Ties in Blood

[NocteSpiritus]

Thanks for the feedback, but would you mind putting it (copy/paste will make it easier) in the feedback topic please? I kinda dont wanna have the actual story i interrupted.

[NocteSpiritus]

Chapter 25

 

Aaliyah stood a few feet behind the person at the pharmacy counter; an index finger tapping away at her thigh. She told Dean that she’d meet him and Sam at their motel room while she grabbed a few things. The person at the counter seemed to be taking a little too long for Aaliyah’s taste before they finally stepped away. She took a deep breath and stepped up to the open spot.

 

“Hi,” Aaliyah said. “I need Plan B, please.”

 

“Do you have a prescription for it?”

 

“I … uh … I didn’t know I needed one.” Her stomach started to twist from the seed of panic that took root. “Is there a way I can get it without a prescription?”

 

“Planned Parenthood. But … Let me talk with my manager for a minute.”

 

Aaliyah watched the pharmacy tech disappear around a corner. She glossed over the several shelves behind the counter in her turn to look out into the large store. Christmas music played over the PA system. The holiday was yet another reminder of what she missed growing up.

 

“Miss,” the pharmacy tech said, startling Aaliyah a little.

 

Aaliyah turned to see the tech sliding a box across the counter top.

 

“It’s fifty dollars,” the tech told her.

 

Aaliyah sighed with relief as she fished out the money to pay for it. She slid the box into a coat pocket in her path to the door. Her mind started running through excuses in the off chance one of the boys would find it. The second she stepped out the door, she shivered against the cold and zipped up her coat for the few minutes it took to reach her car.

 

She climbed into the car and managed to not completely rip open the box and freed one of the pills to dry swallow. Guilt started to eat away at her as Aaliyah pulled out of the parking spot. It was gonna be a hard few days.

 

***

 

Aliyah walked into the room with the bag of food and smiled at Sam. He responded with a quick wave while listening to whoever was on the other end of the call. She glared at Dean in his efforts to take the bag from her but didn’t really fight him on it. She draped her coat over the back of a chair as Sam hung up.

 

“Well, we’re not dealing with the anti-Clause,” he said.

 

“The what, now?” Aaliyah asked. “Isn’t that Krampus?”

 

“Who?” Dean shot her a confused look.

 

“It’s a what,” she countered. “In pagan tradition, it’s a horned half goat, half demonic creature that went around and punished children that misbehaved around this time. The legend has ties in Middle Europe and Northern Italy.”

 

“How’d you know that?” Dean asked.

 

“It was in one of those odd lore books I read while laid up after the car accident.”

 

“Uh huh.” Dean blinked, bringing himself back around. “What’d Bobby say?”

 

“That we’re morons,” Sam answered.

 

Aaliyah gave an amused huff, gaining a stare from Sam. “What? He’s probably right? What else did he say?”

 

“And that there’s meadowsweet in the wreaths.”

 

“What the hell is meadowsweet?” Aaliyah asked before rifling through the food bag.

 

“A rare and powerful pagan plant.”

 

“How’d you not know that from that lore book?” Dean asked, a bite of food cheeked.

 

“It was pagan creatures, not herbs and its uses,” Aaliyah chided. “What’s meadowsweet to these gods you’re after?”

 

“Human sacrifice,” Sam said, reading off his laptop. “Kinda like … chum for their gods. They’re drawn to it and stop by and chow down on the nearest human.”

 

“Sounds lovely,” Aaliyah said.

 

“Why would anyone use it for Christmas wreaths?” Dean asked.

 

“It’s not as crazy as it sounds,” Sam said. “Pretty much every Christmas tradition is pagan.”

 

“It’s Jesus’s birthday,” Dean argued.

 

“Not really,” Aaliyah chimed in, sitting down in the other chair. “His birthday was probably in the fall. It was the winter solstice that was taken by the Catholic church and renamed Christmas. The trees, the Yule log, even Santa’s suit, all remnants of pagan tradition.” She caught the mild surprise on Dean’s face and gave him a shrug. “I took a few classes on religions around the world.”

 

“Next you’re gonna tell me that the Easter Bunny’s Jewish,” Dean said.

 

Aaliyah shrugged and took another bite while Sam took over the conversation. She half listened while he talked about this Hold Nickar and that he would give mild weather in return for human sacrifices. “Any idea how to kill him?”

 

“No, but Bobby’s working on it,” Sam answered. “We can use your help on who’s selling those wreaths.”

 

***

 

Aaliyah walked into the shop that was decked out in Christmas floral arrangements as the bell above the door chimed. She repressed a shutter from the overload of seasonal joy and the memories of waking up Christmas day to nothing.

 

 

“Can I help you?” the shop keeper asked, coming into view.

 

“Uh, yeah. I was over at the Walshes’ the other night, playing a mean game of … um …Uno,” Aaliyah started, stammering for a second. “They had this wreath that I just gotta get for my own place, yah know? Made with mistletoe and … what was it? Meadowsweet. That’s it.”

 

“I know the one,” the show keeper said. “But I’m all out.”

 

Aaliyah made a confused look. “From what I heard, the stuff’s rare and expensive. Why put it in wreaths?”

 

The shop keeper gave a shrug. “Beats me. I didn’t make ‘em.”

 

Aaliyah tilted her head. “Who did?”

 

“A local woman. Madge Carrigan’s her name. Said the wreaths were so special, she’d gave ‘em to me free.”

 

“And you sold ‘em?” Aaliyah came to the conclusion.

 

“That’s right. People pay a crap ton for this stuff.”

 

“Thank you, sir,” Aaliyah said before seeing herself out.

 

She stuffed her hands into the pockets of the zip up hoodie for the few feet to the Impala and climbed it. “Got ‘em from some woman named Madge Carrigan,” she told the brothers. “And she’s a local who just gave the wreaths away for free to the guy.”

 

“Nut job,” Dean commented as he started the engine and backed out of the parking spot.

 

“Yeah, you’re telling me.”

 

Aaliyah looked out the window as they drove down the streets back to the motel while the brothers talked the case over between themselves. She climbed out of the backseat once they pulled into a spot at the motel and followed the boys into the room. Their talk shifted from the case to a wreath that John had gotten years ago. She half listened to them as she rifled through her bag and worked out the pill box.

 

“Aaliyah, tell me you had a decent Christmas growing up,” Sam said.

 

She dry swallowed the pill in her turn to face the younger Winchester. “What’s a decent Christmas? Xander and I grew up half starved thanks to our father dividing his time between work and hunting. Those two weeks off from school were tough until high school.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Sam said.

 

“I got used to not getting anything.” Aaliyah turned back to her back and hid the box. “You two want me come with you to the Carrigans tomorrow? Or I can dig around for another case.”

 

“Nah, you stay here,” Dean told her. “Relax for a day or two.”

 

Aaliyah swore she heard worry in his voice. Like there was something there he wanted to make sure of.

 

“Besides,” he continued. “We’re just going to scope out the place. You’ll be the first we call for help.”

 

A sigh escaped Aaliyah’s lips. “There’s gotta be something I can do to help. What’d Bobby say that’ll kill the suckers?”

 

“Evergreen stakes.”

 

“Where am I gonna get evergreen branches at this time of day?”

 

***

 

Aaliyah shivered as she glanced over the sparse selection of trees. The attendant for the pop up farm had the air of wanting to retreat back into their camper and spend Christmas alone. She chose a small one that appeared to be able to yield a few stakes and the attendant went about wrapping it and helping her put it on the car roof. The drive back to the motel was a bit nerve wracking, but she made it. Aaliyah declined the help to get the tree off the car and into the room by another person there and managed to do the work alone.

 

With the television on for a source of noise, Aaliyah managed to get the tree free of it’s wrapping and a decent sized branch for a stake. She worked at it with a knife and had just started getting a point when her cell buzzed with an incoming text.

 

911 Carrigan House

 

Aaliyah jumped from the chair and armed herself with the same knife and the partially made stake. With the two weapons in one hand and the cell and keys in the other, she darted out the room and was on the room racing down the street.

 

She killed the headlights on her approach to the house before putting the car into park. Her heart raced with adrenaline coursing through her body as she stalked toward the house, darting from shadow to shadow. A peak through a window showed Aaliyah Sam tied up in a chair. She watched as his hand was cut and was about to barge in with what she had when she heard voices approaching the house from the path. Aaliyah moved around to the back of the house and used the distraction of the neighbors to get inside the house.

 

Leave it to disgruntled pagan gods to be the ones to be the picturesque of the middle class living. The back room was disgustingly clean. Aaliyah cracked the door open and peered out. It gave her a view of the kitchen and dining area where Dean and Sam were tied up. Aaliyah could hear voices at the front door while Dean gestured her into the area. She kept herself low on her hunches, nearly sitting on the floor, and moved for Dean first. With one hand she unsheathed her knife and started sawing at the rope that tied him down.

 

“Next time we have a wild night…” Dean started.

 

“Save it for when we’re not…” The knife went through the last of the rope. Aaliyah looked up to match Dean’s gaze.

“Facing down pagan gods.”

 

Aaliyah worked her way under the table and worked at freeing Sam the same way while Dean freed himself. She went from under the table to the threshold between the dining room and living room to keep watch on the Carrigans while the brothers freed themselves. Two quiet knocks on the trimming alerted the brothers that the distraction was gone. Aaliyah pulled herself from the threshold and followed after them into the kitchen then back out when the Carrigans enter.

 

“Didn’t expect you to get here so quick,” Sam said, holding his door closed.

 

“Always the trust worthy backup, that’s what I am.” She pulled at the cabinet and barely moved it. She sensed Sam move beside her and help with it.

 

“What now?” Dean asked as he came around. “The stakes are in the basement.”

 

Aaliyah rolled her own stake in her hand even as she scanned the house. She nudged the boys and gestured with her head toward the displayed tree. There was a second or two, the brothers sharing a look and holding an entire conversation with that look, before they moved for the tree. She stepped into the living room just as the door blocked by a drawer opened. In a spin, she brought up her spike just to have it knocked out of her hand.

 

“Oh dear,” Madge spoke. “Don’t wanna be ruining our clothes, do we?”

 

“Who said anything about ruining clothes?” Aaliyah’s body tensed when a hand behind her grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

 

The one who pulled her back took her place and plunged their stake into Madge.

 

Aaliyah panicked in her search for her stake and dove for it. The small hairs on her body stood on end, the sensation of someone right behind her. She rolled and brought the stake out in front of her just as Mr. Carrigan came down toward her. There was a look of surprise on his face, like he hadn’t expected her to actually kill him. She guided him onto the floor where he landed with a thud. Her chest heaved slightly before her breathing returned to normal.

 

“Aaliyah?” Sam called out. “Aaliyah?”

 

She lifted a hand and waved it. “Over here.” Her hand grabbed hold of the hand that grabbed her before pulling herself up. “Thanks, Sammy.”

 

He gave an amused noise. “Merry Christmas, you two.”

 

“Some Christmas. See you two back at the motel? I’ll make a food and beer run?”

 

***

 

Aaliyah used her foot to close the motel door behind her as she was greeted with Eliza Fitzgerald’s version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and a small, but intact, tree being decorated by Sam.

 

“Car fresheners?” she questioned, putting the couple bags and couple cases of beer on the table.

 

“Best choice from the station,” Sam answered. He turned from putting the last air freshener on the tree. “Are you okay staying with us tonight? I know what happened with Amanda…”

 

Aaliyah waved off what would had been a touching speech. “I’m working through it. Am I better than a week ago? Not really. Part of me still wants to go all self-destructive over it. But I don’t wanna go and spend this time alone and …”

 

She was interrupted by the door opening behind her and Dean walking in with the pizza.

 

“What’s all this?” he asked.

 

“Uh …” Sam trailed off. “It’s Christmas.”

 

Aaliyah grabbed a beer and moved out of the way between the brothers.

 

“What made you change your mind?” Dean asked.

 

Aaliyah listened as Sam offered up the eggnog and pulled out her cell. She thumbed through the contacts and started at Nissa’s number, her mind warring on to call or not. Hitting the call button, Aaliyah put the cell to her ear and listened to the ringing.

 

“You got bad timing,” Nissa greeted. “I’m about to kick Leo’s ass in Scrabble.”

 

“So not true,” Leo shouted.

 

Aaliyah chuckled to herself at the bickering between her half siblings.

 

“Where are you?” Nissa asked, her attention back to Aaliyah. “Last I heard you were off in Texas chasing down a Chupacabra.”

 

“Ypsilanti.” Aaliyah casted a glance over her shoulder to the boys, who had sat down and were exchanging gifts.

“The guys needed some help with some pagan gods and I was in the area.”

 

“We told mom about you,” Nissa said. “Surprised the both of us saying she wanted to meet you one day. You

should come by tomorrow. Maybe have a family dinner.”

 

Aaliyah shifted her weight. “I need to check on Xander. It’s been too long since I’ve done that. Not sure he’s … stable after that vampire hunt of his went sideways a few months ago.”

 

“Tell Liyra that if she’s not coming to us tomorrow,” Leo said, his voice still distant from wherever he sat at the table. “We’re coming to her.”

 

“It does sound better than you running around on your own,” Nissa agreed. “We’ll see you tomorrow around noon.” She hung up before Aaliyah could argue.

 

“Hey, Aaliyah,” Dean called to her. “You got stuff, too.”

 

She turned to see them looking at her. “Alright, hang on.” She walked over and grabbed the couple bags off the table and handed one bag to each brother before sitting on the couch.

 

“You didn’t have too,” Dean half protested as he dug into the bag.

 

Aaliyah half shrugged and held up the bags that he and Sam had handed her. “Same here. Now, lets see here …” She dug into one bag and pulled out a pack of gum, a few bottles of Faygo in a few different flavors, and a candy bar. “Thanks, Dean.”

 

“How’d you know?”

 

She held up the skin mag. “Who else woulda slipped this in there? Not that I mind. I like looking at hot chicks.” Her eye caught Dean’s jaw drop a little and laughed. “Nothing wrong with looking. And from Sam we got … some first aid supplies, a box of ammo, and a fantasy book. Thanks guys. I mean it.”

 

A hand came to rest on her shoulder, bringing her attention over to Sam.

 

“You’re family,” he told her. “We’ll do anything for you.”

 

“Sammy’s right,” Dean added. “Anything at all, you call us.”

 

Aaliyah gave a small smile. “Thanks. Now, how about that game?”

 

She turned her attention to the tv as the game was turned on. She toed off her shoes and settled back into the couch, crossing her legs in front of her. It was another Christmas motel, something that happened during college. But there was something about this year that was different. Aaliyah wasn’t spending it alone or at a friend’s place for two weeks. This one had the bond shared with two brothers that had grown up in a broken family, not quite that different from her own, and grew up as hunters. Part of her wasn’t sure how to process the whole mix of the day.

 

Her body shifted throughout the game until she was stretched out and taking up her seat and the space between her and Sam; her head resting on the arm rest. At one point the motel door opened and closed a few times before she startled at the weight of a blanket being placed on her and a pillow under her head. Aaliyah caught some of a conversation between Sam and Dean before she passed out for the night.

 

“Liyra, sweetheart.”

 

The voice was calm and quiet, as if the speaker honestly didn’t want to wake her up. She moaned in protest of being woken.

 

“I know. But I wanna talk with you about something.”

 

Aaliyah’s eyes opened in a snap to see Dean sitting on the floor next to her. His face had softened to a point where it seemed like it took him hours trying to figure out how to start the conversation and bring it up to her. She saw her Plan B box come up into view and her heart sank.

 

“If I had known…” Dean started before Aaliyah shook her head.

 

“It wasn’t your fault.” Her voice was a little raspy from the night’s sleep. “Not entirely. Some of the blame’s on me for not asking you to … cover up. And I think you might agree our life isn’t one to bring a kid into.”

 

“I do agree. Promise me this, though. Once I go downstairs and roast on a spike, you get yourself outta this life.

Get back into nursing and have a normal life. Have a few boyfriends. Hell, a girlfriend even.” Dean reached out and put the box on the couch. “Just … get out of scaring yourself with things you can’t fix.”

 

Aaliyah nodded before Dean leaned over and gave her forehead a gentle kiss.

 

“Now, don’t you have a family thing to do today?”

 

“I’ll give Nissa a call in a few.” Aaliyah tossed the blanket off her and onto the back of the couch. “But first, nature calls.” She grabbed the box in her motion of sitting up. “And I gotta get one of these little things in my system.”

 

***

 

“Hey, sis,” Leo called to Aaliyah as she emerged from the motel room, her bags in hand. “Ready to roll?”

 

“As I’ll ever be,” Aaliyah replied. “Just follow me. The assisted living home’s not that far from here.” She tossed her bags into the backseat of her car and climbed into the driver’s seat.

 

With the radio on one of the few stations not playing Christmas music, she pulled out of the motel lot and started off down the road. Her mind raced with scenarios on how Xander would react to his siblings showing up after all this time. And with each one that popped up she shot back down with the reminder that she didn’t know how he would react and to stop torturing herself.

 

Aaliyah found a parking spot at the assisted living building and climbed out as her half siblings found another parking spot. She half expected there to be more vehicles than the dozen or so that probably belonged to the employees.

 

“Apparently other people are too bothered to visit family here,” Leo spoke what Aaliyah was thinking.

 

“We have reasons that keep us away,” Nissa added. “What do they have? Gotta get to the gym for the weekly run on the treadmill?”

 

“Racquetball?” Leo tossed in as they started for the door.

 

Aaliyah ignored them as the two tossed gym activities back and forth. There was something odd about what little she was able to see in the lobby before they stepped through the doors. Sure, there were residents up and moving about. Nurses making their rounds. Everything seemed to be on pace for a normal day. But there was still something that screamed supernatural to her.

 

“Guys, shut it,” she snapped under her breath. “Something’s wrong here.”

 

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Leo commented. “You must be feeling off. Excuse me, nurse?” He started for the nearest nurse.

 

“I’m getting the feeling, too,” Nissa said, coming up beside Aaliyah. “Whatcha think it is?”

 

“I don’t know, and I don’t like that. Maybe Leo’s right and I’m just off. The holiday season’s a bad time anyway and there’s …”

 

“Come on, you two,” Leo called to them. “Xander’s this way.”

 

“I’ll tell you later.” Aaliyah followed after her brother, who was half way to a hallway. There was some yelling and shouting coming from one of the rooms down that way.

 

“Hey, Xander,” Leo’s voice drifted from a room he had ducked into. Right before there was the sound of glass shattering and Leo jumping out from the room. “Nice to see you, too,” he muttered. “Careful, Liyra. He’s gone wild.”

 

Aaliyah pushed past Leo and eased her head into Xander’s room to see him fighting three nurses and a doctor.

 

“I don’t want any meds,” Xander shouted in his struggles against the medical staff there.

 

Aaliyah moved further into the room and over to the bed. “Xander.” It was quiet enough she wasn’t sure he would actually hear her. “Xander.”

 

“Sedative,” the doctor said.

 

One of the nurses pulled herself from Xander and came face to face with Aaliyah. “You can’t be here.”

 

“I’m his sister,” Aaliyah argued.

 

“Don’t let ‘em drug me,” Xander called out.

 

Aaliyah wasn’t sure if he called out to her or to anyone who would help. She pulled the nurse into the hallway and saw her expression change when Nissa and Leo came in close. “Is he refusing medication?”

 

“Has been,” the nurse shifted nervously. “Kept saying that there was something here and had to deal with it. I’m not supposed to tell you this …” She glanced back to the room. “But we’ve had several people slip into comas and die in the past three months. And two more entered comas a few days ago.”

 

“I’m Aaliyah,” she told the nurse. “I believe I’m on the paperwork …”

 

“You are,” the nurse confirmed. “But what do you know…”

 

“I went to nursing school, I know the rights of the patient,” Aaliyah interrupted. “And if my brother’s of sound mind, he’s able to make any medical choice he wants. No drugs, period. Now, do we need to go in there and pull off your co-workers?” Aaliyah stared down the nurse before moving for the room.

 

“Alright, all of you, out,” Aaliyah raised her voice. “Now.” She stood her ground as the remaining two nurses and doctor moved from the bed and out of the room. “Nissa, Leo. I think we all need a talk.”

[NocteSpiritus]

Chapter 26

 

“There’s something here feeding on the patients,” Aaliyah said once she heard the door click close.

 

“Like what?” Leo asked. “It’s not like there’s actual creature monsters roaming the halls here.”

 

“There’s more than just wendigos, werewolves, and ghosts in the dark corners of the world,” Aaliyah said. “Djinn is my first choice, but there might be a witch that might be putting hex bags around.”

 

“We’ve never dealt with Djinn before,” Nissa brought up.

 

“They’re hermits and tend to stay around ruins.”

 

“So, why would one be here?” Xander questioned.

 

Aaliyah shrugged. “Who knows? It’s why I’m thinking it’s a witch instead of a djinn.” She didn’t want to voice her concern that with the number of victims the source wasn’t a witch. “Leo, think you can actually flirt with some of the staff? Or should I …”

 

“I’ll do my best.”

 

“I’ll stay here,” Nissa offered. “Not that Xander can’t handle himself.”

 

“Love the confidence, Nissa,” Xander shot at her, no real anger in his voice.

 

“Okay, you two,” Aaliyah cut in, a tease of a smile at her mouth. “Love the bonding we’re having here, but we need to focus here. Leo, focus on with the staff and anything out of the norm they may have noticed. Nissa, same but stick nearby Xander. Xander …”

 

“I can try and play bait,” he offered with a nervous chuckle.

 

Aaliyah smiled as she moved to his bed, giving him a kiss on a cheek. “You start thinking of what you want for dinner. After this case, we’ll try and get it.”

 

“Mac and cheese. But not the cheap stuff with the powder stuff; the real gooey Velveeta type cheese.”

 

Aaliyah nodded and headed for the door while Xander started listing more things for dinner. Once out of the room, she leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. Part of her didn’t want to acknowledge the thing they were hunting was a Djinn. The hunter part of her mind urged to question those who had access to the residents that had passed away and currently in a coma. Another wanted to move Xander to another facility in the hope of keeping him safe and not worry about what was going on in the facility. After all that she had been through, Aaliyah just couldn’t do that. Something had to be done. Rolling her shoulders to push off from the wall, she started down the hall and spotted a passing nurse.

 

“Excuse me,” she called out, startling the nurse. “Sorry. I was hoping you’d be able to answer some questions about those in comas.”

 

“I’m not supposed to. Whole doctor, patient…”

 

“People are dead and dying, and you’re worried about that?” Aaliyah fought to keep her voice low. She understood as a former nurse where the nurse before her was coming from. But as a hunter, Aaliyah hated red tape and those who prevented her from saving people and hunting things. “Were there any … signs before they slipped into the coma that you noticed? Any new additions to the staff?”

 

The nurse shifted her weight in a way that Aaliyah assumed that they were debating on if it would be worth breaking the doctor/patient confidentiality.

 

“There’s a new nurse,” the nurse told Aaliyah. “She’s got these tattoos on her arms that seem like they’re … I don’t know. Like they could be from the Middle East or some tribal knock off. She usually keeps them covered up with long sleeves, but I’ve seen glimpse of them. As for those in comas … Many of us had contact one way or another with them. But she’s been the main one to contact them.”

 

“Uh huh.” Sounded something like what a Djinn would do. “Is it possible for me to see one of the coma patients? Call it figuring out a hunch.”

 

The nurse glanced around before gesturing for Aaliyah to follow.

 

Aaliyah hadn’t fully noticed the music being piped through the PA system until then. It was one of those things one noticed when entering a new space. Her mind had filed it away within a few minutes of entering the lobby of the building. The nurse turned into a room with the light on low. Aaliyah never understood how having the low light helped any; even when she was at the hospital doing her last bit for her degree.

 

“This is Jason,” the nurse told her. “Came in due to no one in the family able to care for him. Yet they manage to be able to afford payments.”

 

“Don’t wanna put the time and effort,” Aaliyah said. “Just wanna be lazy and have other people do the work.”

 

“Something like that.”

 

She walked in and over to the IV stand and tilted her head at the way the lines were tied up. Almost as if … Aaliyah heard the soft click of the door closing behind her and turned around. The nurse pulled her hand from the knob and kept her gaze on it.

“I had expected to see a hunter or two to pass through here,” she said. “But not the barely known Aaliyah Fisher.” She turned her gaze to Aaliyah. “How does it feel; knowing that your only claim to fame is your ties to the Winchesters?”

 

“Oh, I’ve had a few victories of my own,” Aaliyah replied. “Don’t sell me short because of them.” Her mind wanted to race in panic mode. She had been lucky in her first Djinn encounter. This one may finally be the end.

 

“Are you sure about that?” the Djinn countered. “No silver knife coated in lamb’s blood. And I doubt you know any angels or demons.”

 

Aaliyah scanned the room in the hope of finding some sort of weapon.

 

“You’re out of luck this time,” the Djinn commented, closing the gap between them. “So, be a good dead hunter and just sit still for a minute. This won’t hurt.”

 

Aaliyah backed up and knocked over a small flower vase on the nightstand. Her hand fumbled for a few seconds before her fingers grabbed hold. She spun it on her palm, using the neck piece as a handle.

 

The Djinn sighed. “You are a waste.” She reached out and grabbed hold of Aaliyah’s neck.

 

Aaliyah pulled away from the Djinn, raising the vase in an attempt to fight it off.

 

The Djinn deflected the half hearted attack, the remains of the vase breaking somewhere on the floor.

 

Aaliyah fought against the poison that seeped through her skin, her head nodding in her efforts to remain alert. With each blink, her eyes took longer to open. So, this was how she went out. Against a Djinn that didn’t even break a sweat. Some hunter she was, Aaliyah told herself when her eyes closed. Couldn’t even take out a simple Djinn alone.

 

It had been Aaliyah’s last thought before the poison took complete control.

 

**

 

Aaliyah pulled up alongside the side of the long drive and put the car in park. She sat there and stared at the country styled house with its white siding and porch that spanned six feet from the building and wrapped around the front and side of the house. A small smile pulled at her mouth when the front door opened and the small pack of dogs charged outside. There were perks about having the family home out in the country. Having the large house with an acre or two of land were two. Having room to have seven or so dogs was another. Aaliyah climbed out of the car as the dogs approached.

 

She laughed as the barking stopped and the pack worked to greet her. Working her way through the pack, greeting each dog by its name or with a good scratch, Aaliyah managed to free herself from the car. Most of the pack darted off to do whatever while one stayed closed to Aaliyah as she grabbed her suitcase from the trunk. She saw a woman standing at the door as she came up to the house.

 

“Thought I told you to call me when you got in,” the woman said, a smile on her face.

 

“Figured I’d surprise you,” Aaliyah said, trying to recall a name for the woman who could easily pass as her mother.

 

“Come on in, your siblings are in the kitchen,” the woman said.

 

Aaliyah put her suitcase to the side of the entryway before moving for the kitchen. There was a shriek of a noise before she was plowed into by someone. Aaliyah made an oof of a noise when some air got knocked out of her lungs.

 

“Li-Li,” the person, a sprite of a five year old, cried. “I missed you,” they signed.

 

Aaliyah managed to free herself from the five year old and knelt down to their level. She smiled as she looked over the boy. “And I missed you, Tiny Terror,” she signed back.

 

“I’m not a terror,” he protested in play. “I’m Ripley.”

 

“Right. Little Ripley, the Tiny Terror.” Aaliyah chuckled before going in and tickling him.

 

Ripley squirmed and fought against Aaliyah’s onslaught of tickles while laughing.

 

“Alright, you two,” the woman spoke up, walking into the kitchen. “Aaliyah, want something to drink?”

 

“A beer if you have any?” Aaliyah straightened Ripley’s shirt before standing.

 

Ripley darted from the dining area part of the kitchen just as the woman turned and put her hands on the counter top.

 

Aaliyah glanced around and found her three siblings sitting at the table with similar expressions. “Did I say something wrong?”

 

“Dad died in a car crash,” Xander spoke up in a soft tone, almost as if he didn’t want to talk about it. “He was three times over the legal limit. Seriously fucked up the other car and the occupants were in the hospital for months.”

 

Sure, Casey was a terrible father for what he did, but Aaliyah couldn’t recall him ever being a drunk. “Are they okay? I mean, I musta missed that when I was outta town.”

 

“Physically, they’re fine,” Nissa chimed in. “Mentally, I’m sure they’re still messed up.”

 

“Enough,” the woman commanded. “It’s something we all have to deal with. Aaliyah, why don’t you and Nissa head out and check on the horses.”

 

Horses? When did they have them?

 

Aaliyah followed her sister out the back door and stared out the back with her mouth open. She had thought the front of the house and yard had been amazing in its upkeep, the back was even more so. Aaliyah had seen shows where the backyards of high end houses were well sculpted with a pool, which was set off to a side with a rock formation and a working waterfall and spanned a good twenty feet in length. A playscape structure stood further back and away from the pool; something for Ripley to play on Aaliyah guess.

 

“So, how’s the show coming along?” Nissa’s voice broke into Aaliyah’s mind.

 

“Oh … um … good. We’ve gone on break for a couple weeks due to spring break before we wrap up for the season.” Aaliyah kept up with Nissa. “Refresh my memory; horses?” She could smell hay and the lingering one of manure some ten feet away from the barn.

 

“Yeah, Mom was big on horses growing up. She was wanting some long before you started on that show.” Nissa came up to the barn door and opened it. “You’ve helped in the up keep of them.”

 

Aaliyah followed Nissa into the barn and heard the neigh of a horse and the noise of another. She allowed her eyes to adjust before walking down the aisle and stopped at a stall.

 

“You never forget yours,” Nissa commented.

 

Aaliyah held out a hand as the horse walked over to her, as if curious on who the new person was. “I don’t know why, I’ve always wanted one. Maybe mom…”

 

“Prisilla,” Nissa said. “Or Pris. You’ve never been comfortable calling her mom.”

 

Aaliyah nodded. “Why did she want all this? Not like she and I got along well.”

 

“Oh, you do. When dad first brought you and Xander in after your mom died of cancer, we all weren’t sure of each other.”

Aaliyah stroked the horse’s muzzle and listened. “We eventually grew close.”

 

“Took you standing up to a bully in junior high.” Nissa half chuckled at the memory. “Told ‘em that if they messed with Leo

again, you’d kick their asses.”

 

“Yeah, sounds like me.”

 

Aaliyah remembered how she stood up to one of the cheerleaders in high school when they were picking on the new kid. It was when she talked with the new kid that Aaliyah learned they were hard of hearing. Some signs still stuck with her; most faded away from unused. “And Ripley?”

 

“You really musta put yourself into work,” Nissa commented. “Mom and dad adopted him shortly after he was born. It was a few months before we learned he was hard of hearing.”

 

The horse nudged Aaliyah, pushing her off balance. Aaliyah recovered and shot her horse a look and saw it moving its lips into a smile.

 

“And that’s why you named him Jester,” Nissa said with a smile. “Come on, let’s see if the others are up for a ride.”

[NocteSpiritus]

Chapter 28

 

Aaliyah picked another piece of ghoul out of her hair and flicked it away with a twist of her wrist. The hunt had taken three days longer than expected and she had smelled better after a week at the teaching hospital. She closed her eyes in the effort to recover from the rush of adrenaline after the fight. Leaving the ghoul remains behind in the abandoned building, Aaliyah climbed into her car and tossed the machete onto the back seat. Cricket chirping filled the air and she swore there was an owl nearby. A scream sounded in the night when her cell started to ring. Something she wasn’t about to admit to Sam as she answered the call.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“We picked up a case that’s probably nothing,” Sam started. “We could just use another pair of eyes.”

 

“What’s the case?”

 

“You hear of these mystery spots dotted around the country?”

 

Aaliyah could hear Sam was trying to beat around the bush in asking her to meet up with them at one of the spots.

“Heard of, but tend to avoid them. There’s nothing really special about them. What’s up with this one?”

 

“A man disappeared there.”

 

She half bit a lip in thought. “Alright. Send me the motel details and I’ll be out that way after a shower and a few hours of sleep.”

 

“Sure thing.”

 

Aaliyah hung up and felt her cell buzz a few minutes later with the text from Sam. Driving off from the area, she admitted to herself that she had missed the two brothers. Part of her felt guilty for not even calling them after Christmas, but they did have more important things to worry about. And joining them on this missing person’s case would give her the chance to find out what they’ve been up to.

 

***

 

The Heat of the Moment was muffled playing from one of the motel rooms when Aaliyah shut her car door. She went to the back and pulled out her gear bag and clothes bag before going for the room playing Asia. Her sweatpants hung baggy off her legs in the few feet to the door. It had been a more comfort decision than a function one. An eyelid twitched, probably from the long drive.

 

“Aaliyah,” Dean greeted when he opened the door. “Didn’t know you were in town.”

 

“Yeah, saw a missing person’s case and decided to check it out,” she lied. “I saw the Impala in the lot, and with Asia playing…”

 

“Figured you’d ask for help.”

 

“That the three of us can figure it out together,” Aaliyah corrected. “Give me a few minutes to change and we’ll head out for breakfast.”

 

**

 

Aaliyah slid into the booth and settled in while Sam sat next to her. She listened as Sam summed up the case of how the man disappeared at the mystery spot.

 

“Sounds like a Fed suit case,” she said when he finished. “And that it’ll be nothing but a waste of time.”

 

“That’s what I said,” Dean said. “But we’re here.”

 

A waitress sporting a name tag that read “Doris” came up. “You three know what you want?”

 

“The special,” Dean said. “Side of bacon and a coffee.”

 

“Two coffees and a short stack,” Sam said.

 

“Ice tea, sweet and milk. And chocolate chip pancakes,” Aaliyah rounded out the order.

 

“We should be going after Bela,” Dean said when Doris walked away.

 

“Not her again,” Aaliyah moaned. “You’re just sore she took off with your scratch offs.”

 

“And she didn’t with yours, is that it?”

 

“Yeah, she didn’t. Because I was smart.”

 

“Okay, you two,” Sam cut in. “Until we find out where Bela’s been, we got this.”

 

Aaliyah looked over his arm as he unfolded the newspaper clipping. “Dexter Hesslebeck last seen in Broward Florida. What’s he some sort of relation to Knight Rider?”

 

“Where was he last seen?” Dean asked.

 

“His daughter,” Sam said after giving Aaliyah a ‘not funny’ look. “Said he was on his way to the county’s mystery spot.”

 

“I don’t see how this calls for the three of us,” Aaliyah told Sam. “Most of these spots are tourist traps.”

 

Doris returned with their drinks and somehow the hot sauce fell off the tray.

 

**

 

Aaliyah followed along after the brothers as Dean tried to figure out why the mystery spot was a big deal.

 

“I’m just saying,” Sam said. “There are spots in the world where holes open up and swallow people. The Bermuda Triangle, the Oregon Vortex…”

 

“Broward County Mystery Spot?” Dean countered.

 

“Okay, some places are legit,” Sam gave.

 

Aaliyah side stepped around the woman carrying a stack of fliers.

 

“The lore’s nuts,” Sam continued. “It says that the magnetic fields in these places are so strong it can bend space time and send victims who knows where.”

 

“Sounds a little X-Files to me,” Aaliyah spoke up. She moved around a couple movers in their attempt in moving a desk into a building.

 

“Alright, I’m not saying it’s not happening,” Sam gave up. “But if it is, we should check it out.”

 

“Alright, we’ll go tonight,” Dean said. “After they close and get us a nice long look.”

 

**

 

The flashlight reflected the neon green paint into her eyes as she followed Sam into the hallway. It had been a sudden change from the dark outside the building. She closed her eyes and put a hand to her head in an attempt to not get a headache. A hand rested on a shoulder as if the owner asked if she was okay.

 

“Damn paint job,” she commented, opening her eyes.

 

Aaliyah flicked her own flashlight on and drifted away from the brothers. She shook her head in amusement at them in her own search. She lost sight of them as she rounded a corner and nearly ran into a shotgun.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” a male voice asked, carrying through the room. “You here to rob me?”

 

Aaliyah put her hands up. “No, not here to rob you. I can explain.” She heard rushed footsteps behind her.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dean’s voice carried over. “How ‘bout we put the gun down and we talk about this like people?”

 

Aaliyah didn’t move as Dean moved around her to put himself between her and the other man.

 

“Don’t move,” the man said.

 

“Dean,” Aaliyah whispered, a sense of foreboding washed over her.

 

A gun blast echoed in the room followed by a thump of a body hitting the floor. Sam was there at her side while

Aaliyah stepped over Dean.

 

A switch had flipped in her when she moved toward the man in a predatory fashion. He turned and started to run from her. At one point he disappeared around a corner, and Aaliyah couldn’t find him.

 

**

 

Aaliyah blinked a few times to find herself sitting in her car. Something was off. The last thing she remembered was chasing after the guy that shot Dean at the mystery spot. She climbed out of the car and grabbed her bag and started for the room blasting In the Heat of the Moment. Everything seemed the same. The way the wind blew, her sweatpants brushed up against her legs, even that irritating eyelid twitch from the drive.

 

“Liyra,” Dean greeted when the door opened. “Didn’t know you were in town.”

 

“I … um … caught wind of a missing person’s case,” she said. “Figured I’d get it or run into the two of you.” She walked into the room and heard the door close behind her.

 

“We’re on the same case,” Dean admitted.

 

“Want another set of eyes?”

 

Aaliyah caught Sam walking in from the bathroom and narrowed her eyes. There was something she couldn’t place written on his face. Like he had noticed the change.

 

“It wouldn’t hurt,” Dean agreed.

 

“Give me a few minutes to change and we’ll head out for breakfast.” Aaliyah started for the bathroom.

 

“Hey, Aaliyah.” Sam’s voice was quiet as he followed after her. “Quick question.”

 

“What’s up?” She dumped her clothes bag down as Sam stood by the door.

 

“Are you getting the feeling that you’ve done this before?”

 

“Déjà vu?”

 

“More like Groundhog’s Day.”

 

Aaliyah looked up from her bag and into the mirror that reflected her ragged self back. Groundhog’s Day would explain it better than Déjà vu. “So, how do we break it? I mean, didn’t Murphy figure out how in the movie?” She pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt before toeing off her boots. “Would it work with us?”

 

“Probably not. There’s gotta be a reason why we’re stuck in a loop here.”

 

Aaliyah shed her shirt and sweats before threading her limbs into the jeans and a clean shirt. “So, we just keep going until something is outta place?” She put her boots back on and turned to Sam. “How long do you think that’ll last?”

 

**

 

Aaliyah stared at the tally marks in her journal. If her math was right, Dean ‘died’ over a hundred times. Each time was something different no matter if they all stayed at the motel, went to the diner for breakfast, or changed a small detail in the day. Aaliyah had gone out and picked up breakfast before going into the boys’ room, gotten her own room, even stayed in her car the whole day.

 

The door bell rang out, bringing Aaliyah’s attention up to see Sam and Dean. She closed her journal as they walked over and joined her at the booth. Sam slid in next to her while Dean took the other side, giddy about the Tuesday special of ‘pig and a poke’. She adjusted herself against the wall and looked over the people eating at the bar. The man that had maple syrup with his pancakes for the past several loops suddenly had what looked like strawberry. With a finger out of Dean’s eye sight to poke Sam, Aaliyah gestured with her head to the Pancake Man. Nothing had changed until now. Why was that?

 

“It doesn’t make sense,” Sam said. “Why change now?”

 

Aaliyah shrugged. “Think it’ll stop now?”

 

**

 

Aaliyah stared out of the windshield. Another loop. She reached for her bag and climbed out of the car and headed for the motel room. She opened the door without bothering to knock.

 

“No knock?” Dean called out.

 

“Nah. Figured the worse I get is a gun to my head.” Aaliyah freed the same pair of jeans and shirt she had a hundred times before. “Sam here?”

 

“Yeah. What’s up, Liyra? You’re normally not like this.”

 

“Just wanna get a jump on this missing person case.” She stripped off her shirt and sweats and put on the clean clothes. “Who wants breakfast?”

 

**

 

Aaliyah sat at the booth next to Sam and Dean’s, one leg against the outside of the seat and the other under the table. She had brought along her journal in the attempt of adding to the entry on “Groundhog’s Day”. The half filled page had been opened for the past ten minutes in her attempt. Behind her Dean was trying to understand what was going on while Sam kept an eye on Pancake Man. She heard someone move and head for the door. Her eyes shifted up to see Pancake Man on the other side of the door. Already on the move, she closed her journal and reached the door seconds before Sam and Dean.

 

Something hit her free hand as Sam came up beside her on the sidewalk.

 

“It’s a Trickster,” he whispered. “Only way to kill one with a stake covered in lamb’s blood to the heart.”

 

“Thought you guys took care of one.”

 

“We did. Could be another one.”

 

Aaliyah nodded as Sam took the lead in their trail after the man. Behind her she could hear Dean asking what was going on. Her hunting switch had flicked on and nothing short of solving the case could switch it off. She was steps behind Sam as he grabbed the man and tossed him into a fence.

 

“What’s going on?” the man asked.

 

“It took a while, but I figured out who you are,” Sam said, the stake to the man’s throat. “Or what you are.”

 

Aaliyah tightened her grip on the stake when she came up on the man’s other side. There was a second she had seen him look at her like he recognized her.

 

“Please don’t kill me,” he begged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Uh, Sam?” Dean tossed in.

 

“It’s your MO, isn’t it? Going around giving pompous jerks their just desserts,” Sam continued. “Your kind loves that, don’t they?”

 

“Yeah, sure, okay.”

 

Aaliyah heard the man’s voice shake a little from frayed nerves.

 

“How ‘bout we put the stakes down,” Dean suggested.

 

“There’s only one creature that’s powerful enough to do what he’s doing,” Sam countered. “Making reality out of nothing, sticking people in time loops. You’d have to be a god to be able to do that. Like a Trickster.”

 

“Name’s Ed Colman,” Ed stumbled over. “My wife’s Amelia. I got two kids, I sell ad space…”

 

“Don’t lie to me,” Sam yelled. “We killed one of you before.”

 

Aaliyah’s jaw dropped when “Ed Colman” morphed into a whole new person.

 

“Actually, bucko, you didn’t,” the new man said.

 

“Why are you doing this?” Aaliyah asked, stepping forward.

 

The Trickster turned his attention to her and smiled. “You friends here tried to kill me. Why wouldn’t I do it?”

 

“I wasn’t there. So why did I get stuck?”

 

“Because you’re tied to them,” the Trickster told her. “You may not have been there last time, but you know how the life turns.”

 

“And Hasselbeck?” Dean chimed in.

 

“That putz? Said he didn’t believe in wormholes. So I dropped him in one.” The Trickster laughed. “Then you two boys showed up.”

 

“This is fun to you?” Sam asked. “Killing Dean over and over?”

 

“Yes, it is. And the joke’s not on him, bucko. It’s on you, Sam. Watching your brother die every day, forever.”

 

“Still doesn’t explain why I’m stuck seeing it,” Aaliyah said. “No. You know what, it ends now.” She took two steps forward, lifting her stack.

 

“Now, hold up a second love,” the Trickster said. “It was all a joke; I was playing around.”

 

“Making us watch Dean die a hundred fucking times isn’t a joke,” Aaliyah shouted.

 

“You’re out; all of you. When you wake up tomorrow, it’ll be Wednesday. I swear.”

 

“You’re lying,” Sam said.

 

“If I am, you know where I’ll be,” the Trickster said. “At the diner having pancakes.”

 

“Easier just to kill you.”

 

Aaliyah couldn’t move fast enough before the Trickster snapped his fingers.

 

***

 

Once again she looked out the windshield at the exterior of the motel. Part of her just wanted to recline the seat back and sleep a while. It was either going to be another Tuesday, or the Trickster actually fixed it that the day was in fact Wednesday.

 

Aaliyah just settled in for a nap when a gunshot rang out. She opened the car door and rolled out just as Sam raced from the motel room. A quick look around showed the shooter, who panicked and ran. She gave chase but lost him after a few blocks. Defeated, Aaliyah jogged back to the motel parking lot. There Sam held Dean in his arms, dead.

 

“We should have woken up,” he said. “Something’s way off.”

 

“The Trickster,” Aaliyah told him. “He said it’d be Wednesday when we woke up next. Not that Dean won’t die.” She took a step back when he looked up at her; a predatory glare on his face.

 

“Then we hunt it down.”

 

“Sam…” She trailed off when he stood and started to work on taking care of Dean. “Keep in touch, huh? If there’s anything on the Trickster, I’ll let you know.”

 

Aaliyah grabbed her clothes back and ducked into the motel room to change. By the time she emerged, Sam had driven off. With nothing to keep her in town, Aaliyah drove off and passed by the diner.

 

**

 

Aaliyah fumbled with her phone while trying to keep the car in the lane. The past six months had been more finding any sign of the Trickster than hunts. Sam hadn’t helped by calling every few days asking about it.

 

“Hey, Bobby,” Aaliyah greeted.

 

“Hey, Kid,” he replied. “How’s the hunt?”

 

“Hard. Sam’s been pushing it harder than before. I love him as a brother, you know that Bobby. But this is how they all got into hunting in the beginning.” Aaliyah heard some shuffling on Bobby’s end. “This isn’t some curtesy call, is it?”

 

“Sam says he found him,” he said. “Think you can haul ass back to the mystery spot?”

 

“I’m about a day’s drive out, but I can make it. I’ll let Sam know when I’m close.”

 

“Aaliyah.” The sound of actual concern in Bobby’s voice caught her from hanging up. “Be careful, will yah?”

 

**

 

“That green and black paint job still creeps me out,” Aaliyah commented when she walked into the room Bobby set up with the trap. “Need a hand?”

 

“Just about set. You hear from Sam?”

 

“He’s a few minutes out. Should be here soon.” Aaliyah stepped around the chalked diagram, making mental notes for any possible future use. “You really think this will get the Trickster here?”

 

She looked toward the door when it opened and Sam stepped into the room.

 

“It’s the last place the Trickster worked his magic,” Bobby answered.

 

“What else do we need?” Sam asked.

 

“Blood.”

 

“How much?”

 

“Ritual calls for a gallon. And it’s gotta be fresh.”

 

“That’ll bleed someone dry,” Aaliyah claimed. It got mild shocked looks from the two men. “Former nurse, remember?”

 

“The ritual needs to be done tonight,” Bobby continued. “Or not for another fifty years.”

 

“Then let’s go get some.” Sam started for the door.

 

“Sam, wait,” Aaliyah called after him.

 

“You think I’m gonna let you kill an innocent?” Bobby countered.

 

Sam turned to him. “Then why’d you bring me here?”

 

Aaliyah shifted her eyes between them. Some part of her understood where Sam was coming from, but to go out and kill someone who had done nothing wrong was taking a step over that line that blurred for them.

 

“Because it was the only way you’d see me,” Bobby shouted. “I’m trying to knock some sense into you. I thought you’d back down from killing an innocent man.”

 

“You thought wrong. Leave the stuff, I’ll do it myself.”

 

“You can’t be serious, Sam,” Aaliyah cut in. “Killing an innocent man just to get Dean back?”

 

“You would for your siblings,” Sam yelled.

 

“I’d do just about anything for them, but not what you’re wanting to do.”

 

“If you’re so hell bent on killing someone.” Bobby held up a knife to Sam. “Kill me.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Better me than a civilian.”

 

“You’re crazy, Bobby.”

 

“Oh, now I’m the crazy one? Look, Sam. I’m near the end of my line. But you can keep fighting. But you need your brother. Let me give him back to you.”

 

“Bobby…”

 

“You boys are the closest I have to a family,” he cut in.

 

Aaliyah stood there and watched Sam take the knife and Bobby knelt in the circle. The air in the room seemed to stand still. Her skin tingled as a shiver ran up her spine. Something was off here. She stood there and watched Sam put a stake through Bobby’s chest.

 

“What the hell, Sam?”

 

“It’s not Bobby.”

 

Aaliyah went to move into the circle as Sam yelled at Bobby’s corpse before it disappeared. The stake that had been in Bobby’s chest flew back into Sam’s hand before the Trickster appeared.

 

“You’re right,” he said. “I was messing with you. Pretty good, Sam. Whoever said Dean was the dysfunctional one hadn’t seen you with a sharp object.”

 

“Bring him back,” Sam demanded.

 

“Who? Dean? Didn’t you get the flowers I sent? Dean’s dead, and he ain’t coming back. His soul’s downstairs doing the hellfire rumba as we speak.”

 

“Send us back to that day it started,” Aaliyah spoke up. “Please.” She stood her ground when the Trickster turned his attention to her. “I swear I won’t come after you.”

 

“You. You I believe. Sammy here, I’m not too keen on believing.”

 

“You believe her over me?” Sam asked.

 

“You did chase after him for six months,” Aaliyah pointed out. She shrugged when Sam looked at her. “It’s true.”

 

He lowered his gaze and sighed. “I swear, no more chasing.”

 

“Yah know,” the Trickster said, swaying a little. “I don’t know if I could.”

 

“You can,” Sam countered.

 

“But it doesn’t mean I should,” the Trickster said. “There’s a lesson I’ve tried beating into that skull of yours.”

 

“What lesson?”

 

“This obsession to save Dean. The way the two of you always sacrificing yourselves for each other. Nothing good comes of it; just blood and death. Dean’s your weakness. Even Aaliyah over here has become a weakness to you. All three of you are each other’s weaknesses; and the bad guys know it. It’ll be the death of you, Sam. Sometimes you have to let people go.”

 

Aaliyah’s heart pulled for Sam. For all the hunts and life pains that they shared, she couldn’t imagine losing any of her siblings. She went through hell trying to save Xander; first from the vampire then at the assisted living and the Djinn. She walked over to Sam, his face pulled down and a tear threatened to fall.

 

“He’s my brother,” he said.

 

“And like it or not, that’s what life is gonna be like without him,” the Trickster countered.

 

Aaliyah looked at the Trickster. There was some sort of shimmer around him that wouldn’t focus when she trained her eyes right on it.

 

“Please,” Sam pled.

 

“I swear, it’s a brick wall with you. Look, this stopped being fun months ago. I’m over it.”

 

“Meaning what?”

 

“For me to know and you to find out.”

 

Aaliyah swore the Trickster winked at her before he snapped his fingers.

 

***

 

She shifted around in the bed and moaned. A hand moved and brushed against the cheap motel sheets. It took another minute or two before her sleep addled brain to wake up enough to make the connection. The Trickster must have made it so she wasn’t pulling up to the motel in her car. Her mind caught the radio not playing Asia as Sam and Dean talked.

 

“Hey, sleepy head.” A pillow landed on Aaliyah’s head. “Come on, don’t wanna be wasting the day.”

 

Aaliyah yawned and stretched before working herself up into sitting. Her shirt and bed pants were a bit skewed from the few hours of sleep. She sat there with a leg hanging off the bed and watched Sam go over and hug Dean.

 

“Dude, how many Tuesdays did you have?” Dean asked.

 

“Too many,” Aaliyah replied. “You remember anything?”

 

“That Sam was out of it and getting up with the Trickster. That’s about it.”

 

Aaliyah worked herself to her feet and ambled for the bathroom. “Give me five to get dressed, guys.” She sat on the toilet.

 

“In the bathroom?” Sam asked.

 

“You know that line is so blurred, it might as well not be there,” Aaliyah said with a smirk on her face. “After all the hunts and mutual wound stitching sessions we’ve head, it’s not there.” She stood and pulled her pants up. “You two got a case, or are we gonna split for a while?”

 

“I was thinking breakfast,” Dean said.

 

“No breakfast,” Sam said. “And wait on packing the car; I don’t wanna any chances.”

 

Aaliyah smiled more to herself in her changing efforts. She understood where Sam was coming from. Once changed, she stuffed her clothes back into her bag and sipped it. “I’m set.”

 

“You two don’t look so good,” Dean said. “Are you sure there isn’t anything else?”

 

“Just a weird dream,” Sam said.

 

“Clowns or midgets?”

 

Aaliyah chuckled at it as she followed Dean out of the motel room, the sense that no matter what, there could be no saving her older brother.

Edited May 6, 2019 by NocteSpiritus

[NocteSpiritus]

Chapter 29

 

Aaliyah pushed through the crowd toward the house. She heard several people yell after her to not do it; let the professionals do it. The fire and ambulance teams were still a few minutes out and would be too late to save the children trapped in the house. Aaliyah was there and tossed her life into the wind. She choked on the smoke filled living room, her breath caught in her throat. A hand brought up the collar of her shirt to cover her nose and mouth.

 

“Kids,” she called out, diving deeper into the house. “Come on, make some sound.”

 

Something hit a wall upstairs and Aaliyah swore she heard something bounce a few times before it stopped. Her eyes watered from the smoke as she climbed the stairs. Faint crying came from one of the rooms. There was a child no older than two standing up in the crib. Aaliyah picked up the crying toddler and turned back for the hallway when the ceiling caved in. She stumbled back a few steps as she half turned to shield the child, hitting the crib. Some small part of Aaliyah’s brain registered pain, but she ignored it to focus on getting out of the room. The burning pile was big enough to make getting out difficult. With a silent apology to both the toddler and the parents, Aaliyah charged the pile and leapt through.

 

“Mommy,” a child called followed by coughing.

 

Aaliyah followed the call, her mind telling her to forget the child and worry about herself. She fought back the urge as she turned into the bedroom. Half of it was already covered in collapsed ceiling, with one or two piles burning away. With a cough that threatened to bring up a lung, Aaliyah dove in and found the child and pulled them in front of her.

 

“Go, don’t stop for me,” she told the child.

 

Aaliyah kept a hand out in the odd sense of comfort that she’d be able to tell if the child was still in front of her. Back down the hall and the stairs and out the front door. EMS and fire fighters rushed over and took control of the children as Aaliyah hacked away from the smoke. She pulled away when a hand touched her arm before her mind snapped back to see a fire fighter. The danger was gone. Two more lives had been saved, and she could go vanish into the night. But with the gentle yet urging hand on her arm told her vanishing wouldn’t be a good thing.

 

She followed the fire fighter over to an empty ambulance where the EMS cut away her burned and smoked clothes in order to tend to her burns. One handed her an oxygen mask.

 

“Where’d these come from?” one EMS asked, tracing the werewolf scars on her back.

 

“Bear attack. Stupid luck had me at the wrong place and time.” Aaliyah wasn’t sure if the two techs actually believed her or not, but they didn’t press the issue. She stayed still and quiet while they finished up tending to the burns.

 

“You got lucky,” the first EMS told her. “Most are first degree burns with a few that are second. Some of the first degree might turn second, so just keep putting on ointment and keep them covered for a few weeks.” He finished putting on the final bandage.

 

“Thanks.” Aaliyah handed the oxygen mask back to the other EMS and eased herself out of the ambulance. She adjusted her jacket over her body. It had been the one thing that had somehow survived the fire.

 

“You look familiar,” the second one spoke up. “Haven’t I seen you before?”

 

Aaliyah’s heart threatened to burst out of her chest. “I doubt it.”

 

“I swear you look like the one ER nurse that had saddled a patient and stuck a needle into their chest to expand a lung.”

Aaliyah chuckled as a corner of her mouth pulled into a smile. “I think you’ve got your nurses confused.”

 

“I think I heard about that,” the first EMS said. “A friend of mine at that ER said that the nurse who did that seriously worked outside the box; and the higher ups didn’t like that. A shame, really.”

 

Aaliyah tilted her head, a mix of confusion and curiosity. “How so?”

 

“Not to speak ill of the nurse or the hospital,” the EMS said. “But word has it that the last time she had been seen, the night she got fired, was the same night she supposedly put a curse on the ER department and rode off in a black Impala. The ER’s had a

string of bad luck ever since.”

 

“You really think this nurse cursed the ER department just because she got fired?” After nearly three years, Aaliyah hadn’t really thought about the hospital or what’s happened since.

 

“Kinda hard not to think it since half the staff that had worked with her spoke of her as if she was some sort of supernatural connection,” the second EMS said. “And the other half not liking what she’s done because, quote, she didn’t adhere to policies and procedures.”

 

Aaliyah gave an amused huff more to herself. To think after all this time she was seen as somewhat of a legend back in the ER.

“Well, even if I was this nurse you’ve heard of, I doubt that who I was then isn’t me now.”

 

“I’d say so,” the first EMS said. “Never known a nurse to run into a burning building to save a couple kids and come out with smoke inhalation and mostly first degree burns. Especially with a new tattoo.”

 

A phone started ringing, startling all three. Aaliyah padded at her pockets and fished out her phone as she walked away from the ambulance. “Fisher.”

 

“Aaliyah, it’s Sam. We need your help.”

 

She cast a glance back to the EMS that treated her packing up. “It’s about Lilith, isn’t it?”

 

***

 

Aaliyah glanced over to Dean when he shot up in bed. She sat hunched over the table with a lore book open at a page with a sketching of what a hellhound might look like. Anything she had been dealing with was dropped when Sam called for help. Both brothers had gotten on her for being reckless in running into the burning house and getting her wounds. She didn’t tell them that she gone in to clean up the mess from another hunter who had gotten in way over their head. Aaliyah wasn’t sure what happened to that hunter since the house fire.

 

The cabin door opened and Aaliyah reached for her knife before a reassuring hand rested on her shoulder. She had pushed past her body’s demands for sleep in the effort to figure out how to stop the hellhounds.

 

“Dig up anything?” Sam asked.

 

Aaliyah shook her head. “Nothing good.” She turned back to the book.

 

“Bobby has. Finally. A way to find Lilith.”

 

“Oh?” Dean shifted on the bed and looked at his watch. “With about thirty hours to go.”

 

Aaliyah ignored Dean when he started going off on last minute ‘I want to have fun before I die’ requests. She flipped a page while Sam made the meager attempt to reassure his brother that they weren’t going to let Dean go to hell. There had to be a way to stop the whole thing. The thought of going out and summoning a cross-roads demon passed through, but where would that get anyone? Dean might be saved for a time, or he’d be going down with her in ten years. If the demon was willing to do

that.

 

“Here, Kid,” Bobby’s voice drifted into Aaliyah’s dream.

 

She heard the sound of a cup being placed on the table near her head before footsteps walked away. She reached for the cup of coffee even before she opened her eyes and pushed up to sit. The table had been freed of the books and a map of the United States took up the free space.

 

“What’s this?” Aaliyah asked when Bobby put a device onto the map.

 

“A tracking spell. All you really need is a name. Right name and spell, ain’t nothing you can’t suss out.”

 

Aaliyah sipped a the coffee, still hating the bitter taste of it. There probably wasn’t enough sugar or flavoring in the world to cancel that out. She sat there and listened as Bobby started the spell to locate Lilith.

 

“New Harmony, Indiana,” Bobby said.

 

“Alright.” Aaliyah put down the cup and pushed herself to her feet. “Let’s get going.”

 

“Whoa, hang on for a minute,” Dean called after her.

 

“What? We know where Lilith’s at, and…”

 

“We’re going off of Bela’s intel,” Dean countered. “And we don’t know if Lilith even holds my deal. Even if we can get to her, we have no way to gank her. And third, what makes you think we’re gonna let you go in on this one?”

 

Aaliyah blinked a few times. “What makes you think I’m gonna sit this one out? Or let you three leave me on the sidelines? How many times do I have to tell you that I’m involved now; way too involved. I’m going in with you.” She narrowed her eyes at Dean, daring him to do something.

 

“Just ‘cause I have to die doesn’t mean you all have too,” he countered.

 

“Then what’s the plan?” Sam cut in.

 

“We go in smart or we don’t go in at all.”

 

“If that’s the case, I have an answer.”

 

Aaliyah shifted her eyes between the two brothers. Her stomach started turning with the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

 

“You do?” Dean asked.

 

“Yeah. A sure-fire way to confirm it’s Lilith,” Sam said. “And a way to get us a bona fide demon killing genus.”

 

“Damn it, Sam, no.”

 

“No?” Aaliyah chimed in.

 

“Sam here has a brilliant idea of calling for his demon friend Ruby,” Dean told her.

 

“A demon?” She turned to face Sam. “Are you nuts? After all the trouble we had with yellow eyes and Meg? We don’t need the added problems.”

 

“Exactly,” Sam said. “And we don’t have time or choice.”

 

“Come on, man,” Dean cut in. “She’s the Miss Universe of lying shanks. She said you could save me. Uh – lie. She seemed to know everything about Lilith, but failed to mention that she owns my soul.”

 

“Fine, she lies,” Sam agreed. “But she has the knife.”

 

“For all we know she works for Lilith.”

 

“Can we really trust this Ruby?” Aaliyah asked. “I mean if she’s lied about stuff before, what’s to stop her now?”

 

“Sam’s right,” Bobby put his opinion into the conversation.

 

“No, damn it.”

 

Aaliyah took a step back from Dean.

 

“Just … no,” he continued. “We’re not making the same mistakes. You want to save me, find something else.”

 

Aaliyah felt more than actually saw Bobby turn and leave the cabin. She attempted to get further into the book before her head bobbed.

 

“Get some sleep, Liyra,” Dean told her. “Between the two of us, you need it more.”

 

She shook her head. “Gotta find … something to help.”

 

A hand grabbed her arm and guided her up over to the bed. She didn’t fight it.

 

“Just a few hours,” Aaliyah agreed as she laid down.

 

**

 

Aaliyah stuffed the piece of paper into her pocket before she reached the door. She wasn’t sure what to do with the number the burly biker guy gave her, but it could be useful at one point in the future. Darting down the stairs, Aaliyah nearly missed a step.

 

“And who’s this?” called a female voice Aaliyah didn’t recognize.

 

“Get back upstairs,” Sam and Dean called at the same time.

 

“Like hell I’m not,” Aaliyah replied, reaching the floor. “Especially not when you refused to listen in calling…” she looked over the woman who stood a half foot shorter than her. “Ruby.”

 

“She’s cute,” Ruby commented, moving toward Aaliyah.

 

“And you’re not gonna put a finger on her.” Dean moved to place himself between the demon and Aaliyah.

 

“I’d like to see her try,” Aaliyah challenged. She raised a hand and pulled down her collar to reveal a bandage taped to her chest over her hear.

 

“What’s that?” Sam asked.

 

Aaliyah heard the protective brother tone in his voice. “Oh, a tattoo. It’s supposed to be a shaded in pentagram and circled by shaded in flames.”

 

“You mean like this?” Sam showed her the same tattoo.

 

“The same exact one.”

 

“You all think that’ll save you?” Ruby asked. “That a tattoo will stop hellhounds from coming after Dean here?”

 

“No, but I hear of a certain knife of yours,” Aaliyah cut in. “That’s gotta be useful for something, right?”

 

“Why would I give you my knife?” Ruby asked. “Sam’s carrying a bomb in him, and we’d be stupid not to use it.”

 

Aaliyah kept an eye on Dean while he paced. “I don’t know about this.”

 

“Just hold on for a minute …” Sam started

 

“Come on, man,” Dean cut him off. “Are you blind? Can’t you see this is a trick?”

 

“That’s not true,” Ruby countered.

 

“She wants you to give into this whole demonic psychic whatever,” Dean continued. “Hell, she probably wants you to become her little Anti-Christ Super Star.”

 

“That’s not it,” Ruby yelled, anger in her voice. “I want Lilith dead, that’s all.”

 

“Why?” Aaliyah dared to speak up.

 

“I told them why.”

 

“Right, yeah.” Dean moved enough to bring Ruby’s attention back to him. “Because you were human once. And you love kittens and long walks on the beach.”

 

“I’m sick and tired of trying to prove myself to you,” Ruby shouted. “You wanna save yourself? This is how, you dumb, spineless dick.”

 

Aaliyah blinked once before Dean swung at Ruby. She managed to hold Sam back from the fist fight between Ruby and Dean. Sam frees himself from Aaliyah’s hold and got hit to the floor. Aaliyah aimed for Ruby with a lineman’s tackle move, but the demon side stepped the attack. Her hand brushed against the hilt of a blade and grabbed hold. She pivoted around to see Dean next to her and Ruby facing them and smiled. Aaliyah coughed to clear her throat and gained their attention.

 

“Missing something?” Aaliyah held up the knife. She grinned even as Ruby gave a ‘you bastard’ look.

 

“I’m gonna kill you.” Ruby charged at Aaliyah.

 

Aaliyah stumbled back a few steps when Dean tugged at her jacket.

 

“Like I said,” Dean said. “I knew you’d come.”

 

Aaliyah felt the nudge from him to follow. Circling around the demon trap, she reached the stairs and headed up. Part of her knew that Dean wouldn’t let her stay down there for long, or leave her alone with Ruby.

 

“That was risky,” Dean turned on Aaliyah when they reached the main floor. “Too risky.”

 

What was so risky about it? No more than anything else I’ve done before.”

 

“This isn’t some demon or salt and burn, Liyra. We’re going up against Lilith.”

 

“And how’s some high powered demon any different from Yellow Eyes? Or did you forget I was involved with that as well? You know what?” She held up the knife before putting it onto the table. “Fuck this. You don’t want me involved; I’ll go find a case to work.”

 

Aaliyah saw herself out of the house. Her mind warred with itself while she crossed over to her car. It was down to the wire in their effort to save Dean, and he didn’t want her involved with taking out Lilith.

 

“Aaliyah, wait,” a voice called out after her.

 

“Why?” She spun on a heel to see Dean chasing after her. “So, you tell me what a horrible mistake it is for me to be involved again? After all the shit we’ve been through, you think that it’ll be easy for me to step aside while you and Sam go after Lilith? You think she’s more trouble then Yellow Eyes, and you don’t want me there. Fine, I’ll be out somewhere on the west coast somewhere hunting something.”

 

A hand grabbed her wrist while she turned for the car.

 

Aaliyah swung back around, a fist balled and in full motion for contact. The fist was grabbed and Dean pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her. Her body froze in confusion. It was so unlike Dean to show any sort of emotion, other than rage after bottling it up for so long.

 

“I don’t want to see you hurt,” he said in Aaliyah’s ear.

 

“I’m a hunter. Comes with the territory.”

 

Dean pulled away from her. “I mean it. If anything goes sideways for us, I want you gone.”

 

“Got it. Now, are we gonna go gank this demon or not?”

 

***

 

Aaliyah shifted in the backseat while Sam tried to have a quick heart to heart with Dean. The thought of putting her music on passed through her head; she had thought ahead of time to bring a selection of CDs and her player. Fishing the player and a CD out of her bag, Aaliyah shifted around to stretch out across the bench. From the front seat, Dean started singing along to “Wanted Dead or Alive” that was playing on the radio. For as good as the song was, she wasn’t in the mood to listen to it. Not with what loomed on the horizon.

 

Time passed and Aaliyah was on the edge of consciousness; the rumble of the car’s engine threatened to send her completely unconscious. It had that eerie call back to when she was riding with the brothers on the crazy mission to find their father and taking out Yellow Eyes; with her in the backseat trying to figure out where she fit into the hunter’s world, Dean driving and his choice of classic rock music playing, and Sam in the passenger seat reading. What didn’t fit was the loud sirens that forced itself into Aaliyah’s sleep.

 

“…Pulled over?” she muttered as she worked into a sitting position.

 

“Got a busted tail light,” Dean tossed back at her. “Go back to sleep.”

 

“Not when you might do something stupid.”

 

Aaliyah adjusted herself even as Dean pulled over to the side of the road. She smiled politely to the officer when he shone his flashlight into her window. Keeping quiet while Dean dealt with the officer, she fought back the feeling that something was way too off with the officer. She jumped back when Dean threw his door open against the officer before climbing out of the car. Sam waved her back while Dean stabbed at the officer. A hand touched her shoulder, alerting Aaliyah that someone was there.

 

“What just happened?” Bobby asked.

 

“Dean just killed a demon,” Sam answered. “How’d you know?”

 

“I saw its face, the one under that one.”

 

Aaliyah pulled away from Bobby and went to hunch down at the officer. “We need to move the patrol car.”

 

Sam nodded and moved for the car.

 

Aaliyah followed after while he managed the vehicle into a wooded spot and started pulling on branches. “How’s it that you’re seeing demons now?” she asked when she put the last branch on the car.

 

“I’ve seen lots of crazy lately,” Dean said. “Just … nothing like this.”

 

“Actually,” Bobby cut in. “It’s not that crazy.”

 

“How is seeing demons not crazy?” Aaliyah asked.

 

“Think about it. Dean’s got about five hours to go and is piercing the veil.”

 

“A little less new age-y please.”

 

“You’re almost hell’s bitch,” Bobby put it blunt. “So you can see hell’s other bitches.”

 

“Gee, thanks.”

 

Aaliyah turned her head at the noise that Sam was making to join them. “Think about it. Lilith knows we’re coming. And she’s bound to have demons all over the damn place.”

 

“We can’t be letting them sounding the alarm,” Bobby said. “She knows we’re here; and we’re dead before we start.”

 

“This plan’s terrific,” Dean half complained. “So excited to be apart of it. Can we go now?”

 

Aaliyah watched him storm away from the spot. There had to be a way to stop the deal. They were at the one yard line last year with the Hell’s Gate and Yellow Eyes. Same thing here with the deal.

 

**

 

She darted between shadows, hearing the hushed voice of Bobby telling her not to show off. Her mind had gone full Hunter mood now that they were so close to Lilith. Even if the deal couldn’t be broken, killing Lilith would be nice. Aaliyah stopped at a house, using it to hide, and waited. One dark house on the street has a “For Sale” sign in the yard; the one where Lilith was. A hand guided her back away from the ambient light. Aaliyah noticed that Bobby had taken her spot with Sam, who was using a pair of binoculars to spy on the house, standing behind him. She could sense Dean standing behind her. The usual line up plus one. Even when he was facing down death, Dean was making sure she was safe.

 

Aaliyah saw Sam step out from behind the house and reached out to stop him. “You crazy?”

 

“Better then standing here waiting for ‘em to kill us.”

 

“See the real go-getter of a mailman?” Dean pointed out. “Doing the rounds at nine pm? And Mr. Rodgers over there?”

 

“Demons?” Bobby asked.

 

“Yes,” Dean answered.

 

“Okay, fine,” Sam said, shifting his weight. “We …. ninja past them and get in.”

 

“Then what? Give a ‘Columbian necktie’ to a ten year old? Come on.”

 

“I know it’s awful, but this isn’t just about saving you, Dean. It’s about saving everyone.”

 

Aaliyah glanced over to Bobby when Dean gave in. She followed after the older hunter while the brothers went off in a different direction.

 

“Here,” he said, handing over a rosary. “Doubt you learned how to make holy water in the past few years.”

 

Aaliyah shook her head, keeping the comment of killing demons was easier. Doing the hard work to get into the water pipes, she repeated the words Bobby told her and dropped the rosary into the pipe. “How do we know if it worked?”

 

“Wait and turn the sprinklers on,” he said. “Listen, kid. This is gonna go bad tonight, no matter what we do. Can an old hunter get a last request?”

 

“You want me to get out of hunting? I can try, Bobby. Let’s get through tonight, huh?”

 

“Fair enough. Go meet up with the boys, I got it from here.”

 

Aaliyah nodded and headed around to the front where Sam was struggling on picking the lock. “Need some help?”

 

A scream brought her attention up to see Dean and Ruby running up to the house. Aaliyah pulled out a knife and stepped out away from Sam straight for Ruby. The sudden waterworks of the sprinkler system sent Aaliyah back.

 

Sam pulled Aaliyah into the house after him, followed by Dean and Ruby.

 

Aaliyah glanced around as she took up a spot behind Sam as he led the way through the house with the knife. A creak from behind turned her head. She stepped away from Sam even as Dean took up a spot behind her. Reaching out, Aaliyah held the knife in a way it would be the first thing to move in attack. Dean opened the door to reveal the father.

 

Aaliyah put a finger to her lips to tell the father to keep quiet. “We’re here to help. Where’s your daughter?”

 

“It’s …” he stammered. “It’s not her anymore.”

 

Aaliyah leaned in closer to him, eyes narrowed. “Where is she?”

 

“Upstairs; bedroom.”

 

“Now, go down to the basement and put a salt line down in front of the door behind you,” she instructed.

 

“Not without my wife.”

 

“Yes, without your wife.” Aaliyah saw another refusal and punched the man.

 

She moved as Dean reached in for the man, shouldering the limp body. Her eye caught Sam and Ruby moving for the stairs. Aaliyah found the salt in the kitchen and headed downstairs after Dean, putting the salt line down after he dumped the father. She darted up the stairs and took the flight to the second floor two steps at a time. Dean thumped up behind her, pushing past when they reached the top.

 

A scream echoed from a room. Aaliyah charged for the room on Dean’s heels. He stopped Sam from putting Ruby’s knife into the girl.

 

“It’s not Lilith,” Dean said. “It’s not in her.”

 

Aaliyah glanced between the girl and her mother. It wouldn’t be much of an issue for a high ranked demon like Lilith to pull back and let the human have control. That much she remembered from dealing with Yellow Eyes. She brought up the rear of the group as they headed downstairs. Aaliyah half heard Dean instructed the mother and child to remain in the basement no matter what they hear. She walked into the living room and glanced out the window to see the sprinkler system still acting as a barrier to the demons out on the street.

 

Somewhere she heard Sam and Ruby bicker back and forth about what Sam had to do to save Dean. Aaliyah turned back to the group and saw Sam take a breath.

 

“I’m sorry,” Dean said. “This is all my fault, I know that. But what you’re doing isn’t gonna save me. It’ll kill you.”

 

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

 

Aaliyah heard Sam’s voice crack just a little and fought back her tears.

 

“Keep fighting. Take care of my wheels. Remember what Dad taught you. Okay?”

 

Aaliyah nodded along with Sam. She startled when the clock in the other room started chiming midnight. Her breath caught in

her throat when the first rumble of a hellhound rolled into the room.

 

“I’m so sorry, Dean,” Ruby said, remorse in her voice. “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

 

Aaliyah wiped away her tears and pushed her feelings deep before she turned in the direction Dean pointed at. She hadn’t the chance to stand her ground before a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her along after them. First into the office, Aaliyah bounced on the balls of her feet, waiting to close the doors. Sam helped to brace them closed while Dean put down a line of dust in front of the doors. Aaliyah heard Ruby ask Sam for the knife, claiming she could fight it off.

 

“Why would he give you the knife?” Aaliyah questioned, her head tilted to a side. “I mean you’ve barely lifted a finger to help all night.”

 

“If she can manage it …” Sam countered, pulling out the knife.

 

“Wait!” Dean rushed over. “That’s not Ruby.”

 

Aaliyah took one step toward Ruby before being flung against a wall, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Gasping for breath, she barely registered the conversation between Dean and Lilith. Using the wall for support, Aaliyah managed to gain her feet just as Lilith turned her attention on her.

 

“You know,” Lilith started. “You should have taken that message to heart and gone back to school.” She put a gentle hand to Aaliyah’s cheek.

 

“And miss out on seeing you squirm?” Aaliyah gave a half smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

 

“You got nerve,” Sam called over to Lilith. “Besides, you got me. Let them go.

 

“Don’t you worry, Sam.” Lilith turned her attention over to him, removing her hand from Aaliyah’s face. “And if you wanna bargain, you need to have something I want.”

 

Aaliyah struggled to prop herself up against the wall and watched Lilith stalk toward Sam.

 

“This is your big plan,” Dean told Lilith. “Kill Sam, drag me to hell, and leave Aaliyah here? Then what? Become Queen Bitch?”

 

“I don’t answer to puppy chow,” the demon retorted. She moved over to the door and opened it. “Sic him.”

 

A scream tore at Aaliyah’s throat, scratching it up as the hellhound pulled Dean off the table and onto the floor. She fought against the force that held her against the wall in the effort to save Dean. Sam’s voice was distant as he pled to Lilith for it to stop while Dean’s screams of pain mingled with Sam’s voice.

 

The force that held Aaliyah to the wall broke away, allowing her to slide on her knees toward a bloody and torn up Dean. A light breeze crossed her skin, sending her hairs to stand on end. She ignored the hellhound and checked for a pulse. The hand pulled back slow as Sam circled around and cradled Dean. Some part of her picked up that the hellhound was gone, and Sam was in the middle of an ugly cry, but Aaliyah’s mind had checked out.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

Really hard for me to keep up with this.  I'm trying.  Just so much stuff to do / read and such little time to do it in. 

 

'With the radio on one of the few stations not playing Christmas music, '  how dare you.  I'm so offended!  lol 

[NocteSpiritus]

Chapter 30

 

Lighting changed in the room as the sun rose, bringing in a new day. Aaliyah followed along after Sam before he finally shooed her away, stating he wanted to be alone. Bobby guided her toward his car before disappearing. Aaliyah sat in the seat, hands folded in her lap, and didn’t flinch when the back door opened and shut. She wasn’t sure when Bobby slid into the driver’s seat or started the car before starting off from the area.

 

The drive back to Sioux Falls was quiet with a small amount of tension. Bobby wanted to talk with Aaliyah about what happened in the house, but had the sense of not to try to bring it up. Aaliyah came back around on the drive back to Bobby’s, her mind working through what had happened and what she saw with Dean. Part of her mind seemed to go through it and compartmentalized it.

 

When Bobby pulled up to his house, Aaliyah managed to climb out of the car and went to get whatever Bobby put in the back before he shooed her into the house. She claimed the couch and collapsed onto it. Her mind played back the images of Dean being mauled by the hellhound. A scream erupted from her mouth as she shut up on the couch, her shirt clung to her skin soaked in sweat.

 

“Aaliyah.” Footsteps thumped on the stairs. “Aaliyah, you’re safe.”

 

Struggling to regain her breathing, Aaliyah shifted on the couch to have her feet on the floor and braced her elbows on her knees. Adrenaline that shot through her body finally started to ebb, leaving Aaliyah shaking. A hand rubbed her back in the helpful attempt to calm her.

 

“I … I …” Aaliyah started.

 

“We can talk about it later,” Bobby assured her. “Try and rest for a while.”

 

Aaliyah felt the couch cushions lift a little when he stood and his footsteps thudded into the kitchen. She grabbed the blanket that Bobby must have covered her with and laid back down on the couch. A little bit of guilt ate away at her for waking Bobby, though she wasn’t sure what time it was. She could have slept the rest of the day they got back to the house and that whole night before the nightmare woke her. Turning around to face the couch back, Aaliyah listened to Bobby move around the house for a few before one of the phones started to ring.

 

Bobby answered it as FBI. Any of the two dozen or so hunters that somehow had ties to Bobby must have given the fake FBI card he had to some local cops or sheriffs.

 

Aaliyah half listened as Bobby handled the call as she half drifted off to sleep. At one point she heard Bobby say that she’s welcomed to the food in the house if and when she got hungry. The day passed with her not moving from the couch save for the bathroom.

 

“Hey, Kid.” Bobby’s voice was quiet, almost like he was afraid of something. “I think it might be time for a shower.”

 

Aaliyah glanced up from the book she had been reading, reclined on the couch. “You sure?”

 

“It’s been a week, Kid. Even if you don’t get out of the house, you need a shower and a change of clothes.”

 

She looked back to the book, her eyes half glazed over the words and diagrams. Had it really been a week since the attempt to get Lilith? Aaliyah hadn’t really been enthused in changing her clothes since getting back to Bobby’s. “Hadn’t known it was that bad, Bobby.” Closing the book, Aaliyah put it on the couch and worked herself to her feet. “I’ll get outta your hair soon enough.”

 

Aaliyah headed down the hallway to the spare bedroom that held her meager belongings. With a clean set of clothes, she ducked into the bathroom and started up the shower. Shedding the semi bloody clothes into a pile, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Dark circles under blood shot eyes. Skin that was once sun kissed seemed to be beyond winter pale. Stretching a bit, the old scars from the werewolf pulled. Aaliyah caught herself on the sink and took a deep breath. A week on the couch apparently didn’t agree too well. Showering off the week’s stench and dried up blood, Aaliyah stood there and let the water wash over her body. Finishing off, she dressed and grabbed her dirty clothes before stepping out of the bathroom. She stuffed them into her bag and stepped out into the study.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Bobby asked as she grabbed her boots.

 

“To find a case,” Aaliyah snapped. “I must have out stayed my welcome here.” She tied her boots and got to her feet. She grabbed her bags and headed out the back door.

 

She opened the back door of her car and tossed in her bags before fishing her keys out of her pocket. Sliding into the driver seat, Aaliyah started up the engine and sat there. A glance to the back door showed her Bobby standing there with a look Aaliyah wasn’t sure she wanted to interpret. She put the car in gear and started off down the drive away from the house.

 

***

 

Aaliyah pulled into a spot at the twenty four hour restaurant and killed the engine. Three days on the road with nothing but snack food from Gas n Sips finally caught up with her. Walking into the restaurant, she ignored the side way glances from the two customers at the bar and two at a table and the one waitress. Taking a chair at the bar, Aaliyah turned the coffee mug over and stifled a yawn. The waitress that had been talking with one of the bar customers ambled over with a pot of coffee.

 

“Need a minute to decide?” the waitress asked.

 

“Cheeseburger, greasy,” Aaliyah requested. “No onion. Fries are fine.”

 

The waitress nodded and went to put the order in. Aaliyah reached for the sugar packets, dumping several into the mug. Aaliyah ignored the barely contained judgmental looks from the other two customers. She didn’t care; all she wanted was a warm meal and some sleep for the night. The door of the restaurant opened again and a group of eight men walked in; four of them carrying biker helmets. Each of the men wore leathers that had adornments that seemed to be made by any one of the Native American plain tribes.

 

Aaliyah caught sight of the patch work on the back of one of the vests and didn’t recognize it. Then again, she didn’t have a full mental list of all the patch works for all of the biker gangs. The group split up; the bikers took a booth with the nondescripts took another.

 

“Late night hunting, guys?” the waitress greeted the new comers.

 

“Tough nest of vampires,” one of them replied. “Not sure how we’re gonna get rid of ‘em.”

 

Aaliyah turned her head ever so slight to listen on the conversation. Faded memories flashed through her mind of the only nest she had dealt with a few years ago.

 

“Not sure what their weakness is,” a second commented. “Elkins never did say what it was.”

 

“It’s dead man’s blood,” Aaliyah tossed over her shoulder.

 

“Stay out of this, girl,” a third snapped at her.

 

She slid off the stool and turned to face the four men seated at a booth. “I know what I’m talking about; I’ve dealt with a nest before, and I know what can stop ‘em long enough to behead them.”

 

“Since when did women start hunting?” the fourth asked.

 

Aaliyah half shrugged. “Fine. If you wanna charge into a vampire nest and die.” She turned back to her chair at the bar. “Just know I did tell you how to deal with them and you didn’t want to listen.” She sipped at her coffee just as the waitress brought over her order.

 

The four men were in hushed tones, but she ignored them. If they weren’t willing to listen, fine. Four more idiotic hunters she didn’t have to worry about.

 

One of the men took a chair next to her. “What did you say the weakness was?”

 

Aaliyah recognized the voice as the one who spoke to the waitress. Part of her didn’t want to give it away. Easier for her to get into a morgue or funeral home, get enough dead man’s blood, and take out the nest. She took another bite of her burger, her eyes forward.

 

“I know those three are assholes,” the man continued. “They’re here to help me.”

 

“They’ll help you alright. Help to kill you.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

Aaliyah put her burger down and washed the bite down with some coffee. “Because I know. You don’t go up against demons, werewolves, vampires, and everything else and not learn who you can trust with your life.”

 

“You got one wild imagination, kid,” one of the other customers at the bar cut in. “Saying you’ve gone up against demons.”

Aaliyah half scoffed at it. “I’ve gone up against more than you think. Any of you ever hear of the Yellow Eyed Demon?”

 

“Old hunter’s story,” another called out. “Rumor had it that he was last seen a year ago out in Wyoming. Something about opening a gate to hell. I believe something happened with the amount of demonic activity since then.”

 

“Bah, some old story from the wild west,” one of the hunters from the booth called out. “Nothing but to scare us.”

 

Aaliyah spun as far as the chair could and looked to the booth. “I’ve seen the Yellow Eyed demon. Hell, I’ve had Colt’s gun.”

 

“A legend…”

 

“No legend; it can kill everything save for a few things. That yellow eyed demon is one of the things the Colt can kill. And that one bad son of a bitch is deader than dead.”

 

“I call bullshit,” the third spoke up. “No way you could’ve killed the Yellow Eyed. Winchester has been after both demon and Colt for years. He’ll die before he’ll see either of them.”

 

Aaliyah glanced up a bit and bobbed her head. “Well, you’re half right. He never got to see Yellow Eyes die. Not living, anyway.”

 

Any noise that was in the background stopped. Aaliyah swore she heard the few people from the kitchen move away from what

they were doing to listen.

 

“What are you talking about?” the other bar customer asked.

 

“Are you saying you know Winchester?” the fourth hunter asked.

 

“Well enough for knowing him for about a month or so before he died. He did one of a few decent things he could have done as a father for his son.” Aaliyah rolled the hem of her shirt between a thumb and index finger. It was odd to think about John since his death a year or so after it happened. “I spent a good amount of time with the man and his sons on a couple hunts, so yeah, I knew him. So, when I say you’re all gonna get killed if you play stupid and go into the nest without a plan. But that’s none of my business. Just means I have to clean up your mess.”

 

“I doubt you’d be able to if the four of us can’t take care of a nest,” the third commented with chuckle. “It doesn’t even look like you’ve gone up against a werewolf before. Or a ghoul.”

 

Aaliyah sighed and slid off the chair as she worked off her coat and plaid shirt. She shot a look to the waitress when she started to protest. A point needed to be made; the same one that no one seemed to take seriously. She pulled her shirt off and over her head, exposing the almost five-year-old set of scars on her back. An arm lifted to show off the set on her side.

 

“My very first werewolf,” she told them. “Back in my sophomore year of college. I don’t know how I survived. I probably wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the Winchesters.” She lowered her arm. “It’s also thanks to them that I know how to deal with vamps; how to slow them down and kill them. But I’m just a hunter who doesn’t know how to do my job.”

 

“You’d have to understand that we hunters are bit of a superstitious lot,” the second hunter said. “Especially after what happened at the roadhouse and with Ellen.”

 

Aaliyah debated if she should mention she meant the older woman as she put her shirt back on.

 

“And the demons that possess anyone and everyone,” the fourth added. “You’d have to excuse us old men for wanting to …”

 

“Make sure I’m save?” Aaliyah cut in.

 

She adjusted her shirt to show the anti-possession tattoo that matched Dean and Sam’s. There were a few gasps from those that saw it.

 

“Why didn’t you say you were a Winchester?” the one at the counter asked.

 

“You haven’t believed what I’ve said so far,” Aaliyah adjusted her shirt. “And from what I’ve heard about my family, it was easier to distance myself from them.”

 

Aaliyah wasn’t going to argue their assumption that she was a Winchester; John considered her to be his daughter back before he made the deal with Yellow Eyes. She wasn’t sure how the word got out that she had spent a good deal of time with the brothers.

 

The four hunters gathered back together and muttered between themselves. That gave Aaliyah time to take a few bites of her burger. If the hunters wanted to go and get themselves killed by trying to take out the nest, she wasn’t going to stop them. It would just make her job in tracking and wiping the nest out harder.

 

“What did you say we need to take care of the vamps?” the fourth hunter asked.

 

Aaliyah turned and shifted her gaze between the four hunters. A hand pulled out some money and put it down, paying for the meal. “One of you needs to find the nearest funeral home. Or morgue.”

 

She wasn’t about to waste her own supply of dead man’s blood on their incompetent asses.

 

***

 

Aaliyah fought the urge to turn and walk away. The view before her was near the same as it was when she helped get the Colt from the vampires two years ago. Something wasn’t right and she didn’t like it. The two hunters that had gone for the dead man’s blood were late and the two with Aaliyah seemed to be getting nervous. Two men with simple tasks shouldn’t take half the night. John’s so called practice of hunting solo seemed to be the better option with each passing moment. She was ready to get her own supply when the two men appeared. One attempted to make excuses, but wised up and let it go.

 

“Take the needles and fill ‘em with the blood,” Aaliyah instructed, keeping her voice low. “Take a few with you if you can and hit as many as you can. The blood will slow ‘em down, acting like a poison to them.”

 

“What about you?” one asked. “What do you plan on doing?”

 

“Well, if you were all smart enough to do this on your own.” Aaliyah eyed the level of blood in a needle. “I wouldn’t be here. But I’ll come in and start cutting heads off. Then spread word that four men nearly twice my age and more seasoned hunters than I couldn’t take of a nest of vampires.”

 

“And take our credit?”

 

Aaliyah drew herself up, her chin ever so raised as she looked at the man. “Yes. If you wanted the credit in removing this nest, you would done it already. But since I’m here, telling you how to take out a species thought to be extinct up to two years ago, I’m taking credit. And if you all survive tonight … better not cross my path in the future.” She pulled out the machete John had given her and started for the house.

 

Either the vampires were stupid or they hadn’t thought of the fact that hunters could find their place and walk right in. Or she was too caught up with playing the teacher to the group of brain locked hunters and knowing what she was doing. Either way, the door was open and Aaliyah was able to slip inside. Sounds from the television wafted from the living room as she crutched down under the level of the counter top; freezing when a distracted vampire wandered into the kitchen. The thought of having the men go first popped into her head. Too late for that. She’d lose more than just face with them.

 

Aaliyah came up behind the vampire and swung. She managed to catch the body before it hit the floor. The head had just been out of her reach before it landed with a thud on the floor. Her stomach twisted in knots in the minutes after the sound stopped, waiting for any of the other vampires to have noticed. For a moment she wished Sam was there to have her back. Getting into this case had been a bad idea from the start and it was going south fast.

 

When no one moved for the kitchen, Aaliyah started again for the living room. Something wasn’t right. The only sound from the living room was the television and there weren’t the soft sounds of the other hunters behind her in the kitchen. The taste of iron filled Aaliyah’s mouth when she bit her tongue to stop cursing out right. A shiver ran down her neck. She turned, swinging the machete. It got stuck half way through the vampire’s neck. One of the hunters. Yeah, she was stupid and an idijt for falling for the trick.

 

“For knowing all about how to kill us,” the hunter started. “You sure don’t know all our tricks.”

 

“The rest of your vampire kin aren’t as smart as you,” Aaliyah countered. “So yeah, I got caught off guard.”

 

She took a half step back away from the vampire and brought her hand up in the attempt to grab the machete. The vampire was quicker. Aaliyah’s fingers brushed against the handle when the vampire pushed her against a wall. The wind was knocked out of her lungs when she made contact with the wall.

 

“Stupid girl thinking she’s all big and bad since she’s made a fun runs with the Winchesters,” the vampire taunted. “Hate to break it to you, but you’re not. You’re just these hunters we’ve been picking off; too dumb to realize and too slow to put up a fight.”

 

Struggling to regain her breath, Aaliyah forced herself up and off the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door she came in through open. “And you vamps are all the same. All talk and no bite.”

 

Her shoulders bore the brunt of being shoved into the wall again when the vampire pinned her. She swallowed hard when the second set of teeth emerged from the gums. Her mind played through all the different creatures she’s killed, never thinking that being killed or turned into a vampire was the end of the line for her.

 

“And you’re…”

 

The vampire didn’t have a chance to finish when the machete was pulled through it’s neck, decapitating it.

 

“Dead,” a male voice said. “Sorry we didn’t get here soon, kid.”

 

Aaliyah looked up from the beheaded vampire and rolled her shoulders. They’ll be sore in the morning. “I’m fine, thanks.” She picked herself up from the floor, ignoring the offered hand.

 

“Is what they said true? Back in the diner?”

 

Aaliyah gathered her machete and headed for the door. Word would get out eventually that she had failed into a vampire trap and end up being the laughing stock of the hunter community. She stepped out the door and headed for her car. Her mind caught sight of the three biker men cleaning off their blades and talking amongst themselves.

 

“Hey, Kid,” the man called after her. “Where…”

 

“Outta town,” Aaliyah snapped. “Case is finished.”

 

“Hey, Stormcaller,” one of the men called out.

 

Aaliyah headed for her car and dumped the machete in the trunk while the man joined his group. She managed to climb into the driver’s seat before searching her body over for the key. And the key must have fallen out in the one sided fight. Maybe the vampire had a point and all she had was the reputation the Winchesters and easy runs. A knuckle rap at the window sent her reaching for a blade.

 

“Sorry, kid,” the man said, voice muffled by the closed window. “You dropped this.” He held up the keys.

 

“Thanks, sir.” Aaliyah opened the door wide enough so she could get them.

 

“You can have ‘em on one condition,” he said. “Let us put you up for the night.”

 

All sorts of alarms went off in Aaliyah’s mind. “I’m all set. Thanks, though.” She reached for the keys again.

 

“We did some actual digging,” he said. “And from what we heard at the diner, you’ve had quite the run.”

 

“Trying to make me worse here?”

 

“Trying to help. If there’s anything you might need…” He slipped a card onto the dash. “Just call, okay?”

 

Aaliyah sat there and watched him join his friends before reaching for the card. It showed the man’s name, the one that had been called out, a number and a few other things. She grabbed her journal off the passenger seat and opened it up; writing down what happened and tucked the card into the cover. She put it down and drove off.

 

***

 

Aaliyah walked into the small diner, the bell over the door rang out. She ignored the few occupied tables in her path to one. A week long hunt had come to a bloody climax the night before when she cut off the head of transformed werewolf head. Aaliyah dropped the head, in a blood soaked bag, onto the table. A corner of her mouth twitched when she saw the four middle aged white men startle when the head hit the table.

 

“One head, as requested,” she said.

 

One of the men poked at it before opening the bag just enough to verify. “Two hundred.”

 

“Not what we agreed upon. Two hundred to wipe out the pack. Another two when a head is delivered.” Aaliyah leaned forward, hands and arms bracing on the table. “Now, I believe that comes to a grand total of four hundred. And seeing how you’re probably the one getting the check for the four meat heavy half eaten breakfasts, you’re the one to be paying me for my troubles.”

 

The diner had gone silent; the wait staff and customers watching and waiting. Aaliyah stared the man down, hearing the other three men in the booth shift in their seats.

 

“Word has it that you didn’t take out the entire group of vampires,” the man countered.

 

“They got smart; and you never said I could not ask for help.” A half lie to cover up the mistake that nearly took her life. Her eyes narrowed into a glare. Her mouth pulled ever so slightly when he shifted nervously in his seat from her staring. “Now, where is my money?”

 

The bell over the door chimed again, the conversation died away.

 

Aaliyah ignored the new group of customers as she watched the man pull out a plain white envelope. His hand shook when he reached over the table to her. She accepted the envelope and leaned off the table to double check the money. A couple hundreds, a fifty, five twenties, and the rest in tens. Aaliyah nodded to the man before she turned and headed for the door. Her gaze fell to the group of men that had stepped aside of the door and swore that a couple of them looked familiar.

 

She reached her car before one of the men by the door caught up to her.

 

“Hunting for profit?” he asked.

 

“A one time deal.” The hand holding the envelope slid it into a pocket. “Why are you so concerned about how I hunt?”

 

“We hear rumors of what happened a few weeks ago. About the attempt to take out Lilith.”

 

Aaliyah shot the man a look. There few people that she was sure Bobby would tell about that within the hunting community.

The odds of her meeting one of those people had to be slim to none.

 

“Word gets around,” the man continued. “Most will just brush it off as nothing more than another demon attack. But we connected enough dots to know it was more than ‘just another demon’.” He leaned up against Aaliyah’s car. “It’s not my place…”

 

“Or business,” Aaliyah added, finally turning her gaze to him.

 

“To tell you how to hunt, or for what,” he continued. “But I’ve been at this for a long time. Long enough to know when someone’s running from something.”

 

“I’m not running.” Aaliyah attempted to push him off the car in order to get in.

 

“Then explain those dark bags under your eyes.”

 

Aaliyah stopped her meager attempt to push him away and stood there. She didn’t sleep willingly; passing out only when her body refused to go any more. That was a week ago.

 

“What do you want?” she asked.

 

“You to come join us at the hall,” he answered. “Your choice, of course.”

 

Aaliyah looked over at him and nodded.

 

***

 

Aaliyah sized up the windowless building when she pulled herself out of her car. It could be one of a handful VFW or American Legion halls in the area if it wasn’t for the sign that read “Wandering Horse Biker Gang”. She could have guessed that there would have been some sort of Native American styled name to the motorcycle group based on the group of guys at the vampire house and the restaurant. Part of her wanted to turn back for the car and drive off, but there was too much they knew not to figure out how they found out.

 

She stopped at the door, her hand on the handle. There was something about being here; as if she stepped in it meant she needed to be around people more than she realized. Being with the brothers for the better part of the past couple years could have conditioned her about being with other people. With a sigh, Aaliyah opened the door and stepped into a dimly light hall. Wooden panels hung on the walls and cheap laminated tiles with a few tables and chairs set up. A man came through a door near the bar and leaned against the counter.

 

“Can I help you?” he asked.

 

“I was told to meet some people here,” Aaliyah answered, forcing her voice to remain level.

 

“You’re gonna have to wait outside. Club’s for members only.”

 

The door opened as the man spoke and the four men that Aaliyah had met the night of the vampire raid walked in.

 

“She’s welcomed here, Cody,” the lead man spoke. “Cody’s one of our more attentive guards,” he told Aaliyah as he turned to her.

 

“You wanted to talk,” Aaliyah said, crossing her arms.

 

“About those vampires the other night,” the man started.

 

“Not again, Stormcaller,” a second man interrupted.

 

Aaliyah’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Stormcaller?”

 

“My name,” he answered. “You can call me Tom.”

 

“We’re not taking her in,” Cody called from the bar. “We don’t have the time or resources to train a person off the streets to hunt. She looks like her last shower was a good week ago, and a good meal two weeks ago.” He leaned forward on the counter and pointed at Tom. “And I don’t mean that greasy, fat, fast food or restaurant food either.”

 

“I’ve survived more on that greasy fast food than a home cooked meal,” Aaliyah countered. “I really didn’t want to be here, but Tom here seemed insistent on it. I’ve got better things to do.”

 

She started for the door.

 

“Off to work alone again?” Tom called after her.

 

“I don’t need to prove myself to old men who see me as someone to protect.” She turned back around even as she lifted her shirts.

 

The five men gasped.

 

“My first hunt ever; werewolf.” Aaliyah lowered her shirts and pulled back the collar to show the blue hand prints from the djinn. “And this one’s a two for; two djinn on separate occasions. Do I need to keep going?”

 

“You might,” one said.

 

Aaliyah sighed and hung her head. “You all hear about what happened out in Wyoming? With the hell gate?”

 

“Hell of a mess,” another spoke up. “How were you involved?”

 

“That was all done by the Yellow Eyed demon.”

 

Silence hung in the air before all five men laughed.

 

“There’s no way you went up against the Yellowed Eyed demon,” Cody said, still laughing. “That was a wild goose chase that John …”

 

“Winchester took on. Yeah, I know. The damn demon killed his wife and sent him and his sons on a revenge case twenty some years in the making.”

 

“Nothing can kill that kinda demon,” another spoke up.

 

“Nothing but the Colt.” Aaliyah glanced around to see the men sobering up. “Yeah, the Colt; made by Samuel Colt himself.”

 

“That’s a story, kid.”

 

“Fine, don’t believe me.” Aaliyah stormed to the door. “See if I care.”

 

She put another tally mark up for more people she had to prove herself to. Aaliyah made it half way across the parking lot before someone called after her.

 

“Shove off, dickwad,” Aaliyah called over her shoulder. “I refuse to prove myself to a group of middle aged men.”

 

“You’ve actually stood against the Yellow Eyed demon?” a new voice asked.

 

The feminine voice slowed Aaliyah’s steps. There was something about the question that got to her; like the questioner was in awe of her. Aaliyah turned around to see a woman a year or two younger than her.

 

“Go back inside,” Aaliyah told her. “What I do is no place for you.”

 

“I want to hunt.”

 

“No one wants to hunt,” Aaliyah countered. “I got dragged into the life; everyone I know that hunts got dragged into it. You’re better off going home and planning for the next pow wow you’re attending.” She turned and started for her car.

 

“Some hunter you are,” the young woman called after Aaliyah. “Always off to find the next case; just like the men back there in the hall.”

 

Aaliyah stopped, spun around, and stormed over to the woman. “That’s what us hunters do; look for cases. You don’t get any sort of glory in this line of work. It’s bloody, with long hours with little sleep, and greasy fast food. No one thanks you for the work you do. It means going up against creatures that’ll give you nightmares for months. And your first hunt just might be your last. Do you want that?”

 

The woman had taken a step back from Aaliyah and shook her head. “I … From the stories the men tell …”

 

“Be grateful that’s all you hear of hunting.” Aaliyah stared at the woman. “You don’t walk away with werewolf scars or the hand prints from djinn. Or nightmares at night.”

 

“And you do it alone. Take me.”

 

Memories of the brothers and Amanda flash through Aaliyah’s mind. How she found Xander in the house after the fight with the vampire; finding Amanda in the bathtub after the wendigo hunt; Dean’s bloody and ripped body after the hellhound got to him.

 

“I do it alone for a reason,” Aaliyah told her, fighting back the memories. “Go home where you’re safe.”

 

“No one’s safe,” Tom’s voice drifted over. “Not even you.”

 

“You think I don’t know that? Huh?” Aaliyah tilted her head. “You go up against a demon who managed to open up gates to hell and barely live to tell the tale. Go watch your best friend die with her guts in her hands from a Wendigo. Have your brother be all sorts of fucked up from a vampire fight.” She turned and started for the car. “I’m better off alone”

[NocteSpiritus]

Chapter 31

 

Aaliyah lined up the shot, all too aware of the several pairs of eyes on her. The bar was yet another dive off of a dimly lit highway exit. One of many she’s stopped at after leaving the biker hall. Her hand adjusted its hold on the cue. One of the men coughed with impatience. Aaliyah took the shot and sunk the eight ball. The man she had been playing against sighed. It sounded like one of his buddies had hit the wall in frustration. A corner of her mouth pulled into a smirk as she straightened. Aaliyah rested some of her weight on the pool cue while crossing one foot over the other.

 

“I do believe that’s game, gentlemen.”

 

Aaliyah eyed the alcohol embedded men around the pool table while the thought of being jumped passed through her mind. A couple had stepped in closer to Aaliyah as she reached for the pile of money. Part of her wanted the fight the men seemed to hold back from. It would have been a welcome distraction for a moment.

 

 

“So you think you can come in, hustle us, and walk out?” one of the men asked.

 

“Half figured there’d be a fight over something,” Aaliyah countered. “Didn’t figure it’d be over you lot being hustled.”

 

“We hustle and be hustled; all part of the game,” the man said. “It’s not common for one such as yourself to hustle.”

 

Her eyes narrowed at him. Another man who decided that she had to prove her place to. She reached over to the pile of money and grabbed it. “Well, sucks to be you lot, huh?”

 

Aaliyah took a couple steps back from the man as she pocketed the money before turning for the door. The few people that had been loitering near the door now stepped in front of it; baring her exit.

 

“Give our money back, and we’ll let you go,” the man instructed.

 

“Or you can stop being a sore loser and let me go.” Aaliyah turned around. “I’d hate to beat you twice in one night.”

 

She nearly froze when the man charged at her with a yell. Aaliyah caught herself before the man got close to actually tackling her.

 

His hand grabbed her wrist, preventing her from running.

 

Aaliyah balled her free hand and swung; making contact with the man’s face. The hit caused him to loosen his hold. Just for a second before he flung her toward a pillar. She hit with a grunt and steadied herself.

 

The man charged at her.

 

Aaliyah waited until the last moment to move, hearing the man impact against the pillar. A smile pulled at her mouth when her mind recognized that she was getting the fight she wanted.

 

Someone grabbed hold of her from behind. A heel slammed down on their toes, releasing her arms. Aaliyah spun and landed two hits to the face before a motion from the corner of her eye caught her attention.

 

A third man had decided to jump into the fight and managed a solid hit to Aaliyah’s face. It was hard enough to send her back a couple steps before she recovered. A fist went for the man’s stomach before it swung up for a jaw hit.

 

Another came from Aaliyah’s side and tackled her to the ground. From that angle she recognized her attacker as the first guy who started the fight.

 

“Y’all know,” she started. “I’m all for a good time.”

 

The man landed a couple hits to her face.

 

“But not when the guy and his lackies are trying to beat me to a pulp.”

 

Aaliyah brought up a knee to the man’s crotch and pushed him off of her as he grabbed the injured area. She caught her balance and waited for the next man to attack. A minute or two passed before her mind caught on to the fact that there was no new attack due to the fact that the crowd and fighters were being held back by several burly bikers. One of them stepped up to Aaliyah and handed her a pile of money.

 

“We’d like to talk with you,” they said.

 

Aaliyah accepted the money before she turned her attention to the biker that held a couple inches on her. Either it was the fact one of her eyes might have taken a hit or it took a bit longer for Aaliyah to see that the biker was a woman.

 

“Thanks for the help, but I’m just gonna take this and be on my way,” Aaliyah told the other woman. She pocketed the money as she started to push through the parting crowd for the door.

 

She stepped out and sighed as the cool summer night air hit her face. There had to be an easier way to make money while still working cases. It was hard enough proving to other hunters she had every right to hunt along side them; but toss in the assholes in the bar who took being hustled by a woman the wrong way. It was something else.

 

“Still here, huh?”

 

It was the biker woman who gave Aaliyah the pool money.

 

“Just leaving. Gotta get a few hours of sleep before hitting the road.”

 

“You know, the tough guy act doesn’t suit you,” the woman called after her.

 

“It suits just fine, thanks,” Aaliyah tossed over a shoulder. “If you excuse me…” she reached her car and opened the door. “I’ve got a bed calling my name.”

 

“I know about the Winchesters.”

 

Aaliyah froze half way into the car. Did they screw up so much in a short time that people knew about them? Or was it something else?

 

“How they closed the hell gate and dealing with the Yellow Eyed demon,” the woman continued. “And how they got into deep trouble.”

 

Aaliyah got her balance and slammed the car door in her storm back to the woman. “And what else do you know, huh? Do you know that Dean made a cross roads deal to bring Sam back to life? That he got shredded by a hellhound two weeks ago? No? Thought as much. Now, what do you and your biker gang want with me?”

 

“Singer reached out to us,” the woman said. “Says he’s worried about you. I don’t blame him after what I saw inside.”

 

“And he knows what happened.”

 

“Which is why he’s worried about you. Let us put you up for the night; warm bed and food. And probably a hot shower.”

 

The possibility of a hot shower seemed to be a good idea, but the motel offered the same thing. Same with the bed. What the motel offered for food was two day old fast food.

 

“Where are we going?” Aaliyah asked.

 

“My place. Figured you’d wanna take a break from all the male hormones for a while.”

 

“How do I know you’re not taking me some place just to kill me?” Part of Aaliyah heard Dean in that question. Maybe the Winchesters taught her more than just how to hunt.

 

“Miguel would have my head if anything happened to you under my watch,” the woman told her. “Current wounds aside, of course. You’re more than welcome to go back to the motel you’re staying at of course.”

 

Aaliyah shifted her weight, mentally debating the options. An actual save place to rest up for a night or two or go back to the motel where the guys from the bar could find her and do who knew what to her.

 

“Lead on.”

 

***

 

Aaliyah stared at the well kept house as she pulled up in front of it on the street. She eased out of the car and heard the bike’s engine die. It would take a minute for her to get back in the car and take off down the street. The biker woman would be upset about it, but there was really nothing that could stop Aaliyah from running again. But there was something about how much work the biker group put into trying to get her attention. With a steady breath, she moved away from the car and started up toward the house.

 

“I never did get your name,” Aaliyah told the woman once within ear shot.

 

“Senona. Come on in; some of the others want to meet you.”

 

Aaliyah watched Senona head for the side door before following along. Butterflies started flapping around in her stomach. Of all the things she had faced off since that werewolf back in college, dealing with people when not on a case was one thing she forgot how to handle. She stepped through the door held open by Senona and heard a chorus of laughter from a room.

 

“Come on in,” Senona invited. “The guys tend to be a bit … loud when they get drunk.”

 

“And full of pizza.” Aaliyah gestured to the boxes on the stove. “Sounds like a party.”

 

Another round of laughter came from the other room. Aaliyah looked up from the pizza to see Senona disappearing into that room. Left with little choice, Aaliyah stepped into the room that held a good dozen biker men that all seem to fit the big and burly type cliché.

 

One by one, the men fell silent and turned their attention to her.

 

“Guys, Aaliyah,” Senona made the introduction. “She’s gonna be staying with us for a while.”

 

“You know the rules about bringing outsiders to club houses,” one man told Senona. “Especially when they’re not …”

 

“She’s a hunter,” Senona cut in.

 

Aaliyah glared at the man when he turned again to her and sized her up. “What proof do you want that I’m a hunter? I’ve got scars from my first werewolf I took out, two different djinn hand prints on my neck, and who knows how many ghosts, demons, and things that go bump in the night.”

 

“Sounds like you’re playing yourself up,” the man said.

 

“I wouldn’t play up facing off against a yellow eyed demon who opened up a gate to hell,” Aaliyah said. “Hard not to when I teamed up with a few other people.”

 

“I heard stories of that,” a second spoke up. “A lot of demons got out from that gate. There weren’t that many hunters on that case. How’d you end up on that?”

 

“Not sure you’d all wanna hear how I got into hunting.” Aaliyah scanned the drink covered table and picked up an unopened bottle of beer. “It’s a dull tale.” She opened the bottle.

 

“With your ties to the hell gate, I wanna hear,” The first man said.

 

“Still not much to tell.” Aaliyah took a drink. “I got a favor called in by someone to help find their father. A mess trying to find a gun that eventually killed the yellow eyed demon. There was a semi that T-boned the car; sending us all to the hospital.”

 

“I heard about that,” a third chimed in. “How’d you all survive?”

 

Aaliyah glanced around the room to see a dozen men plus Senona waiting to hear what happened. “We barely did. John and Sam had minor injuries…”

 

“John? As in Winchester?” one man deeper in the living room asked.

 

“You never said you teamed up with the Winchesters,” Senona said.

 

“Now you know why.” Aaliyah put the bottle on the table as she stood. “For once I’d love to be judged on my own work and not be judged or tied to the Winchesters.”

 

“What makes…”

 

“Because I’ve had it since I met Ellen,” Aaliyah snapped. “Every hunter that’s known of the Winchesters or came in contact with them judged me against them. Can you blame me for wanting to distance myself from the Winchesters?”

 

“If half the stories about them are true, you’ve got a tough time a head,” Senona said.

 

Aaliyah sighed. “That’s what I’m afraid of. You all didn’t believe I was a hunter until I mentioned a name.”

 

“It’ll take time for others to realize that you’re not completely tied to the Winchesters,” the first man said. “And to be fair, with half of your hunts being with the Winchesters, it’s difficult to separate you from them.”

 

“Then stop comparing me to them,” Aaliyah yelled. “This was pointless.” She stormed back through the kitchen and out the back door.

 

The sound of the door opening and closing echoed behind her as she was half way down the drive.

 

“Wait, please,” a voice called after her.

 

“So you can tell me how much I don’t live up to the Winchesters even more? Not going to happen.”

 

“You live up to them and more,” the voice answered. “Why do you think the guys in there were questioning how you survived?”

 

Aaliyah slowed to a stop before she reached the car. There had been various reasons why she survived; the same that the guys had. Sure, there were the odd moments she saw death, but managed to survived.

 

“Why would they care how I survived?” she asked.

 

“Not many people last in our line of work,” a new voice answered. “And women tend to have a lower survival rate than men. Can you really blame us for believing you’ve survived this long?”

 

“I ask you to believe I have. Especially since I’ve been hunting for two years before teaming up with the Winchesters. I met Dean and his father once nearly four years ago.” Aaliyah turned to see Senona and Tom standing in the driveway. “Is this a common belief that I can’t hunt without the Winchesters; or that I can hunt without them and that scares everyone?”

 

“Some sort of combination of both,” Tom answered. “You’ve gotten so tied up with them, you probably go destructive mode if cut loose. And if you’re not being destructive, you make for an awesome hunter. We …” He looked over to Senona then back to Aaliyah. “Some of us were hoping to help you not be so destructive.”

 

“You think you can help me not be destructive?” Aaliyah asked, a small chuckle escaped. “You lose your best friend from college in a motel bathroom after having her guts ripped from her abdomen by a wendigo. Your brother may never walk again after going up against a vampire. And who knew what your half siblings are doing right now. So, tell me, Tom. Can you and your friends in there really help me from going destructive?”

 

Aaliyah gave a little nod when Tom didn’t respond and reached her car.

 

“We can’t really stop it,” Senona called out. “But we can try and … make it less. Only if you’re willing to accept our help.”

Aaliyah stood there with a hand on the handle, her mind mulling over the offer Senona gave her. It was tempting to be sure, but was she willing to allow this group of burly biker people to take her in and maybe help? Something seeped into her mind to tell her that she couldn’t keep up what she’s done the past month forever. She looked up to Senona and Tom before stepping away from the car.

 

“I think I need it.”

 

Aaliyah walked back up to Senona and Tom and walked back into the house.

 

***

 

Aaliyah fist bumped the bouncer on her way into the club building, the whining voices of a group of entitled teenagers trailed in after her. A few weeks had passed since she accepted Senona and Tom’s offer, and they’ve helped her ease back from being so destructive. She had pulled back from actively looking for cases and picked up a job waiting tables. Senona had mentioned she had seen a difference in Aaliyah since she started staying with her. Aaliyah told the older woman she hadn’t seen that difference.

 

“Aaliyah, over here,” Gene called out.

 

She scanned the room before finding the man at the bar. He had been one of those at the house Senona took her to that night. And one of those who had questioned her ability to be a solo act as a hunter.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“Some of us have been talking…”

 

“Never a good thing to start off a conversation,” Aaliyah commented.

 

“This is a good thing,” Gene countered. “Some of the guys have been talking, and wanna get you something.”

 

“Like what? Not sure if I can handle another surprise after that motorcycle class.” Aaliyah eased herself into one of the bar stools. “Not sure when the actual classroom setting is done and we get to the hands on part.”

 

“Give it time, Kid,” Bear chimed in. “It’s an eight week class and you’re two weeks in.”

 

Aaliyah stared at the bar counter in the attempt to let the guilt wash over her. It wasn’t Bear’s fault that she hadn’t spoken to Bobby in weeks.

 

 “You okay?”

 

“Yeah. Just haven’t heard that nickname in a while. An older hunter I know used to call me that.”

 

“Go call him. I’d be torn apart with worry if I was him.”

 

Aaliyah glanced to the couple other men at the bar, who nodded. Sighing, she slid off the bar stool and headed into the kitchen where the landline was and dialed Bobby’s number.

 

“Singer,” Bobby answered.

 

“Hey, Bobby,” Aaliyah spoke into the receiver. Part of her swore she heard the older hunter faint or drop his receiver from shock. “I’m okay, Bobby. Meet a rather pushy, but decent people recently.”

 

“You disappear for two weeks and you decide to call up now? I had people looking everywhere for you. Don’t you know how worried I was about you?”

 

Aaliyah looked back to the bar and the men sitting there.

 

“Were these people hunters or bikers?”

 

“Both. Why do you ask?”

 

“Because I think I met them. More than once; they’ve … They’ve taken me in. Got me out of hunting.” She turned back away from the view of the bar. “Bobby, they got me an actual paying job. I don’t know what to make of it.”

 

“Take the win, Kid,” Bobby told her. “Go live a life not hunting. You deserve it.”

 

“After everything that I’ve gone through with and without the boys? Losing Amanda? Nearly losing Xander? Hell, I haven’t heard from Nissa and Leo in six months. That’s what got me in the deep end of hunting. Looking for family.”

 

Bobby sighed on his end. “I know, Kid. I’ll send feelers out for your siblings. You … try not to do anything stupid.”

 

Aaliyah gave an amused sound. “Okay, Bobby. If you hear from Sam … Tell him I’m okay.”

 

“I will. And Aaliyah. You keep in touch.”

 

“I’ll do my best, Bobby.”

 

Aaliyah put the receiver back and sighed. Part of her expected the blow up from Bobby, especially after how she just up and left

his place. Another part is grateful that the people that she finally allowed inside her little protective bubble had been out

looking for her on his behalf.

 

“Hey, Aaliyah,” Bear called out. “Come on. We need to meet the others at the dealership.”

 

***

 

Aaliyah inched herself forward up to the line and waited. She cursed how slow the past eight weeks before the final road test. The Saturday had been the picturesque bright sunny morning that would call for a brunch meal at a mom and pop restaurant. Aaliyah hadn’t been able to eat anything more than a banana on the way to the college parking lot with Senona due to nerves.

 

The instructor signaled Aaliyah to begin.

 

Starting into a slow roll, she weaved her way through the cones and made a turn before coming to a stop in the formed line. A finger started tapping the gas tank as each student before her took their turn in the next section of the road test. The instructor told Aaliyah what to do for the section while she waited at the line for her turn. She caught the signaled and rolled off the line.

With each passing section, her stomach relaxed and nerves eased up. Aaliyah joined the growing crowd of students that have completed the test. She watched the instructors gather around when the last student joined the group. Aaliyah glanced over to where Senona sat and flashed a thumbs up.

 

“Ms. Fisher,” one of the instructors said as he approached. “Congratulations.”

 

Aaliyah accepted the paper and looked it over to find that she had passed the course.

[NocteSpiritus]

Chapter 32

 

Aaliyah leaned back against the bar counter while sitting on her stool. It had been three months since she passed the motorcycle course and been accepted by the Dragons. The gathered bikers were a few rounds deep in alcohol, something she’s seen several times before. Her gaze scanned the room and fell upon a relatively new face. She wasn’t sure how he managed to get into the hall or even gained the first patch; but here he was about to gain the final patch. Aaliyah sipped her beer before easing herself off the stool.

 

“Alright, settle down people,” she called out, grabbing the patch from Bear. “We’ve got a new member of the Dragons to officially join our ranks.”

 

Cheers and table banging noise bounced off the walls. Aaliyah raised a hand to silence the bikers.

 

“Henry, come on up,” Aaliyah requested. “And bring your vest.”

 

She watched a forty something man get to his feet and staggered forward. In the past almost five months, Aaliyah had seen one other person be given their third patch. One of the older members had told her it was rare that two members join the group in such a short time.

 

“Alright,” Aaliyah said even as she steadied Henry with one hand and grabbed the patch on a nearby table with the other. “The honor has been given to me, by the Council of Elders, to gift you this.” She held up the patch before Henry. “Marking you as a full member of the Dragons.”

 

Aaliyah handed the patch to Henry. “And don’t lose it.” She half guided Henry back to his table before she started her turn back to the bar.

 

“Hang on, Aaliyah,” Tom called out to her. “We got one more vest to complete.”

 

She looked over at the man as he waved at her to join him where she and Henry just stood.

 

“Now, we all here know Aaliyah and what she’s done,” Tom started. “And how far she’s come from being the lone hunter she was. Normally, becoming a fully patched member of the Dragons takes years. But, as we’ve all grown so fond of our little dragon youngling…”

 

Several of the members chuckled at the light teasing.

 

Aaliyah shily shifted her weight at the good natured tease. The transition from being a full time hunter to a full time member of society hadn’t fully sunk in yet.

 

“Aaliyah,” Tom turned to her. “On the behalf of the gathered Dragons, and the whole chapter 861, I present to you a full patch vest.”

 

Aaliyah looked at the vest Tom held up between them. All three patches had been sown on the back. The name patch bore the word “Hunter”.

 

“We thought the name suited you,” Tom told her. “Hope you don’t mind.”

 

“I love it. Thanks, Tom.” Aaliyah turned as Tom helped put the vest on her.

 

“Welcome to the gang, kid.”

 

***

 

Aaliyah walked into the hall as the local news started on a story about how all of the windows of a gas station had been blown out and a ten mile wide power outage around said station. The reporter commented how the station stood as seen for a day before being discovered.

 

“It’s crazy how some people can get,” one of the guys at the bar commented.

 

Aaliyah tilted her head at the tv even as the field reporter finished up the story. Something didn’t sit right about the whole thing. “Yeah, crazy people. How many beers have you had, Gary?”

 

“Not sure if I’ve had too little or too much,” he replied.

 

“Take a break for an hour. Drink some water.”

 

Aaliyah headed for the back office where Tom was sitting at the computer doing paperwork.

 

“I think I found a case,” she said.

 

“Hello to you too, Aaliyah.”

 

“I mean it, Tom. That news story about the shattered glass at the gas station.”

 

“Gas explosion.”

 

“No signs or evidence of that.” Aaliyah walked over and took the empty chair. “You know I was a hunter; the story screams not natural.”

 

Tom sighed and leaned back in his chair. “And what do you expect me to do about it? We’re …”

 

“The back up for us hunters,” Aaliyah finished. “Let me go work this case. I gotta know what happened.”

 

“Fine; but you call me or Bobby.”

 

Aaliyah smiled as she stood, kissing the top of Tom’s head. “I will. And thanks for everything. And you can give my place to the next person you help.”

 

***

 

Aaliyah secured the saddle bag on her motorcycle. It took her an hour longer than planned to make sure she had everything packed away. She planned on driving straight through to Bobby’s house; a long drive even in a car.

 

“I wish you wouldn’t do this,” Senona said, walking up. “Wouldn’t you rather…”

 

“Yeah, I’d rather have a normal life dealing with drunks in the ER,” Aaliyah interrupted. “But there’s something about that gas station that doesn’t sit well with me. Can you blame me for wanting to check it out?”

 

“Let some other hunters do that. You’re a Dragon now; the backup.”

 

“I’m tired of being the backup,” Aaliyah shouted. She stood there for a minute, letting the noise of the nearby main road fill the silence. “I’ve been the backup since I’ve started serious hunting. I’m tired of it. I’m taking this case. You all have my number.”

 

She mounted the motorcycle and turned the engine over. “Call if anything serious happens.”

 

Aaliyah maneuvered out from the parking lot of the apartment complex and made her way out to the main road.

 

***

 

Aaliyah pulled up along side Bobby’s garage, parking the cycle in the shade. Part of her swore she saw movement in the kitchen window as she killed the engine. A hand slid into a saddle bag and fumbled for a minute before finding a blade hilt. Moving up along the side of the house, out of view of those inside, Aaliyah reached the steps of the back door. She eased the door open, adjusting her hold on the knife, ready to charge. She charged the second she saw Dean standing near the far wall, bringing the knife up to his neck. Her mind heard Bobby’s voice protesting her action.

 

“Who are you?” Aaliyah demanded, yelling. “And why are you wearing Dean’s face?”

 

“Aaliyah, relax,” Bobby said. “It’s really him.”

 

“It can’t be. I saw him being ripped to shreds by the hellhound.”

 

“I’ve already tested him,” Bobby said, putting a hand on Aaliyah’s arm. “It’s really him.”

 

She stared into the green apple hued eyes, unsure what exactly she was looking for. There wasn’t anything behind them that would be something else using Dean’s face. It was just …

 

“Dean?” Aaliyah lowered the knife.

 

“In the flesh.”

 

Aaliyah was vaguely aware of the knife slipping from her hand and bouncing on the floor as she hugged Dean. Some of the tension in his body eased when Dean returned the hug, but Aaliyah could feel that there was more deep down. A deep breath, regaining the scent of gunpowder, leather, and gas, brought another scent Aaliyah couldn’t put a finger on. A sudden splash of water drove Aaliyah off of Dean.

 

“I’m not a demon either, you know,” he said.

 

“Sorry,” Bobby apologized. “Can’t be too careful.”

 

“It doesn’t make sense,” Aaliyah said, reaching for a towel to dry off. “You were ripped apart and were buried for four months.

How’d you get top side and back in your meat suit?” She tossed the towel to Dean

 

“I know,” Dean agreed, catching the towel. “I should be some Thriller reject.”

 

“What do you remember?” Bobby asked.

 

Aaliyah dove into the fridge while Dean recalled being killed by the hellhound then coming back buried six feet under. Then he asked about Sam. She shook her head while opening the beer bottle she pulled from the fridge.

 

“I’ve been doing my own thing,” she countered. “And it wasn’t like he lost my number.”

 

Part of her didn’t want Dean to know she had gotten out of hunting, even with her ties with the Dragons. The small voice in her head whispered that he had wanted her to be out of the hunting world.

 

“I haven’t talked to him in months,” Bobby said.

 

“So, you just let him go off on his own?” Dean questioned, his protective side showing.

 

“He was just as dead set as Aaliyah was a week after you went downstairs,” Bobby pointed out.

 

“You shoulda been lookin’ out for him,” Dean argued.

 

“I tried, okay? These past few months haven’t been easy on any of us.”

 

Aaliyah darted her eyes around the room for an escape route when Dean looked at her.

 

“What about Lirya?” he asked, arm out in her direction. “Were you looking out for her as well?”

 

“I ducked outta here after a week,” she tossed into the conversation. “I don’t even remember them arguing over the hunter’s funeral or burying your body.”

 

“What?” Dean turned to face her, confusion on his face.

 

“She checked out for a week, Dean,” Bobby said. “Didn’t leave the couch, barely ate. Hell, the nightmares kept her awake most of the time.”

 

Aaliyah took a drink of the beer in the attempt to fend off the memories from four months ago. “I still get ‘em. Not as bad now, though.”

 

“Sam said you needed a body when he got you back,” Bobby said, brining Dean’s attention back to him. “That’s what he said.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“He was quiet, real quiet. Then he just took off.” Bobby looked at Aaliyah then back to Dean. “Wouldn’t return my calls. I tried to find him, but he didn’t want to be found.”

 

“Oh, Sammy,” Dean sighed.

 

“What?” Bobby asked.

 

“He got me home, but whatever he did was bad mojo.”

 

“What makes you sure it was bad mojo?” Aaliyah asked.

 

“The gravesite looked like a nuke went off,” Dean said. “And there was this … force, or presence, I don’t know what it was. It blew past me at a fill up joint. And there’s this.”

 

Aaliyah tilted her head when Dean revealed what looked like a burn in the shape of a hand.

 

“What the hell,” Bobby trailed off.

 

“It’s like a demon yanked me out,” Dean said. “Or rode me.”

 

“But why?” Aaliyah asked.

 

“To keep their end of the bargain.”

 

“The one you think Sam made.”

 

Dean nodded. “It’s what I would’ve done.”

 

Aaliyah took another drink of her beer, swearing that demon business was a bad thing. “Is there a way we can track Sam down? I mean, it can’t be that hard.”

 

“I’m on it,” Dean said.

 

“Aaliyah.” Bobby gestured her into the living room. “You don’t have to be here for this.”

 

She glanced back over her shoulder at Dean, who was on the phone. “I saw that gas station on the news, Bobby. All the windows had shattered completely beyond repair. Whatever caused that is big. And you’re gonna need help.”

 

“Are you sure about it, Kid?” Bobby asked. “I mean, the last time I saw you, you were a mess. And you were set with the Dragons. You can still get out.”

 

Aaliyah looked back to Dean, who gave a thumbs up from behind a laptop. “Positive, Bobby. I owe Dean for things when I was still in college.” She looked back to Bobby. “I don’t know how much I feel like I owe him.”

 

“Sam’s in Pontiac, Illinois,” Dean called from the kitchen.

 

Aaliyah lifted an eyebrow at Bobby. “Let me change and we can head out.”

 

***

 

Aaliyah leaned against the door frame as Bobby knocked on the door with a red heart baring 207. It had taken her a twenty and a few extra words to the woman at the desk to be let in. The door opened and an attractive young woman appeared.

 

“Where is it?” she asked.

 

“Excuse me?” Aaliyah asked.

 

“The pizza that takes three of you to deliver.”

 

“Think we got the wrong room,” Dean whispered to Aaliyah.

 

Aaliyah spotted Sam past the woman, adjusting her head just enough so Dean could see. “I think wrong,” she whispered back. She caught Sam’s gaze for a second before it shifted back behind her.

 

“Heya, Sammy,” Dean said.

 

Aaliyah adjusted her stance even as Dean walked past her into the room. “You might wanna get dressed and head out,” she told the other woman.

 

Aaliyah caught Sam pulling out a knife in the corner of her eye and turned to get in the middle of the attack. Hands came from behind her in the attempt to move her out of the way even as the knife slid across her shirt and into her shoulder. Her defensive reflexes kicked in and her free hand came up and grabbed Sam’s wrist before the blade was driven further into her body.

 

“Sam, stop,” she shouted. “It’s really him.”

 

“I don’t believe you,” he argued.

 

“She’s right,” Bobby countered. “I’ve been through this; she’s been through this. It really is him.”

 

Aaliyah felt some of the struggle from Sam stop before it seemed to dawn on him to remove the knife. She put a hand to the open wound that started bleeding. Bobby eased her aside while the brothers hugged in reunion. Bobby worked at the minor wound while her gaze drifted through the room before it fell on the woman, who looked beyond confused.

 

“Are they … together?” the woman asked.

 

Aaliyah glanced back over to the brothers before looking back to the woman. “They’re brothers. You should…”

 

“…Go. Yeah, I get it.”

 

Aaliyah waited for the door to close before turning to Sam. “What’d it cost, Sam?”

 

“The girl? I didn’t…”

 

Aaliyah partly tilted her head and hoped the look on her face told Sam the girl wasn’t what she was talking about.

 

“Not funny, Sam,” Dean cut in. “What’d it cost to bring me back? Your soul? Worse?”

 

“You think I made a deal?”

 

“Exactly what we think,” Bobby said.

 

“Well, I didn’t.”

 

“Don’t lie to us,” Dean told him.

 

“I’m not.”

 

Aaliyah tried to ignored the blood that was now a slow leak from the knife wound while she watched Dean advance on Sam; demanding answers.

 

“I tried everything,” Sam shouted at his brother. “I tried opening the Hell’s Gate, I tried bargaining. No demon would deal. You were rotting in Hell for months and I couldn’t stop it. So, I’m sorry it wasn’t me.”

 

“It’s okay, Sam,” Dean said, stepping back. “I believe you.”

 

“Don’t get me wrong,” Bobby said. “I’m glad that Sam’s soul remains intact, but it does raise a question.”

 

“If Sam didn’t pull him out, what did?” Aaliyah asked.

[NocteSpiritus]

Chapter 33

 

Aaliyah sat on a motel chair, bloody shirt in hand. She had dug through her bag and was ready to mend up the wound herself, but was overruled by Dean.

 

“You know I can do this on my own,” she argued even as the sewing needle was stabbed into her skin.

 

“Don’t care.”

 

Aaliyah huffed in response and started looking around the room.

 

“So, what were you doing if you weren’t digging me out of my grave?” Dean asked Sam.

 

“Well, once I realized I couldn’t save you, I started hunting down Lilith,” Sam answered. “Trying for some payback.”

 

“By yourself?” Bobby accused.

 

Aaliyah nudged Dean and motioned to an item. She watched him follow her gesture and went to pick up a bra.

 

“Sure you were by yourself,” Aaliyah snarked.

 

Sam coughed, clearing his throat. “Anyway, I was checking demons in Tennessee, and outta nowhere, they made a hard left and booked it here.”

 

“When?” Dean asked.

 

“Yesterday morning.”

 

“When I busted out,” Dean commented.

 

“And the gas station was on the early evening news,” Aaliyah added.

 

“You think the demons are here because of you?” Bobby guessed.

 

“But why?” Sam questioned.

 

“I don’t know,” Dean said, finishing up stitching Aaliyah’s wound. “Some badass demon drags me out and now this? It’s gotta be connected somehow.”

 

“This whole thing’s insane,” Aaliyah tossed into the conversation and tested the new stitching. “How you feeling?” she asked Dean.

 

“Hungry,” he answered. “And don’t ask if I’m feeling unlike myself.”

 

“Like demonic?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Aaliyah straightened her shirt and stood. “It doesn’t make sense; no demon would let you lose out of whatever good they had. Something’s being planned.”

 

“I know a psychic,” Bobby said. “Maybe she’s heard something from the other side.”

 

“Psychic?” Aaliyah asked, skeptical.

 

“It’s worth a shot,” Dean said.

 

“Aaliyah,” Bobby called to her, gesturing her to follow.

 

She followed Bobby out into the hallway, hearing Sam and Dean’s voice behind her in the room. “What’s up?”

 

“Still giving you the chance to get out of hunting,” he said.

 

“And I’m still here, just as puzzled as everyone else,” Aaliyah countered. “Now, are we gonna go see this psychic of yours?” She turned at the sound of the door opening, seeing the brothers emerging from the room. Dean had his amulet on.

 

Aaliyah swore that the air about them buzzed with something she couldn’t put a finger on. It had to do with how Dean was back. That and the burned handprint on his arm.

 

“She’s about four hours down the interstate,” Bobby told them as they descended the stairs to the parking lot. “Try and keep up.” He climbed into his car.

 

Aaliyah looked at the brothers before walking over to her motorcycle.

 

“When did you learn to ride that?” Sam asked.

 

“A few months ago,” Aaliyah said. “Like you, I’ve been busy the past few months.” She mounted the motorcycle and turned the engine over. “Don’t fall behind, you two.” She put her helmet on; the paint design done in such a way that showed a dragon head with its mouth open in a roar.

 

She started after Bobby’s car before hearing the familiar rumble of the impala’s engine behind her. Four hours on the open road heading toward a person that could give answers to the questions that ran through her head. Not that she wasn’t happy that Dean was back, it was how he was back. Her mind wandered back to the gas station and how all the windows were blown out. There was no way that a demon could have done that. So what other power could have done that?

 

Four hours went by with her thoughts going in circles, and Aaliyah couldn’t answer any of them. She pulled up along side Bobby’s car and killed the engine. She shook her head and hair once the helmet was free.

 

“Nice helmet hair,” Dean shot over at her as he climbed out of the Impala.

 

“Beauty comes in time, hot shot,” she retorted, running her hands through her hair. She put the helmet on the gas tank before taking the elastic hairband off her wrist and tied her hair back into a simple pony tail. “Let’s go meet Bobby’s friend, huh?”

Aaliyah dismounted the motorcycle and followed Bobby up to the door.

 

Aaliyah took in the woman that opened the door; skinnier than her with brown hair and looks to be in her mid-thirties.

 

“Bobby,” the woman greeted with a hug that lifted him up a bit off the ground.

 

Aaliyah glanced over to the brothers and shrugged.

 

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Bobby said in return.

 

Aaliyah held her ground when the woman pulled away from Bobby and look her and the brothers up and down; as if she was appraising them for something.

 

“So, these are the Winchesters,” the woman said.

 

“Sam, Dean, and Aaliyah,” Bobby introduced. “This is Pamela Barnes; best damn psychic in the state.”

 

Aaliyah heard a hint of flirting in Dean’s voice and an awkwardness in Sam. She met Pamela’s gaze and held it.

 

“Uh – huh,” Pamela said. “So, Dean Winchester, out of the frying pan and into the fire. Makes you a rare individual.”

 

“If you say so,” he replied.

 

Aaliyah followed along when Pamela welcomed them into her house. Nearly every spot Aaliyah could see was filled with tools and other objects that dealt with the occult.

 

“I Oujia’d my way through a dozen spirits,” Pamela said. “None of them knew who broke your boy out, or why.”

 

“So, what’s next?” Aaliyah dared to ask, coming up along side Bobby.

 

“A séance, I think.”

 

Aaliyah arched an eyebrow. “You think? You know, Bobby, we came for answers, not thoughts.”

 

“Snappy young woman,” Pamela commented.

 

“I’m a lot more than ‘snappy’,” Aaliyah retorted. She stopped when Bobby put a hand on her shoulder.

 

“You’re not gonna summon the thing here?”

 

“No. I just want a look at it,” Pamela answered, her attention back on Bobby. “Like a crystal ball without the crystal.”

 

“I don’t like this,” Aaliyah whispered to Bobby.

 

“I’m game,” Dean said.

 

Aaliyah shook her head and turned away while Pamela went about gathering the items needed for the séance. She headed outside and sat on her bike.

 

“You okay, Kid?” Bobby’s voice called out.

 

“I don’t about all of this, Bobby. With Dean back, and us not knowing how or who did it …” She looked up to the older hunter. “And Pamela wanting to séance the bugger. I miss the days when it was just demons and ghosts we had to deal with.”

 

“The world’s changing, and not for the better,” Bobby said. “And I trust Pamela.”

 

Aaliyah held back a sigh, not wanting to voice her concern about the psychic. Then again, she had been used to being the only woman to be among the seasoned male hunters.

 

“Bobby,” Sam poked out of the door. “Pamela says she’s ready.”

 

“Well, Kid,” Bobby called to Aaliyah. “You coming?”

 

Aaliyah dismounted the cycle and followed Bobby into the house. She took a chair at the séance table and took Dean and Bobby’s hands just as Dean jumped.

 

“He didn’t touch me there,” Dean argued.

 

“My mistake,” Pamela said with a flirt in her voice.

 

Aaliyah glared at the psychic even as Dean stripped off his flannel and rolled up the tee shirt sleeve to bare the burn. She took a deep breath as Pamela started chanting.

 

“I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me in this circle,” Pamela chanted.

 

Aaliyah heard the television flick on, static filling the room.

 

“Castiel?” Pamela questioned; half of her chant cut off. “Sorry, Castiel, I don’t scare easy.”

 

“Castiel?” Aaliyah asked.

 

“It’s whispering, warning me to turn back,” Pamela said. “I command and conjure you, show me your face,” she started chanted.

 

Aaliyah nearly jumped back when the table started shaking and the static continued behind her. “Maybe we should stop.”

 

“I almost got it,” Pamela argued. “I command you, show me your face.”

 

When the candle flames leapt several feet, Aaliyah broke her hold on the hands while Pamela started screaming in pain. She shot up out of her chair when white hot flames shot out of Pamela’s eyes.

 

“Call 911,” Bobby instructed.

 

Aaliyah hovered behind Dean while he crouched over Pamela and Bobby while Sam’s voice drifted into the room. She looked at Pamela when she opened her eyes, revealing blacked out sockets.

 

***

 

Aaliyah sipped at her drink while Dean finished his order to the waitress. “What’d Bobby say?” she asked when Sam joined them.

 

“Pamela’s stable and out of the ICU,” he said.

 

“And blind because of us,” Dean said.

 

“And we still have no clue on who we’re dealing with,” Aaliyah chimed in.

 

“We got a name,” Dean pointed out.

 

“Yeah, Castiel,” Aaliyah said. “What kinda name is that?”

 

“With the right mumbo jumbo, we can summon him,” Dean pointed out. “Bring him to us.”

 

“You’re crazy,” Sam said. “Absolutely not.”

 

“We’ll work him over; after what he did, he owes us,” Dean said.

 

“Pam took a peek and got her eyes burned out,” Sam argued. “And you want a face to face?”

 

“You got a better idea?”

 

“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. I followed some demons into town, right?”

 

“I don’t like where this is going,” Aaliyah chimed in.

 

The waitress returned with three plates, each with a slice of pie. Sam thanked her, but she slid into the free chair at the table.

 

“You angling for a tip?” Aaliyah shot at the waitress.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were looking for us.” Her eyes flicked black.

 

Aaliyah glanced around the room to see a man in a uniform and a cook behind the counter with black eyes.

 

“Dean,” the waitress demon said. “To hell and back. Aren’t you a lucky duck?”

 

“That’s me.”

 

“So, you get to stroll right out of the pit, huh?” the demon said. “What makes you so special?”

 

“I like to think it’s because of my perky nipples,” Dean said in a sarcastic manner. “Wasn’t my doing, I don’t know who did.”

 

“Right, you don’t.”

 

“No, I don’t.”

 

“Lying is a sin, you know,” the demon said.

 

“I’m not lying,” Dean countered. “But I’d like to find out. So, if you’d like to enlighten me …”

 

“Mind your tone,” the demon interrupted. “I’ll drag you back myself.”

 

Aaliyah noticed Sam shift as if he was going to attack the demon, but settled back in his seat when Dean held up a hand.

 

“No, you won’t,” Aaliyah interjected.

 

“No?” the demon turned her attention to Aaliyah.

 

“You woulda done it already if you could,” she continued. “You don’t know who let Dean out just like us. And you’re spooked and looking for answers. Maybe it was some super powered spirit …”

 

“Or Godzilla,” Dean added.

 

“Or some big ass demon,” Aaliyah continued. “I’m willing to guess at your pay grade, they don’t tell you shit. Because whoever did manage to pull Dean out, they wanted him out. And they’re stronger than you.” She leaned forward on the table, staring down the demon. “So, go ahead and pull Dean down again. But don’t come back to us when they show up with some Vaseline and a firehose.”

 

“I’m gonna reach down your throat and rip out your lungs,” the demon threatened.

 

Dean was quicker than Aaliyah in throwing the first punch. It also didn’t help Aaliyah that she had to leap over the table to get to the demon. He threw another before Aaliyah put a hand to his shoulder.

 

“Pitiful,” the demon said. “A female hunter letting the men do all the fighting.”

 

Aaliyah moved around Dean and landed one solid punch to the demon. “I fight my own battles.” She stormed out the door, hearing the footsteps of Sam and Dean behind her.

 

“That was close,” Dean spoke once they were all outside.

 

“Are we just gonna leave them in there?” Sam asked, concern in his voice.

 

“Three of them,” Dean stated.

 

“Probably more,” Aaliyah added.

 

“And three of us and one knife,” Dean continued.

 

“I’ve been killing more demons than that lately,” Sam pointed out.

 

“Not anymore. The smarter brother’s back in town.”

 

“Dean, we have to take them.”

 

“No we don’t,” Aaliyah said.

 

“And they’re scared,” Dean added. “Scared of what yanked me out. We’re dealing with one bad mofo here. One job at a time.”

 

***

 

Aaliyah laid quiet on a bed, lightly snoring in that state of sleeping but being fully able of hearing the noises in the motel room. Noise from the other bed told her that Dean was sleeping. The sound of a door closing softly brought her fully from sleeping. The floor was free of another body and there was no light from the bathroom. Outside came the rumble of the Impala’s engine. Jumping from her bed, Aaliyah put her boots on and grabbed her keys, helmet and jacket at once in her move for the door. She slipped from the room just as Sam pulled out onto the street. In a rush, she mounted her motorcycle, putting on the helmet and jacket before starting the engine. Seconds later, with the jacket zipped up, she raced out onto the street to follow Sam.

 

Part of her wanted to be surprised when she pulled up near the restaurant diner they were at earlier. Aaliyah killed the engine and watched Sam walk into the diner. She crept over to the building and found the door that Sam had used, sneaking in through the opening. Music drifted from the dining area as she stepped around the dead cook. A grunt from somewhere sent her for a hiding spot behind the counter. Aaliyah dared to look up over the counter top to see Sam fighting the demon waitress.

 

“Your eyes,” Sam said, shocked.

 

The demon’s eyes? Had they been burned out like Pamela’s?

 

“But I can still smell your soul from a mile away.”

 

“It was here. You saw it.”

 

Aaliyah heard a sob from the waitress.

 

“I saw it,” the demon replied.

 

“What was it?” Sam demanded.

 

There was no way it could be a demon at this point. Not even Yellow-Eyes had that type of powers. And he was a top level demon.

 

“It’s the end. We’re dead; we’re all dead.”

 

“What did you see?” came the insistent question.

 

“Go to hell,” came the retort.

 

“Funny.”

 

Aaliyah swore she heard a smile on Sam’s voice.

 

“I was about to say the same to you.”

 

Aaliyah couldn’t see Sam’s face too well in the darkness, but something told her that he was concentrating on something when he raised his hand. She put a hand to her mouth when the demon stared to vomit black smoke. The waitress dropped to the floor after a few seconds. Aaliyah slipped back into the shadow of the counter before trying to move back for the door when footsteps came up behind her.

 

“Getting pretty slick there, Sam,” came a new female voice. “Better all the time.”

 

“What’s going on, Ruby?” Sam asked.

 

“I wish I knew.”

 

“We’re thinking some high level demon pulled Dean out.”

 

Aaliyah remained frozen during the conversation, hoping Ruby would move so she could make an attempt to leave.

 

“Human souls just don’t walk out of Hell and back into their bodies that easy,” Ruby said. “It’s cosmic, Sam. No demon can swing it; not Lilith, not no one.”

 

“Then what can?”

 

“Nothing I’ve seen before.”

 

Aaliyah heard Ruby move away from the door. Right before the demon pulled her from her hiding spot.

 

“Now, what do we have here?” Ruby asked, turning her head to a side while studying Aaliyah.

 

Aaliyah glared at Ruby. “Someone itching to make another demon kill.”

 

“Aaliyah?” Sam called out, slight confusion in his voice.

 

“You know this dumb little…”

 

Aaliyah reached out and smacked Ruby before she could finish the sentience. “I was smart enough to nearly get outta here without getting caught.” She stepped back from Ruby and turned to Sam. “I take it that Dean doesn’t know you’re working with a demon. You know he’s gonna be pissed about it.”

 

“You’re right,” he agreed.

 

“You gonna tell him?” she asked.

 

“Maybe I should step back a bit,” Ruby suggested.

 

“You’re going back to hell,” Aaliyah snapped at the demon.

 

“Clearly I’m not in your fan club, or Dean’s,” Ruby stated. “But I’m not gonna get between them.”

 

“I don’t know what I’m doing is right,” Sam said.

 

“About that.” Aaliyah kept her gaze on Sam. “What the hell was that I saw with the waitress?”

 

“I can exorcise demons psychically.” He sighed. “I don’t know if I can trust …”

 

Aaliyah followed his gaze over to Ruby. She didn’t blame him for not trusting a demon after all that they had gone through

with demons.

 

“Thanks,” Ruby said, clearly picking up on the gesture.

 

“But what I do know is that I’m saving people,” Sam continued. “And stopping demons, and that feels good.”

 

“By teaming up with a demon? Come on Sam, it doesn’t make sense.”

 

“Now you’re sounding like Dean,” Sam accused.

 

“He’ll agree with me. But if you wanna continue working with …” Aaliyah glanced over at Ruby again before back to Sam. “Go ahead, but don’t get mad at me when the time comes when I get to say I told you so.”

 

Aaliyah turned, gave Ruby one more look, and saw herself from the diner. Walking back to the bike, she mounted it and held onto the helmet. With a shake of her head, she put the helmet on and started the engine; driving away back to the motel. Now she knew what Sam was doing the past few months, but the question that bounced in her mind was would she dare tell Dean what Sam was doing, or leave it alone? Her phone started vibrating in her pocket, having her pull over to answer it.

 

“Hunter,” she greeted.

 

“Hunter?” Dean’s voice questioned.

 

“Wrong number. What’s up?”

 

“Where’d you take off?”

 

“I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a ride. Think you can head back to Bobby’s?”

 

“Yeah. Just need to grab my things from the motel.”

 

The line went dead when Dean hung up. Aaliyah pulled her cell from her ear and pulled up the text app.

 

Meet back at Bobby’s, she sent to Sam.

 

Once her phone was back in her pocket, and helmet readjusted, Aaliyah headed down the road.