The benders
"God freaking damnit." With a big, triumphant smile I close my laptop, a rush of relief crashing through me. That was it, the last exam. I'm officially free of the hell that was high-school, at least until the results come in and I get to know if I passed. And then do another whole year. "That it? You done?" I hear Dean yell from behind the closed door of the bathroom. I grin widely, remembering how I locked him in there about two hours ago, claiming I couldn't focus if he was near me and how he could show up on the old webcam. Which was forbidden. Dean had made a big dramatic show of it, but had faithfully went in there to give me my space. "Hell yeah." I call back to him. The door of the bathroom instantly flies open and Dean comes jogging outside, a large smile on his face. "Hell yeah, baby. That's it, you're done!" He runs up to me and with a loud cheer he grabs me around my waist, lifting me up in the air. I squeal at his sudden action and cling to his back as he throws me over his shoulder. "Dean, watch out!" I cry out, but can't help the laughter spilling out of me. "I'm so proud of you, puppy! This means you are officially smarter than me, although I do think we crossed that line a while ago." Dean continues his happy chanting, almost parading me around the tiny motel room. "Yeah, probaBLY, HEY!" I screech in happy fright as he swings me around a little too hard and I almost slip off of his shoulders. "Wow, hold on there." Dean laughs, but then gracefully ducks and lets me slide off. "I am really proud of you, kid." He then tells me earnestly, his hands firmly on my shoulders. "Yeah, well… you do know I still need to do my last year, right?." The triumph I felt just now disappears when I think of having to do this all over again next year, with even more difficulty. "Yes, darling. Like any normal sixteen year old girl." Dean nods at me with that same smile on his face. "I'm not a normal sixteen year old girl." I grumble back at him. "Hey, be glad you are for this part of your life, okay? Plus, you're right. You're one badass sixteen year old girl." Dean tries to cheer me up and I reach forward to wrap my arms around his neck. "Oh, don't get all sappy on me." Dean grumbles, before tightly hugging me back. I smile and then let him go, turning around to the front door that just opened. Sam comes rushing inside, a bag of groceries in his hand. While Dean allowed himself to get locked up in the bathroom when my exam started, Sam had not and had left with the car to go do some shopping. "How did it go?" Sam expectantly asks me, eyes filled with interest and glee as he puts the bag on the table. "I think I'm good, honestly." I grin at him widely. "That's my girl." He cheers with a wide open smile, rushing forward and wrapping me up in his arms. "Gahh, Jesus, you are crushing me." I complain loudly, leaning my head against his chest. "Oh no, this is crushing you." He teases, tightening his grip. "Gahh, o my god, I'm gonna die." I loudly groan in fake pain. "Oh shush, you!" Sam laughs, but loosens his grip. "Job well done, honey." He places a sweet kiss on top of my head before letting me go. "Did you get the, uh…" Dean, who was watching us with a content smile, nudges Sam. "Oh, yeah. Right." Sam scrapes his throat and quickly reaches for the bag of groceries. "Go get some plates." He orders to Dean, who immediately walks over to the small stove and literally only cabinet in the room. "Wha…" I watch in confusion how Sam pulls a box out of the bag and carries it over to me. He wiggles his eyebrows at me as I take the box from his hands. I open it and one of the cheesiest, sticky looking cakes I've ever seen appears. "Oh, wow…" My smile gets even bigger when I see that the decoration spells out 'congratulations' and by the looks of it, it's a chocolate cake mixed with mocha. "Again, you do know I still need to do my last year, right?" I say as I glance up at Sam. "That doesn't mean we don't get to celebrate that you most certainly nailed these exams, right?" Sam raises his eyebrows at me expectantly and I give in. Their excitement keeps mine up as well and I decide I'll worry about next year later. "Well, thank you. This is really sweet." I look back at the cake and then at Sam, who gives me a cheeky wink. "Alright, let's taste that big boy." Dean has gotten the plates and three forks and carefully takes the box from me. He gives Sam an approving nod.
I happily watch Dean cut up the cake and give me a rather large piece. "Jeez, ya want me fat?" I joke, leaning back in my chair. "Well, there could definitely be more fat on these bones." He jokes back, reaching forward to squeeze my side. I effectively block him and give him a warning glare. "Hey, be thankful it's cake." He shoots back at me. "What, cake is definitely better then pie." I state, chuckling when he playfully pretends to choke in shock. "You did not just say that…" Sam laughs at Dean's shenanigans, playfully scolding me.
The cake tastes deliciously of sugar and sticky toppings and to be honest, it's the best damn cake I've tasted in a long while. And the fact that it was bought for me by my brothers after finishing all my exams makes it about a hundred times better.
It's when the cake is all finished and Sam's complaining tiredly about his cholesterol, that I decide to make the move. "So, uh, will you now please continue training me to become a hunter?" I look from Dean to Sam with pleading eyes. They can't keep denying me now and the excuse of 'you need to study for your exams' is also no longer available. Well, at least not until I have to enroll into my last year. Dean lets out a slight sigh. "I guess I should have known this was coming." He then mutters, glancing up at Sam. "Yeah, well… not to quote you back, but you do know you still need to do another year, right?" Sam uses what I said before against me and eyes me warily. "Yes, well I don't have to uh…" I hesitate, before finishing. "I could drop out. Like Dean." Both my brothers have the same kind of reaction and it's exactly like I imagined it would be. "Oh hell no, no you can't." Dean's expression went from serious to downright furious within a second. He reaches over and grabs my arm, forcing me to look at him. "Get that out of your head, Skye Winchester. That is never happening and you better never suggest it again." His voice has become low and dangerous, like a snarl and the way he's glaring at me doesn't make it better. "Jeez, okay… Just a joke…" I nervously try to downplay what I just said and Dean releases my arm without a word, his glance still furious. "Okay, relax…" Sam glances from Dean to me apprehensively. "Skye, have you even thought about college?" He now looks at me directly as he asks me that question. "I have no interest in college." I answer him slowly. "Are you, like, absolutely sure? I mean, there is literally so much you could do… the whole world is wide open to you…" Sam seems a little hesitant and Dean's wisely staying quiet. "I have no interest in college, Sam. You know that. I want to become a hunter, like you and Dean." I glance from Sam to Dean's stoic face. "You are still sixteen." Dean tells me matter of factly and I roll my eyes. "Only for a few months." I retort. "And then you'll be seventeen, which is still underage, Skye." Dean's tone is more strict now and I'm starting to get annoyed. "So? You can't keep doing this. I only finished these stupid exams cause dad wants me to and would have literally killed all three of us if I hadn't. The only reason why I'd even consider finishing next year would be cause dad wants me to. If you ask me, I'd not really care and rather continue training. And to think about college… I've never wanted that, Dean. Never." I hate how my voice starts to sound a little desperate through my rant. "I want to be a hunter and if you won't teach me, I'll find someone who will…" Dean interrupts me with a loud groan. "Don't talk crap like that, Skye. I just, I don't want you…" He starts, but it is my time to interrupt him now. "You don't want dad's wrath, Dean. That's what this is really about, cause you'd love to teach me to become a hunter!" I throw the truth right in his face and his eyes turn angry. "Even if that were true, I still don't want you in this dangerous world, Skye. Is that so hard to believe? Is it so hard to believe I want to protect my little sister from all the monsters out there?" He snaps at me, voice raised. "Then teach me how to protect myself, Dean! Teach me how to keep myself safe in this dangerous world, help me help other people be safe." I throw my hands in the air in an attempt to make my point even clearer. Sam awkwardly scrapes his throat. "Guys, come on… We're supposed to be celebrating her exams being over…" He mumbles, conveniently not looking at Dean, who's trying to stare me down. I'm staring right back at him with a stubborn grimace. "I will continue to teach you how to drive, if you promise me you'll finish next year without a complaint and think about college and the future of your life, Skye!" Dean's eyes are no longer spewing fire at me as he lays out his demands. "Drive and shoot." I add softy, turning my eyes to Sam. "And fight." Sam doesn't answer me right away, still highly aware of Dean's glaring eyes. "Will you keep the option of college after next year open?" Dean asks me directly and I turn my eyes back to him. I'm very tempted to deny that request, but it will literally get me nowhere. "Will you continue to teach me how to become a hunter?" I answer his question with another question and I can see how close he is to throwing something at me. "If you promise to keep college an option and play good girl with dad, then I will consider it." He hisses at me, his voice not at all sounding like he's agreeing. "If you promise to teach me, then yes." I cross my arms and lean back in my chair. "Well, glad we got that out of the way." Sam lets out a relieved breath and stands up to clear the plates off the table. "I uh, I think I might have found us a case…" I quietly mutter, purposely not looking at Dean. "What?" Sam turns to me with wide eyes. "Yeah. I uh, I read an article like two days back that seemed suspiciously like our kind of thing, so I uh…" I stand up and walk over to my bag, reaching inside and moving my two pair of jeans to the side. At the bottom, carefully hidden, is the article I shredded from the paper. I turn back and put it in front of Dean, who looks disapproving and amused all at once. "Huh…" He slowly lets out, grabbing the article. I sit back down as he reads it, trying to keep my face under control. "Huh." He huffs again, before handing the paper to Sam. "What is happening…" Sam lets out in confusion as he takes the paper. He throws me an incredulous look, before also reading the article. "Huh indeed." He then states, putting the paper down. "So?" I look at him expectantly and Sam lets out a deep breath. "Well, three disappearances and a kid who says he saw a monster does sound like our kind of thing." He slowly concludes. Dean abruptly stands up, before slamming a hand on the table. "Goddamnit Sammy, this what's happening now? She's now picking up our cases?" He bellows, angrily pointing at me. "Wha… it does sound like our kind of thing, Dean!" Sam cries out, throwing his hands in the air in defense. "Crap!" Dean turns around and stalks to his bed, grabbing his bag. He throws his hoodie inside and then turns around. "Well, you coming then?" Even though he sounds angry, his eyes are twinkling and I'm certainly not going to protest.
Not soon after, we're in the impala on our way to our next destination, the case that I picked out. Part of me is still surprised Dean agreed to go take a look at it, but I am certainly not pushing my luck. I don't even protest when he makes me drive as soon as we're off the long highway. And as Sam loudly complains about being degraded to the backseat, I listen to Dean's instructions carefully as I practice my driving. I've slowly become better at it and no longer swerve left or right when I put the blinkers on, nor almost throw Sam and Dean out of the car while stamping my foot on the break way too hard. I've also not hit one other thing since that one time. Dean's also taking notice of my progress, his big grin won't leave his face as he gives me instructions and he lets me drive about a whole hour, before taking back the wheel. After that it's blasting rock music, Dean humming along and Sam trying to get some sleep. The sphere is light and easy for a change and I'm relishing in it.
Dean checks us into a motel and there, another discussion arises about my involvement in the case that I picked out. Sam thinks I deserve to go and interview the kid that 'saw' the monster, since I was the one who came across the article and Dean calls that a big load of bull. I'm not able to get much of my own opinion in there, so just lean against the rather dirty looking counter to watch them go at it. "The fact that she brought in an article in the paper that looks slightly suspicious, does not give her any right to do this at all!" Dean repeats once again, eyes angry and jaws clenched. "Slightly suspicious? Dean, come on! If I'd seen that article, you wouldn't have questioned it." Sam isn't afraid to stand his ground and I appreciate how he's trying to have my back. "Kids see monsters all the time, Sam." Dean shoots him down and takes a dominant step forward. When Sam hesitates to respond, I take my chance. "How are we even going to talk to this kid?" I ask and both heads turn my way. "We could easily go in as police officers." Dean answers shortly. "Well, we have the badges and the uniforms will be easy to get to." Sam slowly leans back as he says that. "You have a badge for me?" I ask and Dean shakes his head. "No, I don't think we have one for you specifically for a cop." He glances at me, anger having already died down a bit. "Ugh…" I let out a deep sigh and let myself drop backwards, onto the cushions of the sofa. "Well, useless discussion over, I guess." Sam can't help but chuckle at my annoyance as he grabs his jacket. "We could just wing it? I mean, how many witnesses really ask for a badge?" I focus pleading eyes on Dean, who snickers. "Almost all witnesses who saw something strange ask for our badges, honey." He argues and I roll my eyes to the ceiling. I knew that. "Well, will you get me a cop badge, then? Please?" I raise my head and now focus my pleading eyes on Sam, who's most likely to comply. "Sure, that should be fixed in no time." Sam nods in approval. "Excuse me?" Dean raises his eyebrows at that and glares daggers at Sam, who immediately shoots up his hands. "Hey, she already has a few badges, what's one more gonna do?" It's not a very good defense, but I appreciate that he's trying. "You and me, it's time we have a talk about this." Dean points an angry finger right at Sam's chest, before stalking towards the door. "Dean…" Sam follows him immediately. "Seriously? You really gonna do this without me there?" The second I realize Dean wants to talk to Sam away from me, I get nervous. "Hey, you, don't you need to…" Dean stops talking when he realizes that my exams were finished this morning and I don't, in fact, need to study. I can't help but laugh at that mistake and Dean's eyes darken. "Go do something else, then!" He growls at me and with that he's out the door. Sam opens his mouth to say something, but an angry "Sammy!" from outside makes him hastily hurry out as well.
I only hear from them about two hours later, a short text from Sam telling me they've interviewed the kid and are now doing some research in a bar close by. The text then literally suggests to not wait up for them and to simply go to bed. And it pisses me off like hell. It's not just bad that they left without me to go and dig around the case that I picked out and left me bored out of my mind in a goddamn motel room. It's even worse that they seem to assume they can just leave me here and have a few drinks in a bar together, without me. With gritted teeth I shrug on my jacket and exit the motel, determined and confident I can find the bar Sam briefly mentioned in his text. They clearly had their 'talk' and I don't like what came out of that.
Within half an hour, I have found two options of which bar they could be at. One next to a busy road and about a fifteen minute walk, one on the corner of a block about five minutes away. It's a good thing I know my brothers well, cause when I arrive at the closest one on the corner, the impala is parked in the parking lot. That renews my anger and with a quick stride I approach the door. The bar isn't very busy, just a few guys around a pool table and a bunch of people near the bar. There's rock music blasting through the speakers above my head and when I glance to my right, I spot the small corner behind the pool table. Someone is playing some darts and I'm pretty sure that's Dean's back, which means that Sam must be at the little table behind it. I stuff my hands back in my pockets, ignore one of the men to my left who teasingly commented that I seem way too young to be at a bar at this time of night, and make my way over. Dean sees me first. He has just thrown his darts, went to retrieve them and turns around to say something to Sam. His eyes lock with mine and within seconds they've grown wide and he's staring at me in shock. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me…" I hear him mutter and his surprised reaction makes Sam turn around as well. "Wha..?" He doesn't need to finish his confused question, once he sees me. "So, what did the kid say?" I ignore both their shocked expressions and drop myself down on the empty chair next to Sam, looking at the article in his hand. "No. Nuhuh. Nope, we ain't doing this." Dean shakes his head shortly and stalks towards me, grabbing my arm and pulling me back up. "Oh, yes we are. I'm not gonna let you drop me off and leave me bored out of my mind in a stupid motel room while you're hunting the case I found." I snap right back at him and instantly rip my arm out of his grip. "I don't give a rats ass you found this case, Skye. It's late and we're in a town that presumably has a monster and you just…" Dean seems at a loss for words. "I told you not to wait up…" Sam mutters to me, his eyes staying on his laptop. "Well, I'm not waiting up, right? I'm here." I state drily and sit back down next to him. "I told you, you shouldn't have said we'd be at a bar…" Dean snarls in annoyance, but seems to drop his mission to get me back to the motel and I'm glad he does. It wasn't gonna happen anyways and would have only resulted in a nasty, big fight in the middle of a bar. Sam lets out a loud groan at Dean's accusing statement, but doesn't reply. Instead, he swiftly glances at me. "The kid didn't say much more then the article said. Something about a monster taking someone away, he described a low and whiny growl." He explains and then nudges his head to the articles that are lying next to his beer bottle. "Local police haven't ruled out foul play, apparently there were signs of a struggle." He adds, ignoring Dean's pissed of glare. "Hmmm, so this could still be a kidnapping?" I glance up at Dean, who turns back around towards the dartboard, his shoulders tense. "That's what I said before you came barging in and sat your ass down in the middle of this. This might not be our kind of gig." He grumbles, smashing one of the darts towards the board. "Yeah, well maybe not." Sam repeats, throwing me an apologetic look. I raise my eyebrows, moving my arm up to my face to hide the fact that it flushed red. It can't be that the first article I picked turns out to not be our kind of thing. "Really, there's nothing else weird going on? Nothing that suggests this might be something?" I quickly ask and Sam moves his hand to grab the notebook that's right in front of me. When I look down, I realize it's dad's journal. "Dad did mark the area." Sam starts and that gets Dean's attention. He comes walking back immediately and leans over to look across Sam's shoulder at the journal. "Anything he wrote about it?" I ask, encouraging Sam to continue. "Yeah, 'possible hunting grounds of a phantom attacker'." Sam reads dad's handwriting out loud and Dean grabs his beer bottle. "Why would he even do that?" He comments drily, taking a sip. "Well, he found a lot of local folklore about a dark figure that comes out at night and grabs people, then vanishes." Sam continues to read to us what dad's journal says about the area and the anxious feeling that had entered my stomach, dies down again. "Not to be bold, but that does sound like our kind of thing." I comment softly. "Anything else?" Dean asks, completely talking over my remark. "Yeah, he found this too. This county has more missing persons per capita than anywhere else in the state." Sam answers and looks up at Dean expectantly. Dean stays silent for a short while, before agreeing and mumbling that it does sound weird. "So uh… what are phantom attackers?" I glance from Sam to Dean's back, watching him throw another dart at the board. Less harsh, this time. "Basically creatures who appear out of nowhere, at random, to cause chaos and destruction and then disappear like nothing happened." Is Sam's quick explanation. "But, don't phantom attackers usually snatch people from their beds? Jenkins was taken from a parking lot." Dean interrupts and throws a questionable look over his shoulder at Sam. "There are all kinds, you know. Spring Heeled Jacks, phantom gassers… They take people anywhere, any time." Sam says and taps his finger on the explanation written in dad's journal. "Look, Dean, I don't know if this is our kind of thing either…" He starts slowly, but Dean doesn't let him finish. "Yeah, well you're right, we should ask around more tomorrow." He says and turns around to give Sam a suggestive wink that even I can't place. "Right." Sam drily states. "I'll go and ask around with you." I quickly perk up in my seat. Dean lets out an annoyed sigh, but doesn't say anything. Sam, however, seems done with the case and the night and glances at me. "Alright, come on, let's go back to the motel." He suggests. Thankfully, I don't have to start protesting cause Dean does it for me. "Woah, woah, easy, let's have another round." He states with raised eyebrows. "We should get an early start…" Sam shakes his head with a dry chuckle and rises from his seat. "I'll take another round…" I stay in my seat and expectantly look at Dean, very curious to see how he'll react to that. It surprises me when it's Sam, who protests. "No, you're coming with me. Come on." He motions for me to get up and that doesn't sit right with Dean. "Well, at least she knows how to have some fun and doesn't go home like a grandma." He teases, flashing me a grin. Sam's also smiling, but more in a sarcastic way and he leans his head to the side. "Didn't we just…" He doesn't get a chance to finish, cause Dean quickly raises his arms. "Yeah, yeah, alright. I know." He walks back towards us and grabs his beer bottle, throwing back the last sip. "I'll play one quick round with Skye and then we'll meet ya outside." Before I know it, he's reached for my arm and pulled me towards him. With a flashing grin he wiggles his eyebrows at Sam, who clearly seems annoyed. "You do know I know how to play darts, right?" I ask Dean, letting him lazily wrap an arm around my shoulder. "Exactly, you'll give me a challenge." Dean answers with a laugh and Sam rolls his eyes. "Please be quick." He mumbles, reaching down to grab the articles and dads journal. "We'll be right out." Dean promises him and then reaches for the darts, handing them to me. "So, now you're suddenly okay with me being here?" I tease him with a smile, taking position in front of the board at the required distance. "Oh no, that I'm still very pissed about. But, you're here now and it's been a hot minute since I got to throw a round of darts with my baby sister. I'll yell at you about that other thing tomorrow." Dean answers and I shake my head shortly, before concentrating and throwing my first dart. It's not in the rose, but it's close and I can see that it impressed Dean. My second dart is even closer and when my last dart does hit the rose, Dean throws his hands in the air with a wide grin. "There we go, that's my girl. Help me remember to teach you how to play pool once you're eighteen, okay?" He ruffles my hair before retrieving the darts. "Another thing on the list of things you want to teach me?" I tease with a laugh and make room for him so he can take his stance. Dean simply gives me a playful push, before throwing his own darts. Even though he doesn't hit the rose once, he does throw more points than me and he eagerly declares himself the winner. "Nuhuh, that's no fair. Again!" I demand, ready to play against my brother again in an attempt to beat him, but Dean shakes his head. "Nah, honey, we can't let Sam wait outside for much longer. Come on. Plus, you can't beat me anyways…" His wide grin makes me roll my eyes and retaliate. We continue to bicker as we exit the bar and the cold night air hits my face. I follow Dean towards the parking lot, trying to think of something to say back to his last teasing comment, but stop when I look up and don't see Sam. "Hang on…" I mutter, slowing down my pace and glancing around. Dean's caught on as well, but he continues to walk towards the impala. There, on the hood, are the papers and things that Sam was gathering when he went out a little while ago. "Where's Sam?" I wonder out loud, turning around to scan my surroundings for my tall brother. Dean grabs the papers that are on the hood and looks just as confused as I feel. I watch how he moves towards the front of the impala and opens the door, glancing inside. From the way he looks back up and around him, I can conclude Sam's not in the car. "Dean, where is Sam?" I repeat, a lot less happy and playful then I was a minute ago. Dean doesn't answer me, but it's clear he has no idea where Sam is either and when I catch his rather panicked look, anxiety fills up my stomach. "Sam?" Dean calls out roughly through the empty parking lot. I shakily wait for an answer, an answer that doesn't come. My mind can't seem to wrap itself around that Sam's not here, waiting for us like he said he would. "Where the hell is Sam…" I slowly repeat, continuing to glance around warily in all directions for a glimpse of him. "SAM?" Dean starts to call out louder, his voice clearly filled with worry and I watch him stalk away from the car, back a little towards the exit of the bar. I start to join him, calling out Sam's name and then trying to listen for a reply. A reply that never comes. "He might have taken a walk back towards the motel, that's only like ten minutes from here. Come on." Dean comes stalking back and grabs my arm, dragging me towards the car. "I was here in five…" I mutter, jumping into the passenger seat. Without another word, Dean drives us back to the motel and I keep my eyes on the surroundings at all times, trying to see if I can see Sam anywhere. I don't and he isn't near or in front of the motel when we arrive there. "Come on, Sammy…" I hear Dean whisper to himself as he parks the impala and jumps out. I follow him and together we run towards our motel room. Dean opens the door and it's immediately clear Sam's not there, the room looks exactly like I left it an hour ago. "Damnit." Dean curses, throwing open the door to the bathroom in a last attempt. "Dean…" Fear is starting to replace my anxiety and I don't dare finish the question I was about to ask him. Dean shakes his head and angrily looks at me. "Stay here, I'm going back. Maybe he uh…" He doesn't know what to tell me, so just stops mid-sentence. "No, I'm not staying here and letting you go alone." I shake my head firmly, panic settling in. "Skye, I need to know you are safely here while I go back to get our brother…" Dean tries to convince me that I need to stay put, but with every word he speaks, my panic grows. Both of us have already realized that Sam's disappeared, just like that Jenkins guy and God knows what might have happened to him. We just got here, we don't know anything…
"Don't go alone, Dean. Don't, please. Please don't just leave me here… Sam was alone outside for a minute and now he's nowhere to be found… Don't go alone…" I can't seem to form coherent sentences anymore and my breathing is so rapid I'm starting to get dizzy. "Okay, okay. Hey, Skye, breathe…" Dean rushes towards me and grabs my shoulders, pushing me to his chest and letting me focus on his wild heartbeat that I can hear through his ribcage. His breathing is uneven as well, but the forced pause does give me a second to recollect myself. "Come on." Dean, as soon as he hears me calm down a little, grabs my arm and drags me back outside towards the car. He drives us back, but it seems a little futile. Sam's still nowhere to be seen and the people exiting the bar a little while later also claim they've seen nothing. It starts to become later and later and soon I'm sure we've seen every nook and cranny of the block. No Sam. Not even when we called out for him, or rather screamed out for him. "Dean…" I'm out of breath and lean against the hood of the car. "I know." Is Dean's rough answer and he wraps an arm around my shoulder. "What now..?" I'm afraid to ask, but need to know what my brother is thinking. I'm sure he has a plan. He does. He explains that he saw some security camera's out by the road and plans on getting access to that footage. When I ask how, he suggests going to the police station in the morning as an FBI agent who's 'working' Sam's missing person case. He tells me all about how having me there as Sam's panicked little sister will help with actually getting access to the footage and not just being sent away. I listen to every word he's saying and promise him I'll act out whatever he needs from me, as soon as the police station opens the next morning. When the plan's made and silence falls over us, my thoughts instantly race back to Sam and where the hell he could be. A small part of my brain knows that if a phantom attacker took him, he could be dead already and we may never find him. Instant tears spring to my eyes and I quickly push those thoughts away.
Dean ends up driving us back to the motel, where he convinces me to get into bed, but even he knows I won't get any sleep. So, he lets me lie there on the cushions, staring at the clock and watching the night slowly pass into early morning. Trying not to think about what could have happened to my brother. It's weirdly nostalgic and I can remember the feeling of panic and sadness well. It's almost exactly like how I felt when Sam left for Standfort after that huge fight with dad and I didn't see or speak to him for a year and a half. I lay in bed like that, just staring at the wall, for a week back then. Dean had hardly known what to do with me.
"Come on, puppy. I'm sure the station will be open by now." Dean announces when the clock hits nine in the morning. I don't have the energy to do anything else then get up, splash some water in my face and follow him out. "Did you get any sleep at all?" Dean dares to ask as he gets in the car. He has the same dark circles under his eyes. "Maybe an hour or two." I lie, getting into the passenger seat. "You able to find anything?" I ask, already knowing the answer. He would have told me, had he found anything. "I tried to see if I could get to the camera footage without having to go to the cops, but I couldn't. Where's Sam when you need him, huh…" Dean's smile almost reached his eyes and I huff in agreement.
There wasn't much else to speak about and the ride to the sheriff's department was silent. I could only wish that Dean would start talking again, I needed something to distract me from the gnawing worry that was starting to consume me. Anything, really. "Okay, remember, just look really sad." Are Dean's last weird words of encouragement, before he takes the lead and enters the station. I follow him hesitantly, not really knowing what to do with the words 'look really sad'. Dean approaches the reception, where a woman in police uniform is typing away on her computer. She has pretty, dark brown hair in a pony tail and her name tag says 'deputy' and 'Kathleen'. She looks focused, but once she looks up and spots Dean, she stands up. Dean shortly introduces himself as officer Washington and gives her one of his fake badges. She examines it closely, glances back up at him and then at me. "So, what can we do for you, officer Washington?" She looks back at Dean, her eyes slightly skeptical, and gives him back his badge. "I'm working a missing persons." Dean starts to tell her. "I didn't know the Jenkins case was being covered by the state police?" The deputy raises her eyebrows at him and I realize that we needed to be careful, this woman is not stupid. "J-Jenkins…? W-Who is that?" I step forward and grab Dean's arm, as to pull him to me and get his attention. Dean instantly sees what I am doing and continues with my act. "Oh, no, honey, that's someone else…" He assures me in a velvet voice, before looking up at the deputy. "Uh, no not the Jenkins case. There's someone else, uh… It's a close friend and her big brother." He explains, nudging his head at me. "We were having a few last night at this bar down by the highway and I haven't seen him since." He adds. "You were having a few with his uh, little sister?" The deputy seemed instantly concerned about me and that tells me I am doing my job well. "No, I was doing homework at the motel we were at, b-but he never came home…" I make sure my eyes are wide and filled with tears, when I look back up at her. The deputy gives me a sympathetic smile, before focusing back on Dean. "Your friend have a drinking problem?" She then asks, clearly uncomfortable in having to say that in front of me. "Sam?" Dean huffs at the deputy. "Two beers and he's doing karaoke." He adds for the effect and the deputy chuckles. "Yeah, no, he wasn't drunk, he was uh… taken." Dean seems to have convinced the deputy, cause she lets out a sigh and then an "Alright…" She starts walking backwards to the computer and Dean kicks away the little flap-door that separates the waiting area from the working police officers to follow her, pulling me along. "What's his name?" This time, the deputy focusses her soft glance on me. "Sam… Sam Winchester." I can't really give her a fake name now, since we actually need to know where Sam is. "Ah, like the rifle?" The deputy tries to make a slight joke and I have to appreciate how hard she's trying. "Yeah, like the rifle." I force a little smile on my face to satisfy her. "Here, honey, you take a seat. This detective will find your brother in no time, I promise." Dean pushes me into the chair that's next to the computer desk, laying his sweet voice on thick to trap the deputy. It works immediately, cause the woman looks highly uncomfortable with what he just promised me. She types Sam's name into her computer and starts looking up whatever is in the system about him. And us, cause the name Winchester brings her three leads. She clicks on Sam's name. "Samuel Winchester…" The detective mutters, her eyes then flashing from me to Dean. "So, you know that his brother, Dean Winchester, died in St. Louis and uh, was suspected of murder…" She purposely doesn't look at me and Dean quickly follows with a lie. It would have been funny, had Sam not disappeared and had I not felt so goddamn worried. I remember the case that made Dean have to fake his death like it was yesterday. "Yeah, Dean… kind of the black sheep of the family…" Dean sounds awkward, so I let out a few forced sobs. "You kn-know I hate it wh-when you s-say that… H-He didn't do that, okay? He didn't, I s-s-swear…" Through tear-filled eyes I look at the detective, as helpless as I can and if she had any suspicions, that's gone now. She looks at me and seems at a loss of what to do. "I'm sorry, honey, I know…" Dean wraps an arm around me and shrugs at the deputy, as if to say to her to not mind me. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, about your brothers. Let me have a look…" The deputy goes on with her search and puts Sam's name through the system. "Well, he's not showing up in any current field reports." She then states. "Oh, no but I already have a lead…" Dean interrupts her and she gives him a short nod to tell him he can continue. "I saw a surveillance camera by the highway." He tells her. "County traffic cam?" The deputy reacts with interest. "Right. Yeah, I'm thinking the camera picked up whatever took him…" Dean says, and then quickly changes the last part. "Or whoever." I let out another few cries when I see the deputy frown, to distract her from the tiny mistake Dean just made. "Do you think the camera might have seen who took my brother, ma'am?" Her eyes focus back on me and she lets out a soft sigh. "Well, I don't know, but we can try and see. I do have access to the traffic cam footage down at the county works department, but…" She slowly stands up and seems to hesitate. "Well, anyhow, let's do this the right way." I watch her move towards a filing cabinet, grabbing a form. "Why don't you fill out a missing person's report and sit tight over here." She turns back around with a clipboard and a pen, handing it to Dean. Dean clearly seems not amused by it, although he does grab the clipboard. "Officer, look, uh… He's family and I kind of uh, look out for the kid. He's uh, he's the only one she has left." Dean starts his speech and gives a little nudge my way. "You've got to let me go with you." He adds, eyes hopeful. The deputy shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I can't do that." She answers him sympathetically. Dean doesn't accept that and bows his head. "Well, tell me something… your county has its fair share of missing persons. Any of 'm come back?" He looks at her expectantly and she slowly bows her head, her way of admitting he is right. "Sam is my responsibility and he's coming back. I'm bringing him back." Dean finishes in full confidence, bringing a little more hope back into my heart. The deputy slowly nods. "Look, I understand and I will get you that footage, okay? Now please, take her outside and wait for me." She encourages Dean in a low tone, before turning around and walking back to her desk. No doubt to set everything in motion. "Damnit." Dean curses under his breath, but grabs my shoulders and starts guiding me back outside. "Come on." He leads me across a field of grass and trees across the station, to a little bench where he sits me down. "You really think it'll be fine?" I can't help asking that question, I need his confirmation. "Skye, listen to me." Dean takes place next to me and leans over, softly grabbing my face between his hands. "I'm bringing him back, no doubt about it, okay?" He looks so sure of himself that all I can do is nod. "Okay."
After fifteen minutes of waiting, the deputy we talked to earlier comes rushing out of the station. She spots us instantly and heads our way, something in her hand. "Greg, I think we got something…" She calls out as soon as she's close to us and Dean quickly stands up to approach her. I follow his lead, confused for a second about who 'Greg' is. "These traffic cams take an image every three seconds as part of the Amber Alert program…" The deputy starts to explain, handing Dean the papers she was carrying. I lean over in curiosity to see what's on them. "These images were all taken around the time your friend, Sam, disappeared." She adds. Dean flips through the images and all I can see is the same dark street every time, sometimes with a car or a person and then again without. Exactly like pictures of a traffic cam taking a snap every three seconds would look. I haven't seen a hint of my brother on any of 'm. "This isn't really what I was looking for…" Dean mumbles, but the deputy shakes her head. "Just wait, wait…" She encourages Dean to keep flipping through them, peaking my interests. He does and she makes him stop on a picture of a van, taking a left turn from the parking lot of the bar. "Here, this one was taken right after Sam left the bar. Look at the back end of that thing…" She points her finger to the van on the picture and Dean and I follow her lead. I don't see anything suspicious yet, but she clearly does. "Now look at the plates." Dean flips the paper and on the next one is a close up of the plates of the car. "Huh, the plates look new. The van was probably stolen." He concludes, glancing back up at the deputy. I have no idea what makes him think that, but there's not much time to ask him. "So, whoever was driving that rust bucket must be involved." The deputy leans back and glances up at Dean. He's about to react, but a weird noise coming from my right distracts us. I turn around and across the field, on the road, I see a rusty, black van coming our way. Looking very old and like its literally creaking to stay together. Making that kind of noise, too. Dean and I stare at it as it drives past. "Hear that engine?" Dean asks the deputy, who's following our glances in confusion. "Yeah." She answers drily. "Kind of a whining growl, isn't it?" Dean mumbles to her and instantly it clicks in my head. "Oh…" I mumble in recognition. The deputy still has no idea what Dean is on about. "Sure…" She seems a little hesitant, but Dean seems to understand. I hear him mutter a soft 'Well, I'll be damned' under his breath, jaws clenched and eyes angry.
"What kind of monsters can drive a van?" It's out before I know it and Dean's eyes snap to mine. He shortly shakes his head to me, before turning to the deputy. "Ma'am, we need to follow the cams and see where this van was going… any way we can do that?" I watch Dean engage with the deputy in a conversation about finding out where that van from the picture went and after that the deputy goes back into the station to see if she can get access to all the cams in the county and not just the one from behind the bar. My stomach growls loudly and Dean insists on getting me something to eat after getting an answer from the deputy. She eventually lets him know that she can set it up, but needs some time for that and he gives her the address of the motel and his phone number. Then, he takes me back to the motel and makes sure I eat something. When I want to make sure he eats something too, he shoots me down and refuses to have any more conversations about it. He doesn't seem to want to talk at all and to pass the time waiting on the deputy, I end up taking a nap. Now that there is a lead, even though it might not be anything, I can convince my mind to get a little rest.
The deputy keeps her promise and calls Dean when it's already past dinner time, explaining what she was able to set up and that she was gonna pick him up to go after that van. And that's when things take a turn for the worse, because the bastard wants me to stay behind. "Dean, you can't be serious…" I seem at a loss for words at his stupidity. "Listen, I'll go out and come back with Sam, okay? No one else needs to disappear or get hurt, especially you." Is his solid answer and the way he crosses his arms only makes me more angry. "Sam's gone and God knows where and you wanna go with a random deputy to chase after some stolen van without me… what am I supposed to do here? Wait until I get the phone call that you're dead? Together with Sam? Or wait here forever and have you disappear too?" Dean impatiently listens to my rant, all the while shaking his head. "No one is dying, Skye." He then snaps, eyes narrowing. "And I'm gonna sdwtop Sam from dying, okay? I'll bring him back to us, okay? It's my responsibility, I'll bring him back." He looks at me challengingly, as if he dares me to find anything wrong with what he just said. "And what if you can't?" I copy his move and also cross my arms angrily. "Well, we don't have to worry about that, cause I can." Dean retorts. "God, this is the same goddamn thing as a few weeks back when you were dying of that damn heart attack. You know how many fights I had with Sam about something almost the same as this?" I roll my eyes to the ceiling in pure frustration. "You're not frigging invincible, Dean! You could disappear just like Sam and I'd be alone…" Just that simple thought brings tears to my eyes and I instantly stop to force them back. "Hey, listen to me…" Dean's expression hasn't softened, but he does come up to me with raised arms. "I'm going out with this deputy, we're gonna follow the trail to Sam and I'll come back with him… or with another lead." He repeats what he yelled at me earlier and places his hands on my shoulders, giving a supportive squeeze. "Well, seems like I can't do nothin about it, huh." I throw right back in his face, absolutely not ready to give in. "No. Stay put, stay inside and I'll be back." Dean grimaces and lets me go, turning to the table to grab his jacket that's hanging across the chair. "You know, it was a lot easier when you didn't know about ninety percent of what we were doing and would just stay put without making everything into a fight." He can't stop that last sneer at me and I have to ball my hands into fists to stop myself from exploding with anger. "Yeah, be the good little girl dad wants me to be and just shut my mouth, huh?" I spit back at him with loathing. "No, not like that… Ugh, just stay put!" Dean gives up, points a last angry finger at me and is out the door within seconds. I don't even have time to say goodbye or yell at him to make sure to come back to me.
I stay put, but it's one of the most terrible evenings I've ever had. To think about the fact that just yesterday I finished my exams and was all euphoric about that. Now it doesn't even seem to matter. To distract my brain from being all alone with one brother having disappeared and the other gone, I watch a bad movie on the old, crappy TV. It's enough to stop me from going completely insane.
Dean comes back around eleven and I have no words to describe how big the relief is that I feel when he comes barging through the door. He looks cold and tired and is still alone. No Sam. I ignore the desire to run to him and simply sit up on the sofa, rubbing in my eyes. "Found anything?" I then ask. "No, not yet. I drove around with the deputy and we looked for more cams to get the pictures from, but it didn't lead us anywhere specific yet." Is Dean's short summary of his evening. "Ah." There is not much else to say. "She uh… she knows." Dean shrugs his jacket back off and throws it across the chair. "What?" I glance at him in confusion. He lets out a big sigh, before walking towards the sofa and dropping down next to me. The blue circles under his eyes have deepened. "She figured it out. She knows I'm not Greg the detective, she looked up the badge number and found that it was stolen. We can't use it again, I've already thrown it away." He explains through a yawn. "Uh, hold up… She is a deputy, how are you sitting here next to me and not in jail?" I'm genuinely concerned about that, since the deputy did not look like the kind of woman who would have let that go. "Oh, she wanted to arrest me, she sure as hell did… but I talked her into saving Sam first." Dean gives a dry chuckle at that. "Oh lovely, so after we've somehow, miraculously, get Sam back, you're going to prison?" I lean back and can't do anything else but also chuckle, the whole situation becoming more ridiculous with the second. "Come here." Is all Dean says to that, reaching forward and dragging me into his arms. I silently let him hold me, leaning my head on his chest. "Tomorrow, Kathleen will continue to search with me even though she just realized I'm a 'felon', in her words. We'll still find Sam, I promise you we will." Dean once again promises to find our brother with all the confidence in the world and I no longer have the energy to correct him on that. "I'm coming with." I mutter after a few minutes of heavy silence. "No, you're not." Dean's arms tighten around me slightly, his tone serious. "Yes, I am. Let me be very clear, I am in no way going to let you go alone tomorrow, so you better just accept it. I had to wait the whole damn evening today, alone in this damn room, worried out of my mind and if I have to do that again I'll go crazy." I pause for a second to take a deep breath, before continuing my monologue. "Sam's gone, you're all I have and I am not going to sit here and do nothing while you're out there alone and could disappear on me too. No, Dean, I refuse. Don't do that to me again." Dean lets me finish without interrupting me once and when I glance up at him, he looks very serious. "I will take you with me on one condition…" He starts in a low tone, purposely not looking at me. "What condition?" I motivate him to continue and he does after letting out a deep sigh. "That you stay plastered to my side the whole goddamn time and if things go south in any way, I'll order Kathleen to protect you and get you out safely. Understood?" This time he does look down, blue bags under his eyes. "Yes." I make sure he knows I heard him loud and clear, to put his mind at ease a little. I know he's going through it right now, little brother gone and little sister still underage and in his care. I know I'm a burden to him right now.
Dean hums, closing his eyes for a second. "Go and get some sleep, I have no idea what tomorrow will bring." He then tells me and nudges me off the sofa. "Okay." I don't protest and dive into the bathroom to give myself a little self-care and change into more comfortable clothing. Wrapped up in one of Sam's large sweaters, I exit and make my way over to the beds. "Hey, so uh, why did Kathleen decide you could come back here? I mean, she could've taken you to spend the night in jail..?" I question as I lie down and let my aching head sink on the soft pillow. The heavy sleep that's been threatening to overtake me all day is now almost no longer deniable. "Cause there was no way in hell I'd ever let her stop me from not coming back to you." I can barely hear Dean's explanation, but it makes me feel safe enough to let sleep overtake me.
Kathleen honors her promise and comes to pick us up the next morning. In her uniform, looking like she got just as much sleep as Dean got. The blue circles under his eyes are now an even deeper shade. She takes us with her towards town to get us coffee and I'm honoring my promise to Dean and staying as close to him as I possibly can. Now Sam randomly disappeared, the town no longer feels safe to me, not even during the day.
"Okay, officer. I'm not gonna press my luck…" Dean starts, on the way back to the police cruiser, but gets interrupted. "Your luck is so pressed." Kathleen tells him seriously. "Right…" Dean mutters in agreement, shaking his head. "I was wondering, uh…" He warily glances sideways at me, before stopping in front of the cruiser and turning to her. "Why are you helping us out, anyway?" He sounds hesitant and I get that. People are normally not the kindest creatures on the planet, and we've experienced that first hand. The deputy sighs, glancing from Dean to me. Her eyes soften. "My brother, Riley, disappeared three years ago. A lot like Sam. We uh, we searched for him, but - nothing." Her explanation saddens me and I try to listen without asking the millions of questions that are popping up in my head. She looks back at Dean, straightening her shoulders. "I know what it's like to feel responsible for someone. And for them…" Kathleen stops herself from continuing and glances at the ground quickly. "Come on. Let's keep at it." She then changes the subject, motioning for us to get into the police car. I glance up at Dean, who has a heavy look on his face. "Get in the back." He then tells me softly, nudging me towards the passenger seat. I crawl in there and feel very uneasy as I fasten my seatbelt. The last time I was in a police car, I was being escorted to the police station with Sam still by my side. Plus, it's nothing like the safe ambiance of the impala.
I stay silent as Kathleen drives around and discusses camera pictures with Dean and possible landmarks that could mean something. About five hours in, Dean spots something that looks interesting. We've been driving through a very wooded area, lots of thick and tall trees surrounding us. The roads around us quite abandoned. "Wait, wait. Pull over here, pull over." Dean directs Kathleen to the side of a larger area that kind of looks like an abandoned parking lot, at the edge of more woods. Kathleen parks and Dean quickly moves out of the car, Kathleen following him. When I throw my own door open, Dean gives me an angry shake of his head and motions for me to stay put. I do so, but not without leaving the door open so I can hear what's about to be said. "This is the first turn up I've seen so far." Dean announces to Kathleen, walking a little to the left, where the asphalt road goes over into a dirt road. An entrance into the forest that's surrounding us. Kathleen follows him, her face stoic. "You stay here with your sister, I'll check it out." She then suggests, glancing sideways at Dean. "No way." Is Dean's stubborn answer. That angers Kathleen, cause I see her actively stopping Dean from walking further. "Hey, you are a civilian, and a felon, I think. I'm not taking you with me." She tells him, her tone making it clear it is no longer a suggestion. "Plus, you've got a sixteen year old girl still in that car, who needs you." She points her thumb over her shoulder at me, still in the car. "I'm fine, thank you." I mutter, more to myself then them. Dean glances back at me for a second, before shaking his head and warily looking ahead into the forest. "You're not going without me. Plus, she's safe in that car." He doesn't sound very sure of himself as he argues with her. Kathleen lets out a deep sigh, also glancing back at me in her cruiser. "Alright. You promise you won't get involved? You'll let me handle it?" She then seems to give in, her face very serious. "Yeah. I promise." Dean nods, but the look on his face tells me he's lying. "Shake on it?" Kathleen also seems to doubt him and sticks out her hand to him. Dean hesitates for a second, before shrugging and grabbing her hand to shake it. With wide eyes I watch how Kathleen reaches for her cuffs with her other hand and has one around Dean's wrist within a second. It went way too fast for Dean to even see it coming and his eyes widen. "Oh, come on." He then groans. Kathleen doesn't say a word, but with a smug look she starts pulling him back to the car. I've clamped my hand across my mouth to make sure Dean doesn't see my amused grin and silently watch how she cuffs him to the car. "This is ridiculous…" He murmurs with a sigh. "And you, do I have to worry about you? Do I have to lock the car with you in it, or will you be a good girl and stay with your brother?" Kathleen simply ignores Dean and stares at me with her authoritative eyes. "No, ma'am. I'll stay with him." I promise her, still not able to get my face back into control. She grins with me for a second, before muttering 'good girl', turning around and stalking away. "Kathleen, I really think you're gonna need my help!" Dean calls after her, a little desperate. "I'll manage, thank you." She calls back, her face focused. I can't help but snort, which makes Dean glare at me in frustration. "Well, I gotta give it to her…" I start with a shrug, but he furiously shakes his head. "No, you don't. Get your ass over here, I need to get out of these." Dean shakes his hand in hopes of loosening himself and repeats that question, until I yell at him that that's not working whatsoever. After a lot of bickering and me even pulling on his hand in a futile attempt to 'pull' it out of the cuffs, Dean exclaims in frustration that he needs to start carrying paperclips. "Wait, you mean to tell me that that really works? And not just in the movies?" I look at him in surprise. "If I had a paperclip, I'd be out within seconds." He growls at me, giving his hand another angry shake. Suddenly, an idea pops onto my head. "Would a bobby pin work as well?" I ask him. "Yeah, probably. Why?" Dean glances over at me in curiosity and with twinkling eyes I pull out one of the three bobby pins I shoved into my hair to keep it up this morning. Dean's eyes start twinkling. "That's my girl." He happily tells me, grabbing the bobby pin. He's about to go to work, when we hear sounds coming from up ahead. A heavy car starting its engine and if I'm not mistaken, some male voices. "Shit." Dean motions for me to duck and move over while he sinks through his knees, urgency in his eyes. "Stay quiet." He hisses at me, before going to town on the handcuffs with my bobby pin. My heart is in my throat as I listen to the noises that become louder. Soon, we also hear heavy footsteps coming our way. The tension is high as I stare at Dean, hidden behind the cruiser, and mutter at him to hurry the hell up. The footsteps are coming closer and I'm sure we're gonna get busted by whoever is coming if he doesn't get out. Then, suddenly, he's out. "Follow me, now." Is his urgent whisper and he grabs my shoulders. We hurry towards the side of the car and I can hear a heavy male voice laughing. Way closer than I thought, it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "Dean…" I cry out in a whisper. Dean reacts by squeezing my shoulders even tighter. He swiftly glances back, then grabs my arm and bolts towards the trees, dragging me along. I'm too scared to look back and just focus on being as quiet as I can as I sprint with him. When we've reached the trees and have thrown ourself behind a rather large one, is when I'm finally able to breathe again. I let myself sink back and let out a few deep breaths. Dean's tense posture hasn't relaxed, he's crouched down right beside me and glancing around the tree to the car we just ran from. "What's happening?" I whisper to him, not yet ready to dare take a look. "Two big men, they're looking at the cruiser." Is his short answer and that peaks my curiosity enough. I slowly lean forward and with a shaky breath take a peek around the tree. Two big men, both wearing baseball caps and looking rather dirty, are indeed standing at the police car. They're loudly speaking towards each other and one of 'm gets inside. "Wait, do they have the key?" Just as I ask that question, the car starts, giving me the answer. "Damnit, they got Kathleen." Dean grumbles, more to himself then to me. We watch how the second man gets into the car and they drive off, back towards the road. It stays silent between me and Dean and I'm at a loss for words. The deputy is nowhere to be seen and two men just took her cruiser with her keys, suggesting they either ambushed her or did something even worse. Sam's still gone and there is no safe spot left, we're on our own.
"Dean, what do we do now?" I dare to ask after the silence gets unbearable and Dean lets out a heavy sigh. "Let me think." He sticks up his hand to me and squeezes his eyes shut. He's far from happy about our current situation and once again I feel like a burden. The stress on his face is also from not being able to stow me somewhere safe so he can go and figure this out. I let out a heavy sigh, but patiently wait for him to say something. "Okay, come on." He barks out of nowhere, getting up from behind the tree. I rise, following his lead. "We need to figure out where Kathleen went, cause that may also lead us to Sam." He starts explaining his thought process as he starts stalking back towards the dirt road Kathleen disappeared on a while ago. "You think we found the right place?" I ask as I hurry to keep up to his pace. "Has to, there is something very fishy going on here." Is his short answer. We hurry up to the entrance of the woods and for a while just follow the road. Dean in front, warily looking around and trying to keep tabs on everything, me behind him. At first, the road leads us on through the woods, but then a house pops up in the distance. A rather large looking, wooden house in the middle of nowhere. It looks rather sinister and not well taken care of. Dean stops when he sees it and slowly pulls me to the side. Next to the house, scattered around, are all sorts of other things. A few old, abandoned cars, big piles of scrap and metal, another little shed that looks like it might collapse soon. "Okay, we can't just go up there, we need a plan…" Dean grunts, starting to look more stressed with the second. I glance up at him and finally decide to say something about the uneasy feeling that's been with me a while now. "Dean, I know this might sound crazy, but uh… I have seen no signs of any monster since Sam disappeared. And now, all I've seen were two guys who took the police car and might have hurt the deputy… There is a human looking house up there where the clues are now leading to. Is uh, is this our kind of case?" I lay out the facts in a tiny voice, hoping he'll have the answer. He does, but it is not pretty. "Yeah, I uh, I'm afraid we might be dealing with just 'people' here." He concludes in a heavy voice. "People took Sam? And now Kathleen?" It sounds too crazy to be true. "Seems like it." Dean's eyes fall on me and he roughly shakes his head. "People are crazy, Skye." Is his comforting attempt. It doesn't make me feel better at all. "What the hell are we going to do?" I hiss at him, now even more unsure of how we're going to get Sam back, if he's even here. "First, we need to figure out if Sam's even here. And if Kathleen is. I don't know where the guys with the police car went, but I'm sure they'll be back sometime and we do not want to be in their way." Dean grabs my arm and scans our surroundings. "Come on, and for the love of God, stay close."
Dean leads us through the woods, in a large circle around the house we just saw. He makes sure to keep a safe distance and we're both actively listening for any noise or disturbance. I don't think I've ever been this tense before, at least not for so many hours. My shoulders might be permanently frozen in their hunched position. It's kind of freaky to be creeping around through the trees like this, especially since the evening is approaching and it's starting to get dark.
Dean stops when we're close to the back of the house and points out something to me that I can't yet see. When I point that out to him, he grabs my shoulders and pushes me forward a little. About a dozen, old looking cars come into my view, scattered all around the area behind the wooden house. A red truck is the closest one to us and I follow Dean, crouched and hunched over, towards the truck. Once Dean has made sure there's no one in there and there's no danger near it, he lets out a tense breath. "Okay, new strategy, this is our safe space. Okay? This is the truck we come back to if we lose each other, or if I get caught. Or Sam, or Kathleen. Okay?" He looks at me so intently that it makes me feel bad. "Okay." I nod, glancing through the foggy window of the truck. The seats inside even look kind of inviting, especially next to the large and creepy looking house.
"Okay." Dean lets out a deep sigh, before glancing around the truck at the house. He seems to be deliberating with himself and I wisely stay quiet, letting him think. I'm afraid of what he'll suggest.
"Okay, I need to go in and figure out if Sam's in there. Stay here, I'll find my way back as soon as I know." Dean turns to me with clenched jaws. "What do I do?" I blurt out, not able to stop myself. "You stay safe, okay? Please, just stay safe." He puts his hands on my shoulders, looking at me intently. "Don't move from here, okay? Let me find you." He then adds. I want to protest, scream at him that I don't know what to do, that I don't feel safe at all. "Okay." Is all I say. With a heavy feeling in my stomach, I watch him creep around the truck. He darts from car to car, slowly inching closer to the house. I keep watching him, until he disappears. Then, all of a sudden, it is very silent.
It feels like I'm standing there forever, not really wanting to move. I keep my eyes on the quiet house, for as long as I can. The darkness around me is getting heavier and when I look at my phone, the whole day has already passed and the night is approaching. I can't really see the outlines of the house anymore, lights inside have turned on. There are people in there.
I debate with myself about moving closer for what feels like hours. I know Dean'll lose his mind if he comes back to this truck and I'm not there, but I'm also not sure he will come back. Something could have happened. I still don't know if Sam's here, if Kathleen is still here. If she's even alive… There's so much I don't know that I eventually do decide I need answers. And not just answers, what if Dean was caught and now everything depends on me?
As I push my fear to the side, I start creeping my way over to the next car. Just like Dean did. Inching closer and closer to the dark, creepy house until I am right out back. There is a staircase and a door leading up, but I can also see that the shed leads somewhere else. That door is open and if I'm not mistaken, there is a staircase leading down. Something in me urges me towards the staircase down and without a second thought, I creep towards the shed. There is no one else in sight and I don't hear anything. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I see the staircase that leads down into what looks like a gaping black hole. I know better than to call out and tightly grab the railing. With a last shuddering breath, I start descending down the stairs, step by step. Slowly my surroundings take shape and it looks like I'm walking into a basement. A very creepy one, there's metal all around me. What I do see, when I'm almost down, is that it's not a very big basement. And there is something down here. What freezes me in my spot, is when I see movement. And if my eyes don't deceive me, something white. As I take my last step and come down on the concrete floor, I see that all the metal is from cages. Literal prison cages, or more like kennels for a dog. They're not big and through the bars of the cage closest to me, I see a woman. She's lying in her white shirt on the floor. I can make out her face and realize in horror that it's Kathleen. The deputy. Without her uniform and with a bloody face. "Kathleen?" I dare to whisper, urging myself to move closer. And that's when I see the second cage, the one behind the staircase. That cage also holds a person and with the biggest relief I've ever felt, I see that it's my brother. Sam's eyes have widened when they see me and recognize me and he clasps his hands around the bars. "Skye!" I dash towards his cage. "Oh my god, Sam!" I clasp my hands around his and it feels so good to see him and be able to touch him. "Oh thank god, I thought I lost you." I whisper to him in glee, my eyes prickling with relieved tears. "Honey, as thrilled as I am to see you, what the hell are you doing down here?" Sam's smile slowly disappears from his face as he seems to realize that I'm in front of him, in a wildly dangerous situation. "We lost you and went looking for you…" I start to explain, but get interrupted by Kathleen in the other cage. "Skye, you need to leave. You need to go." Her voice sounds raspy and when I turn around to her, her eyes are wide and filled with fear. "What… Why?" I don't understand her. "Darling, we got stuck here cause of people. Just, people." Sam quickly explains to me and I focus back on his dirty and also bloody face. "Yeah, I know. What the hell!" I exclaim to him, still not able to understand that people did this. "How many are there?" I ask, still holding onto Sam's hands. "I have no idea, I haven't seen them yet… but Skye, you need to get out of here." He repeats what Kathleen told me earlier. "Where's Dean?" I ignore his question and glance around the dark basement. Besides the two cages that hold my brother and the deputy, there is not much in here. Besides the very complicated locks that are on the cages, I've noticed those. "He was here a minute ago, he's trying to figure out how to open the lock." Sam nods his head to the side of his cage and I dash towards it to take a look for myself. I can see what he means, it's not a simple key that opens it. "Okay, well I'll go…" I'm about to suggest that I'll look for Dean to help look for the lock, when I freeze in my spot. There are noises coming from above us. Loud footsteps approaching, a few bonks and a loud scraping noise. Someone is coming and I'm very sure I'll never make it up and out of here in time. Whoever is coming, is already close to the stairs. "Hide!" Sam hisses urgently from inside his cage, his eyes wide and filled with fear. "Where?" I hiss back at him, hastily turning around. I can't see any good hiding places and I'm also not able to crawl away inside Sam's cage. Not that that would be a good idea, but still. "Here, come here!" Kathleen's urgent voice beckons me and she points to a small area behind her cage that I'm sure I can crawl into. Sam would never fit, but I am small and tiny. Instantly, I drop to my hands and knees and with Kathleen's help I manage to cram myself into the area. I'm still a little visible in the dark, but Kathleen makes sure that disappears by blocking me with her own body. I try to hold my breath as the noises we were hearing get louder and large footsteps are coming down the stairs. Soon, a large man with a shotgun comes into my view and I involuntarily cower away behind Kathleens body. I'm not caught yet, Sam and Kathleen are. If he sees me, the only one who can defend myself is me.
The man doesn't look at me or Kathleen's cage for a second, though. He seems very focused on Sam's cage. And before he even unlocks any of the cages, he raises his shotgun and shoots. The loudest bang echoes through the basement and paralyzed in fear I watch Sam dodge the bullet. He's crouched down, there's something in his hand and his eyes are on his attacker. It's such an unfair situation, since he's locked in. Another bang goes off and then Sam's cage opens. "SAM!" I scream for him as the man charges into the cage. Thankfully, the one and only Sam Winchester is in front of him. Trained for years in combat and hunting, and it shows. Sam lunges at the man and the piece of metal in his hand smashes against the man's chest. I can hear loud grunts and yells and before I know it, I'm crawling back out of my hiding spot. Ready to help Sam in his fight in whatever way I can. Sam's managed to dislodge the shotgun from the man and I can see it on the ground close by. A few more punches are thrown and I can hear Sam's yelps. He's up against a way larger man then himself. He manages to turn the tables as he throws himself at the man and smacks him to the ground. His fist rises in the air and with all he has, he hits the man straight across his face. "SAM!" I have reached the fight and the gun and scramble to grab it. At my yell, both Sam and the other man look up and the man's eyes widen when he sees me standing there with his own shotgun. Aimed right at his own chest. Sam quickly dashes backwards now the fight is over, panting harshly. "Well, w-won't you look at t-that…" The man speaks for the first time since he came down here and has his mean eyes focused on me. "Oh, shut your face." Sam spits at him and with one last blow, knocks him straight out. "Jesus!" I'm finally able to breathe again, keeping the shotgun steady. "Come here, are you hurt?" Sam dashes towards me and reaches for the shotgun, pulling it out of my hands. Asking me if I'm hurt after he had a fight. "I'm good." I tell him confidently and now that's standing in front of me, alive and well, I get an overwhelming urge to hug him. So I do, wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my head in his chest for a second. "Happy to see you too." Sam hushes me and tightly hugs me back. Then, he tries to reload the shotgun. We soon realize it's jammed and not working anymore. "Ah, damn." Sam exclaims and throws it on the ground. I look at it with wide eyes, fully realizing that I tried to threaten a man with a jammed shotgun. Had he known, this could have worked out differently.
"You've got guts, girl." I suddenly hear from behind me and realize Kathleen is also still here, locked in her cage. I give her a slight smile, but the threat is not over yet. Which we are well aware of.
"Stay here." Sam hushes to me, before creeping towards the stairs. I want to yell at him not to go, I just got him back, but I swallow my words and stand guard in front of the cell. I watch my brother climb the stairs and disappear out of my view. "So, I guess you found your brother." Kathleen mutters drily from behind me and I let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, and you." I tell her, throwing her a soft smile. "Yeah. They uh, they jumped me." She confesses, letting out a sigh. "They have this little girl, she met me at the front door. I thought she was being abused and neglected, so all my focus was on her… I never saw the man coming." She adds, a shiver going through her. "The girl is being abused and neglected. If this is her family, then I'll pray for her." I mutter and Kathleen looks up at me. "She's been raised like this, I don't think she had a choice. She might not even know better." She tells me and from the look she's giving me, I get an odd feeling. "Hey, I'm sorry to bring it up, but… Did you uh?" I hesitantly try to form my sentence, but Kathleen already knows what I want to ask. "Yeah, Dean said he found my brothers car out back. A black mustang. He was here and now I know what happened. They killed him…" Tears appear in her eyes as she tells me the truth and my heart breaks for her. "I'm so sorry, ma'am." Is all I can say to her.
An electrical sound and then a strange click interrupts our conversation and with a frown I glance around me. "That sounded like the power went out…" Kathleen mutters behind me and I reach out my hand through the metal bars to help her up. Kathleen gladly takes it and then gives a large shove against the metal door that's keeping her locked in. It springs open without any difficulty. "Ah, so it was a lot like in a prison, locks working off electricity…" I mutter to myself. Kathleen ducks and exits her cage, reaching her arm out to grab me. "Come here, and stay close." She tells me and sounds just like Dean. It makes me chuckle fondly. "Yeah, I hear that sentence about ten times a day." I confess to her when she frowns at me and a smile comes through on her face. "That's good." She nods. She leads the way towards the stairs and I follow her closely. "Skye, come on!" Sam's voice is urgently coming from above us and I hurry up the stairs. "Did you cut the power?" I ask as I reach him and he gives me a quick nod.
A door being slammed open and a loud, male voice calling out for 'Lee' makes me jump out of my skin. "Shit." Sam curses and grabs my arm, instantly pulling me behind him. More footsteps and voices calling out for the man Sam knocked unconscious earlier, approach us. "Quick, in the barn!" Sam points to the area behind the stairs we just came from and I hurry after him, goosebumps all over my skin. "Here, behind here!" Sam hisses at me and I dive behind a wooden cabinet just in time. As I peek to the left, I see two men entering our barn. Their faces focused and angry, wielding two large shotguns. One of 'm looks quite old, with a gray beard. The other one has a blue hat on. They stalk right down the stairs where they find two empty cages. And an unconscious Lee. "Lee? Damn it Jack, GET THE LIGHTS." I hear a rough voice order and soon more clanging noises follow. "They must have cut the power!" The other voice yells and a loud bang accompanies him. Footsteps are coming back up and all of a sudden, everything goes quiet. One of the men goes up a slight step to the wooden upstairs area where, if I remember correctly, I saw Kathleen flee to when we heard them coming. Sam is right beside me still, panting harshly as he keeps his eyes on the back of the man with the hat. He's in our view, shotgun raised high. He shoots and my whole body jolts at the noise. He shoots again, at something that we're not able to see. Then, it goes deadly quiet again. And Sam takes his shot. He charges right at the man and jumps onto his back with a war cry. With wide eyes I watch another fight happen right in front of my eyes. This time, I stay put. Sam has the man's shotgun out of his hands within seconds and I watch him chase him out of the barn. "Sam!" I cry out after him, but I just hear shots and running footsteps. Hastily I look up, but I don't see or hear anything from up there. Kathleen is god knows where, with the older man on her tail probably. "God damnit." I curse in panic. Dean's still nowhere to be seen and Sam is chasing a psychopath.
Before I can even deliberate what I'm going to do, a large clang comes from above me and before I know it, someone falls. I let out a scream when I see its Kathleen being thrown down. She collapses a few feet away from me, her face contorted in pain. "Kathleen!" I jump from my hiding spot, ready to throw myself at her to help. But, there is the older man with his shotgun, jumping down and landing right next to her. I have no clue if he sees me or not, but it doesn't seem to matter. He is focused on Kathleen, an evil smile across his face. He raises his shotgun right at her chest, ready to shoot her. And I charge, without a second thought. I let out a scream, sprinting towards him and as he turns around in surprise, ball my hands into a fist just like Dean taught me to, and slam it into his face. He staggers backwards in surprise and sudden pain. I don't give him time to think, lifting up my leg and kicking him straight between his legs. A move Sam told me would always bring down a man. It does, the older man lets out a yell of pain and the shotgun drops from his hands. And with Dean's voice in my mind motivating me to continue, I slam my fist into his face again when he falls to his knees. That sends him toppling over. Kathleen, who was watching me with her mouth wide open, scrambles towards the shotgun and before I know it, she's pushed me away and is aiming the shotgun right into the older man's contorted face. "Where the hell did you learn that?" She pants at me, gasping in pain herself. "Oh, I uh, picked up some things along the way." I pant back at her, trying to catch my breath. I put all my energy into those punches and can feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. A sudden noise from behind me startles both me and Kathleen and when we turn around, Sam comes crashing through the door. He is no longer in possession of a shotgun and the man in the hat comes barging after him, said shotgun back in his hands. Sam sees me and Kathleen there, Kathleen with her shotgun and does the only thing he can think of. He ducks and gives Kathleen the chance she needs to bring the other guy down. She shoots without hesitation and blows the guy right off his feet and on the ground. He lets out a bloodcurdling scream as he gets hit and collapses against the floor. Then he stops making any kind of noise, he's out cold. Still breathing, but out cold. "Jesus…" I gasp, buckling over to let out some tension now the situation is finally under control. Kathleen is pointing her shotgun back into the older man's face, who is still conscious and looking at us through evil eyes. I don't know how else to describe it, it's just pure evil looking at me. Cause that's what he's doing, he's looking at me. I'm sure he'd love to kill me.
"Okay, stay put!" Sam grunts at both of us and I watch him haul the unconscious dude off the floor. "What are you going to do?" I call out to him, my body not yet able to stop shaking. "I'm locking them up, wait there." He calls back, grabbing the guy and dragging him towards the stairs that go down to the basement and empty cages. When he's disappeared from my view, I warily glance up at Kate. She's done nothing but stare at the man on the floor with pure hatred in her eyes. "Where's Dean? What did you do with Dean?" I bluntly ask him. He lets out a few gurgling breaths, before a sick grin forms on his face. "The guy in the leather jacket, you mean? The guy who tried to attack us in our own home?" He leans his head to the side, making me very uncomfortable with his glare. "He's still stuck to a chair, I believe… With a few brand marks." That last part of the sentence gives me chills and fear enters my body. "You- y-you branded my brother?" I stammer at him with wide eyes and his grin becomes wider. "I'm sure those'll scar nicely…" He adds with what's supposed to be a chuckle, but just sounds like a growl. I stare at him furiously, but stay behind Kathleen. As much as I'd like to kick that grin straight off his face, he did say Dean would have scars which suggests he's at least still alive.
Sam comes back up the stairs, panting heavily from carrying all that dead weight and tells us he put the power back on as well, so he could lock them in to secure them. Then, his eyes fall on the man lying on the floor in front of us. "I'll watch this one, you go right ahead." Kathleen tells him and nods her head at me, motioning for him to take me with him. Sam looks unsure and I know why, the hatred in her eyes is very visible. "Go ahead!" Kathleen repeats urgently and now that I look at her, I can see she's also slightly shaking. She doesn't look stable. Sam glances at me, gives me a short nod and then turns around. I watch him walk away to go look for our brother as I stay right beside Kathleen. I know what he wants me to do and I'll gladly do so. "Go with your brother, Skye." Kathleen repeats angrily, once she sees I'm not moving. "No, I'd like to stay with you." I softly tell her. "No, damn it…" Kathleen takes a step back so she's beside me and gives me a push in the direction of the exit. "I'm staying here, deputy. I've also got my orders, ma'am." I explain to her, stumbling but stepping right back up to her. Kathleen growls in frustration, but leaves it at that and turns her eyes back on the man still lying in front of us. He's trying to turn around, breathing heavily. His eyes are no longer just evilly staring at me, but are on Kathleen and filled with anger. "You hurt my family… I'm gonna bleed you, bitch." He threatens and his words make my skin crawl. "You killed my brother." Kathleen cries out to him, her voice unstable and an eerie feeling enters my body. "You're brother…" The man throws his head back and laughs, a wheezing sound. "Now I see." He concludes, letting us know he indeed killed Kathleen's brother. "Just tell me why…" Kathleen whispers in a pained voice, her shaking hands holding the shotgun up and aimed right at him. "Kathleen…" I put a supporting hand on her shoulder, but she instantly shakes it off. The man stares right up at her, a large smile on his face. "Because it's fun…" He explains with once again manic laughter. And that's when I see Kathleen's face contort with rage. "No, Kathleen… he's not worth it!" I try to reason with her, but she turns to me with determination in her eyes. "Turn around and don't look." She tells me, her voice trembling. "No… don't do this. He'll answer for his crimes, I promise you he will!" I try to beg with her, but she's made up her mind. "Turn around and don't look." She repeats and I take a shocked step back. There's nothing I can do. With tears in my eyes I turn around and not a second later, a loud bang echoes through the barn. A tear rolls down my face as I jolt and no more manic laughter is filling my ears. In disbelief, I keep my position. Then, I feel soothing hands on my shoulders and when I turn around, a tearstained face meets mine. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, kiddo. It's over now." Kathleen's voice is no longer shaking and she looks calm and stable. She looks like she wants to hug me for a second, but then scrapes her throat and places a hand on my back. "Come on." She slowly pushes me past what's now a dead body and I purposely don't look down.
We exit the barn and when I look up, the back door of the house opens and both my brothers walk out. Dean rubbing his wrists, wary eyes flashing around. He's clearly hurt, a large wound on his head and blood stained across his face. His shirts all ripped. When he spots me, his shoulders slump in relief. More tears are threatening to spill out of me, but I harshly push them back down. "Skye, oh thank god!" Dean comes running towards me and as he reaches me, he cradles my face in his hands for a second. "What happened to staying at the truck and letting me come find you?" He then asks, his tone soft and concerned instead of angry. "Well, you didn't come find me." I retort and he lets out a small chuckle. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I was a little caught up." He releases another relieved sigh and swiftly places a kiss on top of my head. "Are you okay?" I ask him in concern, letting my hand run across his bloody cheek. "Oh, this'll heal in no time." He promises me, his tone soothing. Sam's right behind him, his face tense and his eyes on Kathleen. "Where's the girl?" Kathleen asks, looking at Dean. "Locked in the closet. What about the dad?" He retorts and I can hear her letting out a shaky breath. "Shot, trying to escape." She then answers and instantly tears well back up in my eyes. I'm getting annoyed by that and clench my hands into fists. I can't let anything out right now. I ignore how she swiftly glances at me and keep my mouth shut. Dean slowly seems to understand and his eyes flash knowingly to Sam, before landing on me. I'm staring at the ground with clenched jaws.
The next hour goes by quickly. Dean leads her to the back of the house, where the police cruiser is parked all the way at the back. Her uniform and hand radio all neatly tucked inside. It's a good thing Dean knew where it was, cause I sure as hell hadn't seen it. As we wait for her to put her jacket back on and call in the situation to her colleagues, Dean grabs my arm. "Pup, what happened in there?" His face is serious as he looks at me. For a second I hesitate. "Kathleen had to shoot the guy, he tried to escape." I then tell him exactly what Kathleen made up earlier. I am no rat, I won't snitch on her. Dean pulls up his eyebrows, clearly not believing me. He waits for a few seconds, but when I don't say anything else he lets it go. I catch Sam's glance and he looks very unsure, as if he's convinced something else happened. Something else did happen, but I'm trying to forget that as we speak.
Kathleen comes back to us after she called the situation in, already looking more like the deputy we met two days ago, when we were still searching for Sam. Apart from the tortured look in her eyes, that is. She motions for us to follow her and walks back towards the house. "I think the car is at the police station." Dean mentions to Sam as we follow her. Sam gives him a short nod. "So…" Kathleen starts, turning around to us. "State police and the FBI are gonna be here within the hour. They're gonna wanna talk to you." She states, eying Sam and then Dean. "I suggest that you are both long gone by then." She adds, hinting at us that it's time to leave. Dean gives her a short nod. "Thanks." He says in appreciation. He eyes Sam, before looking back at Kathleen. "Hey, listen. I don't mean to press our luck, but we're kind of in the middle of nowhere. Think we could catch a ride?" He looks at her hopefully. "Start walking. Duck if you see a squat car." Is her answer. She tries to smile at me, but it doesn't reach her eyes and I can't smile back. "Sounds great to me, thanks." Sam interferes, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He initiates the start of our walk back, and I follow him. Dean, however, isn't ready yet. "Listen, uh… sorry about your brother." He tells Kathleen sincerely. "Thank you." She nods at him, smiling sadly. She glances back at the house, tears appearing in her eyes. "I was really hard not knowing what happened to him. I thought it would be easier once I knew the truth, but… it isn't, really." A first tear rolls down her face and I almost can't stand to look at her grief. That could have been me, if we hadn't gotten to Sam in time. I'm fully aware of that. Dean doesn't really know what to say to her, his face filled with sympathy. "Anyway, you should go." Kathleen nods at us, fighting her tears and forcing out a smile. Dean nods at her and turns around. I really want to follow them, but suddenly Kathleen makes a grab at me and wraps her arms around me. Almost motherly. "I'm so sorry, kiddo. But don't forget, you put up one hell of a fight." She whispers in my ear. I'm too stunned to know what to do, but before I know it, the moments over and she gently pushes me after my brothers. I throw her one last glance and then hurry towards their side. I want to get away from this place as quickly as I can.
It's silent, the first few moments of our walk. Then, Dean speaks out. "Don't ever do that again." His tone is serious. "Do what?" Sam asks in surprise. "Go missing like that." Dean grumbles, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me closer to him for a second. Sam lets out a genuine laugh. "You were worried about me." He states, as if that's not logical. I stay silent, listening to Dean's reply. "All I'm saying is, you vanish like that again, I'm not looking for ya." He is clearly not serious and it makes me smile a little. "Sure, you won't." Sam chuckles, bumping Dean against his shoulder. "I'm not." Dean retorts, a soft grin on his face as well. "What about you, huh?" Sam glances at me and the fact that he's here and walking with us, is enough for me to feel a little lighter. "Well, if it was up to Dean, I'd still be in that motel room." I answer him honestly and that makes him laugh. "I was wondering why you took her to find me." He says to Dean and Dean raises his hands in frustration. "You try to tell her 'no' when she's all determined and has that sad puppy dog look in her eyes." He cries out accusingly. Now I'm the one letting out a laugh and Sam rolls his eyes, but wisely doesn't say anything to that. "So, you got sidelined by a thirteen year old girl, huh?" Sam continues to tease Dean and now I'm curious enough to ask what happened to him anyways. He angrily explains that she'd surprised him in the house and because she was so young, he'd hesitated and that had given her dad enough room to jump him. Sam insists he got beaten by a thirteen year old. "Oh, shut up." Dean tells him with a shake of his head, a small grin appearing on his face. "Just saying, gettin' rusty there, kiddo." Sam teases and lets out a louder laugh when Dean once again infuriatingly tells him to shut up. I let Sam's laughter distract me from the ongoing war in my head and the continuous sound of a loud gunshot ringing in my ears.