SAVING GRACE HAS CONSEQUENCES
A/N
Welcome to another birthday present for Sammy.
Disclaimer:
I do not own Supernatural or StarGate. Grace Evans is my own creation.
Spoilers: Part 2 of the Saving Grace series is set after any of the StarGate series, and starts between Supernatural Season 7's Party On Garth and Of Grave Importance.
Trigger warnings: Grace has a history of self-harm and depression which will at least be mentioned at some point.
CHAPTER ONE
How did this happen?
I'm sitting against the locked door in the main bathroom with the lights off, glad that the small frosted window doesn't let much of the failing light in from the sunset outside, it hurts my eyes. Thankfully it grows dark quickly, but it means I lose my small distraction from this stupid situation I've found myself in.
Hear a knock on the front door, my body freezes for a moment. I heard it as clearly as if I were down in the lounge, but I'm upstairs. After a few minutes the front door opens and freeze once more, trying to hear as much as possible (which is a lot easier than it should be).
There's footsteps, slow and calculated; someone's here that isn't supposed to be. What do I do? I'm freaking out enough as it is, having locked myself in here to protect my son and there is now an unknown person out there. Yet another possible threat to him.
Deciding to call out, I clear my throat. "Hello? Is someone out there?" The footsteps stop for a moment then head slowly up the stairs. "I know someone is out there! Who are you?"
"Grace Evans? My name is Dean Williams." A male voice answers. Is it THE Dean? It can't be a coincidence, a Dean breaking into my house NOW.
Standing up quickly, "Dean? Yes, I'm Grace. I'm ah- what do you want?" Talking to the crack in the door I'm now leaning against.
"I'm investigating the attacks on campus, you're the most recent victim. I want to talk to you about what happened earlier tonight." His footsteps are coming closer, perhaps even at the top of the staircase.
"Stay away from me, please." I'm pleading. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Did he bleed on you?" Well even if it isn't Dean Winchester, this guy is still a hunter. If I tell the truth I'm going to lose my head. But what else is there to do? I don't want to hurt anybody; it's the only solution I have.
"Yeah, he did. That's why I locked myself in here, don't come in," pausing when I hear stirring in the nursery. Oh crap, I don't want to risk it, need to get him out of here. My hands search in my pockets. "Shit. Shit. Shit." I put my phone down somewhere.
Dean's voice is stronger as he asks, "You're changing aren't you?" It sounds like he is close to the bathroom, close to me.
Shaking, I answer truthfully. "Yeah. Look, Dean can you get my son out of here? Please? I don't want to hurt him."
"If you are changing I can't leave you alone." I hear the slight waver in his voice, surprise there is a potential victim he needs to save in the house.
"Right. Could I borrow your phone then? So I can call someone to come get him. Please Dean." A phone slides under the door. "Thank you."
Stooping to pick it up, call the first number I think of, it just keeps ringing. Just great. Start going through Dean's call history, to delete her phone number. Then curiosity hits me. Seeing one number come up a lot, I assume (and hope) it's Sam. I send it a text with my spare cell phone number, signing it "3G", delete the text then call the next number I remember.
"Hello. Cassandra speaking."
"Hey Cass it's me. I need you to come get Jake from mine, I can't get hold of Sam. It's kinda urgent." It's harder to remain calm once I've said that out loud.
"Are you okay?" How am I supposed to tell her that I am the furthest thing from okay?
"No hun, tell Sam, umm" Hesitating, I can't say it. I don't want to upset either of us. "This guy, Dean will meet you downstairs, please don't come upstairs."
"Alright, I'll be fifteen mins."
"Thank you." Sliding the cell back under the door. "She'll be here soon, could you please check on Jake for me."
His footsteps enter the nursery, and I can hear his soft baby talking. My head is pounding, I'm so very hungry, but I know I would be so upset with myself for hurting someone. I'm acutely aware of how lucky it is I didn't feed before locking myself up.
By the time the doorbell rings Dean has the baby and his things downstairs already to go. Listening carefully I understand she's trying to force her way past Dean to get upstairs. Soon she is outside the bathroom door, Dean having confirmed where I am. "I told you not to come up. Please, just get Jake out of here." I beg as she protests. "I love you, and Sam. Now go, please."
Dean sees her out and I smell rather than hear him when he comes back to the bathroom door. It's time. "I'm going to unlock the door now." I gulp, knowing this is it; shake myself up a bit before finally reaching for the door.
Turning the lock, close my eyes, drawing in deep breathes through my mouth. Open to see when he doesn't appear to be coming in. "Just do it. I don't want to feed, I don't want to hurt anyone." Turn my back to the door when the handle slowly turns.
I can't help but peek in the mirror as he cautiously opens the door with a machete held up in front of his chest. My sharp teeth, that I didn't have this morning, come out; clenching my fists in attempt to gain some control. Catch a glimpse of them in the mirror and hurriedly cover my mouth. I see Dean's green eyes lock on mine as they widen, seeing my terror in the mirror, his heart is beating a little faster as he inches closer.
Then something seems to occur to him, Dean pauses, but doesn't lower the machete. "You haven't fed yet?"
I accidentally breath in through my nose. Bad idea. My hunger just grows exponentially. Grip at my throat as if the move will change something. "No and I don't want to. Please, just get it over with." Begin begging, feeling my control slipping.
"Did you see who turned you?" What is he getting at? Suppose he wants to know who else to kill.
Concentrating hard I force my new teeth away and turn slowly with my hands and arms open in an attempt to show I don't mean any harm, to look at him properly. "Yeah I did." Slowly, unsure of where he is going with this?
"If you don't feed I can cure you, with the blood of your maker."
"What?" I must have misheard him with the sound of blood pumping filling my ears.
"I can turn you back, you can be human. As long as you don't eat anyone before I can find who turned you in the first place." Excitement begins to bubble up inside me as these words give me hope. I might be able to keep my head after all.
"Oh my god, are you serious?" Stare at him, he seems to be completely sincere.
"I am sweetheart. You just can't have one drop of human blood. One drop and you're gone." Dean waves the blade slightly, pointing at my neck to get his point across.
"Okay, I think maybe you need to lock me up. I really don't know how much longer I can hold on here, now that I don't have to protect Jake."
"I need you to show me who. Can you hold on?"
"I can try, but do you really want me coming with you?" I know the risk I pose leaving the house in my condition.
"I can handle myself. I can save you, do it for your son. We need to hurry." I nod in agreement. "You might want to cover up, if this takes awhile you don't want to be out in the sun." So Dean follows me to the master bedroom where I put on an extra shirt, with long sleeves, a jacket, grab my sunglasses and spare cell phone - which already has several missed calls on it so send a text to the strange number that I recognise as the one I text off Dean's cell phone.
*I'm sorry. Xox 3G*
I'm so hungry, I don't want to talk.
It's hard to hide that I'm disappointed that once more I'm not led to an Impala. Maybe I've got it wrong. This isn't the Dean I thought it was. That's another reason I ignored the next incoming call - what if it's some stranger and not Sam? Climbing in the back seat. It's all I can do to block out the noise, his heartbeat, the call of his blood and fighting the urge to attack the hunter.
"Do you know where the nest is?" I almost don't catch that he's talking to me except his voice is so damn loud.
"Sorry what?"
Dean looks at me in the rear-view mirror. "The nest. You should be able to smell them."
I indicate to him the general direction of a strange smell. Driving for ages, the sky lightens. Nearing where I think the nest is I spot my attacker. In a harsh whisper I start. "That's him, right there." Dean pulls over and then freezes halfway through getting out, looking into the back seat.
"Hold on Grace, stay right there. Do not move, do you understand me?"
"Please just hurry." Dean assesses me for several moments before he gets out and begins to tail the vampire that has dared to turn me. I'm surprised that the hunter didn't handcuff me or shoot me up with dead man's blood first to ensure the safety of the general public. Maybe the doors are kiddy-locked? Though would that really hold someone that really wanted to get out? Not wanting to test the theory or my limits I hunker down, trying not to think of how screwed I am if this hunter doesn't come back soon.
My phone is 'ringing' yet again. I turned off the vibration because even that was getting way too loud for me to handle. Lie down in the back seat so I don't have to watch people pass, each a potential victim that would seal my fate. Again the screen flashes with an incoming call. This time I answer but don't say anything in case I have been wrong.
"Hello?" Oh that gorgeous voice. I thought I would never hear it again.
"Sam? I'm so sorry." I'm quiet but he hears me.
"Grace? Is that you? Are you okay?" Sounding surprised then worried.
"Not really, a bloody sucker fed me his blood. I'm scared Sam." I can't believe I'm actually talking to him again.
"Have you fed?" I can hear the panic in his serious voice.
"No, but it's getting near impossible to resist. Dean has gone after the arse that turned me but he's taking way too long." My free hand is clutching at my knees to keep it occupied.
"Keep calm okay? Talk to me. Get your mind off it." Sam's voice wobbles a little, while being soft and soothing.
"Talk about what? Kinda hard to think right now Sammy." Really struggling now. "It's getting unbearable..."
"Just tell me what you've been doing since we met." What do I tell him about? There is something that's probably better as a face to face conversation.
"I went back to school, well part time anyway. It's been kinda interesting." Let out a wail of frustration.
"Stay with me Grace, come on."
"Wish Dean would hurry up. There's people everywhere." I growl.
"He'll be as fast as he can, stay strong, for me please. What else?" It's his turn for pleading and I'm glad of the distraction. I'm freaking shaking. Fingering my fangs that reappear painfully as a group passes the car. This is crazy. "Grace you still there?"
"Yeah, my head. I can hear like everything, there's more and more- argh where is he? I smell blood. I'm losing it Sam, there's so many people outside, I don't wanna hurt someone. Argh Sammy!" So frustrated could start screaming any minute now. For now I just kick the front seat.
Sam continues to sooth as our conversation starts going in circles. "You're fine, you're going to be okay."
The car door opens, and I drop the phone in shock; had been concentrating so hard on Sam's voice that I didn't sense Dean's return. It falls to the floor, bouncing under the front passenger seat.
"Dean finally! Did you get it?"
"Yeah, it's right here."
Release a deep sigh. "Good. This is really not fun." He smells so good. "You need to hurry. Seriously."
I hear Sam on the phone, asking if I'm still there so I pick it back up. As Dean drives off I speak to Sam. "He's back."
"Good, hold on, just a little longer." After hanging up he texts me. *Don't be scared.*
I simply reply *Xox 3G*
"How you doing back there?" Dean quickly glances back at me, gripping tightly to the seat edge.
"Just bloody drive!" Curling up tight with my head in my chest and hands covering my ears till we stop. "Where are we?" Not recognising our surroundings.
"My motel, it's closer than your place."
"'Kay, let's just move, please I can't do this."
Dean watches me closely, tensing up whenever we have to pass someone. Get to the room, finally, with no mishaps, thank God. I curl up on the ugly sage green couch, gripping the edges of the well worn arms. "Dean!"
The hunter speeds through making the cure, finally adds the vampire blood. Bringing over a cup, he places a bucket by me.
"This is going to suck arse but you'll feel better soon. Drink up."
I snatch the cup from his hand, staring at it suspiciously, raising it say "cheers" and drain as much as I can before I grasp why there's a bucket in front of me.
The last thing I remember is puking my guts out of black sludge, and must have passed out. When I open my eyes Sam is sitting there on a chair next to me, reading. Dryly croak out his name.
"Hey there Grace, you're okay." Sam sounds very relieved, my eyes are still a little blurry.
Roughly I respond, "I feel like crap on toast Sam." Clutching at my throat once more.
"You'll be fine in a few days, don't worry." He flashes me his wonderful smile. I blush and smile back.
"At least maybe after this I won't have that other problem, aye? Should be right off that now."
"What problem?" Dean asks as he walks back into the room while I'm speaking.
"Nothing." I lower my head so he can't see I'm lying, Sam hands me a glass of water. "Thanks Sam." Accepting it with a small smile at him, Dean gives a little cough. "Thank you too Dean, so much. Oh damn am I starving." Frown, placing a hand on my growling stomach.
"That's why I just went and picked something up." Dean holding up a fast food bag.
Sam whispers "And I picked up your favourite for after, when you're feeling better." Helping me sit up, then cautiously stand. Both of us grinning, as he helps me walk to the table. Never before has a crappy burger tasted so good.
Feeling boiling hot have to take off the jacket and shirts so I'm only in my tank top and waving my face. Dean taking notice of my breathing pipes up. "Yeah I know, you'll be running hot-cold for the next few days but it beats the alternative."
"You know?"
He pauses, clearly contemplating how to respond. "I've been through the cure too."
"Bloody Winchesters." I mutter under my breath, pretty sure only Sam catches it though. "That would have been interesting." I say a bit louder.
Shivering my jacket goes back on, clasp it tight around me.
"Well this is going to be fun. When can I go home?" While shrugging the jacket half off.
"You could go soon but you'll be in no condition to look after Jake for awhile." Dean points out as a matter of fact. Sam looks confused, oh shit. I think I'm in trouble.
"Okay Dean, can you call Cassie please? See if he's alright. I don't think I can talk to her at the moment." Rubbing my sore head, and covering my eyes for a moment. Dean goes out of the room while Sam gets up to grab me some aspirin and a caramel coconut slice, which I just pick at.
Sam frowns. "Grace, what's wrong?"
Here's my moment of truth. Deep breath Grace. "Jake. He's my son."
"Oh, how old is he?" Take a moment to pull the jacket on properly again.
"Three months." I watch his face carefully, as he figures it out, he shifts uncomfortably in his chair.
"Is he? Umm ahh, I mean. Dammit."
"Yours?" I supply. He nods. Take three breaths this time. "Yes Sam, Jake is our son, Jacob John."
"What about Jamie?" Is Sam hopeful or sad with that question? My perception is way off kilter right now.
"I never got that far with Jamie, you're the only one since the first time I was pregnant. I tried to call you, obviously you changed your number. Dean will be back in a minute, it's up to you if you wanna tell him."
Shrugging the jacket back off, he rubs my back, then moves the left tank strap to reveal all of my anti-possession tattoo.
"When you get that?"
"Right after we left camp, stopped a few towns over for dinner and saw a place. Got a good enough look at yours, obviously knew what it was, figured it'd probably be a good idea to get it."
"Okay." I sip at my water and think of something else.
"By the way that Winchester Rampage? I know it wasn't you boys that was freaking crazy. What was it?"
"Yeah, they were Leviathans."
"Leviathans?"
"Yeah they are nasty s.o.b's from Purgatory, they are black goo that shape-shifts into you with one touch. Very hard to get rid of."
"Yeah?"
"You need to hit them with Borax, then separate the head and keep it apart from the body otherwise they regenerate."
"Eww."
"Yeah, so beer?" As he gets up, getting one for himself.
"I don't drink Sam. You saw my last drop of alcohol, I'm glad you did that. Thank you. Would hate to think about what could've happened to Jacob if I'd kept going."
"So Jacob, huh? How'd you decide on that?"
Take another sip of water as I consider what to say. "After Sam's dad and John after yours."
Sam frowns. "Sam? As in Colonel Carter?"
"Yeah." Dean reappears at that moment. "Are they okay?"
"She says he's fine, she'll have him till Sam gets home."
"Ta." Finally I actually want to have my slice that Sam got especially for me. Sit there quietly nibbling at it, unsure of what to say now. Once again find myself wondering what's going on in Sam's head, wishing I could read his mind. We clearly need to talk but I don't think he's ready to tell Dean, probably needs some time to process my little bombshell and I'm so very tired.
"Mind if I lie down?" Sam helps me over to one of the two bright pumpkin orange beds, the cover thinning, covered in bobbles of thread that have come loose and knotted.
When he probably thinks I'm asleep Dean teases Sam. "I think she likes you."
"Yeah." He replies noncommittally, getting up to grab another beer. This really isn't going to go well if Dean keeps pushing.
Later, I kick off most of my blankets - this hot and cold thing really blows! Sam gets up to put his bottle in the trash and when he opens the door Dean calls out. "Where you going?"
"For a walk." He says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, then lightly closes the door, probably trying not to wake me.
I'm not all that surprised, but he's leaving me to try to sleep with only Dean in the room, oh joy. Plus now I'm cold again. Don't see any point trying to pretend now. Sit up and drag the blankets tight around.
Huffing I make Dean jump when I speak up. "This is seriously gonna last a few days? I'm over it already."
"Sorry but it's better than being dead." Dean points out.
"Or a filthy bloodsucker I suppose. So how'd you find the cure?"
Dean shrugs. "Campbell family recipe."
"Like the soup?" Give a light giggle, that concoction tasted nothing like soup.
"Kinda like, yeah I guess."
"Did you get the nest?"
"Yeah I did, don't worry."
"Thanks for that too I guess then. Umm-"
"Do you want a drink?" He asks grabbing another beer for himself.
"Just water will be fine please."
"So these Leviathan things sound nasty?" Dean's shocked once more, nearly spills the glass of water he's brought over to my bed. "Sam told me about them, when you were on the phone to Cassie."
"No kidding."
"How many are out there?"
"Too many." He replies passing over the glass.
"Sounds bad." Unsure of what else I could possibly say, even if he knew I know more about hunting than he is aware of.
"You can say that again."
TBC