Dean waited outside the house and stood from the stairs when Arielle came into view. He walked towards her, forehead creased. "You okay?"
"You know," she said quietly. "You keep asking that and I wonder if ask out of sincere worry or because you're down one man and can't afford to have another problem on your hands." She walked past him, not caring for an answer, and before she could set foot on the stairs, his arm pulled her back.
"You're my family," he started, his eyes piercing hers. "Of course I care." Arielle sighed, shaking her head. "Look, I know we haven't exactly been very welcoming towards you, especially me," he said, letting go of her arm and placing his hand on her shoulder. "But you're my blood. And that's what matters. When you took off with Cast – uh, Jimmy, I ain't going to lie, I was pissed."
A small chuckle escaped him and Arielle looked at him in surprise. "But after we talked, when you said why you did it, it sunk in that you were right. They'd go after the family sooner or later to get to Jimmy. And if we hadn't been there," he said, stopping and shaking his head at the thought. "You were smarter than us, and the fact you followed your gut like that, made me realize you're a true Winchester. Maybe a better one than Sam and I combined."
She nodded, giving him a tired smile before removing it from her features. "Castiel," she said suddenly, her eyes searching his. "What's his role in all this?"
Dean sighed at the mention of the angel, shaking his head now. "I thought he was on our side, wanting to stop the apocalypse, but after tonight… I'm not sure anymore," he stated as they walked up the stairs. They joined Bobby who sat reading behind a desk in the living room.
Arielle dropped onto the couch, sighing deeply. Bobby's eyes flicked towards her before flipping a page. "Catch some sleep while you can," Bobby suggested, closing the book and reaching for another one. "This life, it don't give you much of a chance to rest."
The young blonde decided to obey, laying down and resting her head on her arm. She couldn't imagine sleeping at a time like this, with Sam looked in a panic room and an angel running around in Jimmy's body. Without realizing it, though, she slipped into sleep and her soft breathing caught Dean's attention.
The older brother grabbed a blanket and gently spread it over Arielle. His green eyes studied her and with a sigh, he sat on an empty chair, guarding over her as she slept.
Arielle shot up from the couch, screams echoing throughout the house. She noticed Bobby and Dean seated on opposite sides of a desk, each holding a glass of whiskey. "Is he okay?" she asked, her voice cracking a bit.
"Withdrawals," Dean stated and her eyes widened in understanding. The demon blood apparently was more than just a power-booster. Her brother took a drink before offering the glass to her. The blonde stood, stretching before stepping to Dean and taking a swill. The whiskey burned its way down her throat, waking her up completely, and she handed the glass back before taming her tangled hair with her fingers. "How long is this gonna go on?" Dean directed to Bobby.
"Here, let me look it up in my demon-detox manual. Oh, wait," the man replied, his words drowning in sarcasm. "No one ever wrote one." His tone returned to normal frustration. "No telling how long it'll take. Hell, or if Sam will even live through it." Arielle caught sight of the whiskey bottle and motioned towards it. "Be my guest," Bobby said as he took his glass and held it out.
The young woman took the whiskey bottle and clinked it against his glass before taking a long swig. "Good stuff," she said with a grimace, wiping at her mouth with her sleeve.
"Definitely a Winchester," Bobby muttered under his breath as he sipped at his own whiskey. Dean gave a chuckle while Arielle gave Bobby a playful glare. His phone rang and he snatched it up, answering. "Hello. … Suck dirt and die, Rufus. You call me again, I'll kill you." Snapping the phone shut, Bobby returned to sipping at his glass.
"What's up with Rufus?" Dean asked.
"He knows," Bobby plainly stated.
And uncomfortable silence settled over them. "You guys eat yet?" she asked, trying to keep the mood from darkening further. The men shook their heads. "What a surprise. I would cook something, but your idea of cuisine sucks, Bobby. No offense." The old man huffed in indignation, though a hint of a smile peeked through. "Think I can round us up some basics. The grocery store ain't that far, I think."
She watched Dean dig into his pocket and he tossed the keys of the Impala to her. Bobby's look of surprise was a reflection of hers as she barely managed to catch them. "Not a scratch," he warned, trying to remain nonchalant. "And if you could fill 'er up, that'd help." Arielle simply stared at the keys, unable to move. Dean snapped his fingers and her eyes flew to him. "Oh, and pie."
"Pie?" she repeated, slowly putting down the whiskey bottle as she clutched the keys tighter. Sam's scream interrupted briefly and the trio cringed.
"Yea, pie," he said, licking his lips before taking another drink of whiskey. "Don't take too long." Arielle nodded and turned away, loosening her grip on the keys when she realized how hard they were digging into her palm.
Bobby's voice floated towards her as she reached the front door. "Well that's definitely something I thought I'd never witness."
The sound of a glass being set down was heard. "She's family," Dean replied simply. "I trust her."
The young woman felt her heart grow too big for her chest to contain. The sound of a cellphone ringing broke her out of her thoughts and she opened the door.
The last thing she heard was Bobby speaking. "I'm busy, you son of a bitch. This better be important."
Arielle was in the kitchen, humming in an attempt to drown out Sam's screams. Her trip to town had been faster than the two men expected and soon the air was filled with the scent of waffles, eggs and hash browns as she managed her way around the kitchen. Cutlery and dishes were set out on the table already and she served up breakfast, preparing the three plates on the table plus an extra one.
"Come and get it," she hollered towards the other room. It didn't take but a second for Bobby and Dean to appear in the kitchen, eagerly sitting at the table. "Gonna assume that reaction means you've been a while without a decent home-cooked meal," she said with a giggle. "Be back."
Before either could dig in, they snapped their attention to her and the extra plate. "I don't think he'll eat that," Dean said tensely. Arielle turned her head, not stopping from her set path.
"And probably not a good idea," Bobby added.
"Doesn't hurt to try," she said as the screams finally subsided. "Plus, you know I'm not defenseless." She left the room, heading straight to the panic room and opening the window. She found Sam lying on the bed, eyes wide as if he just realized where he was. "You okay?" she asked through the barred window.
Sam sat up and shook his head before placing it in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. "I don't think I can handle this," he said, his voice breaking. She bit her lip before unlocking the door and stepping it, shutting it behind her. He looked up at her, surprised. "Won't they be upset?"
Arielle shrugged and raised the plate up. "Can't have you starving," she answered and walked to Sam cautiously. "I can trust you, right?"
"I can't trust myself," he said softly, looking at the ground between his feet. Giving a soft sigh, she placed the plate beside him and kneeled, catching his eyes with her. "I'm sorry."
He grabbed her arm and as she stood to turn away, he wrapped his arm around her neck. She twisted her body slightly and using all her weight, she slammed her elbow into his solar plex. The air exploded out of his lungs and his grasp loosened enough for her to slide out quickly and pull out the gun she nestled on the small of her back. She walked backwards towards the door as he raised his hands. When he took a step towards her, she raised the gun and aimed at him.
"Come on, you won't shoot me," he said, hesitating before taking another step. She squeezed the trigger, firing a shot right in front of his feet. He jumped back and within moments, Dean and Bobby appeared at the door. "She's crazy!"
"Yea, says the guy that wanted to choke me," she scoffed as she finally reached the door and exited. Dean and Bobby shut the door after her and locked it.
"You alright?" Bobby asked, giving her a look over. She waved him away and nodded. "Told you it was a bad idea."
Arielle sighed and shook her head as the three headed back to the kitchen. "Yea, well, he's my brother too. I can't exactly just let him go hungry." The trio sat at the table and started in on their breakfast. Moments later, they were caught up in conversation and it didn't take long for the men to finish up any last morsel of food, requesting second and third servings.
When all plates were cleared, the young woman stood to clean up. "Hey, do me a favor, would ya?" Dean asked, pulling her away from the kitchen. "We're running low on some of the other basics. You know. Salt, holy water, spray paint. Think you can make another quick run for me into town?" Arielle looked at him, her suspicion perking up.
"Sure, no problem," she responded slowly. He placed the keys in her hand, grinning before turning and picking up the dishware himself. Arielle watched with a raised eyebrow as he got to washing dishes, whistling a tune. With a chuckle, the girl left the house and wondered when the last time Dean had actually cleaned anything was. Her features soon filled with worry, though, and she couldn't help but sigh. "What are you hiding from me, big brother?"