A/N: No promises yet but I think I can start double posts this week. So what do you say to Sundays and Wednesdays?
Extra Disclaimer For All Following Sections: Some of the lines are from Supernatural. I didn't write them.
“You're not making this easy”
- Promise, Matchbook Romance
It wasn't a difficult thing: falling back into lies. The stories were already made all she had to do was draw on them. Utter the words that she had lived by through out high school.
It had been too easy to fall back into lying.
Especially after Dean's nasty words had burnt into her mind. They were still there scratching their way out and making themselves heard over the blaring music pouring from her headphones. There was only so much Foreigner she could take.
That thing is not coming with us.
So the lies had poured forth, bookmarked in her mind for easy access so she didn't accidentally slip.
The aftermath of a shooting when she was sixteen had began the process of showing how different she really was. With no idea why she could all of a sudden do things, a scared Liz Parker had turned to science for answers. Answers she was still searching for.
There was no mention of Max or the others. Or what she was really capable of. Liz didn't tell him that she had been brought back from the brink of death. She didn't mention that for a while the alien influence in her body had manifested itself in electricity running under her skin. Nor did she admit that most... all of what she could do came from someone else using their abilities on her.
She was a cheap mimic and a great liar. Sam had believed every word, encouraged by her 'frightened' tears.
Maybe Maria was right, acting was her true calling.
Whether Dean had bought the load of crap she was selling was difficult to tell. The mistrust he kept shooting her way, however, was completely obvious.
Sam shifted in his sleep in the front of the car, his breathing irregular. Another nightmare. Ignoring the glare that was being reflected at her from the rearview mirror, Liz gently touched her friends cheek. He immediately calmed down. It was a temporary solution to a growing problem and he'd wake soon anyway but it was the least she could do.
Dean glanced from her to Sam and back to the road.
Liz prepared another lie.
*
“Who the hell are you?”
There was no controlling the way her eyes rolled when Haley's question was actually met by some semblance of truth. Here she was, Liz, the girl who'd been in the car with him the last couple of weeks, who had been ignored or snapped at every time she'd wanted more information on what exactly was the plan but it was the hot sister in the daisy dukes that gets a reply.
“This is probably the most honest I've been with a woman. Ever. So, are we ok?”
Don't get her wrong, the woman seemed nice. It was the fact that she was fairly certain that most the words coming out of Jackass #1's mouth were laced with flirtation.
Then to add on top of that Jackass #2's inability to even briefly resemble the man who had been one of her closest friends over the last three years and Liz was pondering whether it was really all that suicidal to chase down this thing herself.
She knew it had yellow eyes and it was a demon. That was all she really needed to know. Right?
“Yes, we've established that you are in fact male. Now mush,” she slapped Dean on the back with a sardonic smile and kept hiking.
All the while her boot squeaking because of that damn puddle that Jackass #1 had 'accidentally' bumped her into. Liz was never one for sadistic tendencies, that was more Charlie's cup of tea, but given a couple more days and the Winchesters were going to be fair game. Perhaps she'd leave them out there for the skinwalker or black dog or whatever the hell it was.
'Cause she didn't know.
They didn't feel the need to inform her. If it was in the hopes that she'd give up and go back to Palo Alto, their actions were severely misguided.
*
The moist ground was starting to seep through her sweatshirt where she was laying on the ground, her head propped up by her backpack: the only bag not to be taken since she had never put it down. There wasn't anything in it but water and a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but it was something.
Honestly Liz was just happy that she hadn't lost her phone.
“If those two are here because they're looking for their father, do you mind if I ask why you are?”
She looked up at Haley where the woman stood above her, “Cause I'm the village groupie.”
*
“What are you doing?”
“Coming with you,” came the reply in a manner that implied that he wasn't intelligent enough to see that himself. Dean kept moving but managed to spare her a dark confused look.
“I can handle this on my own.”
“I know but no one should be alone,” she smiled at him and yelled out hopefully loud enough for the Wendigo to hear, “Come and get him! He's nice and meaty!”
*
Liz has come to the conclusion that Sam is in fact male and therefore a crazy testosterone driven cad like all the rest and his brother was a hooker in a leather jacket. It only took her a week and a half to figure that out so she was really quite proud.
“Must you cheapen the moment.”
Dean smiled charmingly, “yeah.”
Given time she was certain that Jackass #1 could flirt himself into a nuns habit, this was a theory that she would pay to see tested. Really, he was attractive and all but Liz didn't see it. Ok, that was a lie. There was no not seeing it. He was sex, pure and simple. Just like Charlie had said. She internally rolled her eyes and kept flipping her phone open and shut.
“I'm driving," Sam declared pushing himself off the Impala.
Surprise ripped through her as Dean actually tossed him the keys.
“When do I get to drive?”
Both brothers looked at each other than her, “never.”
“Hey! I'm a good driver.”
“Liz you hit a parked car.”
“That wasn't my fault! Besides they weren't suppose to be parked there anyway.”
-
Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) COMPLETE
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, Erina, Forum Moderators
-
vaifeal
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: somewhere this side of unstable
- Contact:
Re: Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) New 1/27
"Like many non-violent men since that time, he was deeply hated." - on Desiderius Eramus
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
-
vaifeal
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: somewhere this side of unstable
- Contact:
Re: Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) New 1/30
A/N: A bit later than I had hoped but it's here.
“We go down to the river
and into the river we dive”
- The River, Bruce Springsteen
“People just don't disappear Dean, other people just stop looking for them.”
Liz rolled her eyes and ignored the power play between the brothers. It really was exhausting, having to be around two of the male species. Really fucking exhausting. All they did was bicker and belch and scratch places that she didn't want to be looking at which as soon as their hands went there her eyes would jump down and...
Ugh, a person couldn't very well control the impulse to look somewhere in curiosity. It was called curiosity for a reason. As in curiosity killed the cat but without the satisfaction to bring it back. 'Cause looking at Dean's crotch wasn't all that satisfying.
Especially since he kept itchin' the damn thing on purpose. If she didn't know he was doing it to annoy her, she'd think that he had crabs.
Males.
Sure she had spent time around Alex, Max, and Michael but it wasn't in a car and it wasn't every moment.
Sam and Dean were ALWAYS there.
They were never not there. She woke up, there they were. When she went to bed, there they were. When she got out of the shower, yep there they were.
A loud beep shook her out of thoughts that would no doubt lead to her doing something she'd regret.
Like snapping at Jackasses numbers 1 and 2 (number 1 more likely than not) which would only result in her getting even more pissed: Liz was starting to think maybe it wasn't such a great idea to have come with them.
Once again rolling her eyes she flipped open her phone and froze. Two words blazed on the screen, two words that she had been waiting for and now that they were there she wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry.
She looked down at the words again:
We're good.
*
Something wasn't right.
That was a completely unneeded and obvious statement since the Winchesters were only ever in places that had something wrong with them but since they had walked out of the Sheriffs station, her eyes still on the mute boy, Liz hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something was much more off about the town than they suspected.
She dropped on to one of the two full sized bed in the room knowing that she'd have to move: as the smallest resident of the Lakeside Motel she had once again been assigned the cot. The cramped, usually smelly, cot.
Shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the stale musky smell that was characteristics of stale water, she took some of the research from Sam and spread it out. Drownings. People said that drowning were one of the more peaceful ways to go but Liz couldn't see how lungs exploding could be peaceful.
“Witnessing one of your parents die: it's not something you just get over.”
It wasn't that the words that came out of Dean's lips that made her jerk her head up from the article on Sophie Carlton's drowning but the force behind them. She caught his eye, green to brown, and for once they shared a measure of understanding.
Jeff Parker had passed away with his little girl holding his hand. Mary Winchester had been murdered by the thing that had come after Jess with her little boys right there.
Dean looked away.
They weren't the same thing.
*
It was a persistent buzzing in the back of her mind, stronger than the one that had plagued her since they had driven into town, but no less pressing. That fucking buzz just wouldn't go away. Every time she focused on it the thing would flutter away. There was... something that she should know.
It wasn't until she saw Lucas kneel on the dock that she realized what it was.
*
“Lucas!”
“Liz!”
Sam felt the dread building as he frantically searched the water for a sign of his best friend. She'd gone in with a messy dive only a split second after Lucas had been pulled in and neither had surfaced. He couldn't lose Liz. It wasn't an option.
Andrea was screaming from the dock and Jake was looking to get himself killed, he just kept searching. Liz couldn't die, not like this, not because of him. This mess wouldn't cost him anyone else. Not again.
“Lucas,” Andrea cried again as Dean surfaced with the boy held tightly. Sam went under holding his breath as long as he could. He was about to surface when his fingers brushed something too rough to be water weeds.
They laid her out on the dock, making quick work of checking her pulse and airway. He forced himself not to panic at how frighteningly pale her skin was and at how her chest wasn't moving.
*
She tried to breathe but her body heaved instead letting out a stream of violent convulsions. Water spilled from her mouth even as she tried to stop herself from coughing. Hands were on her, brushing hair from her face and helping to support her but her mind was moving too slow for her to process what the hell had happened.
“Ugh,” whoever it was held her close. He was warm and it felt good against her wet skin. Wet. Lucas. She looked up at Sam's concerned face, “Lucas?”
“He's fine,” he once again brushed her hair away from her face in a move that seemed to be meant more to assure him that she was actually there than to aid her vision. Her throat burned with that post-throw up feel and Liz coughed again. “Are you ok?”
“I feel like I've been punched in the chest. Next time you can be the one to down,” Sam laughed and crushed her to him. Hugging back as best she could, she laid her head on his shoulder.
“Don't you ever do that again,” he said into her hair, his voice filled with fear.
“I love you too Sammy.”
“We go down to the river
and into the river we dive”
- The River, Bruce Springsteen
“People just don't disappear Dean, other people just stop looking for them.”
Liz rolled her eyes and ignored the power play between the brothers. It really was exhausting, having to be around two of the male species. Really fucking exhausting. All they did was bicker and belch and scratch places that she didn't want to be looking at which as soon as their hands went there her eyes would jump down and...
Ugh, a person couldn't very well control the impulse to look somewhere in curiosity. It was called curiosity for a reason. As in curiosity killed the cat but without the satisfaction to bring it back. 'Cause looking at Dean's crotch wasn't all that satisfying.
Especially since he kept itchin' the damn thing on purpose. If she didn't know he was doing it to annoy her, she'd think that he had crabs.
Males.
Sure she had spent time around Alex, Max, and Michael but it wasn't in a car and it wasn't every moment.
Sam and Dean were ALWAYS there.
They were never not there. She woke up, there they were. When she went to bed, there they were. When she got out of the shower, yep there they were.
A loud beep shook her out of thoughts that would no doubt lead to her doing something she'd regret.
Like snapping at Jackasses numbers 1 and 2 (number 1 more likely than not) which would only result in her getting even more pissed: Liz was starting to think maybe it wasn't such a great idea to have come with them.
Once again rolling her eyes she flipped open her phone and froze. Two words blazed on the screen, two words that she had been waiting for and now that they were there she wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry.
She looked down at the words again:
We're good.
*
Something wasn't right.
That was a completely unneeded and obvious statement since the Winchesters were only ever in places that had something wrong with them but since they had walked out of the Sheriffs station, her eyes still on the mute boy, Liz hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something was much more off about the town than they suspected.
She dropped on to one of the two full sized bed in the room knowing that she'd have to move: as the smallest resident of the Lakeside Motel she had once again been assigned the cot. The cramped, usually smelly, cot.
Shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the stale musky smell that was characteristics of stale water, she took some of the research from Sam and spread it out. Drownings. People said that drowning were one of the more peaceful ways to go but Liz couldn't see how lungs exploding could be peaceful.
“Witnessing one of your parents die: it's not something you just get over.”
It wasn't that the words that came out of Dean's lips that made her jerk her head up from the article on Sophie Carlton's drowning but the force behind them. She caught his eye, green to brown, and for once they shared a measure of understanding.
Jeff Parker had passed away with his little girl holding his hand. Mary Winchester had been murdered by the thing that had come after Jess with her little boys right there.
Dean looked away.
They weren't the same thing.
*
It was a persistent buzzing in the back of her mind, stronger than the one that had plagued her since they had driven into town, but no less pressing. That fucking buzz just wouldn't go away. Every time she focused on it the thing would flutter away. There was... something that she should know.
It wasn't until she saw Lucas kneel on the dock that she realized what it was.
*
“Lucas!”
“Liz!”
Sam felt the dread building as he frantically searched the water for a sign of his best friend. She'd gone in with a messy dive only a split second after Lucas had been pulled in and neither had surfaced. He couldn't lose Liz. It wasn't an option.
Andrea was screaming from the dock and Jake was looking to get himself killed, he just kept searching. Liz couldn't die, not like this, not because of him. This mess wouldn't cost him anyone else. Not again.
“Lucas,” Andrea cried again as Dean surfaced with the boy held tightly. Sam went under holding his breath as long as he could. He was about to surface when his fingers brushed something too rough to be water weeds.
They laid her out on the dock, making quick work of checking her pulse and airway. He forced himself not to panic at how frighteningly pale her skin was and at how her chest wasn't moving.
*
She tried to breathe but her body heaved instead letting out a stream of violent convulsions. Water spilled from her mouth even as she tried to stop herself from coughing. Hands were on her, brushing hair from her face and helping to support her but her mind was moving too slow for her to process what the hell had happened.
“Ugh,” whoever it was held her close. He was warm and it felt good against her wet skin. Wet. Lucas. She looked up at Sam's concerned face, “Lucas?”
“He's fine,” he once again brushed her hair away from her face in a move that seemed to be meant more to assure him that she was actually there than to aid her vision. Her throat burned with that post-throw up feel and Liz coughed again. “Are you ok?”
“I feel like I've been punched in the chest. Next time you can be the one to down,” Sam laughed and crushed her to him. Hugging back as best she could, she laid her head on his shoulder.
“Don't you ever do that again,” he said into her hair, his voice filled with fear.
“I love you too Sammy.”
"Like many non-violent men since that time, he was deeply hated." - on Desiderius Eramus
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
-
vaifeal
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: somewhere this side of unstable
- Contact:
Re: Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) New 2/03
A/N: OK so I'm just a little peeved about the Patriots losing the Super Bowl. Not that the Giants didn't deserve to win but the Pats really didn't play as well as they had all season. What a fuckin' upset. Reviews to improve my mood? Please?
“What are you hoping for?
I'm here I'm now I'm ready
Holding on tight”
- 23, Jimmy Eat World
Liz looked down at her cards and worriedly chewed her lip, on the inside she was smirking but it wouldn't do to let her fellow players know how confident she was in her hand. That was the whole point of the scam, to make them think she had no idea what she was doing. It was a skill Michael had taught her: to hustle the misogynists that frequented seedy establishments.
She had never been so grateful for the long hours she had spent with him.
Carefully laying her cards on the table, she fought against a smile when the men around her groaned. Her hand, a royal flush, trumped those around her as she had known it would. The game was one that she rarely lost, pool was her specialty but poker was easy money.
“I won?” Liz allowed a innocent look of wonder to grace her features, “This game is fun.”
Two hours and almost three hundred dollars later she found herself at the bar, Dean next to her flirting outrageously with some blond Barbie. Shaking her head she draped her arm over his shoulder and pretended to kiss his cheek in a move that screamed ownership. Barbie glared at him and huffed away.
“Must you try to get laid everywhere we stop?”
“Try implies that I'm not successful and there is nothing wrong with having some fun.”
“Just remember that when your dick falls off because you've contracted some disease.”
*
“Why'd you let me sleep?”
“Cause I'm an awesome brother.”
Lifting herself from where she was sprawled across the bed she stared over at her friend as he flippantly brushed off Dean's questions. His whole, lets avoid the problem until it drives me insane thing was going too far. Jess wouldn't want him to tear himself up like he was. Liz pushed away the building guilt and fixed him with her 'stop bullshitting a bullshitter' look.
“You're gonna have to talk about it some time Sammy.”
He brushed off the remark like she knew he would and continued to ask about the case.
“Hey, how come she gets to call you Sammy?”
She shrugged, “Because I'm too cute to say no to.”
“Dude-” she blocked out his response and laid back down.
*
Dean had watched as Liz waved her hand over the back of the mirror revealing the writing there without a blacklight. He still wasn't comfortable with the things she could do but they'd come to an accord. She didn't use them excessively and he didn't give her shit.
At least about that.
He shot her a glare as her phone rang interrupting the discussion with Mr Shoemakers daughter and leaving Sam to the questioning followed her to the hall but remained where she couldn't see him.
“So everything is ok?... Yeah, I know. I am... Does she?... No, I get it. I'd be pissed at me too if I was her... You don't need to justify it. We did what we needed to, she's allowed to be angry... I'll talk to you later. Bye.”
What the hell was that about?
*
Waving her hand over her features Liz stepped out of the store and into the headlights illuminating the front of the store. The police were approaching Dean cautiously obviously not buying that he was the adopted son of the Asian owner.
“Excuse my husband officers,” they all looked over to her as she approached, the police obviously relaxing as they took her appearance in, “he finds it amusing to play with peoples heads.” She took her place next to Dean, close enough to seem like they were intimate but not actually touching. “It's my fault the alarm went off. I forgot to tell him dad put one in.”
“That's quite alright mam. Next time be more careful.”
The police drove off and they entered the store to see the blood that was streaming out of Sam's eyes. Not thinking, something that was continuously getting her in trouble, Liz tackled him to the floor as Dean smashed the mirror. A connection between the two flared open with her desire to help him.
Almost immediately she pulled away as if burnt.
She wasn't the only one hiding.
*
“You haven't told me everything,” Sam said as he sat next to her.
“Neither have you,” he didn't respond except to look away. She had known he'd have questions. Images always went both ways. “You told Dean that there were somethings you needed to keep to yourself,” he finally met her eyes, “I could say the same.”
“What are you hoping for?
I'm here I'm now I'm ready
Holding on tight”
- 23, Jimmy Eat World
Liz looked down at her cards and worriedly chewed her lip, on the inside she was smirking but it wouldn't do to let her fellow players know how confident she was in her hand. That was the whole point of the scam, to make them think she had no idea what she was doing. It was a skill Michael had taught her: to hustle the misogynists that frequented seedy establishments.
She had never been so grateful for the long hours she had spent with him.
Carefully laying her cards on the table, she fought against a smile when the men around her groaned. Her hand, a royal flush, trumped those around her as she had known it would. The game was one that she rarely lost, pool was her specialty but poker was easy money.
“I won?” Liz allowed a innocent look of wonder to grace her features, “This game is fun.”
Two hours and almost three hundred dollars later she found herself at the bar, Dean next to her flirting outrageously with some blond Barbie. Shaking her head she draped her arm over his shoulder and pretended to kiss his cheek in a move that screamed ownership. Barbie glared at him and huffed away.
“Must you try to get laid everywhere we stop?”
“Try implies that I'm not successful and there is nothing wrong with having some fun.”
“Just remember that when your dick falls off because you've contracted some disease.”
*
“Why'd you let me sleep?”
“Cause I'm an awesome brother.”
Lifting herself from where she was sprawled across the bed she stared over at her friend as he flippantly brushed off Dean's questions. His whole, lets avoid the problem until it drives me insane thing was going too far. Jess wouldn't want him to tear himself up like he was. Liz pushed away the building guilt and fixed him with her 'stop bullshitting a bullshitter' look.
“You're gonna have to talk about it some time Sammy.”
He brushed off the remark like she knew he would and continued to ask about the case.
“Hey, how come she gets to call you Sammy?”
She shrugged, “Because I'm too cute to say no to.”
“Dude-” she blocked out his response and laid back down.
*
Dean had watched as Liz waved her hand over the back of the mirror revealing the writing there without a blacklight. He still wasn't comfortable with the things she could do but they'd come to an accord. She didn't use them excessively and he didn't give her shit.
At least about that.
He shot her a glare as her phone rang interrupting the discussion with Mr Shoemakers daughter and leaving Sam to the questioning followed her to the hall but remained where she couldn't see him.
“So everything is ok?... Yeah, I know. I am... Does she?... No, I get it. I'd be pissed at me too if I was her... You don't need to justify it. We did what we needed to, she's allowed to be angry... I'll talk to you later. Bye.”
What the hell was that about?
*
Waving her hand over her features Liz stepped out of the store and into the headlights illuminating the front of the store. The police were approaching Dean cautiously obviously not buying that he was the adopted son of the Asian owner.
“Excuse my husband officers,” they all looked over to her as she approached, the police obviously relaxing as they took her appearance in, “he finds it amusing to play with peoples heads.” She took her place next to Dean, close enough to seem like they were intimate but not actually touching. “It's my fault the alarm went off. I forgot to tell him dad put one in.”
“That's quite alright mam. Next time be more careful.”
The police drove off and they entered the store to see the blood that was streaming out of Sam's eyes. Not thinking, something that was continuously getting her in trouble, Liz tackled him to the floor as Dean smashed the mirror. A connection between the two flared open with her desire to help him.
Almost immediately she pulled away as if burnt.
She wasn't the only one hiding.
*
“You haven't told me everything,” Sam said as he sat next to her.
“Neither have you,” he didn't respond except to look away. She had known he'd have questions. Images always went both ways. “You told Dean that there were somethings you needed to keep to yourself,” he finally met her eyes, “I could say the same.”
"Like many non-violent men since that time, he was deeply hated." - on Desiderius Eramus
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
-
vaifeal
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: somewhere this side of unstable
- Contact:
Re: Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) New 2/06
I got it up before midnight! Go me!
“I'm on my own
I'll never say anything right
I'm On My OWN”
Degausser, Brand New
“Dean's a cop,” as soon as the words passed Sam's lips, Liz started choking. What a laugh, Dean as a cop. She'd sooner believe that he was celibate.
Shooting her a look, Jackass #1 added on “detective actually.”
Her and Becky were never really close, she'd been closer to Zak for a time before he'd met his girlfriend and she'd decided that relationships were highly over rated. He was a sweet guy. The kind that would bring a girl flowers. They hadn't parted on the best of terms. Still, it was good to be around familiar faces.
Even if having a friend framed for murder wasn't the ideal reunion.
“Two places at once. We've looked into less.”
“What about a shapeshifter?” the brothers looked at her. “They're tricky motherfuckers, this could be one of them.”
It was nasty enough.
Like Nasedo and Cal. She highly doubted that Zak's situation was alien related but that didn't rule out the possibility that the shapeshifter was human in origin. Liz had seen weirder in the last few months.
*
Liz's feet pounded on the ground as she ran. They'd all separated in the hopes of catching the shapeshifter. It probably wasn't the brightest idea considering that it could change into anything it wanted but it was their best chance.
Finally reaching the corner they were suppose to meet at her heart dropped when no one else showed.
*
“Dean,” she pulled the tarp from off him and grabbed his head where it was lolled to the side. He was out cold, a small welt at his temple. Shaking him to wake him, she pulled her knife from her back pocket. He let out a small groan.
“Liz?” she put her hand over his mouth and pulled the tarp over his head.
“Shhh,” the shapeshifter entered with a form she recognized as Sam's over his shoulder. It dropped him and quickly tied him to a post. Sam woke quicker than his brother and got the thing monologuing.
Briefly and inanely Liz wondered if the monologue was the enemy of all bad guys.
She barely contained a jerk as Dean shifted, his lips brushing her ear where she was pressed into his side trying to hide. Her gun was on the floor on the other side of him, if she reached for it the thing would know that she was there.
“Untie me,” Dean whispered into her ear, she nodded against his neck and reached behind him to saw away at the rope.
Liz wasn't sure how long it was before the shapeshifter left, having focused her attention on barely moving as she cut but when it was gone she was almost done. Tossing the tarp off and making quick work of Dean's bonds, Liz all but ran to Sam's side.
It was easier to cut when she didn't have to worry about being detected.
“Aren't you glad you brought me?” she gave him a cheesy smile.
“In more ways than one.”
*
“That's ok cause I'm a freak too,” Liz settled in more securely as she listened to the brothers talk.
Though she was getting use to the whole stay up all night, sleep during the day thing. She missed her normal sleeping patterns. And not being bruised all the time. At the moment she had a particularly nasty one on her back no, not from the shapeshifter but from trying to be stealthy and failing miserably.
Later that day when the three of them were settled into a hotel room, with Dean in the shower, Liz crawled into bed next to Sam to get his attention. It was time that she really started to appreciate what she was involved in. The skills and knowledge she had gotten from the abyss weren't enough. Just going off what the brother told her wasn't enough.
“I know that you dreamed about Jess before she was attacked.”
She needed to know everything he knew.
“I'm on my own
I'll never say anything right
I'm On My OWN”
Degausser, Brand New
“Dean's a cop,” as soon as the words passed Sam's lips, Liz started choking. What a laugh, Dean as a cop. She'd sooner believe that he was celibate.
Shooting her a look, Jackass #1 added on “detective actually.”
Her and Becky were never really close, she'd been closer to Zak for a time before he'd met his girlfriend and she'd decided that relationships were highly over rated. He was a sweet guy. The kind that would bring a girl flowers. They hadn't parted on the best of terms. Still, it was good to be around familiar faces.
Even if having a friend framed for murder wasn't the ideal reunion.
“Two places at once. We've looked into less.”
“What about a shapeshifter?” the brothers looked at her. “They're tricky motherfuckers, this could be one of them.”
It was nasty enough.
Like Nasedo and Cal. She highly doubted that Zak's situation was alien related but that didn't rule out the possibility that the shapeshifter was human in origin. Liz had seen weirder in the last few months.
*
Liz's feet pounded on the ground as she ran. They'd all separated in the hopes of catching the shapeshifter. It probably wasn't the brightest idea considering that it could change into anything it wanted but it was their best chance.
Finally reaching the corner they were suppose to meet at her heart dropped when no one else showed.
*
“Dean,” she pulled the tarp from off him and grabbed his head where it was lolled to the side. He was out cold, a small welt at his temple. Shaking him to wake him, she pulled her knife from her back pocket. He let out a small groan.
“Liz?” she put her hand over his mouth and pulled the tarp over his head.
“Shhh,” the shapeshifter entered with a form she recognized as Sam's over his shoulder. It dropped him and quickly tied him to a post. Sam woke quicker than his brother and got the thing monologuing.
Briefly and inanely Liz wondered if the monologue was the enemy of all bad guys.
She barely contained a jerk as Dean shifted, his lips brushing her ear where she was pressed into his side trying to hide. Her gun was on the floor on the other side of him, if she reached for it the thing would know that she was there.
“Untie me,” Dean whispered into her ear, she nodded against his neck and reached behind him to saw away at the rope.
Liz wasn't sure how long it was before the shapeshifter left, having focused her attention on barely moving as she cut but when it was gone she was almost done. Tossing the tarp off and making quick work of Dean's bonds, Liz all but ran to Sam's side.
It was easier to cut when she didn't have to worry about being detected.
“Aren't you glad you brought me?” she gave him a cheesy smile.
“In more ways than one.”
*
“That's ok cause I'm a freak too,” Liz settled in more securely as she listened to the brothers talk.
Though she was getting use to the whole stay up all night, sleep during the day thing. She missed her normal sleeping patterns. And not being bruised all the time. At the moment she had a particularly nasty one on her back no, not from the shapeshifter but from trying to be stealthy and failing miserably.
Later that day when the three of them were settled into a hotel room, with Dean in the shower, Liz crawled into bed next to Sam to get his attention. It was time that she really started to appreciate what she was involved in. The skills and knowledge she had gotten from the abyss weren't enough. Just going off what the brother told her wasn't enough.
“I know that you dreamed about Jess before she was attacked.”
She needed to know everything he knew.
"Like many non-violent men since that time, he was deeply hated." - on Desiderius Eramus
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
-
vaifeal
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: somewhere this side of unstable
- Contact:
Re: Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) New 2/10
A/N: By popular demand: Home. Sorry about it being late again but my sister kept me on the phone for hours while she was driving and I couldn't finish this till now.
“You didn't feel me, you can't really see no good.”
- Whose Chariot?, O.A.R.
Liz gave Sam a nudge with her arm where he was seated on the hood of the Impala and braced her self for one in return. Things were better between them especially after he told his brother the truth. No more secrets. Well, no more of his secrets. Sam didn't deal with keeping things to himself well. Not if it was from the people he cared about.
She nudged him again, grinning at him and peaking at him from the corner of her eye. He was shaking his head but nudged her back. It was a light one unfortunately however he did it right as she was shifting her feet on the bumper so she ended up sliding off the hood on to the ground.
The dirty floor of the gas station, meaning she'd probably landed on oil too.
“Must you pick on the little people,” she said holding her hand up for him to assist her up which he did while laughing at her. She would've been offended if it wasn't the first time since his nightmare that he was smiling.
“Of course, it's one of my favorite forms of entertainment.”
“What's another? Kicking puppies?”
He turned to her and gave her the most innocent look he could muster, “how'd you know?”
*
She didn't like the way the woman was talking to Dean.
Like he was a child that needed to be scorned repeatedly. No, she didn't like it at all. He was hurting, badly. Just the fact that he was so readable, when usually he didn't tip his cards about what he was feeling, was a huge tip off. Sarcasm and flirtation were more often companions when around Dean than the truth about what was going on in his head.
And this woman, this Missouri, for all of her talents seemed blind to his turmoil. Granted this was Dean, affection was almost always met with a flippant response but nothing about the current situation was his status quo.
Lawrence was his least favorite place. Where his mom was murdered and his father fell apart. He deserved some leeway.
Maybe it wouldn't bother her so much if she wasn't treating Sam like he was royalty. Liz loved Sam, he was one of her best friends but that didn't mean that she couldn't appreciate that of the two brothers he was not the one with the closer father-son bond. Sam wanted to find John for answers about the thing that had gone after Jess. Dean just wanted to find his dad.
Also, Sam was a baby when Mary was killed. He didn't remember her or ever living in Lawrence. Dean did. There was a difference memories of things a person had lived and those they'd been told about.
So yeah, she had a problem with Missouri.
And she wasn't quiet about it. It was one of those things that she'd learned along time ago, there was no point pretending to like someone she didn't. Which is why when curiosity had been expressed about the psychic blackhole that was her mind she merely kept glaring.
There was that and the nagging feeling in her gut that the woman was keeping a bigger secret than whether or not the town sheriff really was boinking the mayors wife. The feeling was fuzzy, half the warm acceptance that a person got when they were loved unconditionally – usually around parents and half was a resigned cold distance.
She couldn't tell if they were coming from Missouri or someone else.
That really pissed her off.
*
It was the “Forgive this boy. He means well but he'd just not the sharpest tool in the shed” remark that finally made her snap. The only thing that kept her from lashing out on the foots of the old Winchester house was Sam stepping between her and the woman. He'd been watching her as closely as she had been watching Missouri aware that he'd been lucky so far that the dislike had remained nonverbal.
Liz did not appreciate people belittling her own. Dean may have been an arrogant asshole but he was her arrogant asshole.
When they were back at the house with that stupid fucking feeling back but not as strong and Missouri was using that tone with him again, she found a spot away from them and forced herself to relax. She knew that when the woman realized she had left the room she'd come looking and when she saw Liz staring off into space so obviously emotionally distraught she'd feel that female-to-female bond.
Which is exactly what happened.
Before the woman could ask how she was or how long she'd been traveling with the Winchester's or some other olive branch inquiry. Liz spoke first, “You need to leave Dean alone. He's having a hard enough time being back here, you don't need to be riding him so hard.”
“You have feelings for him,” If Missouri expected her to respond with a defensive 'he's just a friend' she was more than willing to disappoint instead she just stared at the older woman clearly not amused. “I know how to handle that boy.”
“Why because you can skim his thoughts? That's like judging a book by its cover, all you get is a pale shadow of the real story.”
“I've know Dean Winchester since he was just a boy,” she said it as if that was validation of her behavior. It was taking all she had not to physically lash out at the older woman.
“Just back the fuck off.”
“You've only known him for less than six months. How do you know how he should be treated?”
Liz's eyes flickered up the stairs, she wasn't sure why. It was instincts, “We all have our secrets.”
“You stay around those boys and your gifts are going to get stronger.”
She paused before heading back into help the brothers and met Missouri's questioning gaze. The woman wanted to know more about her gifts, wanted to know why she couldn't read her. That wasn't up for discussion.
“Did you sense that or are you just guessing?”
*
Grabbing Dean's hand as his mothers form materialized before them was a thoughtless action but not as thoughtless as it should have been. Liz could only guess what he was feeling and had provided the only comfort that she could give.
It had all happened too soon. One minute she was running out of the house Jenny's son in her arms, Sam and the little girl behind her. The next it was just the little girl and for the first time since realizing that she was a little green around the gills she managed to blow up something when she needed to.
Then two minutes later Mary Winchester was in the kitchen with some cryptic apology for Sam before going all fireball on the poltergeist. What really got her though was the “Take care of them” Mary had thrown in her direction.
Holding Dean's hand was ending up to be for her benefit too.
*
“Ready to finally get out of here?” Liz asked as she leaned against the Impala with Dean. Really, she couldn't see him having been a funny looking kid.
“Liz, I'm touched that you care,” yep, he was back to being Jackass #1.
“Oh, shut up.”
“You didn't feel me, you can't really see no good.”
- Whose Chariot?, O.A.R.
Liz gave Sam a nudge with her arm where he was seated on the hood of the Impala and braced her self for one in return. Things were better between them especially after he told his brother the truth. No more secrets. Well, no more of his secrets. Sam didn't deal with keeping things to himself well. Not if it was from the people he cared about.
She nudged him again, grinning at him and peaking at him from the corner of her eye. He was shaking his head but nudged her back. It was a light one unfortunately however he did it right as she was shifting her feet on the bumper so she ended up sliding off the hood on to the ground.
The dirty floor of the gas station, meaning she'd probably landed on oil too.
“Must you pick on the little people,” she said holding her hand up for him to assist her up which he did while laughing at her. She would've been offended if it wasn't the first time since his nightmare that he was smiling.
“Of course, it's one of my favorite forms of entertainment.”
“What's another? Kicking puppies?”
He turned to her and gave her the most innocent look he could muster, “how'd you know?”
*
She didn't like the way the woman was talking to Dean.
Like he was a child that needed to be scorned repeatedly. No, she didn't like it at all. He was hurting, badly. Just the fact that he was so readable, when usually he didn't tip his cards about what he was feeling, was a huge tip off. Sarcasm and flirtation were more often companions when around Dean than the truth about what was going on in his head.
And this woman, this Missouri, for all of her talents seemed blind to his turmoil. Granted this was Dean, affection was almost always met with a flippant response but nothing about the current situation was his status quo.
Lawrence was his least favorite place. Where his mom was murdered and his father fell apart. He deserved some leeway.
Maybe it wouldn't bother her so much if she wasn't treating Sam like he was royalty. Liz loved Sam, he was one of her best friends but that didn't mean that she couldn't appreciate that of the two brothers he was not the one with the closer father-son bond. Sam wanted to find John for answers about the thing that had gone after Jess. Dean just wanted to find his dad.
Also, Sam was a baby when Mary was killed. He didn't remember her or ever living in Lawrence. Dean did. There was a difference memories of things a person had lived and those they'd been told about.
So yeah, she had a problem with Missouri.
And she wasn't quiet about it. It was one of those things that she'd learned along time ago, there was no point pretending to like someone she didn't. Which is why when curiosity had been expressed about the psychic blackhole that was her mind she merely kept glaring.
There was that and the nagging feeling in her gut that the woman was keeping a bigger secret than whether or not the town sheriff really was boinking the mayors wife. The feeling was fuzzy, half the warm acceptance that a person got when they were loved unconditionally – usually around parents and half was a resigned cold distance.
She couldn't tell if they were coming from Missouri or someone else.
That really pissed her off.
*
It was the “Forgive this boy. He means well but he'd just not the sharpest tool in the shed” remark that finally made her snap. The only thing that kept her from lashing out on the foots of the old Winchester house was Sam stepping between her and the woman. He'd been watching her as closely as she had been watching Missouri aware that he'd been lucky so far that the dislike had remained nonverbal.
Liz did not appreciate people belittling her own. Dean may have been an arrogant asshole but he was her arrogant asshole.
When they were back at the house with that stupid fucking feeling back but not as strong and Missouri was using that tone with him again, she found a spot away from them and forced herself to relax. She knew that when the woman realized she had left the room she'd come looking and when she saw Liz staring off into space so obviously emotionally distraught she'd feel that female-to-female bond.
Which is exactly what happened.
Before the woman could ask how she was or how long she'd been traveling with the Winchester's or some other olive branch inquiry. Liz spoke first, “You need to leave Dean alone. He's having a hard enough time being back here, you don't need to be riding him so hard.”
“You have feelings for him,” If Missouri expected her to respond with a defensive 'he's just a friend' she was more than willing to disappoint instead she just stared at the older woman clearly not amused. “I know how to handle that boy.”
“Why because you can skim his thoughts? That's like judging a book by its cover, all you get is a pale shadow of the real story.”
“I've know Dean Winchester since he was just a boy,” she said it as if that was validation of her behavior. It was taking all she had not to physically lash out at the older woman.
“Just back the fuck off.”
“You've only known him for less than six months. How do you know how he should be treated?”
Liz's eyes flickered up the stairs, she wasn't sure why. It was instincts, “We all have our secrets.”
“You stay around those boys and your gifts are going to get stronger.”
She paused before heading back into help the brothers and met Missouri's questioning gaze. The woman wanted to know more about her gifts, wanted to know why she couldn't read her. That wasn't up for discussion.
“Did you sense that or are you just guessing?”
*
Grabbing Dean's hand as his mothers form materialized before them was a thoughtless action but not as thoughtless as it should have been. Liz could only guess what he was feeling and had provided the only comfort that she could give.
It had all happened too soon. One minute she was running out of the house Jenny's son in her arms, Sam and the little girl behind her. The next it was just the little girl and for the first time since realizing that she was a little green around the gills she managed to blow up something when she needed to.
Then two minutes later Mary Winchester was in the kitchen with some cryptic apology for Sam before going all fireball on the poltergeist. What really got her though was the “Take care of them” Mary had thrown in her direction.
Holding Dean's hand was ending up to be for her benefit too.
*
“Ready to finally get out of here?” Liz asked as she leaned against the Impala with Dean. Really, she couldn't see him having been a funny looking kid.
“Liz, I'm touched that you care,” yep, he was back to being Jackass #1.
“Oh, shut up.”
"Like many non-violent men since that time, he was deeply hated." - on Desiderius Eramus
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
-
vaifeal
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: somewhere this side of unstable
- Contact:
Re: Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) New 2/13
A/N: You ever have one of those moments when you go: WTF have I been doing lately? I had one today when I realized that my apartment was a pigsty and that I was eating nutella for dinner because I haven't gone grocery shopping in so long. Yeah, so here's to putting in the effort to get my act together... starting tomorrow :}
“Maybe it's not that easy
Or maybe it's not that hard”
- Unplayed Piano, Damien Rice
Cheesy flower patterns and the stale smell of cheap cleaning products, the joys of yet another roadside motel. Liz rolled from her stomach to her back making sure that she didn't kick Sam where he was laying across the end of the bed.
“Liz?”
“Hmm?”
“You ever think about what your life would be like if you were normal?” she pulled herself up so that she was seated and stared at him. He was looking at her seriously and she knew he expected a serious response.
“I had normal until I was sixteen, I don't need to wonder.”
His eyes clouded over, Stanford had been the closest thing to normal he had ever had and that hadn't ended well. She could practically see his thoughts. He was picturing living with Jess, getting engaged, going to law school, getting a boring job, maybe one day having two point five kids.
“Do you ever miss it?”
“No,” his brow raised, he didn't believe her. “A lot of things happened before I left for school, most of it wasn't any good. It, uh, made me reconsider my priorities. Normal isn't... it's not... There are more important things in life than being like everyone else.”
That was the most information she had shared about her life after her entrance into the abyss, in his mind it was the supernatural - in hers the extraterrestrial, and it wasn't even anything substantial.
“You don't want what everyone else has?”
“I think I can have something just as good. I think the people who try the hardest to be normal are anything but. I think that if my life had stayed normal we never would have met,” she smiled at him lopsidedly, “and where's the fun in that.”
Sam rolled his eyes but dropped the topic. After he didn't say anything for a couple of minutes, Liz bit her lip and asked the first thing that came to mind, “When do you think your brother's gonna let me drive the Impala?”
This time he laughed.
*
Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Liz did nothing to hide the scowl on her face as the brothers walked into the bar without her. They were going to pump information from the partner of the cop that had gone psycho murderer after visiting the asylum and they didn't want her around.
Apparently she was good enough to flirt information out of some sleezebag on their last hunt but she couldn't be around when they ran a scam on cop. Jackass #1 had even made a remark about her virtue. Stupid ass, like he knew anything about her virtue. The only thing keeping her from blowing him up was imaging his expression when she knew something he didn't think she should know that wasn't related to her 'gifts'.
Like knowing how to make a pipe bomb or hacking into a secure network.
*
“Do you have to come with me?”
“Yep.”
“Can I get rid of you?
“Nope.”
Flashlight pointed at the floor in front of her so she wouldn't fall, Liz followed Dean to room 137 which turned out to be the doctors office. She went to one of the filing cabinets and started looking through the draws while he looked elsewhere. There didn't seem to be anything beside dust.
She had just heard Dean's “that's why they pay me the big bucks” when she doubled over. It was a tugging similar to what she'd felt with Lucas and on several other occasions but much stronger and felt like it was being forced on her from the outside rather than just a sixth sense.
“Liz?” her gut pulled again, she just managed to stop herself from getting sick.
“Something's not right.”
*
Pain shot up her side as she landed heavily on the floor, the sound of the shot gun going off echoed off the bare stonewalls. Fear raced through her overriding the pain, fear not for Dean since the gun was loaded with rock salt but Sam. When he came back to himself he'd feel horrible about it.
“Are you that desperate for his approval?”
Despite the ringing in her ears, Liz pulled herself to her feet and once again launched herself at her friend. It wasn't the best plan which was further illustrated by the fact that he easily had her pressed against the wall, his hand on her neck not squeezing so hard that she'd pass out right away but hard enough that the lack of oxygen was making her dizzy. Her eyes frantically searched out Dean where he was trying to get up.
“And you. Everything you say is a lie. What are you even doing here? If Jess-” Sam crumpled to the floor at her feet.
“Took you long enough,” Dean put his pistol away, eyes still on his brother.
“Sorry Sammy.”
*
The backseat of the Impala had never felt so good and when they got to a motel, she'd bet the rest of her saving on the cheap mattress feeling even better.
Liz caught Sam's eye in the passenger side mirror. He didn't need to say his apology out loud. She knew he felt it and she didn't want one. Her keeping secrets was just a fact of life. Him calling her on it, even in an altered state of mind, was natural.
“You've got some serious rage issues Sammy,” she sent him a smile letting him know she was teasing “Repression is bad, let it out.”
“Maybe it's not that easy
Or maybe it's not that hard”
- Unplayed Piano, Damien Rice
Cheesy flower patterns and the stale smell of cheap cleaning products, the joys of yet another roadside motel. Liz rolled from her stomach to her back making sure that she didn't kick Sam where he was laying across the end of the bed.
“Liz?”
“Hmm?”
“You ever think about what your life would be like if you were normal?” she pulled herself up so that she was seated and stared at him. He was looking at her seriously and she knew he expected a serious response.
“I had normal until I was sixteen, I don't need to wonder.”
His eyes clouded over, Stanford had been the closest thing to normal he had ever had and that hadn't ended well. She could practically see his thoughts. He was picturing living with Jess, getting engaged, going to law school, getting a boring job, maybe one day having two point five kids.
“Do you ever miss it?”
“No,” his brow raised, he didn't believe her. “A lot of things happened before I left for school, most of it wasn't any good. It, uh, made me reconsider my priorities. Normal isn't... it's not... There are more important things in life than being like everyone else.”
That was the most information she had shared about her life after her entrance into the abyss, in his mind it was the supernatural - in hers the extraterrestrial, and it wasn't even anything substantial.
“You don't want what everyone else has?”
“I think I can have something just as good. I think the people who try the hardest to be normal are anything but. I think that if my life had stayed normal we never would have met,” she smiled at him lopsidedly, “and where's the fun in that.”
Sam rolled his eyes but dropped the topic. After he didn't say anything for a couple of minutes, Liz bit her lip and asked the first thing that came to mind, “When do you think your brother's gonna let me drive the Impala?”
This time he laughed.
*
Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Liz did nothing to hide the scowl on her face as the brothers walked into the bar without her. They were going to pump information from the partner of the cop that had gone psycho murderer after visiting the asylum and they didn't want her around.
Apparently she was good enough to flirt information out of some sleezebag on their last hunt but she couldn't be around when they ran a scam on cop. Jackass #1 had even made a remark about her virtue. Stupid ass, like he knew anything about her virtue. The only thing keeping her from blowing him up was imaging his expression when she knew something he didn't think she should know that wasn't related to her 'gifts'.
Like knowing how to make a pipe bomb or hacking into a secure network.
*
“Do you have to come with me?”
“Yep.”
“Can I get rid of you?
“Nope.”
Flashlight pointed at the floor in front of her so she wouldn't fall, Liz followed Dean to room 137 which turned out to be the doctors office. She went to one of the filing cabinets and started looking through the draws while he looked elsewhere. There didn't seem to be anything beside dust.
She had just heard Dean's “that's why they pay me the big bucks” when she doubled over. It was a tugging similar to what she'd felt with Lucas and on several other occasions but much stronger and felt like it was being forced on her from the outside rather than just a sixth sense.
“Liz?” her gut pulled again, she just managed to stop herself from getting sick.
“Something's not right.”
*
Pain shot up her side as she landed heavily on the floor, the sound of the shot gun going off echoed off the bare stonewalls. Fear raced through her overriding the pain, fear not for Dean since the gun was loaded with rock salt but Sam. When he came back to himself he'd feel horrible about it.
“Are you that desperate for his approval?”
Despite the ringing in her ears, Liz pulled herself to her feet and once again launched herself at her friend. It wasn't the best plan which was further illustrated by the fact that he easily had her pressed against the wall, his hand on her neck not squeezing so hard that she'd pass out right away but hard enough that the lack of oxygen was making her dizzy. Her eyes frantically searched out Dean where he was trying to get up.
“And you. Everything you say is a lie. What are you even doing here? If Jess-” Sam crumpled to the floor at her feet.
“Took you long enough,” Dean put his pistol away, eyes still on his brother.
“Sorry Sammy.”
*
The backseat of the Impala had never felt so good and when they got to a motel, she'd bet the rest of her saving on the cheap mattress feeling even better.
Liz caught Sam's eye in the passenger side mirror. He didn't need to say his apology out loud. She knew he felt it and she didn't want one. Her keeping secrets was just a fact of life. Him calling her on it, even in an altered state of mind, was natural.
“You've got some serious rage issues Sammy,” she sent him a smile letting him know she was teasing “Repression is bad, let it out.”
"Like many non-violent men since that time, he was deeply hated." - on Desiderius Eramus
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
-
vaifeal
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: somewhere this side of unstable
- Contact:
Re: Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) New 2/16
A/N: Was anyone else freaked out by OCD Sam in Thursdays episode?
Since I don't know if or when I'll be around tomorrow and I got this done early and you've been so great with the reviews, you get this part a day early.
New banner by Blink1lit :}
“If the silence takes you than I hope it takes me too”
- Soul Meets Body, Death Cab for Cutie
The synapses in her mind all fired at once, analyzing the situation and accepting the implications of it even as her mouth was screaming his name and her hand was raising hoping that there was enough time for her to stop the prongs of the taser from reaching their target.
There isn't.
Only a pair of arms wrapping around her middle halted her mid-leap in her attempt to stop what was unfolding in front of her. For a moment she struggled trying to reach Dean as he convulsed on the floor, a thousand volts of electricity coursing through him, before reality seeped in and she accepted that her interference would only get her hurt.
Already her mind was organizing the incoming information, reaching conclusions that the rest of her didn't want to contemplate yet. That many volts was lethal.
Dean had just jeopardized everything.
*
For a minute she wondered if the hatred for hospitals was universal but then she looked away from the TV as the channel once again changed. He had a line for everything but no amount of joking remarks about the evil nature of the Stay Soft teddy bear could change that Dean looked like death was breathing down his neck.
When Sam walked in, his brow scrunched in the way that she knew meant he was worried and the news wasn't good, Liz left to prevent them from seeing the breakdown she knew was coming. She understood that he wouldn't rest until he found a way to save his brother, that was the type of person Sam was, but she kept coming back to the fact that Dean's only hope rested in her hesitant hands.
His health was in her hands and all she could think of was the plan that would get completely fucked.
Choking back tears she held down the number nine on speed dial and listened to the phone ring. A familiar voice answering made her choke back tears.
“Hello?”
“Hey Lucky Luc.”
“Lizzie!” she could feel the excitement coming through. Yet another source of guilt to add to the growing list. It'd been too long since she'd called.
“How are you buddy? Still the smartest kid in your class?”
“I won the science fair last week. Becky said I cheated but that's just 'cause my experiment was so much cooler than hers.”
“Becky's always been jealous,” he started to agree with her but she spoke again before he could start on about his latest crush, “Is your mom around?”
“Yep,” Luc yelled for his mom and she had to take the phone off her ear. “See ya later alligator.”
“In a while crocodile,” with a laugh he handed over the phone.
“Cornball.”
“Ava,” the sob she'd been fighting finally got free and the name was more unintelligible than the syllable it was suppose to be.
“Liz? What's wrong? What happened? Are you ok?”
“I'm fine,” she wiped the tears away and forced composure. “I'm fine.”
“What-”
“It's Sam's brother. There was an accident, he got hurt. They're only giving him a couple of weeks and I need-”
“Max. Tell us where you are and we'll come,” she braced herself for the question she knew was coming. “Liz what are you involved in?”
“Not right away,” she ignored it. Her mind said it wasn't fair for one group to have all the answers and the other all the questions. She didn't think to give them both answers. “We're going to try to find another way first but I need you to give him a heads up just in case.”
Ava didn't like to be ignored, “I know you're off doing the revenge thing but you need to stop. Trust me, it won't make you feel better. Come home, Cornball.”
“Ava,” that was a warning. She might not be a queen but Liz knew that her friendship meant too much to the blond to push. It was a dirty ploy but one that worked.
“Just promise me that whatever you're into you'll remember to breathe.”
“I'll call you when I know more,” she snapped the phone shut before she got a response.
There was no time to breathe.
*
“Are you alright?”
She wasn't. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was standing at the precipice and her next decision would send this whole mess spiraling out of control but it was her night to sit with Dean so she trying.
“Shouldn't I be asking you that?” Liz turned to give him a smile which was promptly dropped because he'd decided to prove that words spoken to him really did go in one ear and out the other. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”
Trying to provide him the support he needed to stay standing while his body was protesting moving at all was more complicated than it should've been thanks to the fact that she was about a foot shorter than he was. Instead of his arm over her shoulder its more his elbow on her shoulder.
“Damnit Dean this isn't going to help. You need to rest.”
He let her sit him on the bed but wouldn't lay back down. Rough hands stilled her own frantic movements with a light touch, “I can't stay here. I can't spend my last-”
“Ok,” he looked surprised but didn't say anything more.
She helped him into his jeans with only a light blush just waiting for a sarcastic remark to make her turn cherry red. One didn't come but Dean's fingers brushed the curve of her neck too intimately for it to just be for help balancing. In an unspoken agreement, they agreed not to change the the white hospital shirt. That would've cross the invisible line that had been drawn months previous.
Even though he could manage on his own, Liz zippered the black sweatshirt for him after pulling it on. There was something very intimate about dressing a person. She looked up into his green eyes, they were staring at her intensely and despite the unhealthy bruises under them he looked good.
Screw that stupid fucking line.
“Mr. Berkovitz!” the screeching voice of the nurse broke the moment. “The doctor-”
“I suggest you go get us the form that says he's leaving against medical advice.”
Sam was not going to be happy.
*
She didn't offer him help like Sam did, she knew that he needed to walk on his own. Liz did, however, stay close to him as they walked to the tent of Roy LeGrange: Faith Healer, a running commentary insulting most of the people they passed. His biting remarks were undermined by their hands brushing every step. It was innocent and fleeting and it was the only show of weakness that he'd allow himself.
When Dean stopped to flirt with Layla she stepped back freezing the moment in her mind as a reason why he had to stay Jackass #1. When they entered the tent she was back at his side fingers brushing.
Sam made them sit in the front, Dean in the middle and Liz on the end. She was sure that Sam planned it that way so he couldn't make a run for it. A skeptic was the protester in the front. Dean took it to a whole new level. It wasn't until his hand stealthily took hers lacing the fingers together where they are hidden by Liz's jacket, did she get that a part of him was hoping that LeGrange was the real deal.
None of them were shocked when his smart mouth got called out but they were when he got asked to go to the front. They had expected to wait longer if anything happened at all.
She didn't want to know why her insides are screaming for him not to go.
*
It was a punch to the gut when they found out about the swimmer but one she had expected since she'd refused to enter the LeGrange house because of the void there. That didn't prepare her for the guilt.
To anticipate was one thing, to know was another.
He was dead because she couldn't ever seem to make the right decision. Her mind and heart were screaming at her that it was her fault. Her fault that Marshall Hall was dead. Her fault that Sam felt guilty in his relief that his brother was alive. Her fault that Dean would forever remember that he was living on someone else's time.
A part of her hadn't questioned anything since stepping out of that tent. He was alive. That's what mattered.
*
Liz knew she'd overcompartmentalized when the only thing she was thinking as they once again pulled onto the LeGrange property was that all the potholes had to be bad for the Impala's suspension. Nevermind that some religious freak was using black magic to get a reaper to do it's bidding just focus on the car.
Inane reasoning never failed.
She recognized she'd spent too much time dealing in destruction of property when the first idea about how to stop Roy as he laid his hands on Layla was to bring the tent down. She also recognized that not telling Dean what she was doing was a bit passive aggressive. She chose to ignore both of these.
Thoughts were a pain in the ass anyway.
*
“You care about her.”
“She doesn't deserve what's happening to her.”
Liz bit her lip to stop from saying something that would break the peace they'd established since his accident. They'd almost lost hims twice, she didn't want to argue, “Ok.”
“Liz,” she stopped at the door but didn't turn, “I...”
Opening the door, she sent him a secret laced smile.
*
As much as she told herself it was, her guilt over Marshall Hall's death wasn't the only reason that she tracked down Layla before she made it back to her car. Even without Hall, the look on Dean's face as the woman left was enough. In her he saw someone worth being healed, someone better than he was.
For such a cocky son of a bitch he had poor self worth.
“Layla,” why did the woman have to be so nice, “Uh, I...”
She flicked the card in her pocket and received a kind smile, “What ever you need to say, I'll listen.”
“If you could help someone but it might cost you everything. Would you do it?”
The blond head looked at her quizzically but answered anyway, “Of course.”
“I can help you... I know someone who can help you. You wouldn't be able to tell anyone who healed you and you'd need to take sometime before coming home but he can get rid of your tumor.”
“Wha-”
“This person, he likes helping people without them knowing it was him. Secrecy is really important. Do you want his help?”
“Yes,” it was hesitant and confused, “why didn't you-”
Liz held out the card, “You have to give me your word that you will destroy this card and that you won't tell anyone what happened there. I need your promise.”
“I promise.”
“They're expecting you.”
*
Less than a week later their 'down time' and the probing air that had filled it was cut short by an old 'friend' calling. Liz stayed at the hotel for that hunt. All she wanted to know about Cassie was that she'd made the line come back.
Since I don't know if or when I'll be around tomorrow and I got this done early and you've been so great with the reviews, you get this part a day early.
New banner by Blink1lit :}
“If the silence takes you than I hope it takes me too”
- Soul Meets Body, Death Cab for Cutie
The synapses in her mind all fired at once, analyzing the situation and accepting the implications of it even as her mouth was screaming his name and her hand was raising hoping that there was enough time for her to stop the prongs of the taser from reaching their target.
There isn't.
Only a pair of arms wrapping around her middle halted her mid-leap in her attempt to stop what was unfolding in front of her. For a moment she struggled trying to reach Dean as he convulsed on the floor, a thousand volts of electricity coursing through him, before reality seeped in and she accepted that her interference would only get her hurt.
Already her mind was organizing the incoming information, reaching conclusions that the rest of her didn't want to contemplate yet. That many volts was lethal.
Dean had just jeopardized everything.
*
For a minute she wondered if the hatred for hospitals was universal but then she looked away from the TV as the channel once again changed. He had a line for everything but no amount of joking remarks about the evil nature of the Stay Soft teddy bear could change that Dean looked like death was breathing down his neck.
When Sam walked in, his brow scrunched in the way that she knew meant he was worried and the news wasn't good, Liz left to prevent them from seeing the breakdown she knew was coming. She understood that he wouldn't rest until he found a way to save his brother, that was the type of person Sam was, but she kept coming back to the fact that Dean's only hope rested in her hesitant hands.
His health was in her hands and all she could think of was the plan that would get completely fucked.
Choking back tears she held down the number nine on speed dial and listened to the phone ring. A familiar voice answering made her choke back tears.
“Hello?”
“Hey Lucky Luc.”
“Lizzie!” she could feel the excitement coming through. Yet another source of guilt to add to the growing list. It'd been too long since she'd called.
“How are you buddy? Still the smartest kid in your class?”
“I won the science fair last week. Becky said I cheated but that's just 'cause my experiment was so much cooler than hers.”
“Becky's always been jealous,” he started to agree with her but she spoke again before he could start on about his latest crush, “Is your mom around?”
“Yep,” Luc yelled for his mom and she had to take the phone off her ear. “See ya later alligator.”
“In a while crocodile,” with a laugh he handed over the phone.
“Cornball.”
“Ava,” the sob she'd been fighting finally got free and the name was more unintelligible than the syllable it was suppose to be.
“Liz? What's wrong? What happened? Are you ok?”
“I'm fine,” she wiped the tears away and forced composure. “I'm fine.”
“What-”
“It's Sam's brother. There was an accident, he got hurt. They're only giving him a couple of weeks and I need-”
“Max. Tell us where you are and we'll come,” she braced herself for the question she knew was coming. “Liz what are you involved in?”
“Not right away,” she ignored it. Her mind said it wasn't fair for one group to have all the answers and the other all the questions. She didn't think to give them both answers. “We're going to try to find another way first but I need you to give him a heads up just in case.”
Ava didn't like to be ignored, “I know you're off doing the revenge thing but you need to stop. Trust me, it won't make you feel better. Come home, Cornball.”
“Ava,” that was a warning. She might not be a queen but Liz knew that her friendship meant too much to the blond to push. It was a dirty ploy but one that worked.
“Just promise me that whatever you're into you'll remember to breathe.”
“I'll call you when I know more,” she snapped the phone shut before she got a response.
There was no time to breathe.
*
“Are you alright?”
She wasn't. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was standing at the precipice and her next decision would send this whole mess spiraling out of control but it was her night to sit with Dean so she trying.
“Shouldn't I be asking you that?” Liz turned to give him a smile which was promptly dropped because he'd decided to prove that words spoken to him really did go in one ear and out the other. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”
Trying to provide him the support he needed to stay standing while his body was protesting moving at all was more complicated than it should've been thanks to the fact that she was about a foot shorter than he was. Instead of his arm over her shoulder its more his elbow on her shoulder.
“Damnit Dean this isn't going to help. You need to rest.”
He let her sit him on the bed but wouldn't lay back down. Rough hands stilled her own frantic movements with a light touch, “I can't stay here. I can't spend my last-”
“Ok,” he looked surprised but didn't say anything more.
She helped him into his jeans with only a light blush just waiting for a sarcastic remark to make her turn cherry red. One didn't come but Dean's fingers brushed the curve of her neck too intimately for it to just be for help balancing. In an unspoken agreement, they agreed not to change the the white hospital shirt. That would've cross the invisible line that had been drawn months previous.
Even though he could manage on his own, Liz zippered the black sweatshirt for him after pulling it on. There was something very intimate about dressing a person. She looked up into his green eyes, they were staring at her intensely and despite the unhealthy bruises under them he looked good.
Screw that stupid fucking line.
“Mr. Berkovitz!” the screeching voice of the nurse broke the moment. “The doctor-”
“I suggest you go get us the form that says he's leaving against medical advice.”
Sam was not going to be happy.
*
She didn't offer him help like Sam did, she knew that he needed to walk on his own. Liz did, however, stay close to him as they walked to the tent of Roy LeGrange: Faith Healer, a running commentary insulting most of the people they passed. His biting remarks were undermined by their hands brushing every step. It was innocent and fleeting and it was the only show of weakness that he'd allow himself.
When Dean stopped to flirt with Layla she stepped back freezing the moment in her mind as a reason why he had to stay Jackass #1. When they entered the tent she was back at his side fingers brushing.
Sam made them sit in the front, Dean in the middle and Liz on the end. She was sure that Sam planned it that way so he couldn't make a run for it. A skeptic was the protester in the front. Dean took it to a whole new level. It wasn't until his hand stealthily took hers lacing the fingers together where they are hidden by Liz's jacket, did she get that a part of him was hoping that LeGrange was the real deal.
None of them were shocked when his smart mouth got called out but they were when he got asked to go to the front. They had expected to wait longer if anything happened at all.
She didn't want to know why her insides are screaming for him not to go.
*
It was a punch to the gut when they found out about the swimmer but one she had expected since she'd refused to enter the LeGrange house because of the void there. That didn't prepare her for the guilt.
To anticipate was one thing, to know was another.
He was dead because she couldn't ever seem to make the right decision. Her mind and heart were screaming at her that it was her fault. Her fault that Marshall Hall was dead. Her fault that Sam felt guilty in his relief that his brother was alive. Her fault that Dean would forever remember that he was living on someone else's time.
A part of her hadn't questioned anything since stepping out of that tent. He was alive. That's what mattered.
*
Liz knew she'd overcompartmentalized when the only thing she was thinking as they once again pulled onto the LeGrange property was that all the potholes had to be bad for the Impala's suspension. Nevermind that some religious freak was using black magic to get a reaper to do it's bidding just focus on the car.
Inane reasoning never failed.
She recognized she'd spent too much time dealing in destruction of property when the first idea about how to stop Roy as he laid his hands on Layla was to bring the tent down. She also recognized that not telling Dean what she was doing was a bit passive aggressive. She chose to ignore both of these.
Thoughts were a pain in the ass anyway.
*
“You care about her.”
“She doesn't deserve what's happening to her.”
Liz bit her lip to stop from saying something that would break the peace they'd established since his accident. They'd almost lost hims twice, she didn't want to argue, “Ok.”
“Liz,” she stopped at the door but didn't turn, “I...”
Opening the door, she sent him a secret laced smile.
*
As much as she told herself it was, her guilt over Marshall Hall's death wasn't the only reason that she tracked down Layla before she made it back to her car. Even without Hall, the look on Dean's face as the woman left was enough. In her he saw someone worth being healed, someone better than he was.
For such a cocky son of a bitch he had poor self worth.
“Layla,” why did the woman have to be so nice, “Uh, I...”
She flicked the card in her pocket and received a kind smile, “What ever you need to say, I'll listen.”
“If you could help someone but it might cost you everything. Would you do it?”
The blond head looked at her quizzically but answered anyway, “Of course.”
“I can help you... I know someone who can help you. You wouldn't be able to tell anyone who healed you and you'd need to take sometime before coming home but he can get rid of your tumor.”
“Wha-”
“This person, he likes helping people without them knowing it was him. Secrecy is really important. Do you want his help?”
“Yes,” it was hesitant and confused, “why didn't you-”
Liz held out the card, “You have to give me your word that you will destroy this card and that you won't tell anyone what happened there. I need your promise.”
“I promise.”
“They're expecting you.”
*
Less than a week later their 'down time' and the probing air that had filled it was cut short by an old 'friend' calling. Liz stayed at the hotel for that hunt. All she wanted to know about Cassie was that she'd made the line come back.
Last edited by vaifeal on Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Like many non-violent men since that time, he was deeply hated." - on Desiderius Eramus
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
-
vaifeal
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: somewhere this side of unstable
- Contact:
Re: Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) New 2/20
A/N: There is a Johnny Cash reference in there just so you know. Any one catch the Lunar Eclipse tonight?
“Nothing's really making any sense at all”
- Talk, Coldplay
Living with two guys for almost a year did not make a person bashful, quite the reverse actually.
Which was why when she realized she hadn't brought a shirt in with her Liz walked out of the bathroom after her shower as she was: still damp, wearing only her jeans and her favorite black bra. It was in no way meant to torture either male. Neither was her putting on her boots first before digging around in her bag to find a clean and dry shirt.
“Liz,” Sammy whined followed by a 'I really don't need to see this' groan. She turned to him smirking while pulling the green fabric over her head and ignoring the eyes of the same color burning into her. “Mu- You have a tattoo?”
“I have two,” she replied plopping down on the bed next to Sam with a bounce. Briefly exposing her rips she showed him the Whirlwind pattern under her breast, “so I always remember the beginning,” she pointed to the thin black line circling the wrist she usually wore her watch on, “this one has a couple of couple of meanings.”
The other bed creaked and Dean's shadow fell over them, “It's a line.”
“Sometimes the simplest things have the most meaning,” she forced herself to look away from him and got off the bed to look for her watch, her fingers still rubbing the line.
It did mean a couple of things. The thin thread was meant to remind her that it was something that delicate that tied people together and that those bonds were inherently easy to break or cut, they needed to be treated with care. A thread because sometimes that's all that was keeping a person together, keeping her from falling. She cast a quick glance over at Dean, it was also there to remind her that there were lines that shouldn't be crossed.
The tattoo was one that she shared with Serena. They had both needed the reminder etched into their skin.
*
The research on the girl that had been murdered and the symbol they had found on her floor was spread out on the desk next to him, his laptop opened in front of him. The page on the screen though wasn't concerning the hunt. The symbol in front of him was Liz's tattoo.
It sneaky and would probably ruin their friendship but that was a risk he was willing to take. Perhaps if she had been willing to share anything of her past outside of vague references to things he didn't know, Sam would be more open to waiting for an explanation. She wasn't so he didn't.
Not much on Elizabeth Parker of Roswell, New Mexico came up when he'd searched. There were plenty of hits but the ones that weren't articles on her academic achievements all lead to dead ends. Someone was covering her tracks and doing a very thorough job of it.
The symbol though. That was something else. It came up in connection to thousands of sites dedicated to extraterrestrials and sightings of them, most of them centered in Roswell. There was very little concrete information except what it represented: the Whirlwind Galaxy.
Turned out knowing only raised more questions. Like, why did Liz have an 'alien' symbol on her body. He didn't think it was purely because she was born in the alien capital of the world.
“Dude, what the fuck are you doing checking in on her? She's your friend.”
“I need answers.”
Dean walked away shaking his head and Sam felt a sliver of guilt, “That's just wrong.”
*
After being on the road for so long being back in a city was like returning to civilization after four years in the arctic studying penguins. There was people and heating and booze: it was perfection. Despite the whole having to work thing.
And the whole Sammy running into the woman that he'd met while off throwing a hissy fit and Liz had been stranded in the middle of bumfuck nowhere at some cheesy ass motel because being around either of the matching pair of Jackasses was paramount to masochism or homicide, she'd never figured out which.
It was just her luck that her return to modern music and bars serving beer that wasn't PBR was marred by the presence of a girl she really didn't like. The only saving grace was that Sam didn't seem to either.
*
“Baby, I've killed a lot more for a lot less.”
“And I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. I guess that makes us both badasses,” It really hadn't been the best idea to step out from her hiding spot without a real plan but the daeva's had stopped attacking and she could see Dean working the ropes so she'd gone for it.
Liz braced herself for the horrible sensation of being thrown and crashing into whatever was unfortunate enough to break her fall. When the hit didn't come she looked at her attacker in surprise. Not moving was not what she expected. By the look on Meg's face it wasn't what she had wanted to happen either. Taking the moment of distraction she sent a crate flying at the girls head.
It broke apart before it hit.
“You picked the wrong fucking family to mess with,” her voice sounded more confident than she felt as she engaged in a tug of war of psychic ability with the other woman. First Meg would get the other hand and Liz would stumble back then she'd get the advantage and Meg would fall back. They weren't really getting anywhere. “Could somebody get the goddamn alter?!”
*
Blood poured from the particularly nasty open wound on her neck as the daeva attacked. Pain laced through her each time the claws ripped through her flesh. From the yelling around her, the Winchesters weren't doing much better. Through red tinted eyes she saw Sam pull the string on a flare for it to sputter and die.
Three incisions appeared on her leg. This was not the way she was going to go down. Not against an enemy she couldn't see with a job unfinished.
“Close your eyes,” she raised her hand and focused all her pain, everything she had on her strongest ability. The glow beneath her skin started out like it always did before building in intensity and spreading to light up the room. It only lasted a couple of seconds before becoming too much for her to sustain but by then Sam had lit another flare.
Unfamiliar arms dragged her to her feet as she blinked through sudden exhaustion, “You're John Winchester?”
“Yeah, and you are?”
“Liz Parker. Nice to finally make your acquaintance.”
*
“I once held up a store, didn't steal anything, just went in there with a gun and yeah... I got arrested. Luckily I managed to avoid a record.”
“What?”
“Wasn't one of my more brilliant moments,” Sam stared at her in confusion and wondered if she knew about him checking in on her. He didn't think Dean would tell but things had been odd between those two and Liz was always full of surprises.
“You've definitely had better ones.”
“I did that with the first guy I'd ever loved who later knocked up the recently discovered twin of the woman whose father planted the idea in his head to begin with.”
“Are you sure you're not stealing the plot of a soap opera?” she laughed and shook her head. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I know I haven't been the most forthcoming with information and I know everything is screwed at the moment but I want you to know that I'll get there,” Sam wondered again, with a hint of guilt, if Liz suspected what he'd done but she smiled at him unassumingly and if she knew she'd call him on it. After she began pounding on him.
Still if he had to, he'd do it again.
“Nothing's really making any sense at all”
- Talk, Coldplay
Living with two guys for almost a year did not make a person bashful, quite the reverse actually.
Which was why when she realized she hadn't brought a shirt in with her Liz walked out of the bathroom after her shower as she was: still damp, wearing only her jeans and her favorite black bra. It was in no way meant to torture either male. Neither was her putting on her boots first before digging around in her bag to find a clean and dry shirt.
“Liz,” Sammy whined followed by a 'I really don't need to see this' groan. She turned to him smirking while pulling the green fabric over her head and ignoring the eyes of the same color burning into her. “Mu- You have a tattoo?”
“I have two,” she replied plopping down on the bed next to Sam with a bounce. Briefly exposing her rips she showed him the Whirlwind pattern under her breast, “so I always remember the beginning,” she pointed to the thin black line circling the wrist she usually wore her watch on, “this one has a couple of couple of meanings.”
The other bed creaked and Dean's shadow fell over them, “It's a line.”
“Sometimes the simplest things have the most meaning,” she forced herself to look away from him and got off the bed to look for her watch, her fingers still rubbing the line.
It did mean a couple of things. The thin thread was meant to remind her that it was something that delicate that tied people together and that those bonds were inherently easy to break or cut, they needed to be treated with care. A thread because sometimes that's all that was keeping a person together, keeping her from falling. She cast a quick glance over at Dean, it was also there to remind her that there were lines that shouldn't be crossed.
The tattoo was one that she shared with Serena. They had both needed the reminder etched into their skin.
*
The research on the girl that had been murdered and the symbol they had found on her floor was spread out on the desk next to him, his laptop opened in front of him. The page on the screen though wasn't concerning the hunt. The symbol in front of him was Liz's tattoo.
It sneaky and would probably ruin their friendship but that was a risk he was willing to take. Perhaps if she had been willing to share anything of her past outside of vague references to things he didn't know, Sam would be more open to waiting for an explanation. She wasn't so he didn't.
Not much on Elizabeth Parker of Roswell, New Mexico came up when he'd searched. There were plenty of hits but the ones that weren't articles on her academic achievements all lead to dead ends. Someone was covering her tracks and doing a very thorough job of it.
The symbol though. That was something else. It came up in connection to thousands of sites dedicated to extraterrestrials and sightings of them, most of them centered in Roswell. There was very little concrete information except what it represented: the Whirlwind Galaxy.
Turned out knowing only raised more questions. Like, why did Liz have an 'alien' symbol on her body. He didn't think it was purely because she was born in the alien capital of the world.
“Dude, what the fuck are you doing checking in on her? She's your friend.”
“I need answers.”
Dean walked away shaking his head and Sam felt a sliver of guilt, “That's just wrong.”
*
After being on the road for so long being back in a city was like returning to civilization after four years in the arctic studying penguins. There was people and heating and booze: it was perfection. Despite the whole having to work thing.
And the whole Sammy running into the woman that he'd met while off throwing a hissy fit and Liz had been stranded in the middle of bumfuck nowhere at some cheesy ass motel because being around either of the matching pair of Jackasses was paramount to masochism or homicide, she'd never figured out which.
It was just her luck that her return to modern music and bars serving beer that wasn't PBR was marred by the presence of a girl she really didn't like. The only saving grace was that Sam didn't seem to either.
*
“Baby, I've killed a lot more for a lot less.”
“And I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. I guess that makes us both badasses,” It really hadn't been the best idea to step out from her hiding spot without a real plan but the daeva's had stopped attacking and she could see Dean working the ropes so she'd gone for it.
Liz braced herself for the horrible sensation of being thrown and crashing into whatever was unfortunate enough to break her fall. When the hit didn't come she looked at her attacker in surprise. Not moving was not what she expected. By the look on Meg's face it wasn't what she had wanted to happen either. Taking the moment of distraction she sent a crate flying at the girls head.
It broke apart before it hit.
“You picked the wrong fucking family to mess with,” her voice sounded more confident than she felt as she engaged in a tug of war of psychic ability with the other woman. First Meg would get the other hand and Liz would stumble back then she'd get the advantage and Meg would fall back. They weren't really getting anywhere. “Could somebody get the goddamn alter?!”
*
Blood poured from the particularly nasty open wound on her neck as the daeva attacked. Pain laced through her each time the claws ripped through her flesh. From the yelling around her, the Winchesters weren't doing much better. Through red tinted eyes she saw Sam pull the string on a flare for it to sputter and die.
Three incisions appeared on her leg. This was not the way she was going to go down. Not against an enemy she couldn't see with a job unfinished.
“Close your eyes,” she raised her hand and focused all her pain, everything she had on her strongest ability. The glow beneath her skin started out like it always did before building in intensity and spreading to light up the room. It only lasted a couple of seconds before becoming too much for her to sustain but by then Sam had lit another flare.
Unfamiliar arms dragged her to her feet as she blinked through sudden exhaustion, “You're John Winchester?”
“Yeah, and you are?”
“Liz Parker. Nice to finally make your acquaintance.”
*
“I once held up a store, didn't steal anything, just went in there with a gun and yeah... I got arrested. Luckily I managed to avoid a record.”
“What?”
“Wasn't one of my more brilliant moments,” Sam stared at her in confusion and wondered if she knew about him checking in on her. He didn't think Dean would tell but things had been odd between those two and Liz was always full of surprises.
“You've definitely had better ones.”
“I did that with the first guy I'd ever loved who later knocked up the recently discovered twin of the woman whose father planted the idea in his head to begin with.”
“Are you sure you're not stealing the plot of a soap opera?” she laughed and shook her head. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I know I haven't been the most forthcoming with information and I know everything is screwed at the moment but I want you to know that I'll get there,” Sam wondered again, with a hint of guilt, if Liz suspected what he'd done but she smiled at him unassumingly and if she knew she'd call him on it. After she began pounding on him.
Still if he had to, he'd do it again.
"Like many non-violent men since that time, he was deeply hated." - on Desiderius Eramus
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
-
vaifeal
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: somewhere this side of unstable
- Contact:
Re: Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) New 2/24
“I know
That I feel
I could learn to hate.”
- Beautiful, Flickerstick
“Alright just remember you started it.”
“Oh, bring it on baldy.”
Liz rolled her eyes from where she seated in the back, the stereo headphones she used to block out most of Dean's music around her neck. The last thing they needed was a prank war but then Dean's maturity level when bored was that of a small child and Sam wasn't much better. She really should have expected something like that sooner.
“You should both know, you try to prank me and I'll make you're lives hell,” a skeptical look came her way in the rear view mirror. “Seriously, I'm talkin' potency problems and pink fluffiness hell. Keep this thing to yourselves.”
*
Album after album flipped under her fingers as she listened to Dean and Sam question the kid. The place was a haven for all the music that frankly Liz was a two hour car ride away from tossing out the window. Any day now the whole box was going to go flying at eighty miles an hour. Listening to static would be better than sitting through another Metallica or Journey tape.
Sam wouldn't mind and the two of them could so take Dean. Besides she had her FM adapter from her car, it wasn't like they were completely without options.
The brothers finished Craig's interrogation and they all walked out of the store, “He's lying.”
“He seemed genuine,” Sam replied getting in the Impala.
“He's lying,”she settled into the back. “Bet you twenty that aight even close to the truth.”
*
“We're trying to conduct a serious paranormal investigation here,” Liz tried unsuccessfully to stop the amused snort from escaping. Professional paranormal investigators her ass. They were nerd squad or her best friend wasn't married to an alien.
Since she'd been maid of honor at the ceremony and had learned first hand of Michaels not so earthly status, the later wasn't in question. The pair explained EMF and didn't even realize that they were being mocked. And here she thought the Winchester's were bad.
“You heard a vase fall of a table?”
“By itself,” they stared at her like she should be impressed. She only felt she was the first female to speak to them since their mothers. It was creepy and depressing all at once.
“Wow. You two are quite the pair.”
*
“Ok, I get that you don't you don't want me to drive,” she leaned forward so that her arms rested on the space between the Winchester's. “I do, the Impala is you're baby I get it but when do I get to sit in the front. I mean I can only take sitting next to your dirty laundry for so long.”
“Ah, you like it.”
“Dean, I can assure you with a degree of certainty that sitting next to a bag of clothes that smell like ass is not something I enjoy,” everyone new that getting them dirty was the fun part.
*
Her fingers quickly ran across the keyboard of Sam's computer, typing out a quick email and checking in on the Hell Hound site. The bullshit information they'd passed to Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum was up, now they just had to watch the hit count to see if people were reading it.
“You didn't,” Dean held out his hand the beer bottle stayed.
Sam held up a bottle of crazy glue, “I did.”
“Give me your hand,” she took the offending appendage and ran her fingers over Dean's. It was trick she'd learned early on from Ava. Use of the palm to fix things was always quick but obvious, fingers were slow and unobtrusive. The bottle came loose and she let go of his hand. “There.”
Ignoring the look she was getting from both brothers, Liz hit send on her email and started typing in a new web address. She had gotten three letters in when an address in the navigation droplist caught her attention. It was a site she knew having purposefully crashed it once.
Scrolling down and pressing enter, a chill passed through her as her tattoo showed up on the screen next to a paragraph of information that was mostly inaccurate.
*
“It's fast and dirty but it works.”
They stood watching the building burn down. Bruised, battered, and generally in the condition that they were normally in after a hunt. Liz had to wonder how long her criminal record would've been if the authorities knew all the illegal actions she had taken during her life. With the Pod Squad, the Winchester's, and the Pinto's, it had to be up there. Her grandmother would have been proud.
Nothing made Claudia Parker happier than staying on course even when the law said no. Generally speaking Claudia had enjoyed causing problems for anyone who thought they had more power than others.
“What if the legend changes?”
“I can help with that,” she barely kept back the glare as she met Sam's gaze, “I'm good with websites.”
*
“I totally kicked your ass,” Liz said shoving Sam harder than necessary as they retook their seats. She'd won another ten on top of the twenty he'd owed her.
It was nice to just hang out. That didn't mean that she would forgive him for looking into her past, 'cause it was definitely Sam that did it. Dean didn't give a shit about anything before he met her. He had wanted to know if she was a witch or a demon, she wasn't so he had no problems. Sam though was always asking questions.
The only reason, the only reasons she hadn't called him on it were because she knew it wasn't fair that she wouldn't give a straight answer to a question even if she didn't ask for stories about how he'd grown up, she wasn't sure if he'd just looked up what the symbol meant or if he'd gone digging into the rest, and she still needed to stick around. A full out fight between the two of them would most likely see her taking off.
Liz knew there wasn't much information out there about her. They'd gone through everything out there systematically and periodically to make sure that the wrong people wouldn't find things they shouldn't but it was the principle of the thing. Sam and her had been close friends for years, he should've trusted her.
“Tell me you didn't lose to a girl.”
“She's a pool shark.”
Dean had been sitting alone the whole time they'd played. She knew that because she'd checked up on him every chance she had to do so without Sam picking up on it. He hadn't picked up or outrageously flirted with any woman since they'd entered. It wasn't the first night he hadn't either.
Between a dry spell or a deliberate decision, Liz hoped it was deliberate.
Leaning on the table, she gave him a grin. The one Dani use to call her sex me-smile, “You think you can take me?”
That I feel
I could learn to hate.”
- Beautiful, Flickerstick
“Alright just remember you started it.”
“Oh, bring it on baldy.”
Liz rolled her eyes from where she seated in the back, the stereo headphones she used to block out most of Dean's music around her neck. The last thing they needed was a prank war but then Dean's maturity level when bored was that of a small child and Sam wasn't much better. She really should have expected something like that sooner.
“You should both know, you try to prank me and I'll make you're lives hell,” a skeptical look came her way in the rear view mirror. “Seriously, I'm talkin' potency problems and pink fluffiness hell. Keep this thing to yourselves.”
*
Album after album flipped under her fingers as she listened to Dean and Sam question the kid. The place was a haven for all the music that frankly Liz was a two hour car ride away from tossing out the window. Any day now the whole box was going to go flying at eighty miles an hour. Listening to static would be better than sitting through another Metallica or Journey tape.
Sam wouldn't mind and the two of them could so take Dean. Besides she had her FM adapter from her car, it wasn't like they were completely without options.
The brothers finished Craig's interrogation and they all walked out of the store, “He's lying.”
“He seemed genuine,” Sam replied getting in the Impala.
“He's lying,”she settled into the back. “Bet you twenty that aight even close to the truth.”
*
“We're trying to conduct a serious paranormal investigation here,” Liz tried unsuccessfully to stop the amused snort from escaping. Professional paranormal investigators her ass. They were nerd squad or her best friend wasn't married to an alien.
Since she'd been maid of honor at the ceremony and had learned first hand of Michaels not so earthly status, the later wasn't in question. The pair explained EMF and didn't even realize that they were being mocked. And here she thought the Winchester's were bad.
“You heard a vase fall of a table?”
“By itself,” they stared at her like she should be impressed. She only felt she was the first female to speak to them since their mothers. It was creepy and depressing all at once.
“Wow. You two are quite the pair.”
*
“Ok, I get that you don't you don't want me to drive,” she leaned forward so that her arms rested on the space between the Winchester's. “I do, the Impala is you're baby I get it but when do I get to sit in the front. I mean I can only take sitting next to your dirty laundry for so long.”
“Ah, you like it.”
“Dean, I can assure you with a degree of certainty that sitting next to a bag of clothes that smell like ass is not something I enjoy,” everyone new that getting them dirty was the fun part.
*
Her fingers quickly ran across the keyboard of Sam's computer, typing out a quick email and checking in on the Hell Hound site. The bullshit information they'd passed to Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum was up, now they just had to watch the hit count to see if people were reading it.
“You didn't,” Dean held out his hand the beer bottle stayed.
Sam held up a bottle of crazy glue, “I did.”
“Give me your hand,” she took the offending appendage and ran her fingers over Dean's. It was trick she'd learned early on from Ava. Use of the palm to fix things was always quick but obvious, fingers were slow and unobtrusive. The bottle came loose and she let go of his hand. “There.”
Ignoring the look she was getting from both brothers, Liz hit send on her email and started typing in a new web address. She had gotten three letters in when an address in the navigation droplist caught her attention. It was a site she knew having purposefully crashed it once.
Scrolling down and pressing enter, a chill passed through her as her tattoo showed up on the screen next to a paragraph of information that was mostly inaccurate.
*
“It's fast and dirty but it works.”
They stood watching the building burn down. Bruised, battered, and generally in the condition that they were normally in after a hunt. Liz had to wonder how long her criminal record would've been if the authorities knew all the illegal actions she had taken during her life. With the Pod Squad, the Winchester's, and the Pinto's, it had to be up there. Her grandmother would have been proud.
Nothing made Claudia Parker happier than staying on course even when the law said no. Generally speaking Claudia had enjoyed causing problems for anyone who thought they had more power than others.
“What if the legend changes?”
“I can help with that,” she barely kept back the glare as she met Sam's gaze, “I'm good with websites.”
*
“I totally kicked your ass,” Liz said shoving Sam harder than necessary as they retook their seats. She'd won another ten on top of the twenty he'd owed her.
It was nice to just hang out. That didn't mean that she would forgive him for looking into her past, 'cause it was definitely Sam that did it. Dean didn't give a shit about anything before he met her. He had wanted to know if she was a witch or a demon, she wasn't so he had no problems. Sam though was always asking questions.
The only reason, the only reasons she hadn't called him on it were because she knew it wasn't fair that she wouldn't give a straight answer to a question even if she didn't ask for stories about how he'd grown up, she wasn't sure if he'd just looked up what the symbol meant or if he'd gone digging into the rest, and she still needed to stick around. A full out fight between the two of them would most likely see her taking off.
Liz knew there wasn't much information out there about her. They'd gone through everything out there systematically and periodically to make sure that the wrong people wouldn't find things they shouldn't but it was the principle of the thing. Sam and her had been close friends for years, he should've trusted her.
“Tell me you didn't lose to a girl.”
“She's a pool shark.”
Dean had been sitting alone the whole time they'd played. She knew that because she'd checked up on him every chance she had to do so without Sam picking up on it. He hadn't picked up or outrageously flirted with any woman since they'd entered. It wasn't the first night he hadn't either.
Between a dry spell or a deliberate decision, Liz hoped it was deliberate.
Leaning on the table, she gave him a grin. The one Dani use to call her sex me-smile, “You think you can take me?”
Last edited by vaifeal on Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Like many non-violent men since that time, he was deeply hated." - on Desiderius Eramus
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
-
vaifeal
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 4:08 pm
- Location: somewhere this side of unstable
- Contact:
Re: Delicate (XO,SN,UC,Mature) New 2/27
“And if you don't expect too much from me
You might not be let down”
- Hey Jealousy, Gin Blossoms
Once again shifting shifting on the bed, her head buried under her pillow, Liz wondered how in hells name the Winchester's could sleep through the racket their neighbors were making. If it was sex or what she didn't know all she knew was that their room was filled corner to corner in the Dolby surround sound exploits of Mr and Mrs Moans-a-lot.
With an pissed off sigh she gave up on sleeping and stood up. As soon as she was up, from where she had been precariously close to the furthest edge, Sam rolled over to spread over the whole queen size mattress: for that she was going to have to dismember him.
Like with many other of the motels they had stopped at there was no cot that they could request so she had become accustomed, sort of, to sleeping in the same bed as Jackass #2. Meaning, she didn't get much quality rest. As a general rule Liz did not sleep well with others. Another reason her exploits were usually brief. She liked her leg room and knowing that there was someone else in bed with her, without fail, made her antsy. More often than not she'd either not sleep or end up half off the bed in order to get as far away as possible from the other occupant as she could.
This did not good rest make.
Yet another long moan filled the room and her patience snapped. She'd tried headphones, a pillow over her head, fingers in her ears, and counting sheep. Only one option remained: she was going to kill their neighbors. With a quick mental inventory of all the weapons in the room were in the corner nearest Sam that would require her to climb over him – which she was not doing – and Dean's customary knife under his pillow.
It might have been the headboard of the bed in the other room that began banging on the wall.
The knife would do just fine for what she had in mind.
Carefully being as stealthy as she could, Liz crossed the couple of feet to Dean's bed and slipped her hand under his pillow. Her fingers found the sharp edge of the blade and she pinched it to pull it forward. She'd gotten it maybe an inch closer to its freedom when a hand gripped her wrist.
“Liz?” she didn't respond hoping that he'd fall back asleep. “What are you doing?”
“Our neighbors must die,” there was a soft snort and her hand was gently tugged away from the knife.
“Come back to bed,” Dean's other hand messily found her waist and before she could comprehend what he was doing, she found herself next to him under the covers. His arm was still around her and her chest was pressed against his.
He had to feel her heart pounding.
*
Liz woke up with a start and a muffled yelp as she was met with a face inches from her own: Dean's face, relaxed in sleep and seemingly unaware of its proximity. Her heart racing at the scare a quick glance around the room proved that it was still early and Sam was still asleep, which was good. She was mortified enough as it was.
Heat rushed to her cheeks as she took in her position. They were facing each other, most of their bodies not separated more than a couple of inches, their legs tangled together. What really got her though was the hands. One of his was under her pillow, which coincidentally was where one of hers was too, and the other... The other was on her back, under her shirt, the tips of his fingers in her shorts.
She had to look like a freakin' tomato.
Without waking either brother Liz extracted herself from her position, grabbed her clothes for the day, and escaped into the bathroom.
*
Like the other two in her traveling party she had no idea why Winchester senior had sent them to Fitchburg Wisconsin but if she had to hedge her bets she'd guess it had to do with what was in front of her. Sam leaning on the Impala next to her, they watched the only kid – a little girl- in the park after school play on the jungle gym thing that Liz remembered being in the park in Roswell until she was eight when Alex fell off it and broke his wrist.
The parents had had it removed after that.
Unless there was some town even that they didn't know about they had to be looking at the biggest clue they'd come across as to what the coordinates meant. Something was going after the children. She hated when things went after children.
*
It took particular skill to watch Dean without meeting his eyes but she managed it. She had too because unless she wanted to be perpetually red, looking at Dean wasn't the best idea at that moment. Motels meant beds. Beds meant sleeping arrangements. All those things led to very bad thoughts.
“He's hiding something,” the door to the office shut with a click.
“Yeah,” Sam too was focused on the door.
For someone who despised pretty much everything that went along with emotions, Dean sure did wear them on his sleeve. Whatever it was that he wasn't telling, it wasn't a new burden.
*
“Who the hell are you?” the words came out suddenly and in a rush, sending Dean jumping back in startled fright. Liz slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter. “Who's there? Are you trying to steal my stuff?”
Sure the only lead they'd had had was the old crone with the poorly affixed cross but Dean being caught off guard by an old lady was just too hysterical to pass up. Minus the guns if she'd had a camera on her she'd have sent the video to Americas Funniest Home Videos.
'Sleeping with my peepers open.'
Really who said things like that anymore. Laughter shook her shoulder again. Brilliant.
*
“We're going to kill this thing. I want it dead, you hear me?” Dean didn't wait for an answer but there wasn't one needed. They all felt the conviction he'd voiced.
It was going after children.
“Lets get to the library,” Sam nodded, his eyes following the SUV as it disappeared down the street.
Once in the archives it only took ten minutes to identify the appropriate mircrofilm's that they needed and both of them thanked the years of experience they had in research. The process was always tedious but for beginners it was worse. Experience brought knowledge on where and what to look for.
By the time Sam had gotten Dean on the phone he'd found articles on the several other attacks that the Strega had had, each separated by a fifteen to twenty year span with dozens of children dead as a result. Liz though had been staring in horrified fascination at one picture.
A group of Black River Falls in 1893 with Dr Hydecker seated to the right of the frame. She'd found the Strega.
*
Liz was checking the cartridge in her gun for the dozenth time since she'd set down. She was so focused on the task she jumped when Dean lightly touched her shoulder. A quick glance at the laptop showed the camera in position.
Kneeling next to her he made sure he had her attention with a light squeeze of her leg, “When we go in I want you to grab Michael.”
“What?” he gave her that 'I'm serious' look. This hunt was personal for him. The Strega had gone after Sam when it was younger and Dean felt responsible.
She kind of hated John Winchester for that.
“I want you to stay with Michael, make sure he stays safe.”
“Ok.”
*
“Michael down,” before the words had left Dean's mouth, Liz had the boy by the shoulders and was dragging him off the bed.
Gunfire erupted around them even as she pushed him down next to the bed, using her own body as a shield. Michael was shaking in her arms, his hands covering his ears, and she felt pity rise up for him. This was the end for him. Nightmares were real and only self-delusion would save him from checking shadows the rest of his life.
The noise stopped but she didn't move, not even when the Strega easily tossed Dean like a rag doll. Her hand sought the gun safely tucked in her waistband only when it bent over Sam. She'd made a promise to keep the boy safe but she'd also made one to protect Sam.
She didn't get a chance to get off a shot. Dean took his first.
*
The only light in the room was the glow from the streetlights that had managed to seep past the curtains which wasn't much. Still, it was enough that Liz could meet Dean's eyes across the three foot space between the two beds.
She didn't say a word as she slid from the bed and got in his where he had held up the covers and moved back.
You might not be let down”
- Hey Jealousy, Gin Blossoms
Once again shifting shifting on the bed, her head buried under her pillow, Liz wondered how in hells name the Winchester's could sleep through the racket their neighbors were making. If it was sex or what she didn't know all she knew was that their room was filled corner to corner in the Dolby surround sound exploits of Mr and Mrs Moans-a-lot.
With an pissed off sigh she gave up on sleeping and stood up. As soon as she was up, from where she had been precariously close to the furthest edge, Sam rolled over to spread over the whole queen size mattress: for that she was going to have to dismember him.
Like with many other of the motels they had stopped at there was no cot that they could request so she had become accustomed, sort of, to sleeping in the same bed as Jackass #2. Meaning, she didn't get much quality rest. As a general rule Liz did not sleep well with others. Another reason her exploits were usually brief. She liked her leg room and knowing that there was someone else in bed with her, without fail, made her antsy. More often than not she'd either not sleep or end up half off the bed in order to get as far away as possible from the other occupant as she could.
This did not good rest make.
Yet another long moan filled the room and her patience snapped. She'd tried headphones, a pillow over her head, fingers in her ears, and counting sheep. Only one option remained: she was going to kill their neighbors. With a quick mental inventory of all the weapons in the room were in the corner nearest Sam that would require her to climb over him – which she was not doing – and Dean's customary knife under his pillow.
It might have been the headboard of the bed in the other room that began banging on the wall.
The knife would do just fine for what she had in mind.
Carefully being as stealthy as she could, Liz crossed the couple of feet to Dean's bed and slipped her hand under his pillow. Her fingers found the sharp edge of the blade and she pinched it to pull it forward. She'd gotten it maybe an inch closer to its freedom when a hand gripped her wrist.
“Liz?” she didn't respond hoping that he'd fall back asleep. “What are you doing?”
“Our neighbors must die,” there was a soft snort and her hand was gently tugged away from the knife.
“Come back to bed,” Dean's other hand messily found her waist and before she could comprehend what he was doing, she found herself next to him under the covers. His arm was still around her and her chest was pressed against his.
He had to feel her heart pounding.
*
Liz woke up with a start and a muffled yelp as she was met with a face inches from her own: Dean's face, relaxed in sleep and seemingly unaware of its proximity. Her heart racing at the scare a quick glance around the room proved that it was still early and Sam was still asleep, which was good. She was mortified enough as it was.
Heat rushed to her cheeks as she took in her position. They were facing each other, most of their bodies not separated more than a couple of inches, their legs tangled together. What really got her though was the hands. One of his was under her pillow, which coincidentally was where one of hers was too, and the other... The other was on her back, under her shirt, the tips of his fingers in her shorts.
She had to look like a freakin' tomato.
Without waking either brother Liz extracted herself from her position, grabbed her clothes for the day, and escaped into the bathroom.
*
Like the other two in her traveling party she had no idea why Winchester senior had sent them to Fitchburg Wisconsin but if she had to hedge her bets she'd guess it had to do with what was in front of her. Sam leaning on the Impala next to her, they watched the only kid – a little girl- in the park after school play on the jungle gym thing that Liz remembered being in the park in Roswell until she was eight when Alex fell off it and broke his wrist.
The parents had had it removed after that.
Unless there was some town even that they didn't know about they had to be looking at the biggest clue they'd come across as to what the coordinates meant. Something was going after the children. She hated when things went after children.
*
It took particular skill to watch Dean without meeting his eyes but she managed it. She had too because unless she wanted to be perpetually red, looking at Dean wasn't the best idea at that moment. Motels meant beds. Beds meant sleeping arrangements. All those things led to very bad thoughts.
“He's hiding something,” the door to the office shut with a click.
“Yeah,” Sam too was focused on the door.
For someone who despised pretty much everything that went along with emotions, Dean sure did wear them on his sleeve. Whatever it was that he wasn't telling, it wasn't a new burden.
*
“Who the hell are you?” the words came out suddenly and in a rush, sending Dean jumping back in startled fright. Liz slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter. “Who's there? Are you trying to steal my stuff?”
Sure the only lead they'd had had was the old crone with the poorly affixed cross but Dean being caught off guard by an old lady was just too hysterical to pass up. Minus the guns if she'd had a camera on her she'd have sent the video to Americas Funniest Home Videos.
'Sleeping with my peepers open.'
Really who said things like that anymore. Laughter shook her shoulder again. Brilliant.
*
“We're going to kill this thing. I want it dead, you hear me?” Dean didn't wait for an answer but there wasn't one needed. They all felt the conviction he'd voiced.
It was going after children.
“Lets get to the library,” Sam nodded, his eyes following the SUV as it disappeared down the street.
Once in the archives it only took ten minutes to identify the appropriate mircrofilm's that they needed and both of them thanked the years of experience they had in research. The process was always tedious but for beginners it was worse. Experience brought knowledge on where and what to look for.
By the time Sam had gotten Dean on the phone he'd found articles on the several other attacks that the Strega had had, each separated by a fifteen to twenty year span with dozens of children dead as a result. Liz though had been staring in horrified fascination at one picture.
A group of Black River Falls in 1893 with Dr Hydecker seated to the right of the frame. She'd found the Strega.
*
Liz was checking the cartridge in her gun for the dozenth time since she'd set down. She was so focused on the task she jumped when Dean lightly touched her shoulder. A quick glance at the laptop showed the camera in position.
Kneeling next to her he made sure he had her attention with a light squeeze of her leg, “When we go in I want you to grab Michael.”
“What?” he gave her that 'I'm serious' look. This hunt was personal for him. The Strega had gone after Sam when it was younger and Dean felt responsible.
She kind of hated John Winchester for that.
“I want you to stay with Michael, make sure he stays safe.”
“Ok.”
*
“Michael down,” before the words had left Dean's mouth, Liz had the boy by the shoulders and was dragging him off the bed.
Gunfire erupted around them even as she pushed him down next to the bed, using her own body as a shield. Michael was shaking in her arms, his hands covering his ears, and she felt pity rise up for him. This was the end for him. Nightmares were real and only self-delusion would save him from checking shadows the rest of his life.
The noise stopped but she didn't move, not even when the Strega easily tossed Dean like a rag doll. Her hand sought the gun safely tucked in her waistband only when it bent over Sam. She'd made a promise to keep the boy safe but she'd also made one to protect Sam.
She didn't get a chance to get off a shot. Dean took his first.
*
The only light in the room was the glow from the streetlights that had managed to seep past the curtains which wasn't much. Still, it was enough that Liz could meet Dean's eyes across the three foot space between the two beds.
She didn't say a word as she slid from the bed and got in his where he had held up the covers and moved back.
"Like many non-violent men since that time, he was deeply hated." - on Desiderius Eramus
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child
"Where there is life, there is hope." - Terence
"The mind has no sex." - Descartes
"As long as their is life there is pain. I'm damned to breathe and to be insane." - Old Man's Child