Nikki POV
"You got your lock picks?" Dean asked his brother, patting his own pockets. "Think I forgot mine in the trunk."
"Oh puh-lease." I said, walking ahead of him, grabbing the locked door of Kurt's apartment and turning the handle and walking into the apartment.
I turned around as Sam and Dean, both with equally shocked faces looked at me. "Really, what would you do without me?" I asked, smirking at Dean. He rolled his eyes and headed into the kitchen of the small apartment, I took the living room, and Sam followed me.
"So, what'd he do?" Sam asked me as he looked at a picture on the shelf.
"Hm?" I asked dropping a two year old magazine back on the coffee table.
"The embarrassing ex-boyfriend Dean knows about and I don't." Sam said casually.
"Is that jealously I hear there Sammy?" I asked flatly, not looking up from the pile of magazines. I didn't like my voice; it sounded like I was upset with him, well, maybe not upset, but not happy. Then again, I wasn't.
"Not jealous. Just wondering." He said honestly. "And don't call me Sammy." He added.
I clenched my jaw briefly and kept looking around the place. "Either of you find anything?" I asked, going through a pile of junk mail.
"Nothing but leftovers and a six-pack." Dean said from the fridge.
"Check the freezer." I suggested.
"Yeah, might find some human hearts behind the Haagen-Dazs or something." Sam muttered as he looked at something in a black folder. I saw him glance at me out of the corner of his eye. I turned away. I think he was trying to make me laugh.
Metal creaked. I was closest to the window and spun around first.
"Nik…Get away from the window." Sam told me quietly and slowly. I ignored him and cautiously pulled back the curtain. I had my hand behind my back, on the grip of my gun, loaded with silver bullets. I didn't see anything, so I opened the sliding glass door.
"Nikki!" Sam hissed at me.
"Sam!" I mimicked him, going out on the balcony. I looked around the balcony, and something caught my eye.
"Hey guys? You might wanna see this." I called. I leaned over the balcony and saw the long claw marks down the side of the building down to the fire escape.
We went back inside Kurt's apartment after that and Sam stayed close to my side. Sometimes, I think it bothered him a lot more than he let on when I did stuff like that; put myself in potential danger. I thought it was sweet; that he cared that much about my safety. But right now I wanted to hit him.
"You never answered my question." Sam said in the same casual tone.
"What question?" I asked, playing dumb.
"What'd your ex-boyfriend do?" Sam asked plainly, turning towards me.
I laughed a little, cynically, of course. "What are you gonna do? Beat him up?" I asked teasingly, walking past him as I rolled my eyes. Dean caught my eye and looked at me with a raised eyebrow and a questioning look on his face. I subtly drew a line across my neck with my thumb, signaling him to stay quiet.
"C'mon Nik! I'm like your best fri-!" A gunshot cut Sam off.
We all sprinted to the doors, ran down the steps, and out the door. It had come from the ally the balcony over looked, when we turned the corner into the ally, Sam grabbed my forearm and forced me to stay half a step behind him. I glared at him and yanked my arm out of his grasp. His eyebrows pulled together over confused looking blue and hazel kaleidoscope eyes. I sent him a brief glare before stepping around him to see what Dean was leaning over.
A cop was behind the dumpster, and his chest was in ribbons.
Dean had pushed the dumpster out of the way and squatted down to take a look at the dead guy. "I'd say Kurt's looking more and more like our Cujo."
"If he's out here, we better check on Madison." Sam said, already starting back to the Impala.
…
Back at Madison's, Sam knocked on the door.
Glenn, her neighbor, opened his, and the uneasy feeling returned. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Police business, Glenn." Dean snapped. Glenn nodded, seemingly understanding.
He looked at me, and his dark eyes seemed to get a shade darker. "I never got your name, detective…?" he trailed off, waiting for me to answer.
I could practically feel how Sam and Dean tensed. Sam was behind me, and God knows what a glare he was giving Glenn. I sent Dean a sort of 'Cool it' look, before looking back at Glenn. "Nikki." I said calmly, keeping the impassive, flat look on my face. "And I'm not a detective." I added, remembering the little detail.
I turned back around when Madison opened the door. "What is it?" she asked, probably worried from the looks on Sam and Dean's faces. The boys shared a look, but didn't say anything.
"Maybe we should talk privately?" I asked, glancing at Glenn. Madison, looking slightly confused, let us in.
"Has Kurt been here?" Sam asked, letting Madison pour him a cup of coffee. I guess we'd woken her up. Then again, normal people weren't wake at 4:30 am.
"Not exactly." Madison said, laughing humorlessly once.
"What does 'not exactly' mean?" Dean asked, taking a cup too. Madison offered me one, but I declined.
"Well, he was outside last night—just looking." She said, sounding both worried and confused. "Just looking at me." She added, almost for effect.
"Has he done something?" She asked us. "You sure you don't want a cup?" she asked me before putting the coffee pot back on the counter. I shook my head 'no.'
"We're not really sure." Sam told her. "It's probably nothing."
"But…We just don't want to take any chances. In fact, one of us should probably stay here with you, in case he stops by." Dean said. I glanced up at Dean, wondering exactly where this was going. It was my understanding that if they wanted to keep an eye on someone, they just parked in front of the house and watched.
"Where does he work?" Dean added.
"He owns a body shop." Madison told him.
"Mind grabbing that address for us?" Dean asked. Madison nodded and went to find the address. "Thanks." Dean called after her.
"Alright, you two go, I'll stay." Sam said simply. I saw Dean send him a look, Sam leaned towards Dean a little.
"How about you go after the creepy ex. I'm gonna hang here with the hot chick." Dean said, smiling as he took a drink from his coffee.
"Why do you always get to hang out with the girls?" Sam asked. Going by his tone, this type of thing had happened before. I was chanting the incantation for ice to melt in my head over and over, trying not to hear Sam argue why he should stay with the 'hot chick.'
"Because I'm older." Dean said simply. "And didn't you and Nikki go on a road trip together?" Dean recalled as he took a drink of his coffee.
Sam shrugged a little wobbled his head on his shoulders before saying "Well, yeah, but its Nikki."
My eyebrows shot up and I crossed my arms. "You know, I'm feeling a little offended!" I said a little louder, annoyed.
"Aw, don't worry. You're cute." Sam said, brushing it off as he patted the top of my head. My eyes widened.
I'd never been so offended and so hurt at the same time.
"And screw the 'I'm older' crap!" Sam snapped at Dean in a hushed voice. "We settle this the old-fashioned way." Sam said, setting down his coffee and taking Dean.
"How about I stay?" I offered, and again, I was ignored. I think. I saw Dean shoot me a glance. Sam held up a loudly closed fist. Dean must have recognized it, because he did the same. "Oh my God." I groaned as they both shook their fists three times; Rock Paper Scissors. "You two are children." I muttered.
Sam won; rock over scissors. "Dean," Sam said with mock sympathy. "Always with the scissors."
"Shut up. Shut up. Two out of three." Dean insisted, readying his fist again. Sam sighed and readied his own fist.
Rock.
Paper.
Scissors.
Shoot!
"God!" Dean cursed as he lost again, still rock to scissors.
"Bundle up there, alright?" Sam said sarcastically, grinning at his brother.
"How about Nik stays too? Maybe put a spell or charm or something on the house, an early warning system." Dean said as Sam shoved him towards the door. Sam didn't say anything. His blue and hazel eyes flicked to me, I don't think he knew I saw, and then it looked like him and Dean were having a telepathic conversation. It was obvious Sam didn't want me here.
"Nah," I said, trying my best to sound normal and bored. "I'm running on fumes. Think you could drop me off at the motel?" I asked Dean, walking away from Sam.
Dean had an odd expression on his face, but managed to nod. "Yeah. Sure. Let's go." He grunted, walking out the door.
We walked out to the Impala in silence.
"Goodbye Nikki." I heard a voice call. I looked over my shoulder, and saw Glenn in front of the building, watering can in hand. "It was nice to meet you, given the circumstances." He said, a small, awkward smile on his bearded face.
"Yeah." I said simply, not stopping my quick pace towards the black car. I got in and slammed the door.
I clenched and unclenched my fists a few times, pressing them to my knees as I took deep, slow, calming breaths. I had my eyes shut and wanted to keep them that way, 'cause I think tears may come out if I opened them.
"Look, Nik, I tried-"
"Just drive." I snapped, not opening my eyes.