XLVII. SWEET CHILD O' MINE.
☽ ༓ ☾
"I'M FUCKING DEAD, aren't I?"
Given the unusual circumstances Birdie Fowler found herself in, that was very much a plausible conclusion.
She had every reason to believe that she was in fact dead.
She was stabbed directly in the chest, left to die in a dreary, old barn by a demon she had foolishly made the mistake of trusting. And now, her supposed father was sitting directly across from her in a dingy motel room that smelled of cheap cigarettes, stale crackers, and axe body spray.
She had to be dead.
Reese Fowler softly chuckled, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he stared across at his daughter. It was only a few minutes after Birdie woke up, discovering she was not in the same place where she had taken her last breath. Reese had already told her she wasn't dead, but then that would mean he wasn't her father in front of her because he was supposed to already be dead.
The accident had been all over the news, the reporter giving a rather gory description of what all happened as a result of the wreck. She had seen body being wheeled into a coroner's van in a black bag, who only could've been her father as he was the only person involved in the accident. She had no desire to go and identify the body, so Bobby did it on her behalf. Reese Fowler was dead.
Birdie's narrowed her eyes on on him after he━━━whoever or whatever he really was━━━turned on the light so they could actually see inside the room, fully expecting him to reveal what he was and why he'd taken her as he sat down on the opposite bed again.
Birdie's heart was still beating faster than usual, but without knowing what kind of creature was impersonating her father, she wasn't going to make any sudden moves until she figured it out. So, for now she was going to be as cautious as possible. Her hands were by her sides with both of her feet on the ground like she was prepared to make a break for the door, though.
Reese let out a quiet sigh, tilting his head. It was quite obvious Birdie was ready for a fight or flight situation to occur. That was the last thing Reese wanted. "Birdie, it's me," he said for what was probably the twentieth time already.
"You didn't answer my question," Birdie snapped. "Am I dead or not?"
"No, you're not dead, kiddo," Reese denied, shaking his head at the mere suggestion.
Birdie slightly tilted her head, her expression remaining unchanged. "Then you're a monster pretending to be my dad. And, if you are, I promise I will fu━━━"
"I can prove it to you."
Birdie narrowed her eyes even more, instinctively tensing when Reese stood up. He innocently held his hands up, slowly walking towards the end of the bed. He picked up a bag and sat it down next to Birdie, putting his hand back up as he sat on the other bed again. Birdie turned her head, realizing it was her bag. Birdie didn't remember Felicity grabbing it when she left Bobby's house; then again, she realized she still didn't remember everything Felicity did when she took control of Birdie's body.
"You got silver in there, right? Holy water?" Reese asked, nudging his head towards the bag.
"I should," Birdie said, raising a brow in his direction. "Unless you switched them while I was out."
Reese frowned, shaking his head. "Just look in the bag, kiddo."
"Stop calling me that," Birdie said, shooting him a hateful glare. Reese's face faltered at her harsh tone, but he nodded understandingly. He didn't blame Birdie for not believing him. In fact, he would've been concerned if she did. Easily trusting someone was not a trait hunters had and he and Serena taught her to be weary of everyone she met.
Birdie ignored the hurt on his face and slowly opened her bag, pausing as a thought occurred to her. She felt for her necklace that dangled around her neck━━━the one Reese had given her━━━and then looked over at the man. She pursed her lips together and stood up, carefully unclasping it from around her neck. It was made of real silver. If he couldn't bear to touch it, then that would give Birdie some ideas of what he could've been.
And. . .it would prevent Birdie from getting her hopes up that just maybe her father was actually still alive somehow.
She cautiously walked forward, holding it out to him. Reese looked at the necklace and then back to Birdie. "Touch it," Birdie instructed, nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders. "If you're who you say you are. . .then there shouldn't be any problem."
Reese let out a sigh, offering Birdie a tiny smile. Then he lifted his hand, wrapping his hand around the end of the necklace as he looked at Birdie. "On the back it says July, 84. The month and year you were born," he said, completely unfazed by touching the silver.
Birdie huffed under her breath and yanked the necklace out of his hand, taking a few steps back. She sat on the edge of the bed, quickly clasping it around her neck so she wouldn't lose it again. "Fine. So you're not a werewolf, revenant, shapeshifter, skinwalker, wraith. . .but that doesn't cross off everything."
"Well, I'm not a ghoul, vampire, p━━━"
Reese blinked, keeping his eyes closed as a liquid was splashed onto his face without warning. He lifted his hand a couple seconds later and slowly wiped it from his eyes, spitting some out as he met Birdie's eye. She pursed her lips together and closed the lid of the flask, tossing it back into her bag.
"I'm not a demon either," Reese said, wiping his hands off on his pants.
"Fine," Birdie said, folding her arms over her chest. "But that doesn't mean you're not━━━"
"Birdie," Reese softly said, raising his brows as Birdie just glared at him, "If I was a monster, don't you think you'd be tied up or somethin' right now? You think I'd risk you gettin' free? Or that I'd even be trying to prove I'm not a monster?"
Birdie shook her head, standing up and walking off to the side of the room. She turned on her heel to face the man, biting the inside of her cheek as she thought for a few seconds. It just didn't make any sense. That couldn't be her father sitting in front of her. If her father was still alive, he would've come back to her. He wouldn't have left her all alone for all those years━━━he wouldn't have made her into an orphan. Reese wasn't like that.
Serena was never someone that anyone could count on, but Reese was. He was a kind, loving, and nurturing father. She had him wrapped around her finger and he was perfectly okay with that. He did everything he could to make Birdie happy, even if knew his wife would snap at him for it once she found out. He didn't care. All he wanted was to keep his daughter happy and safe like every parent was supposed to do. He would've come back for Birdie. He would've found her wherever she was and taken her all the way to California to teach her to swim just like he had promised. And then. . .they could've started over.
They could've had a normal life.
They could've moved to the suburbs. Reese could've traded in his gun for a briefcase, or even a guitar or something as he did love to make music. Birdie could've gone to college━━━majored in art or music and turned it into a career if she wanted. They could've made friends, ones that didn't know about the monster life and could make them forget about their old life. It was possible their old life would come back to haunt them, but there was also a chance it wouldn't. A new life was a possibility of a fresh start, a chance to heal from all the things they'd endured.
That was exactly what Reese wanted to do for his daughter after Serena died. . .but things didn't go as he planned.
As Birdie's thoughts frantically raced inside her head, Reese just patiently waited for her to speak up again. He didn't want to push her if she wasn't ready. She had a chance to get away, yet she was still sticking around which hopefully meant there was a chance she believed him, or was beginning to. Reese glanced between Birdie and the floor, taking another look at his daughter as he tried to figure out what was going on inside her head.
Birdie shook her head, looking at Reese again. "No, you-you can't be my dad," she said, a harsh look on her face. Reese frowned, standing up. Birdie held her hand out and Reese held his hands up, slowly sitting back down on the bed. He had no desire to freak her out or make her run, so he would do whatever she wanted even if it meant keeping some distance between them. "You're-you're not him. . .because my dad. . .if he was actually still alive, he would have told me by now. He-he wouldn't have waited seven fucking years to come back."
Reese looked down as he heard Birdie's sharp words, solemnly nodding his head. He understood her sadness, her anger. He'd been gone for years, leaving his little girl to continue growing up without a father━━━a father that was meant to be there whenever and wherever needed. But, where was he when she needed him most?
Not there.
"So, who the hell are you? Huh?" Birdie demanded to know, her glare burning into the side of Reese's head. He let out a sigh, turning his head to look at her with tears lingering in his eyes. Birdie simply ignored it, anger igniting her brown eyes. "Fucking answer me!"
"I'm sorry," Reese said, his bottom lip wobbling as he tried to keep his tears at bay. "I am so sorry, Birdie."
Birdie gulped, shaking her head as she took a few steps back.
No. It couldn't be.
That couldn't be her father.
Reese Fowler was dead.
Reese sniffled, hesitantly standing up from the bed despite the weariness that radiated off of Birdie. She closely watched him walk closer, staying completely still as he stopped a few inches in front of her. Birdie's brows were knitted together, her tears teetering on the edge of spilling over and trickling down her face. Her eyes raked over her father, watching a few tears run down his cheeks.
Being so close to him, actually seeing the guilt in his eyes. . .it was her father.
"Why?" That was all Birdie could manage to ask.
"I. . .I thought if I. . .if everyone thought I died that night. . .maybe you could finally have a chance at a normal life, the life you deserved to have instead of the life your mother and I forced on you. You-you could stop hunting monsters and━━━" Birdie clenched her eyes shut, her tears finally escaping as she listened. They raced down her face, dropping down from her chin and landing on the floor. Reese felt his heart ache at the sight, biting the inside of his cheek to stop his lips from wobbling. Birdie opened her eyes a few seconds later, catching her father's gaze again. "These last few weeks. . .I just had this awful feeling inside. I-I don't know how to describe it but. . .I decided to try and find you, just to check on you. I found you with the Winchesters and. . .and I followed for a while. I lost track of you and the boys a couple days ago. . .but then I tracked you down to that barn and I. . .I. . .when I walked inside and saw. . ."
Reese cautiously slowed the car to a stop, putting it in park as he stopped a few yards away from the gloomy barn. It was sprinkling now, thunder growing more intense as the raging storm approached from the east. The skies were darker than they were just a few minutes ago, daunting clouds blocking off the stars that would've twinkled down upon them. He glanced up at the sky through the partially cracked windshield and let out a sigh, adjusting his hands on the steering wheel.
He could see the main door of the barn was ajar, the increasing gusts of winds making it swing back and forth every so often. There was still a pit in Reese's stomach, his gruff hands sweaty as he ran them over his stubbly face. He wasn't sure how, but he just knew something was wrong.
He could feel it.
Reese pushed it to the side for the moment and instead opened the car door, quietly shutting it behind him. His narrowed eyes scanned the surrounding woods, making sure there wasn't anyone spying on him. He pulled out his gun, making sure it was loaded before he entered the barn. Then he reached into his jacket, pulling out a small flashlight. He clicked the button a few times, making sure it worked first. It did. He lifted his head again, taking one last look around before he started to walk forward.
He kept his footsteps quiet, gun slightly raised while with his flashlight off but in hand in case he needed it. The rain was becoming harsher, trickling down Reese's face and making his hair cling to his skin. His boots squished into the mud, making sloshing sounds with each step. He didn't deter as thunder rumbled in the sky yet again, making the barn shudder and creak. Leaves rustled in the trees, making Reese glance over just to make sure there wasn't someone suddenly standing there. Thankfully, there wasn't.
Reese fastened his pace and pressed his back against the slick wall. He raised one of his hands and wiped the rain from his face, but more was dripping down his face as soon as he pulled his hand away. He shook his head to himself and crept closer to the door, waiting for any sound to spill from inside. But, all he heard was the wind.
Perhaps it could've been a good sign that he didn't hear anything━━━that Birdie was safe and sound somewhere else. She could've been with Sam and Dean again, already on their way to the next hunt or going to visit Bobby. The sinking feeling that was eating at Reese could've just been his paranoia getting the better of him. Yet, he had to check.
Needing answers, Reese crept forward once again, peeking inside the barn with his gun lifted. He couldn't see much, though he saw some scattered dirt and muddy footprints that showed signs there had been some kind of a struggle. Reese gulped and slipped inside, his eyes immediately falling on a figure on the ground in the middle of the room. He took a couple steps forward, eyes widening in complete horror.
His gun and flashlight slipped from his hands, legs immediately rushing forward as the pit in his stomach worsened.
"No, no, no!" Reese shouted, rushing towards his daughter. "NO!"
He collapsed to his knees next to Birdie, desperately reaching out to her. He saw splotches of blood on her clothes, some of it smearing onto his jacket when his arms brushed against it. He gently turned her head towards him, gasping at the bruises and cuts that decorated her pale skin. Seeing her in that state was a direct stab to Reese's heart, the knife going deeper and deeper as he looked over the stab wound on her chest. No one could survive that. Still, Reese refused to accept that possibility.
He blinked back his tears, shaking Birdie's shoulders when she didn't open her eyes. "No, no. Birdie, wake up!" he desperately pleaded, a tremble in his voice. She had to wake up. She had to.
But, Birdie remained perfectly still, laying limp in her father's shaky arms.
Reese clenched his eyes shut, unable to hold back his tears. "Not my little girl," he whimpered.
Reese sniffled and looked down again, noticing that Birdie was wearing the necklace he had given her years ago. His bottom lip wobbled and he looked at Birdie's face again, sniffling as his tears dripped down his chin and landed on Birdie's cheek. "No," Reese whispered, shaking his head in denial. "Not like this. No."
Reese reached forward, scooping Birdie's limp body further into his arms. He hoisted her up and clambered to his feet, hurrying towards the door. The rain was pouring down from the gray clouds, thunder growing more powerful as lightning rippled through the night sky after it struck a tree miles away. Reese and Birdie were drenched the second they were out of the barn, causing Reese to fasten his pace. He hurried back to the car, grunting as he managed to swing open the back door. He leaned down, carefully laying Birdie across the backseat. Then he stood up and slammed the door shut, hastily climbing into the driver's seat. He quickly started up the engine, backing out and driving down the dirt path as fast as possible. His hands tightly gripped the steering wheel, a hard look on his splotchy face as he sped away from the barn.
He wouldn't let his little girl die.
A heavy silence hung over Reese and Birdie as they sat across from each other once again. Every one of Reese's words was absorbed by Birdie, echoing in her mind as the scene played out in her head. Birdie was seated on the bed and leaning against the wall, one of her legs pulled into her chest and her arms wrapped around it. Her eyes bored into Reese's, watching as a few stray tears glided down his cheeks after he told her how he'd found her a few hours ago.
The thought of her father finding her in the barn. . .dead. . .Rees said that was a little over two days ago, meaning he'd most likely had to look at her lifeless body probably dozens of times. She couldn't imagine how he must've felt. Birdie did know the feeling of loss━━━perhaps better than most people━━━and how grief tended to linger no matter how deep down it was pushed in hopes it would be forgotten, but she'd never lost her own child. That kind of pain. . .no one could imagine what it felt like until it actually happened to them.
Birdie fiddled with her fingers, frowning as she looked at her father. "Dad. . ." she softly said. Reese wiped at his eyes, looking up to face his daughter. "I. . .I was dead."
"Uh, no, it was close, but━━━"
"Dad," Birdie interjected, shaking her head as she kept her gaze on him. She knew she died. There was no denying that. But now she was back, and she needed to know how that was possible. "I was dead━━━I know that for a fact. And you're sayin' that was two days ago, but I'm just now waking up? What the hell happened?"
Reese let out a sigh, sniffling as he sat up straight, rugged hands resting on his knees. There was something lingering in his eyes, something that made Birdie's heart drop.
She turned her head slightly, skeptically staring at her father. She slowly shook her head, watching him look away from her like he knew what she was thinking.
"I didn't have a choice," Reese whispered, confirming Birdie's fear.
Birdie closed her eyes, shaking her head. "No. Please, please, please tell me you didn't. . ." Birdie sucked in a sharp breath, scooting forward and standing up from the bed. She walked away from the bed, turning around when she neared the middle of the room. Reese was already looking at her, a small frown etched on his lips. Birdie's eyes glistened with tears, a crack widening in her heart. "Dad, please. . .please tell me that you did not make a deal for me."
Reese stood up from the bed, holding his hand out as he took a few steps closer to Birdie. "You're my little girl, Bird," he softly said. "I'd do anything for you."
Birdie's frown only deepened as Reese came to a stop in front of her. "You-you shouldn't have done that," she said.
Reese gave her a look of disbelief. "I had to, Birdie. Leaving you like I did. . .I had to try and make up for it somehow."
"And coming back just to die in my place is making up for it?" Birdie asked, a hint of anger seeping into her voice. Reese softly sighed, his shoulders sinking. He wasn't counting on her remembering that she died. He thought he'd have at least a few days before she possibly remembered or it was brought up by someone else, but not so soon. He needed just a little more time to find a way to properly tell her if it came to that. "Dad, how long did you get?"
Reese twisted his lips, taking a few moments to answer. "Five years."
Birdie's eyes widened. "'Five years?'" she repeated in disbelief. "Isn't the standard ten at the least?"
Reese shook his head, turning on his heel to sit on the edge of the dining table. "I was lucky to even get that," Reese said with a forced laugh. "He said any other demon wouldn't have given me more than two."
"He?" Birdie asked. "It was a guy?"
Reese nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
Birdie shifted her feet, placing her hands on her hips as she looked down at the floor. Reese eyed her, brows furrowed together as he wondered what was going through his daughter's head.
From a young age, Reese could always tell how Birdie was feeling, what was going through her head; sometimes he knew before she even did. Serena could never tell, though she never actually tried to understand her daughter. She just made assumptions and didn't leave room for anyone to correct her. Reese, however, took notice of his daughter's behaviors. He saw when she struggled and always tried to offer his support or advice. He saw when she was happy and tried to preserve that for as long as possible. He saw when she was sad and did everything he could to cheer her up or get her to open up. But now. . .he couldn't tell a thing about her. Walls surrounded her and it would take time for him to break through them━━━if she even gave him a chance for it.
After a couple of moments, Birdie finally looked up again. She twisted her lips and shook her head, taking a few steps back from her father. "I-I'm sorry, Dad. I. . .I just need some time to process-to process all of this," she said, a prominent frown on her lips. Reese's expression faltered completely. Birdie forced back her tears, fiddling with her fingers as she stared into her fathers sorrowful face. She glanced aside, quietly sighing when she saw a piece of paper on the table. She walked over and grabbed a pen, quickly scribbling something down before she stood up. She offered her father a small smile and handed it to him. "Text me so I at least have your number. After that I'll. . .I'll let you know when I'm ready."
Reese nodded, partially returning Birdie's smile. He was just glad she said when instead of if. "I will. And I understand, Birdie," he said. "If you need anything, I'm there for you, kiddo."
Birdie nodded in response and walked over to the bed, collecting her things. She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked over to the door, feeling her fathers stare as she did so. Reese desperately hoped that Birdie would suddenly change her mind, but he knew better than to let that hope get to him. After what he'd done. . .he wouldn't blame Birdie if she never wanted to talk to him afterwards; just because he chose to save her life that didn't mean she owed him anything. Though, that didn't mean it still didn't hurt that she was leaving. It might've been only for a couple days, a few weeks, but Reese had no way to tell what his daughter would do or how long it might take; not anymore, anyways.
Birdie paused with her hand on the handle, looking back over her shoulder where she caught Reese's gaze again. "I am glad you're alive, but you shouldn't have waited," she said, her sadness just barely visible in her dark eyes.
"I-I know that," Reese nodded. He shifted his feet, pushing some hair out of his face as he turned to fully face Birdie. "If I could go back in time and undo what I did, I would. I wish I could, I really do, Bird."
Birdie opened the door, sighing as she stepped out with her solemn gaze still on her father. "I wish you could, too."
☽ ༓ ☾
AHHHH SO WE ARE FINALLY IN ACT THREE HEHE!!
I didn't think i would be posting this chapter yet, but I felt bad about ending the last one on a cliffhanger, so here y'all go!!! I know it wasn't very long and didn't go over a whole lot, but at least y'all know how birdie is back!! 😅 and honestly I'm so glad y'all finally know Reese is actually still alive!!! I've been planning that from almost the very start and it was paining me that I was having to wait to reunite him and Birdie 😭 Tho, it wasn't really the best reunion, and much more will happen, he is in fact back and I can't wait for y'all to see more of Reese <3 Birdie isn't his biggest fan at the moment (and I have a feeling some of you won't be either which I completely understand) but I just wanna say that there's much more of this act to go so there's plenty room for things to change/develop 🤭
I'm sure there's still some confusion, but I promise I am gonna explain everything (or at least try) as the story continues!!
And I wanna thank y'all for being so supportive of me and this story!!! You all are so sweet and though I don't always respond (mainly bc I'm just awkward ans sometimes get nervous) I do see them and I appreciate you all so much!! Your guys' support and comments are what keep me motivated to write and keep posting 🫶🏻
Anyways, please don't forget to leave your feedback in the comments and I hope y'all enjoyed!