Daughter of Heaven (WIP - On Hiatus)

Chapter 69 - Fifty shades of Winchester

"Actually, can we stay out here a little longer? I'm kinda enjoying the moment."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Is that okay?"

Allegra beamed at him and nodded. Dean kissed her brow when she rested her head on his chest. Her hand lay over his heart. Were it not for the stars appearing in the darkening sky, he would've closed his eyes to let himself get immersed in Allegra's intoxicating lavender scent. Yet he found the diamonds above drawing a familiar figure. 

"The Hunter is searching again," said Dean softly. 

"What?" 

"It's something my dad used to say whenever we saw Orion. He always cautioned us to never underestimate the monster we're fighting so that we didn't make the same mistakes as the Hunter. He was killed by a stupid scorpion sting after defeating countless beasts that were bigger than him. Some details changed whenever he told us the story, like how Orion was a womanizer one minute but a hero and great protector the next, but the ending never did. Guess my dad wanted to teach us some humility or something by telling us about him, I don't know."

Dean recalled the last time his father took the time for some actual father-son bonding. They sat on the hood of the Impala, talking about how proud they were that Sam left to pursue a college career while also calling him an idiot. Once a Hunter, always a Hunter; that was the deal. It was a gig for life, and that life wouldn't end by dying warm in bed surrounded by the people they loved. Orion cursed every Hunter following in his footsteps to die as he had, it seemed. 
When Allegra remained quiet, Dean raised his head from the ground so he could look down at her. He hadn't noticed before, but she was gripping his shirt tightly. 

"Alley? You okay?" he asked, worried.

"Yeah, just... you kinda took me by surprise for a sec. I didn't expect you to know anything about constellations."

"I don't, really. Just Orion. I'm guessing you know more about them?"

"Gabriel and I used to camp outside sometimes, and he would teach them to me. Their stories."

Dean groaned silently. His words must've triggered a memory for Allegra. They hadn't spoken that much about Gabriel after watching the video because she wanted to leave him dead and buried. He couldn't blame her for wanting that and respected her wishes. But sometimes, little things would make her remember him, like something in the house, a certain scene in a movie they were watching, or a song they were listening to. She would get lost in the past then, torn between love for the father who raised her and hatred for the scum Archangel who betrayed her.

"There euhm..." Allegra cleared her throat as she spoke again. "There's another version of Orion's death, actually. Do... Do you know who Artemis is?"

"Euhm, Greek mythology, right? A female Hunter and a moon goddess?"

"Yeah, that's her. Artemis met Orion and fell in love with him, seeing him as her equal. But not everyone agreed with the match. Her twin brother, Apollo, was one of those against their love. He played a cruel and vicious trick on them."

A shiver ran over Allegra's body. Dean wasn't quite sure if it was because of the cold or because of the story. He held her closer, and she continued.

"One day, Apollo approached Artemis and challenged her to an archery contest. She accepted and shot at the target he selected; something appearing to be a rock across the lake they were standing at. When she drew closer to retrieve her arrow, Artemis realized it wasn't a rock at all but Orion's head. He had been swimming in the lake, and since Apollo knew she never missed, he set her up to kill the man she loved. Artemis tried to resurrect him, but her father, Zeus, forbade it. So, instead... she pleaded to put Orion among the stars, so he could guide her when she hunted underneath the moon."