Ali didn't particularly like thinking about her flaws, nor was she any good at admitting to them. She found the whole idea of self-evaluation tedious and boring, perhaps because she knew deep down that if she looked too closely, she would find many things that she didn't like about herself. However, if there was one thing she could admit to, it was this: she was impatient.
She was impatient when it came to traffic jams, impatient when it came to long queues and most importantly, impatient when it came to the Winchesters.
Over the course of the time she had spent with the brothers, she had spent too many hours in a motel room waiting for them to return. She had spent too long in the back seat of the impala, driving to hunts that she knew she wouldn't be allowed to partake in, and she had spent years waiting for the moment she would be able to look the creature the murdered her brother in the eye and kill it.
Overall, it was clear that Ali was impatient when it came to waiting for the things that she wanted. And right now, she wanted the hell out of the motel room.
"You know, I've gotta say Dad and me did just fine without these stupid costumes," she heard Dean say as he walked out of the bathroom, patting down his attire of an alarm system company's uniform. "I feel like a high school drama dork."
"Look, you wanna pull this off or not?" Sam asked. Ali looked up from where she was laying on the bed, eyeing the two brothers in their outfits.
"I'm just saying, these outfits cost hard-earned money, okay?" Dean replied.
"Whose?" Sam asked, causing Ali to smile.
"Ours. You think credit card fraud is easy?" Dean replied. Ali rolled his eyes at him. At first she had felt obliged to feel guilty about their money situation, but now she thought nothing of it. She noticed Sam roll his eyes at Dean's remark too before both of them grabbed their things, Dean shoving John's journal into his bag.
"Right, let's head out," Dean said and Ali quickly pushed the magazine she was ready off her lap.
"Can I come?" she asked, sliding off the bed ready to put her feet in her leather boots.
"Hilarious," Dean said as he headed for the door.
"Why not?" Ali asked with a frown, her voice slightly raised.
"Remember last time when you almost got killed by those cannibal creeps?" Dean said pointedly. Ali stared back, her eyes almost a glare. "That's why."
"Seriously? You're still pissed about that?" Ali asked incredulously, the older hunter infuriating her.
"Yeah, I'm still pissed," Dean replied bluntly. "You're not coming." With that Dean turned and began walking out of the room. Ali groaned loudly, as they left, Sam turning back to send her a sad smile that said 'sorry but I'm with Dean on this one.'
The door clicked shut and Ali fell back onto the bed, her eyes trained once again on the all too familiar tiled ceiling. She didn't know how long they would be, but estimated she had between two and three hours to kill. At first she thought about calling Bobby; she hadn't spoken to him in a few days and thought he might be able to cheer her up, or at least give her some guidance for handling the Winchesters. She had been doing pretty well so far, but when it came to Sam and Dean, she realised there were always surprises to come. She decided against it however, remembering that Bobby mentioned something about meeting up with an old friend this week – she thought it was probably Rufus. No chance he would answer.
In the end, she turned on the TV, flicking though the channels pretty uninterestedly as she looked for something to diminish her boredom.
It had been four months since Ali had started living with the Winchesters. Living. She wasn't sure if that was the right word. She had been travelling around with the brothers, following them wherever a case took them, though she had only seen limited action. They would keep her informed but Dean had made it very clear that when they were on a case, she was not to leave the motel room unless instructed to. She knew it was only to keep her safe, but she didn't like it. Although she was young, she was still a hunter and she missed it. Not only had it been nearly four months since she met the Winchesters, but it had been two months since what she liked to call her 'probation period' had ended. She wasn't exactly sure when it was decided that she would stay for longer that the 2 months Dean had given her, or how long the unspoken invitation lasted for. She guessed it was for as long as Sam and Dean didn't mind having her around rather than to do with when they managed to solve her case. This was due to the fact that no new leads had surfaced in a long while and no one was really doing anything about it. Sam and Dean seemed more preoccupied with finding their father, which Ali thought was completely understandable. In fact, she was glad for the distractions from her case, although she still longed for it to be solved. And even more, she longed to be back in the hunting game.
She checked the clock. Only an hour had passed since Sam and Dean had left. She sighed, changing the channel when the commercials started to find another programme. She was snapped from her thoughts when the mobile (Dean's other, other cell) started to ring. He always left it with her so she could be contacted in an emergency, though they had a specific procedure. Ali wasn't meant to answer any phone calls or knocks at the door. They had a secret door knock that Dean had drilled into Ali so that she would know if it was Sam or himself. Then there was the cell phone. Ali had to wait for the caller to hang up. If it was either Sam or Dean, they would let it ring three times before hanging up. Then they would ring back so that Ali would know it was them.
She stared at the cell as it vibrated manically on the table, the brick of plastic moving a few centimetres each time it buzzed. Ali counted the rings: one, two, three. Then nothing. She waited for them to ring back, her nails drumming on the table impatiently. As soon as it rang again, Ali dived for it, answering immediately and crashing the cell against her ear.
"Ali?" she heard Sam's voice say on the other end.
"Sam? What is it? Are you hurt? Is Dean okay?" she asked quickly, her frantic questions falling out of her mouth in a torrent.
"Ali it's okay," Sam said with a chuckle. "We're fine." Ali sighed with relief before scowling even though Sam couldn't see her.
"You're not supposed to call this number unless it's an emergency," Ali pouted.
"Just testing you," she heard Dean say, making her realise she was on speaker phone. "Which you failed by the way." Ali huffed.
"What? Why?" she asked.
"You didn't ask Sam for the code word," Dean replied. "What if he was a shapeshifter or possessed by a demon?" Ali rolled her eyes.
"Dean, we don't have a code word for that," Ali replied and she could hear Sam mumble a similar response down the line.
"Right, well we should," Dean said.
"Is that really necessary?" Sam asked.
"Yes," Dean replied at the same time Ali said "no."
"What about Dr Sexy?" Ali heard Dean ask. She felt like smacking her head against the wall.
"Are you serious?" Ali asked flatly. She could hear the two brothers muttering on the line.
"No, he's not serious," Sam interjected as Dean tried to speak. "I was just ringing to say we're on the way back to the motel. I can pick you up?"
"You mean I'm actually allowed to leave the motel room?" Ali asked sarcastically.
"Not with that attitude," Dean growled back. Ali rolled her eyes.
"See you in ten."
Ali and Sam walked into the Chicago bar as the younger Winchester filled her in on what they had found.
"Meredith's heart was missing," he said, referring to the girl they had found dead.
"Her heart?" Ali asked as she gagged a little. "So, what do you think did it to her?"
"The landlady said it looked like an animal attack," Sam said.
"Werewolf?" Ali asked, though she wasn't sure she believed herself. Sam shook his head.
"No, the lunar cycle's not right. Plus, if it was a creature, it would've left some kind of trace," he said. "We thought maybe a spirit,' Sam continued. "But then we found this." Sam held up a photograph of the bloody scene of the apartment. It was covered in splatters of blood and someone had joined all the pools of blood together with what appeared to be masking tape. "Ever see that symbol before?" he asked. Ali shook her head.
"No, never," she replied, looking up at him.
"Me neither," he replied. Ali spotted Dean sitting at the bar, clearly flirting with the bar tender. Ali rolled her eyes as she pointed him out to Sam. He waved him over before pushing Ali in the direction of an empty table, hoping to avoid anyone who might want her to leave. She wasn't exactly twenty-one.
Ali sat down across from him as she watched him take out John's journal and leaf through it, seeing if he could find anything on the mysterious symbol.
"I talked to the bartender," Dean's voice cut thought the murmur of the bar.
"Did you get anything besides her number?" Sam asked, causing Ali to snort. Dean sent her a look.
"I'm a professional," he said. "I'm offended that you would think that." Ali and Sam sent him a knowing look. "All right, yeah," he admitted finally, chuckling as he held up a napkin with a number on it.
"You mind doing a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean?" Sam suggested. Ali supressed a giggle.
"Look, there's nothing to find out. I mean, Meredith worked here, she waited tables, everyone here was her friend. Everybody said she was normal. She didn't do or say anything weird before she died," he said. "What about that symbol, you find anything?"
"Nope, nothing. It wasn't in Dad's journal or in any of the usual books. I just have to dig a little deeper, I guess." Ali zoned out as the brothers continued to discuss the case. Although she wanted to be involved, she knew they wouldn't let her. Why waste her energy trying to figure anything out?
"Sam?" Dean asked suddenly, pulling Ali from her thoughts. She looked up and noticed that Sam was no longer at the table. She followed Dean's gaze to where he was approaching a table across the room where a young woman was sitting.
"Dean, who is that?" Ali asked, the blonde unfamiliar.
"I have no idea," Dean said as he stared after Sam. "Wait here." Without another word, Dean was out of his seat and striding across the room. Ali huffed, sinking back into her seat as she scowled across the room. She could make out the outline of the three figures, the girl had a petite frame and cropped hair. Her and Sam embraced.
After a few minutes, she noticed Dean leave the group, heading over to the bar. Ali thought it odd that he would walk away from a chance to upstage or embarrass his brother in front of a girl. She left her seat at the table and made her way over to the bar to join Dean. He was sipping a beer, his eyes trained on Sam and the mysterious girl.
"So, what happened?" Ali asked as she sat down beside him.
"Nothing," Dean replied. He took a long drink from the bottle before setting it down on the bar. "Come on, they're leaving." Ali trailed Dean to the exit as they caught up with Sam. There was no sign of the blonde girl.
"Who the hell was she?" Ali asked, her question coming out harsher than she had intended.
"I don't really know. I only met her once," Sam said. He had an odd expression on his face. "Meeting up with her again? I don't know, it's weird."
"And what was she saying?" Dean piped up, his tone irritated. "I treat you like luggage? What, were you bitchin' about me to some chick?" Ali winced at his words, hoping that nothing would get too heated between the brothers. She fell to the back of the group, trying to turn invisible. Luggage. Was that what she felt like?
"Look, I'm sorry, Dean. It was when we had that huge fight when I was in that bus stop in Indiana," Sam explained, trying to defuse the situation. Ali didn't think it would work, Dean wasn't going to back down. "But that's not important, just listen—."
"Well, is there any truth to what she's saying?" Dean interjected. "I mean, am I keeping you against your will, Sam?" Dean turned back to look at Ali. He plan hadn't worked. "You think I treat anyone like luggage?"
"Well…"
"Shut up," Dean said, cutting Ali off with an annoyed huff. Ali rolled her eyes.
"Dean, of course not," Sam said, trying to cool the situation. "Now, would you listen?"
"What?" Dean asked.
"I think there's somethin' strange going on here, Dean," Sam replied.
"Yeah, tell me about it," Dean said. "She wasn't even that into me."
"No, man, I mean like our kind of strange. Like, maybe even a lead."
"Why do you say that?" Dean asked, voicing what Ali had been thinking.
"Look, I could be wrong," he paused, "I'm just sayin' that there's something about this girl that I can't quite put my finger on."
"Well, I bet you'd like to," Dean said. Ali could hear the smirk in his voice. "I mean, maybe she's not a suspect, maybe you've got a thing for her, huh?" Sam let out a laugh. "Maybe you're thinkin' a little too much with your upstairs brain, huh?"
"Do me a favour," Sam said. "Check and see if there's really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts, and see if you can't dig anything up on that symbol on Meredith's floor."
"What are you gonna do?"
"I'm gonna watch Meg," Sam said. Dean raised an eyebrow at him. "I just wanna see what's what. Better safe than sorry."
"All right, you little pervert," Dean teased. Ali elbowed him in the arm as Sam sent him an irritated glare. "Alright, I'm goin', I'm goin'," he said. Dean crossed over the street, Ali hot on his heels as they made their way back to the motel. As she walked, Ali couldn't help but feel like someone was watching them – someone lurking in the shadows.
"Found her," Dean said from behind Sam's computer. Ali sauntered over from the bed to look at the screen, leaving her pile of books on the duvet. "Meg Masters," Dean read, pulling up a high school year book photo from a school in Andover.
"So, she checks out," Ali said.
"Yeah, you had any luck with the symbol?" Dean asked. Ali fetched a book from the bed and passed it to Dean, the pages emitting dust as she opened it.
"Here," she said, pointing to the symbol on the paper. "It's Zoroastrian."
"Zoroastrian?" Dean repeated with a frown. "That's old-school stuff. Really old-school."
"Yeah, like two thousand years before Christ," Ali said. "It's a sigil for a Daeva."
"What the hell is a Daeva?" Dean asked.
"It translates to "demon of darkness"," Ali said.
"Yikes," Dean said as he scanned the page. "Right, I'll call Sam, nice work." Ali was a little taken aback by the compliment but didn't mention it. Instead, she went back to the bed and switched off the TV, drowning out Sam and Dean's phone conversation as they filled each other in on the new developments of the hunt.
After what felt like hours, the programme she was mindlessly watching ended. Ali stepped up from the bed and grabbed a towel from the dresser. As she walked to the bathroom, she noticed Dean staring intently at the computer. Whatever it was that he had found, it was important.
"Dean, you okay?" Ali asked, a little concerned.
"Yeah, yeah," Dean said, though Ali didn't think he had really been paying attention to her questions.
"Okay…" Ali trailed off, her brow furrowing at Dean. "I'm gonna take a shower." Dean didn't reply as Ali slipped into the bathroom, immediately stripping off her clothes and hopping into the hot shower.
She let the water fall over her head, soaking her hair and relaxing her muscles. She only ever realised how tense she always was when she got in the shower, the water working like magic to loosen the knots in her back. Once she was satisfied she was clean and relaxed, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, pulling the greying towel around her. Motels never seemed to have towels that she approved of and always seemed to scratch and itch her skin when she dried off.
She quickly pulled on her jeans and a loose t-shirt before squeezing her hair out with the towel, trying to get it as dry as possible with her limited resources. Motels didn't tend to provide hair driers either.
She was just about to exit the bathroom when she heard Sam and Dean's voices outside. She couldn't hear every word they said over the loud humming of the fluorescent lighting but certain words caught her attention, such as "victims", "Lawrence", "demon" and "Mom". They had discovered something important.
Ali pressed her ear to the door, not wanting to interrupt the brothers' obviously important conversation but still wanting to hear what they were saying.
"God, could you imagine if we actually found that damn thing? That demon?" she heard Sam say.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, all right?" Dean said.
"I know. I'm just sayin', what if we did? What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I'd sleep for a month. Go back to school—be a person again," Sam said. At his words, Ali felt something inside of her sink and from what he said next, she thought Dean felt the same thing.
"You wanna go back to school?" Dean asked, the hurt in his voice clear.
"Yeah, once we're done huntin' the thing," Sam replied.
"Huh," Dean said, the word encompassing everything Ali was feeling.
"Why, is there somethin' wrong with that?" Sam asked.
"No. No, it's, uh, great. Good for you," Dean said, the bite in his voice not escaping Sam or Ali.
"I mean, what are you gonna do when it's all over?" Sam asked. Ali wasn't sure what he meant by over. Did he mean when they caught the demon that killed their mother or when they had solved her case as well?
"It's never gonna be over," Dean said, causing some hope to rise inside Ali. "There's gonna be others. There's always gonna be somethin' to hunt."
"But there's got to be somethin' that you want for yourself," Sam said. Ali pondered the questions. Was there anything else she wanted? Her family had been hunters for generations. Was there ever another option?
"Yeah, I don't want you to leave the second this thing's over, Sam," Dean replied, his voice slightly raised.
"Dude, what's your problem?" Sam asked. Ali could hear nothing but silence on the other side of the door for a while. Then finally, Dean spoke.
"Why do you think I drag you everywhere? Huh? I mean, why do you think I came and got you at Stanford in the first place?"
"Because Dad was in trouble. Because you wanted to find the thing that killed Mom," Sam said.
"Yes, that," Dean said. "But it's more than that, man. You and me and Dad—I mean, I want us….I want us to be together again," he said. Ali felt a strange feeling of disappointment at Dean's words, a feeling she knew she had no right to feel. "I want us to be a family again." Family? Somewhere deep inside her she knew she was jealous of them. She had no family, no parents, no brother. She was all alone. She had selfishly hoped that maybe, one day, Sam and Dean might think of her as something close to that, but after hearing what they had said, she knew it would never happen.
"Dean, we are a family. I'd do anything for you. But things will never be the way they were before," Sam said.
"Could be," Ali heard Dean say, his voice quiet and heartbroken, mimicking how Ali was feeling.
"I don't want them to be. I'm not gonna live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you're gonna have to let me go my own way." After Sam's words, Ali realised something. As impatient as Ali was to get into the action, to get into hunting, Sam was as impatient to get out of it.
Ali wasn't sure how long Sam and Dean had been gone for. Once again, she had been told to stay put in the motel, Dean mentioning something about how it was "family business" that didn't make her feel any better about the conversation she had overheard the Winchesters having earlier.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The sound was dull as it echoed through the motel room, but somehow still urgent. Ali froze. She wasn't supposed to answer the door – that much Dean had made clear from the start – but she couldn't help but he curious. The pounding on the door came again, the force sending vibrations up Ali's spinal column and causing her to shiver. She took a hesitant step forward towards the door, unsure whether she should call out or pretend she wasn't there.
She decided on the latter, trying to remain as still and noiseless as possible. A moment past, the silence elongating until Ali couldn't bare it any longer. She sighed, releasing a breath when she was satisfied whoever it was had disappeared. She fell back on the bed, the springs of the mattress pinging and snapping beneath her slim frame.
The knocking sounded again. Ali abruptly sat up, her stare trained on the door. Who could it be? She dreaded the answer, but the incessant knocking wouldn't stop. She slowly stood up and walked towards the door, her fingers finding the blade hidden in her right boot. Floor boards creaked under her heels, her breathing erratic.
She pushed herself up, hand clasping around the door knob. She could hear whoever was outside the motel room shifting their weight from foot to foot impatiently. Ali took a deep breath before yanking the door open, blade braced in the air to defend herself.
She stopped dead in her tracks at the man in front of her. Her mouth was wide with shock, yet she said nothing, completely lost for words. He had aged since she had seen him last seen him, his eyes dark. He had 'the look' of a hunter, an expression she knew all too well. He eyed her as she stared at him and Ali noticed how he didn't seem as surprised to see her as she did him.
"John," Ali breathed out, the name the only thing she could think to say. A ghost of a smile flashed across his lips though she wasn't sure if she had really seen it. The few times she had seen the man he had certainly not been smiling.
"Allison," he greeted back, nodding his head slightly at her. She straightened up, closing her mouth and schooling her features. In front of this man she couldn't show any form of weakness. She reached over to the table beside the door, picking up the hip flask without taking her eyes off the man.
"Don't pout," she said as she handed it to him. "I know you have demons on your ass." He seemed to chuckle internally at her remark, taking the hip flask filled with holy water and raising it to her as if in a toast.
"I'd expect nothing less from a Venator," he responded before taking a sip from the silver receptacle. The name was said with a certain bite as if it tasted like poison on his lips. Ali didn't like it. She watched with keen eyes as the water met John's lips, relaxing a little when nothing happened.
"I guess this means I have to let you in," she said coldly. Ali knew that John Winchester wasn't her biggest fan and the obvious contempt she had always shown towards him was probably what lead to this. She got it from her brother. She stepped aside, allowing the hunter to pass into the room before shutting the door. "Should I call Dean?" she asked.
"No," John replied, not turning to meet her eyes as he made his way towards the window. "They'll be along soon." Ali nodded before realising the action was pointless. The room settled into an uncomfortable silence. She didn't know what to say to him. She had never really known what to say to him.
"So, you're hunting with my boys," he said after a long while. Ali knew it wasn't a question.
"Someone's gotta carry on the family business," she said with a slight glare that John didn't miss.
"Right," he said knowingly. "I'm sorry about Tyler." Ali wanted to tell him to shut up, but she found the man far too intimidating to silence, which, in turn, she found infuriating. Instead she looked away dismissively, hoping he would get the idea.
Sensing her disapproval, John decided to try another angle to get the girl talking to him. He'd never had a daughter and was finding it hard not to give up and accept the silence. He wasn't sure how Bobby did it.
"How's Bobby doing?" he asked, genuinely curious as to how his old friend was. Recently they hadn't been on the best of terms.
"He's fine," Ali said curtly. Neither of the two had taken a seat, Ali facing John with her arms cross as John's hands sat comfortably in his pockets.
"He's okay with you running all over the country with my boys?" he asked sceptically, his tone remaining gravelly and calm. Ali narrowed her eyes at him, unsure what game he was trying to play.
"How Bobby feels about what I do is hardly of your concern," she replied sharply, expecting her comment to get the man before her riled up. John's eyes fell to the ground as he breathed out a smile.
"I'm not your enemy, Allison," he replied, his eyes drifting up to meet hers. She frowned, about to snap back at him when her attention was brought to the motel room's door. John's eyes snapped in the same direction. Footsteps wear approaching. "They're back."
Ali stepped back as she watched the door swing open. She wasn't sure what the brothers' reaction would be to seeing their father again. As they entered, the boys' eyes went straight for the figure standing in the shadows, barely noticing Ali was there.
"Hey!" Dean yelled, ready to take out his gun and send a bullet at the unknown man.
"Dean," Ali said, her voice drawing attention to where she was standing. She sent him a reassuring look, though she thought it came out as more of a grimace. Dean looked back at the man as he stepped out of the shadows, the light illuminating his features.
"Dad?" Dean said, his expression shocked and relieved at the same time.
"Hey, boys," John said with a smile as he looked on his two sons. Ali watched as Dean and his father approached each other. After a moment, they embraced each other, the hug raw and emotional. Sam was still by the door, watching his brother and father sadly. Ali wanted to squeeze his shoulder in comfort but remained where she was, feeling slightly like she shouldn't be there.
John and Dean pulled apart and John looked over towards where his youngest was standing.
"Hi, Sam," he said softly.
"Hey, Dad," Sam replied as he placed the bag of weapons on the floor.
"Dad, it was a trap," Dean said guiltily. "I didn't know, I'm sorry."
"It's all right. I thought it might've been, it's tried to stop me before."
"The demon has?" Sam asked.
"It knows I'm close. It knows I'm gonna kill it," John said. "Not just exorcise it or send it back to hell—actually kill it." Ali looked up, the hunter's words echoing what she had said to Sam four months ago.
"How?" she asked, speaking up for the first time. John smiled at her.
"I'm workin' on that," he replied.
"Let us come with you. We'll help," Sam suggested, reminding Ali of how she always tries to get Dean to let her on a hunt.
"No, Sam," John replied. "Not yet. Just try to understand. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in a crossfire. I don't want you hurt."
"Dad, you don't have to worry about us," Sam said.
"Of course, I do. I'm your father." His words pulled a little at Ali's heart. She wasn't always sure how she felt about John Winchester, but there was no denying that he cared about his family. "Listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one hell of a fight."
"Yes, sir," Sam said nervously.
"It's good to see you again," John said. "It's been a long time."
"Too long," Sam replied. Ali looked away as the two embraced each other, feeling like she was imposing on a poignant family moment. To say she felt out of place would be a serious understatement. She looked back just as they pulled apart, both of their eyes glistening. Ali brushed a tear from her own cheek, not letting a single other one fall.
Suddenly, John was thrown backwards, his body slamming against the wall as he was thrown by an invisible force. The room went into panic, Ali watching as scratched appeared on Sam's face before she was thrown to the ground herself.
"No!" she heard Dean yell as she shouted in pain. Claw-like gashed had appeared on her side, her shirt turning crimson. She tried to stand up, only to be thrown down once again, her head colliding with the ground. Her hair felt sticky, her vision blurring as she attempted sitting up. She could hear someone yelling in pain, the sound enraging her.
She noticed Sam next to her as he fumbled with the zip on the weapons bag. Ali saw what looked like a flare in his hand. "Shut your eyes!" he yelled. "These things are shadow demons, so let's light 'em up!" Ali squeezed her eyes shut as she covered her head with her arms to protect herself.
The room became filled with a dazzling white light, smoke pouring out of the flare as Sam threw it across the room. The Daevas vanished instantly.
"Dad!" Ali heard Dean yell through the fog. She coughed as she tried to feel her way to the door, her head pounding.
"Ali?" She heard Sam's voice next to her and he reached a hand out. She took it immediately and let Sam pull her to her feet as they followed John and Dean out of the room.
"All right, come on. We don't have much time," Sam said as they ran over to the impala, Sam dumping the bag of weapons on the back seat. "As soon as the flare's out, they'll be back."
"Wait, wait. Sam, wait," Dean said, easing his father to lean against the car. "Dad, you can't come with us."
"What? What are you talkin' about?" Sam said urgently. "Dean, we should stick together. We'll go after those demons-."
"Sam! Listen to me!" Dean yelled. "We almost got Dad killed in there. Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop, they're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He's—he's stronger without us around."
"Dad, no," Sam said, putting a hand on his father's shoulder. Ali watched sadly at the gesture. "After everything, after all the time we spent lookin' for you—please. I gotta be a part of this fight."
"Sammy," John said. "This fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play." John glanced between his two boys, but Ali didn't miss the way his eyes slid to her for a brief second. "For now, you've got to trust me, son. Okay, you've gotta let me go."
Sam looked like he was about to cry and Ali didn't stop herself this time from squeezing his arm. "He's right, Sam," she said quietly, looking up and meeting Sam's sad eyes. He nodded in understanding and looked back to his father.
"Be careful, boys," he said softly as he patted each of them on the back. Just before he left, he caught Ali's eye, extending a hand to her. She stared at it, feeling the brothers' eyes on her. She couldn't not take it. She met his hand with hers and he unexpectedly pulled her closer to him, the exchange looking friendly enough on the outside so he could whisper what he wanted to say in her ear.
"I meant what I said," John said quietly. "I'm not your enemy, not anymore." He released her in a pointed look and she stared back at him, not replying to him as she slid into the back seat of the impala. Dean was the only one to catch the exchange between the girl and his father, finding it odd. He knew the two of them had met before but had never considered what had gone down between them.
As he drove away he thought of the tension between the two he had observed in the short time they had been together. Clearly something had happened in the past that neither he nor Sam knew about. Having thought he knew all there was to the sixteen-year-old he had known for four months he found it infuriating, realising all he knew of the girl was how she was around him and Sam. Around them she was a friend, someone they had to take care of, but around John, she had been something else. Dean asked himself the question he knew he would find out soon enough, but wasn't sure he wanted to know at all: Who was Allison Venator as a hunter?
AN: So that was chapter 5.
Sensing some tension between Ali and John there... what do you think happened? Ali's starting to get a bit agitated always having to sit out of hunts, but don't worry! That is going to change very soon!
Let me know what you thought, much love x