Beneath the Surface

by goodbyefarewellfriends

Annie was a hunter, a lone one. Once, she wasn't, but the world had taught her to rely on no one. She'd heard the rumors about the Winchesters, but had no interest in meeting them—until one night, when their paths crossed. The brothers couldn't quite figure her out, and something about her left an impression they couldn't shake.

11. Here Comes The Sun

Chapter 11: Here comes the sun

The bunker had always just been a shelter, it rarely felt like a home. Until Annie showed up.

For Annie, moving into the bunker was like stepping into another world. The walls buzzed with decades of knowledge and secrets, the kind she'd always dreamed of uncovering. The library became her haven, her days often spent reading up on ancient lores and deciphering ancient spells.

At first, she worried about overstaying her welcome. She didn't want to be a burden. So, she threw herself into helping where she could, usually by working intel for the hunts.

Sam quickly warmed to having her around, especially since she shared his fascination with the lore. Late nights in the library became a regular occurrence, the two of them bouncing theories back and forth between them. Sam even found himself smiling more, amused by her enthusiasm. He enjoyed Annie's intellectual curiosity and Dean… well, Dean just enjoyed Annie.

He didn't hover, didn't make a fuss, but there was a shift in him too. He lingered in the library more often, sometimes claiming he was looking for something specific, though he rarely left with a book in his hand.

Dean had remembered how she liked her coffee after one morning - two sugars, no cream. Sam, on the other hand, had to remind him half a dozen times about his own preferences.

"Dean," Sam said one morning, watching his brother hand Annie her coffee without her even asking for it, "you realize you've never made mine right on the first try?"

Dean shrugged, playing it cool. "Guess your order's more complicated."

"It's literally black coffee," Sam grumbled.

Annie seemed oblivious, or maybe she wasn't. Either way, she fit into their strange little family seamlessly. She joined them on hunts occasionally but for now, she found herself most at peace in the bunker.

Late one evening, as Dean and Sam returned with dinner, Annie laughed at one of Dean's jokes, a rare sound that made him grin a little more than usual. Sam noticed the way Dean's eyes lingered on her, and he couldn't resist smiling too because for the first time in a long time the bunker felt a little brighter, a little more like home.