Hey guys! So these chapters looked way longer on my computer and I'm working on writing more per chapter break. Keep in mind these are all un-beta'd so bear with any mistakes. I've read through them multiple times myself but still… anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 4

Lily woke up starving. She hadn't eaten for at least two days, because Rowena had punished her by taking her food away and then she had gotten kidnapped. She ran her fingers through her tangled black hair in an attempt to comb it. Her head felt fuzzy…she was probably getting sick after spending all night in her wet clothes. Not good. At Rowena's she knew how to mix a tea that relieved her symptoms but here she didn't dare ask for herbs, lest they think she was secretly trying to work a spell. She peered through the darkness and set about exploring the lengths of her leash. She couldn't get very far, but felt her way to what appeared to be a bathroom in the far corner that she could just reach. She took a drink from the sink and splashed her face. It was too dark to see anything, but she was sure she looked like death warmed up, not that it was anything new. Rowena liked when she looked like a half-drowned rat, and at the moment she certainly felt like one.

Her day passed uneventfully. She lay on the floor dreaming up alternate realities with food or warm blankets, not having much energy to move around. She had no sense of time, but sometime in the middle of her "day" her captors made an appearance with food. Cold pizza on a paper plate, was there anything so heavenly in this world? She picked off the meat and scarfed down the rest. When they came to get the garbage and check on her, Dean raised an eyebrow at the pepperoni, but they said nothing and she was shut up in darkness again.

She slept on and off, trying to get up and walk in circles for exercise every once and a while and drink water from the sink. Sam came back once more, with a blanket and an apple. She savored every last bite and left only the stem and seeds. Dean came back once too, with gummy worms of all things. She accepted the bag shyly and whispered "Thank you."

Dean just nodded and shut the door.

And so it repeated. For four long sleeps. The boys came less, leaving more food that she portioned out. They got the hint that she didn't eat meat, and it endeared her to them despite the knowledge that they were holding her captive. She always said hello and thank you politely, and had even dared to ask Sam how much longer she would have to stay.

"I know you must feel restless-"

"No no! I don't want to seem ungrateful! You have both been so kind to me…" Sam winced a little at that statement. "I just, wanted to make sure he- everyone is happy with me. That I'm doing what I'm supposed to do."

"Don't worry, Lily;" she warmed at his mention of her name, "it will be over soon I promise."

On the seventh day, she noticed something lying on the edge of her leashed zone in the light from the doorway before Sam left. She ignored it for a while, but, now that she was regaining some of her strength, she was getting more and more restless. Finally, she hesitantly decided to explore the little bag's contents, feeling around with her fingers until she found it just within reach and pulled it closer. Searching inside blindly, she suddenly recoiled in horror. It was a spell bag; a bowl, herbs, bones: everything she would need to make a spell. She threw it away from her, trembling, tears threatening to spill over and pushed herself as far to the opposite side of the room as possible. This was it. She had ruined it. If they discovered she had touched their things; things that could make a spell. Things like that in her hands, someone they thought was a witch. Everything was ruined. She couldn't lie to them though. She was more well-fed and tended than she had ever been in her life, she didn't want to lie like she always lied to Rowena. They were different. She stayed huddled on the opposite side of the room until she fell into a restless asleep.

She awoke untied.

Lily worked herself into a panic almost immediately. Surely they would come in and think she was escaping. How did this happen? It was because I touched the spell bag she thought, but even as it came to her she shook her head. The spell was not assembled; it was simply a bag of ingredients. Her life seemed to be one big episode of 'out of the frying pan and into the fire'. This was just perfect. She had free access of the whole room, which was another dangerous accusation that could be levied against her, maybe even worse than escaping was being accused of doing magic. Maybe if I knock on the door and let them know I'm not escaping. It seemed like her best option. She crept to the door and tapped it, nervous. No answer. She tried the handle, it gave without a sound and the door slid open. Lily peered out in the hall, on the verge of tears. There was no one there.

She backed into the room, tripping over her blanket and falling hard on her butt. She began to cry. Sam might stop to listen but Dean wouldn't believe her. She had broken his trust. The trust she wanted so badly to build. He had given her a half smile yesterday when she thanked him. The thought made her cry harder. Maybe if I appeal to Sam…but it was no use. The brothers-for it had become clear to her that's what connected them-were a united front against her. She buried her face in her hands. She had never cared about what Rowena thought of her. Feared her wrath and boredom, yes, but never made any whole hearted attempts to please her. Not since she was a child. But the brothers were different and everything was spoiled. She began to cry anew and went to throw herself down on her blanket when she felt the rough edge of the rope. The rope! Maybe she could retie herself! The thought was a buoy in the sea of despair that she was drowning in, and she fumbled to tie her hands together. Even without being able to see, she knew it wasn't a very convincing job. She was debating her options when the door opened, the light silhouetting both brothers' striking figures in the doorway. The light flickered on and they took in her kneeling figure, arms together and held out as if she was praying, the tangled and clearly loose rope and her tear-streaked face.

"Well." Dean's face and voice were inscrutable, and Lily burst into a torrent of words and tears at the sight of him and Sam.

"Please it just- I woke up and the rope was undone. I didn't untie it I swear! I j-j-just opened the door to look for you I wasn't trying to escape I don't know what h-h-happened. L-l-look I tried to redo it…I-and the bag! I didn't know what it w-w-was…I didn't mean to touch that stuff! I threw it aw-w-way…I-" her words broke down into incomprehensible sobbing. "I'm s-s-sorry!"

She said it over and over like a mantra, not daring to look up at the faces that she was sure would be etched with disappointment. She was so focused on the ground she jumped when Dean's hands were suddenly on hers, slowly untangling the rope from her hands and Sam's voice was in her ear:

"Lily, sshhh, you passed the test." She couldn't respond, only lean into Dean's arms and bury her face in his chest as he lifted her easily off the floor and carried her out of her erstwhile prison.

Dean carried her down hallways she didn't try to keep track of before stopping in a central room that was, to Lily, the most opulent space she had ever been in. The room gave off an old-world feel and at its center was a large table and chairs. The table was strewn with beer cans, old pizza boxes and books. Dean set her down on one of the chairs and sat across from her. Sam sat next to him and they both regarded her with kind eyes.

"Lily." It was the first time Dean had said her name. It came out low and gravelly, but warm like a blanket at the same time. Her heart soared. This must be what family felt like. "We- I want to apologize. For…in the alley and for keeping you. We just had to make sure you weren't lying. We don't have the best track record with witches."

"We're sorry for testing you. We just had to be sure." The brothers waited. Lily looked down at her knees, blushing from the attention.

"It's fine. I understand." Sam stood, and picked up a bag from under the table.

"I didn't know your size, but these should fit you well enough, and they're clean. There's a coat in there too, it's chilly out. You can have a shower here before you go" Lily took the bag silently, confused. "There's food in there too. Enough for a week. And there's a cellphone, in case you ever need us. Dean will drive you anywhere you want."

"I - what?" Lily felt her stomach fall out.

"You're free to go" Dean stood. "We're sorry about keeping you so long. We are the good guys, we promise."

Sam smiled but Lily was trembling. This was it. They were getting rid of her. She didn't have any useful information and they were cutting her loose. Rowena would find her and-

"Lily?"

"Please. Please don't kick me out. I- I don't have anyone. I'll be good I promise! I can cook and clean. I don't eat much and I can sleep in the shelf-room. I won't be a bother, I promise. Please." Lily took a shaky breath. "Please don't send me away. Rowena will find me. She- I can't-"

Lily choked.

"I can't go back to her. Not after….no one has ever been so kind to me before." She didn't dare look up. To her shame, she was crying again. Rowena never let her cry, it was weak and pathetic. Dean and Sam probably thought she was such a joke. They would never let her stay. Without another word, she gathered the bag of things they had given her and stood, turning to go. Sam caught her wrist.

"Wait. Just wait here. There's some pizza in that box there. Dean and I will be right back." Dean's brow was furrowed and Sam's head was stooped in thought. Lily felt guilt wash over her. How dare she ask to stay. How dare she ask more of them. She was practically their enemy, of course that wasn't an option. What if Rowena found her here? They would both be in danger and it would be her fault. She needed to suck it up and leave them be. They had done enough. She waited until they went into the adjoining room and made her plan. She left the clothes folded on the table; she didn't deserve them; but took the food. There were no windows anywhere, so she assumed they were underground, and saw a large spiraling staircase directly across the way. Looking around one more time, she scribbled a hasty note, and then, hearing rising voices, hurried as quietly as she could up the stairs and out.