War Is Over (and I wanna go home)
Title – War Is Over (And I Wanna Go Home)
Pairings – Jensen Ackles & Y/N Ackles
Word Count – 5,098
Warnings – injuries, sulking, sad!Jensen then Happy!Jensen
JAcklesverse Bingo Square: Explosion
Y/N Ackles had been deployed to Iraq for almost one year and was due to come home soon. Jensen was counting down till he could finally hold his wife in his arms again. Her flight information said she was arriving on Saturday, flying to Vancouver after her debrief. He couldn’t wait to see his Marine Raider.
However, she had other plans. With help from Robert Singer, the Marine had a surprise “guest role” on the show that Sam and Dean didn’t know about but were about to…
“It’s no charge, ma’am. Thank you for your service,” the young man said with a smile as she pulled her wallet out of the side pocket of her tactical pants. Y/N Ackles shook her head at the barista behind the Starbucks counter.
“No, please. Let me pay for my coffee. It’s the least I can do since you have to be here this early in the morning,” she practically begged. The others dressed in slouchy beanies, flannels, and green aprons – reminding her so much of Jared it was startling – simply shook their heads and went about making her Fall favorite drink: a pumpkin-spiced latte.
“It’s the least we could do for you,” one of the baristas said. “My Dad and older brother were in the Marines.” Y/N smiled at that and nodded. Before she could say anything, someone a few people behind her shouted.
“Come on! What’s taking so long? Some of us have places to be!”
The baristas looked chastised and started to move a little faster with their work, but Y/N straightened up, slipped on the mask she saved for the men and women in her ranks, turned around with narrowed eyes, and looked at the man who spoke out of line. When she noticed it was one of the Marines also on their way home, her temper flared. When she saw the stripes on his arm, Master Sergeant to her Captain, she saw red.
“I know you did not just show public disrespect, Master Sergeant, in full Marine uniform,” Y/N growled loudly at the boy from where she stood at the front of the line. When the boy realized who was in front of the line, he paled dramatically, dropped his things, and stood at attention as Y/N stalked to where he stood. The others in line started to watch them with interest, a few pulling out their phones to record the interaction.
“No, ma’am. I’m sorry, ma’am, I didn’t realize it was you in front of the line,” he stuttered. This caused Y/N to look at him with a raised brow when she finally stood in front of him, her hands on her hips.
“You’re saying if it was anyone else, it would have been okay to talk out of line like a petulant child throwing a temper tantrum then?” she snapped, causing him to blink rapidly, realizing his mistake. Whispers were starting around her, causing her eyes to narrow. She didn’t like making a scene, but she wasn’t about to let this go unpunished.
“No! No, of course not! I was being disrespectful and that is completely uncalled for, ma’am. It will never happen again,” he said sharply.
“You’re damn right it won’t. You owe everyone in this line and behind the counter of Starbucks an apology for your misbehavior, and you will pay for your breakfast when you get to the front of the line which will be however long it takes, do I make myself clear Master Sergeant?” Y/N ordered in the sternest voice she could muster.
“Ma’am, yes, ma’am,” the kid answered with a wobbly voice. Y/N stepped into the kid’s personal space.
“If I so much as hear another peep out of you complaining whether it be the water being too tepid or the turbulence on the plane being too rough between now and the time we land in Washington, I will make sure you are back in Iraq so fast your head will spin, is that understood?” Y/N muttered lowly, making sure only the young man in front of her could hear her. The man’s eyes widened slightly, then he nodded jerkily.
“Yes, ma’am. Understood.”
“Mind your manners, Jackson,” she said, turning back to the front of the line where she set her things. She picked up her Marine-issued green bag and her old backpack and moved to pick up her latte. The barista who had spoken to her before was waiting for her with an entertained smile on her face.
“I’m so sorry about that, some of these kids need more parenting than most,” she grouched, accepting her coffee with a smile. She took a sip and sighed in delight; eyes closed to savor the taste. “It’s been a year since I’ve had decent coffee, let alone a specialty one. This makes everything worth it.”
“Welcome home, Marine,” the barista said, fondness in her voice. Y/N opened her eyes and smiled widely.
“Thank you.”
______________________________________________________________
“Hey!” Jared greeted Jensen as he walked into the makeup trailer. Jensen lifted his hand in greeting, taking a deep sip of his coffee with the other. Jared took a moment to study his friend as he waited for Ginger to get the prosthetics she needed to attach to his face for the scene they were shooting that morning.
“Dude, you look like shit. What’s going on?” Jared said quietly, his worry showing through. Jensen sighed heavily as he fell into the makeup chair in front of Melody.
“I was up late watching the reports on the latest explosion in Iraq. You know, the one where the Humvees were blown up?” Jensen said. Jared nodded his head solemnly. “I haven’t heard from Y/N in a while, and I was thinking… what if she was in that explosion? What if she’s hurt and I don’t know it? Am I about to get a visit? If so, are they gonna come here and tell me that I lost my wife in front of everyone?”
“Jen,” Jared said, his voice showing his hurt for his friend. “You can’t keep thinking like that man. You said it yourself, she’s gonna be home soon. Isn’t she landing next Saturday?” He tilted his head back to let the makeup artist fiddle with the special effects wound above his eyebrow. He heard Jensen sigh heavily.
“Yeah. She’s already been gone three hundred sixty-three. In her last email, she said she had to go debrief before she could come up here. I hate that I couldn’t be there when she got back like I usually am,” Jensen said, sitting with his head resting in his hand, sadness clear on his face.
“Wasn’t she the one who told you to stay here and finish up?” Jared asked.
“Yeah, but…” Jensen started but was interrupted.
“And wasn’t she the one who told you that she was going to finish her debrief and come straight up here to see you as soon as she was done?”
“Yes, but…”
“She understands that we are in a tough spot and need all hands on deck for this episode, then. She knew you were shooting the last three episodes back to back-to-back when she was supposed to be coming home,” Jared tried to placate his friend.
“Doesn’t make me feel any less of an asshole, Jared” Jensen bit out. “I’ve always been there every time she returned from deployment since we first started dating back in the early days. I’ve never missed one.” Jared glanced over at his best friend. Jensen glanced at Melody who was wearing a sympathetic smile as she turned him to sit correctly in the chair. She started to add the makeup to his face carefully as if he were made of glass.
“You can make it one more week. We’ll be so busy enough on this episode, you won’t even realize the time has passed,” Jared said. “Then, she’ll be back and it’ll be Bonnie and Clyde all over again.”
“Yeah.”
______________________________________________________________
Two flights, 28 hours, a very long discussion with her chain of command, filling out a very large stack of paperwork, and a nap in an uncomfortable chair later, Y/N landed in Vancouver. She couldn’t help the giddiness that was filling her that had nothing to do with lack of sleep, painkillers, or a caffeine overdose. After almost a year in a war zone, she was finally coming home to see her husband, and this time, for good.
It wasn’t easy trying to plan the surprise return to Jensen.
Between him being an actor, surrounded by security and other famous faces all the time, and the demands the Marines had of her, she was trying her darndest to make it happen. Thankfully, she had an in with a producer on Supernatural.
She only met Robert Singer a handful of times, but once he realized who was on the phone trying to get in touch with him, he took her call without a bit of hesitation and talked to her as if she were an old friend. She explained how she was finally coming home from her final deployment, leaving military life behind, and how she wanted to surprise Jensen somehow with her homecoming since he was always there for her.
Not only was Robert excited for this next step in his friend and actor’s life, but he was eager to assist with the surprise and promised to do everything he could to make sure only the most necessary of people knew about what was happening.
Of course, that was before she was caught by an improvised explosive device while out on patrol a week before the end of her deployment. The explosion flipped the Humvee she was driving twice before it finally landed on its roof. Three people died in the crash. She might have survived, but she didn’t walk away without injuries she was still recovering from, which included one surgery to fix her abdomen when part of the door embedded itself into her stomach when she flew home.
She was very close to just giving up on the surprise. She was hurting both physically and emotionally, she was feeling lonely, and she just wanted to be in the arms of her husband feeling the comfort only he could give her.
She knew, however, that many people were working on putting together an amazing surprise for her and Jensen, and yes - they would not bat an eye at her asking to cancel it given the circumstances, but she didn’t want to do that to them.
Jensen deserved the surprise. He had put up with so much with her being gone on deployment.
Getting to Vancouver was part one of the plan. When her plane landed, she felt a rush of contentment go through her aching body, knowing she was one step closer to her husband.
Part two of the plan was getting her on set. Y/N made her way out to the pickup area with her pack flung over one shoulder and her military-issue duffle in the other hand. Surprise colored her expression when she saw it was Clif waiting for her next to a rather large, black SUV. When he spotted her, his wide smile dropped some of its original joy and was replaced with concern. Y/N Ackles looked… beaten up, exhausted, and hurt as she limped slightly, moving slowly over to him.
“Holy shit, Y/N,” Clif said, immediately taking her pack and duffle from her. Y/N sighed in relief, her shoulder sagging as the weight was lifted off her. Her eyes fluttered closed as she took a deep breath of Vancouver air and when she opened them, she smiled sadly at the big security guard.
“I’d say you should see the other guy, but the other guy was the car and it got destroyed,” she said quietly. There were signs of the accident visible now that she was up close to him. The black and purple bruises on her face left behind reminders of the explosion, as did the cuts that scattered across her face, and the stitches above her eyebrow. It had only been a few weeks since the surgery to her stomach and her knee was sore from being in one place for so long.
She also had dropped weight being overseas, which would be a shock to those seeing her again in the States. She reached up to give Clif a hug, which he returned gently.
“I can’t believe you were actually in that explosion,” he said quietly. Y/N let out a heavy breath, one filled with emotion and stories she didn’t want to talk about. “I’m so glad you’re okay. C’mon. I have an hour to sneak you onto the set before people start asking questions.”
______________________________________________________________
Twenty-five minutes and one short hide under a blanket later, she was inside the set and being escorted in through the back door of the offices. She was met by Sarah, executive assistant to Robert, the two shared conspirator giggles despite the heaviness that came with how she felt. Y/N felt like she was back in Iraq with how she was hiding from any voices they heard, but this time it was excitement that filled her instead of dread and concern. Once the two women got to Robert’s office, they closed the door a little louder than necessary and pressed their backs against the wood. They remained silent for a long moment, staring at each other, before falling into hushed laughter. Robert looked up from his desk in amusement.
“I take it the ride over was a success?” he asked. Y/N nodded her head.
“Yessir,” Y/N answered, pushing herself away from the door. “I don’t think anyone had a clue I was in the vehicle. It did help that Clif stopped at a taco place and was eating when he pulled in.” She stepped forward slowly, holding her hand out. Robert noticed her limp and stood, rushing to meet her halfway. The two shook hands before he helped the Marine to a chair to sit. Y/N took the seat gratefully.
“How are you feeling?” he asked her as he eyed her slender frame. Of course, Robert had been filled in on the accident in case it prevented her from being able to make it home against her wishes. But at least it was kept from Jensen, so… small favors.
“I’ll survive. Nothing six months of sleep and a month of hot showers with decent water pressure won’t fix. I’m going to try and meet with some doctors in a few weeks to get a physical and see what kind of damage we are looking at. I’ll have them send the documents to the V.A. and go from there, but for now, I just want to see Jen and go home for a while. I’ll settle for a long weekend if you’ll let me have him,” she explained, hope coloring her tone. Robert nodded.
“I’ve already made plans to have everyone take a break once we tell them you’re here. Everyone has been working so hard lately to get the last few episodes done, working back-to-back with no break… The least I can do is offer a long, four-day weekend to the team and allow you two a chance to spend some time together,” he said with a gentle smile. He purposefully didn’t acknowledge any of the medical talks, knowing how private both Y/N and Jensen were about their personal lives.
“God, that sounds…” Suddenly, someone knocked on the door before twisting the doorknob. Panic rose in Y/N’s eyes as she looked around the room for a place to hide.
“Don’t come in here!” Robert shouted, halting the person entering.
“Why not?” he heard a confused voice say.
“Because… I’m… busy, I am… having… I’m having an affair!” he shouted. Both Sarah and Y/N looked at him scandalized.
“Seriously? That’s what you come up with?” Sarah asked, causing Robert to look at her pleadingly.
“You’re what? No, you’re not; give me the real reason. Are you naked? What’s going on?” the voice said, opening the door and walking in.
“He said don’t come in!” Y/N barked out in her Marine voice, causing whoever was on the other side of the door to slam it shut. Y/N then turned her narrowed eyes to the other two people in the room.
“I don’t know what made you think this was going to be kept a secret for long,” he said with a snicker. With an exasperated sigh, Y/N sat back carefully in the chair she was in.
“Oh, fine. You can come in,” she grumbled loudly. Stacey walked into the office with wide, frightened eyes and stared at the back of Y/N’s head uncomprehendingly. Sarah looked over at Stacey with a manic grin on her face, excitement radiating off her.
“Who are you meeting with?” Stacey asked, closing the door behind her. “I knew you weren’t having an affair, you idiot.” She walked over to the desk and dropped the fabric samples she was carrying in front of him before looking at the person sitting in the chair and freezing. Once she realized it was Y/N, a wide grin spread across her face, and she screamed excitedly.
“No!” Y/N barked, pointing at Stacey with narrowed, furious eyes. Stacey covered her mouth with her hand, then pulled it away and started to bounce on her toes while waving her hands around. “No one knows I’m here yet, and I’ll be damned if you ruin this for me.”
“Oh my God, you’re home!! How long have you been here? We’ve got to go tell Jensen, he’s been an absolute nightmare all week,” Stacey started to ramble. Y/N’s face dropped when she heard that, moving her eyes back to Robert.
“Has he been really upset?” Y/N asked. Robert looked at her sympathetically.
“He’s missed you. We all have. It’s been a long year, and you being MARSOC hasn’t helped. It was easier when you two were able to Facetime occasionally, but when you went Special Ops and couldn’t speak to him for months at a time, and he didn’t know if you were alive or dead…” Robert said, trailing off. Y/N nodded her head in understanding, her eyes looking distant.
“He’d see a story on the news and wonder if you were okay,” Sarah said quietly. “He always seemed to be waiting for a visit from someone, and he was terrified that it was going to happen here on set. We’d catch him watching the gates from time to time.”
“So, he probably knows about the accident but has no idea I was in it,” Y/N deduced, causing Robert to frown.
“I think he’s suspicious. I think he knows you might have been in the accident,” Robert explained. “He hasn’t been himself since he saw the news about the explosion but we probably got word of it days after it actually happened. By then, you had already…” he had trailed off, glancing at the two women in the room who didn’t know about the consequences of the explosion.
Y/N’s heart broke. So much happened in Iraq this tour, so much she hadn’t had the chance to tell anyone about. She wrapped an arm around herself protectively, her hand rubbing up and down the scars that were hidden behind the green t-shirt… near the wound that was still healing after the latest explosion she had been in. The movement didn’t go unnoticed, causing Robert and Sarah to share a glance. Slowly, the room started to disappear around her.
Stacey was talking a mile a minute, but Y/N wasn’t paying any attention to what was being said. Instead, she was getting lost in the memories of the explosion… the smell of the fire, the unseeing eyes that were frozen in terror, the tears she cried as she tried to get out of the vehicle…
“Y/N?” she heard her name and blinked a few times, looking over to Stacey. She was looking at the Marine with concern in her eyes. Y/N looked at Sarah and Robert, then back to Stacey.
“Did I zone out? I’m sorry. It’s been a long trip home. I’m exhausted and I’ve got a lot on my mind,” she said, rubbing her eyes. Stacey shared a look with Sarah before plastering a smile on her face.
“Well, I was saying we need to surprise Jensen now that you are here!”
“We’re already ahead of you on that one. Here’s our plan,” Robert said, filling them in.
______________________________________________________________
“I hate the idea of bringing them pizza. Can’t I just walk up to Jen in a bar when he’s Dean and hit on him? They’re doing that scene today too, right?” Y/N asked Stacey in the wardrobe area, who shrugged.
“Yeah, I think so. Lemme text Robert and see what he says,” she replied, grabbing her phone. Y/N nodded, leaning against the wall in thought.
“Stace – don’t kill me but I tore a seam on this shirt, and they are making me come…”
When the two women heard Jared’s voice enter the small room, their eyes went wide in fear but with nowhere to hide except racks of clothes in the moments it would take for him to round the corner, there was nothing they could do but wait. As soon as Jared laid eyes on his best friend’s wife, he froze in shock. Y/N looked over at Jared with a small wave.
“Y/N?”
“Hey, Jay…” Jared’s eyes started to water instantly.
“Holy shit, Y/N…” Jared quickly came over to her and wrapped her up in one of his notorious bear hugs, squeezing the life out of her before she could stop him. Y/N cried out in pain, patting his arms quickly, causing Jared to let go quickly. She leaned her head on his chest, whimpering and breathing heavily. Her eyes scrunched up as she breathed through the pain.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Y/N. What’s wrong? What did I do?” Jared panicked, unsure of where to put his hands. Stacey stared at the two in a panic, wanting to help but unsure how.
“Just… just give me a second…”
Jared rubbed his hands up and down her arms, hoping to calm her, all while murmuring his apologies. It took a few minutes but soon she was able to pull away and look up at Jared with a smile.
“Hi, Jay…” Y/N said, her voice strained. Jared took the time to look at Y/N and realized not only had she lost weight, but there was some significant bruising on her face… not to mention stitches where an incision had been sewn shut. That’s when it dawned on him that she must be seriously injured behind the brown shirt and military fatigue pants she was still wearing.
“You were in the explosion, weren’t you?” he asked gently, remorse coloring his tone. “God, Y/N, I’m so sorry. I should have waited and not rushed up. Did I hurt you badly? I’m so sorry. What do you need?”
“I’m fine,” Y/N explained with a nod. “I promise. I just need some rest, a good meal, and my man.” Jared nodded. If she wasn’t going to talk about it, he wasn’t going to push.
“Um, Y/N… You’re bleeding…” Stacey said meekly, pointing to a spot on her side. Y/N looked at her, then at where she was pointing. Sure enough, a small bit of blood had seeped through her brown shirt on her side high up on her ribs. A sigh escaped her as she looked away, avoiding the two pairs of eyes now staring at her in concern.
“I’m so sorry, Y/N. I can go get the set nurse and she can fix you…” Jared started, but Y/N shook her head.
“No,” she said firmly. “No, I don’t want anyone looking at this. They don’t need to see any of this. Just get me some medical tape and some gauze and I’ll be fine. I’m sure it’s just a couple of busted stitches. They are supposed to come out in a few days anyway.”
“Are you sure?” Jared asked. Y/N forced a smile, looking up at him.
“Yeah, I’m sure. But thank you. I forgot what it’s like to have people fret over me like this,” she said with a chuckle. Jared forced a crooked smile and shook his head.
“I thought you weren’t coming in till next week sometime… Jensen has this whole thing planned to surprise you and everything.”
“That’s the thing, I’m here to surprise him,” Y/N smiled.
“God, you’re so tan…” he muttered, not realizing he said it out loud. Y/N’s smile softened.
“A year in the desert will do that to you. I’ve got some wicked sock lines though,” she said with a laugh. The other two laughed as well, but she could tell it was forced. “How is he? I know this has been awful, being away for a year, and he says he’s been okay… but how is he?” Jared shook his head, not responding. Y/N nodded her head in understanding. It’s been as hard for Jensen as it was for her. She almost said screw the surprise and went to go find him.
“Yeah,” she breathed. “Yeah…”
“He’s been doing his best to stay positive, but it’s been killing him. It’s pretty obvious to those of us he’s close to,” Jared said with a shake of the head. Stacey looked up from her phone with a small smile.
“Robert said he’s cool with the change if you want to do the bar scene instead,” she replied. Y/N smiled at her, nodding.
“You’re going to be in the episode?” Jared questioned, his voice showing his excitement.
“I don’t know if they are going to keep it, but that’s how I’m going to surprise him with me being back,” Y/N said with a smirk. Jared hugged her again, this time more gently than before.
“That’s perfect,” he said. Stacey clapped her hands at them.
“Okay, be sappy later, we have to go and get you beautified! It’s off to hair and make-up for you!”
______________________________________________________________
“Here’s what’s gonna happen…. he’s gonna go to the bar, order a whiskey. When it’s set in front of him, you walk over, pick it up, throw it back, and set the glass down. He’s gonna scoff and turn to look at you and… we’ll just keep rolling. You ready?” Robert said to her with a wide smile. Y/N nodded her head, butterflies and a simmering heat filling her stomach. She was more than ready. She had been watching her husband for part of the day from a distance and she wanted to get her hands on him now.
The crew went out of their way to make her feel beautiful with their little mini-spa day. The crew did wonders with her hair and make-up, doing what they could to give her military cut some sexiness. The subtle but glamorous make-up made her newly tan skin shimmer which would be perfect in the low bar light. They asked if she wanted to change clothes, but Y/N declined. She wasn’t ready to be in civilian clothing yet and wearing something that could expose the injuries she was trying to hide made her nervous. Instead, she stuck with her t-shirt and BDU pants. Paired with the wavy hair and makeup, she almost felt glamorous.
Spotting Jensen off to the side and talking to a PA had her heart racing. She was so ready to be in his arms again.
“Jensen, you good on what’s about to happen?” Jensen simply nodded and waved a hand from where he stood. “Okay then. Lights…. Camera…. ACTION!”
Jensen stood from the booth he was sitting in and stomped over to the bar, waving down the bartender. He ordered the whiskey before sliding on the stool to sit. Y/N started to slowly walk up to him when he sat. Once the drink was set in front of him and he started to reach for it, she lifted it from the bar top, threw it back with ease (oh, it’s just watered-down Coke…), and set the glass down with a loud thunk in front of him. She then turned to the side to face Jensen and waited, holding her breath.
Jensen faked an exasperated scoff, waving a hand at the glass, turned, looked at the woman to his side… and froze. His eyes slowly widened as he took in her face, moving to a standing position as his hand reached up to cup her cheek. Y/N’s eyes started to water as she smiled, watching her husband try to decide if what he saw was real. When his warm, calloused hand touched her cheek a tear broke free and ran down her face. His thumb gently brushed it away as he stood.
“Y/N…?” he whispered; his voice so full of hope it hurt to hear it. Y/N gave a jerky nod.
“Surprise…?” she whimpered, more tears spilling from her eyes. He looked down at her, as he was almost half a foot taller than she was, and he raised his other hand to the other side of her face.
“Oh, my God,” he breathed before crashing his mouth onto hers, kissing her with so much passion and desire. There was no tenderness in the kiss, just desperation, want, I missed you, and welcome home and don’t leave. They were so caught up in each other, that they didn’t even hear the cheers happening around them. When they finally broke for air, they rested their foreheads against each other as more tears fell from Y/N’s eyes. Jensen pressed a chaste kiss against her mouth once more then moved to pull her into a tight embrace. Y/N stopped him before he could do any damage.
“Gently,” she said quietly. Concern flooded him, his eyes dropping to look over her body. It was then he noticed just how small she had gotten. His eyes widened and he started to ask a question, but Y/N shook her head. “Later. Just be gentle.”
Jensen nodded slightly, and pulled her into his arms, holding her as close to him as possible. She also wrapped her arms around him, turning and hiding her head into his neck. One of his hands slipped up into her hair, cradling the back of her head.
“I missed you so much,” he whispered brokenly. It wasn’t until she felt his fine tremors that she realized he was crying too.
“I’m not going anywhere ever again,” she whispered back.
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we could be more | dean winchester | 3
Summary: Ivonne Rainer was practically a trained killing machine. Stripped to the bone then built back up by her father in order to become one of the best, like he was. She was forced into hunting when she was nineteen, having developed powers that couldn’t be explained. That is, until she was paid a visit by Azazel’s lackey. Her powers were gone, she needed help, and that’s when she found her father’s journal. Pointing to Sam and Dean Winchester.
SERIES MASTERLIST
BLOODLUST
NOW PLAYING: REVENGE - TANFEELZ
I walked down the stairs, and when he saw me, Dean choked on his morning coffee while Sam sipped it, amused.
“Morning, boys.” I smiled, walking over to the coffee pot and pouring one of my own, adding creamer.
“Morning.” Sam smirked.
“Is that what you’re wearing on the case?” Dean asked, putting his hand over his chest. I looked down at my outfit, wondering if I should start teasing him or not. I was wearing a black cropped tank top, high-waisted slim jeans and was wearing a baseball cap.
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “What, can’t call me Beanie now?”
“I still will and you know it.”
“Course you will, but what about my outfit is distracting, Dean?”
“Yeah, Dean?” Sam chuckled.
“Nothing.” He coughed. “Let’s just get in the Impala as quickly as we can. I can’t wait to drive her again.”
We were now in the Impala, driving to Red Lodge cause we’d gotten another case. Dean was happily singing along to the music, while Sam and I watched him, amused.
“Whoo! Listen to her purr! Have you ever heard anything so sweet?” He whooped, grooving along to the music.
”If you two ever wanna get a room, let Sam and I know.” I quipped, making Sam laugh.
”Oh, don't listen to them, baby. They don’t understand us.” He cooed.
”You’re in a good mood.” Sam smirked.
”Why shouldn't I be?”
“No reason.”
”Got my car, got my case, things are looking up…”
”Wow, Dean, give you a couple of severed heads and mutilated cows and you’re Mr Sunshine.” I chuckled, making Sam cackle, and Dean laughed too, to my surprise.
”How far to Red Lodge?” He asked.
”300 miles.” Sam replied.
Dean’s eyes glanced back to where my bandage used to be, thinking. ”Beanie, are you good for me to-“
”Dean, I’m not fragile, just floor it.” I rolled my eyes, and he pressed the pedal to the metal, speeding up.
We walked up to the sheriff in his office, who admittedly had an impressive moustache.
“Hello sir, we’re with World Weekly News.” I introduced. “My name’s Lily Carter, and these are my partners Fred Logan,” I pointed at Sam, “and Jensen Barnes.” I gestured to Dean. “Is it alright if we ask a few questions?” I asked, and Dean and Sam looked at me in masked surprise, wondering how I lied so naturally.
“The murder investigation is ongoing, and that's all I can share with the press at this time.” He replied coldly.
“Sure, sure, we understand that,” Sam nodded, “but just for the record, you found the first, uh, head last week, correct?”
“Mhmm.”
“And the other, a, uh, Christina Flanagan.”
“That was two days ago. Is there-“ A lady knocked at the door, pointing at her watch. The sheriff turned back to us, frowning. “Alright, you three, time’s up.”
“One last question-“
“Yeah, what about the cattle?” Dean interrupted, stopping the sheriff.
“Excuse me?” He asked, eye twitching.
“You know, the cows found dead, split open, drained... over a dozen cases.”
“What about them?”
“Is there no connection at all, Sherriff?” I persisted, writing down my notes in a notebook.
“Connection… with..?”
”First cattle mutilations, now two murders? Kinda sounds like ritual stuff.” Sam insinuated casually.
“Satanic ritual stuff.” Dean added.
“You’re not kidding…” The sheriff trailed off.
”No.”
”Those cows aren't being mutilated. You wanna know how I know?”
“How?” I asked.
“Because there's no such thing as cattle mutilation. Cow drops, leave it in the sun, within forty eight hours the bloat'll split it open so clean it's just about surgical. The bodily fluids fall down into the ground and get soaked up because that's what gravity does. But, hey, it could be Satan. What newspaper did you say you work for?”
“Weekly World News.” Dean said confidently.
“World Weekly News.” Sam corrected.
“Weekly World-“
”World Weekly-“
”Weekly-“
”World-“
“World Weekly News.” I finished, closing my notebook. “They’re new. We’ll be leaving you to it, officer.” I walked out, prompting the two to follow after.
“How are you so good at lying?” Sam asked.
“You get good once you become a freak of nature.” I replied. “Hide your name or people will be after your blood and secrets.”
“What next?” Dean asked.
“Examine the bodies. I’ve got a couple of doctor’s coats in the car.”
“You touched my baby without telling me?”
“I cleaned the fingerprints off, Dean, you’re fine.”
We walked over to the front desk of the morgue wearing our doctor’s coats. There was an intern at the desk, and when we walked up to the desk, Dean took a look at the tag, which read ‘J. Manners’.
“John.” Dean guessed.
“Jeff.” Jeff grimaced.
“Jeff.” He repeated. “I know that. Dr. Dworkin needs to see you in his office right away.”
“But Dr Dworkin’s on vacation.”
“But he’s back and he’s screaming for you right now, so if I were you, I would…” Dean whistled, and Jeff ran away.
“Real smooth, Dean.” I sighed, taking a lock-picking tool and opening the door, letting us into the room with the heads.
“Yeah, I know. Hey, those satanists in Florida, they marked their victims, didn't they?“
“Yeah, reversed pentacle on the forehead.” Sam confirmed.
“Yeah. So much f'd up stuff happens in Florida.” We got three pairs of latex gloves and put them on, wheeling out a tray of a corpse with a box between it’s legs. “All right, open it.”
“No, you open it.”
“No, you-“
”You-“
“Both of you are wusses.” I rolled my eyes, carrying the box to a table and opening it. They both approached, wincing at the sight of the decapitated girl’s head. “So, decapitated head, which is nasty, but the forehead is clean.”
“Wow. Poor girl.” Sam tutted.
“Maybe we should, uh, you know, look in her mouth, see if those wackos stuffed anything down her throat.” Dean suggested. “You know, kinda like the moth in Silence of the Lambs.”
“Yeah, here, go ahead.”
“No, you go ahead.”
“You thought of it.”
“‘Put the lotion in the basket.’” Not a quote from Silence of the Lambs.
“Again, you’re wusses.” I searched in the mouth, checking the teeth and airways.
”Beanie, do you need me to catch you if you-“
”I’m not going to faint, Dean, but you might.”
“Just checking.”
”Dean, get me a bucket.” Sam asked from behind me.
“Did she find something?”
“No, I’m gonna puke.”
“Hey, guys.” I beckoned them over and lifted up the lip again, and both of them retched. “Oh, grow up. Look at the gum. This hole here?” I pressed a hole in the gum, and two pointed teeth sprang out.
“It's a tooth.”
“Sam, that’s a fang.” Dean corrected. “Retractable set of vampire fangs. You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
“Well, that changes things.” Sam grinned.
“Ya think?”
We entered a bar, where there was a man smoking at the counter. We were moving to sit down when Dean pulled out my chair for me and tucked it in when I moved to sat down. Sam and I gave him a weird look, but let it go.
“How's it going?” Dean nodded, sitting down.
“Living the dream.” The bartender replied coolly. “What can I get for you?”
“Three beers, please.”
“So, we're looking for some people.” Sam started nervously.
“Sure. Hard to be lonely.”
“Yeah. But um, that's not what I meant.” He dropped a 50 dollar bill on the table, and the bartender took it. “Right. So these, these people, they would have moved here about six months ago, probably pretty rowdy, like to drink...”
“Sleep all day, party all night, kind of thing.” I added.
“Barker farm got leased out a couple months ago. Real winners. They've been in here a lot - drinkers. Noisy. I've had to 86 them once or twice.” The bartender informed, cleaning a glass.
“Right, thanks.” We got up, leaving our half-finished beers on the table. The man who was at the bar was gone, but his cigarette was left. We walked out, and I took my gun out of my pocket, holding it inconspicuously.
“Do you also see the guy behind us?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, we do.” Dean hissed. “Let’s lose him then question him.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I whispered, and we quickly went to the right, and heard the footsteps behind us stop.
“Beanie, stay back, cause if this guy’s a vamp, he’s dangerous.”
“The hell I will. Why are you being so protective?”
“He’s here.” Sam muttered.
“We’ll talk about this later.” Dean grumbled before he sprang out, taking out a knife and throwing the guy against a wall, holding the blade to his neck. “Smile.”
“What?”
“Show us those pearly whites.”
“Oh, for the love of -- you want to stick that thing someplace else? I'm not a vampire.” He looked at Sam’s stunned face and nodded the best he could. “Yeah, that's right. I heard you guys in there.”
“What do you know about vampires?” Sam interrogated.
“How to kill ‘em. Now seriously, bro. That knife's making me itch.“ He started to pull away, but Sam reached in and pinned him harder to the wall. “Easy there, Chachi. We’re trying to keep me conscious here, aren’t we-“ I pulled Dean’s hand away from the guy’s neck and hook punched him, making him groan.
“You’re not in charge here, we are.” I growled, cocking my gun and holding it up. “So you better give us something before you find this at your temple.”
“Alright, alright!” He pulled up his lip, showing us his gum. “No fangs, happy? Gorgeous form, by the way.” Sam let him go, all of us relaxing.
“Damn, Ivy.” Sam breathed.
“Damn it is.” Dean chuckled.
“I like her.” The man chuckled, gesturing to me. “She one o’ your girlfriends, or somethin’?”
“They’d be honoured if I was.” I smirked.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Ivonne Rainer.”
He looked surprised, raising his eyebrows. “Rainer? You’re Mick Rainer’s girl?”
“Mick Rainer?” Dean repeated.
“Yeah, I’m his daughter.” I breathed. “What of it?”
“I’ll be damned.” He grinned. “I’m Gordon. Come with me.” We started walking to the car park. “And you boys?”
“Sam Winchester.” Sam introduced. “And, uh, my brother Dean.”
“I’ll be damned again. John Winchester’s boys? It’s like I’ve hit a jackpot.” We reached his car, and he opened it, revealing an arsenal of weapons. “Sam and Dean Winchester. I can't believe it. You know I met your old man once? Hell of a guy. Great hunter. I heard he passed. I'm sorry. It's big shoes. But from what I hear you guys fill 'em. Great trackers, good in a tight spot. Then there’s Michael Rainer.” He turned to me, whistling. “I ain’t ever met a man who can wrangle a spirit, demon, ‘geist, you name it- faster than he can. Shame he passed away as well.”
“Your dad’s dead?” Sam asked me, looking concerned.
“Again, story for another time.” I groaned, folding my arms.
“You seem to know a lot about our families.” Dean frowned.
“Word travels fast. You know how hunters talk.”
“I don’t think they do.” I scoffed.
“There’s a lot your dads didn’t tell you, then.”
“So, um, so those two vampires, they were yours, huh?” Sam asked.
“Yep, been here two weeks.” I looked at his arsenal until I saw the hook, which had bloodstains on it. They were fresh. I looked back at Gordon, biting my lip.
“You ok?” Dean whispered in my ear. “Anything hurting?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I snapped back.
“Just checkin’, Beanie.” He turned back to Gordon. “Did you check out that Barker farm?”
“It's a bust. Just a bunch of hippie freaks. Though they could kill you with that patchouli smell alone.” Gordon shook his head.
“Where's the nest, then?”
“I got this one covered. Look, don't get me wrong. It's a real pleasure meetin' you fellas. But I've been on this thing over a year. I killed a fang back in Austin, tracked the nest all the way up here. I'll finish it.”
“We can help.”
”Thanks, but uh, I'm kind of a go-it-alone type of guy.”
“Come on, man, I’ve been itching for a hunt.”
“Sorry. But hey, I hear there's a Chupacabra two states over. You go ahead and knock yourselves out.” Gordon got in his car, looking out. “It was real good meeting you, though. I'll buy you a drink on the flip side.” He drove off, leaving us to stew in the events. I slipped the keys to the Impala from Dean’s pocket, storming over to the car.
“Bea- Ivonne!” Dean called, walking behind me. “What the hell?!”
Sam’s footsteps joined Dean’s. ”Dean, let me handle this-“
“No!”
I got into the driver’s seat, slamming the door. Dean and Sam got in, Dean in the seat beside me. I groaned in frustration, thankful that I didn’t have my powers. “Stupid Gordon revealing stupid everything-“
”Revealing what- Ivonne, talk to me! What the hell’s going on-“
”Dean!” Sam silenced Dean, leaning forward. “Can we talk about this once we’ve actually gotten a place to stay? Cause I personally don’t wanna die in a car crash and the last thing I hear is you two yelling it out!”
Dean sat back in his seat, groaning. “Fine.”
I didn’t say anything, I just started driving.
When we got a motel, the first thing Dean did was round on me.
“Is that the person who died, Ivonne?” He interrogated. “Cause you seem a whole lot angrier since Gordon mentioned Mick Rainer’s death.”
”What happened to my dad is none of your business-“
“A lot of things about you is none of our business!” Dean burst out. “Hell, the most I know about you is your name and what kind of coffee you like! You said your dad wasn’t around a lot and now both Sam and I know why, but you’re not telling us anything!”
“What about you, Dean, huh?” I countered, stepping forward and sizing him up. I was shorter, but oh well. “You’re not tellin’ me a lotta things either. You’re acting like I’m gonna collapse and die any minute, asking me if I’m doin’ ok, pullin’ out my chair, so what’s the deal about that, eh?” Dean seemed at a loss for words.
“We get that the subject is sensitive, but our dad died too.” Sam calmly explained. “We’d know how you feel.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“It’s hard to believe, but we do, and we want to help. We’re here to protect you. Tell us what happened.”
I stayed silent.
“Then we’ll wait.” Sam assured, then hugged me. Dean stood there awkwardly, looking guilty. But not for this, I don’t think. When we stepped back, Sam smiled. “I’m gonna go get us some dinner.” He left, and Dean went into the bathroom. I opened my satchel, taking out some spare pyjamas and changing into them, laying joggers out for the boys. I changed into shorts, but the moment I pulled my top over my head, Dean walked in. He looked me up and down for a moment, at a loss for words again.
“Damn.” He coughed, then seemed to realise. “Not damn, bad Dean-”
”You’re good.” I smiled briefly, pulling my pyjama top on. “We’re gonna be in this kind of situation a lot. I, uh, packed some joggers for you.”
”Thanks.” He picked them up, looked at them, paused, then put them down. “Look, Ivonne, I’m sorry.”
”For what?” I chuckled. “You’re right. You don’t know anything about me.”
”But what happened to your dad is your business. I’m not gonna pry, just tell me when you’re ready.”
”I can work with that.”
“And about the protecting you and all that jazz, it’s cause I blame myself for that knife in you.” I immediately turned to him, folding my arms.
“Hey, no, it wasn’t.”
”It’s just… it was my job to locate that guy and if I’d done it a little faster, your life wouldn’t be on the line.”
”You’d only find me dead with a knife in my jugular.”
”That’s specific.” He joked until he quietened down. “That’s how your dad died.”
”Close.” I smiled.
“And you’re attached to the name Lily Carter too.” He deduced. “She close?”
”They.” I paused, sitting on my bed. “Lily and Carter Rainer. My brother and sister.” Dean sat beside me, clasping his hands. Sam walked back in, and, sensing the situation, pulled up a chair. “I think I should tell you what happened. You guys told me the deal with your mom, so it’s fair play.”
”When you’re ready.” Sam nodded.
“I was meant to be the eldest sibling of five. It was me, then Carter, fifteen, then Quinn, Carter’s twin, then Lily, thirteen, then my mom’s unborn child, just 18 weeks in. I was 19. Quinn had been diagnosed with cancer just before mom got pregnant, and died soon after. It broke everyone, and even the gender reveal of my baby brother didn’t cheer anyone up. It was like we were soulless, and I didn’t talk to anyone for a long time, especially not Carter, who started acting up.” I paused, breathing out shakily.
“You need to cut that attitude, young man.” I growled, facing Carter. “Quinn and dad are both dead, I know-“
”You don’t know!” He shouted.
”The hell I do! I’m trying my hardest to-“
”That’s where you’re wrong, Ivonne, cause you’re not trying at all.” Carter seethed. “Lily was taken out of school cause she kept crying and where are you during the day when I get into a fight?”
”Taking care of our mother.” I frowned. “Y’know, cause she’s pregnant with our brother and dad isn’t even alive to help so that means that I have to step in. Heck, he wasn’t even here in the first place. Just… go to your room!” I pointed to his room, and he stalked off, giving me a nasty look.
“Take your time.” Dean murmured.
”Nah, I need to… I need to get this out.” I gulped, trying to stop my voice from breaking. “If I don’t, I’ll explode. One day, we get the news that dad was found dead, but his heart was carved out of his body, almost so perfectly it was surgical. I completely bricked out Carter by then, cause I thought he didn’t need me and I had my own problems. Seems like a dreamwalking demon found his emotions good enough to feed on. In the night, I hear a scream, and then silence.” Tears started to fill my eyes as my voice broke. “I run to investigate and I find Lily dead with a knife stuck right through her jugular.”
I was reading a book, flipping the pages absent-mindedly. I frowned, looking at the introduction of the main character’s younger brother-
“IVY!” I heard Lily scream. “IVY, HE-“
Silence.
“Lily!” I called, leaping out of bed and rushing up the stairs. “LILY!” I burst into her room and almost collapsed, and she was lying in her bed, eyes open and a terrorised face.
But there was a knife stuck straight through her throat.
“Lily!” I cried, running over. “Lily…” I felt tears run down my face as I kissed her forehead, smoothing back her hair. I cradled her, sobbing as I tried to ignore the gaping hole that had appeared in me where Lily once was. “I’m so sorry, Lil. I’m so sorry…”
“God.” Dean breathed.
”Then I hear mom scream, then silence. I go up to her bedroom and there she is, a knife through her jugular and another in her belly, where my unborn brother was. We were going to name him Nathan. He wasn’t even alive yet and he was murdered…” I wiped a tear that went down my face. “Carter was there, smirking as if he did me a favour. Then another knife appeared in his hand, and he was about to do the same to me when he stopped and he…” I let out a loud sob, burying my face into my hands. Sam instantly moved to side hug me, while Dean gripped my hand. “He stabbed the knife… straight through his own throat. He was dead before he hit the ground. He wasn’t even awake in the first place.”
I’d barely finished mourning over Lily when a second scream pierced the house, which was my mom’s.
”PLEASE, SPARE ME! IVY, HELP ME-“
Silence.
I left Lily reluctantly, sprinting up the stairs two at a time to try and get there before the killer left. “MOM!” I kicked down her door, and I screamed at the sight. Blood stained her sheets, and there were two knives in her, one in her jugular and the other in her belly, where my now dead unborn brother is. I looked at the perpetrator and almost screamed.
It was Carter.
He was standing there, eyes glazed but a wicked grin on his face as he held another knife, preparing to throw it at me. However, in the nick of time, I felt my hand close around something. I didn’t even think about how I could use whatever was given to me, I just raised it, my finger pulled something and two loud bangs emitted from it, two holes appearing in my brother’s chest, and just after a black smoke flew up and out of the window. I stared at what was given to me with shaking hands, gasping in horror. It was a gun.
I’d shot my brother.
I ran over to Carter, taking the nape of his neck in my hand as I looked into his eyes. They were still glazed, as if he was sleeping.
He was sleeping.
“A dreawalker got to you, Carter.” I whispered, my quiet sobs turning to racking ones. I checked the gun wounds, which were black and like a crater, almost. The gun was still in my hand as the front door was knocked down, policemen filing in.
”After that, I completely broke down. My family was gone and murdered. So I got out of the police case innocent, fled Jersey and I’ve been moving ever since.”
“That…” Sam paused. “I don’t even know what to say.”
”My mom made my middle name Hazel cause it’s what she originally wanted to name me.” I whispered. “Her death, little Nate’s death, haunts me everyday. Even dad’s. I tried to buffer it by making the excuse that dad wasn’t there for anything and that mom cheated on him when she got the chance to, but it still hurts like hell. I can’t help but think if the dreamwalker will come back to finish the job with me.”
“Daniel Elkins?” I called out, venturing in. An old man turned around, frowning.
“Who’s askin’?” He rumbled, standing up.
”Ivonne Rainer, Michael Rainer’s daughter.”
”You’re Mick Rainer’s girl?”
”That’s right.” He took a look at my face, nodding.
”You look just like him. Got a little bit of Audrey too.”
”I’ve been told.”
“I’m sorry for your losses.”
”Thank you.” I nodded, then held out the gun. “I developed a sorceress’s powers the night I got this gun, my powers gave it to me, but it’s not an ordinary one. I talked to hunters who knew my dad and they pointed me to you.” I gave him the gun, which he examined.
”Your powers are a blessin’, girl.” He said gruffly. “This is called the Colt. Can kill anyone an’ anything and all you have to do is pull the trigger and have good aim.”
“Can you handle it?”
”Course I can. Who d’you shoot with this?”
”My brother, just after a dreamwalker left his body.”
He clapped my shoulder, looking solemn. “Ain’t your fault, sweetheart.”
”Ivonne, I am so sorry.” Dean pulled me into a hug, kissing my head. “I don’t have words either. But what happened isn’t your fault.”
“And we won’t let that dreamwalker hurt you.” Sam assured.
”We’ll kill it before it does.”
I felt kind of grateful for having Dean and Sam with me, but I also felt guilty.
”Do you need one of us to stay with you tonight?” Sam asked softly.
”Most likely.” I smiled awkwardly, then Dean raised his hand.
“I’ll do it. Sammy’s gonna take up the bed, him and his giant DNA.” Dean volunteered, clapping Sam on the shoulder. He turned to me. “Whatcha thinking about?”
”I wanna track this Gordon guy.” I told them. “If he’s hunting vampires, he’s gonna do it tomorrow night and one may kill him. We don’t need another dead hunter.”
“She’s right.” Sam nodded. “We can track him down in the morning.”
”In the meantime, I packed joggers for you guys.” I gestured to the joggers. “I figured that we’d need a change of clothes if we happened to stay the night anywhere.”
“So that’s where that pair went.” Sam chuckled. “Nice one.”
“Now we don’t have to sleep in jeans.” Dean grinned, picking his up.
Dean emerged from the bathroom with just his joggers on, making Sam groan.
“Dean, it’s not you and I anymore.” He sighed.
“You’re acting like I haven’t seen a guy shirtless.” I smirked, making them double take. “Yeah. I have flings too.”
“Is Alex Wilde one of them, Beanie?” Dean smirked.
“No.”
“Well, there’s always time for it.”
“Ivy, are you comfortable with it?” Sam asked.
“Course. I practically raised Carter, so I can handle you both.
“That’s settled, then.” Dean grinned, shoving himself under the blanket. I quickly did my hair into a rope braid, and Dean’s eyes seemed to be… somewhere… on me.
“Dean…?” I raised an eyebrow, turning.
“Yeah, Beanie?”
“What are you staring at?”
“Yeah, Dean.” Sam smirked.
”I-I was staring at your necklace.” Dean stammered. “Wasn’t there before.”
“Ellen gave it. It was my mom’s.” I grinned, ruffling his hair. “But it’s cute when you’re flustered.” I got into bed, laying down next to Dean, both of us facing the ceiling. Sam turned off the light and laid down, falling asleep soon after. I heard a shift next to me.
“Beanie?” He muttered.
“Yeah?” I softly replied, turning my head to face his.
“What was Carter like?”
“He was like Sam, really. Smart, loyal, brave. Stubborn as hell. There’s not anything I wouldn’t have done for him. But he became a wreck after Quinn died, and it was so hard to recognise him. I guess that’s why I went so hard on him. I think I was trying to restore him in the worst way possible when I couldn’t deal myself.”
”I get that.” He whispered. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Sammy.”
”I can tell.” I smiled. “Even though you two fight like raccoons sometimes, you protect him. I just wished that I could have had the same thing with Carter.”
“You did what you had to do.” He assured. “Poor kid could’ve suffered worse had he woken up and been arrested for the murder of his family.”
”I suppose.” I shrugged. “Then again, I would’ve put my prints on the knives and said that I did it.” We stayed silent, just staring at the ceiling.
I shivered; it was cold. And, as if he had a radar, Dean sat up on his elbow, looking over. “You’re cold.”
“Excellent spot, Dean.”
“Sammy once said that staying close can preserve body heat.”
“Dean Winchester, are you trying to hit on me?”
“No, no! I do not. It’s that… I’m really warm, and I don’t want you to be cold cause then you’ll be uncomfortable-“
”I get it.” I grinned. “Sure.”
“Alright, uh…” He chuckled. “How are we gonna do this?” I scooted up to him, laying my head in the crook of his neck while my hand rested on his chest. His arm wrapped around me, fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on my arms.
“You weren’t kidding.” I laughed. “This is like a radiator.”
“And you weren’t kidding about being cold.” He kissed my hair, sighing afterwards. “It’s only been a few, Beanie, and it doesn’t always seem like it, but I care about you. You take care of Sammy when I can’t. Heck, you’ve even saved my life-“
”Don’t say it.” I whispered, looking up. “Cause I know.”
I opened my eyes, yawning softly. Dean’s eyes were shut and Sam was cocooned in his blanket, so I pried myself out of Dean’s arms and quickly changed into a Led Zeppelin band shirt and jeans, pulling a black beanie over my head. Carter’s beanie. I got out a map, sat at the table and started triangulating the two murders and finding out the third location.
”Thanks, dad.” I whispered as I circled the third. I left a note for Sam and Dean, walking out and coincidentally running into Gordon.
“Morning, Ivonne.” He nodded.
“Gordon.” I replied with a small smile. “I thought I was the only early bird today.”
”I like to get a head start.” He grinned, and I felt unsettled a bit.
“Understandable.”
”Hey, uh, the gun you pointed at me, was that your dad’s gun?”
”It was.” I took it out of the inside of my jacket, holding it up.
“Mick Rainer’s gun.” Gordon chuckled. “Stuff of legend among hunters. There’s talk that it dated back farther than the Colt, and every owner, before passing it on, heats the metal and remoulds it, making the pattern-“
”-in the image of the next chosen holder, complete with their name.” I stored the gun back, smirking. “I know that story off by heart, thanks. Now, if you excuse me, I need to get breakfast for the boys.”
”BEANIE-“ Dean rushed out then stopped, still pulling on his shirt. “Oh.”
”Dean, I left a note.” I sighed.
”But I had to check!” He slumped. “Fine. Sam is cranky.”
”We better get that breakfast then.” I grinned. “Nice running into you, Gordon.” We walked off, and Dean turned to me, leaning in.
“Got a beer in your satchel?”
”I have a breath mint.”
”Ouch.”
That night, we were driving up to the farm which I’d said was Gordon’s next hit location. We went over, and there Gordon was, close to getting decapitated. Sam sprang into action, pulling Gordon out, while I punched the vampire, Dean rushing in to deliver another hit while I kicked him. The vampire was shoved against the belt, and Dean reached up, bringing the saw down on his head.
I watched while a vampire got brutally killed. And as he stared down on the body, with blood splattered on his face, Dean didn’t look guilty. Not in the slightest.
He looked like he enjoyed it.
I frowned, looking down as Gordon laughed, looking up. “I guess I owe you that drink.” We headed to the bar, where Gordon paid for the drinks. “I insist. Thank you, sweetie.“ He raised a glass, and Dean did too. “And another one bites the dust.”
”That’s right.” Dean smirked, both of them clinking glasses.
”Dean.” Gordon cackled. “You gave that big fang one hell of a haircut, my friend.”
“Thank you.”
”Beautiful. It was absolutely beautiful.”
”Beautiful?” I cut in. Sam just stayed silent, laid back in his seat.
”You alright, Sammy?” Dean asked.
”Yeah.” Sam nodded.
”Well, lighten up, Sammy!” Gordon encouraged.
”Only Dean and Ivy get to call me that.”
“Okay. No offense meant. Just celebrating a little. Job well done.”
”Right. Well, decapitations aren't my idea of a good time, I guess.”
”Oh, come one, man, it's not like it was human. You've gotta have a little more fun with your job.”
“See? That's what I've been trying to tell him. You could learn a thing or two from this guy.” Dean gestured to Gordon, but I tilted my head. Really? This dude?”
”Yeah, I could.” Sam grimaced, then stood up. “I’m not gonna put a downer on your parade. I’m going back to the motel.”
”I’ll go with him.” I stood up as well, smiling falsely as I walked behind Sam. “You boys enjoy yourselves.”
“Hey, Sam?” Dean called, making Sam and I turn around. “Remind me to beat the buzzkill out of you later.” He threw the keys to Sam, who caught them. We walked out in silence, until Sam looked up.
Sam coughed. “Is it just me, or-“
“Is Dean being a douche?” I smirked. “Yeah. Big time.”
“This Gordon guy seems really off.”
“He does.” I nodded. “So I’ve got a way to find out who this guy is.”
We hung the keys in our room, and I dialled a number, putting it on speaker.
‘Harvelle's Roadhouse.’
“Ellen?” I grinned. “It’s Ivvy. Sam’s with me, and you’re on speaker.”
‘Ivvy, Sam! So good to hear from you.’
“Same here, Ellen.” Sam laughed.
‘You three are ok, aren’t you?’
“Yeah, we just had something to run by you.” I looked at Sam, patting him on the shoulder.
‘Yeah, shoot.’
“Has a guy called Gordon Walker ever stopped by your bar?” Sam asked.
‘Yeah, I know Gordon.’
“And?”
‘Well, he's a real good hunter. Why are you asking, sweetie?’
“We ran into him on a job and we’ll, we’re kind of working with him-“
‘Don’t do that, Sam.’ She warned.
“I thought you said he was a good hunter.” I frowned.
‘Yeah, and Hannibal Lecter's a good psychiatrist. Look, he is dangerous to everyone and everything around him. If he's working on a job you boys just let him handle it and you move on.’
Sam looked concerned, so he spoke up. “But Ellen-“
‘No, Sam- you just… listen to what I’m telling you, ok?’
”Alright, Ellen.” I nodded then said bye and cut the call. “Do we trust her information?”
“Rather her than Gordon.” Sam shrugged. “Besides, he sounded spooked.”
“We need to warn Dean.” I sighed. “Before it’s too late and he’s a copy of Gordon.” We went out, Sam putting coins in a machine and taking out two Cokes. He gave one to me, and I cracked it open and drank some out of it. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, but I ignored it.
“Do you need my to get some food from the other one?” I asked.
“Two packets of crisps, maybe.” He nodded so I went to the other one-
Oh, god.
Noises of fighting rang out behind me, in which Sam was knocked out by two people, one holding a telephone that was used to knock him out. I pulled out my gun, aiming it at the woman who was holding it,
“Bad move.” I growled. “You never attack someone when their back is turned.” One of them bared their fangs at me, but the woman stopped him. “Take one step, I dare you.”
“She’s holding Michael Rainer’s gun.” The woman whispered to her companion. “She’s his daughter.”
“What of it?” I frowned.
“Can we trust her?” The man asked her.
“We can try.” She whispered, then spoke up. “My name’s Lenore. I knew your father.”
“Many people did.” I scoffed. “You’re just another Joe and Jane.”
“He helped us.” She smiled. “And you can too. We need your help, Ivonne. He told us you could, if you ever found us.”
I lowered my gun a little, then stiffened up. “How can I trust you?”
“‘One bullet can make one family and break another as well, so be careful where you use it.’.” She cited. “He told us a lot about you. About the scar cutting across your eyebrow and where you got it from, which was your first hunt.” She gestured to her own eyebrow, and I started to get the thought that she wasn’t lying. “How you stole his old leather jacket and love wearing beanies. How he would’ve given anything to see you more. We need your help, so please, don’t shoot.”
I took a deep breath before lowering my gun. “Fine. But I go anywhere Sam goes.”
“Ok, but you have to promise not to tell anyone where the nest is.” She begged, and I nodded.
I was waiting for Sam to wake up, when I heard a familiar voice call my name.
“Ivy?” I turned, seeing a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes who was making his way up to me. I laughed, standing up.
“Will?” I hugged him, grinning. “No way!”
“It’s so good to see you.” We stepped back, a goofy grin on his face. “I thought you wouldn’t wanna talk to me after we broke up.”
“It’s not the principle that you were a vampire.” I sighed. “It was the principle that I move around a lot for my work.”
He stared at me for a moment, a charged air in between us. “You like your work a lot, huh?”
“I’ve minimised vampire killings.” I smiled. “Only the evil ones.”
“That’s good.” He nodded. “I’m glad Lenore listened to my pitch.”
“I’m really proud of you, Will.” I paused, “Even if animal blood is the broccoli of your world.”
“I just wanted to protect you.”
“And I owe you my life for that. Honestly, I thought you’d have gotten over me by now.”
“You’ve probably heard this a million times, Ivy, but you’re impossible to get over.” He looked down, rumpling his hair with his hand. “I was just beginning to come to terms with our breakup and… now you’re here.”
“Should I be happy or sad about that?” I chuckled.
“I’d rather you be happy.”
“Will.” Eli came in, rounding the corner. “We need the girl.”
“I’m coming.” I walked with Eli, and the moment Sam saw me, he started struggling.
“Did you turn her?!” He growled, trying to break free.
“I’m ok, Sammy.” I assured, kneeling down in front of him. “These guys are clean, trust me. They do drink animal blood.”
“We choke on cow's blood so that none of them suffer. Tonight they murdered Conrad and they celebrated.” Eli hissed.
“That’s enough, Eli.” Lenore warned.
”Yeah, Eli, that’s enough.” Sam teased.
“What's done is done. We're leaving this town tonight.”
“Then why bring us here?” I asked.
“Believe me, I'd rather not. But I know your kind. Once you have the scent you'll keep tracking us. It doesn't matter where we go. Hunters will find us.”
“So you’re asking us not to follow you.” Sam realised.
“We have a right to live. We're not hurting anyone.”
“Give me one reason why I should believe you.”
“You know what I’m gonna do?” She got closer. “I’m gonna let you go.” She turned to Will, gesturing to us both. “Take them back. Not a mark on either of them.”
“We need to stop Dean.” Sam whispered.
“Yeah, we do.” I nodded.
We got back, and I leaned in the window to the driver’s seat. “Thanks, Will.”
“It’s nothing.” He smiled, leaning closer.
“Trust me, I owe you a lot for what you’ve done.” I grinned, tilting my head. Resisting drinking my blood, making the switch to animal blood, tackling members of your own family just to keep me safe, it’s a lot-“ I was silenced by his lips on mine, and I cupped his cheek, grinning stupidly when I pulled away. “I owe you for that too.“
“Pay me back later.” He smirked. “Your friend there looks like he’s gonna burst out into laughter.” I heard a snort, and I turned to Sam, who was looking up to the sky.
“Don’t mind me.” Sam giggled. “I’m just looking at this really interesting pitch black sky while you two are smooching.”
“Shut up.” I pulled a newspaper out of my satchel, thwacking Sam across the head before stuffing it back in. “You’re such a child.”
“I never knew that you were a romantic.”
“I was.” I smiled. “Will was a boyfriend.”
“Looks like the boyfriend. You met him in the nest and now you’re both kissing. Will and Ivy, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G-“
”Scratch that, you’re a baby.” I opened the door to the motel room, and our smiles were wiped off our faces to see Gordon with Dean. I hung up my jacket, and my arm holster, which contained my gun, was left exposed.
”Where you been?” Dean asked.
“Can we talk to you alone?” Sam asked, and Dean seemed to agree.
“Mind chillin’ out for a couple minutes?” He followed us outside, and I shut the door.
“Dean, maybe we've got to rethink this hunt.”
“What are you talking about? Where were you?”
”The nest.”
”You found it?”
“They found us, man.”
“How'd you get out? How many'd you kill?”
“None.”
“Well, they didn’t just let you go-”
“That’s exactly what they did, Dean.” I frowned.
“All right, well, where is it?” Dean asked.
“We were blindfolded, so no, we don’t know.” I lied.
“Well, you've got to know something.”
“We went over that bridge outside of town, but Dean, listen. Maybe we shouldn't go after them.”
“Why not?”
“We don't think they're like other vampires. We don't think they're killing people.” Sam urged.
“You're joking. Then how do they stay alive? Or undead, or whatever the hell they are.” Dean asked, looking angry and confused.
”The cattle mutilations. They said they live off of animal blood.”
“And you believed them?”
“Look at us, Dean.” Sam gestured to him and I. “They let us go without a scratch.”
“Wait, so you're saying... no, man, no way. I don't know why they let you go. I don't really care.” He started walking, and we didn’t have much time to convince him. “We find 'em, we waste 'em.”
“Why?”
“What part of vampire do you not understand?” Dean growled. “If it's supernatural, we kill it, end of story. That's our job.”
“So you would kill me if I still had my powers?” I asked, silencing him for a moment. “We kill ‘evil’, Dean, not just any supernatural force. They’re not killing people, so we don’t kill them.”
“Of course they're killing people, that's what they do. They're all the same. They're not human, okay? We have to exterminate every last one of them.”
“No, Dean, I don't think so, all right? Not this time.”
“Gordon's been on those vamps for a year, man, he knows.”
“Gordon.“ I scoffed.
“Yes.” He nodded defiantly.
“You’re taking his word for it?” Sam asked cynically.
“That’s right.”
“Ellen says he’s bad news, Dean.” I persisted.
“You called Ellen?” Dean raised his eyebrows. We nodded. “And I'm supposed to listen to her? We barely know her, Sam. You may know her, Ivonne, but no thanks, I'll go with Gordon.”
“Right, cause Gordon's such an old friend.” Sam seethed, fists clenching. “You don't think I can see what this is?”
“What are you talking about?”
“He's a substitute for Dad, isn't he? A poor one.”
“Shut up, Sam.” Dean’s teeth gritted, and I could practically feel the tension rising.
“He's not even close, Dean. Not on his best day.”
“You know what?” He chuckled, backing away. “I'm not even going to talk about this-“
“You know, you slap on this big fake smile but I can see right through it.” Sam growled. “Because I know how you feel, Dean. Dad's dead. And he left a hole, and it hurts so bad you can't take it, but you can't just fill up that hole with whoever you want to. It's an insult to his memory.”
“Okay.” Dean nodded, then punched Sam. I didn’t think; I just felt red hot rage boil up and my hand swung round, slapping some silence into Dean. He just stared at me, holding his jaw.
“Go.” I ordered, furious. “Go to your new best friend Gordon and when you’ve realised that we’ve been telling the truth, you’re come back and say sorry. And you better beg.”
He seemed to regain his pride, gritting his teeth. “I'm going to that nest. You don't want to tell me where it is, fine. I'll find it myself.” He left, and I turned to Sam, turning his face.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I don’t think there’s bruising.” He nodded. “Are you okay, though? You seemed to blow up.”
“Yeah, I just thought of Carter.” I nodded. “If anyone touched him, they’d be on the floor in seconds, I don’t care who they are.”
”I didn’t wanna hurt Dean. He’s just blindsided.”
“Luckily I’m here to slap some sense into him, then.”
“But we really do need to convince him.”
“Fine.” We went back into the motel room, where Dean was gathering his stuff.
“Gordon?” Dean called, but there was no Gordon.
“You think he went after them?” Sam asked.
“Most likely.”
“Dean, we have to stop him.” I urged.
“Really, Ivonne?” He scoffed, hand moving to his cheek, which was red. Good. “Cause I say we lend a hand.”
“Just give us the benefit of the doubt, would you? You owe us that.” I paused. “You owe me, Dean.”
“Real good negotiator you are, Ivonne.”
“Careful, or your cheek might turn purple instead of red.” I shot back. “Think about it, Dean.”
“Yeah, we'll see. I'll drive. Give me the keys.” We looked to where the keys were supposed to be, but they were gone.
“He snaked the keys.” Sam whispered. We ran to the car, getting inside through picking the lock.
“I can't believe this. I just fixed her up, too.” Dean groaned while hot-wiring his car. ”So the bridge, is that, uh, is that all you got?”
“The bridge was four and a half minutes from their farm.” I informed, looking at my own map.
“How do you know?”
“I counted.”
“They took a left out of the farm, then turned right onto a dirt road, followed that for two minutes slightly up a hill, then took another quick right and we hit the bridge.” Sam mapped out, tracing the path.
“You two are good. You’re a monster pain in the ass, but you’re good.” Dean grimaced.
We reached the house and went in, and I found both Lenore and Will tied to a chair, weak.
“Sam, Ivonne, Dean. Come on in.” Gordon grinned, holding a small bloody knife.
“Hey, Gordon. What's going on?” Dean asked, looking around.
”Just poisoning Lenore here with some dead man's blood. She's going to tell us where all her little friends are, aren't you? Wanna help?”
“Look, man-“
“Just grab a knife. I was about to start in on the fingers.” He made a cut down Lenore’s arm, and she wheezed weakly in pain. He did the same to Will, who groaned a bit louder, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to resist the pain.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, let's all just chill out, huh?”
“I am chill.” Gordon replied coolly.
“Gordon, just put the knife down.” Sam ordered, starting forward, but was stopped by Dean.
“Looks like Sam here needs to chill.”
“Just step away from her, all right?”
“You’re right, I’m wasting my time. These two will never talk. Might as well put them out of their misery.” He pulled out a knife. “Don’t worry, I sharpened it, so it’s completely humane.”
”Gordon, I'm letting her go.” Sam frowned, stepping in Gordon’s way.
“You’re not doing a damn thing.” Gordon seethed, pointing the knife at Sam’s chest.
“Hey, Gordon, let’s talk about this.” Dean protested feebly.
“What's there to talk about? It's like I said, Dean. No shades of gray.”
“The hell there is.” I took out my gun from my arm holster, pulling the trigger and hitting Gordon’s knife. It broke in half, the metal clattering to the ground.
Dean stepped in. “That vampire that killed your sister deserved to die, but this one...”
“Killed my sister?” Gordon cackled. “That filthy fang didn't kill my sister. It turned her. It made her one of them. So I hunted her down, and I killed her myself.”
“You did what?” I seethed.
”It wasn't my sister anymore, it wasn't human. I didn't blink. And neither would you, Dean.”
“So you knew all along, then?” Sam scoffed. “You knew about the vampires, you knew they weren't killing anyone. You knew about the cattle. And you just didn't care.”
“Care about what? A nest of vampires suddenly acting nice? Taking a little time out from sucking innocent people? And we're supposed to buy that? Trust me. Doesn't change what they are. And I can prove it.” He slit Sam’s arm with the jagged knife, and Lenore’s teeth emerged, and she started to hiss and snarl. He pressed it to Sam’s throat, dragging him closer to Lenore.
“Let him go! Now!” Dean ordered, taking out his gun and aiming at Gordon.
”Relax. If I wanted to kill him he'd already be on the floor. Just making a little point.” The blood from Sam’s cut hit Lenore’s face, making her eyes turn red. “You think she's so different? Still want to save her? Look at her. They're all the same. Evil, bloodthirsty.” A tear ran down Will’s face at the sight of Lenore, and my jaw clenched.
“No, no…” Lenore sobbed, regaining control of herself.
“You see that, Gordon?” I snapped, taking the knife away from him and using it to cut Lenore and Will free. He collapsed into my arms, trying to stay upright. I cupped his cheek, his forehead leaning against mine. “I’ve got you. It’s ok, I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
“We’re done here.” Sam fumed.
“Sam, Beanie, get ‘em outta here.” I helped Will outside while Sam did Lenore, taking out a cloth and cleaning both of them. I was still holding my gun, and I changed the cartridge, chucking it away.
“You’re going after him, aren’t you?” He asked.
”I have to.” I nodded. “Dean’s good, but Gordon knows more tricks.”
“Wait.” Will coughed, and then he kissed me gently. “Don’t get hurt. Please.”
“I won’t.” I assured before running inside. Dean flew through the air, hitting the wall and collapsing with a groan. I raised my gun, shooting Gordon in the shoulder, making his body fall back with the shock. His head hit the wall, and he slumped, unconscious.
“Good talk.” I smirked, training it on him.
”You came back?” Dean coughed, getting up.
”Yeah, I’m not leaving you with this sadist.” I picked Gordon up, slamming his head against a doorframe on my way to the chair that Will was previously tied up in. “Oops.” I drawled, dropping him in the chair. Dean tied him up, looking sick with himself.
”All that talk about black and white, but you’re the one who’s tied up.”
We were back at the motel, when we got out, I faced a now recovered Will with a smile.
”Thanks for saving my life.” He grinned. “I guess you don’t owe me one anymore. Kind of wanted an excuse to see you anytime.”
”I want to give you that excuse, really.”
He realised, nodding sadly, but masked it with his winning smile. “You’re leaving.”
”Sadly.” I bit my lip. “I wish we had more time.”
”Yeah, now I have to start another cycle of getting over you.” He joked, but still looked heartbroken.
“Well, I’m gonna make it harder, cause I still have to pay you back.” I grinned.
”Pay me back-“ I grabbed his collar, pulling him in for a kiss that he melted into instantly. His arms wrapped around my waist while mine went around his neck, my head tilting. His hands threaded in my hair-
“HAUN HAUN!” I heard Dean yell. “Mademoiselle et monsieur s’embrassent ! Que puis-je dire, c’est la vie !
“Ivonne et Will, assis dans un arbre!” Sam called. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
We pulled back, laughing. I turned to the boys, kissing my teeth. “You just HAD to say it in French!”
“Yeah!” Dean grinned.
“That was the WORST French I’ve ever heard!”
“Thanks!” Sam snickered.
It was a week since the Gordon incident, and we had returned to my house. I was reading a book on my bed, engrossed in a scene from it simply because the main character was dying and I don’t see that, like, ever.
“IVONNE!” I heard from outside. “HER LADYSHIP IVONNE RAINER OF THE KINGDOM OF NEW JERSEY, PLEASE COME FORTH TO HER CHAMBER WINDOW!” I rolled my eyes, putting down my book.
”What the hell?” I muttered. “What is this person playing at-“ I swept the curtain aside, and almost broke down laughing at who was heckling at my window. “Dean?!”
”Tis I!” He yelled, gesturing dramatically to himself.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Apologising!” He called back, a goofy grin on his face. “You said I needed to beg!”
”I never meant literally!”
“Too late!”
”Dean-“
”I HEREBY PROCLAIM THAT I, SIR DEAN WHO HAILS FROM THE KINGDOM OF KANSAS, WAS A DOUCHEBAG.”
”AND?!”
”AN IDIOT.”
”AND?!”
”A SPINELESS, CORRUPT, HORRIBLE PIECE OF WORK. ANYTHING ELSE?”
”No, sounds like enough slander.” I smirked, gesturing for him to continue. He then got down on one knee, making Sam, who was watching from the other window and recording everything, lose his cool, cackling loudly.
“I BEG FOR THY FORGIVENESS, MY FAIR MAIDEN, FOR MY AB-ABHORRENT BLASSsss…” He turned to Sam. “How d’you say it?”
”Blasphemy.” Sam repeated.
“RIGHT, UH, BLAS-PEMY. I BEG FOR THY FORGIVENESS, MY FAIR MAIDEN, FOR MY ABHORRENT BLAS-PEMY AND I IMPLORE YOU TO COME THITHER AND ACCEPT MY DEAREST APOLOGY.”
“Should I?” I asked Sam, who was losing it.
“I don’t know, this is fun.”
“If I give you a kiss, Dean, will you stop?” I sighed, and he contemplated the situation before nodding. I went downstairs, swiping something from my drawer before meeting him outside.
“Where’s my kiss, milady?” He smirked, standing up. I took his hand and placed something in it: a Hershey’s kiss. He grimaced at me while Sam almost fell out of the window in his mirth. “Ha ha, very funny.”
“Needed to have an excuse to get rid of the last one.” I laughed. “But yeah, I forgive you. Now you need to repeat the act for Sam.” I grinned, patting him on the shoulder.
”SAMUEL! SIR SAMUEL WINCHESTER OF THE KINGDOM OF KANSAS, PLEASE COME FORTH TO HIS CHAMBER WINDOW-“
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