Keeping up with the Joneses

Part One

Sara sat back on her heels, looking at the ceiling and wondering what she could possibly do next. Just then, her father stirred. Her head jerked to look down at him, hope sparking in her chest. When he opened his eyes, though, they were an unnatural color. He almost seemed to look through her, seeing only the body that contained her.

He was slow, only just having been turned. He stood, towering over his daughter menacingly.

"Dad," she whispered, tears finally stinging her eyes. She was standing now as well, holding the gun slightly aloft. Her father stepped shakily toward Sara, eyes containing nothing but hunger. None of his humanity remained, and she was confused by this for a moment. In her experiences, skinwalkers could still speak and fake being at least some sort of human.

She shook the thought from her head as her dad got closer and closer. She backed up with every step he took, and soon enough hit the wall behind her. Tears streamed down her face now, the ache in her chest almost crippling.

It all happened at once. Her father lunged at her, as if in slow motion. She heard the door open to her left and she squeezed the trigger of her gun. The bullet went right where she intended; into her father's heart. He dropped, the thud sickening to Sara. She looked over to the door where John stood, frozen on the spot. Sara began to shake then, dropping her gun and losing all strength in her legs. John ran to her, but she told him to go get Joey first. He obliged, only after peeking his head out the door and yelling for Dean. The freshly twenty-one year old jogged his way through the door, coming to an abrupt halt when he entered and looked at the scene before him.

His eyes scanned from his father's best friend, a man who was like an uncle to him, to the original skinwalker, to Sara. She was covered in blood, the stuff running into her left eye and dripping down to her chest. She didn't seem to notice, though, simply looking at her dead father with dark eyes. She had stopped crying, and when asked later why she had barely cried, she said it was for Joey's sake.

The adrenaline that was previously pumping through her veins was gone, leaving her body leaden and aching. Dean approached her cautiously, putting a hand on her good shoulder when he reached her. It took her a moment, but she eventually looked up at Dean helplessly. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, but couldn't think of anything he could possibly say. He put his arm around her and she leaned into him, breathing deeply of his smell and closing her eyes.

Soon enough, John came down with Joey holding his hand. Hearing the footsteps, Sara got to her feet. Dean looked at her critically, knowing that her world was probably thrown into a spin from the blood loss. Regardless, she walked over to Joey, picking him up on her good side and distracting him as they walked out the door. Joey reached toward her wounds, looking upset. She told him not to worry, that everything was gonna be just fine and that she would make sure of it. He nodded his head and hugged gently around her neck, making sure to avoid the injury. She made eye contact with an almost-eighteen year old Sam, and his eyes widened as he rushed forward to take Joey. The girl was wobbling horribly at this point, but wouldn't admit that herself.

"Hey Joey, you wanna come sit in the front with me and John?" Joey grinned at Sam and nodded his head enthusiastically. The two boys climbed in the front, Joey in the middle and Sam with a protective arm around the back of his seat. Dean stuck closely to Sara as she watched with a vague smile while the boys had their little exchange. She swayed alarmingly after Sam and Joey were out of eyesight, and Dean rushed forward to put an arm around her waist. He led her to the car, walking around to the other side and allowing her to put her head on his lap.

John soon got back to the Impala, shutting it quietly and looking back to Sara with a saddened expression on his face. He ruffled Joey's hair before turning the car on and putting it in gear.