8. Hideout

I took a mental tally. Including Ellen, Sam, Dean, and myself, there was a total of fourteen in this church.

"This is Sam and Dean and their friend Dakota," Ellen announced to the frightened people. "They're hunters. Here to help."

"You guys hip to this whole demon thing?" asked the man who just let us in.

"Yeah," Dean responded. "Are you?"

"My wife's eyes turned black," said the man wearing glasses. His hair was peppered with gray, and his eyes—for some reason—made me squirm. "She came at me with a brick. Kind of makes you embrace the paranormal." The man brought his right hand to his chin. I couldn't help but stare at the plain ring on one of his fingers.

Dean turned to Ellen. "All right, catch us up."

"I doubt I know much more than you," she told us. "Rufus called. Said he was in town investigating omens. All of a sudden, the whole town was possessed. Me and Jo were nearby—"

"You're hunting with Jo?"

"Yeah, for a while now." Ellen said this softly. "We got here, and the place—well, the place was like you see it. Couldn't find Rufus, then me and Jo got separated. I was out looking when I found you."

"Sorry, who's Jo?" I asked innocently.

"My daughter. She's about your age."

I nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry, we'll find her," Dean assured the hunter mother.

"Either way, these people can't just sit here," Sam said.

I observed the small group. The man with the glasses kept turning his ring. The pregnant lady fidgeted. How frightened these people were. I wonder how sane they are.

"We got to get them out now," Sam suggested.

"No, it's not that easy," Ellen told him. "I've been trying. We already made a run for it once."

"What happened?" I asked, leaning the gun against my side.

"There used to be twenty of us."

I plopped in a few extra people. I pictured children, elderly folk not standing a chance against demons. I kept my breaths controlled through my nose.

"Well, there's three of us now—" Dean said. I cleared my throat. "Three and a half."

"You can't count me as half a person!" I protested.

"You're a hunter but you're not. Do you want me to lower it to a quarter?"

"Knock it off," Ellen said calmly. "You don't know what it's like out there. Demons are everywhere. We won't be able to cover everybody."

"What if we get everyone guns?" Sam asked.

"What, are you gonna arm up baby bump over here?" Dean retorted.

"More salt we can fire at once, more demons we can keep away."

I shrugged at Sam's theory. Sounded like it could work out.

"There's a sporting goods store we passed on Main on the way in. I bet they got guns," Dean theorized. The brothers dropped their bags.

"All right. You stay. We'll go," Sam told Ellen and me.

"What about—" Ellen started.

"If Jo and Rufus are out there, we'll bring them back."

The man at the door got it open for the brothers.

"But—" I tried to get out.

"You've been in enough, Dakota," Sam got stern with me. "Stay here."

"Fine." I watched in a huff as the brothers left the bunker. I bit my tongue lightly. "I should be going with them," I said under my breath.

"No, they're right," Ellen told me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "It won't be that bad being here with us. You and I can get to know each other a little better."

That sounded like a perk.

I bounced in place as I stared at the doors. The boys only just left, but I worried for them both. I didn't have a good friendship with either of them, but I still worried.

"How do you know the Winchesters?" Ellen asked me.

"I know Sam, from high school," I explained. "It wasn't a long friendship, with them moving a lot and whatnot, but we had something."

"Are you sure it was friendship?" She winked at me.

I laughed. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Dean said you were a hunter, but you're not?"

"I've had my encounters with demons," I said thickly. "I know enough on how to fend them off and send them away and whatnot." I shrugged. "It's not much. It wasn't a pastime of mine. It's not the life I'd want."

"And yet you're here."

"Wrong place, wrong time, Ellen. I went from a boring life to being pulled into a war with angels and demons. This makes my head spin sometimes, you know?"

"Well, if you didn't grow up in the hunter life, sure, it'll do a number on you. But it shouldn't have gotten you so bad with your prior involvement."

"It wasn't like I ran after demons," I said flatly.

"Well, I'm sorry you're in this," she said sincerely. "You don't seem like the fighting type."

I looked back at the survivors. We shared something in common: we were caught in the middle. Unintentional victims.

Ellen and I seemed to almost open up to each other. I left out the biggest chunk of my past: how I got to be homeless. I didn't mention to her I was out on the streets, she didn't need to know. In return, she told me about her daughter, Jo. I reminded her nothing of Jo, we were opposites entirely.

With our chat, the time seemed to fly on by. Before long, Sam and Dean came back with guns and ammo. Ellen and I were the first to greet them.

"I see you were successful," I noted, taking in all the guns and ammunition.

"It wasn't easy, but we managed," Sam panted.

"Let's do some Gun One-oh-One, shall we?" Dean proposed.

Ellen called everyone to attention. Dean explained the rules: that he, Sam, and Ellen were going to come around and help everyone out, after the demonstration of course. Everyone grabbed a gun and watched the demonstration first before the helpers went around to assist the survivors.

I kept myself away from everyone, leaning against one of the walls, gun nestled against my leg. I watched the experts work their magic. A few people were loading salt shells; the man with the glasses was practicing loading a shotgun. Ellen tried to help him, but he fumbled and dropped the shell on the floor. Sam was helping the expecting couple, and Dean watched, impressed, as the doorman disassembled the gun like it was child's play.

"Not participating?" Sam came to sit near me. I remained standing.

"Nah, I like watching." I put my head against the wall. I looked down at him. "How bad was it out there?"

"As bad as you'd expect."

There was tension in his body, it was evident. Carrying the gun, I sat beside Sam. "What happened, Sam?"

"The demons...they'd possessed teenagers." My mouth parted a little in horror. "Be glad you didn't go, Dakota."

"I guess I can be," I admitted.

"What are you two keeping secretive?" I looked up to see the big, bad Winchester brother had come to butt in. He gestured to me. "Mind scooting over some, pixie?"

I scowled but complied, giving Dean barely enough room to fit himself between Sam and me. I kept my ears on Sam and Dean but my eyes on Ellen and the survivors as they continued their practice.

"I was telling Dakota about the demons, how they were...possessing teenagers," Sam told his older brother. "I mean, I had to slit some kid's throat."

My knuckles turned white when I gripped the gun tighter. Don't let yourself go back, Dakota. Take it easy. Listen. Breathe.

"Come on, Sam, you had to." Dean's voice kept me from launching myself back into my past.

"I know. I just...it used to be like..." I almost turned my head when I didn't hear Sam speaking for a long minute. "I just wish I could save people like I used to."

"What, you mean when you were all hopped up on demon blood?"

I stared down at my hands. There it was again: "demon blood" associated with Sam. Like me, he had his own secrets. How dare he have the right to ask about my secrets when he wasn't telling me his?

"I didn't say that."

"I'll be back," Ellen said, coming to us.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I can't sit here on my ass. My daughter's out there somewhere. I'm not back in half an hour, go. Get these people out of here."

All three of us stood up.

"No, wait," Sam told Ellen. "I'll go with you."

"Whoa, hold on," Dean stopped his younger brother. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Ellen and I watched as the brothers left the room.

"I would volunteer, but I know I'll be shut down," I told her honestly.

"Damn right you would. One girl out there is enough. You'll be safer here."

Ellen and I snapped our heads to see Sam had slammed Dean against a wall. She and I exchanged puzzled looks. Not long after, Sam skulked back into the room.

"I'll be right back," I told Ellen. She nodded, and I went after Sam.

"Not now, Dakota," he told me gruffly.

I got in his face, as much as I could with my small stature. "What the hell is going on with you boys? Really? What's driven a wedge between you two?"

"Something you don't need to know about. You wouldn't understand anyway."

"That's when you tell me so I can try to, Sam." I said this cautiously. "Are you staying or going with Ellen?"

"You're staying here?"

I shrugged. "I might as well."

"Then I feel sorry for you, because Dean will be here with you."

I grimaced slightly. Not the news I wanted to hear. But I could be hearing a lot worse news right now. "That's not the worst news I've heard. I'll manage. You just be careful, okay? I don't want Ellen coming back by herself, and I'm sure Dean doesn't either. Here." I enveloped his thin frame into an embrace. "You look like you need it."

Sam awkwardly tried to return the favor. I laughed. "I'm not poisonous, it's okay to hug back," I joked. I pulled away. "Like I said, just watch yourself out there."

Before long, Sam went to Ellen, talked with her long enough before they armed themselves, and headed out. Dean barely acknowledged the two just as he came in as they were leaving. I breathed through my nose.

This needed to end, soon, all this negativity. If it seeped into others, we'd let the demons win, because we'd tear each other apart.

**D'awww, their first official hug ^.^ Seems like she's getting along better with Ellen than with Dean. And now that Dean's gonna be staying with her...

Well, you see how they've interacted so far.**