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Redemption Chapter Two
Dean, Sam and Lisa were painting the new bedrooms upstairs when the school bus horn honked. Lisa set down her brush and met Ben in the kitchen. Dean and Sam followed. Ben tossed his book bag on the floor and drank down the lemonade Lisa poured for him.
Dean took a long drink of his own lemonade. "How's school going?"
Ben shrugged. "It's okay."
"It's not easy being the new guy, some times," Sam said.
"It's okay. The guys here seem cool. I'm trying out for the football team."
"I don't think so," Lisa said. "Football's rough."
"Mom, come on, I can be a hunter but not a football player?"
Lisa scowled. "I knew this would bite me on the ass."
Dean pulled her against him. "I'll bite your a..." He cut the word off when Lisa rolled her eyes towards Ben. But she was grinning at him.
Ben set down his glass. "Come on. You said we could practice shooting again."
"Are we done painting for the day?" Sam asked.
"Looks like," Dean shrugged. He turned to Ben. "Help tidy up and we'll get to the range."
The range wasn't anything fancy. Just behind Bobby's house and the scrap yard on a bit of field that wasn't yet covered by car carcasses. Sam set a row of five beer bottles against the fence, walked back. Dean handed Lisa a hand gun and had her shoot. She only missed one. Sam set another row up, walked back. Ben shot and only missed one. Lisa and Ben high-fived.
"Okay," Dean said. "Better. But the one you missed is the monster that has you by the neck now. What do you do?"
"Depends on what it is..." Ben started
"You don't know," Dean interrupted.
"Scream for you." Ben tried to joke but Dean's look silenced him.
Lisa spoke up. "If we're fighting in close quarters go for the vulnerable spots. Neck, crotch. Hit hard then run. Get a weapon free if you got one."
Dean pointed to Lisa and glared at Ben. "She's been listening."
"And Ben is right." Lisa added." If it's a vampire get a machete, cut off the head. Shotgun with rock salt for a demon..."
"But you don't always have time to get the weapon you need," Sam said. "So you run. Live to fight another day with more information on what it is and how to kill it. Better to find out before you go in shooting, if you can."
"Research." Both Ben and Dean rolled their eyes.
Lisa and Sam nodded. "Exactly."
After a dinner of BBQ'd hamburgers, Ben settled in at the kitchen table to do his homework. Lisa and Dean did the dishes while Sam scanned the Internet.
He looked up. "Looks like we have a vampire, or vampires."
He turned his laptop so Dean could read the screen. The headline screamed of an animal attack. Two people had been found with their throats ripped open. Lisa read over Dean's shoulder. Her hand went to her own throat. Dean flicked a glance at her.
"We'll check it out, Sam," he said.
"No," Lisa stood firm. "I said we were all in this and we are. We have to start some where."
"You're not ready," Dean said. "Sam? Back me up. They're not ready, right?"
Sam just looked at him. "No one's ever ready, Dean. Not the first time."
Dean spread his arms. "Just back me up, okay?"
Sam shrugged. "I'm not going to lie to them, Dean."
Dean raised his arms, let them drop - unbelievable. "Where?"
"Not far. Bellevue, Nebraska."
"All right. We can go on the weekend. And in the mean time, you two," Dean pointed at Lisa and Ben, "can practice your decapitations."
"Yes," Ben hissed, fist pumped, then quickly looked down at his homework when Dean shot him a look.
They drove down Friday night, after school. Booked a motel room. Two, actually. Sam and Ben shared and Dean and Lisa got to have some privacy.
"It's like a vacation together," Lisa purred, running her hands through Dean's hair, mussing it up.
"It's not much," Dean looked around the dingy room.
"Shh," Lisa said. "Don't be so hard on yourself." She drew his his lips to hers. "We have each other, "she whispered.
Dean allowed himself to forget his worries about including Lisa and Ben on a hunt. For now, anyway.
Sam, meanwhile, felt like the big brother for once. Ben bounced on his bed. Sam had to tell him to settle down and watch TV. Ben still had trouble and bounced and paced.
"You nervous?" Sam asked.
"Nah." Ben looked disgusted at the thought.
Sam had plenty of experience dealing with someone who really didn't want to open up about his feelings. He waited, watching.
Ben kept glancing at Sam until at last he quit bouncing, his shoulders slumped and he said, "Yeah."
Sam relished the moment, like he would if he were talking to Dean. "Yeah, what?"
"Yeah, I'm a little nervous."
Instead of savouring a victory of emotional honesty, Sam wanted to make Ben feel better. "We can practice. Think it'll help?"
"Okay."
Sam accidentally, on purpose, sat on a wooden chair wrong and a leg snapped. "Oops," he said. "but its broken now so..." He yanked it all the way off and handed it to Ben. "That's your machete. Go for the head."
Sam picked up a pillow from the bed and, holding it in front of him, charged Ben. Ben swung the chair leg but Sam ducked and kept coming. Ben leaped onto the bed and swung, hitting the pillow. Sam tossed the pillow in the air and Ben swung harder, sending the pillow flying across the room. Sam grabbed a pillow from the other bed and came at Ben again. He knocked the chair leg flying from Ben's hand. Ben grabbed a second pillow and beat at Sam until they were both laughing. Ben collapsed on his bed.
Sam plumped his pillow back on the bed and lay down. "Real vampires are a bit tougher than that," he said.
"I kinda figured."
Sam grinned. "Get ready for bed, smart ass." He could get used to being the one who got to give the orders.
*
The sun was up when the Impala rumbled to a stop just down the road from a broken gate that led to a deserted warehouse. A stand of birch trees hid the car. Lisa and Ben slid out of the back seat. Dean had the hidden trunk open and handed out the machetes. After a second's thought he added handguns. After another second's thought he started pulling out a shotgun with a leg holster.
"Dean," Sam said. "Enough. They won't be able to walk."
Dean nodded. Set the shot gun back. "This is what we'll do." He pulled out his phone. Called Lisa. Lisa took her phone out of her pocket, answered.
"I'm right here."
"Leave it on." Dean took her phone and put it in the pocket of her plaid shirt. "Now I can hear what's going on. You can talk to me, okay?"
Sam called Ben so his phone was on, too. "Keep it near this end. " He placed the phone in Ben's shirt pocket. "I don't need to hear your butt."
Ben giggled nervously. "Go get 'em, tiger." Sam clapped him on the shoulder.
"You okay?" Dean asked Lisa. At her nod, he continued, "Okay. We know there's two of them, a male and female. They've been holed up here a couple of weeks. Likely just passing through. They won't expect hunters."
Lisa nodded again, not trusting her voice. Dean's fear for her was contagious. She knew her nerves would settle down away from him. She gave Dean a little smile and then gestured to Ben to follow her.
Dean and Sam watched them disappear towards the warehouse.
"I can't do this." Dean started after them.
Sam grabbed his arm, turning him, and stood blocking his way. "Count," he said. "Close your eyes and count."
Dean started to push past Sam.
"You've got to let them go, Dean. For their sakes. They have to know they can do it on their own. I'm serious, count."
Dean knew Sam was right. He took a deep breath and started to count. Sam didn't let go of his hold on Dean. Dean clutched Sam's arm tight, like a drowning man hangs on to a life preserver. "One, two, ...," he whispered.
*
As Lisa expected her nerves calmed once she was away from Dean. Now she could focus on protecting her son. That's why they were there, she reminded herself. So that they would never again be at the mercy of the creatures that haunted Dean's life. So that Ben would know how to keep himself safe. So they could be with Dean without him being wracked with guilt. She took a deep breath and steadied herself. Leaned against the wall of the warehouse and peered cautiously around the corner, Ben silently following her lead.
A beat up old truck was parked across the lot. Lisa watched and waited but there was no movement, no sound. She was glad for the bright sun; she was pretty sure she couldn't do this at night. Sliding lower she stayed close to the wall and made her way to the door. To her surprise it was open, as though beckoning them into the dark interior. She listened, nothing. Looking over her shoulder she indicated Ben should have his machete ready. Holding hers in front she quickly stepped through the doorway, pushing the door against the wall to make sure there was no one hiding behind. Ben followed her, his machete in front and took the other side. His eyes were wide. Lisa was glad he was scared; it meant he wouldn't get cocky and do something reckless. Sometimes, the way he acted, she wondered if he really was Dean's son. Not that it mattered. Dean was his father.
Lisa waited to let her eyes adjust to the dim light. The large room was empty. Dust and cobwebs
gently moved in the air flowing through the open door. Two sets of footprints led through the dust to the other end of the cavernous space. Large, booted prints, Lisa noted. She frowned. There were supposed to be a male and female vampire. Why two sets of men's prints? She pointed them out to Ben and was pleased when he frowned and looked at her, mouthing - two men? She nodded and indicated he should follow her.
They kept close to one wall and made their way to the other end. There, another door hung open. Lisa and Ben approached, then froze, pressed against the wall, when they heard voices.
"Hunters, I freakin' hate you guys." A loud smack of a fist hitting flesh and then a groan of pain.
"Jesus," said a muffled voice from Lisa's pocket.
"Settle down," Lisa hissed into her pocket. "It's not us. Quiet."
She crouched low and peered around the door frame. Two hunters were tied to a support beam, back to back. The male vampire had his back to Lisa. The female leaned against an old desk, watching, amused. Lisa pointed at Ben then at the female. Ben nodded.
The male vampire raised his hand to strike the man he was beating. Lisa took a deep yoga breath and let it out. From her years of yoga training she knew how to control her breathing and her muscles. As she blew the long breath out she let her training and instinct take over. Two steps brought her to the vampire. He heard her and was turning, hand up to strike, when Lisa brought the machete across her body, putting her shoulder and hips into the motion and sliced his head clean off.
The female screamed in fury and charged at Lisa. Ben stepped in front of his mom, machete raised. But the female dropped to the ground beside her mate and lifted his severed head to her chest, weeping. Lisa stared. This wasn't what she had expected. Tears of pity filled her eyes and her machete hand dropped.
"Hey," the hunter facing her yelled. "Off with her head, lady! Don't let her fool you!"
Ben stepped towards the female. She raised her head, tears streaming down her cheeks."Please," she begged, "I'm not a vampire yet. He just turned me and I haven't fed yet - I won't change. Please."
Ben dropped his hand holding the machete. He and Lisa exchanged a glance. Lisa didn't know what to do. Hunting things, yes, but saving people, too, was part of the family business. They had to save this woman if they could.
"Don't listen to her," the hunters yelled together.
The closest said to Ben,"Come on, son. Untie us."
Lisa knelt down in front of the vampire still cradling her mate's head. "I'm sorry," Lisa whispered.
The vamp was on her before she could blink, much less raise her weapon. Lisa fell back. Ben shouted, "Mom!"
The vamp's head flew off and blood spattered the side of Lisa's face. Ben grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. They held each other, both shaking. "That was close," Ben said.
"You can untie us any time, guys," the hunter said.
Lisa and Ben used their machetes to slice through the ropes binding the two hunters. They got to their feet, rubbing their wrists.
"You must be new to the job," the one said.
"Rookies," the other added. "But thanks, you saved us."
He held out a hand and shook Ben's then Lisa's. He held onto Lisa's hand, resisting her attempt to pull it away. Lisa tapped his hand lightly with the flat side of her blade. He let go and grinned. "I'd remember seeing you around, that's for sure."
The unmistakeable sound of a shotgun being cocked and loaded echoed in the empty room. "Let her go," Dean growled. Sam stepped up beside him and aimed his hand gun at the other hunter.
"Oh, shit," the hunter said, stepping away from Lisa. He shot her a look. "Are those the Winchester brothers?"
Lisa nodded.
The other hunter whistled. He stepped up to shake Dean's hand. Dean ignored him. "I thought you guys were like a myth or something."
"Like urban legends, man," the other added. He held up his hands. "I didn't mean nothing. I didn't know she was with you."
"Does it matter?" Sam asked.
The hunter shrugged. "I didn't see a ring or anything."
Ben hummed a line from "Single Ladies". At Dean's look he shut up. He glanced for support to Sam but his look was just as icy. Ben looked down at his feet.
"Who's the rookies here anyway?" Dean asked. "How'd you guys let those vamps get the jump on you?"
"Bad intel," the hunter sighed. "We thought they were still in town. Figured we could stake out here and catch them coming back but they were here all ready."
Dean suddenly stepped up and slammed the barrel end of the shotgun into the man's face. At the same time Sam pistol whipped the other unconscious.
"What was that for?" Lisa stared at Dean.
"You recognize them, Sammy?"
"Hell, yeah."
Dean turned to Lisa. "These sonsa bitches were the ones who shot us a while back." He aimed his shotgun at the hunter who was trying to stand. He raised a placating hand.
"Hey, man. That was justified and you know it."
Dean stared him down. "I told you then we'd come back and make you pay."
"You can't kill humans," Ben whispered.
Dean struggled a moment, then lowered the gun. "No. But I sure want to." He stepped up and hit the man again, and again, until he lay unmoving.
"Let's get out of here." Lisa grabbed a hold of Dean's arm.
"Dean," Sam said. "Leave it." He shot a glance at Ben.
Dean looked at the boy. Ben's face was white. It was one thing for him to kill a vampire attacking his mother but another thing all together to have the man he looked up to beat another man's face to a pulp. Dean sighed, being a father was hard. "You're right, Ben. We don't kill humans."
On the way back to the Impala Dean stopped beside the hunter's pick-up truck. Popped the hood and removed the spark plugs.
"I can't kill them but they can walk to where ever they're going." He threw the spark plugs as far as he could into the bushes.
They drove in silence until Lisa had to ask. "What did they shoot you for?"
"And how are you still here?" Ben asked.
"Long story," Dean said.
"We have a long ride," Lisa pointed out.
"Another time," Sam said. "You know what? We should celebrate. You guys did great back there and you should be proud. Right, Dean?"
Dean looked at them in the rear view mirror. A big grin split his face and he started to laugh. "Seriously, you guys were great." He hit 'play' on the Impala's ancient stereo and AC/DC's "Back in Black" screamed out.
The four of them cruised down the road singing along at the top of their lungs.
*
After the adrenaline surge from the day's events Lisa and Ben had eaten a huge meal and barely made it to their rooms before their eyes closed. Sam poured himself and Dean a shot and they clinked glasses.
"They did good, Dean. I practically had to sit on you but they did it."
Dean smiled. "They did."
His phone buzzed. Crowley. "Shit." He put the phone to his ear. "What do you want?"
"We'll talk outside."
"Come in here."
Crowley chuckled. "Right, I was born yesterday. You have that place warded and devil-trapped nine ways to Sunday. You owe me, Dean. Come on out. Oh, and bring me a glass of that Scotch you're drinking, too."
Dean closed his eyes. Could he not have one moment of enjoyment? Of relief? The life would never leave him be and he was a fool to think he could bring Lisa and Ben into it. The bottle of Scotch felt like a 50 pound weight as the joy went out of him. "Stay here," he said to Sam. "Keep an eye on them."
Crowley leaned against one of Bobby's old trucks. He accepted the glass Dean poured for him.
"Thank you," Crowley raised it in a toast.
"Cut the crap, Crowley. What do you want?"
"Fine," Crowley shrugged. "Be that way. I want you to remember hell."
"What?"
"I want you to remember your time in hell. Azazel broke you and I want you to think back to why."
Dean started to walk away. Crowley was instantly beside him.
"That's the last thing I ever want to think about," Dean snarled.
Crowley grabbed Dean by the shoulder. Dean instantly whirled around, blade in his hand. He slashed out but Crowley jumped back. They squared off.
"Don't make me spill this." Crowley jiggled his glass. "It would be a waste." He side-stepped Dean's parry.
"As much as I hate to say nice things about you, Dean, you would not have broken."
"What?"
"Come on. The way your Daddy raised you? A little pain, hell, a lot of pain, that alone wouldn't have broken you. I have reason to believe Azazel showed you something. Something that made you give in. I need you to remember what it was."
"What?"
Crowley sighed. "You really are a broken record. Listen." Crowley spoke slowly, enunciating each word. "You need to remember what Azazel showed you. Whatever it was is important. I need to consolidate my power base. You know how it is, conspiracies everywhere. It's hard to be King."
"I feel for you but I can't do that."
"You owe me and this is what I want. I'm a nice guy. I'll give you time to remember on your own. If I don't hear from you, say, two days from now, I'll get in your head and find it myself. Most unpleasant- for you." Crowley smiled. "Fun for me. Two days."
Crowley was gone, his shot glass left lying on its side on the ground. Dean felt his legs give out and he sat, hard, on the ground. His head sank into his hands. Of all the things Crowley could ask of him this was the most impossible.