||CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR // PANIC||
It was silent in the impala, but the air was incredibly tense. Dakota shifts in her seat uncomfortably, waiting for her uncle to scold her for acting that way towards her dad. Sam sighs, breaking the silence and causing Dakota to stiffen.
"What's going on with you, Kota?" Sam asks, Dakota wasn't expecting that. His tone was gentle and concerned, not at all angry at her.
"Nothing." She shrugs, moving her feet under her. "I just got angry, that's all."
"No," Sam denies quickly, glancing at her through the rear-view mirror. "I'm not taking that answer, not again. You've been acting strange, and yelling at your dad? That's not like you."
"I-I just realized that I'm not like other kids." She says quietly, her voice sounding timid. She glances up at Sam through her lashes, scared of his reaction.
A sharp pain races through Sam's chest and into his heart, she feels exactly like he did when he was younger. Sometimes how he feels still, like a freak compared to everyone else.
"You're not...but sometimes that's okay, bug." He replies soothingly, she gazes at him like she's hanging onto his words. "I wasn't like other kids when I was you're age, neither was Dean. I'm still not, but that's okay."
"Bobby asked me if I had any friends." She changes the subject, seeming to ignore Sam's assurance.
"What?"
"He asked me how my friends were." Her voice wavers. "I told him you're fine."
"Me?" Sam questions, pulling the impala to a stop in front of the theater.
"You're my best friend, uncle Sammy." She replies, giving him a tiny smile before it disappears. "My only friend."
Sam's stunned into silence, he realizes that she's right. She doesn't have any friends, she's seven and has never really talked to anybody her age.
"I want to go school." Dakota says, once again changing the subject. "I want to learn normal things, not how to hunt a shifter or a werewolf."
"You don't want to hunt." Sam states, turning in his seat to look at her fully.
"I'm sorry," She apologizes, looking away from him quickly. Her voice losing the confidence it held a second ago.
"Sorry? Why are you sorry, Kota?"
"I-I...dad wants me to be a hunter, to be like him." Dakota's voice breaks. "He always tells me I'm gonna be just like him, I don't know if I can."
Sam doesn't know how to respond, he knows that Dakota's strong enough to be a hunter. She's smart enough to be one when she gets older. She just lacks the confidence in herself and the conviction to actually do it.
"I like helping people, but I want to be..."
"Normal." Sam finishes sadly, feeling his own pain resurface from his childhood.
"I don't want to be the freak for once, Dean." Young Sam exclaims towards his older brother. "I want to be normal."
"We-you-better go, Sammy." Dakota's voice pulls him from his thoughts. He sighs and nods, sliding out of the car.
"Why don't you come with me?" He asks, leaning in through the back window. Dakota's eyes widen up at him in shock, she's never been asked to actually go hunting with either Sam or Dean.
"R-really?" She stutters, a smile crossing her mouth before it falls away sadly. "Daddy wouldn't like that."
"Yeah, well, Dean's not here." Sam says, grinning. "Besides you need at least one hunt under your belt before you go to school."
"School!?" She straightens, her face lighting up like it's Christmas. She smiles widely at her uncle, her eyes gleaming brightly with excitement.
"I'm not promising anything, but I will talk to Dean. Persuade him." Sam shrugs like it was nothing, but to Dakota it was everything.
"Let's go!" She nearly shouts, pushing Sam's head out of the window and opening the door.
Sam pulls something out of his back pocket and hands it to Dakota, she looks at it in confusion before she realizes what it is. She presses a small button on the side of it, a silver blade springs out in greeting.
"Stay behind me, and keep that with you." He says, grabbing her free hand gently and pulling her into the theater with him.
Loud music fills the theater, creeping Dakota out while confusing Sam. He drops Dakota's hand when he reaches the stairs, pulling out his gun from the waistband of his jeans. He loads it and gives Dakota a pointed look, silently telling her to stay behind him. Sam shakes his head at himself and slips his gun back into his jeans.
She nods at him once, her face growing determined as she holds the knife ready. It was the only weapon she knew how to use, and that was only because Bobby wanted her to be prepared in case the boys weren't around.
They walk towards where the music is coming from, Dakota one step behind Sam, peering out his legs. She notices a large shadow on the wall of someone playing an organ piano.
Sam pulls back a curtain to the backstage where the person is playing. He slowly walks out, holding the heavy curtain back for Dakota to rush through behind him.
The man playing the organ suddenly reaches over and turns on a different genre of music, before returning to his instrument. Sam approaches the man silently, reaching out but the man suddenly turns. He shouts in surprise, startling a yelp out of Dakota at the sudden movement.
Sam presses a hand on the man, Ed Brewer's, collarbone to keep him in place. He pulls out his gun and trains it on Ed, while Dakota shifts behind him to stay out of sight for the time being.
"You, FBI man--what did I--"
"Shut up, okay, you know what you did." Sam interrupts, his voice loud and stern-scaring Ed.
"What?" Ed questions in confusions, his whole body trembling in fear.
"I know what you are." Sam smirks.
"I'm not anything. I just like to play the casio." Ed defends himself, Dakota's face turns confused at his words. She was sure that he was playing an organ, that's what it sounded like.
"Had time to grow the ear back, huh?" Sam asks, ignoring his words.
"What?!" Ed shouts. Sam abruptly grabs onto Ed's ear and pulls it harshly. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Ed cries out, grabbing Sam's hand.
Sam releases in ear in confusion. "It's supposed to come off." He says.
"No, it's not." Ed spits through gritted teeth. Dakota grimaces off to the side.
Sam gives an awkward smile and shrugs before grabbing Dakota's hand and fleeing the theater.
"Well, that was awkward." Dakota sighs when Sam practically shoves her in the backseat before racing off towards the tavern.
Sam gives her an unimpressed look before rolling his eyes and speeding up.
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Sam walks into the tavern with Dakota walking a few steps behind him, slowing her pace the closer she got in the door. Sam notices and grabs her hand, forcing her to stay up with him. He knows that she feels awkward about seeing Dean so quickly after their argument.
Sam looks around, not seeing Dean anywhere nearby. Dakota, instead of feeling relief, feels off.
"Sammy, something's wrong." She says nervously, her eyes darting around as she shifts on her feet.
Sam glances at her before pulling out his phone and dialing Dean's number.
"Dean, hey, listen, uh, Ed is not our guy." Sam leaves a message, an awkward tone layer his voice. "Um, I'm guessing you're at home with Jamie, so just give me a call, okay? We gotta talk about Dakota." He finishes up, winking down at Dakota before he realizes she's staring at the ground in fear.
He slides his phone in his pocket as his eyes fall on the broken liquor that Dakota's staring at. Sam's eyes scan the broken glass scattered around, he picks up Dakota to stop her from stepping on it. His eyes fall on a napkin with lipstick sitting on the table.
"Lucy." He says, piecing everything together. "Okay, Kota, we gotta go save your dad."
"I-is he okay?" She asks timidly.
"He knows what he's doing." Sam answers with instead, he walks towards the door before setting Dakota on the ground. "Tell me the rules again." He urges, crouching in front of her with a hand on her shoulder.
"Stay close and stay alert." She repeats fiercely, her eyes determined and her hand wrapped around the closed switchblade tightly.
"And most importantly?"
"Save dad."
"Dakota." Sam chides, Dakota sighs heavily.
"Watch out for myself." She recites with a tight voice. Sam nods once before grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the tavern.
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The two Winchesters stand outside of Lucy's house, Sam had somehow found her address. He bends down and starts to pick the lock, Dakota stands with her back towards him, acting as a lookout for her uncle.
"C'mon, bug." He murmurs quietly, opening the door slowly and slipping inside with Dakota. He closes the door with a soft click, pulling out his gun as he starts to look around.
Dakota presses the button on the switchblade, standing behind Sam with the knife held between both her hands.
Sam looks around before finding a door leading to the basement, he glances at Dakota behind him before making his way slowly down. After a few moments the stairs change into a winding stone stair case.
When they make it to the bottom, they find Dean strapped to a table wearing a weird costume. Dakota wrinkles her nose at it before rushing forward with Sam.
"Oh, thank God." Dean sighs in relief. "Just in the nick of time." Sam grabs something and pries at the metal bars holding Dean. "That guy was about to Frankenstein me."
"What are you wearing?" Dakota asks at the same time Sam says mockingly. "Hey there, handsome."
"Shut up!" Dean snaps at his brother before realizing he heard Dakota. "You brought Dakota!" He hisses.
"Yeah." Sam responds, straightening his posture. Dean glares at him before snatching the blade from Dakota's hand.
They walk towards a large wooden set of doors, Sam and Dean exchange a look before Dean waves towards it. Sam sighs and brings his foot up, slamming it into the doors. His foot goes through the wood and the doors creak before falling, Sam's foot still stuck in the wood causes him to hop to remain his balance as he follows the door.
Dean presses his lips together as Sam breathes heavily. "Let's go." Dakota urges, waving them forward.
She follows after them towards another set of wooden doors, this time Sam simple pushes it open. He walks in slowly with his gun raised and ready, he puts it down when he sees Jamie passed out on a bed.
When he's about to rush forward, the shifter grabs him and throws him across the room into a false wall, Sam smashes through it roughly, falling to the ground unconscious. The shifter yells something as Dean grabs unto his shoulders, but the shifter spins around and elbows Dean in the face four times before grabbing his face.
Dakota had entered the room behind Dean silently, attracting no attention to herself. She stands frozen as she watches her dad being beaten, she spots Sam's discarded gun a couple feet from her and she scrambles to grab it. She holds it up shakingly towards the shifter.
"And you, Harker, now you die." The shifter spits. Dakota remains frozen with the gun raised, trying to get herself to move but she can't. She argues with herself that she needs to do something.
Before she can, Dean gains control and knees the shifter in the stomach. "How 'bout now you shut the hell up?" He sneers at the shifter. Dean glances at Dakota holding the gun up and the shifter follows his eyes.
Dean lurches forward but the shifter slams his fist against Dean's face, knocking him on the ground. The shifter grows fangs and hisses at Dean, holding his arms up and straightening his posture to appear taller.
Two gun shots ring through the air, confusing both of the men. The shifter looks down at his chest in confusion.
"Silver?" He questions, Dean glances towards Dakota.
She stands there holding the gun out, her chest heaving and tears lining her eyes. The shifter turns towards the young Winchester, she remains still with the gun out. She tries to catch her breath, but it seems impossible.
The shifter starts to recite lines from his favorite monster movie, confusing everyone in the room. He collapses onto a throne like chair, sighing deeply before growing still and his eyes shut.
"I-I ca-an't breathe." Dakota stutters, her words falling away as she finds it harder to catch her breath.
The gun shakes rapidly in her hands as more tears cloud her vision. Dean springs forward, taking the gun out of her hands and places his hands on her cheeks.
"Hey, it's okay. It's okay, you're fine." He soothes, his green eyes focuses on hers calmly. "You did great, baby. You saved me."
Dakota's chest starts to burn as she heaves for air, she grabs onto her dad's wrists in a panicked frenzy.
Sam gains consciousness, shaking his head and groaning as he slowly rises. He spots his niece's trembling body and hears her gasping breaths. Dean's eyes start to cloud with alarm.
Sam rushes forward, sliding slightly as he drops to the ground, he grabs Dakota's shoulders as Dean releases her face.
"Breath with me, bug, okay?" Sam instructs, taking a deep breath in. Dakota struggles to follow it, but she manages to inhale deeply.
Sam purses his lips and exhales slowly, he repeats this action several times with Dakota following. She starts to do it on her own, her body slowly stops shaking and she nods her head at Sam.
"C'mere." Dean says, pulling Dakota into a loving hugs. "I'm sorry for yelling at you." He apologizes, burying his face in Dakota's hair.
Dakota hugs him tighter, her face pressing into the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry too, you aren't the reason she left. I love you, daddy."
"I love you too, baby."
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Sam holds Dakota against her hip as they stand outside the tavern, Dakota hides her face in Sam's neck as Dean and Jamie make out and exchange goodbyes.
Dakota digs her face further into Sam's neck, not wanting to see her dad kiss Jamie. She hated the woman, and it wasn't just because she felt like Dean was trying to replace her mother. She just didn't like Jamie.
"Bye." She hears Dean say to Jamie before she hears another kiss. She wraps her arms around Sam's neck tightly.
She feels Sam start to walk but she remains in her position, not wanting to talk to Dean at the moment.
"You guys saved my life, you know?" Dakota hears Jamie call and Sam stops walking. "So, thanks."
"I like her." Sam says, his words vibrating through his chest.
"I don't." Dakota mumbles to herself, Sam only feeling the vibration of her words, not the actual sentence.
"Feels good to be back on the job, doesn't it?" Dean says, Dakota can hear the smile in his voice.
"Yeah, it does." Sam agrees, rubbing Dakota's back, feeling like she was upset, she rubs her head against his neck and sighs.
"The hero gets the girl, monster gets the gank--all in all, happy ending--with a happy ending, no less." Dean smirks, Dakota whines quietly, tightening her grip on her uncle.
"Real classy, Dean. With your eight year old right here." Sam says.
"Hey, all I'm saying, the shifter man had a point, you know? It would be nice if life was movie simple." Dean responds, pulling to stop and Sam shrugs in agreement. "Although, if I was turning life into a movie, I wouldn't do this 'Abbott and Costello meet the monster' crap."
"Yeah. No, I know what you'd pick." Sam jokes.
"No, you don't." Dean denies, chuckling.
"Yeah, I do."
"No, you don't. You don't."
"Porky's II." Sam says.
"What?" Dean asks in surprise.
"You heard me." Sam shrugs, jostling Dakota slightly as she tries to tune out the conversation and closes her eyes.
"Lucky guess." Dean says before walking off, Sam following him.
"Hey, wait up, we gotta talk about Dakota." Sam calls after him, speeding up his walk. Dakota's body tenses up and Sam places a calming hand on her back.
It was going to be a long night for the three Winchesters.
A/N: Sorry for such a long chapter, I just wanted to get this episode over with because I have big plans in store for Dakota.
What'd you guys think of this chapter?
Edited 5/6/19