02. the family business

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THE IMPALA PULLED INTO a quiet suburb. The streets were lined with white picket fences and nuclear families — the opposite of the three Hunters who sat in the car. Dean parked across the street from one of the houses.

"You ready?" He asked Sam. The tone of his voice indicated something to Andy, though she wasn't sure what. Obviously, there was concern for his younger brother, but there was something else, something darker, perhaps. Clearly, there was a lot Andy wasn't aware of.

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

The three of them exited the car. Andy watched Sam fidget with the cuff of his jacket sleeve. As they scoped out the place, Dean put himself in between Andy and his brother. She sucked in a sharp breath as he faced her.

"What are you doing here?"

Andy raised a brow at his question. She thought it was obvious. "I'm a Hunter? Same as you. Travis asked for my help. I thought we established this."

Dean shook his head fervently. "No, no. We..." He pointed between the two of them. "Weren't supposed to see each other again."

Andy laughed, catching Sam's attention. "I don't recall us making any promises. I agree, it's not ideal to be working with someone I slept with, but Travis is an old family friend and he asked for help. I didn't know you would be here. Dammit, I didn't even know you were you." Dean tilted his head, now confused. Andy sighed. "We never exchanged names. If I knew you were Dean Winchester..."

Dean smirked. "Oh, so you heard of me?"

Andy rolled her eyes. "Every Hunter in America has. And not for a good reason." Dean's smile dropped. "In fact, I tend to avoid sleeping with Hunters."

"Nice work on that." Dean scowled and chuckled. "How are you a Hunter? I thought you were a waitress or something."

"It's the family business," Andy answered. She didn't feel like explaining that he family had been hunting monsters for centuries and that they practically wrote the book on it.

Dean nodded, content with her answer. "Alright...just, stay out of our way. Sam and I don't need a broad messing with our mojo."

Andy scoffed. "Some broad? I've been hunting since I could talk. I killed a vampire before I finished Elementary school!"

"No need to brag," Dean rolled his eyes.

Andy's temper rose sharply. She knew Hunters were typically arrogant, but something about Dean Winchester ticked her off. Maybe it was the fact that she was attracted to him and that they slept together.

"You son of a bitch-"

"Hey!" Sam cut in. Dean and Andy turned to him, faces red. "We don't have time for...whatever this is."

Andy sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

She joined Sam. Dean scoffed and followed behind them. "Kiss-ass."

Jack Montgomery was in his backyard, watering the flowerbeds. Sam cleared his throat, calling Jack's name. The man turned after a second, his reaction seemingly delayed. Andy hung back slightly. She wanted to watch Sam and Dean work.

"I'm Sam Winchester. This is my brother, Dean." Jack looked between them, confused. His eyes flickered to Andy. "We need to talk."

"Who's she?" Jack pointed to the blonde.

Dean shook his head. "No one important."

Andy scoffed but bit her tongue. Sam was right -- now wasn't the time.

Jack eyed them suspiciously. "Talk about what?"

"About you," Sam said. "About how you're changing."

"Excuse me?" Jack's face paled.

Dean spoke up. "You're probably feeling your bones move under your skin. And your appetite's reaching, you know, hungry-hungry hippos levels. How am I doing so far?"

"Who the hell are you guys?" Jack's tone had darkened. Andy could sense he was pulling away from them. She knew it would happen, but Sam wanted to try, and who was she to tell him no?

"We're people who know a little something about something," Dean replied, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets.

"We're people who can help." Sam clarified. "Please, just hear us out."

Jack took a deep breath, watching them all apprehensively.

"These changes you're feeling, it's something that runs in your family," Sam began. "Your father, your real father, was a creature called a Rougarou."

Jack raised his hands up defensively. "A what? How do you know about my father? I was adopted! No, no...I'm just sick or something."

Sam sighed. "I know it's hard to believe-"

"No. Are you guys listening to yourselves? You sound like..."

Dean scoffed. "Let's skip the whole "you guys sound crazy," shall we? You're hungry, Jack. You're only gonna get hungrier."

Jack froze. "Hungry for..?"

"Long pig," Andy piped up from behind. All of them turned to her. She was tired of the brothers beating around the bush. If they wanted Jack to know, then he would know. Jack looked at her, confused. Andy clarified. "Human flesh. I'm sure you're already craving it."

He looked her, stone-faced. "No."

Sam was quick to jump in. "It doesn't have to be like this, Jack. You can fight it off, others have."

Jack began to back away. He waved Sam off. "No..."

"We're not gonna lie to you, though. It's not gonna easy." Dean added. "You're gonna feel like an alcoholic swimming around in whiskey. But I'm telling you, you gotta say no. Or-"

"Or what?" Jack's eyes narrowed.

"You feed once and it's all over," Sam answered. "And then we'll have to stop you."

Jack gulped, eyes once again darting between the three Hunters. "Stop me? My dad...did uh, somebody stop him?"

Andy crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Yes."

Jack nodded. That seemed to solidify it for him. "Get off my property right now. I see you guys again, I'm calling the cops."

Sam stepped forward. "Jack, your wife, everybody you know, they're in danger."

"Now!" Jack screamed.

Sam and Dean huffed. Andy was first out of the yard, followed by the brothers. "I told you." She frowned.

Sam shook his head. "If he just listened-"

"Would you listen, Sam?" Andy stopped in front of the Impala with her hands on her hips. "Seriously. If some strange men told you that your birth father was a monster that ate human flesh and that you were one as well, how would you take it? And not as you, Sam Winchester, but as him. A regular suburban man with a 9-5 and a wife."

Sam's jaw clenched. He huffed like a teenager who just got grounded, and stomped to the passenger side of the car, getting in without a word.

Andy looked at Dean. "Am I missing something here?"

"It doesn't concern you," Dean said as he moved past her to get behind the wheel.

Andy slammed her hand on the door handle, preventing him from getting in. "Doesn't it? If I'm working this job with you guys I think I should-"

"It doesn't." Dean's eyes darkened and his voice dropped a deadly octive. "You're working one job with us. That doesn't mean you get to know all our dirty little secrets. Just shut up and get in."

Andy narrowed her eyes. For a moment, they both stood their ground, too stubborn to move for the other. But Andy could hear her mother scolding her for her manners in her head and she gave in. "Fine." She spat, bitterly. She got into the seat behind Dean's and sat in silence as they monitored Jack.

THEY HAD FOLLOWED HIM to a bench outside of an apartment building. Andy sat in the backseat with the flamethrowers, in case of emergency. And it was.

Jack watched a woman from her window for a few minutes before he made a dash for her fire escape.

"Damn it, Jack, no!" Sam huffed. Andy handed the brothers their flamethrowers, and grabbed one herself as they all hurried out of the car.

They rushed up the stairs of the building. Dean kicked the door open without a second thought. The woman inside screamed, but not for the reason they thought. With a quick glance around the apartment, it was clear Jack wasn't there, and she was not in danger.

"I'm calling the police!" The woman yelled, slamming the door to what was probably her bedroom.

Andy swore. "Come on! We need to go!"

Sam and Dean nodded. "Yeah!"

They rushed out of her apartment and back down to the Impala. "Damn it!" Dean slammed his hands on the wheel. "We lost him."

Andy shook her head. "Maybe not. He probably went back home."

"You think?" Sam looked back at her.

"He has nowhere else to go. And despite it all, he still loves his wife."

Dean nodded and started the car. Jack had a head start, but they were hot on his trail. As they pulled up to the Montgomery residence, Andy spotted Travis's car. "Travis...you stupid old man."

The three of them got out, eyeing the house. No lights were on and the couple's car was gone. Dean entered first. Sam and Andy followed. The inside was a mess -- chairs thrown to the ground, glass shattered. The carpet was covered in blood, deep red. A pit formed in Andy's stomach. She had a feeling she knew whose blood it was.

They followed the dark trail to a mangled corpse. It was eaten almost entirely, some of the bones were even clean-licked. Andy grimaced. "Oh no..."

"Think that's Travis?" Dean asked warily.

Sam sighed deeply. "What's left of him." He looked at Andy and Dean. "I guess you two were right about Jack."

Andy frowned. Sam was clearly disappointed. She admired the faith he had in Jack.

Suddenly, Dean yelled out in pain. Andy and Sam were quick to raise their flamethrowers.

"Dean!" Sam called to his brother, who had been tackled by Jack Montgomery. He had knocked Dean out entirely.

Jack turned. He was covered in Travis's blood and his skin had turned grey. He lunged, pushing Andy back against a wall and grabbing Sam by the waist, taking him to the ground. He grabbed the flamethrower from Sam and slammed it twice into his head, effectively knocking out the second Winchester.

"Shit!" Andy fumbled with her flamethrower, trying to turn it on as she attempted to stand. Jack was on her faster than she could get up.

He made a noise, mixed between a growl and a hiss. He took her flamethrower and threw it across the room. She struggled against his grip as he pulled her towards where Dean's body lay splayed across a coffee table. She reared her head back, attempting to hit him in the face. Jack yelled. He had enough of her. He held her by the back of the neck and roughly hit her head against the wall. Andy's vision went dark and she collapsed to the floor.

Eventually, she woke with a splitting headache. She felt large hands on her shoulders and a man's deep voice. Her vision was blurry, but she could just make out the shape of Sam's hair. "Andy, hey! You're okay." He eased her up against the wall. He checked her forehead tenderly.

"What happened?" She groaned. Her head hurt like hell.

"Jack's dead," Sam explained briefly. His hands moved to her arms. "Do you think you can stand?"

Andy shook her head, unsure. Even that small movement causes her world to spin. "Motherfucker." She hissed, biting her tongue to prevent any vomiting.

"Dean, help me with her." Sam took one of her arms and who she presumed was Dean, took the other. They hoisted her to her feet and slowly, the three of them walked back to the Impala. They lowered her into the backseat. Andy sighed at the feeling of soft leather. Slowly, her vision came back, but the headache stayed.

"Thank you," She told them both once they were seated in the car. "I didn't think I'd wake up...alive."

Sam chuckled. "You're welcome."

Dean didn't reply. He started the engine and began to drive.

"Who did him in?" Andy asked after a moment.

"I did," Sam replied quickly. Andy felt his coldness. Clearly, it was still a touchy subject.

"Is your ride back at the motel?" Dean interjected, changing the subject.

Andy nodded. "Yeah."

Dean hummed. "We'll drop you there."

The drive from the Montgomerys to the motel was short. Dean parked the Impala next to Andy's Beetle. She wobbeled slightly as she exited the car. Sam was quick to get out and help her. "You've done enough, Sam." She joked.

He shook his head. "Can you drive?"

She laughed. "I've driven home with worse. Don't worry about me."

Sam nodded and smiled. There was a pause in the conversation. Sam opened and then closed his mouth. Andy tilted her head, raising a brow. Sam chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I uh, wanted to give you our numbers. You know...in case anything comes up."

Andy smiled. "I guess I wouldn't mind. You guys aren't the worst Hunters I've worked with."

A grateful smile crossed Sam's face. He quickly rummaged through the glove box of the Impala before finding a notepad and a pen. He scribbled down two numbers and handed them to Andy. One was labelled Sam, the other Dean. Andy found herself smiling at it.

"Thank you," She told him, putting it in her back pocket. "My turn." She held out her hand. Sam got the hint and gave her the pad. She wrote down her number, as well as Ruthie's, in case they couldn't reach her. She handed it back to Sam.

"We'll see you another time, hopefully?" Sam asked.

Andy pretended to think about it before nodding. "Definitely."

She got into the driver's seat of her Beetle as Sam got back into the Impala. Dean didn't spare her a glance as they drove off. She watched them go with a bitter-sweet feeling.

THE FINAL LINES OF Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know," played out as Andy pulled into Ruthie's parking lot. Her pounding head had subsided, but she still felt like shit. She shut off the engine and headed into the bar. The nightly customers hadn't arrived yet, so it was relatively empty.

She didn't spot Natalie as she entered. So, she called out for her friend. "Nat!" There was no response. She headed to the bar with a shrug. As she got closer, she noticed a woman sitting on one of the stools. She had no drink. Odd, Andy thought.

She noticed the hair. Chesnut brown pulled into a high ponytail. Nothing special, but something about it made Andy's stomach flip. Her eyes trailed her back and her breath caught in her throat. A leather jacket with the Crane family crest with the words 'Memento Mori' beneath it.

"Lyra..."

Her older sister turned. A wide smile spread across her face at the sight of Andy. "Andromeda!" She jumped from her chair and enveloped her sister in a hug before she could do anything. She squeezed hard.

Andy froze. Her eyes flickered across Lyra's face as she pulled back. Seeing her face after five years made it feel as though her brain was malfunctioning. "What...how...why?" She couldn't even form a cohesive sentence.

Lyra sighed. "Sorry for showing up without notice. You weren't returning my calls."

Andy blinked, trying to regain some composure. "Maybe there was a reason for that? You can't just...show up, Lyra."

"I had no choice, Andromeda," Lyra crossed her arms. "It's important."

Andy pinched the bridge of her nose. "No choice?"

"It's Caelum."

There it was. Andy shook her head. "No. You're not just gonna show up and ask me for help after nothing for five years."

Lyra was clearly trying to stay calm, but Andy could see her jaw clench. "I know and I'm sorry. But you know Caelum. He won't listen to me."

"But he'll listen to me? That's bullshit, Lyra. He doesn't listen to anyone."

She shook her head. "He listens to you, Andromeda. You know that. And he's in some deep shit that I can't pull him out of this time."

Andy laughed. "This is so typical of you. God forbid you act like a normal sister. You have had every opportunity to come and see me, but the moment you need something you come a-crawling. I'm not your on-call brother tamer."

Lyra's hands balled into fists and her face was turning red. "Just listen. Please." She paused her eyes as pleading as her words. Andy caved and nodded for her to continue. "Thank you. Caelum was on a hunt Dad had sent him on and turns out the demon involved is a big deal. He was gonna kill him but...the demon offered a deal."

"He didn't..." Andy shook her head slowly. "Caelum isn't stupid."

"He offered to bring Rose back."

"Shit." Andy leaned against the bar. Rose was Caelum's fiance. She died of breast cancer. The last time she saw her brother was in her hospital room as she passed. "He's gonna get himself killed."

"See why I need your help? I've been able to hold him off for a week but, he's breaking. I had to call you in." Lyra crossed her arms, joining her sister in leaning on the bar.

"Where is he?" Andy asked. Annoyance flared through her at the sight of a smile on Lyra's face. She knew Andy was agreeing.

"Indianapolis."

Andy bit her lip so hard it began to bleed. As much as she disliked her sister, she always had a soft spot for her brother. "We drive separately. And leave in the morning if we can hold him off. I just got back from a hunt."

Lyra nodded. "He told me they were meeting tomorrow. Didn't say where, obviously. It was all I could get out of him. If I tell him you're coming, it might delay him a little more."

Andy nodded. "Okay..."

She shut her eyes, wishing that when she opened them, Lyra would be gone and this was all some bad dream. But she knew it was real. And that's what pissed her off. Could her day get any worse?

AUTHORS NOTE

Ahhhh hi! I'm so pleased with this chapter. I'm hyped for you guys to meet the rest of the Crane siblings soon!

Anyway, let me know what you thought! The feedback helps me write better lol.