Yeah, it's a day late...but Merry Christmas! Hope you all had a good one. It was kind of hard to write this. I had like so many ideas and none of them worked. But, I hope this one is okay.
"But how can that be her? Nobody can walk out of Hell just like that," Bobby quietly argued with Dean and Sam. Max was across the hall, taking a shower, a nice long hot shower. Bobby was outside, working on an old mustang when the Winchesters got back to his place. He saw the Impala pull in and instead of two, three Winchesters got out of the car. He felt his heart stop when he saw Max slowly walk into his house with Dean following her. Sam walked over to Bobby and gave him a quick explanation of what happened that morning. One thought jumped into his head, and he was about to beat the crap out of Dean. "Just tell me, did you summon a demon or not?"
"No, I didn't. Believe me, the thought crosses my mind every day but I didn't summon a red-eyed freak," Dean sighed. He looked towards the bathroom, making sure the shower was still running. He lowered his voice, "An angel brought her back."
"An angel?" Bobby looked towards Sam, he only shrugged his shoulders. He didn't believe him as well. "How much have you had last night?"
"I didn't have anything last night…well maybe a couple. But that's not the point! An angel came into my dreams and told me he brought her back from perdition, or something like that. Then I woke up. I thought it was a joke too, but I had to check. And, there she is. It the bathroom, taking a long shower. But, there's something wrong with her."
"Like what," Bobby asked.
"I don't know. But she's not the Max we used to know. She's….different."
It was quiet, all that was making noise was the shower running. Dean slowly got up from the table and sorted through his groceries. Wondering what he should cook for Max. Since her birthday was only a couple days away, he decided that he was going to save the bacon cheeseburgers until then. He was going to cook his steak, with fried potatoes. It was rare that he cooked something like that. Since they were always on the road, he can hardly show off his cooking skills. But now, it was his time to shine.
Max sat in the tub, letting the hot water pour onto her body. She held her legs up to her chest and rested her head on them. Many thoughts clouded her mind. But the main question is how? How can she get rid of the screams that echoed through her head? The evil laughter, the tortured screams, the faces of twisted souls. Yes, she remembered what she went through, what her soul went through. Everything. It all repeated over and over again in her head, ever since she woke up, she's been hearing the screams. How can she get rid of the screams, the twisted face? Just how was she going to move on from this, to get sleep?
Max had finally gotten out of the bathroom, after spending an hour in there. Most of it was spend sitting there and letting the hot water run until it was ice cold. Her hair was down and combed out. Still wet but it was clean and mud free. She wore one of Dean's old sweat pants and a t-shirt that was also his. They were big on her, but she didn't care, the clothes that she wore earlier were thrown out. Probably burned. She needed new ones.
Max slowly walked around the corner into the living room, but her eyes stopped on her other uncle. "Bobby!" Max run into the kitchen right when she was him. Right when he turned around, Max was already going for a football tackle. She jumped into his arms and tightly hugged him.
"Hey, bean sprout," Bobby greeted her for the first time. "I missed you!"
"Me too."
"And stop calling me that, I'm not a kid anymore," Max smiled. Bean sprout, her forever nickname from him. She finally released him and smiled up at him.
Bobby stared at the girl, her smile was forced and it was noticeable. And she looked exhausted. "You look like just got back from a war. Didn't you sleep on the way here?"
Max's smile disappeared as well. Looked like she just got back from a war. She felt just like that. Except it was a war that never ended. Sleep? No. No sleep either. She tried on the drive, but the faces appeared every time she closed her eyes. She gave up on trying. Max didn't say anymore to him and walked over to the table where Sam was sitting. For a moment she was happy like she used to be when she saw Bobby, now, well she wasn't the Max she was. It was pretty obvious, to Sam, Bobby and Dean, she changed.
"So, tell me," Max said, moving her eyes from her hands and up to Sam. "You promised you would tell me how you got me out." It got quiet in the house, no one spoke. Bobby looked out the window, Dean was still cooking the steak and Sam looked down at his hands. "Who did it? Who summoned a_"
"None of us," Dean answered. He turned around from his cooking and looked at Max. She could tell he was serious, just by the way he looked at her, Max believed him. "Believe me, Max. I came close, so close to summoning a Crossroads Demon last year. But I didn't, Sam and Bobby stopped me. But the thought never left."
"So then how?"
"You changed," Dean changed the subject. He turned back around to flip the steak over and left it to cook again. His potatoes were done, so he turned those off. "Where's my daughter?"
"Dad, I'm me. Didn't I just prove that to you," Max lifted up her sleeve and showed her fresh cut she made earlier that day. "What more do I have to do, to prove that I am me?"
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
"He means, what happened? Down there, what changed you," Sam explained to her. Max looked at the three, they were hoping for a story. Her story about Hell and what it was like.
Max shook her head from side to side. "I don't remember."
"That's a lie," Dean pointed out.
"Then don't lie to me! How could you summon a demon when you promised you wouldn't? How long do you have? One year, like last time? How long was I gone? Because you still haven't told me that, either."
Dean turned off the stove and let the steak simmer with the left over heat. "You were gone for over a year. We suffered for fourteen months without you_"
"Dean, calm down," Sam said quietly.
"_Do you know how hard that was? Do you know how hard it was to burn you? To bury you? We could barely say good-bye."
"That's not what I_" Max tried to speak, but she was cut off by her father's continuous ranting.
"A father should never have to do that to their child. So don't give me the 'I don't remember' crap. I just want to know where my Max is."
"_Dean_",
"I'm standing right here! Can't you see me? Dad, believe me, I am me! I always have and will be! I'm sorry if I can't remember what it was like down there. Maybe it's because I don't want to remember. Look," Max lifted up her shirt a little bit to show them her tattoo on the right side of her waist. "You did this tattoo yourself when I was twelve. What more proof do you want?"
"Max," Sam called. He's been trying to stop Dean and Max to stop arguing, but they were both stubborn and refused to give up until someone won.
"My name is Max Marilynn Winchester. You gave me my middle name yourself. Mary, grandma's name. And Lynn, the last name I used to go by before mom died. You gave it too me, so that I would never forget my mother. I was born July 13th, 1996. My mom died July 14th, 2002, I was six years old. A demon killed her, I called it a Black Eyed monster at first. And I've been with you ever since and this necklace, you made it for me and it was my Christmas present when I was six. It's the greatest gift I have ever gotten. Do you want more, dad? Or, since you think I'm not your daughter, should I call you Dean, or Mr. Winchester? Which would you prefer? Okay, you know what? I'm sorry, I am so sorry I left. Next time you're stupid enough to strike another deal, I won't do it again. I'll just let you die. Maybe my life would be better without you after all!"
"Max!" Sam's shouting finally got her to stop ranting. She looked back at him, then at Bobby, then to Dean, who was giving her a sad, broken look. He was hurt but her angry words, he felt like he was stabbed in the heart a thousand times. It was obvious, Max won and it shattered her father.
Max walked to the fridge and grabbed a pepsi from it. "I'm not hungry, you can have my steak," she told Dean as she walked out of the kitchen, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Where are you going, girl," Bobby asked, angry at the way she acted.
"Outside. Just…leave me alone," Max said before she shut the door. She took her boots with her, and walked out the door barefoot. She dropped the boots in the porch and slipped her feet into them. Walking away from the house, her head was down and she wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes. Soon, she disappeared into the junk maze of Bobby's yard.
Dean and the other two stood in silence, not looking at each other. Dean walked away from the stove and went to sit on the stairs, head down and silently crying. Dean and Max didn't eat, neither did Sam or Bobby. That battle they witnessed, it was worse than when John and Sam argued back in the day. The two whispered to each other, wondering what they should do to get Dean and Max to at least be friends again.
"Okay, you go talk to Max, I'll talk to Dean," Bobby ordered Sam. "Maybe we can get the two talking to each other before her birthday rolls in."
"Bobby, Max is out there in a pile of junk, where am I supposed to start looking," Sam said, looking out the kitchen window.
"Look up. Maybe she's in a tree. Like she always is," Bobby said before walking over to Dean.
"What do you want, Bobby," Dean asked before Bobby even made it across the living room. He stopped in his tracks, looking back for Sam, but he was already gone. "I can hear you two whisper back there."
"I just, uh, wanted to see if you were okay?"
"No, go away." Dean didn't take his eyes off the front door, debating whether to go outside or not.
"Dean, why did you_"
"I know, I shouldn't have done that to her. All of this is probably too much for her." Bobby stood there with no more words to say. Dean knew what was on his mind, he was think about the whole thing argument as well. "Do you want me to talk to her? I was going to, but I'll let her cool down," Dean said. "I'll do it, after Sam finishes talking to her."
"Okay…good talk," Bobby said before walking away from the stairs. "That just made my job a lot easier." Dean chuckled a bit and starred at the picture he was holding. His only wish, was to go back to those carefree days, with his daughter and Sam. So, they can be a family again.
Sam on the other hand, was still looking for Max out in the junk maze. Constantly looking up in the trees and through the piles. Nothing. He was about ready to give up, until he saw the car in the middle of the field, and saw Max sitting on top of it. Looking up at the sky. He made his way over to her, walking at normal speed, hoping not to scare her off.
"Does everyone hate me," Max asked before Sam even made it to the car. She said it loud enough for him to hear.
"No," Sam answered. He made it to the car and lean on the hood, starring in the same direction as Max. "We don't hate you. We were just…surprised at how you_"
"Acted? Trust me, I was too. I didn't mean to take it that far. I didn't mean to hurt him or to say those words…" she looked down at her hands, started twisting her fingers and ended up popping her knuckles. "I don't blame you three, if you hate me for what I did fourteen months ago and for what I said to dad. If you want me to leave then_"
"What makes you think we would do that to you?"
"Because, I'm a monster. I hurt dad just now, and I hurt Bobby and you when I…died. That's what monsters do, they hurt people."
"You're not a monster, Max. You never were and you never will be."
"I hurt all of you."
"Because that's what families do, Max. We hurt each other, but in a way, it makes us stronger than before. And we're always there for each other, to pick each other up, to help, to be jerks to each other like you and Dean are. And we make sacrifices. Sometimes small ones and other times, huge sacrifices. Like what you did, a twelve year old girl, striking a deal to save her father. That was_"
"Stupid?"
"Brave. That was brave. The bravest thing I have ever saw."
"Then why did he say that stuff?"
"He's just upset, and happy. He's feeling so many emotions right now. It more than he can handle. He didn't mean anything by it. We know you are Max. It's just, you're different, but I'm sure it'll pass. And you'll be back to your old self."
"I doubt it."
"…why?"
"Because I lied, Sammy."
"Lied?"
"I remember, everything," Sam looked up at towards his niece, she stared off into the distance. He could tell she was carefully trying to choose her words, so she wouldn't have to speak of Hell or what happened down there. "I remember what it was like…down there. That's why I'm a monster, because I lied and I hurt people close to me. That's why dad got mad, right? I'm not brave, I'm a fool. A fool thinking she can save the world and be a hero. But heroes don't go to Hell. I'm not the carefree Max I was before. If dad hates me, that's okay. I don't blame him. If he wants me to leave, I'll go. I won't fight. If dad sees me as a monster, then he can take the knife and stab it through my heart. I'd rather die, than to see him look at me the way he did for the rest of my life, Sammy. And I don't blame him. And I wish, I couldn't feel a damn thing. All I felt from the time I was down there until now, is pain. Fear. Depression. Anger. Rejection. And more pain."
"A teenager shouldn't be saying stuff like that."
"Honestly, I feel a lot older than that…time down there_"
"Max," a voice came from behind them. She didn't want to turn around, Sam's reaction was enough to tell her that Dean was behind them. And he heard the whole conversation they were having. Her words hurt him again, but he wasn't going to leave this time. Sam moved away from the rusted car and walked some distance away from the two. He saw Bobby standing at the tree line and he quickly made his way over to him.
"How did it go with him," Sam asked nervously.
"I'm guessing, better than yours." The two looked at each other, and grew nervous. They were afraid of what was going to happen between the two.
"Max, get down from there," Dean ordered. He waited, and watched as Max took a last sip from her drink and climbed off the car. Dean motioned his hand for her to get closer to him. She hesitated, but complied at the gesture. "You wish, you couldn't feel a damn thing?"
"Dad, I_" Max fell to the ground before she realized what just happened. She held the left side of her face. Realizing that she got smacked in the face, she stumbled back onto her feet. Only to get smacked again, but this time on the right side of her face. She was back on the ground. This smack made her bite her tongue and cheek, tasting blood, she spit it out and slowly got back on her feet. "Isn't this abuse to a normal family," Max slurred, wiping blood off her chin.
"We're not a normal family, are we," Dean asked. He grabbed Max's arm and pulled her towards him. Max's fought to get out of his grip when she saw him pull Ruby's blade out of its holder.
"What the hell..?" Max screamed as the blade cut deep into her skin. She pulled her arm away and moved back from Dean. Blood run down her arm and seeped into the dirt. Max stumbled backwards, clutching her arm watching as red liquid continued to leak through her fingers. "What the hell was that for?"
"Do you feel that? The pain? How does it feel?"
"It hurts, are you happy?"
"You need this. Pain lets you know tells you that you're alive. You need everything that you listed off to survive!"
"Okay I get it. You're mad and are teaching me a lesson. I get it."
"No, you don't! If I let you leave, you won't survive a week without us!" He stopped, he got Max's full attention now. Her eyes stayed on him, full of fear. He continued, "Pain shows that you're alive. Depression, you need people around you to help you with that. If you leave, you'll have no one to help you. Anger, gives you strength that you will need. Fear is instinct, it tells you how to survive. And the rest of the pain you feel, let us carry some of it, so you don't have to carry it all. And don't worry about being rejected, because we won't do that to you."
Dean slowly walked over to Max, but she backed away, staring at the knife he was still holding. He saw her eyes stay on the blade and dropped it on the ground. But, she still continued to back away from him. Even when Dean held out his hand, she refused to take. Slowly backing away, Max completely forgot about the rusted car behind her. She hit her back on it, now she had nowhere to go. If she tried to run, Dean would just catch her. She tightened her grip on her wound, keeping her eyes on her father. Watching his every move as he grew closer, until he was only a few feet away from her. Dean reached for her wrist, the one he dug his blade into and covered the wound with his hands as well. He cut too deep, blood kept pouring through the wound, soon it leaked through his fingers, as well.
"If you gives these up, Max, you won't survive, and I don't want to bury my daughter again. I don't want you to leave again. I don't know what Hell did to you. I don't know what you went through. But, let us help you carry that pain."
"…Why? Why would you do that?"
"Because that's what families do. That's what I do, it's my job."
"But, dad…"
Dean pulled her into him, wrapped his arms tightly around her body. She let him comforting her, shielding her from the anything. For the first time, in what felt like years to her, she felt safe. "And you're right, my Max is right here. She's just scared and hurt. Time will pass, and you'll be back to yourself."
"Do you promise?"
Dean smiled. "Yeah, I promise. And I promise, I will not let you carry this all by yourself. You know Sammy and I, you want to talk? We'll help you, together. Now, let's go inside and stitch that up." Dean released her new wound, taking a look at how many stitched she might need. Sam and Bobby smiled at them form a distance, glad that they finally made up. Hopefully this was there last fight for the day. But it's Max and Dean, who know when another pointless argument will break out between them. But who won this one? Let's just say they both won back their trust for each other.
The four sat in the kitchen, Bobby watched as Dean stitched up the deep cut and Sammy held Max in place. At first, the sewing became too painful for Max, she kept on moving and twitching. But it slowly started to go numb, he was nearly finished and he finished up his story of how Max got out of Hell.
"Angels? They exist," Max winced as Dean finished the final stitch. Watching as he cut off the threated and poured alcohol on her skin. "Castiel? What kind of a name is that?"
"Well, if there are demons then there are angels. He said he was sent by God to drag you out of there. He looked and sounded like a dork too."
Max said in silent for while Dean bandaged her wrist and taped the gauze together. "So, what would it take for an angel to drag a soul out of there?"
"I don't know. Why do you ask?"
"Because…I have something on my back. A hand print. Kind of on my shoulder blade."
"What hand print?" The three looked at her, shocked that she didn't tell them in the first place. Dean got up and took Max to the bathroom, leaving the other two wondering if they were going to see it.
They closed the door behind them, and Dean started to lift up the back of Max's shirt. She held the front of it down, and waited. Dean lifted her shirt higher until he finally saw the palm of the print on her right shoulder blade. "Max, hold the shirt," he tapped her shoulder so she knew where to hold it. He lightly moved his fingers on the welts, from the tips of the fingers down to the bottom of the palm. "Does it hurt?"
"It burns," Max hissed.
"Why didn't you tell me in the first place?" Dean pulled out his phone and took a quick picture of the red marks.
"…I wanted too, but…it's kind of in an uncomfortable place and I didn't want to world to see it. I started stinging not long after I woke up. And I didn't know what it was until I took a shower. Where did it come from?"
"I don't know. You can let go now. Just don't scratch or touch it." Dean moved away from Max and towards the door. Max released her shirt and fixed it before the got up and followed Dean.
"Dad?"
Dean stopped before he touched the knob, "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry…"
"I am too."
"No, I mean, I'm sorry for not telling you what I did. For not telling you that I made that deal."
"If I were you, I would have done the same thing," Dean told her as he left the bathroom. He turned and gave her a smile, "And quit apologizing. It's starting to get annoying."
"Shut up, you're the annoying one." She quickly followed her father out to the kitchen and sat back down in her seat. Dean was already showing Sam his phone. Starving, Max got up and went over to the shove, grabbing a steak and a plate full of fried potatoes. She ignored the conversation that the three were having, food was on her mind. Since she hasn't eaten all day, actually in the last fourteen months she hasn't eaten. Food was more important now than hearing the guys talk.
She sat down, slowly eating her steak, it was good. Juicy, tender and cooked to perfection. She always loved it when Dean cooked. It was rare, maybe a few times they stopped at a park or camp ground, then Dean would grill. Losing her thoughts in the food, she completely ignored everything around her. Until one thought appeared in her mind when turning to look at the calendar hanging above her.
"…can you think of anything, Max? Anything you can remember," Dean broke her thoughts.
Looking towards them with a blank face, then it turned to confusion. "Huh?"
His hands dropped, "Did you even hear us talking?"
She shook her head, "Nuh-uh…" She watched Dean and Sam drop their head and Bobby rolled his eyes. "Hey, is it really my birthday in two days? How old will I be?"
Yeah, Max was never told her how old she is now. All she knows is that it's been fourteen months and in the show, Hell time is a lot different that Earth time. I think like 10 years a month? Because with Dean he spent 40 years there, and it was only 4 months our time. So Max spend a 114 years down there...that's a long time... and My sister just called me a evil writer just now...
*hiding under a pillow as she throws markers at me* She loves Max...
Next chapter may be the last one for this story. Then back to writing Not an Average Teenager. Sorry to those readers for taking forever. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Also! Who watched the Hobbit Battle of the Five Armies? And who cried? Because I cried like a baby when I left the theatre. That was my childhood ending right there. And I turned 21 years old on the 17th, so yeah... Also, I'm not ashamed to admit I cried like a baby.