"To live is the rarest thing in the world.
Most people exist, that is all." -Oscar Wilde
<< Helpful Hand >>
"She's a shape-shifter!" Sam screams as he bursts through the door, his gun raised. Jack springs to his feet as Dakota and Dean slowly follow suit, sharing a look of confusion.
"No, no." Mia pleads, backing up with her hands raised up.
Dakota and Dean both pull out their guns, cocking them and taking aim. Dakota shifts over in front of Jack, both her and Dean flanking Sam.
"I found hair and...teeth." Sam explains, keeping his eyes on the therapist. "You must've shed your skin, what, couple hours ago?"
"And here, I just thought she was annoying." Dean muses, his gun not straying from Mia.
"Don't forget invasive." Dakota hisses angrily.
"What's going on?" Jack questions in confusion.
"Doc's a monster. She killed her patients." Dean clarifies the situation for the nephilim.
"No! No. No." Mia panics, backing away from the Winchesters.
Sam's brow raises, his expression angry, urging the shifter to explain. Mia takes a deep breath to calm herself.
"I am what you say, but I have never killed anyone." Mia says.
"Then what are you doing here?" Dakota presses, gesturing with her gun, bringing the doc's attention to the weapon for a second.
"I'm helping people." Mia defends, Dakota can't help the scoff that escapes her. "My patients. I shift into the person they've lost so that they could see them one last time, so that they can say goodbye."
"Well, Wes Bailey...Gloria Simon...they're both dead." Dean hisses.
"What?" Mia gasps, Dakota narrows her eyes.
"Gloria was killed by her son, or at least someone who looked like him." Dakota sneers, her lip twitches slightly in anger.
"Three nights ago, Wes was killed by somebody who looked like his dead wife." Sam takes over.
"So you wanna tell us how you're innocent again?" Dean questions, Jack's eyes dart from the three hunters to Mia, completely confused by what's going on.
"Okay, I, um...I have an alibi for Wes. I volunteer at the women's shelter downtown. I was there that night. You can call them." Mia says, placing a hand on her hip. None of the Winchesters move. "I know you guys are hunters. But please, I am telling you the truth."
Dakota exchanges a glance with her uncle, she raises a brow at him in question. Sam moves his gaze over to Dean.
Sam jerks his head towards the door and Dean looks over to Dakota. The youngest Winchester nods her head once, agreeing with Sam.
"Don't let her move." Dean mutters to Dakota, she nods her head once again. Dean squeezes Dakota's shoulder as he passes, Sam and Dakota remain still with their guns aimed at Mia.
<><><><>
"All right. Alibi checks out." Dean says as he walks back in the room. Sam lowers his gun in surprise, but Dakota raises a brow at Mia.
"What?" Sam questions, casting a glance at Dakota.
"Yeah, I'm surprised, too." Dean agrees, placing a hand on Dakota's gun and slowly pushing it down, giving her a nod.
"Okay. Well, if you're not doing this, then who is?" Sam asks, gesturing around with his gun.
Mia breathes heavily in fear, her eyes wide as she watches the Winchesters. She looks down in realization as she remembers something.
"Oh, God. I think I know." She mumbles, giving them a look before turning to walk away.
The three Winchesters quickly raise their guns while Sam snaps out. "Hey!"
Mia ignores them, grabbing a white box from a drawer. She walks over to them, holding up a polaroid picture.
"His name's Buddy." She tells them, Dean snatches the picture out of her hand and looks at it. "When we got together, I was young and stupid. He's a shifter, like me. The only one I'd ever met other than my mother. But he liked hurting people."
"Did he hurt you?" Jack questions in concern, Dakota gives him a sideways glance.
Mia slowly nods her head, Dakota lowers her gun with a sad look. Nobody deserved that.
"I left." Mia sniffles. "Changed my face, my name. Buddy wouldn't just kill people. He'd ruin their lives. He said he liked to see the look on their face when they realized they had nothing left."
Dakota's face twists up in horror, she looks toward Dean with wide eyes. Dean keeps his face neutral but places his hand on Dakota's back to calm her down.
"What I'm doing here..." Mia trails, shaking her head wildly. "I know it can't make up for what...what he--" She cuts herself off, sighing heavily and shutting her eyes. "What we did, but I'm trying."
"That's all any of us can do, doc. Is try." Dakota speaks up, giving Mia a gentle smile.
"If Buddy is doing this, he's targeting your patients." Sam says. "So who else has access to your office, your notes, your appointments?"
"Patients and staff are in here all day." Mia explains, sighing lightly.
"If you had to pick one." Dean urges, his tone as neutral as his expression.
"Uh...Tom, my assistant." Mia states.
"I'll check it out." Dean tells them, Dakota perks up.
"I'll come with." Her and Jack offer at the same time, Dakota gives him a smile.
"Uh..." Dean's protest is cut off by Sam clearing his throat loudly. Dakota raises her brows while Sam gives him a look, Dean glances between them. "Fine. Whatever."
Dean turns and walks away, Dakota glances towards Sam who offers a forced smile. Dakota copies it and grabs Jack's hand, pulling him with her.
The Impala was drowning in tense silence, any conversation that was attempted to be made--was shot down by Dean. Dakota was practically forced into the front seat by her father, he wanted her as far away from Jack as he could get her.
Dakota practically thanks Chuck as Dean parks the Impala, she sighs in relief. The two Winchesters exchange a quick look, Dean presses his lips together as his gaze drifts to Jack.
"All right, stay in the car, both of you." Dean orders.
"Oh, hell no. Last time you forced me to stay in the car--Lucifer possessed me." Dakota snaps, fed up with Dean's overbearing attitude lately.
"Dean, I-I just--I wanna help." Jack informs, glancing at Dakota. "Sam told me about the plan for your mother."
"Wait, hold up." Dakota speaks up, holding up her finger and glaring at her dad. "Why wasn't I informed about this plan? Everyone else seems to know but me? That's not family." Dakota pouts.
"Kota..." Dean sighs, Dakota crosses her arms.
"No, no, don't change that now. If I wasn't important enough to know the plan earlier, than surely I'm not important now." She drawls. Of course she wasn't that upset, she was just being petty to make Dean feel bad about not telling her.
Dean sighs again, giving Dakota a saddened look before turning to Jack again. "Well, there's something you should know. Sam's plans don't always work out."
"Ah, well, that's true." Dakota winces sympathetically, thinking about her uncle's failed plans.
"Wait here, Jack." Dean says, waving Dakota along with him.
"Wait, Dakota." Jack calls, grasping her wrist before she can climb out. Dean sighs heavily and waits, pouting like a child. Dakota looks over her shoulder at Jack, raising an eyebrow in question, a confused smile on her lips. "Be careful."
"I will," She grins, "stay here."
<><><><>
After Dean and Dakota checked out Mia's assistant, who was just a nice guy with some cats. Dakota gives Jack a little wave as they walk towards the Impala, Dean has been silent since leaving Tom's house, seemingly lost in his thoughts.
Dakota jumps in surprise when a hand wraps around her wrist gently, she looks over her shoulder at Dean with confusion.
"Dad?" She questions, raising an eyebrow.
"You are the best person I know. You turned out to be a beautiful, strong, and smart woman. I'm so proud of you. You're good enough, never think any less than that. I'm not leaving you, ever." Dean's voice was soft as he spoke, his face was gentle.
Dakota's eyes were slightly wide, her mouth gaped open as she stares at Dean with a vulnerable expression.
She was expecting this conversation sooner or later, but she wasn't expecting his words to voice to sound so broken as he reassured her of her worth.
It broke Dean to hear his daughter say that everyone always leave her because she wasn't good enough.
"Please don't think you're anything less, because you're the best person I know. And I couldn't be prouder of who you've turned out to be. You've turned out better than I could've hoped, you're just amazing. I'm so proud of you, Dakota Mary. So proud."
Dakota couldn't help but launch herself at her dad, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. She clenches her eyes shut as they threaten to water.
He returns her hug fiercely, hiding his face in her hair, and holding her tightly against him.
Dean wasn't the type of person to show emotion often. He didn't really tell Dakota or Sam how he felt about them, instead he simply showed them how much he cared.
She couldn't help but tear up at his sweet words.
"Thank you." She whispers quietly, not really meaning for Dean to hear her, but he did. He simply brings her closer, pressing a kiss to her temple and closing his eyes. "Alright, alright, enough chick flick moments." Dakota chuckles thickly, wiping away her tears.
Dean rolls his eyes at her. "Let's go."
<><><><>
Mia lets them back into the office, muttering out a greeting.
"What's up, doc?" Dakota jokes, ignoring Dean's blank face he gave her.
"Where's Sam?" Dean asks, moving on from Dakota's horrible joke.
"Buddy's posing as one of my patients." Mia explains. Jack glances questioningly at Dakota, she presses her lips together and pats his shoulder reassuringly. "Sam traced his phone. I let him take my car. He left about 10 minutes ago."
Dakota makes a hissing noise, cringing. "That's your first mistake. Sammy is the worst driver."
"Like you're any better." Dean scoffs at her, smirking slightly.
"Well, we're not talking about me, now are we?" Dakota states, crossing her arms, pouting.
Dean's amusement falls as Mia's words sunk in. "He didn't call me."
"Well, can you blame him?" Mia asks.
Dean's face tightens and he shifts uncomfortably under Mia's judgemental gaze. Dakota's body language changes, turning tense and angry--glaring at the shifter.
Dean turns, walking a couple steps away to call Sam.
"Ease up, will you?" Dakota sneers at Mia, her playful attitude nowhere to be seen. "He's doing his best with what our situation is."
"So that makes it okay for him to bully everyone else?" Mia asks, her expression blank as she crosses her arms.
"Despite what you may think you know about us, you couldn't be further from the truth about his character." Dakota hisses.
Mia, wisely, decides to stay quietly, simply staring at the young Winchester with no expression.
"Mia?" Jack speaks up, drawing the two women's attention to him. Dakota's anger melts away, a vacant expression taking residence on her face. "Could I talk to you?"
Mia nods, walking up the stairs and gesturing for Jack to follow. Dakota panics and grabs his hand, stopping him. Mia glances at them, but continues upstairs to give them privacy.
"D?" Jack questions, Dakota's brow furrows.
"'D'?" She quotes.
"You gave me a nickname, so I gave you a new one." Jack explains. Dakota smiles softly at him. "What's wrong?"
"I-I have a bad feeling." She tells him quietly.
"I'm just going to talk to Mia, I'll be okay." He assures her, subconsciously rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand.
When it came to flirting, you couldn't have anyone know less about it than Dakota and Jack. Jack, only have been alive for a week or so, and Dakota, being on the road her whole life with two men and an angel.
Yet, when it came to comforting the other? It was almost like second nature, like an instinct they have when it comes to each other. Neither of them understood it, but they didn't question it.
It was just a natural impulse they had.
"I'll be okay." Jack repeats slower, letting his words sink in.
Dakota sighs, giving him an unsure look before slowly releasing his hand. She nods her hand and watches him follow after Mia, fidgeting with her hands.
She beings to pace the length of the room as Dean tries to call Sam, her thoughts going haywire. Talking to Mia brought up a lot of things, but Dean seemed to be able to ebb them slightly.
She misses Cas. She misses Mary. She misses seeing Dean have fun and be carefree, which she didn't see often.
She misses having family moments with Sam and Dean, watching old movies and eating trash food, her telling horrible jokes and them fake laughing to make her feel better.
"Come on, Sam. Pick up the phone." Dean stresses, pacing a couple steps.
After leaving Sam a few messages, Dean glances over at Dakota.
"Are you okay?" He questions, she gives him a tense smile and sighs.
"Yeah, I just...I miss Cas, dad. I miss how things use to be. In between hunts, when it was you, me, and Sammy--sometimes Cas. That's not the point." She groans, running her hands down her face. "I just miss...the old times. Not, that I don't like Jack being here, I just miss how simple we made things."
"I miss him, too. I miss mom. I miss movies night. I understand how you feel, Dakota, it's hard. Things are changing, we either have to change with them--or be left in the past, drowning."
Dakota's face falls.
The next thing she knew, Dean's grabbing the back of her head, bringing it down into his knee--knocking her unconscious. She collapses on the ground limp.
Shifter-Dean sighs, grabbing her ankle and dragging her to where Dean was laying.
<><><><>
Dakota groans, shifting slightly as she opens her eyes. Dean, still unconscious, lays beside her motionlessly.
She couldn't of been unconscious for more than a couple minutes.
"Dad," She groans, shaking him. "Dad, wake up."
She hears thuds from Mia's office, Dakota shifts as she glances from Dean toward the room. Sighing heavily, she pushes herself up.
The shifter stole her gun while she was knocked out.
She bursts into the room, watching Shifter-Dean peel his face off, cringing at the sight of her father ripping his own face off, she ignores the nightmares she's now going to have and launches herself at him.
She lands on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and tightening her grip. Buddy, the shifter chokes, thrashing around as he tries to get Dakota off.
She growls, surprised by the noise she makes, wrapping her legs around Buddy to stable herself. She jerks her body to the side, somehow being able to slam the shifter into the wall. The monster groans in pain, his forehead making contact with the fireplace.
Buddy turns to the side quickly, smashing Dakota into the stone mantel. Dakota cries out in pain, her grip slipping from the monster.
She falls to the ground, quicking scrambling back as the man tries to slam a fire poker into her stomach. She turns on her heel, jumping to her feet and tackling the shifter around the waist.
Her, brilliantly thought out, plan is to distract Buddy long enough for Dean to wake up and for Sam to show up.
Her weight and force was able to throw Buddy off-balance, sending him crumpling to the ground. She straddles him and slams her fists into his face a couple of times.
Mia's gasp distracts her, she didn't know the woman was in the room. She glances towards Jack's unconscious body, distracting her long enough for Buddy to throw Dakota off of him.
She rolls a couple of times, bumping into Jack, groaning in pain. Buddy wrenches Dakota to her feet, his hand wrapping tightly around her throat as he glares at her.
He slams Dakota into the wall beside them, cutting off her oxygen and tightening his grip.
Dakota chokes, clawing at the hand that wraps around her throat. She kicks her feet up, placing them against his abdomen and shoving him with all of her weight.
He stumbles back, releasing her and she falls to the ground as he regains his balance.
"Buddy, stop!" Mia shouts.
Buddy whips a fire poker across Dakota's face, the girl cries out in pain as she crumples to the ground. Before Dakota could do anything, Buddy's boot makes contact with her temple.
Dakota, once again, yields to the darkness.
Buddy finishing handcuffing Dean to the fireplace, after dragging the hunters body into the office. Dakota and Dean were both handcuffed in a more restricting position than Jack was, the two hunters posing a larger threat than the Nephilim.
Dakota was handcuffed between the other two, her head fell against her shoulder. Her wrists were chained up so they were overlapping each other, similar to Dean's position.
One of her legs were thrown over Jack's, from Buddy simply tossing her into the fireplace.
The two shifters engage in an argument, rousing Dean from his unconsciousness.
The Winchester tugs quietly on his cuffs, his eyes falling on Dakota's limp form. He notices the cut on her cheek, blood slowly trickling from the wound. A bruise was painted on her forehead, either from Buddy's knee or his boot.
"Dakota." Dean says, a questioning and panicked tone in his voice.
"Oh, good, you're up!" Buddy cheers as he storms over to the hunters and Jack.
"Wait, no, no, no, no, no!" Mia rambles, pulling on Buddy's arm. "Don't hurt them."
"Oh, begging for hunters?" Buddy mocks, his attention on Mia again. Dean tugs on his restraints, groaning in pain as they dig in his wrists. "That's not my girl."
"I'm not your girl." Mia hisses.
"You always did think you were too good for me, even though I gave you everything." Buddy snaps.
"Jack." Dean whispers towards the Nephilim. "Dakota, baby, wake up."
Mia continues to argue with Buddy, giving Dean more time to rouse the two teens.
"You gotta snap these cuffs." Dean tells Jack quietly.
"I can't." Jack mutters, half conscious.
"Yes, you can." Dean assures, nudging Dakota with his foot. "Kota, you gotta wake up, please."
"Sammy believes in you, and when he believes, he'll go Hell for leather...same with Dakota. But you gotta try." Dean pleads with Jack.
"So I'm not gonna kill these guys." Buddy sneers, pulling out his gun. His angry towards Dakota very obvious to the others. "You are. You end them, or you die, courtesy of the little bitch's silver bullets."
"Hey, watch your mouth, you dick." Dean barks, unable to let the shifter talk that way toward his daughter.
Buddy walks over and slams Dakota's stolen pistol across Dean's face. The hunter groans in pain.
"So what's it gonna be, Princess?" Buddy mocks, walking over toward Mia again.
Buddy holds the gun to Mia's chest. Dean watches, unable to do anything to help her. The female shifter looks at the gun and slowly raises her arms up in surrender.
"Shoot me." She speaks slowly, walking forward so the gun digs into her chest. "Shoot me!"
Sam shutting his car door sounds through Mia's computer, the front camera displaying the hunter walking toward the office building.
Buddy laughs viciously.
"Look. Baby brother." Buddy sneers, jerking his head toward the computer.
Buddy moves the gun from Mia, instead he points it towards the door, waiting for Sam to come through.
The youngest Winchester whimpers in pain as she comes to, Dean's cuffs rattle as he moves.
"No. No!" Mia cries. "Stop!"
"Like shooting hunters in a barrel." Buddy taunts.
"Daddy?" Dakota mumbles in confusion, another whimper tumbling from her lips.
"Sam, no!" Dean yells, warning his brother. Buddy slams the pistol across his face again.
Dakota blinks as she tries to clear her head, Buddy's face being the first thing she sees. She sneers in disgusts.
"God, I must be in Hell. Goddamn demons everywhere." She mumbles to herself, earning herself a pistol whip to the face too.
"Dean? Kota?" Sam calls out.
"Sammy, go!" Dakota shouts, kicking her foot out and hitting Buddy in the chest, pushing him away.
"Stupid bi--"
"Finish that sentence and I'll shove silver so far down your throat you become a necklace." Dakota threatens.
"That didn't even make sense." Dean hisses at her under his breath. He goes to call out to Sam again but Buddy stops him.
Buddy knocks Dean out again, stopping him from warning Sam.
"Dad?" Dakota whimpers, staring at her dad's limp form. "Jack, you gotta stop him, please. I can't lose Sammy, too." Dakota pleads.
Jack stares at her with sad eyes, he moves his gaze toward Buddy.
"No!" Jack screams, throwing his arm out toward the shifter.
His power picks Buddy up as the monster fires the gun.
"Sammy!" Dakota yelps out in fear.
Jack holds Buddy in his power, moving his gaze and knocking the bullet off to the side, so it hits the wall instead of Sam. The Nephilim finally releases Buddy, sending him back into the wall.
Jack groans softly, slumping down with exhaustion. Buddy clamors to his feet, but stumbles around--giving Sam enough time to pull out his gun and fire off a shot, killing Buddy.
Dakota kicks Dean's foot, causing the Winchester to wake up in a panic.
"Wake the hell up." Dakota sighs, leaning her head against Jack's shoulder tiredly.
<><><><>
The three Winchesters and Jack make it back to the bunker, Mia had promised to take care of everything--blaming herself. Jack assured the woman that it wasn't her fault, that she had helped a lot of people, including him.
Dakota, upon making it back home, went straight to her bedroom to nap. Her head in so much pain from being knocked out several times, and in a sour mood from everything that happened.
"Goodnight, family." Dakota pardons herself, throwing up a peace sign and disappearing into the corridor.
"You're lame! Who does peace signs anymore?" Dean calls after her.
"I'm your daughter!" Dakota retorts.
Dean grumbles something in reply, but Dakota was already in her bedroom, face down on her bed, and sound asleep.
Hey guys! I'm actually okay with this chapter, I loved writing Dean and Kota moments, also some Jackota moments snuck themselves in.
We also got some badass Dakota in this chapter, I hope you liked the fight scene. I'm absolutely horrible at writing fights, but I think it turned out okay.
I hope you guys enjoyed!
Goodnight! xx
Love, Kaz.