11 | Scarecrow

"Alright, so the names dad gave us. They're all couples?" Sam asks as he drives the Impala. This time, unfortunately, Dean had won your little game of 'who sits shotgun when Sam drives'.

After talking to their dad, Sam seemed put off. He didn't talk much until when you guys were ready to leave. When you asked what their dad told them, you felt a surge of anger and confusion. John had told Sam that they should stop looking for him but he mentioned your name too. You hadn't met him before and you were pretty sure he hadn't seen you. But you pushed that to the side. With all the other mysteries, that seemed like a pretty minor issue.

Their dad had said that it was a demon that killed their mom and Jessica. You were sort of an atheist because of your parents and didn't believe in heaven or hell. But if hell didn't exist, where would the demons come from? Unsurprisingly, you weren't surprised. It was just another evil species of beings that could kill you. Add it to the list.

"Three different couples that went missing," Dean looks down at the paper with a flashlight.

"And they're all from different towns and different states?" You ask, joining in the conversation.

"That's right. From Washington, New York, Colorado. Each couple took a trip cross-country. None of them arrived at their destination. None of them were heard from again."

"It's a big country. They could've disappeared anywhere," Sam counters and you furrow your eyebrows. Surely their dad would've given them these names for a reason.

"Yeah, they could've. But each of their routes took them through the same part of Indiana. Always in the second week of April, one year after the other after the other."

"This is the second week of April," Sam says and you realize that the next month was May.

"Sam, your birthday is coming up," you say as your mind's gears start whirring. You and Jess had thrown parties for him when you guys were at Stanford. Your heart sinks a bit when you realize that you would have to do something for Sam alone this year. "It's like in two weeks," your head goes to what cake you would get for him. Maybe something related to monsters. That'd be funny.

Sam turns back with his lips parted and eyebrows raised and turns back forward before speaking. "I know what you're thinking, Y/n and you better not do it," Sam warns you and you act oblivious.

"What do you mean?" Dean looks at you and Sam and you smirk.

"She threw these parties for me on my birthday in Stanford. It was- never mind," he shakes his head.

You lose yourself to details of what you wanted to do for him. The car suddenly stops moving and the engine sputters to a stop. You open your eyes when you realized that they were closed and look at the boys.

"What are you doing?"

"We're not going to Indiana." Sam doesn't bother turning back to look at you while answering your question.

"We're not?" Dean asks.

"No, we're going to California. Dad called from a payphone. Sacramento area code."

You raise your eyebrows and purse your lips. Sam really was very stubborn.

"Sam," Dean tilts his head and speaks in a warning tone.

"Dean, if this demon killed mom and Jess," he looks back at you, "and dad's closing in, we got to be there. We got to help."

"Dad doesn't want our help."

"Well, I don't care."

"He's given us an order."

"I don't care. We don't always have to do what he says."

You look at Dean and he looked as if he were going to explode. You open your mouth before you have anything to say. "Sam!" He turns back at you. "Honey," you laugh awkwardly as you say it. You feel yourself blush for calling him that but continue on. "I haven't met your dad but he's sending us to save someone's life. And that's what matters." When he rolls his eyes, you try improving your game. "Trust me, I want to kill this bitch. It killed Jessica... And I'm pretty sure Dean wants to kill it, too."

"See, Y/n gets it," Dean raises his eyebrows and purses his lips.

"I understand that but all we need is one week. A week to get answers. To get revenge."

"Look, I know how you feel," Dean says and you immediately wished that he hadn't.

"Do you, Dean? You were how old when mom died? Four?" You imagine a small four-year-old with huge green eyes and tear-stained cheeks holding a baby outside a house on fire. You slightly shudder. "Jess died six months ago. How the hell would you know how I feel?"

You find it of no use to tell him that you do.

"Dad said it wasn't safe. For any of us," Dean tilts his head a bit in your direction. You looked a bit taken aback. You didn't know if you should feel offended or thank him for being smart. Sam shakes his head a bit and you bite your lip. "He obviously knows something else. If he says to stay away, we stay away."

"I don't understand the blind faith you have in the man," Sam raises his voice a bit and you wished to be somewhere else other than in an awkward situation like this one. "I mean, it's not like you even question him."

"Yeah, it's called being a good son!" Dean exclaims and you wince. Sam turns back to look at you with an exasperated look and then gets off the car. You sigh and before following him, you look at Dean and give him a worried look. He just turns front and gets off the car too.

"Sam," you walk up to him standing with the open trunk and you place your hand on his arm. He puts on his backpack and looks down at you.

"You're a selfish bastard. You know that?" Dean says from behind Sam.

You look down and take your hand away from Sam's arm. He scoffs and looks at Dean.

"You just do whatever you want. Don't care what anybody thinks."

"Is that what you really think?"

"Yes, it is," Dean replies. While they had their little face-off, you tried to think of excuses to make Sam stay. Maybe you could tell him that... What could you tell him that would make him stay?

Sam scoffs and picks up a shoulder bag before looking back at Dean. "Well, this selfish bastard is going to California."

Sam turns around and starts walking away and without hesitating, you jog to catch up with his long strides. "Sam," he doesn't listen. You jog in front of him and look up at him. He stops and turns his face to the side.

"Move, Y/n," he says, clenching his jaw.

"Sam. Sam," you hold his arms with both of your hands. "Look at me." He reluctantly looks down at you and you sigh in relief. At least he was listening to you. "Don't leave. It's in the middle of the night. At least leave in the morning," by then you would have convinced him not to leave. "Please." You beg.

"Come with me, Y/n," His eyes soften as he bends his head down slightly. Your breath catches in your throat when he does. "We'll kill that son of a bitch there," he says.

You, as if by instinct, look behind Sam to look at Dean. He was looking at you guys, his face still contorted with anger and irritation.

Sam sees you looking at him when you don't realize and he grits his teeth. "You know what. It's fine. I'll go alone."

He moves past you, his shoulder brushing past yours as your mouth remains open.

"Hey, I'm taking off. I will leave your ass, you hear me?" Dean shouts from behind as you watch Sam walk down the road into the dark.

"That's what I want you to do."

You hear the sound of the trunk being slammed as you look at Sam.

You turn back to look at Dean but see that he was already in the car. You sigh and giving Sam's retreating back one last look, you make your way to the Impala.

~~

"I sure do like sitting shotgun!" You exclaim awkwardly as you sink further down your seat and put your arms behind your head. Dean looks at you with an eyebrow raised but turns back forward to look at the road. You purse your lips and sit up straight.

"You know the thing I love about the Impala? That it's... black and silver," you didn't know what you were saying. "I mean I would totally love for... 'baby' to be my model, if that's okay with you?" Asking him random questions just to make him talk to you was a task you had undertaken.

"That's...weird but you do you, Y/n," He answers awkwardly as he wrinkles his nose. He glances at you and frowns. "Why are you smiling?"

You raise your eyebrows and open your mouth. "I-uh-"

"Are you trying to make me talk?" He raises an eyebrow as he asks. He pulls up in front of a cafe in Burkittsville.

"What? Pfftt. Why-," you stretch out the word, "Oh! Would you look at that? We've reached Burkittsville. I hear that they have good pie," you get out of the car and take a deep breath. You seriously had to practice how not to be awkward. As if you could get rid of that trait of yours.

Dean looks down in confusion before his frown turns into a lopsided grin when he realizes that the place would have pie.

~~

"What the-" You look at Dean when his EMF starts whirring to life. You turn back and try to grab it from his bag. The red lights flashed and you felt your heartbeat quicken. You sit back down and examine the device. "I swear if there's something in this car with us-"

You look up at Dean and he looks as perplexed as you. "Come on, let's check the place out."

You turn back to see an orchard. The trees branched out and formed a roof in between every column. Brown leaves and apples were scattered across the green glades of grass.

"Maybe your EMF isn't working right," you suggest as you and Dean walk past the trees.

"Look," Dean says as he makes his way towards a scarecrow in the middle of the field.

You walk over to the scarecrow and your face contorts in disgust and fear. The face was made of leather and was stitched together with black holes left for the eyes. Wispy strands of dark hear hung all around the hat he was wearing. It wore old, dusty clothes and had a prominent abdomen. A sickle was hung from its right hand. You take in a deep breath.

"Dude, you're fugly."

You raise you're eyebrows at his comment but shiver. "Have you seen Jeepers Creepers 2. Giving me those creepy scarecrow vibes," you shudder once again and Dean makes his lips turn down and raises an eyebrow in agreement.

You turn around and look around to see if they were any locals coming. Dean mounts the scarecrow and starts examining it. You hold your breath; as if waiting for the scarecrow to move.

Dean takes out the printouts of the couple who went missing last year.

"Nice tat," he says and moves to the side for you to see. You cautiously walk forward and look at the tattoo on the leather arm. The tattoo with the swirling design that was on the missing guy's arm.

You look up at Dean. Your life was so messed up.

~~

"I'll check out the town. You try to talk to the couple," you say to Dean. You give a small smile to Emily, the niece of the owner of the cafe standing there and walk off in the other direction.

The neighborhood was pretty ordinary and you noticed a small stay- in cottage in the corner of the small town. Maybe you and Dean could crash for the night there.

Just as you were going to call Dean, your phone goes off. You see the caller ID and take the call.

"Hey, Dean. There's this small cottage we can stay in for the night. Where are you?"

"The sheriff made me leave town," Dean answers and you furrow your eyebrows.

"What?" You whisper shout and look around to see whether anyone was around you.

"Something shady is going on in Burkittsville. I tried talking to the couple and the owner of the cafe called the freakin' sheriff on me," he sounded angry.

"So, where are you now?" You ask worriedly.

"I'm staying outside town. That couple is going to pass through here, I'm guessing. So I'll know if anything's up," you nod your head and sigh.

"Okay just take care and call me later. The sheriff probably doesn't know that I'm still here."

Dean mumbles an okay and you hang up.

~~~

"I talked to Sam. I think it's a pagan God." Dean's voice wafted in the air as you washed your mouth with water in the bathroom sink. You spit the water out and speak into the phone.

Dean had told you everything that had happened the previous night. How the scarecrow came off its stand and tried to kill the couple. Dean saved them just in time. You felt a tinge of guilt because you were comfortable in the room. All you had with you was your shoulder bag which had your laptop, phone, and some other random stuff. But you didn't have your toiletries and had to just wash your mouth with water in the morning.

"What did Sam say?" You ask, playing with your hair as you await his answer.

"I told him to call me when he finds dad. I don't think he's coming back," Dean's voice cracks and your breath hitches.

"Hey, Dean, it's okay. We'll try to convince him to come back. It's going to be fine." Worry laced your voice.

"Right. No chick-flick moments." Dean says and you roll your eyes. "I'm meeting up with a professor now to figure out what pagan God it is. I can't pick you so you just stay there."

"I'll search it on my laptop," you suggest.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you had that."

You hang up after a while of talking to him and bite on your lip.

Sam was leaving.

~~

"Pick up!" You walk back and forth in your small room that you rented for two nights. Hours after your phone call, you tried calling him again. And of course, he wasn't picking up. You furrow your brows and bite your nails; a habit that was frowned upon by your parents.

You had to call Sam. You felt a part of you feel excitement on calling Sam; the sound of his voice ever so soothing. You dial his number and bring the phone up to your ear.

"Hello?"

"Sam! I-uh-"

"Y/n, where's Dean? He isn't picking up his phone," he asks.

"That's why I'm calling you. I don't know where he is. He last went to a professor to find out about the pagan God which is a Vanir," you knew because of your hours of research. "And now, he isn't picking up my calls either."

"I'm leaving now. Don't do anything, okay? Wait for me," Sam says in a warning tone.

You look outside the window and bite on your bottom lip. "How much time?"

"It'll take me a few hours," he replies.

"Okay. Come as fast as you can," you disconnected the phone and kept on pacing the room till Sam texted you.

You met up with him at the corner of town which wasn't too far a walk after packing your stuff.

It was dark now, everything in shadows. You saw him in a car that you hadn't seen before and get in.

"Y/n, hey," he says uncertainly.

"Hey," you examine the car and turn to him. "Who's is this?"

"I...don't know," he purses his lips and you look at him exasperated.

"Uh- okay. The orchard is that way," you point to the direction and Sam starts driving.

You both sat in comfortable silence. You were worrying about Dean because if something happened to him, that just showed how bad of a hunter you were. How he couldn't trust you with his life. You start speaking before you know it.

"He trusts me," you mumble but continue looking forward.

"What?" Sam turns to you for a moment before looking back at the road.

"If something happens to Dean- he trusts me. With his life, Sam. If anything happens to him," you gulp down the words.

You were surprised at the sudden responsibility you felt on Dean. But it didn't stop from the guilt building in your mind.

"Y/n, it's not your fault. And he's going to be fine. It's Dean."

You nod your head but refuse to look at Sam. Another silence passes and you look outside.

"How was your trip to California?"

"I- it was boring without you and Dean," he replies and you could hear his goofy grin in the sentence.

You chuckle and sniff. You wipe your nose and breathe heavily when you see it.

"We're here."

~~~

The birds chirped as you, Sam, Dean, and Emily made your way to the first tree. Sunlight streamed through the branches of the trees and the leaves crunched beneath your feet. Your eyes kept darting around to see if the Vanir was there.

The previous day, Dean had been abducted by the townspeople to be given as sacrifice with Emily to the pagan God. A man and a woman. When you and Sam arrived and cut the ropes that held them fastened to a tree, you immediately felt your chest constrict breathing when you noticed that the scarecrow wasn't on its stand.

Pointing that out, the four of you ran for your lives, only to be stopped by the townspeople themselves. You remembered being so angry that you almost rammed into them. You also remember Sam holding you back because he saw the look on your face.

You guessed that the Vanir got impatient because it attacked another couple present there; Emily's aunt and uncle. After that, the coward bastards like the sheriff and some other townspeople ran for their life. And of course, you guys followed.

Emily looks back at the three of you and walks towards a tree. It had something engraved on the trunk; forgotten with age. Sam walks ahead and pours gasoline over the tree, examining it as he does.

Dean picked up a small branch and lit the narrower end on fire. Emily pushes her hand out and asks Dean for the branch. "Let me."

You pitied the girl even though she wouldn't want you to. Her aunt and uncle tried to kill her for their own profit. Her own family. Her own blood. What selfish bastards.

Emily threw the branch at the tree and the flames danced and whirled around the old tree. The smell of ash and burned wood wafted up in the air around you guys. You were an environmentalist but held back. People were dying because of this tree. Well, indirectly.

~~

"So, can we drop you off somewhere?"

You hold your breath and wait for Sam's answer. He chuckles slightly.

"No, you guys are stuck with me," he replies and you take in a deep breath. You and Dean look at Sam. You smile slightly but the confusion is evident on your face.

"What changed your mind?" You ask as a feeling of relief rushes through your body so fast that you feel that you might fall.

"I didn't. I still wanna find dad. And you're still a pain in the ass. Not you, Y/n," he adds hastily when you pout. "But, Jess and mom," he shakes his head slightly and glances down. "They're both gone. Dad is God knows where. You two... you're all I have left. So, if we want to see this through, we're gonna do it together."

"Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful," Dean jokes. You decide to join in by sniffing.

"That truly was, wasn't it?"

You and Dean smirk at each other as you walk back to the Impala. You suddenly felt a feeling that fills your heart. The feeling of belonging.

"Uh- Y/n, I need to talk to you," Sam says and you give Dean you pull your lips down when Dean gives you guys a questioning look. You turn around.

"What's up?"

"How are you enjoying hunting so far?" He tilts his head and looks down at you with a small smile. That small smile held so many emotions. Adoration for one. But you were too busy thinking of an answer to notice.

"Uhm, it's good so far. I mean, I haven't been put right in front of a monster or-"

"And what happens when you are put in front of a monster and Dean and I aren't there? What will you do then?" He looks at you with an intense gaze. You break the stare by looking around and back at him warily.

"Sam, why are you-"

"Just answer the question, Y/n," he says and you furrow your brows.

"Uh okay. It depends on what it is. I've read your dad's journal, so I know quite a bit-"

"There's a major difference in doing something and reading about it."

You frown and feel your heart beat heavily. "What are you trying to say, Sam?"

"I'm just trying to say that you still have your family. You can still go back to them, forget about this sort of life. Dean and I are already in this, we can't get out. But you. You still can."

You scoff and look down. "If this is about how I'm helpless and useless, I'll do something about it, I'll- I don't know, train. You guys could teach me how to shoot-"

"You don't get it, do you? I don't want you to have this life. I want you to be...free of all this," he gestures to the Impala and you chuckle humourlessly.

"You do know that I'm as stubborn as you, Sam Winchester. Maybe even more," he looks down with a small smile on his lips when you say it. "So, when you say dumb stuff like that, you've got to know what my reply will be," you smile.

"Is there anything that I can say to make you leave?" He asks again with a sad smile. You act as if you were thinking then look back at him with a cheery smile.

"Nope. Not really." You make your way to the car when Sam snorts.

You guys get in and Sam looks at Dean. "You know you should be kissing my ass. You were dead meat."

You chuckle and look at Dean for his answer. "I had a plan. I would have figured it out."

Sam looks back at you and he shakes his head while scrunching his face. Dean pulls out of the parking lot and you guys make your way from the majorly messed-up town.

[End of Episode 11| Scarecrow]

A/n: Have a nice day!