"What the actual fuck, Ellen?"
It had taken Alex almost twenty minutes to recover from the ordeal with the Winchesters. Her had eyes glistened with unshed tears as she pulled herself to her feet, though they weren't caused by a lingering sadness as the memories retreated to the furthest corners of her mind once more. No, a boiling, hot rage that threatened to seep over and burn everything in its path at any minute had been the reason behind them and she was more than happy to unleash that rage on the woman who she felt was responsible for this mess in the first place.
Five minutes later, she's tearing down the road in her recently fixed Hyundai Elantra 2005, phone pressed against her ear and an angry snarl ready on her lips as the dial tone sounded from the small device. She hadn't even allowed the older woman to get a single word out when she had finally picked up the phone, and Alex uses her stunned silence at the more than hostile greeting to now continue, "What the hell are you playing at? Why did you send those hunters to me?"
There's a beat of silence from the other end of the line as if Ellen is waiting to see whether Alex will unleash any more of her fury. Which she plans to, of course. But she wants an explanation first- and it better be a damn good one too.
Once feeling that she has the floor to speak, Ellen questions, "... I'm assuming that these hunters you're talking about are the Winchester boys? Sam and Dean?"
"Damn right."
"Figured it wouldn't take them long to find you-"
"They shouldn't have been able to find me at all!"
"Listen, honey-"
"No, don't 'honey' me. Seriously! I'm so fucking mad right now that I can barely see straight. You know for a fact that I don't work with other hunters, so why you would bother telling them about me in the first place is well and truly beyond me!"
"I get that your pissy, but you need to watch your tone with me, young lady," Ellen warns, a slight edge to her tone as her more authoritative maternal side begins to shine through the cracks. It's usually only reserved for her fights with a stubborn Jo, but she's been known over the years to unleash it on those she deems unreasonable- Alex is no exception to this. More than once she's found herself on the receiving ends of one of Ellen's scolding scowls, and she's learnt over the years that the warm and loving woman has a very tough and scary side to her as well. She would need it, running that bar of hers. But the thought of Ellen believing her to be in the wrong here ignites an even stronger spark of irritation within Alex, but she bottles it as best as she can so that Ellen has time to explain herself. The anger can come later; Alex wants answers and she wants them now.
"I know for a fact that your Mama raised you to treat your elders with respect, so how's about you take a deep breath for me, alright? Calm down and once you've cooled off, I'll tell you everything that you want to know. 'Cause I ain't telling you shit if you're just gonna interrupt me every two seconds."
Alex grits her teeth so hard that her jaw immediately begins to ache with the pressure, but she nevertheless holds her tongue and forces herself to swallow down all the ugly words and threats that she had been more than willing to throw the older hunter's way. She loves Ellen dearly and has for years now, but the betrayal she feels stings like hell, and a lump lodges itself deep in her throat in a painful manner. It isn't until her eyes begin to blur so much with frustrated tears that she can barely see three feet in front of that she comes to the conclusion that she shouldn't be driving, least she causes an accident. Not wanting to potentially hurt someone or ride off her car when she only just got it back, she guides the vehicle to a slow stop on the side of the road, killing the engine and leaning back in her chair with an annoyed puff.
Sensing her silent surrender, Ellen lets out a small, satisfied hum. "Good. Alright. You calm?"
Fearing that any words she utters will betray her, Alex only lets out a small grunt.
Ellen snorts. "OK then. Look, I've been trying to get in touch with the boys' daddy for a while now, and a few days ago they showed up at the roadhouse instead. Once they did a case for me they were about to hit the road again and go after the same ugly son of a bitch that has caused you nothing but pain and grief these past eighteen years. So, I might have mentioned to them that I know someone that has personal experience with the thing that they're hunting."
"Yet another thing I'm pissed about," Alex can't refrain from biting out, practically sensing the pointed glare that she receives for doing so on the other end of the line. "You had no right to tell them anything about me. I told you everything in confidence- Noah and I trusted you to keep everything to yourself-"
"Which is why I didn't spill the damn truth in the first place!" Ellen exclaims. "Or most of it, anyway. C'mon, Alex. You really think after all these years I'd go running my mouth and telling two boys that I don't even really know about business that's not my concern to share?"
It only takes Alex a few moments to really consider Ellen's words of assurance before she feels most of the fight drain out of her. She pulls the phone down to her chest as an involuntary breath of relief bursts from her lips, and she reaches up with her free hand to pinch the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger to ward off the tears. The more reasonable side of her knows that there is no way that Ellen would betray her trust like that. The older woman and her family are people that Noah and she have been able to count on since day one, and if Ellen was asked to keep a secret then she would. She's trustworthy like that.
But still. This hadn't been what she was expecting when thinking about what lay ahead of her upon returning to Jackson. She had been expecting a relaxing, normal three weeks filled with working at the pool and spending some time with her loved ones, taking the quiet time to catch her breath and settle into her usual routine once more. But what does she get instead? A couple of strangers digging into a past that she's been running and hiding from for as long as she can remember. She thought that she wouldn't have to deal with it ever again after Santa Rosa. Clearly, she had been wrong.
Reopening her eyes, she brings the phone back up to her ear. The burning need to find out what the Winchesters had been told about her outweighs the anger that still lingers within her, so she asks in a much calmer tone, "So what did you tell them?"
If Ellen is surprised by the sudden change of attitude then she doesn't voice her opinion on it. She only explains, "All I said was that I knew someone who knows a whole lot about the demon that they're hunting- maybe even more so than their father, and he tracked the bastard for almost twenty-three years."
"Well, you lied to them then. Because I know jack squat."
"Honey, you, Noah and the rest of your family have had enough experience with this thing to last a lifetime. That's gotta count for something."
Enough experience to last a lifetime. Alex reaches up absentmindedly and begins to fiddle with the gold locket resting at the base of her throat. Yeah. That about sums it up.
"And I know that you have your reasons for not working with other hunters. But these boys- what they're hunting is bigger than anything that they've come across and they don't have their daddy around to watch their backs anymore. They haven't come close to finding it and I hate to say this, but you haven't either. I just thought that you all had a better chance of figuring some way to find and kill it by working together."
"I've been there and done that, remember, Ellen? There's no way to kill it and every time that I tried, someone always wound up dead. Eventually, those boys are gonna figure out that it's not possible, and the sooner they do, the better of they and anyone they care even an inch about will be."
"I don't really think that's an option," Ellen reveals. "They've got a personal vendetta against it-"
"Well, they can get in line."
"It killed their parents. Their father was only recently killed as well."
Alex pauses, having not expected that. She chews at the inside of her cheek as her mind casts back to her encounter with the brother not even ten minutes prior. Recalling the fresh, ugly cuts and bruises that had decorated their skin and Ellen's words just now causes a small wave of guilt to wash over her. Again, she could be looking just a little too far into things, but if their father had recently just died and with their wounds being as new as they are, then there's a strong chance that they could have been there to witness it themselves. Maybe they even tried to fight the demon off, to no avail.
She almost winces at the thought. Perhaps she had reacted just a bit too harshly.
"That's- that's rough," Alex almost silently admits. "But that doesn't make me want to work with them."
"So, what? You're just gonna sit back and do nothing? Live the rest of your life looking over one shoulder, praying that this thing never finds you again?"
"That's the plan."
"It's no way to live."
"Well, it's kept Noah and I alive so far, hasn't it?"
Ellen lets out a disappointed sigh while Alex braces herself for the next argument. She knows that Ellen means well and just wants the best for her, but Ellen hasn't had her name on a powerful demon's hitlist for the majority of her life. She doesn't understand the underlying fear that flutters uncomfortably in the pit of Alex's stomach whenever she ventures somewhere outside of the safety of her warded farmhouse, thinking in the back of her mind that any day could be her last if the demon had its way- and that's on top of all the stress that her hunting job brings her as well.
Ellen doesn't get it. Alex is tired. At twenty-one years of age, she already feels like she's lived a lifetime. Is it really too much for her to want to have some semblance of safety here in Jackson? Aside from the hunting of course, but again, that itself is entirely different. With hunting, she knows there's a chance that she will come out on top against whatever monster she deals with at the time. With the demon, she knows that there's only one way it will end for her; cold as ice, six feet underground and gone before she ever has the chance to properly live her life.
"Just think it over," Ellen practically begs, causing Alex to pull at the ends of her thick hair. She knows full well where Jo gets her stubbornness from; it sure as hell isn't from William.
"For what it's worth, they seem like a pair of really good guys. At least consider the possibility before you turn them away so quickly, alright? Please, honey?"
She doesn't hesitate. "Sure thing Ellen," Alex lies straight through her teeth, not caring if she doesn't sound convincing enough. She might get upset with Alex for not wanting to work with the Winchesters, but at the end of the day, Ellen won't and can't force her into doing anything that she doesn't want to do. And she sure as hell doesn't want to start working with other hunters again. "I'll talk to you soon."
She hangs up and tosses the phone on the passenger seat, before exhaling sharply as she leans forward to rest her head against the steering wheel. This is not how she thought her morning would go at all.
Guilt grips her in a tight vice as she recalls how curtly she had spoken to Ellen, the woman who has been like a second mother to her ever since she first came to the states twelve years prior. She had just been so damn angry with her that she hadn't cared how harsh she had been- and she still is. She can feel the remnants of her burning rage clinging to her like a second skin, so she decides that she will call Ellen back at a more appropriate time when Alex doesn't want to rip her head off. Not only to apologise but to also inform Ellen of her decision not to hit the road with the Winchesters, despite Ellen's insistence that it would be a good thing.
It isn't just Alex's outright refusal to hunt with anyone else that holds her back from accepting the offer, though that itself is a large and dominant contributing factor. In fact, the more that she thinks about it, the more reasons why she shouldn't continue to pop up in her mind like fireworks going off. For one, she doesn't know a damn thing about these men. Despite the few snippets of information that Ellen had dropped during their heated call, Alex still regards them as total strangers that she sure as hell can't trust. The last thing she wants is to go hunting with supposed 'partners' when she isn't even sure that they would entirely have her back against whatever evil they might come up against. That's just asking to be killed.
It's also no secret that Alex doesn't always play well with others. She can be a real bitch when she wants, and she'll always be the first to admit that. Something tells her that the brothers wouldn't appreciate her smart remarks and rather cold antics and that it wouldn't be long before they kicked her to the curb before they even knew where to look for the demon.
Yellow Eyes.
Her blood runs cold as the memory of unfeeling, yellow irises taunt her behind her closed lids, causing her to reopen them as quickly as she can and lean back in the car seat, trying her best to ignore the faint, sadistic laugh that rings unwanted in her ears. There are very few things in this cruel world that terrify Alex to the bone, but this thing? It's the cause for every single one of her fears. She knows full well what it's capable of, and she doesn't think that she is ready to face it after everything that it has done. The alternative- spending her entire life trying to remain as hidden as possible- isn't that much better. But it's all she can bring herself to do at this point. Or so she tells herself.
She takes two more minutes to catch her breath and get the scrambled thoughts in her head sorted before she starts the car once more. Conscious of the fact that she is now running extremely late for her lunch date with Isla, she drives into town at a speed that would earn her a stern lecture from Noah, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him.
Her car practically skids to a halt as she parks in front of the supermarket, and it doesn't take her long to find Isla's favourite type of chocolate in the sweet aisle. Her speedy shop is followed by an equally swift visit to the bakery down the road, remembering her promise to supply Isla with doughnuts to make up for her absence these past months. She makes small talk with Mrs Hargrave, the greying elderly woman who owns the shop and always likes to talk an awful lot about Noah, much to Alex's amusement and Noah's embarrassment. She asks Alex how he's been and how the stores going, not noticing the way that Alex impatiently taps her foot against the tiled floor for the entirety of the conversation. Once equipped with the jam doughnuts that used to be the girl's go-to late-night snack while they studied well into the night during their college years, Alex takes off in her car with Isla's and Oscar's home in mind.
Just as she pulls herself out of the car with the box of treats carefully stacked in her hands, the front door to the white, two-story house opens and a smartly dressed Oscar Clarke pushes past the gap and moves out onto the front steps. Likely just coming off his lunch break, he waves at Alex as he closes the door behind him.
The twenty-four-year-old journalist is in the process of tightening the patterned tie that matches the sky blue of his eyes as Alex moves towards him. Oscar had been an old family friend of Isla's for many years before the two of them became officially involved during Isla's freshman year of college, and his light-hearted presence is enough to brighten anyone's mood on their darkest day. It had only taken him ten minutes upon meeting Alex to win her over entirely, and she knew from that moment that anyone else Isla might get with if things didn't work out between the two of them, wouldn't be anywhere near as decent and as perfect as Oscar.
His ink-black locks sway to and fro in the slight fall breeze, and he reaches up with a tanned hand to push them out of his face to shoot Alex a knowing grin. Nodding to the sweets in her hand, he slyly calls out, "Grovelling, are we?"
"Shut up," Alex dismisses, before stopping in her tracks as he descends the steps and meets her in the middle of the paved path. Furrowing her brows, she considers his words. "She's not that angry... right?"
"Oh, I've already started planning your funeral. I would suggest open casket but there's no telling what your corpse will look like once Isla's done with you. Assuming there's anything left of you to bury, that is."
Alex grimaces. "Hence, the doughnuts." She pulls the lid off the white box before pushing it out to him, watching as he gleefully accepts the offer with a small thanks, and wastes no time in chowing down and angling the delicious dessert in a way so that no jam spills onto his clean shirt.
"Yo've don' 'ell," he says- or more accurately, tries to say- with a mouthful, icing coating his lips and a crumb catching in the corner of his mouth. Ignoring the way that her face scrunches up with disgust at the sight of the half-chewed food, he swallows and brings the treat up for a second bite. "See, this is why you're my favourite out of all Isla's friends. You always bring food."
"Gee, and here I was, thinking that it was because of my natural charisma."
He snorts. "Ha. You? Charisma? Good one."
She rolls her eyes as she places the lid on the box once more. "How've things been for you guys anyway?"
Oscar, thankfully, decides to properly chew and finish his mouthful of food before answering her this time. Wiping at the lower half of his face, he explains, "Eh, same old. Isla's Mom keeps calling- wants to organise some sort of fancy weekend away in New York to go dress shopping or something like that. I, of course, was not invited to tag along. Or if I was, then my invitation was lost in conversation."
"You're the groom, dickhead. No offence, but what good are you gonna be wedding dress shopping?"
He mockingly gapes at her. "Offence taken! I happen to have excellent fashion taste, thank you very much." He gestures down to the rather stylish outfit that he happens to be wearing. "Who do you think put this masterpiece together?"
"Isla."
He opens his mouth to likely argue, but at the knowing way that Alex raises a brow and tilts her head, he opts for pursing his lips instead. "True, but I chose the tie, so that counts!"
"But again, I reiterate, you're the groom. You're not technically meant to see the dress before the wedding day."
"It's the thought of an invitation though! I mean, a simple 'hey, Oscar, what are you doing on such and such date?' isn't going to hurt anyone!"
"Alright, then ask yourself this. Do you really want to spend a whole seventy-two hours shopping for a wedding dress with Isla's mother?"
Oscar looks like he might be sick at the mere thought. Coughing, he tugs at the knot of his tie with the hand that doesn't have the doughnut in it, before clearing his throat. "Right. Erm, well, in the off chance that I unexpectedly do get invited out of the blue, then there's a strong chance that I might fall ill a few days before the trip. Flu-like symptoms. Too severe to be flying. Very disappointing indeed."
Knowing just how unbearable and strict Isla's uptight mother can be, Alex reaches over to reassuringly pat him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, your secret dies with me."
"Ahh, yet another reason why you're my favourite."
"And don't you forget it." Sending him one last smile, she moves past him and starts to make a beeline for the front door. "Have fun at work."
"Oh yes. Work; the epitome of fun."
"Smart-ass."
"I learnt from you."
Alex doesn't deny this, mostly because she knows it's true.
"Thanks for the doughnut by the way. To return the favour, I'll keep an eye out for any 'unusual' nationwide stories that might just happen to float my way."
At this, Alex stops halfway up the steps and whirls around to face him. The corners of her mouth tug down and a confused frown taints her thin lips as she cocks her head to the side. "Isla didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"I'm taking a break for a bit."
Oscar blinks. "Oh. Er, no, no she didn't mention that to me. Does that mean that you don't want me to keep an eye out for any potential cases then?"
"No. If something comes your way then still send it through."
Oscar doesn't seem to be all that startled with her response, and it's his lack of surprise that eats away at Alex almost uncomfortably, causing her to shift from one foot to the other. She reaches up to sheepishly scratch the back of her neck. "I mean, it wouldn't hurt to have a look, right?"
Because Oscar is the way that he is, he doesn't call her out on her bullshit. A firm believer in doing whatever you want without worrying about what someone else might think, he only offers her a small shrug of his broad shoulders. "You gotta do what you gotta, Donovan. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise." And then, with a quick glance at the expensive, silver watch latched around his left wrist, he shoves the rest of the doughnut in his mouth, waves and then dashes towards the garage where his car is parked.
Alex watches him go with a small smile, though it quickly fades away into nothingness as her mind repeats the last few snippets from the end of their conversation in hushed, taunting whispers. With how much she's in and out of Jackson constantly and with the uncertainty that her hunting job brings, it had been too tiring to try and conceal the details of her hunting from Isla and Oscar. They know what it is that she does whenever she loads up the trunk to her car with weapons and books before taking off for God knows how long and in a way, it had benefited all parties involved. It brought Alex and Isla closed with no secrets kept between them, and the happy couple were made very aware of the supernatural creatures that could pose a threat to them at any point in their lives. It gave Alex a reason for teaching them to protect themselves in every way possible if she was never there to help them, and she could sleep better at night knowing that Isla and Oscar are capable of defending themselves long enough to call for help if a problem did arise.
Another way that it greatly worked out for Alex is that she never has to go looking for a case- and she hasn't since the day she and Isla revealed the truth to an unsuspecting Oscar. Wanting to ease the burden of hunting for her and soothe Isla's worrying, Oscar always keeps an eye out for any stories revolving around strange deaths or weird occurrences that he might overhear in the office or read in some other articles. Alex can't remember the last time that she went snooping through local newspapers and the internet, or paid close attention to the news looking for her next hunt. All she has to do is sit tight and wait for Oscar to send something her way.
They had responded greatly and, even better, they try to support her in any way that they can. And yet, Alex can't help but feel guilty every time she sees the concern etched to Isla's features whenever she leaves for a hunt, not knowing if she'll ever see it again. She knows that if her friend had it her way, then Alex wouldn't be hunting at all. She'd be safe here in Jackson, finishing her degree and living a normal life alongside her, until they died in their sleep well and truly into their senior years. She may support Alex, but she sure as hell doesn't like what she does. And it's the worry for her that causes guilt to gnaw away at Alex because they both know that she doesn't have plans to stop anytime soon.
Weird hunting obsession. Isn't that what Isla had called it the previous night?
Alex frowns. It's not an obsession. She knows why I do this.
"Did you bring my doughnuts?"
Startled from her thoughts, Alex immediately turns her gaze from the now opening garage to the front door where the all too familiar voice comes from. To her surprise, Isla is sticking her head out through a small gap between the door and the wall, her almond-shaped, dark eyes immediately zeroing in on the box in Alex's hand as she turns to face her best friend. Letting out a small whoop of delight, she claps her hands together. "And just like that, you are immediately forgiven."
Alex can't help but narrow her eyes. For someone who supposedly wants to tear her from limb to limb for the crap she's pulled in the past month, Isla seems rather chipper. She turns her accusatory gaze towards the car backing down the driveway, easily noticing the way that Oscar cackles gleefully at her obvious confusion from the front seat. He gives a final wave of his fingers as he turns the car around and speeds off down the road, honking his car as he goes.
Alex glares at the retreating vehicle. Shit-stirrer.
"You got the jam ones, right? Oh, please tell me you did. I've been craving some of those for days now..."
Grinning at the sound of her best friend's voice, Alex wastes no time in bounding up the porch steps and pulling her best friend in for a warm hug that she- thankfully- embraces wholeheartedly. She breathes in sharply, Isla's jasmine perfume ticking the back of her throat and her honey waves scratching lightly at her cheeks. She pulls away to study her best friend, drinking in every detail of her dark and round face. Glad to see that nothing has drastically changed, she teases, "Gee, a few doughnuts and I win you over just like that?"
"What can I say? I'm easy when it comes to food."
"Knowing that sooner would have made things a hell of a lot easier for me over the past few years."
Isla tuts and wags a finger disapprovingly in Alex's face. "Nu-uh, you have no one else but you to blame for that. I swear to God that I'm going to start growing grey hairs at any moment because of you. And that's sad, considering that I'm only twenty-two."
"You don't have to worry so much, you know."
She scoffs. "Yeah, right. I'm a mother hen, in case you completely forgot, so jokes on you. I'm always gonna worry."
Alex immediately softens. "You know I've missed you, Isles."
"I know. I've missed you too." She steps back to open the door wider, silently offering Alex to come in. Taking up on the offer, Alex steps over the threshold and toes off her ratty sneakers, before handing over the box of treats to a more than enthusiastic Isla.
It doesn't take the two women long to make their way into Isla and Oscar's impressive kitchen, spreading out the sweets and other food for them to nibble on across the sleek, white benches and popping themselves on the island stools. For several minutes, Alex fills Isla in on the cases that Oscar had given her almost two months ago, making sure to obscure as much of the gory details out of her recount as possible. Not that Isla couldn't handle it. Being a nurse, she's seen some pretty nasty and gruesome things and she's only two weeks into her new job, but revealing those ghastly details of an already frightening story will just make her worry about Alex even more. The less she knows, the better.
"- and then I wound up in that bar," she now finishes, before nibbling on a small piece of her doughnut. Licking the flecks of sugar from lips, she adds, "And we know how that turned out."
"Right. You knock out any teeth this time?"
"No." A beat of silence. "At least, not that I saw anyway. I had to leave pretty quickly, but I might have kicked some guy in the face on my way out."
"Might have?"
Alex shrugs. "He'll live."
Isla snorts and gives a slight shake of her head before she then nods her head to the edge of the bandage that pokes out over the collar of Alex's grey shirt. "And was that from the warth-?"
"Wraith," Alex immediately corrects. "And yeah, it was."
Letting out a small sigh, Isla quickly wipes her hands on a napkin before jumping down from her stool. Knowing full well what it is that her best friend is seconds away from doing, Alex reaches up to pull at the collar further down and expose the bandage as Isla comes to a stop beside her. Even on the stool, the girls reach the same height, making it easy for Isla to carefully pull the edge of the bandage back and peer forward to inspect the wound. Yet another perk of Isla knowing full well what Alex does- she always has someone that can professionally fix her wounds if need be.
Isla lets out a low whistle. "Fuck. It got you good, didn't it?"
"I'll live. What's the verdict, Doc?"
"One; not a doctor-"
"Yeah, but you're a nurse."
"Which still isn't a doctor, dumbass," Isla lightly scolds, the hint of a smirk on her face alerting Alex that there is no real hostility to her bite. "And two, you'll live. It doesn't look too deep to be considered serious and you've managed to patch it up well enough- it's just big is all. I don't know whether to be impressed or mildly worried that you're almost as good as some of the Doctors I work with."
"Years of experience."
"Don't remind me." Seemingly satisfied with Alex's handiwork, she gently places the bandage back in place before moving back to her own stool, while Alex shrugs her shirt into place once more.
"Speaking of, how's the new job going?" Alex asks, steering the topic of conversation down a much more normal path and hoping to ease Isla's obvious concern. "You've been there, what? Two weeks now?"
"Three weeks tomorrow and yeah, it's fine," Isla reveals. "I mean, the first few shifts absolutely wrecked me. Like, I knew from the placement back in school that the real deal would be exhausting but Jesus Christ, I was exhausted. I think I terrified Oscar out of his wits- we all know how I get when I'm tired."
Alex hides a grimace behind her hand, knowing full well what it was that Oscar would have been forced to endure those first few days. She had spent almost two years living in the same dormitory with Isla and knows from experience that she can be especially grumpy whenever she's sleep-deprived. She has to repress a shudder as her own experiences with the angry hell beast flash before her eyes, and a wave of sympathy for Oscar washes over her. Poor bastard. It's a miracle that he's still in one piece.
Isla now narrows her eyes at her suspiciously. "Alright, here's the part where you tell me that I'm not that bad."
"Oh, so, you want me to lie to you then?"
She sees the smack coming from a mile away, but doesn't bother to raise a hand to block it. Alex regrets this immediately, however, as the hit is far less feeble than she thought it would be, and a jolt of pain ricochets up her arm. Swearing, she swats Isla's hand away far too late, before rubbing at the now tender skin. Glaring, she asks, "Alright, well, besides the general exhaustion, are you enjoying it at least?"
Isla immediately brightens. "Oh, fuck yeah. I mean, I worked my ass off for four years and it's finally paying off, you know? I get to do what I've always wanted to do, even if it does royally tick off mother dearest."
Alex nods, understanding her completely. Almost everyone in Isla's family- including her two older brothers and mother- are all lawyers. Mrs Dunne hadn't been all that thrilled to learn that Isla planned on breaking the family tradition to follow in her father's footsteps instead and become a nurse instead.
"Speaking off, she wants to take me to New York in a few weeks to look for a wedding dress. And seeing as how you're my maid of honour, she wants to know if you want to come as well."
The same fear that had swept over Oscar before when Alex had mentioned what exactly the trip to New York will entail suddenly grips her in a tight vice, and she physically feels herself blanch at the invitation alone. Hoping that Isla can't see just how terrifying the prospect of spending an entire weekend with her mother sounds- not that it really matters, seeing as how Isla can't stand the woman half the time either- she does her best to work an apologetic smile on her face. "I'd love to-"
"Liar."
"- but I don't want to say yes and then feel the wrath of your mother if I have to back out at the last minute because of an unexpected case," Alex continues, ignoring Isla's blunt statement even though they both know it's true. "So I'm going to have to decline the invitation."
Isla lets out a small moan, before leaning across the kitchen island and pressing the palms of her hands to her eyes. "Blurgh," she grunts unhappily. "It's alright- I don't blame you. I'll talk Oscar and see if he'll come- he'll help me from throttling the old bat."
It is probably a good thing that Isla's face is half-buried in her hands, as it would have been near impossible for her to miss the way that Alex's smile vanishes in an instant, and she can't help but guiltily drop her eyes to her hands in her lap. She loves Isla, but a promise is a promise. Perhaps she could try and convince Oscar to tag along for moral support for his fiancé; even if it means supplying him with a never-ending amount of doughnuts.
"See, it's times like this where I wish that I had cooler relatives," Isla laments, dropping her hands away from her face to reveal her pouting lips to Alex beside her. "Or at least, sane ones."
"Aww, c'mon. Your brothers aren't that bad, and your Dad is awesome."
"Yeah, but my Mom-" She cuts off with a violent shudder. "Urgh. Not gonna lie, sometimes I wish that she was more like Noah, you know? Completely random, I get it, but seriously, the man can do no wrong."
At the mention of the older man, Alex can't help but frown, recalling their reunion from the previous night. He had been long gone by the time she had bolted from her bed this morning, so she had been forced to back-burn her intention of confronting him about his weird and unusual behaviour. Maybe she would pop by the store on her way to see Diane and talk to him first. That is, if he hasn't made it back to the farmhouse yet.
As if sensing her internal struggle, Isla immediately straightens up and her face contorts into a much more serious look. "I take it that you spoke to him last night?"
"I tried. But it's like you said- something is definitely up with him."
"Did he tell you what was wrong?"
Alex shakes her head, hoping that Isla can't see how unsettled she is by the prospect of Noah keeping something from her. The two of them have only made it alive this far because of their lack of holding out on one another. They trust each other to keep the other safe, and they've worked well as a team to hide and settle from their haunting pasts as best as they could. If something had gone wrong in the past then Noah would immediately alert her to the problem at hand and they would deal with it as quickly and as safely as they could; it seemed like nothing could ever really stop them. Until now, that is, when Alex returns home and comes face to face with a man that she doesn't even truly recognise.
Isla has always had a knack for reading people and it seems like now is no exception. Reaching over, she delicately wraps a hand around Alex's shoulder and gives a small and comforting squeeze. "I'm sure that he just doesn't want you to worry."
"If he doesn't want me to worry, then he would have told me what was wrong."
"And you don't have any idea about what it could be?"
Alex lets out a small, pathetic puff and raises her hands helplessly. All she knows is that Noah had been completely fine before she had left to take care of the cases Oscar had given her almost two months ago. He hadn't been all that thrilled that she was hunting, but again, he's never been pleased with her choices regarding that lifestyle. Supportive, yes, but happy about it? No, definitely not. Either way, nothing had seemed out of the ordinary when she left so whatever it is that has him on edge, it's something that has happened during her time away from home.
"No, I don't. He was like an entirely different person last night- like he wasn't quite all that there."
"I don't know, maybe he has a lot on his mind with the store or something? Or that shipment that you mentioned."
"He was actually reading over some books from the shipment when I came home, but I don't think that has anything to do with it. I mean, they're just a couple of old books and a journal- nothing really out of the ordinary. He gets orders like that all the time." She begins to thread her slim fingers through her hair, holding it away from her face as she leans her elbow against the island counter. "He said that a friend of his had passed away- John someone."
"Oh," Isla blinks. "Well, that definitely warrants weird behaviour then. I mean, I would be pretty upset if you unexpectedly died on me. Which you aren't allowed to do anytime soon, by the way- or I'll kill you myself."
Alex weakly grins, her worry for Noah consuming her and leaving no room for a witty or loving response. "It's just, up until last night I've never even heard of this John person. And with everything else happening like those two hunters showing up and Ellen-"
"Woah, woah, woah," Isla interjects, immediately straightening and holding up a hand to silence her. "Brief pause. Back up; what two hunters? Since when are there two other hunters?"
"Since Ellen decided to tell some guys where to find me," Alex reveals, not bothering to hide the bitterness dripping from her each and every word. "They showed up at the farm this morning; apparently they're hunting the same thing that's been after me all these years."
Alex watches as Isla flinches at the mention of the Yellow-Eyed Demon that has plagued her best friend's life for even longer than she's known her. Though Alex hadn't gone into too much detail describing the monster that has solely destroyed her life in more ways than one when she had first revealed the truth to Isla, she knows that Isla is very much aware of what this thing is and what it is capable of. At least, enough to warrant a large degree of fear that currently underlies the features of her delicate face as she stares as Alex wide-eyed, mouth slightly agape.
She swallows thickly. "It's- it's back?"
Hating how scared she sounds, Alex is quick to lift her head from her hand to give it a firm shake. "No. No, it's not. As far as we know it has no clue where Noah and I are, and it hasn't since what happened in Santa Rosa. And even if it was, I would tell you in a heartbeat, OK? And you and Oscar- you guys would be protected. I promise."
Clearly too taken aback by the bombshell, Isla only nods her head, her eyes glazing over and suggesting to Alex that she is too lost in thought to really consider and believe Alex's words of assurance. And in a way, Alex can't blame her. She knows that she and those she cares about don't have the best track record when it comes to this demon. Alex had made that very clear to Isla and Oscar from the get-go yet they had decided that she was worth the risk and had stuck by her side despite the danger. It's one of the many reasons why she loves them as much as she does, and why she is so fiercely protective of them. Nothing would take them away from her; not if she could help it.
"But- but you said that they were hunting the demon," Isla now says, not a trace of the tough and bright woman Alex has learned to love over the years to be found in her now. This is affecting her a hell of a lot more than Alex thought it would, and she almost regrets opening her mouth and spilling the truth in the first place. "Doesn't that automatically mean that it's around?"
"Not necessarily. Ellen mentioned that their father had been tracking it for over two decades now. They just might be picking up where he left off is all."
"So, what? They think that you know where it is?"
"Not quite. From what little they said and from what Ellen told me, I think that they want me to work with them to try and kill it."
She didn't think it would be possible for Isla's eyes to widen anymore, but she is proven wrong as they grow as large as saucers at this little tidbit of information. "And did you?" She asks, almost silently. "Did you agree to work with them?"
"No fucking way."
"Alex."
"No. Not a chance. I don't work with other fucking hunters. You know this."
"Ellen's a hunter."
"That's entirely different and you know it."
Isla opens her mouth as if to argue, but after taking one good look at the harsh scowl that slowly begins to creep on Alex's face, she firmly clamps her mouth shut once more. This allows Alex to continue, "It's too late now anyway. They got the message and took of pretty quickly, so they're probably long gone by now."
Isla's brows raise in disbelief. "Uh-huh. And how long ago was this?"
"Just before I came and saw you, so just over an hour ago."
"Right. So, not that long ago at all. I don't know- did you ever consider the possibility that they might still be around? I mean, they might have paid for a motel room already, or maybe they might try and talk to you again. And if they really came all this way from the Roadhouse, they might be desperate for your help, so..."
The more Alex thinks about it, the more her stomach begins to drop with dread. "Fuck."
Isla shrugs. "I know that you don't work with other hunters- and I don't blame you. Not after what happened. But- and please don't rip my head off for even suggesting this- have you considered that if these hunters are hunting the same thing that's after you, then maybe you would have a better shot at killing it for good this time if you all worked together? Safety in numbers, and all that."
"That's what Ellen said. But like I told her, I don't want to go looking for this thing. Especially not with two guys that I don't even know-"
"Two guys?" Isla gasps, the excitement in her tone causing Alex to groan, knowing full well where this conversation would go now. "You did not mention that these hunters were two guys! Young or old?"
"Isles, does it really ma-?"
"Just answer the question, Donovan!"
"Fucking hell, fine! Fine, they were young, alright? Probably around our age, if not slightly older."
"Hot?"
"Oh my God-"
"Hot or not?!"
Alex resists the urge to bash her head against the countertop. "I think Oscar wouldn't be too happy if he was to overhear this conversation right now-"
"It's not for me, you dingus, it's for you!" Isla exclaims, once again leaning forward to whack Alex's arm. The hunter is prepared this time, however, and bats it away before it ever has the chance to make contact. "Now, stop avoiding the question and just answer, damnit! Hot or not?"
Alex purses her lips, trying her hardest to hide her amusement from Isla who is eagerly beaming up at her with a glint of mischief in her dark eyes. The last thing that she wants to do is sit here and discuss the attractiveness of the Winchester brothers, but she's also just relieved to see that the Isla that she knows and loves has crawled back out of her shell as the conversation steers clear of any mention of the demon. This right here is familiar and comfortable territory for her.
If Alex wants, she could even close her eyes and pretend that it wasn't two hunters they were talking about, but rather two boys that were in some of her college classes, or that she and Isla worked with at the pool and hospital respectively. It's a sense of normalcy that she doesn't get very often and can sometimes make her feel isolated from Isla at times. Not that her best friend does it on purpose. It's just, while Alex is out there risking her life and hunting monsters that most people believe only exist in their nightmares, Isla is home and living her life in a much safer manner. Her biggest concerns include planning her upcoming wedding, starting her new job and building a life with Oscar. Had things turned out differently for Alex, then maybe she could have had something similar.
But they hadn't. And there's no point in wishful thinking- that would only lead her to disappointment.
She lets out a small huff and begrudgingly admits, "I guess you could say that they weren't ugly..."
Isla laughs and claps her hands together, delighted by Alex's admittance. "I knew it! It's about time you got laid anyway-"
Alex almost chokes on thin air. "Calm the fuck down! Who said anything about getting laid?"
"Seriously Alex! You taking off with two hot hunters on the road all by your lonesome, and with you being a total British babe yourself, it's bound to happen-"
"OK, first of all, I'm not leaving with them, alright? I thought I already made that clear."
"Well, you better go find them and tell them that you've changed your mind, or I'll have no choice but to disown you."
"No," Alex states firmly, leaving no room for argument. "That's not gonna happen. I'm not just about to drop everything here and hit the road with them just because you think I need to get laid."
Isla immediately softens, and the smile slips from her face ever so slightly. "It's not just because of that- though that would be a nice bonus. It's just... don't you realise that if you kill this thing for good, then you won't have to hide anymore?"
Now it's Alex's turn to fall silent. It's something similar to what Ellen had pointed out to her, but she had been too consumed with a scorching fury to really listen to and contemplate what the older hunter had been trying to get across. But now, sitting here across from a pleading Isla and a hell of a lot calmer than she had been an hour ago, she can't help but ponder about what could be.
Sensing the cracks in her tough resolve, Isla presses, "Think about it. You- you wouldn't have to look over your shoulder everywhere you went. And you could give up hunting if you wanted and go back to college and get your degree and live a normal life. You'd be safe too."
Safe. Alex gnaws on the inside of her lip at the one-syllable word, her fingers inching towards the base of her throat where she knows the locket waits for them. Safe isn't a word that she hasn't really considered in a very long time. She thought that hiding away from everything and everyone had been safe- she had told Ellen as much during their phone call before. But deep down she knows that this isn't the case- she would never truly be safe until the demon is dead. With it alive there is always a chance that it will catch up to her eventually; she can only run and hide for so long. She knows this. And yet, she still doesn't want to go and hunt it with the Winchesters. She's hunted with other hunters before and it didn't end well. She doesn't know if she's really ready to not only face the demon after all this time but also work with the people that she promised she would never let hurt her again.
Hunters.
She doesn't have it within her to crush a hopeful Isla, however. So instead, she offers the same lie that she had selfishly fed Ellen. "I'll think about it, alright?"
Isla sadly smiles. "No, you won't. But I'll forgive you. I always do, don't I?"
A lump lodges in the back of Alex's throat, and she suddenly has the impulse to burst into tears. She's never truly been able to handle disappointment from Isla. "Maybe you shouldn't."
There's a brief pause. And then; "But then who would bring me doughnuts when they've pissed me off?"
Alex ducks her head to hide a watery smile, not before noticing the wide and genuine grin that spreads from ear to ear on her best friend's face. Sniffing, she replies, "Oscar."
She hears Isla jump down from the stool once more and before she knows it, Isla's slim hand is wrapping itself around Alex's shoulders and pulling her into a side hug. Alex falls against her best friend's side with no quarrel and allows her to rub a hand comfortingly up and down her arm. "True," Isla concedes. "But chances are, Oscar would just eat them all before he has the chance to give them to me."
It does the trick. Alex laughs and reaches up to wipe at her face. Taking a brief look at the watch that is wrapped around the hand that isn't currently offering her comfort, she asks, "As much as I would love to sit here and talk to you all day, don't you have to leave for work soon?"
"Nah," Isla dismisses with a small shake of her head. "I've always got time for you."