's not letting this one go."
Alarm bells went off in full force. You bit back at the fear and dread you started to feel in your gut. "Sammy, tell me everything that happened."
"Y/N, don't worry about me right now. I—"
"Sam." You turned his name into a command and a plea at the same time.
"Alright… The guy fucked with my car and caught me with my guard down. He got the drop on me. He took me to an abandoned building and started—" Sam stopped himself and began again. "The guy was after Dean and wanted to use me as leverage. He called Dean, but Dean wasn't interested in dealing with him. I got myself out pretty soon after that."
"Jesus…" You were breathless. This family had the worst fucking luck. "Sammy, tell me—did he hurt you?" You were only greeted with silence from Sam and you frowned. "How bad is it Sam? Be honest or I swear I'll find a way to drag your ass back here."
"Cuts, bruises, and some swelling. My head hurts. I don't think anything is broken though." He tried to sound upbeat and dismiss his injuries.
"Sam, stop back at the bunker and pick me up. You're in bad shape and so is Cass. You're going to need all the help you can get and me just being low on sleep puts me miles ahead of the two of you."
"No, Y/N. It's too far out of the way and I'm not going to put you in the line of fire." Sam's voice became adamant.
"But Sam—"
"No, Y/N. Look, I've gotta get a move on. Keep tabs on the equipment and be ready for when I get Dean back to the bunker. I'm thinking it's best if we do try to fix Dean in the dungeon with all the warding. It would really help if you could get the room set up." Sam was trying to pacify you with the safe jobs so you wouldn't feel useless. The demon dungeon was always set up. The modifications for Dean would be minimal.
"Fine. I'll do it. It's not like my thoughts are going to change anything." You couldn't stop some of your frustration from surfacing. "Bye, Sam." You ended the call and let the phone drop onto the bed as you let out an exasperated sigh.
You hated feeling so useless. You'd lived much of your life in situations you had no choice or control over. It was its own type of captivity without chains or locks. You struggled to breathe for a moment as the claustrophobic weight of everything pressed in around you. Heroes had switched to Dustland Fairytale as you were lost in your own spiraling thoughts and feelings.
The sting and slice of pain briefly surprised you on some level, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. You'd started digging your nails into your palms as you made a fist. The brief pain gave you something to focus on and ground yourself with as you took a deep breath.
The walls of your mind were still closing in on you though. You needed to run, to get out and just escape. But even if Sam hadn't taken your keys, even if you weren't so anxious about Sam finding Dean or Castiel gradually fading away, you had nowhere to go. It's not like that had ever stopped you from running before. You usually managed figure out your destination in transit. But this would be futile. You knew that no matter how far and fast you ran, you could never leave Sam, Cass, and Dean. They were your family now, the best family you'd ever had. You couldn't bring yourself to indulge your urge to run and abandon them as casualties to your desire to escape. They deserved better. And life without them… it would ultimately destroy you.
So you sat on the bed holding the only other escape you knew. The sharp edge of the knife teased against the edge of your finger as you stared at it. You frowned as you realized how much you had taken from your hips already. The cuts over the last few days were sloppy and amateur. They reflected your desperation more than anything. Many of them ran too long and far too deep, they would take time to heal.
You opted to move down your leg rather than up. This time, you would work slowly. You could already feel a sense of calm cutting through everything. Two slices. You created delicate lines that raised red welts and didn't draw blood. You drew in a deep breath as you felt the familiar sting that took you away from feelings of futility, depression, and fear.
At this point you were mesmerized—beginning to finally feel disconnected from everything. You moved to make a third cut before the calm you felt quickly disappeared as a voice echoed in the room.
"Stop." Dean's voice was pained and held an edge of sadness.
Your heart was hammering in your chest and a thousand emotions began to wash over you. You were breathless as you quickly looked up. The knife dropped from your limp fingers and crashed onto the floor. Frantically, your eyes scanned the room only to find it empty. You desperately lurched out into the hallway.
"Dean…?" Your voice was a mix of hope and fear.
But you quickly realized that there was nothing. He wasn't here, he couldn't be. The only reason his voice had sounded so clear was because it was in your head.
The feeling of Dean's absence and the realization that you were probably going insane were at odds with each other. You were a mess of limbs on the floor as your body shook from alternating sobs and laughter. Out of everything—everything—this is what would break you.
THEN
You got the call from Andy. Your youngest cousin, Katie, was dead. Her roommate found her in the living room of their apartment. The police turned it into a homicide investigation when the autopsy showed that her lungs were filled with water. Katie had apparently drowned. There was no sign of forced entry. The cops opened a tip line, but there were no leads.
That's how you found yourself driving back to Sarah's house for the first time in a year. You'd visited occasionally, but it got harder as you tried to set up a life for yourself. Andy and your cousins had moved out and started their own lives as well. Everyone was coming back for the funeral. This would be the first time you were all together in years.
Katie was sweet and so full of life. Losing her was a steep price to pay for a family reunion. She was one of the best people you knew. She deserved to live a long, happy life. She deserved to graduate from college, get married, and have kids. Now, all of that was stolen from her.
Judging by the amount of vehicles surrounding the house, everyone was here. You parked down the road and checked your appearance in the car mirror. The family needed someone to be strong. You could do this for them. You would swallow your own pain and be there for everyone else. You poured some water out of a bottle and on to some discarded napkins. You cleaned up dried tears as you took some deep breaths. This was going to be a long week. You didn't look great, but it was good enough. You slid out of the car with your purse slung over your shoulder.
Sarah was on the phone and glanced up at you as you stepped inside. She was talking to Nick and you left her to the conversation. He would be home soon judging by what Sarah was saying. You entered the kitchen and checked the fridge. There would be at least six people staying here and everyone needed to eat. You frowned when you saw how sparse it was. No friends or neighbors had delivered food and Sarah desperately needed groceries. You made a mental note to order in tonight and go shopping tomorrow.
Rebecca shuffled in her pajamas. Her eyes were distant and red from crying. "Y/N?"
"Hey, Rebecca." You spoke softly and gave her a hug that she weakly returned. "I was just going to order something for dinner. Is there anything you want?"
"Not hungry." She mumbled and walked away from you to grab a box of tissues from the cabinet.
"You need to eat." You sighed and furrowed your brows in concern. "Just name it and I'll make a special trip. Just for you." You brightened your tone in an attempt to get a response from her. Her gaze nearly shattered you as she turned around. Her eyes seemed so empty of life and her posture screamed resignation. Rebecca continued to just stare at you and for a moment, you thought you were looking at a ghost of yourself.
You knew that look. They were the same eyes that glimpsed at you in the mirror when the horrors of everything you'd experienced were too much to bear. The same eyes that were reflected back at you in pocket knives. Rebecca was walking on the edge of a cliff that you knew spilled into a deep, dark ravine. You should know, you lived there. Oh no you don't, Becca.
"Rebecca…" You kept your tone gentle and soft as you approached her. "Katie's gone. And—and it's terrible. I know. I know how death can tear and rip at a heart. Especially when it's someone as amazing as she was." You had to stop and regain control of your emotions. You couldn't lose your cool while trying to talk to Rebecca now. "It's ok to have that feeling—the suffocating depression and sadness—but you need to find a way to fight it so you can keep living your life. Katie would want you to have a life, Rebecca. She loved laughing with you and seeing you smile. Your little sister idolized you and she would have done anything to keep you from feeling this pain. So please, think of something you want to eat. Start small and work your way up from there."
Rebecca was still silent and staring at you. You were scared that your words hadn't phased her until she finally spoke to you in a raspy voice. "Katie liked the ramen shop in town."
You nodded. "I remember. She liked that really spicy bowl with the pork and egg in it. She always dumped a ton of extra chili oil in it to make it spicier."
Hope filled her eyes. "Pick up a bowl for me?"
"Sure thing, Becca." You smiled at her as she left the kitchen. As soon as she was gone, you doubled over and wrapped your arms tightly around yourself as you fought your own urge to break down and sob. Your body shook and you dug your nails into your sides as your mouth widened in a silent scream. Not now. Get the fuck through this. You need to be there for them.
A pair of arms wrapped around you from behind and startled you. You instinctively tried to move away and swatted at them. They only held you tighter until you lost the energy to fight and accepted defeat. He hadn't caught you unhinged more than three times before this, but it was enough for you to recognize who was holding you. Andy never asked why you were the way you were or about what set you off. Each time he'd found you, it was either obvious or something that was clearly not up for discussion. You felt a sting of failure for not being able to shield him from yourself, and now it had happened again. At least you were conscious. You weren't covered in your own blood this time either. This was far from the worst condition he'd seen you in.
After you were still for a few minutes, you heard his low and gentle voice. "Better now?"
You drew in a deep sigh and nodded. His vice grip around you relaxed hesitantly as if he were afraid to let you go. "I'm fine. Sorry you had to see that, Andy."
He had gotten so tall now, it seemed odd sometimes when you thought about the little boy you'd given up your future for. You looked up just in time to see him mask the pain he was feeling. His expression shifted to doubt as he kept his hands on your shoulders.
"I promise." You gave him a reassuring pat on the arm.
"Y/N…" He didn't believe you. He wasn't wrong, but you weren't about to show him anymore than what he'd already seen.
"I'm going to pick up some ramen. There's a BBQ place next door, which one do you want?" You tried to shake off his concern.
His expression faltered as he tried to decide whether to push you further or to let the topic drop. Andy finally let out a sigh before answering you. "Whatever is easiest, Y/N. You don't have to worry about me." Andy gave you a smile in an attempt to cheer you up. He was getting better at seeing through you and you weren't sure that was such a good thing for him. "Nobody's going to get upset with you over food. Just order a good variety and everyone will be happy."
You shrugged. "I don't mind getting everyone's order, I just want to help."
"I'm just happy you're here. It's good to see you." Andy knew that you never quite felt like you belonged at Sarah's house. He told you that it was totally imaginary and that you were welcome any time.
You knew you were welcome, but this was Andy's domain. This was the family that you had given him and you were afraid that your presence would ruin it somehow. You'd also convinced yourself that you weren't worthy of having a family like this. That's why you never asked for anything when you visited, why you were always extra polite and tried to go the extra mile.
"Andy, I—" The sound of the front door opening distracted you, cutting you off. "I guess that's Nick."
"Nick and Galene. He's engaged now." Andy smiled at you, happy to be able to give you some good news.
"Really? What's she like?" You couldn't help feeling a little bit excited. You were gaining another cousin. Andy would gain another sister.
Andy shrugged. "I've only met her a few times. She seems smart. She likes karaoke, but she's normally quiet. If you ask me, she's way too beautiful to be with Nick." He chuckled. "Go introduce yourself if you want to meet her."
You walked into the living room. Galene was slightly shorter than Nick, but still tall for a girl. Her blonde hair was slightly wavy and fell just below her shoulders. Her green eyes were as bright as gemstones. Andy was right, Nick was out of his league.
You walked towards her to shake her hand. "You must be Galene. I'm Y/N."
She smiled warmly at you. "It's a nice to finally meet you."
A tall, lanky man appeared behind Galene and you looked to Andy. Andy returned your confused gaze. He didn't know this guy either. You instinctively stepped back towards him.
"This is my brother, Nerites. I call him Neri for short." Galene wrapped an arm around her brother. He was as handsome as she was beautiful. Their parents must've been models, you were convinced.
Nerites sounded oddly familiar to you, though. It wasn't a common name, but you were sure you'd heard it somewhere before. You tried to remember if perhaps you had gone to high school with him. This was one of those puzzles that was going to bother you.
"Hi, everyone." Nerites gave a half smile and waved before turning to Galene. "This is everyone, right?" He looked around the room. Rebecca was now sitting next to Sarah and Uncle Mark was in his recliner.
Galene's expression shifted and you weren't sure you liked it. "Yeah Neri, this is everyone." Something about her smile felt off.
It only unsettled you more when Nerites mirrored her smile. "Good. Whenever you're ready, sis."
Nick looked puzzled. "Do you two have some sort of announcement?"
"You could say that." Galene snapped at Nick unexpectedly. "I know about your weekend in Las Angeles. I know about Heather."
Nick's face grew pale and he looked like he was about to throw up. "Galene… Can we talk about this in private?"
"No! The wedding's off Nick." Rage washed over her. "She really was pretty. I hope she was worth it. Although, I can't say she thought that about you for sure. Her screams made it a little hard to tell." She looked at Nick with malice.
You ran her last statement through your mind again. Did she really just say screams?
The next few moments were quick, but everything seemed to move in slow motion. You couldn't move as you watched in horror as Sarah and Mark began choking and spitting up water. You tried to run and help. You tried screaming even. But some force kept your body frozen.
"Let's get rid of these two shall we?" Nerites had his hand extended outward. "You've wronged my sister and now she's doomed to suffer until the day she dies." He looked at Nick. "I'll spare your parents with a quick death, but you will watch each of your siblings suffer and die." His expression was full of hate and venom.
After an eternity, Sarah and Mark were laying on the floor. Their lips were blue and their hands were reaching towards one another. You would never forget the sound of them dying and choking. You would never forget being helpless to stop it.
Rage burned deep inside of you. You remembered what the police said about Katie. This fucking bastard killed her.
Nerites walked up to you. His eyebrow was arched in fascination. "This one seems to have figured it out already. Clever girl. Shall I return her voice so we can see if she's put all the pieces together?"
Galene spared you a brief glance. Her focus was mainly on Nick. "Do as you wish with that one."
Your voice came out in a brief scream before you reigned it in to speak. "You killed Katie."
"Very good. Why did I kill her?" He toyed with a strand of your hair.
You thought frantically for a moment. His name was so familiar… Then you placed it. "Nerites… I couldn't remember where I'd heard your name before. You're a Greek deity." You paused. If you remembered correctly, Nerites had fifty badass sisters. They were the inspiration for modern mermaids, sirens, and water nymphs. "She's an ondine… Nick, YOU IDIOT! You managed to get an ondine to fall in love with you and now we're all fucked because you couldn't keep it in your pants!" Your voice cut out again.
"That's right. I had to get revenge for Galene. Katie was on the list and a funeral would draw everyone to one spot. It's why I'm going to kill all of you while he watches."
Galene looked at you disinterestedly. "Accept her as a gift, Neri. I don't want her."
"Is she not his sister?" Nerites looked at Nick, Rebecca, and finally Andy. "Odd… Those two lack the love that this one has for her, yet they all love him as a brother."
Nerites was focused on Andy and your anger intensified as he triggered your protective instincts.
"She is not immediate family." Galene was pulling knives out of her purse. "This family took in her brother when their mother died. He was raised among them."
"Funny… I wonder what's wrong with her." Nerites was fascinated with you now. It didn't take a genius to realize that he could pick up on strong thoughts and feelings. You directed all of your fury at him. "Oh wow... Galene, it's truly a shame that you're powerless now. The anger I just felt from these two… I haven't felt anything like it since I dated that erinys."
Galene rolled her eyes. "You can play all you want while I'm getting my revenge. Bind him to my will so we can get on with it."
"Of course, Galene." His voice was gentle as he addressed her. Nerites turned to Nick and was again full of wrath. "Galene was the kindest and gentlest of all my sisters. After thousands of years, she found a man that she loved. She rose from the sea for you. She gave up eternity, her powers, and her home for you. You are unworthy. Because of you, she will now die soulless and disappear into nothing. I grant her voice the power to bind you until the day you die—which will probably be very soon. He's all yours."
As Nerites released his hold on Nick, he lurched forward before running for the door. Part of you hoped he would escape and get help, another part of you wished he was dead for being a cheating coward. Galene spoke and he froze. "You will sit and you will watch. You will not move and you will not speak during any of this." You watched Nick move slowly and sit down on the loveseat. "Good boy. Now who shall be first?"
"This one." Nerites turned towards Rebecca. "Her thoughts are scattered and she has already resigned to her fate. She bores me."
"Very well. Nothing personal, Becca. Return her voice. I want Nick to hear her scream, Neri." Galene grabbed a knife and began running it along Nick's skin before making a small cut under his eye.
"Please—please just let us go…" You could hear Rebecca crying out of your view. Nerites took his time with her. He started drowning her until she was nearly unconscious while Galene tortured Nick. Time stretched on and Rebecca started begging for death. You couldn't block it out and it felt like it would never end. Your mind went to dark places. Nerites must've finally gotten bored because you couldn't hear her anymore. None of the begging, no gasping, and none of the horrible choking.
Nick was bloody and completely motionless. Galene looked bored and began running a knife over a lighter. "Good idea, Neri. It's about time we changed things up."
Nerites walked towards you and your brother. He cocked his head sideways as he figured out what he wanted to do next.
"Are you going to kill her?" Galene looked at you and spoke as if she was bored. "Or will you be moving on to the other one?"
"I haven't decided yet." He squinted at you and you felt fear for a moment as your first memory came rushing to your mind. "The water has already claimed you once."
Your eyes widened as you realized that you let that thought slip.
"Answer me." His tone was commanding.
"Yes." Your voice was back and you were forced to obey him.
"No wonder you draw me in. Clever, beautiful, drowned girl... Maybe I'll keep you as a pet." He smiled and ran a finger along your cheek.
"Fuck you." You snarled at him. You hoped that you could make him angry. If he got angry enough, he might just focus on you instead of Andy and kill you first. You would give your life to buy time for your brother. "You might as well kill me now. You're nothing. Nothing but a lobster with an ego. You needed daddy to change you back if the stories are true." You sneered.
"Or maybe I'll turn you into seafoam." Nerites pressed his face closer to yours, invading any sense of personal space. "Either way, say good bye to your brother. He's not long for this world." Nerites turned you to face Andy. He must've seen through the ruse. Fear began to crawl up your spine.
"No! Let him go you bastard!" You had no idea what he would do to your brother, but it couldn't be good. He ignored you and Andy dropped to his knees just out of your reach. "Andy! ANDY!" You let out a string of obscenities. "You motherfucker! Let him go. I'll be your fucking pet, just let Andy go." You pleaded desperately for Andy's life.
"Touching, but no." He didn't even look back at you. You heard a sizzle and smelled something burning. Your stomach flipped as you realized it was Nick's skin as Galene began a new form of torture.
"Andy! Andrew, look at me! Hang on, you have to fight! I'll think of a way to get us out of this." Words and promises were spilling out of your mouth. You had to save him. You had to make this right.
Nerites started laughing. "Now there's an interesting thought. You think that you could defeat me even if I do release you?"
Andy gasped for air and you shot a deadly glance at the sea god.
"Shall we play a game then? If you win, you and Andy will go free." You tried to look at Nick. "Sorry, he belongs to my sister. If I win, then we resume our evening and you will belong to me. Forever."
"What are the rules?" You didn't have too much of a problem leaving Nick behind if it meant saving your brother.
"The game is easy. You have until he dies to kill me and save everyone."
You fell to the floor as you were unfrozen. Andy looked at you with frantic eyes. He was already drowning again. The sound of him choking and spitting up water made you sick. You fought the urge to hold and comfort him, you didn't have much time.
How do I fucking kill a god? You scrambled and tried to remember everything from the lore you'd read as a kid. You hit him with anything you could find to buy time as you tried to think.
First, you stabbed him in the heart with the iron fire poker. He barely batted an eye as he yawned and said, "Boring." Then, there were Galene's knives that she had left scattered around her. They seemed ordinary, but you'd hoped there would be something extraordinary about them as you plunged one into his back. You cursed yourself for leaving your gun in the glovebox. You doubted it would work, but it would've felt satisfying. Think, Y/N. THINK! He was from the sea so salt would be useless. Silver had potential to wound him but you doubted that your aunt had any. You needed something strong and pure. Something that was primal, elemental.
The lighter flicked again and the flame gave you an idea. Nerites was associated with shellfish. Electricity and heat. A simple lighter wouldn't do the trick, this would require more. It was a long shot, but Andy was on the floor and he wasn't moving. You ran for your purse and drew your taser. Nerites was cocky. He stopped paying attention to your efforts in his overconfidence.
You fired at him and hit your mark. He dropped to the ground, writhing. The bastard wasn't dead, but you slowed him down and broke his concentration. You ran to Andy and began CPR. His lips were blue and he wasn't breathing but he still had a sluggish pulse.
"You fucking bitch! That's my brother!" Galene was trying to tear you away from Andy. Her nails and fists dug into you as she screamed. The glint of a knife caught your eye and you threw yourself to the side. You watched in horror as she looked down at Andy and smiled before plunging one of her knives into his chest slowly.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" You launched yourself at her, full of fury and recklessness. Galene had a second knife and the advantage. She'd counted on your attack and dodged, throwing you off balance. It was all you could do to try and avoid her now.
Nerites was stirring and trying to groaning as Galene continued to come after you. You were covered in scratches and bruises from her fighting. The rule about girl fights was true in this case. There wouldn't be a winner or a loser, only a survivor. Galene lunged for your heart as two gunshots rang out. The knife plunged in to your shoulder as she fell forward, missing the mark and you let out a scream of agony.
You felt a hand wrap around your opposite forearm and you were being pulled away. Biting back against the pain, you turned to see a strange guy with short hair in a leather jacket and you tried to fight him off. You had to get back to Andy. He could still survive.
"Let me go! He still had a pulse, I have to go back for him." You drove your heels into the floor and pulled against him as he tried to drag you away.
"There's no time! Look at the knife, he's gone. We have to get out of here before Nerites is able to use his powers again." The man's words threw you for a loop. How could he know what's going on?
"Who the fuck are you?!" You looked at him with suspicion and stopped fighting a little as he continued to pull you away from the scene and out of the house.
"My name's Dean and I'm the guy saving your ass. NOW RUN!" He pulled on your arm harder and you knew you couldn't put up a fight against him. You stood no chance alone against a god, but maybe this guy had something up his sleeve.
You were out on the lawn and running towards a taller man with long hair. He had a weapon aimed behind you and you briefly wondered if he was some kind of backup. "So what's the plan hot shot?!"
He didn't answer as you approached the taller man. "Sam! Take her and get to the car!" Dean threw you into the man's arms and raced ahead.
"Let's go!" The new guy—Sam didn't spare you a glance and you were running again towards a black car in the distance.
"What's he doing?!"
"We need to light this bastard up. Grenade launcher."
Grenade launcher…? Are they fucking serious?
Dean was yelling for you to hurry and you could see the god's form behind you. The Sam opened the door as Dean fired. There was a loud explosion and the area erupted into flames. You were ushered into the backseat and you heard two more loud booms.
Dean jumped into the driver's seat and the Sam climbed in beside him. The tires kicked up dirt and gravel as he sped away. They were both anxiously watching the flaming scene disappear in the distance. You were slumped in the backseat as exhaustion threatened to overcome you. The edges of your vision were darkening as adrenaline wore off.
The Sam's eyes flashed to you in concern. He reached out and touched your shoulder. There was something dark and shiny on them as he rubbed his fingers together. "Dean. Stop the car." His voice was full of urgency.
"Not yet Sammy. We need to get more distance." Dean's voiced felt like a force with no room for resistance or negotiation.
Everything felt fuzzy. It was as if all the energy was draining out of you. Your awareness went in and out.
"If… bleed out…" Sam's voice came in snippets.
"Damnit." You heard Dean hiss and he glanced at you in the mirror.
You were vaguely aware of the fact that you'd fallen to your side on the bench seats. You blacked out.
"Hey… Hey!" Dean's face was above you. Sam was wrapping a bandage around your shoulder. "Stay with me. What's your name?"
You were so tired and everything hurt. You weren't sure you could remember your name. Instead, you were focused on his eyes. You were thinking about how beautiful they were as you lost consciousness again.
You woke up in a motel room. The two men were instantly on their feet when your movement caught their attention.
"Hey, easy there. Don't rip your stitches." The big one sat on the edge of your bed. Sam. Dean had called him Sam.
"You just fought a god and lived. Pretty tough if you ask me." Dean smiled at you. "I'm not sure what you remember so let's start over. I'm Dean Winchester. This is my brother, Sam."
"We patched you up after the hunt. I hope you didn't love that shirt." Sam chuckled and held out his hand.
You noted that you were now wearing a man's button up shirt. "I'm Y/N." You took Sam's hand.
"I got there just in time to see you use the taser from outside a window. That was smart." Dean never took his eyes off of you. "The bastard had the place sealed. You broke his hold long enough for me to break down a door and get inside."
"Thanks. How'd you know people were in danger?" These two were an enigma.
"We didn't. We were investigating the case of that drowned girl—uh…" Dean trailed off.
"Katie." Sam chimed in.
"Katie. We'd already questioned the family. Sam figured out that there was an ondine involved. But she didn't have her powers so it didn't make sense until we factored in big brother. We were coming to warn them." Dean nodded at you. "I wish we knew there was another hunter in town. This might've gone differently with three of us working together."
Hunter? As in ghost hunting?
"Was your plan just to electrocute him?" Sam furrowed his eyebrows.
You sat there in shock for a moment, unsure of what they were talking about. "I uh… I thought—I'm not sure what I thought." You sighed.
Dean sat on the bed across from you and folded his hands. "You lost a lot of blood last night, it'll probably be foggy for a while." He frowned slightly. "You've got the battle scars. Sam and I couldn't help but notice while we were bandaging you up. Looks like you've been in the game for a while."
You remained silent and just looked at the two of them.
Sam shot a look at Dean. "What my brother's trying to say is that your tough and you obviously have experience. Would you like to work with us?"
They both looked at you expectantly. You didn't have anyone waiting for you out there and you'd just lost everything that ever mattered. With nothing left to lose, you made a choice. "What did you have in mind?"
The boys shared a look and smiled.
NOW
You didn't care. You let yourself slip into unconsciousness on the floor as exhaustion pulled you under. For once, thankfully, you weren't visited by relentless nightmares. Having a normal dream was like finding a unicorn. This peaceful darkness—the nothingness was the best you could've hoped for.
You woke up slowly. It must've been hours since you'd fallen asleep judging by how stiff and cramped you felt. There was a soft ping coming from inside of your room. You stood up shakily and grabbed your phone. Surprisingly, it had almost been eight hours and you had several missed calls and texts. Shit. You checked the texts first, reading what people wanted was always faster. Your phone sorted the conversations between contacts.
Sammy: Y/N. Got a big lead. Pick up the phone. 1:58 pm
Sammy: I know where Dean is. I'm going to bring him home. Please answer. 4:47
Sammy: I'm worried. I have to go. I'm calling Cass and telling him to go to the bunker. 7:05
Cass/Sammy: Sam says you're not picking up. Call us, Y/N. 7:19 pm
Cass/Sammy: Y/N, answer the phone. 7:55 pm
Cass/Sammy: Please, reply if you're ok. 8:23 pm
Cass: Y/N, I'm worried about you. 8:41 pm
Cass: I'm coming. 9:06 pm
You put off looking at this last text. Fucking Crowley. After the past few months, he was the last person you wanted to hear from ever again.
Fuckface: Sending you Dean's coordinates. Turns out I'd rather not have your sloppy seconds. Grab Moose and pick him up before he gets on my last nerve. Let your boyfriend know I want my friendship bracelet back. 1:50 pm
You stared at the message in shock. You didn't notice your hand was shaking until you nearly dropped the phone. Dean. Shock melted in to rage. You'd been gone less than a week. How dare he? How FUCKING dare he?! Dean was not someone to be called sloppy seconds. Dean was not someone that you just abandoned. It made you furious that Crowley would just toss him aside. And the idea that his rejection was the only reason Dean was coming home made you sick.
"That bastard! Motherfuckingsonofabitch!" You began shouting a string of obscenities and kicked a chair over.
Cass had tried to call you five times and left three voicemails. Sam had called you four times and left a voicemail each time. Sam's voicemails were mostly about getting close to finding Dean and to call him back. Apparently, Crowley had called Sam too. His voice grew increasingly concerned as they went on.
Castiel's calls were more focused on you. The exhaustion and worry in the angel's voice broke your heart. You quickly dialed his number.
"Y/N! What happened? Are you alright?" Cass's voice was full of determination and concern. It was because of you and you felt a pang of guilt for making him worry. You heard the rush of air in the background. He was driving, probably speeding.
"I'm fine, Cass. I didn't mean to worry anyone. I just fell asleep." You still weren't feeling that great and you needed some time to get your shit together. You hoped Cass wouldn't see through your half-assed explanation.
A woman's voice murmured in the background and you couldn't make out what Cass had said to her in reply.
"Cass, who's with you?" You instantly began to worry. He hardly ever traveled with anyone other than you and the Winchesters. When he did, it rarely ended well for him.
There was a loud sigh. "There have been some rogue angels. Anna and I have been working to… resolve the situation. Listen, I'm on my way to the bunker—"
"Don't worry about me. And also, you should be resting. Doing a job is only going to wear you down faster." You furrowed your brows in concern. Wrangling angels was no joke. There was no way Cass was up for this. "Please, Cass."
"No. This is my mess, Y/N." He said it as if it made a difference to you.
"I don't care. That doesn't make it your responsibility." You swore that once you fixed him you would kick his feathered ass for being reckless. He always did this. He always blamed himself when things went wrong. He was always trying to fix things when it wasn't his job. No wonder Dean was his best friend.
"What about Dean? I should be there—" The previous exhaustion was coming back into his voice and it tore at your heart.
"Sam and I have a plan. Take your time and stop fighting angels." You were almost scolding him right now.
"Did you call Sam? He's worried."
"Not yet."
"Call him. He's got Dean."
Those words overrode everything else on your mind. "Will do. Drive safe, Cass."
Cass said good-bye and you quickly called Sam. Hope and anxiety twisted in your gut as the phone rang.
"Hello?" You wondered if Sam checked his caller ID.
"Hey… It's me, I just got off of the phone with Cass. I'm fine. I didn't mean to worry you guys."
"Yeah, I can't really talk right now." Sam's speech was hurried and it clicked. He was trying to protect you from something.
You could suddenly hear Dean's voice in the background and your heart stopped. "C'mon Sam. Stop pretending that we both don't know who that is."
"Dean! You really found him? Put me on speaker Sammy, please." You were aware of how desperate you sounded, but you didn't give a shit.
Sam sighed and you heard a click as the acoustics changed. "I swear to God, Dean. If you threaten her—"
"You'll what? Lock me in the dungeon? Handcuff me?" Dean scoffed. "How've you been, sweetheart?"
"I'm alright. I miss you." You weren't seeing or hearing the demon, you were picturing your Dean.
"Good." Dean's voice held a dark edge to it.
"How long until you guys make it back?" Just for a minute, it was easy to pretend everything was normal. You could pretend Sam and Dean were simply on their way back from a hunt.
"We're still a couple hours out. I'll take care of that thing we talked about." Sam's tone betrayed all the stress he was feeling.
"Just drive safe, ok? It's almost over. Relax, Sam."
You heard Sam take in a deep breath and let it out. "Yeah… It's just been a long day."
"It's been a long day for everyone. I feel you. And Dean?" You didn't want to say goodbye, but you needed to get cleaned up and put yourself together. It was going to be a rough ride until you found a way to cure Dean.
"Yeah?" His gruff voice was like music to your ears right now.
"I love you." You felt a ghost of a smile pull at your lips.
Dean laughed bitterly to himself for a moment before his angry voice rumbled in the background. "Just you wait Y/N, I told you—both of you—to let me go. I'm not the one that's gonna need saving. When I get ahold—"
Sam's voice was so rough as he interrupted his brother, it almost startled you. "That's it. You're done, Dean. Sorry, Y/N. We've gotta go. I'll see you in a couple hours."
The line went dead and you stood there, stunned. The fantasy image you were holding of Dean in your mind was just shattered by his attempt to threaten you over the phone. You hoped that things would get better once Sam arrived with him.
You showered and spent the next couple hours cleaning up the bunker. You'd neglected to pick up after yourself in favor of spending time looking for Dean and researching angel grace. You moved all the angel research into your room to continue later. Hold on Cass. I'll get this figured out soon.
You heard the door open and ran towards the staircase. In this moment, right now, Dean's attempt to threaten you didn't cross your mind. You just wanted to see him. He was handcuffed and he looked terrible. You wanted nothing more than to hold him, to be the light that guided him back. His eyes, however, were cold and angry. You pushed down the fear and anxiety that gripped pierced your chest as he looked at you.
"Stay back, Y/N." Sam gave you a look. He could probably see that you were fighting with every fiber of your being not to wrap your arms around Dean. "Are the doors open?"
"Yeah. The dungeon is ready to go. I take it you'll be going out later?" You didn't want to openly discuss your plan in front of Dean. Not yet.
"Once we get him set up and I get a few hours of sleep, I'll get what we need." Sam's face gave nothing away. Damn, that must've been one hell of a car ride.
"Anyone want to clue me in?" Dean's low voice cut like a knife and you could feel the anger rolling off of him.
"No." You and Sam answered in unison. The short response from both of you was enough to send Dean back into silence.
Sam nudged Dean forward and they continued on their way. You let him handle Dean and waited in the kitchen. You knew you would be no match for Dean if he escaped and Sam wouldn't be able to handle him if he was worrying about you. Sam emerged a few minutes later. He finally let it show that he was carrying the weight of the world.
You stood and walked towards him. Sam tilted his head in confusion until you wrapped your arms tightly around him while avoiding his shoulder. "Thank you." You buried your face in his chest and you felt him wrap his good arm around you. "Thank you, Sammy. You found him and came back safe." Your most immediate worries about Dean and Sam's safety were gone now that they were home.
Sam's features softened, and he smiled at you with pride. "Hey, I keep my promises."
You pulled away slowly. "Can I make you something to eat? You've gotta be starving."
Sam shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I just need to sleep for a few hours. Do you think you could watch him on the monitor?"
"Monitor?" You squinted at Sam. Why not just sit in the dungeon with Dean?
"Y/N… I don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone with him." Sam was choosing his words carefully. There was something he wasn't saying and you almost didn't want to know what it was.
"Sam." You gave Sam the look you used when you wanted one of them to be straight with you.
He sighed. "You know he's not himself right now. I know how much you want to be with him, but I don't trust him around you right now. Please, just wait a few hours and we'll all have breakfast in the dungeon." Sam chuckled. "God our lives suck."
"You don't trust him around me? He's handcuffed in the middle of a devil's trap. What could he possibly do?" You attempted a smile to try and get Sam to drop his guard.
"I don't know. But after finding you in the motel room, I don't want to find out." A pained look swept over his face briefly. "There are two people in this world I've sworn to protect, Dean and you. Right now, I think the best way to protect both of you is to keep you from being alone together. So please, just for right now, do what I'm asking you to do." He was trying to use that puppy dog look on you. "Please, for me?"
You weren't going to win this one and Sam was barely upright. You sighed as you caved in to him. "Alright, I'll watch him on the monitor." You grabbed Sam's bags and wrapped an arm around his side. "Let's get you to bed before you collapse. There's no way I'll be able to get your giant ass off of the floor on my own." You grinned up at him.
"Thanks, Y/N." Sam let you lead him back towards his room.
AN: I wanted to at least get Dean home by the end of the chapter. Reviews are love and make me a better writer. Let me know what you think and what you want to see!