Burn It to the Ground

Kassia’s POV:

I stared at the two Winchesters, eagerly sprinting out the door as if they weren’t aware that I was deep in distress over this nightmare. Oh yeah, being visited by an extraordinary yellow-eyed creature wasn’t essential- what else was I supposed to do but grow concerned? Sit back, relax, and let the bastard tell me things that I didn’t know whether to believe or not? I’d rather be tortured by another Maura-like Shape-shifter than pretend everything was dandy.

The door slammed shut behind them, leaving me and Maura, alone- something which I hadn’t expected the boys to do, especially after our crucial brawl on the back country road. Sure my sister and I called it truce, but who knows when the next dispute would break out. We got along when we wanted to and fought when it was necessary, or in that case because of a damn Shape-shifter.

Maura sat down at the edge of her bed, giving me an attentive stare. She was giving off this odd odor, most likely from all the ruthless detergents from the laundry room. It was somewhat like a mix of pomegranate and cherry blossoms except it wasn’t as appealing as I expected it to be. I’m not sure what Sam had told her but if he mentioned anything to her about me having a bad dream, I automatically get an image of my sister laughing up a storm even if she appeared to be nervous right before my eyes. “What the hell is going on?” she questioned, restlessly hunching over with her elbows propped on her knees, offering me her full attention. “First, Sam tells me you had a nightmare, which I found amusing and then this… girl, you look like shit.” I frowned. Wow, way to state the obvious there sis! Could you be anymore blunt?

Glaring back her malevolently, I replied blankly, “This wasn’t just any nightmare, Maura. That yellow-eyed thing talked to me and told me things…”

The look in my sister’s eyes was confused and a bit dazed, noticing that she wasn’t grasping onto what I was telling her. Was it that hard to figure out? She didn’t know who I was referring to, did she? Suddenly, her eyes shot open powerfully. “Oh, the thing with the eyes… right, you mean the demon thing that Sam and Dean talked about?” I nodded. “How do you know it wasn’t just a fluke episode? Being surrounded by freakish, supernatural bastards all the time could be messing with your head.”

“It was real,” I said maliciously, wondering why she never believed me whenever I told her about bizarre things like this. It’s not like I was telling her I went out streaking… okay, so I may have done that once back on a case in Delaware, but I was drunk off my ass with a dozen hot men following me- one night I wouldn’t take back. “I found myself in a house that clearly had either been in a tragic fire or was from Hell because the smoky air and weak, charcoal blistered walls weren’t making me feel too keen. As the dream went on, I realized that it was our old house after glimpsing at a picture of us- all of us.”

“You mean like you, me, Dad?”

“Mom too,” I stated, as she quickly shifted in her seat uncomfortably with her eyes wide open. The image of the blissful photograph was bulleted to the inside of my brain, making it hard for me to not feel vulnerable. I never knew what my mother looked like, but it was only logical to believe that’s who it was. It was quite visible where Maura and I got our good looks if that was the case. What surprised me however was that my own father wouldn’t have kept a simple picture of her to share with my sister and me? Except at least Maura had more of a vague memory than I did...

Maura shook her head incredulously. “You don’t even know what Mom looks like! This all sounds like a big joke to me.”

Leave it to my sister to doubt everything I say, but I guess since she’s not the one with the crazy dream that she wouldn’t know if it was true or not anyway. I sighed irritatingly. “I’m sure it was her- who else would be in the picture with us?”

“If it really was her, it wasn’t real,” she retorted, raising her voice slightly. I grunted and shook my head disbelievingly. Arguing again, over a stupid nightmare- this one better not bust out into another fight. I don’t know how much more the boys could take with us in an additional cat fight. “I don’t recall any pictures being taken when Mom was still alive, so I don’t understand how she could’ve been in a family photo...” She was only three or four. How much can a person remember at that age? Though I do remember when I was three Dad teaching Maura the basics of hunting, and I begged him that I wanted to learn too. Boy, there are days where I’d kill to take that back- it runs in the family, so I was most likely still going to be a hunter no matter what I said.

I continued to grow frustrated with her, as my blood pressure started rising and most likely about to dart off the chart. “That’s not the point! The point is that the demon said Sam and I were two keys to his plan.”

She was hesitant for a moment with a puzzling look across her face, resting her hand on the side of her face. “Okay, I don’t understand. Why does it have to do with you and Sam? Why not you and me or you and Dean- Heck, why are you being drawn into it? We don’t know for certain if this was coincidence or the real deal... Look, Kass, it’s a demon- demons lie...”

“I know that, but he seemed awful confident about what he said...”

“That’s because that’s what demons do, Kass! They convince you into believing in things, but in reality they are nothing but compulsive liars. We’ve been through it all to know that by now.”

My eyes modified from the shabby metal door over at my sister’s stern appearance. She was right about one thing- demons lie, but I’m sure somewhere along the lines they tell the truth about things every now and then. Not that I wanted to believe it was true, but that was beside the point. I just wanted to try and forget this ever happened. Maybe I was overreacting and Maura was right- freak occurrences come with the job. “God, I need a beer.” I muttered under my breath, holding my head in my hands stressfully.

“Yeah, you’re telling me…” Maura declared, getting up off the unmade bed and over to the mini refrigerator in the corner of the room. What should I believe- that it was an illusion or a meet and greet with a yellow-eyed demon? Either way, I don’t see myself getting any sleep for quite awhile until I figure it out.

Abruptly, the door springs open and Sam walks in wearily, but no Dean in sight. A mere grin appeared on my sister’s face, vibrantly filling the room as she glanced at Sam. I couldn’t help but shake my head and laugh because he was doing the same, only in more of a sheepish manner. “Wanna beer?” she offered casually.

He nodded briefly. “Yeah, sure.” Maura reached down and grabbed three bottles, handing one to him and then tossed another over towards me, barely catching it by the neck with two fingers- I feel like I just did a magic trick... or maybe I was Batman?

“Where’s Dean?” I asked calmly, staring at the two love birds making strange, avid googly eyes at each other- not that I wanted to ruin their little passionate staring game, but I was still in the room and didn’t want to know what was going through their minds for the time being. I was glad to see Maura happy whenever Sam was around. Before we ever came across the Winchesters, she didn’t smile much at all, unless she liked something she saw- and well, that was just her way to get another one night stand. Then again, I was usually the one with that trick up my sleeve.

Sam seemed as if was timid to speak, pursing his lips slightly and smacking them shut again quizzically. “Oh, just taking care of business, typical Dean- How are you feeling?” Okay, way to change the subject on me, Sammy boy. I don’t really want to start verbalizing my feelings to the Psych Clinic of Sam Winchester.

I rolled my eyes, pushing myself up out of the comfy leather chair. “I’m so bubbly that I feel like auditioning for the next Tour Guide Barbie.” I replied in a sarcastic tone, not that it was obvious or anything. I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to being my usual optimistic self after this demon encounter. No matter how hard I would try to push that to the back of my head, it probably won’t fully go away.

A weary sigh fell from his lips as he paced the room, taking a load off his feet in the wooden chair, next to a small rickety table. For some reason neither Sam nor Maura were finding my sarcasm amusing, which actually disappointed me a little. I just wanted to get my mind of this- this idiotic event, but apparently everyone else was taking it a bit more serious than I was now. Believing that it was just another bad dream after all is probably better for my self-esteem anyway. Who knows, maybe I was just overreacting- that’s what us Valentines do occasionally.

Pressing the bottle to my lips, my eyes veered in the direction of the open window and noticing Dean standing by the Impala, his cell pressed to his ear. I was actually kind of curious on who he may be talking to. It could be anyone, except Sam and most likely his dad, John Winchester since apparently it wasn’t safe for them to even talk to each other. “I’ll be out with Dean.” I declared, opening the door hastily.

Maura let out a small snicker. “What do you like keep him on a chain or something- or does he do that with you?”

“Shut up, bitch.”

“Shut up, whore.”

For once since the Shape-shifter crossing, I surprisingly didn’t take that as an insult I smiled back at her, sticking my tongue out good-naturedly. Well, that was one thing taken care of on my list- about a million others to go.
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Dean’s POV:

It didn’t really occur to me about it being worthless calling Dad until after I got the same dreary voicemail, chiming through the other side of the phone. As many times as I attempted to get a hold of him, I should have known by now that him answering his phone is about as likely as winning the lottery. Kassia’s nightmare being coincidence or not, Dad knew more about Yellows Eyes than the rest of us. Anything that the man knows about him could help this situation become not so much of a situation.

“Dad, really? I just saw you this morning and you still won’t answer your phone?” I groaned frustratingly, continuing on with leaving him a billionth voicemail since he went missing. “Look, I only called because it’s somewhat of an emergency. Kassia Valentine had a weird nightmare involving the yellow-eyed demon. She won’t fill me in on the details but I just find it ironic that we were talking about him and he shows up in her sleep.” Closing my eyes briefly, I paused and shook my head. I swear if it was Sam or I dying, I don’t know if he’d pick up the phone either. He was so determined that no matter what happens it wasn’t safe, and this demon was more important. “I know you can help, so just call back.”

I hung up, rolling my eyes up into my head. He’s not gonna call back and if he does, it won’t be for another six months or so. I’m better off calling Bobby Singer than him- I don’t know why I didn’t even think of that in the first place. I turned around on my heels, startled by Kassia standing a few paces behind me holding a beer in her hand.

“How long were you standing there?” I chuckled weakly, noticing her expression was nothing more than puzzled.

“Long enough to know that you were asking for somebody’s help about my little demon encounter,” she replied sternly, giving me a skeptically look. Oh shit. “Who were you trying to get a hold of?”

Not sure how mad Kass would be about me calling my dad for help, but then again he doesn’t want us anywhere near him right now so I don’t foresee him popping up out of the blue any time soon. “Another hunter, who knows a good bit about Yellow Eyes than Sam and I do.” Okay, that wasn’t completely a flat out lie- just left out the major detail as to who the hunter was.

She nodded casually, as if she was going to leave it at that and not go any further. If it was Sam I was talking to, man I would never get out of this one. “Well, I’m hoping to forget about all this, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep for the next few nights.”

I cocked a devilish smirk. “I could always use a sleeping partner.”

“I’m sure a sleeping partner isn’t all you need.” I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s as if she knows me pretty well. What can I say- great minds think alike.

“I like the way you’re thinking,” I replied, before she slowly crashed her lips on mine a bit rougher than expected. Boy, this girl knew how to make a man tick.

She pulled away slowly with a small smile upon her face. Whoever would have expected me- Dean Winchester, would have actual ‘upstairs brain’ feelings for a woman? It was crazy, but I liked it. “It’s getting late quick. I’m thinking we gather up the two kids back in the room and grab a bite some place, before we head down to the cemetery for Diana.” Kassia declared, noticing that her hands were intertwined with mine. As corny as it sounded, I could have sworn I felt a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach- whether it was the fact I hadn’t eaten for hours or I was actually showing more affection than I usually would with a woman. I think I’ve been around Sam way too much.