CHAPTER NINE:
SISTERS OF THE MOON.

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THE LOOMING POSSIBILITY of being pulled over wasn't enough to slow Birdie down. As soon as she turned the ignition of her motorcycle, she took off in a haste. She weaved her way in and out of traffic, barely scraping by unscathed when there were a few close calls——mostly on everyone else's part, though, as Birdie swore she was very cautious.

The drive to Kaiya's that would've taken almost two and a half hours had been turned into just a little under an hour, Birdie almost certain that she ran a few stop signs when she cut through alleyways and neighborhoods (which she was very careful when going through to make sure she watched out for little kids that might've been crossing the street).

Her heart was rapidly racing inside her chest the entire time, her hands sweaty and clammy the closer she got to reaching Kaiya. She did her best not to think of all the things that could've possibly gone wrong for Kaiya on her way to the house, but some thoughts still managed to claw their way into her already frantic mind. It urged the woman to go faster, thankful that she'd put in her earpiece that allowed her to answer any calls as she hoped Kaiya would call her again, but she didn't receive any more calls from her friend.

Birdie hastily pulled into Kaiya's narrow driveway and parked beside the woman's jeep, kicking down the kickstand of her motorcycle as she clambered off of the seat. Thankfully, Kaiya lived at the end of a dead-end road, none of her neighbors outside at the moment due to the imposing threat of a thunderstorm creeping closer and closer. She quickly reached into her bag, grabbing her silver flask filled with holy water and a large can of salt just as a precaution. She tucked them in one of the inside pockets of her jacket with ease before pulling her gun from the holster, sprinting towards the front door.

She carefully opened the front door after making sure there wasn't anyone lingering outside, her panic-ridden eyes frantically looking around the house for any sign of Kaiya.

Kaiya's house was an absolute mess——the recliner in the living room off to the side was knocked over on its side with the handlebar broken off. Her glass coffee table was shattered across her fuzzy rug, the TV remote smashed to bits near some crumpled-up magazines with some pages partially torn. There was a dent in the wall just beside the TV, pictures of Kaiya's youth discarded on the floor with broken frames and cracked glass like they'd been knocked from the wall when something was shoved against it. The kitchen table was completely broken in half, the wood splintered with tiny pieces spread across the wooden floor. One of the chairs was toppled over behind the island counter, a back leg broke off and on the ground near the fridge where blood still dripped down from the end of it.

Birdie's eyes widened in horror, quickly stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "Kaiya?" she cautiously called out, making her way towards the basement where the demon was meant to be trapped. Birdie cautiously lifted her gun in front of her, eyes flickering from side to side as she made her way towards the door to make sure no one would suddenly jump out at her to attack. "Kai?"

"Down here, Bird!" Kaiya replied from the basement.

Birdie raced down the rickety steps, lips falling open in surprise when seeing a demon tied to a chair in the middle of the lounge area that Kaiya had set up down there to hang out from time to time. A devil's trap was painted on the ceiling above the demon, his blackened eyes narrowed on Birdie while a thick piece of tape was secured over his mouth to prevent him from being able to speak. Kaiya stood near the bar area that contained a small collection of alcohol she'd been given by her father a few years ago, flashing Birdie a quick smile when she caught her gaze.

Birdie faintly shook her head in disbelief, looking towards Kaiya with her gun slightly lowered at her waist. "This is the demon you trapped?"

Kaiya smugly nodded, briefly glancing towards the demon who appeared rather annoyed over the fact the woman had managed to get the upper hand on him in the end. "Yes, it is."

"What the fuck happened?" Birdie demanded, holstering her gun. She shot the demon a glare, taking a few steps closer to Kaiya as the woman moved towards her.

"I came home early to pick up some paperwork I left this morning, and when I got here, I found this asshole snoopin' through my things," Kaiya answered with a huff, folding her arms over her chest as she shot a hateful glare towards the demon while she spoke; she was still pissed a demon, of all things, had broken into her home. "I'm pretty sure if I didn't have that, uh, hex bag, or whatever it is you gave me, he would've body-snatched me, too!"

Birdie glanced over at the demon again, faintly shaking her head in thought. "Yeah, probably." The demon rolled his eyes, grumbling under the tape as he looked away from the woman. Birdie lopsidedly smirked and then returned her attention to Kaiya. "What was he lookin' for?"

"I have no idea," Kaiya sighed, lazily tilting her head to the side as her eyes remained focused on Birdie. "You told me not to talk to him."

"Well, I——what happened after you found him snoopin' around?"

"Well, I didn't exactly try and have a nice chit-chat with him," Kaiya answered, nudging her head in the direction of the stairs. "You saw upstairs. I kicked his ass."

"That was you? Wha——but you look perfectly fine."

"Like I said, I kicked his ass," Kaiya proudly stated, holding her head up high as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Birdie's eyes raked over Kaiya's appearance, seeing only some faint bruises and scrapes along her skin, nodding in approval as a smile crept onto her lips. "Good to see I taught you well."

"I never thought I'd actually have to put those moves to use, but. . ."

"I'm glad you did," Birdie softly told her, taking a few steps towards the demon. "He deserved it, I'm sure."

The demon rolled his eyes again, looking up at the ceiling where a devil's trap had been painted a few months back merely out of precaution, but Birdie was thankful she'd been so adamant on Kaiya adding it.

Birdie shifted, folding her arms over her chest as she stood in front of the demon. Kaiya remained off to the side, sourly twisting her lips as she watched the demon carefully look Birdie up and down. She let out a huff and leaned forward so that she was eye level with the demon, harshly yanking the tape from the demon's mouth. He winced at the stinging sensation, clenching his eyes shut as he turned his head to the side like he was trying to compose himself. "Shit, my bad," Birdie innocently hummed, falsely pouting towards the demon when he looked at her again through narrowed eyes. "You've had a rough day, haven't you?"

"Fuck you, bitch," he hatefully sneered, shooting Birdie a nasty look that she was quite familiar with.

Birdie snickered in amusement, rolling up the piece of tape and tossing it into the trash can off to the side. "Wow, like I haven't heard that one before. Do all demons just have the same shitty insults, or is it only the low-grade ones who can't seem to come up with something just a little more original?"

The demon breathed out a laugh at that, leaning his head back. "You're pretty bold for someone who's betting on the Winchesters." Birdie raised a questionable brow, momentarily glancing over her shoulder towards Kaiya. As if knowing what she was thinking, Kaiya silently shook her head; she didn't know how the demon seemed to know who she was. "Yeah, I know who you are. . . Birdie Fowler."

"You know, I'd be impressed. . .if I didn't already deal with sooo many demons," Birdie shortly replied. It wasn't the first time she'd been recognized by a monster, but it had been a while since the last time the thing she was facing actually said her name. But, she wasn't going to let him see her surprise. "Sorry I don't know your name, but I don't really care enough——"

"What the fuck were you doing in my house, you goddamn asshole?" Kaiya suddenly snapped, hastily coming up beside Birdie and pointing her finger at the demon.

Birdie's eyes widened in surprise at Kaiya's actions, sharply turning her head towards the dark-haired woman. "Kaiya, hey, wait——"

"Answer me!" Kaiya shouted, anger sparking in her dark brown eyes as she glowered towards the demon.

Birdie let out a heavy sigh, turning towards the demon. He simply smirked, looking between the two women. "Now, why would I talk to either of you?" he wondered, furrowing his brows together. "I don't have anything to gain from it."

"You have your meaningless life," Kaiya firmly told him, standing straight back up while remaining at Birdie's side. Birdie glanced aside at her for a moment, the two making eye contact like they were having a silent conversation to prevent the demon from understanding. Kaiya gave Birdie a look, realizing that Birdie didn't intend to let the demon walk out still inside the man's body; she didn't know if the man was still alive, but the demon needed to be dealt with either way.

"No, I actually don't," the demon chuckled, shaking his head while he wiggled his wrists in the handcuffs like he was testing them. "So, just do whatever you're gonna do to me, alright?"

Birdie let out a quiet sigh, nudging her head off to the side when she locked eyes with Kaiya. Kaiya immediately understood, the two of them taking a few steps away from the demon so that they could speak alone for a moment.

"What do you think?" Kaiya softly asked Birdie, making sure the demon didn't overhear them as she folded her arms over her chest.

Birdie ran a hand along her jaw, puffing out her cheeks. "I don't. . .I don't know, Kai. He couldn't have just picked your house at random. . ."

As a thought suddenly dawned on Birdie after she spoke, she sharply turned her head towards the demon. However, she quickly noticed that he'd broken free from the restraints, growling as he took a step out of the trap.

Birdie's brown eyes widened in surprise, lifting her head towards the trap along with Kaiya's. A faint gasp escaped her lips when she realized a leak in the ceiling had caused part of the trap to become smeared, rendering it completely useless in keeping the demon in place.

Birdie's gaze snapped back to the demon, quickly shoving Kaiya to the side when he ran at the two of them a second later.

He tackled Birdie with an angered shout escaping his lips, the woman letting out a grunt as her body roughly collided with the cement ground. Kaiya staggered on her feet from being shoved out of harm's way by Birdie, a shaky breath escaping her lips as she saw the demon crawl on top of Birdie, his knees keeping the woman's arms pinned to her side while his gruff hands traveled towards her throat.

Kaiya frantically looked around her basement for something to use in order to help Birdie, her panic-filled eyes falling on an empty bottle of tequila on the counter near the wall that she'd been meaning to throw away for a few weeks now. She snatched it from the counter and raced over to Birdie's rescue, slamming the bottle over the demon's head. His grip on Birdie loosened as the glass shattered and fell towards the floor, allowing Birdie just enough space to wiggle one of her arms free and punch him in the jaw.

He toppled off of her with a grunt, but he recovered faster than Birdie or Kaiya had anticipated. He flipped himself back onto his feet, swinging both of his arms out before either of the women could make a move, tossing both of them on opposite sides of the room as his eyes blackened.

Birdie collided with the far wall with a loud thud echoing in the basement, her eyes clenching shut from the harsh impact as she fell to the floor. Kaiya yelped as she toppled over the bar counter on the opposite side of Birdie, glass shattering all around her as she was knocked into other bottles before she landed on the ground. Alcohol poured and sprayed from the bottles, splashing over the counter and dripping down the cabinets. It splashed onto Kaiya's clothes, drenching her in all of the different flavors and shades of alcohol.

"God, you ladies have no fucking idea how long I've just been waiting for this moment right. . .here," the demon stated, peeking over the counter. He smirked in approval when realizing Kaiya was knocked unconscious with some cuts now on her skin, bits of glass embedded in them as blood oozed from the wounds. Birdie quietly whimpered as she rolled over onto her stomach, wincing as she pushed herself up with her arms as she locked eyes with the demon. "You wanna know why I picked this house? Why I waited to break free when I could've just done it before you got here and slaughtered your precious friend without leaving a single trace left behind? Why——"

"Can you just get to the fucking point already?" Birdie breathlessly asked with a groan, managing to sit up on her knees.

The demon snarled, lurching forward and grabbing her by the throat before she had time to react. Birdie gritted her teeth together, feeling him hold her in place with his nails slowly starting to dig into her skin. "You, Birdie Fowler, have a debt to pay."

"And what debt is that?" she asked through a shaky breath, feeling her oxygen beginning to run low. She narrowed her eyes, a corner of her lips curling upwards. "Aw, did I send one of your friends back home? Maybe a girlfriend? Boyfriend?"

"Oh, plenty of them, slut," the demon nodded. He grabbed one of Birdie's arms with his free hand, making her clench her jaw as he caught her reaching for the holy water tucked away in her jacket. He darkly chuckled, picking her up by her throat and slamming her against the wall. She hissed as her head made contact with the wall, her hands latching onto his like it would somehow make his grip loosen, but it was no use. The demon wickedly smirked, cockily tilting his head towards the woman as her feet dangled above the floor. "But no, actually, this is a debt your dear mother owes, but seeing as she already bit the dust before I got the chance to kill her myself, I'll have to take the next best thing——you."

Birdie immediately rolled her eyes, letting out a huff in disbelief. "Even dead she's still makin' my life a living hell."

The demon gave her a curious look, chuckling as he heard her uttered words. "I always knew she was a nasty woman——a bitch, really——but hurting her own daughter?" he hummed, an unsettling darkness lingering in his eyes that made Birdie's blood run cold. "And I thought we were meant to be the monsters."

Birdie sucked in some air, sourly twisting her lips. "Don't worry, you still are. It's just easier to tell with you and your dick friends."

The demon clenched his jaw, not liking how witty she was still trying to be despite him now having the upper hand——despite him having her life in the palm of his hand, to be more precise. "Time to pay for your mother's wrongdoings, Big Bird."

Birdie sucked in a sharp breath when he tightened his grip, going to move her legs to try and kick him away, but suddenly something lodged itself in his back, causing his eyes to widen in shock. His eyes flickered a shade of orange, parts of his body glowing the same on the inside as his grip on Birdie loosened and she collapsed to the floor, loudly gasping for air. She gripped her throat, staring up at him with wide eyes as the flickering stopped and he collapsed to the ground a few seconds later, a knife sticking out of his back.

When she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, her gaze snapped over to see what it was. Her face hardened upon realization, seeing the figure walk down the last step with their focus trained on Birdie.

"You look like shit," they smugly said, giving Birdie a look as they headed towards the body.

Birdie gingerly ran her fingers along her jaw, shooting the person a hateful glare. "Fuck you, Ruby. You sent him here, didn't you?"

"What is it with you and Dean, huh?" Ruby demanded to know as she pulled the knife from the man's back. Birdie faintly frowned, having hoped she could've helped the man the body actually belonged to if there was still a chance, but it was too late for that now. "Can't you two see that I'm only trying to help?"

Birdie grunted as she pushed herself off the ground, looking away from Ruby as she hurried over to where she'd seen Flora get thrown. "Yeah, okay," Birdie sarcastically scoffed, rolling her eyes. "And the credit cards in my wallet are actually mine."

"I'm serious, Birdie."

Birdie simply ignored Ruby, walking around the bar. She quickly kneeled beside Kaiya just as the woman started to regain consciousness, taking in her injuries. "Hey, hey, hey, easy, Kaiya. Be careful," she softly said, frowning as Kaiya started to sit up, seeing blood smeared on her arms and a few cuts on the side of her face. "Shit, uh, okay——"

"Uh, Bird, who the hell is that and why are they in my house?" Birdie looked to where Kaiya was pointing, puffing out her cheeks when she saw Ruby standing at the other end of the counter, her arms folded over her chest with her lips pursed into a fine line.

"I'm the girl who just saved both your asses."

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why the fuck you're in my house," Kaiya firmly replied, suspiciously eying Ruby.

Birdie proudly smiled at Kaiya's response, carefully helping her back up while her gaze remained focused on Ruby.

Ruby rolled her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. "A thank you would be nice."

"How about I just give you another fuck you instead?" Birdie retorted, feeling Ruby start to get under her skin even more than she already was. "Did you forget what I said would happen the next time I saw you?"

"No, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about your little threat," Ruby sharply replied.

"Wait, hang on," Kaiya interjected, her curious eyes flickering towards Birdie, "You know her?"

Birdie heavily sighed as she helped Kaiya over to a stool off the side, giving her friend an annoyed look. "Not by choice."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm not a thr——"

"She's a demon, Kai," Birdie grumbled, picking up a towel that was tucked in the corner of the counter to try and wipe some of the blood off Kaiya until she could properly clean the wounds.

"Are you——"

"Sam trusts me," Ruby pointedly interjected, her eyes looking at Kaiya like she was hoping that would mean something to the woman.

Kaiya subtly eyed Birdie out of the corner of her eye, visibly stunned by Ruby's statement. Sam Winchester. . . trusted a demon? "Does that. . .do you trust her then?"

"Do you even have to ask me that?"

"Yeah, but since S——"

"He's a big boy, Kai," Birdie nearly hissed, shooting Kaiya a look. "If he wants to make that mistake even with me and Dean telling him he shouldn't, I can't stop him. . ."

Kaiya's eyes unintentionally shifted to Ruby, locking eyes with the blonde-haired demon. "You're pretty smart, aren't you, Kaiya?" Ruby curiously wondered, slowly taking a few steps to the side.

"Don't talk to her," Birdie harshly ordered, pointing a threatening finger towards the blonde. "And don't even look at her."

"What the hell am I gonna do, Birdie?" Ruby asked, holding her hands out at her sides. "For fuck sake, I just saved your life!"

"And I'm sure it was just out of the goodness in your heart, right?" Ruby remained silent. "That's what I fuckin' thought. You just want something, and let me guess——you want me to keep Sam on your side?"

"No. . .but——"

"I fuckin' knew it——"

"I came here because Sam and Dean are in danger."

Birdie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I talked to them like half an hour ago. They're fine."

"Did they tell you they were after witches?"

Birdie shifted on her feet, carefully eyeing Ruby. "Yeah, they did. And they think they found them. Just some desperate housewives or something——shouldn't be too hard for them."

"Fuck," Ruby muttered under her breath, clenching her eyes shut as she lowered her head.

Birdie made a face when she saw Ruby's reaction. "Don't act like you actually care about them. They'll be fine."

"No, they won't."

"Is that a threat?"

"Kinda sounds like one to me," Kaiya chimed in, nodding in agreement with Birdie's words.

"It's not a threat, it's a warning," Ruby snapped. "I warned them to get out of there before it was too late, but clearly they didn't listen to me."

"Well I fuckin' wonder why," Birdie murmured, twisting her lips as she examined Kaiya's arms. Thankfully, the glass that was embedded into her skin wasn't deep nor would require any stitches. Then she let out a huff, stealing a glance towards Ruby. "Now, I plan on sticking to my word. I——"

"Help me save Sam and Dean——"

"You gotta be f——"

"And if anything happens to them. . .you can kill me."

Birdie's brows furrowed together, subtly sharing an uncertain look with Kaiya as she spoke with a hushed tone. "This is some kind of trap, isn't it?"

Kaiya faintly shook her head in thought, eyes pinned to the demon. "I don't know. . .but either way, it's a win-win——you save the boys, or you kill her."

"Or they die. . . and then I have to kill her," Birdie said, giving Kaiya a stunned look. That certainly wasn't a win-win situation. "Or at least try because I don't think she'd just hand me her special knife either to make it easier——"

Kaiya huffed, stammering. "I. . .but it's Sam and Dean. It's better to be safe than sorry, right?"

"So, what, I just let her go after I see they're fine?" Birdie grumbled in response.

"No, I'm not saying that," Kaiya said just as quietly, stealing a quick glance towards the demon. "Just use her. That's what Sam's doing, right?"

Birdie let out an annoyed huff, squeezing her eyes shut. She opened them after a few moments, deeply frowning towards Kaiya. "I can't just leave you like this," she said. "You need patched up——not to mention the other demon might have friends, and you got a body to b——"

"I'll be fine, I promise," Kaiya said, giving Birdie a warm grin. "I've been meaning to fix up my place and add some more. . .monster preventing decor around, so, now's my chance. And hey, I think I know how to dig a hole."

"But are you sure? I don't like the idea of leaving you all by yourself after what——"

"Need I remind you that Sam and Dean are in danger right now?" Ruby harshly interrupted, frustration etched in her voice.

"Okay, okay," Birdie reluctantly huffed, her eyes shooting daggers towards Ruby. Then she turned her head towards Kaiya again, pursing her lips. "If you need anything——"

"I know, I know," Kaiya lightly chuckled, waving her hand as a sign for Birdie to get moving.

Birdie gave her a brief smile, taking a few steps back. "And hey, you and I are gonna have words about you telling Ryder that Sam and I are a thing."

Kaiya's face paled, eyes tripling in size. "Wha——how'd you find out about that?"

"Getting information is part of my job, Kai," Birdie pointedly reminded Kaiya, giving the woman a playful stare. Kaiya breathed out a nervous chuckle, giving Birdie a timid smile in return. Birdie partially returned it, turning on her heel. Then she started to head towards the stairs, her gaze landing on Ruby again. "You comin' or what, Body Snatcher?"

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"You do know if this doesn't work, I will kill you, right?"

"Yes, I'm aware," Ruby grumbled from the passenger seat of Kaiya's jeep, Birdie having borrowed the jeep as she didn't trust Ruby on her motorcycle. Kaiya hadn't minded, claiming she had more pressing matters than doing some work that could wait until Monday nor would she be needing to go anywhere.

Birdie huffed to herself, grip tight on the steering wheel as she drove towards Sturbridge, Massachusetts where Sam and Dean were working their witch case. She knew that part was true as Dean had told her on the phone when he spoke with Birdie——not having been told that Kaiya had a demon captured in her basement as they were already dealing with an issue of their own——so at least she knew that part was true to what Ruby had told her when they left Kaiya's.

"But you need to be prepared for——"

"Don't, Ruby," Birdie snapped, casting a sharp glare towards Ruby. "Just. . .don't."

Ruby's gaze lingered on Birdie for a few seconds, shaking her head as a soft laugh managed to escape her lips. "I can see why you and the Winchesters get along so well."

"Oh yeah?" Birdie asked, cocking a brow.

Ruby nodded. "You three can't stand the thought of one of you dying, but you all know it'll happen sooner or later."

Birdie tightened her grip on the steering wheel, keeping her eyes on the darkened highway as she drove well over the speed limit. "Are we almost there, asshole?" she questioned, purposely avoiding Ruby's comment.

Ruby continued to stare at Birdie, sighing as her gaze returned to the road in front of them. "Turn right at the next stop sign," Ruby instructed. "Then left."

Birdie faintly nodded, twisting her lips. "You know, if something's already happened to either of them, I'm gonna kill you——with or without the Colt, or your special knife."

"You're going to have to face it eventually, Bird," Ruby said, a coy grin appearing on her lips. "It's better to accept it before it——"

"Why the hell do you care so much?" Birdie sharply demanded to know. "Huh? Why do you care about the Winchester? Whether they live or die? Whether I live or die?"

Ruby purposely avoided Birdie's gaze, shaking her hand. "I don't know. . .I'm not. . .I'm still trying to figure it out. But, I'll be sure that you're the first one to know when I do."

Birdie rolled her eyes at the demon's response, shaking her head in frustration. She finally made it to the stop sign Ruby mentioned, just barely stopping before she turned down the road and made a sharp left, pulling into a dimly lit motel. She didn't see the Impala anywhere, but that didn't mean one of the boys wasn't still there.

"Shit," Ruby grumbled, already noticing the Impala was missing, but it seemed she knew something Birdie didn't.

"Ruby, I swear to god——" Ruby ignored Birdie, throwing the passenger door open as soon as Birdie pulled into a parking spot. Birdie hastily climbed out as well, gaping as Ruby sprinted towards a specific door. Birdie yanked the keys from the ignition and pulled out her gun, racing after the blonde-haired demon. A hint of fear and panic started to stir in Birdie's stomach with the realization that maybe Ruby had actually been telling the truth about the brothers being in serious trouble.

"You wanna kill me? Get in line, bitch!"

Birdie fastened her pace when she heard Dean's familiar voice, her eyes widening at the sight of blood smeared on the side of his mouth as he hunched on the floor near one of the beds, a pool of blood in front of him. She hurried into the room at the sight, heart racing as Ruby pulled Dean up by the back of his collar and tossed him on the bed.

"Hey," Birdie snapped at Ruby's roughness, hurrying over to Dean's aid.

"He's running out of time," Ruby said, forcefully leaning over him and prying his mouth open with her left hand as Dean tried to push her away. His eyes snapped to Birdie, brows furrowed together as she frowned off to the side. He went to try and speak, but Ruby sprayed a black liquid into his mouth from a small bag at her side with her other hand while Dean still struggled under her hold.

"Ruby!" Birdie snapped, eyes flaming with anger. But then Ruby stood up and stepped back as Dean choked on the liquid, spitting some back out. Birdie quickly reached out to Dean, helping to help him sit up as he visibly relaxed.

Ruby let out a pant, glaring at Dean. "Stop. . .calling me bitch."

As his breathing calmed down, Birdie headed into the kitchen area and grabbed a rag, tossing it over to him to clean off his face. Ruby headed to the other side near the TV stand, pulling out two shotguns from Dean's duffle bag.

"Next time you point that gun at me, I'm not gonna just disappear, understand?" Ruby firmly told Dean. Birdie bit back a small smile, having learned from Ruby that Dean pulled the Colt and her and nearly killed her until Sam moved Dean's hand and caused him to miss——thus wasting a bullet and giving the demon the chance to escape.

Then Ruby tossed a gun over to Dean, giving the other one to Birdie.

"You. . .saved my life," Dean slowly said, looking towards Ruby before his eyes flickered towards Birdie. "Did you have somethin' to——"

Birdie heavily sighed, closing her eyes as she scrunched up her face. "Sadly, no," she confessed, not looking towards Ruby. "Saving you. . .was. . .on her, not me."

Dean raised his brows, gaze returning to Ruby. "Don't mention it," Ruby smugly said.

"What was that stuff?" Dean questioned, a faint frown on his lips. "God, it was ass. It tasted like ass."

"It's called witchcraft, short bus," Ruby said, taking a few steps backward before she turned her back to them. She then headed out of the motel room without another word, closing the door behind her and leaving Dean and Birdie on the bed.

Dean looked slightly offended as he watched Ruby walk away. "You're the short bus. . .short bus."

Birdie snickered under her breath, raising a taunting brow towards the older man. "Nice one."

Dean huffed, briefly glancing down before he stood up, looking towards Birdie. "So. . .you're friends with her too now, is that it?"

"Don't even start that shit with me," Birdie said, giving him a firm look. "I hate her just as much as you do."

"So, letting her poison me——"

"Dean," Birdie interjected, "That wasn't poison, alright? Besides, she told me herself——if anything happened to you or Sam here, I could kill her."

"Ruby said that?" Dean asked.

Birdie nodded. "She did, but seeing that Sam isn't here, I take it I don't have time to explain the whole thing."

"Yeah," Dean breathed out, wiping his face off one last time before he carelessly tossed the rag to the side. "Sam went after the coven. Fuckin' dumbass."

"Well then come on," Birdie urgently told him, holding the shotgun as she stood up and nudged her head towards the door. "Who knows what kind of trouble he's gotten himself into now."

Dean nodded in agreement, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder as he walked past it. Birdie tightly gripped the keys to Kaiya's jeep, running towards it with Dean right behind her.

"Hey, wait, let me drive," Dean said, standing in front of the jeep with his hand held out as Birdie halted near the drivers side.

Birdie scoffed, giving him an incredulous look as she opened the door. "In your dreams, Dean. Besides, Kaiya would kill me if I let you drive Luna."

Dean made a face, quickly moving towards the passenger side. "Luna? What the hell kind of name is that for a car?"

"Says the guy who only calls his Baby," Birdie snickered as she got situated in the driver's seat, swiftly buckling herself in. "Like that's original."

Dean gave her a sharp look, pointing his finger at her. "Hey, never speak ill of my Baby."

"I wasn't——!" Birdie huffed and shook her head, backing out of the parking spot; they could argue about it later. "Whatever. Just tell me how to get there."

It didn't take very long for them to reach the neighborhood, Dean having Birdie park a few houses down to make sure it wasn't obvious which house they were there for. They silently got out of the Jeep, racing up to a house that belonged to one of the witches, both tightly holding onto the shotguns. They heard the sound of crunching coming from inside the closer they got, making them fasten their paces.

Dean busted through the door first, aiming his shotgun at a woman with short, dark hair who had one of her hands raised, keeping Sam pinned to a wall off to the side. Birdie was right behind Dean, but before either of them could take a shot at the woman, the woman waved her hand, flinging Dean and Birdie over the couch off to the side of her.

Birdie grunted as her body collided with the ground, her shotgun clattering away from her hand and rendering her weaponless. She and Dean got back up on their feet after a few seconds, but the woman moved her hand and shoved them both against the wall behind them, keeping them pinned there just like she was with Sam. Birdie gritted her teeth together, hatefully narrowing her eyes at the woman.

"Three for one," the woman said, eyes briefly turning black before they returned to normal. "Lovely."

Birdie's eyes flickered to the side, seeing a dark haired woman with curls trembling where she stood off to the side, horror etched on her features as she watched the scene unfold. Then Birdie noticed something on the floor, realizing it was a body of a blonde woman; Sam and Dean said they thought there were four witches in Sturbridge——one of which who died after Sam and Dean came to town——and it seemed all three were in the room with another one having been killed.

Birdie let out a shaky breath, returning her attention to the other woman——the demon——seeing her prepare to continue what she had been with Sam, but now with her and Dean as well.

However, Ruby's voice suddenly cut in before she could finish what she'd started, causing the woman to turn her head as the blonde-haired demon approached. "Wait," Ruby called out, walking into the house with her hands raised in surrender as she cautiously came into the living room area, lowering her hands as the other demon's eyes fell on her. "Please. I just. . .came to talk."

The grip the woman had on the hunters slightly loosened, allowing them to move their necks that had kept their heads firmly pinned to the walls.

"You made it out of the gate," the demon noted, taking in Ruby's features as she recognized her. "Impressive. That was a bitch of a fight, wasn't it?"

"Doors out of Hell only open for so long," Ruby shortly replied.

"What do you want, Ruby?"

"I've been lost without you," Ruby softly said, continuing to advance towards the demon. "Take me back. That's why I led the Winchesters and their whore here."

Anger sparked on Dean's face, mouthing "I told you so" to Sam as Ruby and the other demon glanced aside at the three hunters. Sam let out a sigh, looking away from his brother. Birdie's lips parted as she raised her brows with obvious offense, looking aside at the brothers, clearly more worried about being called their whore rather than Ruby confessing to luring all three of them there on purpose.

"They're for you. . .as a gift."

"Really?" the demon asked, not bothering to hide their suspicion.

"Let me serve you again. I've wanted it——I've wanted you——for so long."

Dean lifted his eyebrows at the flirtation as Birdie's eyes slightly widened; now that was something neither of them were expecting.

Birdie's eyes briefly flickered to Sam and Dean, doing a double take at Dean's expression. "Seriously?" she harshly whispered.

Dean simply smiled in response.

"You were one of my best," the demon sweetly said, Ruby standing directly in front of her. Ruby and the other demon looked at each other with growing smiles, but then Ruby pulled her knife out from her pocket and attempted to stab the demon. The other demon lifted her hand, catching it in mid-air. "But then again, you always were a lying whore."

She tossed the knife aside with ease, the weapon clattering against the wooden floorboards. Ruby brought her knee up to the demon's stomach, throwing punch after punch, though it didn't seem to do much damage to the other demon.

The other demon blocked Ruby's next punch, smacking her head against Ruby's. Ruby slightly staggered backwards from the blunt blow, face clenched in agony. Birdie winced as she watched, still unable to move as her body remained pressed against the wall due to the demon's firm hold.

The demon punched Ruby over and over again, grabbing the blonde by the shoulders and kicking her into the TV behind her. Ruby picked herself up and kicked the demon in the stomach, anger swirling in her eyes. The demon grunted, staggering backwards. Ruby went to run past her to form another attack, but the demon clotheslined Ruby, causing her to fall flat on her back with a grunt. Then she pulled Ruby up and threw her into a bookcase near the entryway to the room. Birdie let out a shaky breath, briefly locking eyes with Sam.

With Ruby panting on the ground as it pained her to move, the other demon headed to the unlit fireplace and grabbed a fireplace poker from the stand on the hearth. She took a step to the side, smugly looking at the cowering woman who was near the edge of the fireplace with her back mostly turned before she returned to Ruby with the poker in her hand. The fearful woman took a few steps to the side, wet tear stains evident on her cheeks as she stole a glance in Birdie's direction.

Birdie frowned, looking away. Maybe she didn't realize what she was getting herself into by getting involved with witchcraft.

"You're really telling me you threw in your chips with the Three Stooges here?" the demon asked, standing off to the side of Ruby.

Ruby panted as blood trickled from her nose and past the side of her mouth, trying to get up. But, the other demon shook her head and harshly smacked Ruby across the face with the fireplace poker, knocking her back onto the broken bookcase she was laid on.

Birdie's eyes widened as the other woman ran to a separate room while the demon was distracted with Ruby. What the hell was she doing?

"Come on. Get up," the demon ordered Ruby. Ruby's chest heavily rose and fell, eyes looking towards the ceiling as she tried to find the motivation to fight back. "I said get up!"

She carelessly tossed the poker aside and crouched down beside Ruby when the blonde remained on the ground, grabbing her by the jacket and pulling her up so that they were face to face. "We've been here before, haven't we?" The demon chuckled to herself and looked aside at Sam. "She didn't tell you?" She turned back to Ruby, continuing to speak. "Pretty mortifying, I guess. She was one of mine. I turned her out a long, long time ago," the demon explained, still holding Ruby up by her jacket with one hand while the other went to the back of her head to keep her focused on her. "Ruby here was a witch. Of course, that was when you were human."

Dean, Sam, and Birdie shifted, surprise evident on their features.

The demon threw Ruby back down onto the debris of the bookcase and stood up, fakely cooing down at her fellow demon. "Oh, didn't want your friends to know that all those centuries back, you sold yourself to me? Embarrassing, I guess. But don't worry, love, no secrets where you're heading, remember?"

The demon then began to chant what Birdie assumed was an exorcism, watching black smoke begin to rise out of Ruby's mouth, curling and hovering inches above her parted lips. Birdie and the boys attempted to pry them themselves from the wall, but it was no use; the demon's hold on them was unwavering even as she focused her attention on Ruby. "Monyé valack forsa, ulu iri regatt ruac, fieesh nieesh forthsa lé inmist infirum forthsa por un betest a té un fornalles ecclaisee——"

The demon suddenly began to cough, causing her to halt the exorcism. She started to cough harder a few seconds later, her invisible grip on Birdie and the boys faltering and allowing them to fall to the floor. The demon brought her hand up to her mouth as she felt something scratching at the back of her throat, coughing up a handful of long pins into her hand, blood coating them.

The demon gazed down at the pins, realizing what the woman near the fireplace had done. She raised her right hand, clenching it into a fist with hatred evident inside her darkened eyes. A thud echoed into the room, Birdie realizing that the woman who'd snuck out of the room had been behind the demon's coughing up needle pins.

Dean swiftly came up behind the demon while she was distracted, repeatedly stabbing her in the back with Ruby's discarded knife he'd snatched from the floor. The demon and the woman she was possessing died, the body collapsing to the floor as Dean's grip on her loosened.

Sam grunted as he slightly sat up, panting heavily as he stared across the room at Dean. Dean looked down at Ruby and then went to help Sam up, pulling him up onto his feet as Birdie started to sit up. Dean stepped over to the woman, taking Birdie's hand in hers as he helped her back onto her feet. She gave him a tired smile, letting out a heavy breath as she started to follow them to the side of the room. She stopped, the three pausing in front of Ruby as she now stood, watching Dean pick up the Colt the demon had made Sam drop after he first arrived there on his own.

"Go," Ruby told them, looking slightly embarrassed as she wiped the blood away from her mouth, stealing a glance at the three bodies splayed throughout the house. "I'll clean up this mess."

Dean started to walk toward the door again, helping Sam on his way as Birdie rubbed the back of her head while walking behind them. "Come on," Dean said, nudging Sam towards the door.

The trio stopped as Dean and Birdie both picked up their shotguns, looking back at Ruby one more time. Ruby's eyes turned black under their gaze, glaring at them. "Go."

Birdie let out a heavy sigh, silently following Sam and Dean out of the house as they left Ruby to clean up the mess.

Birdie let out a yawn as she laid on one of the beds in Sam and Dean's motel room, having simply laid a blanket on the bed Sam tore open when searching for the hex bag as she didn't feel like trying to make it at the moment. Dean had left a few minutes ago to go get some beer, leaving Sam and Birdie alone at the motel.

A small bag of half-eaten cheetos was lazily placed beside Birdie——courtesy of Hamed who often hid snacks in the glove compartment of her jeep——some of her fingers stained orange from munching on the crunchy snacks as Sam cleaned himself up in the bathroom.

Her head snapped to the side when she heard the bathroom door open, offering Sam a small smile when his eyes fell on her. "Hey, Sammy."

"Hey, Bird," he softly said, giving her a small smile as he sat on the opposite bed, facing her. "How're you feeling?"

"You're asking me that question?" she softly chuckled, sitting up and shifting so her legs were crossed with her body facing Sam. "I should be the one askin' you that. You're the one who went after a group of witches all by yourself."

"Yeah," Sam said with a sigh, glancing down at the floor for a few moments. "Not my smartest move."

Birdie's lips curled into a brighter smile, amusement on her features. "I wasn't gonna actually say it, but. . ."

Sam chuckled, his dimples slightly poking as he gazed across at Birdie. "Aren't you supposed to be on your way to Bobby's right about now? What changed?"

Birdie let out a sigh, standing up to grab something to wipe her hands off on. "Uh, Kaiya did," she answered, her eyes scanning the table for a napkin or a towel. "She-while I was in Brooklyn, I bumped into someone, uh, Isla——"

"Isla?" Sam repeated, not having heard that name in a long time. "Isla as-as in Dean's ex Isla?"

Birdie faintly smiled, partially leaning against the table as she wiped her hands off on a towel. "Yeah," she said, catching Sam's surprised gaze. "I had that same look on my face when I saw her, too."

"And you just happened to randomly bump into her?"

"I know, I know, I wondered the same thing, too, but it was really. . .her. It was nice seeing her, too," Birdie said, faintly nodding as she spoke, a faint smile lingering on her lips. "But, uh, Kaiya tried calling when I was talkin' to Isla, and I missed it. She called again just a few seconds later and. . .when I answered. . .she told me she trapped a demon in her basement."

Sam's eyes noticeably widened. "She trapped. . .a-a demon. . .in her basement?"

"Yeah, and it turned out it was a rather pissed off one, too," Birdie huffed.

"Is she alright? What'd the demon want? Wh——"

"Yes, she's fine," Birdie answered. "In fact, she did more damage than the demon did."

Sam smiled at the fact Kaiya was okay, but it fell after a few seconds, confusion appearing on his face. "So, what'd the demon want?"

Birdie shifted, twisting her lips as she folded her arms over her chest, looking to the side. "Uh, me."

Sam's frown deepened. "What? Why?"

Birdie puffed out her cheeks, lazily tilting her head to one side. "Because of something my darling mother did when she was alive," she answered with a grumble. "I still don't know what she did, but. . .honestly? I really don't care. Ruby ended up killing him when he, uh. . .when he had me pinned. . ."

Sam's expression shifted, Birdie unable to figure out what was running through his head. He let out a shaky breath, looking at Birdie again. "Are you okay?"

Birdie nodded, giving him a playful look. "Yeah, 'course I am. I can handle a vengeful demon, thank you very much."

Sam chuckled, carefully eying her. "No, I know, but still. . .it's a lot to take in."

"Yeah, I know," Birdie said, shifting her weight onto a different foot. "But I still think it's fuckin' weird that some demon targeted Kaiya to get to me and Ruby just happened to show up. . ."

"I didn't tell her about Kaiya," Sam said with a sigh.

Birdie's head shot up more, brows furrowing together. "What? No, Sam, I wasn't saying I thought you mentioned Kaiya to her. I just. . .I feel like she's following me."

"She does seem to appear at rather convenient times," Sam murmured.

Birdie moved away from the table, plopping down on the opposite bed again. "Are you still willin' to work with her? See if she can figure out a way to save Dean?"

"I mean, she could just be lying, but then again——"

"She could be telling the truth," Birdie finished for him. Sam faintly smiled, silently nodding his head. Birdie breathed out a laugh, wiggling her brows at him in a teasing manner. "Look at us finishing each other's sentences."

Sam chuckled along with her, shaking his head. "Yeah, but you do that with Kaiya and Dean, too."

"Yeah, but not as often as you and I do it," Birdie hummed, her chuckles still escaping her lips. "But, I'm gonna tell you this right now——if you and Ruby ever start doing that, I'm gonna shoot you in the toe, okay?"

"If that ever happens, make it my head instead."

Birdie giggled, nodding her head as she pointed a finger at him and made a clicking sound with her mouth. "I gotcha covered, Sammy."

Sam smiled, softly chuckling at the woman.

A few moments of comfortable silence passed, a thought pestering Sam. He looked up from his hands, warm eyes falling on Birdie again. "You know. . .I haven't-I haven't heard you talk about your mom in a while."

Birdie nonchalantly shrugged, leaning back on her elbows. "Yeah. . .there's not much to really say about her."

"Yeah, but, I mean, a demon just came after you, and Flora, because of her. Doesn't that make you wonder why?"

"I dunno." Birdie heavily sighed, sitting up some more as she pushed some hair out of her face. "I. . .you know how she could be, Sam. There's hundreds of things she could've done."

Sam slightly made a face as he thought about Serena Fowler, vividly remembering times when he'd overheard Serena shouting or chastising someone——especially Birdie and Reese——or seeing such looks of pure hatred on her face that he thought only true monsters were capable of actually showing. "Yeah. . .I do. She was, uh. . ." he said, something lingering in his voice like he wasn't sure how to exactly describe Birdie's mother.

"She fuckin' sucked, Sam," Birdie bluntly stated. Sam tilted his head at her response, slightly surprised by her bluntness. Birdie just shrugged it off and stood up from the bed, heading towards the fridge. She grabbed the last two beers, giving Sam a small smile as she handed him one before she returned to a spot on the bed.

"Back in Massachusetts. . .you were having nightmares, right?" Sam asked. Birdie took a small sip of her beer, looking away from Sam's gaze as she silently nodded. "Did that-did that have anything to do with your mom?"

Birdie's brows furrowed together, licking at her lips. "What makes you think that?"

"I thought I heard you say her name one night," Sam answered, twisting his lips. Birdie shifted, gaze instantly shifting elsewhere. "I wasn't sure at first, but then I heard it a few more times. It stopped after a while, but, Bird——"

"Sam," Birdie softly interjected, causing him to sigh as he closed his mouth. Birdie closed her eyes as she shook her head, breathing out a sigh as well before she faced him again. "I appreciate your concern, but that was——it was nothing, all right? But, if it ever. . .becomes too much or somethin', I'll make sure to talk to you."

"I don't want you to do it for my sake, Bird," Sam said, a frown etched on his lips. "I want you to do it for you——because you want to, not because you feel like you have to. And you don't have to face it all on your own——whatever it is."

"There's-I'm not facing anything, Sam," Birdie denied, adjusting her grip on her beer that suddenly didn't sound like such a good idea. "It's nothing."

"Okay, okay," Sam sighed.

Birdie shifted on the bed, placing the beer on the nightstand as she leaned against the wall with her legs stretched across the mattress. She partially turned her head, offering Sam a small smile. "Thank you, Sam."

"For what?"

"For just. . .being you, for being my friend," she answered, voice softer than before. "I know it can be hard at times, but. . .I appreciate everything you do."

Sam smiled in return, standing up from the bed. "You don't need to thank me, Bird. It's what friends are for."

Birdie's smile widened, letting out a sigh as Sam made his way towards the kitchen area. The motel door opened up a couple of seconds later, a forced laugh escaping Birdie's lips as Dean entered the room. "It's about time," she teased, seeing him roll his eyes as he started to shrug off his jacket after setting a bag and a six pack of beer on the table. "What took you so long?"

"Had to go to a different gas station since the one down the road doesn't sell beer past one," Dean answered with a grumble, reaching into the bag. He tossed something to Birdie, the woman quickly catching it. Then he tossed something to Sam as he wandered over to Dean to see what he'd bought.

Birdie gasped as she realized what she had in her hands, brightly smiling towards Dean. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?"

"Not since you headed for New York the other day," Dean answered with a cheeky grin plastered on his lips.

"Well, I love you, Dean," Birdie said, beginning to open the chocolate and caramel bar Dean had bought her. "If I felt like moving from this spot, I might even give you a kiss."

Dean loudly chuckled, cocking a brow towards her as he stood near the edge of the table while Sam just rolled his eyes. "Well, I mean, I could go to you instead," he told Birdie, a smirk working it's way onto his lips.

Birdie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Keep your distance, Romeo."

"Fine, suit yourself, Juliet," he grumbled, heading in the direction of the bathroom. "Your loss."

Birdie giggled and took a bite of the candy bar, letting out a content sigh. Her attention shifted to Sam, crossing her legs as they laid out in front of her while Dean headed into the bathroom to clean up. "Know where you boys are headed next?"

Sam let out a sigh, shaking his head. "No. You?"

"Kaiya's," Birdie answered. "I talked to her while you were in the bathroom and things are good, but I wanna be there to make sure."

"Yeah, I get it," Sam said. "Think she'll be okay? She hasn't had to really deal with monsters——not like this, at least."

Birdie puffed out her cheeks, faintly shrugging her shoulders. "I think so. She can certainly hold her own."

"Well, she did learn from you," Sam said.

Birdie cooed, pointing a finger at Sam as she carefully eyed him up and down. "Are you flirting with me, Sam Winchester?"

Sam laughed, shaking his head as his dimples poked out again. "Only in your dreams."

"I mean, I have had worse things happen in my dreams than that, so," Birdie snorted, finishing the last of her chocolate bar. She sat the wrapper on the bedside table, shifting on the bed to find a comfortable position.

"I think it's time for you to go to bed," Sam told her, seeing how tired she'd become in the last ten minutes.

Birdie giggled, folding her arms over her chest, slouching some more on the bed. "I would disagree, but I am beat." She glanced towards the bathroom, hearing the shower running. Her attention returned to Sam, giving him a cheeky grin. "Wanna bunk with me this time?"

"It's okay. I can take the floor or——"

"No, Sam, if anyone's gonna sleep on the floor it's gonna be me," Birdie pointedly said. "This is your guys' room. If you guys want the beds all to yourselves, that's perfectly fine, too."

"Bird, you don't have to sleep on the floor," Sam softly told her, a faint laugh leaving his lips. "How about we share? And I promise, I'll stick to my side."

"Works for me," Birdie hummed, scooting further down on the bed. "Just——you didn't eat any burritos today, did you?"

Sam halted at the end of the bed where he held a blanket for the two of them to share, features hardening as he glared at the younger woman. "No," he huffed, walking to the other side of the bed.

Birdie giggled, readjusting her position so she was facing the ceiling with both arms tucked under the pillow beneath her head. "Good," she hummed with content, silently thanking Sam with a smile when he tossed some of the blanket over to her. "I don't need you fartin' on me while I'm tryin' to get some beauty rest."

Sam scoffed while he laid down in the bed, shooting her a playful glare. "I think Dean's more likely to do that."

"I don't know, Sammy," Birdie teased. "You can be pretty gassy sometimes."

"Yeah? And so can you!" Sam retorted, turning his head towards the woman laid beside him. Birdie scoffed in disbelief while Sam sent her a pointed look, narrowing her eyes at him. "Aaand you snore."

"I do not snore!" Birdie protested. But, then she frowned, narrowing her eyes even more. "Not that much!"

"Oh yeah? Just ask Dean," Sam said, sounding rather confident. "Or Kaiya, or-or even Bobby. They'll all agree with me."

"Fine, I will," Birdie replied, but her face fell after a few seconds. "Well, in the morning when Bobby and Kaiya are awake."

"Good. Then you'll see I'm right."

Birdie pursed her lips and reached over, flicking him on the forehead. He slightly winced, brows furrowing together as Birdie rolled on her side to face the opposite direction. Sam went to speak, but Birdie's voice beat him to it. "Night Sammy."

Sam puffed out his cheeks, shaking his head. A faint smile graced his lips after a few seconds, body relaxing as he found a comfortable position next to Birdie. "Night, Birdie."

⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅

Hello everyone! This took a little longer than I was hoping, but my parents ended up buying a house (which they'd been trying to do for some time but they didn't think we'd actually get it) and so we're currently in the process of moving! But, we finally got our WiFi set up, so hopefully, I can get back to writing soon!

I know it also seems like Ruby's popping at rather odd times, but I PROMISE, there's a reason for MANY of the things going on in this book! Some of it might not make much sense until later (and tbh some of it is added in at the last minute), but I do have a general idea for this book (which is more I can say for my other books that I haven't touched in months that were posted long before this fic was 👁👄👁)

BUT NE WAYS,,,, PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR FEEDBACK IN THE COMMENTS & I HOPE Y'ALL ENJOYED <3