chapter eleven ~ no exit
the roadhouse
The trio of hunters threw their duffels in the back and shut the trunk of the impala as it laid parked in front of the Harvelle Roadhouse. Dean was explaining a case he had found, "Los Angeles, California."
"What's in LA?" Sam asked.
"A young girl's been kidnapped by an evil cult," Dean explained.
Haven followed the boys as they all walked to their car doors, "Yeah? She got a name?"
Dean played with his car keys, "Katie Holmes."
Sam chuckled, "That's funny and for you, so bitchy."
The sound of plates and glass shattering along with arguing came from inside the roadhouse and filled the hunter's ears.
"Course on the other hand, cat fight," Dean gestured to the roadhouse before the three made their way to the door.
Haven hesitantly opened the door and led the boys into the bar as Jo yelled back at Ellen, "What are you gonna do? You gonna chain me up in the basement?"
Ellen was aggressively moving tables and chairs around, "You know, you've had worse ideas then that recently! Hey, if you don't want to stay, don't stay! Go back to school!"
"I didn't belong there! I was a freak with a knife collection!" Jo yelled back as the trio awkwardly watched them fight.
"Yeah, but getting yourself killed on some nasty backroad? That's where you belong?" Ellen asked. Jo finally noticed the hunters causing Ellen to follow her eye line and sighed, "Guys, bad time."
Sam nodded, "Yes, ma'am."
"Yeah, we rarely drink before 10 anyway," Dean agreed.
"Wait," Jo yelled after them before moving to go stand in front of the trio. "I want to know what they think about this."
Ellen scoffed, "I don't care what they think!"
A family of four walked in the bar with bright yellow Nebraska is for Lovers shirts on, each parent having a child perched on their hip. The dad spoke up, "Are you guys open?"
"NO," Jo yelled as Ellen yelled "YES" at the same time.
"We'll just check out the Arby's down the road," The dad awkwardly laughed before ushering his family out.
The shrill of the roadhouse telephone filled the silence of the bar as the family walked out and shut the door. Jo turned to the phone and gestured for her mom to get it with an annoyed look. Ellen sighed before walking behind the bar and answering, "Harvelle's."
Jo didn't hesitate when Ellen answered to pick up a file and hold it out, "3 weeks ago a young girl disappears from her Philadelphia apartment." Dean raised an eyebrow at the file, "Take it, I won't bite."
"No, but your Mom might," Dean told her. Jo didn't move which caused Dean to drop his expression and take the file out of her hand with an attitude.
"And this girl wasn't the first. Over the last 80 years, 6 women have vanished. All from the same building, all young blondes. Only happens every decade or two so the cops never eyeball the pattern. So, we're either dealing with one really old serial killer or-"
Haven looked over the work Dean was flipping through and interrupted the girl, "Who put this together? Ash?"
Jo rolled her eyes at Haven, "I did it, myself."
"I gotta admit, we hit the road for a lot less," Sam shrugged.
Ellen hung up on the phone, "Good, you like the case so much, you take it."
"Mom!" Jo snapped.
"Joanna Beth, this family has lost enough. I won't loose you too, I just won't," Ellen explained causing the whole group to fall silent with grief.
~
Dean drove the impala down the road to Philadelphia as Haven was in the passenger seat complaining to the boys, "And did you hear the attitude she gave me back there? All I did was ask a question, one question! And she rolls her eyes at me?"
Sam laughed at the girl causing Haven to look at him in the back, "Why are you laughing? It's not funny."
"It's kinda funny," Sam told her.
"Dean? Thoughts?" Haven asked.
Dean kept his eyes on the road as he gently patted Haven where he was holding her leg, "Oh no, don't get me involved."
Haven sighed, "Come on, boys! I was gonna compliment her, but as soon as I asked she was all over my case! Can't you guys girl talk with me for one minute of your life?"
Sam smiled and gave a girly voice, "Oh yeah, girl, she was just such a bitch." That caused Dean to start laughing along with Sam. Haven pushed Dean's hand off of her and scooted as far away from the two as she could before crossing her arms.
"Assholes," Haven whispered. "I miss Beck."
"Don't be like that, it was a joke," Dean tried with her. "It was supposed to be funny."
A smile started to play on Haven's lips, "Well, it wasn't."
"You sure about that? Because I'm a pretty funny person," Sam said.
"Samuel, don't lie to yourself," Haven grinned at him. Dean chuckled before pulling Haven back into him as Sam sat with his mouth open in shock from the back seat.
~
At the apartment, Sam picked the lock of the door and the hunters pushed their way inside and shut the door behind him. "I feel kinda bad snaking Jo's case," Sam told the duo.
Haven scoffed, "I don't after the shit she pulled."
Dean playfully rolled his eyes at the girl, "She put together a good file, but could you see her working one of these things? I don't think so."
The brothers turned on their EMFs while Haven tried to sense whatever occupied the apartment and killed the blonde girls.
"Getting anything?" Dean asked.
Haven had her eyes closed as she searched with her powers, "No."
Sam turned with the EMF out in front of him, "No, not yet." Sam spun a different way and the device started to beep, alerting the hunters. The younger Winchester noticed something leaking out of an open outlet in the direction the EMF was beeping. He leaned down towards it, "What is that?"
Dean walked over to him with Haven in tow, "What?"
Sam reached a finger to the outlet and touched some of the black goo, "Holy crap."
Haven reached a finger forward and touched it as well, inspecting it, "Isn't this ectoplasm?"
"Well, I think I know what we're dealing with here," Dean concluded as he looked at the black goo on Haven's fingers. "It's the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man."
Sam sighed, "Guys, I've only seen this stuff twice. I mean to make this stuff, you have to be one majorly pissed off spirit."
Dean nodded before shifting for the door, "Alright, let's find this bad ass before he starts snaggin' more girls."
"Yeah," Haven said before she made a face at the goo on her finger and started to wipe it on Sam's jacket.
"Seriously?" Sam asked before he tried to wipe his finger on Haven, but she ducked and bolted for the door. "Haven!"
Dean laughed at the two, more of the fact Haven got Sam and escaped. He followed the girl out the door and found her in the hallway with a smile on her face.
He was happy to see that she seemed to slowly start being herself again, no alcohol needed and she was open to touching from him and Sam. While the nightmares lingered every night that he witnessed, he loved seeing a smile on her face during the day. He found himself constantly wanting to touch her now and be a protector over her and make sure something like what Gordon did, never happened again.
The duo high fived before Dean slung his arm around her shoulders, Sam rolling his eyes at them as he exited the apartment.
The hunters started to walk down the hall when voices were heard. Dean dropped his arm and the three quickly placed their back up to against a nearby door, hoping the people passing wouldn't notice them there.
"It is so spacious. You know my friend told me I had to come and check it out and I have to admit, she was right. You did a really good job with this place," The familiar voice caught their attention and they moved from the door to see Jo with the landlord rounding the corner.
"The hell are you doing here?" Dean asked.
Jo let a smile play on her lips, "There you are, honey." The blonde walked right up to Dean and latched an arm around his waist, "This is my boyfriend, Dean, and his buddy, Sam, with his girlfriend, Haven."
"Your wh-" Haven went to lung at her, but Sam reached around to place a hand around her mouth and pull the witch into his body to play it off as a bear hug.
Sam awkwardly smiled at the landlord as Haven tried to push against his chest and out of his grip, "She's just excited about the apartment."
The landlord nodded before turning to Dean and shaking his hand, "Good to meet ya. Quite a gal you got here."
"Oh yeah, she's a pistol," Dean faked smiled at the man.
"So, did you already check out the apartment?" Jo asked the three, but they just looked wide eyed at her. "The one for rent?"
Dean nodded, "Yeah, yes. Yes, we loved it. What a great flow."
"How'd you get in?" The bald man asked.
"It was open," Dean lied.
Jo interjected before he could question it, "Now, Ed, when did the last tenant move out?"
Ed looked at Jo, "About a month ago, cut and run too. Didn't pay the rent."
"Well, her loss, our gain," Jo smiled. "Cuz if Dean-o loves it, that's enough for me."
"Oh, sweetie," Dean seethed.
"That mother fucking bitch, I hope the spirit takes her ass down," Haven mumbled into Sam. Being the only one that heard, Sam let a small chuckle escape.
Jo handed the man a fat roll of cash, "We'll take it."
~
Haven had her feet rested up on the table as she leaned back in her chair, sharpening her black ring daggers and eyeing Jo every now and then. The boys were on both sides on her, the weapons all laid out on the table as they both cleaned their guns.
Jo approached Dean causing Haven to stop her movements, "I'll flip you for the sofa."
"Does your mother even know you're here?" Dean snapped.
"Told her I was going to Vegas," Jo said.
"You think she's gonna buy that?" He asked her.
Jo stopped shuffling through her file, "I'm not an idiot. I got Ash to lay a credit card trail all the way to the casinos."
Dean looked down and shook his head causing Haven to speak up, "You shouldn't lie to your mother and you shouldn't be here either."
"She's right you know," Dean agreed with the brunette.
Jo looked at the witch, "Well, I am, so both of you untwist your panties and deal with it."
"Where did you get all that money from anyways?" Sam interjected.
"Working at the roadhouse," Jo answered.
"Hunters don't tip that well," Dean pointed out.
"Well, they aren't that good at poker either," Jo tilted her head.
Haven cracked a smile, "They do tip that well when you have an ass, Dean. Remember that bar we were at in Minnesota and you two didn't believe I made that much money?"
"Right, then Dean challenged you to darts and lost," Sam added which caused Haven to nod in content.
Dean looked at the duo who had smiles on their faces, "That's not what happened." The two rolled their eyes at the response as Dean's phone went off and rock music filled the apartment. He answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear, "Yeah?"
"Oh hi, Ellen," Dean said into the phone causing everyone to go into panic mode.
Jo walked up to Dean and got in his face. He removed the phone from his ear before the two started to bicker back and forth. Dean finally gave into the blonde, "I haven't seen her."
"Yeah, I'm sure," Dean lied. "Absolutely." The Winchester hung up the phone and Jo grinned at him as he held a pissed off face.
~
Jo and Sam sat at the table with blue prints of the building laid out in front of them, the blonde swinging a knife around in her hand. While the two over saw the papers, Dean paced behind them while Haven sat on the back of the couch, glaring daggers into the back of Jo's head.
"This place was built in 1924, it was originally a warehouse converted into apartments a few months ago," Jo said, eyeing Dean like she was telling him directly.
"Yeah and what was here before 1924?" Dean asked as he paced.
Jo shook her head, "Nothing, an empty field."
"So most likely scenario, someone died bloody in the building and now he's back raising hell," Sam suggested.
"Already checked," Jo answered. "In the last 82 years, zero violent deaths. Unless you count a janitor who slipped on a wet floor." Jo didn't make eye contact with the duo behind her as she raised her voice at them, "Would you two sit down at the table please?"
Haven rolled her eyes before reluctantly moving to the table and taking a seat right across from Jo while Dean gave the blonde a look and took the seat across from Sam.
Dean challenged her, "So have you checked the police reports? County death records-"
"Obituaries, mortuary reports, and seven other sources. I know what I'm doing," Jo snapped.
"I think the jury's still out on that one," Dean remarked.
As Jo started to flip her knife around again and Haven didn't drop her gaze from the Harvelle hunter, "Put the knife down. No need to flip it around for attention."
"Ok!" Sam interjected while Jo glared at the witch before setting the knife down on the table. "So uh, it's something else then. Maybe a cursed object that brought a spirit with it?"
"We gotta scan the whole building, everywhere we can get to, right?" Jo asked.
Dean nodded and looked at Jo, "Right, so you and me will take the top floor."
The Winchester pushed out of his chair causing Jo to do the same and get in his face, "We'd move faster if we split up."
"Oh, this isn't negotiable," Dean told her.
~
Haven walked down the empty hall with her scarlet energy on high alert for the spirit. She wanted time to herself away from the group so while Dean and Jo were on the floor above her and Sam below her, she wandered the building hallway alone.
Only when she was alone, she lost herself in her thoughts that refused to surface around company. Haven felt as if she'd gone through hell and back since John, the demon, and Gordon, but she didn't want to be a victim in Dean and Sam's mind. It wasn't who she was. Hell, it wasn't who her father raised to be a strong huntress with a secret ability. But who was she supposed to be? What did the demon want her to be in his plans?
It wasn't until she was halfway done searching the floor when the lights above her started to flicker and she pulled herself out of her thoughts. The witch looked up with enough time to see the lights flicker a couple times before completely going out. Haven stood there in silence, listening for movement or for the slightest shift in the atmosphere, a trick her father taught her.
She listened for countless seconds before feeling a shift in the floor boards behind her a couple feet back. The witch didn't hesitate as she summoned a ball of scarlet energy and quickly spun around before releasing it at the figure behind her. The red glow illuminated the hallway with a bright glow and revealed a familiar face with pale yellow eyes to the girl.
"Again? Seriously?" Haven said before launching another ball of energy at the demon. "Leave me alone!"
Yellow eyes ducked out of the way of all the shots with ease, "Wait! Let's talk about this, Haven!"
Haven stopped her thrust mid throw, "Why? I'm not dreaming, I can kill if I want."
"And live up to the Winchester's worst nightmares of what you'll become!" The demon yelled at her as he faked cowered in the corner of the hallway.
"What?" Her hand dropped as she started panicking. Were they really scared of her?
He pushed out of the corner and circled her, "You didn't know? I thought you could read minds, no?"
Haven's eyes fell to the floor, "I can, I just- I refuse to use it on them."
"Why? Because you don't want your new found family to be scared of you?" The demon taunted. "Because you can't control it or you're worried about what you'll really see in their minds?"
"Stop. Stop it, please," Haven begged and she started backing away from the demon.
Yellow eyes followed her, "Deep down, you know I'm right. They'll use you to their advantage then cast you aside when something goes wrong. It's a repeat of history my dear, Emersons v Winchesters."
The witch felt herself hyperventilating, "No, you're wrong. They care about me. They wouldn't do that."
"On the outside, maybe. But on the inside? They're terrified of you and just want you on a leash," The demon tsked. He sighed and reached out, stroking her hair as if she was his child. "Maybe what I need to do is eliminate the threats they pose to you. I'll start with a certain green-eyed Winchester."
"NO!" Haven yelled at him as she pushed him away and restarted her attack on the demon. "Leave him alone! He's done nothing."
"Yet," The demon barked a laugh as he dodged her attacks and walked backwards. Haven released a powerful blow to hit him, but the demon ducked and ended up sending a big hole through the building.
The witch froze in her spot as she looked in horror at what she'd done. "See! This is who you are!" Yellow eyes appeared behind her. "Quite amazing if you ask me. But, I'll be seeing you, little witch."
Haven snapped back to reality and stalked after him with anger pulsing through her veins. He'd finally pushed her over the edge, "Don't you walk away from me! If you kill him, I swear, I'll murder you with my eyes closed!" She followed after him into the shadows of the hallway in a rage, but instead found herself waking up in a gasp on the hallway floor.
"Woah, you ok?" Dean asked her as she started to sit up.
Tears started to line Haven's eyes as she looked over Dean, he stood before her alive and well. She cupped his face to make sure he actually was in front of her. "You're ok," Haven let out a sigh of relief, so she was dreaming.
Dean lightly chuckled at her, "Why wouldn't I be? Are you ok, Emerson? It looked like you've been out for a while when we found you on the floor. It also smells just like the hallway we were investigating."
"Fine, I just-" The witch hesitated, does she tell him about yellow eyes? "It was nothing, the lights started to flicker and I think the spirit got to me. Like you said, it smells here. No worries, nothing I can't handle."
"Ok," Dean stood and helped Haven stand as she realized something Dean said.
"We?" Haven asked.
Jo cleared her throat from where she stood with a smug smile, "Next time, maybe no sleeping on the job?" The blonde turned to walk back down the hall and Haven started for her causing Dean to hold the brunette back in his arms.
"Woah, I don't need Ellen having my head for letting you tear up Jo," Dean said sarcastically, but a hint of seriousness lingered. "But seriously, Hav, are you ok? Or did something happen with your powers that you didn't want to say in front of Jo?"
"It's ok, Dean, I'm ok. I promise," She forcefully smiled at him. Her eyes trailed along the building looking for where her magic had hit it. No hole resided in the walls, but she still looked down to her hands in fear. No, breathe. He's wrong about you, She thought to herself.
Dean nodded and released Haven before moving to follow Jo down the hallway, but Haven pulled him back. She pulled his body close and connected their lips in the dimly lit hall, Dean almost immediately reacting and returning it as if it was second nature for him.
"Do you forgive me about leaving yet?" Haven asked as they pulled away, but remained close.
"I think you need to kiss me again before I answer that," Dean smirked before leaning in again and reconnecting their lips. What the Winchester didn't know was as they kissed, Haven let her magic flow through his body to cast a protection over him from the demon and the death he might cause Dean. The witch didn't want to take risks, she put in her own precaution so if the demon came, he wasn't touching Dean.
~
The Emerson girl didn't get sleep that night and honestly, how could she? When her eyes were shut the demon visited her or Gordon plagued her mind at any possible second. If she stayed awake, she got to watch over Dean and his life even with her protection over him in place. Jo didn't sleep that night either, she was looking over the case all night trying to figure out what or who the spirit was while annoying Haven as she swung her knife around.
Both girls avoided each other all night, not that Haven cared since her mind was fixated on protecting Dean and Jo focused on her beloved case. Sam had gotten sleep, but was up and out the door early that morning to get coffee, Haven asking for an extra espresso shot when she felt her eyes getting heavy.
Sirens of cop cars and fire trucks were heard from the window causing Dean to stir from his sleep and look around disoriented before looking to see Jo and Haven sitting at the kitchen table.
"Morning, princess," Jo told the groggy Winchester.
Dean groaned and looked around, "Where's Sam?"
Haven nodded to the apartment door, "Went to get coffee."
"My back," Dean grunted again as he sat up in the cushioned lounge chair he had slept in. He stood and walked over to where Haven sat, placing his hands on her shoulders. "How'd you two sleep on the big soft bed?"
"We didn't," Jo told him while Haven leaned into Dean's touch. "I've just been going over everything."
Dean released the brunette and moved for his bag, "What's your excuse, Emerson?"
Haven tapped her finger on the side of her forehead causing Dean to knowingly know who specifically keeps her up all night. It wasn't a lie but rather a half truth. The Winchester softened his eyes at her before opening his weapons duffel and pulling a large knife out, unsheathing it and handing it out for Jo, "Here."
Jo took it, "What's this for?"
"It'll work a whole hell of a lot better then that pig stick you've been twirling around," Dean commented. Jo flipped the knife handle around for Dean to take, he inspected it before noticing the initials W.A.H.
"William Anthony Harvelle," Jo told him.
Dean handed the knife back realizing it was her father's and took back the bigger blade he had given her, "Sorry, my mistake."
Jo looked down before hesitating, "What do you- what do you remember about your Dad? I mean, what's the first thing that pops into your head?" Dean shook his head and continued to put the knife away causing Jo to push, "Come on, tell me."
"Jo," Haven warned.
Dean sighed, "I was 6 or 7 and uh, he took me shooting for the first time. You know bottles on the fence? That kind of thing. I bulls-eyed every one of them." Haven smiled at the story as Dean took a seat next to her. "He would smile like- I don't know."
"He must've been proud," Jo said before looking at the brunette. "What do you remember?"
Haven looked at her hand in her lap before smiling to herself a bit, "After I had warmed up to my parents after they adopted me, I approached my Dad and told him I wanted to hunt. He refused to start with weapons, but rather teach me to be stealthy and be able to get in and out of places unseen. After training I used it to sneak up on him whenever he got home and he always got scared and laughed and said I was a natural at it." Haven saw Dean pass a small smile in her direction, but she turned to Jo beside her, "What about you?"
"I was still in pig tails when my Dad died, but I remember him coming home from a hunt, he'd burst through that door like Steven McQueen or something," Jo joked. "And he'd sweep me up in his arms and I'd breathe in that leather jacket of his. My Mom was sour and pissed from the moment he left then she was smiling again, we were a family. You want to know why I want to do the job, it's for him. I want to be close to him, now tell me what's wrong with that."
"Nothing," Dean whispered before Sam busted into the apartment. "Where's the coffee?"
Sam didn't skip a beat, "There's cops outside, another girl disappeared."
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