CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
LONG DISTANCE CALL.

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A HARSH FLICK to the back of the head made Birdie suddenly flinch. She sharply turned her head towards the figure standing behind her, her lips parted and a glare etched on her face as she stared straight at Bobby. "What the fuck was that for?"

"I told you no," he firmly said, returning her glare.

"Oh, come on, Bobby," Birdie quietly groaned, keeping her hand raised towards the Oreos that were near the top shelf of the grocery store; her fingers were just inches away from being able to grab them. "You're all out!"

"And whose goddamn fault is that?" Bobby pointedly retorted as he kept one hand on the shopping cart in front of him. They'd been at the grocery store for only a few minutes with just three things on Bobby's list, and Birdie had already managed to sneak in six different types of snacks, but Bobby had caught onto her this time.

Birdie scoffed, letting her hand drop back down at her side. "Uh, yours."

Bobby's eyes noticeably widened, gaping at the younger woman. "My fuckin' ass it is!"

An annoyed huff left Birdie's lips, throwing her head back as Bobby started to walk further down the aisle to keep moving along. Birdie slowly trailed after him, her eyes raking over all of the dozens of other snacks that were just calling out her name, begging her to eat them. Her eyes flickered back over to Bobby, twisting her lips as she looked at the row beside only to stop when her eyes fell on a bag of triple stuffed Oreos.

She stepped over and grabbed them, scrunching up her nose when she heard Bobby's voice. "Put it back, Birdie," he said, annoyance laced in his tone.

"You know. . .these were. . .my dad's favorite snack of all time," Birdie softly said, a frown beginning to appear on her lips.

Bobby knitted his brows together, eyes suspiciously narrowed. "I thought his favorite snack was chips."

Birdie pursed her lips, thinking for a moment before she faintly nodded her head. "I-he had more than one favorite. . .but Oreos topped everything."

Bobby shifted, folding his arms over his chest as his eyes burned into Birdie. "Are you usin' your dead father as an excuse for me to buy you some damn Oreos?"

"Uh. . .no?"

Bobby heavily sighed, momentarily closing his eyes as he did so. "Fine, but you ain't gettin' anything else."

Birdie brightly beamed, snatching the Oreos off the shelf before hurrying back over to Bobby to place them in the cart. "Thank you, Bobby."

Bobby shook his head, placing his hands on the cart as he started to exit the aisle. "This is the last time I take you shoppin' with me."

"Yeah, okay," Birdie sarcastically snickered and walked beside him, tilting her head as she gave him a pointed look. "We both know you'll drag me along again."

"Not if you're gonna make me spend money I ain't got."

"Oh, come on, Bobby! It's fun when we——"

"Watch it!" Both Bobby and Birdie froze in place, wincing when their cart crashed into someone else's. They both looked up, their widened eyes falling on a woman dressed in a police uniform. She had dark brown hair that was pulled back into a short ponytail with some bangs pushed to the side so they weren't in her eyes, a few strays dangling against the nape of her neck. An annoyed expression was on her pale features, eyes locked specifically on Bobby as if she recognized him. "Bobby Singer."

Bobby let out a sigh, faintly nodding his head. "Sheriff."

The woman gave him a forced smile, eyes flickering towards Birdie. "Who's this?"

"Uh, she's my. . .my goddaughter," Bobby answered, a smile onto his lips. "Surprised me with a visit from Iowa."

Birdie smiled when the woman looked at her again. "Uh, hi. . . I'm Birdie."

"Sheriff Jody Mills," the woman kindly introduced herself. Her gaze returned to Bobby, something unsure looming in her eyes. "I didn't know you had a goddaughter."

"Surprise," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Birdie twisted her lips, getting the feeling that there was some lingering tension between Bobby and Sheriff. However, Birdie knew better than to comment on it. Jody slowly nodded a few seconds later, letting out a sigh as she moved her cart, glancing between Bobby and Birdie to get back to her shopping.

"Bye, Sheriff," Birdie said, politely nodding towards the older woman. "Nice to meet you."

"You too, uh, Birdie," Jody said, looking towards Bobby one last time before she carried on. Their eyes followed the woman for a few seconds, seeing her disappear down an aisle two rows away.

Then Birdie turned her head towards Bobby, raising her brows. "She a friend of yours?"

"Funny," Bobby huffed, shaking his head as he started to push his cart down a different aisle.

Birdie chuckled under her breath and turned into an aisle with Bobby, this time remaining next to the cart as he walked down to get a case of beer. Birdie casually leaned her arms against the cart, narrowing her eyes at the older man as he returned. "Now what?" he asked as he sat the case of beer in the cart, an exhausted look in his eyes.

"If you were only planning on getting three things, why'd you grab a cart?" Birdie wondered.

"'Cause you're with me," Bobby said, grabbing the end of the cart to pull it forward.

Birdie's lips curled into a smile, amusement on her features. "So did you know I was gonna sneak snacks in or were you already planning on letting me get some?"

"You know, you're being very demanding today," Bobby said, glancing over his shoulders as they exited the aisle.

Birdie gaped at him, clearly offended. "I am not! This is us havin' fun——"

"No, this is you havin' fun and me havin' to fit the bill for it," he said, giving her a stern look. Birdie playfully rolled her eyes, her smile still prominent. "I bet the boys are really missin' you right about now."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Birdie wondered as they paused beside the frozen meat section, the scent of roasting chicken coming from the deli just around the corner. Bobby stood in front of some cut up chicken thighs, glancing aside at Birdie. "I would never."

"Yeah, yeah," Birdie grumbled, dismissively waving her hand at him. She let out a sigh, running her hand through her curls as she adjusted her posture, still leaning against the cart. "Where'd they say they were again?"

"Uh, Milan, Ohio," Bobby answered, eyes skimming over the different prices and varieties of cut up chicken. "They went and saw a parapsychology professor down in Jefferson City, but it was a dead end——again. But I found a case this mornin' and asked if they wanted to check it out, and Dean said yes."

"What about Sam?" Birdie wondered, watching Bobby pick up a small package of chicken thighs. "Did he agree?"

"Eventually," Bobby said, placing the meat in the cart. Birdie nodded, adjusting the sleeves of her jacket. "You thinkin' about joinin' them or something?"

"I don't know," Birdie sighed, looking back at Bobby. "Dean's only got so much time left and I. . .I'd like to be with them just in case, you know."

Bobby sighed as well. "Yeah, I know. I get it, Bird. And, if you wanna join 'em, I think me and Rumsfeld will be just fine."

"Oh, please. Five minutes into me being gone you two'll be missing me more than ever," Birdie chuckled, her laughter growing louder when Bobby nudged her to the side so he could push the cart forward. "Bobby, wait. If I do go, can I take the Oreos with me?"

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Birdie heavily sighed, swinging her leg over her motorcycle. She carefully removed her helmet from her head and tucked it under her arm, adjusting the duffle bag she had strapped on over her shoulders; it almost fell off her motorcycle when the strap that held it in place on her bike broke off so she decided to strap it to herself instead. She pushed her hair out of her face and pulled out her phone, double checking what room number Bobby had texted her the boys were staying in.

During the drive, Bobby had called Birdie and told her that Dean apparently received a call from John not long after he told her the room number. Birdie didn't believe it, but it seemed like Dean truly believed it was his father talking to him. However, with that being the same thing that was happening in Milan and the reason they were there, something about it didn't settle well with Birdie and only increased her concern about Dean. She shook her head at the thought of John Winchester and headed towards the door, a small smile lingering on her lips after she stole a look at Baby that was parked a few spots away.

It had taken her almost ten hours to get to Ohio from South Dakota, the woman having left Bobby's almost an hour after they returned to his house from the store in order to make it to the boys by noon. She didn't tell either of the boys, deciding to simply surprise them with her company; she just hoped they'd actually like the surprise.

She let out a content sigh, rubbing at her eyes as she walked past the Impala and towards the boys' room. "You are unbelievable, you know that?" Birdie felt her legs halt, her lips falling open as she had just started to reach out to knock on the door. However, she suddenly felt like she arrived at the wrong moment as Dean's voice continued. "I mean for months we've been trying to break this demon deal. Now Dad's about to give us the fucking address and you can't accept it? The man is dead and you're still fucking butting heads with the guy!"

Birdie's brows furrowed together, creeping just a little closer to the door to try and listen better. She was against eavesdropping, but she just couldn't help herself sometimes. "That is not what this is about," she heard Sam sharply respond.

"Then what is it?!"

"The fact is we got no hard proof here, Dean. After everything, you're still just going on blind faith!"

"Yeah, well maybe! You know, maybe that's all I got, okay?!"

A tense moment of silence followed suit, neither one of the brothers speaking. Birdie lifted her head some, wondering if she should wait a few minutes before she tried to surprise them.

     "Please," she faintly heard Sam say a few moments later. "Just please. . .don't go anywhere until I get back. Okay, Dean? Please."

If Dean responded, Birdie didn't hear it.

But then she heard the sound of something near the door seconds later, causing her to quickly step back from the door to act like she wasn't trying to hear what was going on inside. She turned away just as the door opened, hoping that whoever was walking out wouldn't pay any attention to her.

"Birdie?"

Birdie scrunched up her nose, slowly turning around where her eyes fell on Sam. She furrowed her brows together, looking from Sam, the door, and then back to Sam. "Wait a second, this isn't my room," she heavily sighed, giving Sam a sheepish smile as he simply stared at her.

Sam rolled his eyes, a faint smile lingering on his lips. "What're you doin' here, Bird?"

"Bobby sent me," she answered, twisting her lips as Sam seemed confused by her response; he'd talked to Bobby not that long ago and he didn't say anything about Birdie heading their way. "Okay, that-that's a lie. I sorta. . .I invited myself, but it's only because I was worried about you two——"

"You mean about Dean," Sam said, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets.

Birdie faintly smiled, letting out a tired sigh as she adjusted one of the straps of her bag. "I mean. . .John calling him? Of all people?"

Sam breathed out a quiet laugh, momentarily raising his brows. "Yeah, you never were his biggest fan."

Birdie pursed her lips, eyes skimming over Sam's features. "Yeah. . .but Sam, this is——do you really think it's him?"

"I don't. . .I don't know." Sam glanced aside, his eyes flicking back to Birdie after a few moments. "If it is and he really knows how to stop the demon that holds Dean's deal, then that's great, but when are we ever that lucky?"

Birdie sadly smiled in return. "Very rarely."

Sam sighed again, a sad smile lingering on his lips. "Listen, I gotta go check on a girl who's been getting calls from her mom, but would you mind——"

"Babysitting Dean?"

"No, not-not babysitting," Sam huffed, giving her a pointed look. "Just. . .keeping him company while I'm gone."

"So. . .babysitting him then?" Annoyance washed over Sam's features, only making Birdie's smile widen. "Fine, fine. But you do know that no matter what I say, he's gonna do what he wants, right?"

"Not if you stop him," Sam said, fishing a set of keys out of his pocket.

Birdie offered him a small smile, stepping to the side so he could walk past her. "Be safe, Sam."

"You too, Bird," he said, heading towards a car that wasn't the Impala. He glanced over his shoulder, noticing her expression as he stood beside the car. "It's a rental. . .anyways, I'll give you a call when I'm on my way back."

"Sure it is," Birdie said, wiggling her fingers at him. "See ya, Sammy!"

Sam's smile widened and he climbed into the car, quickly starting it up. Birdie silently watched him pull out of the parking lot, puffing out her cheeks as she turned back towards the motel door.

She slowly placed her hand on the door handle, opening it enough to poke her head inside. Dean's head lifted at the sound, surprise appearing on his features when he saw Birdie instead of Sam. She gave him a small smile and entered the room, closing the door behind her. "I know, I know," she said, walking inside and dropping her bag down beside Sam's. "I missed you, too."

Dean scoffed, shaking his head as he took a sip of a beer. His phone was placed in front of him, no doubt wondering if he'd be getting another call from his "father". "What're you doin' here?" he asked, watching the woman sink down into the chair in front of him.

Birdie gave him a playful look as she leaned back in the seat, folding her arms across her chest. "What? I can't come and see two of my favorite Winchesters?"

"We're the only Winchesters you like," Dean said.

"Yeah, well. . ." Birdie paused, almost saying something about John until she realized it probably wasn't the best time for that. "It's a lot harder to dislike you and Sam than you might think."

"I don't know about that," Dean grumbled.

Birdie shifted in the chair, her eyes glancing over Dean's expression. She could see the anger and frustration etched on his face that were remnants of his argument with Sam, but there was something else she couldn't quite decipher. "I don't wanna pry, but does that have anything to do with the fight you two had a few minutes ago?"

"Sam tell you about that?" Dean wondered, looking up at the younger woman.

"No, I heard it for myself," Birdie truthfully answered. "But that fight. . .was it about the call you got from John?"

"How'd you——"

"Oh, come on, Dean," Birdie huffed, tilting her head as she gave him a look, "Did you really think I wasn't gonna find out about that? You don't have much longer, I'd like to be kept in the loop even if it's just about you tripping up some stairs."

Dean shook his head and leaned against the back of his chair, almost mimicking Birdie's posture. He was silent for a few moments, glancing around the motel room until he finally met Birdie's gaze again. "You don't think it's him, do you?"

"I don't know, Dean."

"Oh, please, Bird. You were never his biggest fan——you either don't believe it, or you're pissed."

"Why would I be pissed?" Birdie asked with her brows furrowed together. Dean just gave her a pointed stare in response. She shook her head and leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. "You know if it's him, and he actually has a way to stop this demon, that's-that's great, Dean, and I mean it."

"But. . ."

"But. . .it feels too easy."

"Easy?" Dean repeated in disbelief. "Makin' a call from Hell is easy to you?"

"Dean, no, I didn't like John, alright? I think I made that pretty clear the other night in the car. But him calling you from Hell, or-or just as a ghost or whatever——this feels like a trick."

Dean shook his head with a roll of his eyes, looking away from Birdie.

Birdie glanced down at her hands, twisting her lips in thought. "Dean, look," she started, eyes soft as she looked across at the oldest Winchester, "I really want this to be true, okay? I hope to god it is, Dean. You deserve a way out of this."

Dean's eyes glanced over Birdie's face, seeing the sincerity in her eyes as she gazed back at him. She cared a great deal for him and Sam, doing anything and everything possible in order to help them. Even when they were younger and wound up in danger she would lend a hand, eventually becoming almost instinct to her as they got older and she started to consider the brothers her friends. And the fact that she was there now, it meant a lot more to him than she could've known.

"I didn't, uh, I didn't mean to. . .to lash out at you like that," Dean softly said. "I'm sorry, Bird."

Birdie warmly smiled, reaching over the table to place a hand over Dean's. "All's forgiven——so long as you give me twenty dollars."

Dean scoffed and pulled his hand away, hearing Birdie giggle as she leaned back in the chair again. "You're askin' the wrong brother," he said, a smile on his lips. "Sam has some cash in his bag."

Birdie narrowed her eyes, raising a brow. "How do you know that?"

Dean looked at her, merely shrugging. "Want something to drink?"

"Is there anything besides beer?" Birdie wondered, already knowing the answer; it didn't hurt to still ask.

"Uh, tap water," Dean answered, flashing her a bright grin. Birdie shook her head, letting out a sigh. "There's complimentary coffee in the front office, though."

Birdie suspiciously narrowed her eyes, tilting her head as Dean's eyes stayed pinned to her. "Are you just saying that to get me to leave the room?"

"I would never," Dean said, looking rather offended.

Birdie carefully eyed him for a few seconds, puffing out her cheeks as she stood up. "Okay, but if you're not here when I get back, I'm gonna find a new home for all of your cassette tapes." Dean chuckled as she walked off, shaking his head as she headed towards the door. She stole a glance over her shoulder just as she opened the door, giving him a warning look. "I'm serious——you'll never fuckin' see them again."

Dean's smile fell as the door shut, but his eyes instantly darted to his phone when it started to ring seconds later.

Much to Birdie's surprise, there was complimentary coffee. It didn't look the best and was more of a knockoff brand, but coffee was still coffee to the woman. It took some time for it to pour into one of the styrofoam cups, the woman just barely escaping a conversation with one of the motel guests who was eyeing her in a way that made her skin crawl. She quickly made her way down the sidewalk with the coffee in hand, wanting to make it to the room as soon as possible just in case the man thought to try again.

She took a small sip of her coffee, slowly coming to a stop when her eyes raked over the parking only to see that the Impala was nowhere in sight. She sucked in a deep breath, reaching into her pocket to grab her phone. "I'm gonna kill him," she grumbled, going to flip it open until it started to ring in her hand. She frowned at the unfamiliar number, hesitantly answering it. "Uh, hello?"

There was only static and Birdie huffed in annoyance, slamming her phone shut. She started walking again, entering the motel room a couple of minutes later. She sat her coffee on the table and headed straight for her keys, snatching them up.

"Some fuckin' babysitter," she huffed, shaking her head as she exited the room and locked the door behind her. "I should've made Sam pay me upfront."

She jogged over to her bike and slipped her helmet on over her head with ease, making sure all of her pockets were zipped up to make sure nothing would fall out of them. Then she backed out of the spot, hoping to find Dean before he got himself into trouble, and hopefully before Sam found out she'd let him out of her sight.

Birdie pulled her hair back into a low ponytail as she exited the gas station, going to grab her helmet she'd left on the seat when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She sighed to herself and moved her helmet to sit down on the seat, flipping it open and putting it to her ear as she assumed it was going to be Sam. "Hey, uh, Dean and I are just——"

"Birdie?" Birdie felt her heart drop into the deepest pit of her stomach, her eyes widening as she took a moment to wonder if she'd heard the voice correctly. "You there, Bird?"

"Dad?"

"Hey, kiddo."

Birdie shook her head in utter disbelief, blinking a few times. She stole a glance around her surroundings, wanting to make sure there wasn't someone nearby that could've been messing with her, but there was no one that stuck out to her.

There was no way her father was really calling her.

"Is this-is this really you?"

"Yeah, it's me, Bird," Reese said, softly chuckling at his daughter's surprise.

"Prove it."

"What?"

"Prove it's you," Birdie said, tightly gripping the phone in her hand.

"Birdie, I-there's no time," Reese said. "I really wish there was."

"Do you rea━━━"

"Sam's in trouble."

Birdie deeply frowned at those words. "What? How do you know?"

"You trust me, don't you?"

"But how do you. . ." Birdie sucked in a deep breath, briefly closing her eyes. "Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, I do," Reese answered.

"How do I know this isn't just some trick?" Birdie couldn't help but wonder.

If it was really her father calling——

"Hey, when have I ever lied to you, sweetheart?"

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Birdie carefully crept through the dark parking lot, glancing around for any sign of Sam, or even Dean. Neither of them had answered her calls, making her wonder if what her father had told her was really true. There were only a few cars still parked out back as some lights were on in the upper floors of the square building; one of the cars was the exact same one Birdie had seen Sam driving earlier.

She skeptically glanced around before hurrying over to the car to check inside, heart thumping in her chest. She squinted and peered inside one of the windows, not spotting anything of Sam's inside. She deeply frowned, letting out a quiet sigh as she started to try and search for any sign of Sam closer to the building. However, before she could move any further, she heard something behind her. She sharply spun on her heel, gasping as she quickly raised her arm just in time for a bat to be swung down at her.

She groaned in pain as it came down on her arm, feeling a sharp pain shoot through her wrist and travel up to her elbow. Her eyes snapped up to see a bald man with a hardened expression on his features, dark eyes pinned to her. Birdie gritted her teeth together and swung her leg when the man tried to swing again, kicking him in one of his knees and yanking the bat from his hands with her left hand. He grunted in pain as staggered into the car next to them, but he didn't crumble to the ground like Birdie was hoping for. Her eyes slightly widened, holding her right wrist against her chest.

"On second thought, I think I'll wait a few more minutes before I kill you," the man sneered. Birdie huffed, watching him try to grab her, but she ducked out of the way. However, he almost seemed to have been expecting that. He abruptly turned and swung his clenched fist right into her jaw, knocking her to the ground. She groaned in agony, her eyes beginning to flutter shut just as she saw a wicked smirk appear on the man's face.

"No!"

Birdie sucked in a shaky breath, her eyes slowly beginning to open. There was an intense pain in her wrist, but when she tried to move her arms, she found they were both bound behind her back. She frowned, lifting her head to see where she was as more pain shot through her wrist when she tugged against the restraints.

It appeared to be a dingy basement of some sorts, multiple monitors spread through the room; most likely the phone company where her "father" said Sam was. Some filing cabinets were to the left of her, dozens of papers knocked onto the floor around it. Her eyes flickered to the side, seeing Sam was tied up in a rolly chair, his hands bound behind his back just like Birdie's by wires. His gaze wasn't on her, instead pinned to two men; one was tied to a chair while the the bald man who'd attacked Birdie was in front of him——his mouth stretched wide up in an inhumane way with razor sharp teeth. He was partially kneeled in front of the man, holding onto his shoulders as he seemed to suck something out of the man. Sam looked away, unable to watch.

"Oh my god," Birdie whispered in horror, causing Sam to look at her just as the bald man started to stand up straight again, a pleased expression on his face as he closed his eyes, the man in the chair slumping forward. Birdie turned her head towards Sam, noticing his eyes were on her. "He's like a dementor."

"He's a crocotta," Sam heavily sighed, wincing when he moved his arms and the restraints dug into his skin.

A puzzled look appeared on Birdie's face. "Isn't that a type of cheese?"

Sam shook his head, his eyes glancing over the woman's face. He could see a bruise already forming on her jaw where the bald man, Clark, had struck her just a few minutes ago. Sam was still unconscious when Clark brought Birdie in, his anger instantly increasing when he saw her slumped in a chair when he finally awoke. "Are you——"

Birdie and Sam's head snapped to the side as Clark stood up, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. Sam hatefully eyed the man, his expression changing like he was suddenly realizing something. "My last call with Dean," Sam said. "That was you. You led me here."

Clark partially tilted his head at Sam. "Some calls I make, some calls I take, but you have to admit, I had you fooled for a while," Clark smugly said, pointing a finger at Sam. "All that Edison phone shit. . .oh well."

Clark laughed and moved over to a glass cabinet off to the side, placing his hands against the glass. He leaned back with pure glee, multiple buttons flashing red like a power surge was taking over.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked, brows furrowed together.

Clark turned his head towards Sam. "I'm killing your brother," he answered. "Or maybe I'm killing another guy. We'll just have to see how it goes."

Birdie tried moving her wrist, a whimper escaping when she felt an intense pain in her wrist with the subtle movement. "Fuck," she whispered, lowering her head as she closed her eyes. Sam's eyes darted over to her, seeing the pained expression on Birdie's face.

Sam clenched his jaw, facing Clark as the man let out a sigh, dropping his hands from the cabinet. He watched Clark walk back over to the body, pulling his knife out of the man's chest. "You know, mimicking Dean's one thing. But my Dad——that's a hell of a trick," Sam said.

"Well once I made you two as hunters, it was easy," Clark said, pushing the man's body off to the side so it was out of the way. Birdie's lips curled down into a frown, eyes snapping back to Clark. "I found Dean's number, then your number, then your father's numbers." Then he glanced aside, smirking at Birdie. "Then you came along, and I knew you had to go, too. And it wasn't hard to find your parents' information either, but with some of the voicemails from your mother——boy is she a piece of work. I thought a call from your father was the better option." Birdie's eyes involuntarily flickered towards Sam, seeing that he was already looking at her in thought. "And then emails, voicemails, everything——it was all easy," Clark continued, walking closer to Sam with the bloody knife in hand and held out towards the younger Winchester until he bent forward in front him, knife just a few inches away from Sam's face. Birdie pursed her lips, trying to move her left wrist since it felt fine, but the wires were tied too tight. "You see, people think that stuff just gets erased, but it doesn't. You'd be surprised how much of yourself is just floating out there, waiting to be plucked."

"Dean's not going to fall for this," Sam said, a smirk on his lips and eyes pinned on Clark. "He's not gonna kill that guy."

"Then the guy kills him."

"You're a real dick," Birdie said, causing Clark to look in her direction.

Clark tilted his head and walked towards Birdie, stopping in front of the woman. She tensed at the closeness, wriggling her wrist in the restraints, but it hurt even more than before as she did so. Clark smirked, lifting the knife and brushing some hair from her forehead as she turned her head to the side. Sam balled his hands into fists, sucking in a shaky breath.

"Technology. Makes life so much easier," Clark said, rounding the back of her to make his way back over to Sam. "Used to be I'd-I'd hide in the woods for days, weeks, whispering to people, trying to draw them out into the night." He stopped in front of Sam and Birdie pursed her lips together, noticing Sam moving his wrists behind the chair, the restraints loosening. She could partially see hints of red, realizing that the wires were digging into his wrists as he tried to wiggle them free before it was too late. "But they had community, they all looked out for each other——I'd be lucky to eat one or two souls a year," he said, pointing the knife at Sam. "But now when I'm hungry, I simply make a phone call. You're all so connected. . .but you've never been so alone."

Then Clark opened his mouth and began to unhinge his jaw, raising his knife as he prepared to kill Sam. Birdie's eyes widened in terror and she felt her heart sink, but then Sam pushed himself out of the chair, knocking Clark onto the ground. The knife clattered from Clark's hand as Sam toppled on top of him. Birdie gasped in surprise, watching Sam make a move for the knife, but Clark roughly grabbed the back of Sam's jacket and tossed him into one of the metal grates off to the side. Then he bent down and picked the knife back up, adjusting his grip on it before he ran straight for Sam.

Blood trailed down from Sam's nose, but he paid no attention to it. He quickly dodged a blow from Clark, knocking him onto a desk next to them. He forcefully pinned him to the surface, gritting his teeth as he tried to take the knife from Clark's tight grasp. Clark used his other hand and punched Sam, making him stagger backwards. Sam caught himself and raised his hands, balling them up into fists as Clark walked back over, tightening his grip on the knife once again. Birdie grunted and bit her tongue as she tried to wiggle free, ignoring the ache in her wrist as she did so; she couldn't just sit there and do nothing as Sam fought against Clark.

Clark swung the knife only seconds later, but Sam raised his arm and blocked the blow. He grabbed the front of Clark's shirt, causing Clark to grunt as he turned his back towards the wall behind him. Sam held onto Clark's wrist with his other hand, stopping him from plunging the knife into him. Sam backed Clark closer and closer to the wall, gritting his teeth as he sucked in heavy breaths as his adrenaline coursed through his veins, encouraging him to keep fighting back not just for himself, but for Birdie, too.

Birdie twisted her left wrist, finally starting to feel the restraints begin to loosen. Her eyes stayed focused on Sam and Clark, though, wanting to make sure that Sam didn't get hurt. They continued to struggle, but Sam finally managed to get hold of the knife and punched Clark in the face twice, the last blow causing one of the metal hooks on the wall to plunge into the back of Clark's neck, instantly killing him.

Birdie let out a breath of relief, letting her head fall against the backrest of the chair as Sam took a few steps back. He turned his head, seeing a small smile appear on Birdie's lips. "About time," she said.

Sam breathed out a pained laugh, shaking his head as he made his way over to her. He went around the back of the chair, bending down to carefully untie her wrists. "You could've joined in anytime," Sam said, tossing the ties off to the ground.

Birdie huffed at his response as she stood up, automatically going to hold her wrist. "I think you did just fine on your own."

Sam playfully rolled his eyes, his gaze landing on her wrist. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Birdie said, nodding her head with a forced smile tugged on her wrist. "Nothin' I can't handle."

"Lemme see," Sam said, expectantly holding his hand out.

"Can we wait until we're not standing by two dead bodies?" Birdie asked, raising her brows.

Sam glanced around, a small smile on his lips as his dimples slightly poked out. "Yeah, okay, good point."

Birdie gave him a tired smile in return and started to walk off, but then she paused, looking at Sam. "Can you lead the way?" she asked. "I have no idea where we are or how the hell we're supposed to get outta here."

"This way," Sam chuckled, nudging his head towards one of the doorways. Birdie softly smiled and started to follow him, stealing one last look around just to make sure she wasn't leaving anything behind for some reason.

"Hey, Sam?" Birdie quietly asked as she walked up some steps, head turned towards Sam who was right beside her. "What's a crocotta, anyway?"

"A scavenger of some kind——they mimic loved ones and whisper "come to me" to lure people into the darkness and swallow their soul."

Birdie pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "So, kinda like a knock-off version of a dementor?"

⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅

Sam entered the motel room first, Birdie tiredly trailing in behind him. A bandage was tightly wrapped around her wrist, some tape keeping it secured in place so it wouldn't come undone throughout the night. Thankfully it wasn't broken, but Sam strongly thought it was sprained due to the swelling and tenderness——which meant Birdie would have to take it easy for a while in order to let it heal, but only time would tell if she'd actually follow those instructions. The blood on Sam's face had been wiped clean, Birdie having done it for him as a thank you for helping with her wrist.

The drive home was strange, but that was mainly due to the fact that Birdie had driven Sam's "rental car" while Sam drove her motorcycle; which he'd done before, but Birdie still needed some convincing before she actually agreed to it. She herself didn't do too bad in the car, the motel being only about fifteen minutes away and there was hardly anyone out on the roads. She knew it was still dangerous, but they couldn't just leave the car or her motorcycle there with two dead bodies in the basement and some random peoples' cars in the parking lot with no reason to be there; they didn't need to be getting arrested so soon again.

Birdie shook her head and walked towards the bathroom with Sam where they saw some movement, stopping in the doorway to see Dean standing in front of the mirror with a washcloth in hand. There was a small cut above his eye, faint bruising around the area with some redness on his opposite cheek.

Dawn glanced over their faces, noticing their injuries. "I see they improved your faces."

Sam breathed out a laugh while Birdie rolled her eyes. "Right back at ya," Sam replied.

Dean tossed the washcloth on the sink, moving past Sam and Birdie. "So, crocotta, huh?" he asked, making his way towards one of the beds. Sam and Birdie followed, eyes pinned on Dean.

"Yep," Sam said.

"That would explain the flies," Dean said.

"Yeah it would," Sam agreed, him and Dean sinking down on the edge of the beds while Birdie tiredly plopped down on one of the chairs near the window. She slouched against the backrest, legs spread out in front of her as she lazily folded her arms over her chest. "Hey, um. . .look I'm sorry it wasn't Dad."

Dean scoffed, glancing down at his bruised hands. "Nah, I gave you a hell of a time on this one." Sam quietly sighed, looking down as well. "You were right."

"Forget about it," Sam said.

"I can't," Dean said, faintly shaking his head. Birdie shifted, momentarily closing her eyes; she would've gone to the bathroom or stepped out of the room to let them talk, but she was too tired to move. "I wanted to believe so badly that there was a way outta this. I mean, I'm starin' down the barrel at this fucking thing. You know, Hell. For real, forever, and I just. . ."

"Yeah."

Tears loomed in Dean's eyes. He'd had so much hope when he got the call from John even though a small part of him knew it couldn't have been true, but now it was all almost completely diminished. "I'm scared, Sam. I'm really scared."

Sam looked at his big brother, feeling his own tears start to brew in his eyes. "I know."

"I guess I was willing to believe anything. You know, the last act of a desperate man," Dean said, breathing out a forced laugh.

"There's nothing wrong with having hope, Dean."

"Hope doesn't get you jack shit. I can't expect Dad to show up with some miracle at the last minute. I can't expect anybody to, you know? I mean the only person that can get me out of this thing is me."

"And me."

"And me?" Dean repeated.

"Well, me and Bird," Sam said, nodding towards the woman who didn't even bat an eye at the fact she'd been left out at first; she must've already fallen asleep. "And Bobby."

"Deep revelation, having a real moment here, that's what you come back with——and me?" Dean asked in disbelief. "And then you add Birdie and Bobby?"

Sam raised his brows. "Uh. . .do you want a poem?"

"The moment's gone."

Sam faintly slightly smiled as Dean reached over on the bed and grabbed the TV remote. He switched on the TV, reaching between the beds to grab two bottles of beer from the cooler, holding one out to Sam without looking at him. Sam took one, both of them cracking them crack open and taking a sip in unison while staring at the TV.

"Should we just leave her like that?" Dean asked, wincing slightly at how uncomfortable Birdie's sleeping position was. "I mean, I'm sure you wouldn't mind sharing a bed with her——"

"Dean——"

"Oh, come on," Dean chuckled, innocently holding his hands out, "I'm just havin' some fun with you, Sammy."

Sam rolled his eyes, but a small smile still managed to creep onto his lips. "We should probably move her," he said, taking a sip of the beer. "But she'll probably hit whoever does."

Dean raised his brows as he gave a quick nod. "Yeah, well, I think she's more likely to hit me than you——"

"Oh, for the love of god, I'll move myself." Sam and Dean's faces fell as Birdie stood up, left arm tossed out with her head tilted.

Dean shifted on the bed, stammering. "I-I-we thought you were already asleep."

"I wish I was," she grumbled, tiredly rubbing at her eyes. "But I. . .that was just because I was trying to let you guys have a nice moment and I didn't wanna ruin it so I pretended to be asleep."

"Oh," Dean said, stealing a glance at Sam.

"So, do you wanna share with one of us or I can sleep——"

"No, I'm not putting either of you out of a bed," Birdie said, a small frown appearing on her lips. "I'll take the——"

"No, no, here-here's what we'll do," Dean interjected, taking Sam's beer to sit both of theirs on the floor. He then turned to face Sam, balling up his hand and setting it in the palm of his other one.

Sam quietly scoffed as Birdie raised her brows. "Rock, paper, scissors?" Sam asked. "You serious?"

"Bird?" Dean asked, looking up at the woman as a grin came to his lips. "Winner gets to sleep with you?"

"Uh, they get to sleep next to me," she corrected.

Dean's smile fell, reluctantly rolling his eyes. "Fine, prude."

Birdie shook her head, adjusting her stance as the brothers locked eyes. "On three," Sam said, looking at Dean. "One. .two. .three!"

Dean groaned as Sam turned his hand into a rock, smashing Dean's that was made into a pair of scissors. "Best two out of three," he said.

Sam rolled his eyes but nodded. The corner of Birdie's lip curled upwards, very amused by the game. "One. . .two. . .three!" Birdie's lips parted in surprise, seeing Dean had done paper while Sam did rock. "What the——"

"Only one more chance," Birdie playfully said, a coy grin on her lips as her eyes flickered between the brothers. "Who's gonna bunk with me?"

Sam and Dean looked at each other again, both of them quickly counting to three. Birdie gazed down at their fists, her smile widening as she watched Sam cover Dean's fist. "Aw, it's you and me again, Samuel," Birdie beamed, giggling as she moved to the other side of the bed he was sitting on.

Dean huffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, well, I-I lost on purpose," he said, glancing between Sam and Birdie. "Gotta make sure you two lovebirds end up together, huh?"

"Shut up, Dean," Sam huffed, picking up his beer.

"I don't have time for dating," Birdie said, adjusting the pillow under her head as she finally found a comfortable position. "I'm always with you two."

"Yeah, 'cause you're the Juliet to Sam's Romeo," Dean snickered.

Birdie loudly laughed while Sam shot Dean a subtle glare. Dean ignored the glare, moving back on his bed to get comfortable. "You've mentioned that, but you know how that ends," Birdie said, turning her head to look at him. "I mean, if you're gonna tease us, at least use a couple that doesn't die tragically."

"Birdie, wait——"

"Oh, I got plenty," Dean smiled, a glint of excitement appearing in his eyes.

Sam heavily sighed, glancing over his shoulder to look at Birdie. "You just had to give him permission, didn't you?"

Birdie huffed, holding her hand out. "Hey, it's not my fault people always seem to think we're a couple."

"Ooh, ooh! I got one——Rory and Dean," Dean said, proudly smiling. Birdie just blinked, shaking her head. "Yeah, Dean kinda sucks. I got some better ones."

"Dean, can you at least wait until tomo——"

"Lucy and Ricky——no wait, Princess Leia and Han Solo. You both already got their attitudes perfected," Dean said next, getting relaxed on his bed as his grin widened.

Sam rolled his eyes and scooted back, turning his head to look over at Birdie. She sheepishly smiled, chuckling as Dean continued to list pop culture couples. "How long do you think he'll keep this up?" Birdie quietly asked.

Sam let out a faint sigh, hearing Dean mention Jack and Rose but quickly said never mind as he quickly remembered Jack's tragic ending. "I don't know," Sam replied just as softly, a small smile on his lips. Of course, Dean couldn't forget to mention Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon. "But if we're lucky, it'll put us to sleep."

"Fred and Daphne!" Dean shouted. Birdie jumped, leaning up to look past Sam towards Dean. She and Sam looked over at him, turning their heads towards the TV just in time to see Fred and Daphne kiss as the second Scooby-Doo film neared the very end. Dean chuckled, turning towards Sam and Birdie, giving them a cheeky grin. "I'm tellin' you two, it's a sign."

Birdie shook her head in disbelief, stealing a glance towards Sam. He met her gaze, giving her a small smile. Birdie giggled and laid back down, resting her injured wrist on her chest. "I'll believe it when cupid himself tells me."