Breathe Life Into Me

I watched Mel intensely as she sat at the table eating the only cereal we had available: raisin brand. Mel told me once she would rather starve than eat that stuff. She looked up and smiled at me and I forced a smile back before sitting down in front of her.

"Mel...can we talk...?" I struggled to find My words.

"Yea of course, Brittney. What do you want to talk about?" Brittney? Really?

"Well...I was hoping we could talk about you...ever since you got back...we haven't really had much...best friend time..."

"Best friend time? Is that a thing?" She continued to stir her cereal in the milk.

"Well...yea it used to be...you're the one that made it up..."

"Why would I do something silly like that?"

I felt my blood begin to boil. "Because it was important to you" I clenched my teeth.

She stared at me blankly. "Right...of course it was..." she smiled, trying to backtrack.

"And stop doing that!" I suddenly shouted, jumping to my feet.

She widened her eyes at me. "Doing...what...?"

"Stop...smiling all the time! It's annoying. Just...stop with this I'm so happy all the time act..." I was getting flustered.

"But...I am happy..."

"Hey, hey, what's going on in here?" The guys came walking in.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong..." I muttered.

"That's not true, Brittney. She thinks there's something wrong with me" she admitted to them and my eyes shot up at her.

Her tone was patronizing and made me feel stupid which just got even deeper under my skin. I realized I was suddenly put on the spot. "No...I never said that. I just wanted to make sure you were good"

"I'm good" she smiled again.

"Good" I nodded, averting my eyes from everyone else.

"Well okay then...as long as we're all good..." I could feel Dean eyeing me but I didnt know what to tell him.

So I just walked out of the kitchen and back over to the beds. "Brit..." Sam started. "No, it's okay Sam. I'm just...I'm going crazy..." I established.

But he gripped onto my shoulders and made me face him. "You are not going crazy" I searched his eyes for something to tell me otherwise but he was very serious.

But then the closet door flew open and a man came tumbling out of it...and two others followed behind. I froze for a second before Sam and I whipped out our guns on them and Dean came over to us with his gun drawn as well.

"Which of you is John Winchester and the son of William Stern" the first one demanded. We all just looked at each other. "Please, time is of the essence! Which of you is John Winchester and William Sterns son?" he pleaded.

"Uhh neither" Sam answered.

They all looked at each other. "That's impossible. That's absolutely...what did I do wrong?"

"Who the hell are you, people?" Dean demanded.

"Not now. I'm thinking" the front man waved us off.

But Dean grabbed him and shoved him up against the wall and I saw how his followers didnt even flinch of move to help him. I don't know if it was trust or just plain ignorance. "Please. I can assure you there's no need for violence. One of you must know John Winchester" he looked at all of us.

"I'll tell you what – when one of us falls out of your closet, then you can ask the questions" I grunted at him.

"Yes, my apologies. Is it absolutely essential, sir, that you keep your hands on me?" he asked Dean and he took a quick step back. "Thank you"

I watched one of the others step forward to address us. "Gentlemen. Ladies. in the absence of any and all other explanations, I'm afraid this has been a marvelous, tragic misunderstanding. We'll be on our way" he insisted.

"That's not happening" Sam argued.

"There are things of grave importance. We do not have time to deal with the likes of you"

"Sorry but you dipshits aren't going anywhere until we get some answers" I established as Dean and Sam went to handcuff all of them.

But in one swift movement Dean and Sam were the ones handcuffed. "How did he do that? Are you kidding me?" Dean grunted as I rushed to help them out but when I looked over my shoulder I saw they were all gone. "

You think you could be somewhat helpful?" I grunted at Mel and rushed out the door to see them all get into the Impala.

I ran over and shoved my gun through the open window to point it at our intruders. "Nice taste in wheels" I commented.

"Yours I presume" I just smiled smugly as I opened the door. "Let's go.!everyone out" I ordered.

"You do realize you’re outnumbered, correct?"

"Not quite" I smirked as Dean and Sam came over as well.

They all got out of the car and we forced them back into the motel room. We grabbed chairs for them to sit and Dean quickly slashed all of their arms as Sam splashed all of them with the holy water. There was no reaction.

"They’re clean" Sam sighed.

"I could have told you that"

"Yeah, well, you can start by telling us everything before I beat it out of you"

"I'm quite certain this is all beyond your understanding, my alpha-male-monkey friend. And violence will not help you comprehend this any of this"

Suddenly I snapped, pulling my gun on him and getting close to his face. There was something I saw in his eyes...something almost familiar...but I stayed composed and in control. "Let me tell you what I understand! Some asshat pops out of my closet asking about my friends dads and smashes up our ride! So why am I not getting violent, again?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"John Winchester is your father?" He looked up at Dean and Sam in disbelief.

Then there was a loud rattling noise. "What is that?" Mel wondered as our "friends " shot to their feet. "Oh, my God. Run!" we got yelled at but it was too late. The closet door flew open and a woman came walking out of this blinding light.

"Vinny, Vinny...silly man, you forgot to lock the door. But then again spells never were your best subject, were they? Why don't you be a doll and give me what I want? And I promise to kill you and your friends here quickly"

"You know I can't do that"

"You're not a fighter Vincent" she sang and I noticed Dean lifted his gun but before we could even blink she shot her arms up above her head flying all of us in opposite directions.

"Josie. I know you're still in there. You must fight this" 'Vincent' tried to reason.

"I'm afraid Josie's indisposed, pet. It looks like it's just you and me..."

But then my eyes widened as my breath hitched up into my throat when I saw Mel get behind this crazy bitch to stab her in the back. She screamed out in pain as she fell to her knees and her body was glowing. Now she wanted to remember how to fight?

I forced myself to y feet as I ran over to grab her and we both raced out I the motel room with the men racing out behind us. Dean, Mel and I all fit in the front seat while Sam squeezed in the back with the three strangers and Dean sped off.

After we created some kind of distance between us and the motel Dean pulled over to the side of the road just in time for one of our new friends to jump out and throw up. The rest of us got out as well. "He gonna be okay?" I jerked my thumb to him.

"Yes, he will be" the third one answered me. He vomited again and then wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and faced us "It's just all the adventures we enjoy are usually of the literary nature"

"Yeah, well, now that you're done blowing chunks, you want to tell us who Betty Crocker was?" Dean pointed down the road in the direction we came in.

"Abbadon. She's a demon"

"No kidding. Where'd she come from?" I stressed.

"Where'd you all come from?" Mel wondered, wrapping her arms around her body.

"She's from Hell. We're from Normal, Illinois. 1958" Vincent answered us.

"Yeah, right. Seriously? Dudes time-traveling through motel-room closets? That's what we've come to?" Dean complained.

"If you could just take us to John or even William, or Williams son...we could clear all this up, I'm sure..."

"I've told you that's not gonna happen"

"Why not?"

"Because John and William are dead" I finally said. I noticed the other two exchange a look.

"No...but..."

"What's it to you anyway?" Sam spoke up.

"Everything" Vincent sighed as one of them looked up at us. "We're they’re fathers" My eyebrows rose.

"What about Williams son? Surely he..."

"Will didnt have a son. He had a daughter" I gestured to Mel, seeing as I was the only one with a working brain at he moment. "And who are you exactly?" I demanded.

"Don't you see it, Brittney?" Mel stepped forward to place a hand on my shoulder. "He's your grandfather" And suddenly...my brain stopped working too....

~~~~

I looked over my shoulder at our grandfathers conversing at one of the diners tables while the four of us went up to the counter. How did she know? How did she know that's who he was and I couldn't even figure it out? It's not like she's ever me him. Hell I've only ever spoken to him twice before he died and both times it seemed like he was going insane...

"Driver's license says they're who they say they are. Henry Winchester, Vincent Hails, and Dominic Welling..."

"Wait...Welling?" Dean narrowed his eyes at Sam and it took him a second to really process it.

"But that was..."

"Katherine's maiden name" I finished for Sam.

"So that guy is Katherine's father? Not Will's? I'm so damn confused right now. Mel, how are you..." Dean started but when we looked at her she just sat there eating away at her pie.

"Mel..." Sam spoke cautiously.

"Yea?" She had a mouth full.

"How are you dealing with all of this?"

"With all of what?"

"Umm how about the fact that we’re in the same room of the being that created your bitch of a mother..." Dean tried.

She made a face. "My mother wasnt a bitch..."

We all exchanged a look. "Are we talking about the same person...?" I said slowly.

"Well...the only mother I know of is the one that raised me and Lindsey and she was fantastic" she shrugged.

We all faced her completely and then I pinched Dean. "Do you see what I mean?" I gritted my teeth. He looked from her, to me, back to her and me again.

“I dont...see the problem” he shook his head and shrugged. My jaw dropped as I shared a look with sang and just banged my head on the counter. He’s kidding right?

“Look, one head case at a time, okay Brit? Before we break out the warm and toasties, let's not forget that, uh, H.G. Wells over there left Dad high and dry when he was a kid" Dean gestured to Henry, talking to Sam now. My blood boiled at how he brushed this off.

"But maybe he didn't run out on your dad..." I thought aloud, looking up to rest my chin on the edge, completely frustrated. They looked at me. "I mean, not on purpose. Maybe they time-traveled here and, I don't know...he got stuck somehow..."

"Yeah, well, either way, Dad hated the son of a bitch" "And Dad made up for that how? By being father of the year?" Sam countered.

The waitress came back to give us our trays of food. "Look, Dad had his issues, okay, but he was always there for us" he replied putting a fry in his mouth. "I freaking hate time-travel, man" he added as I had to pull Mel away from her pie and we walked back over to Vincent, Henry and Domonic. We sat down and spread out the food amongst us.

"How you all doing?" Sam asked.

"We'll be fine. After all, despite everything, We've just met our grandkids" Vincent chuckled and offered a hand to me. "Vincent Hails. A pleasure" he smiled so genuinely.

I hesitated at first but then shook his hand. "Brittney" I told him. "Brittney" he sighed happily, admiring my name maybe?

"Hey...I'm Dominic..." He offered a hand to Mel.

"Melissa" she complied happily, shaking his hand.

"And you're...Katherine's father..." I narrowed my eyes a him.

"That I am"

"So how do you know about Will...and why did you think he would have a son...?"

"Well Katherine and William were betrothed..." Dean choked a little on his food while Sam tried to hold in his drink. "And it's been written that a son should be born..."

"Where is it written?" I asked.

"One thing at a time okay?" Henry gave his friend a look and then looked at Dean and Sam. "Henry Winchester" he offered his hand as well.

"Sam" he was the first to shake it. "Hello Sam" he nodded and then looked to Dean.

"Dinner" was all he said as he placed a food basket in front of him. "This is Dean" Sam spoke instead.

"Well, this has been touching. How about we figure out how to clean up your mess, huh?" Dean insisted.

"Abaddon. Yes. She must be stopped" Vincent sighed.

"How come she didn't die when Mel stabbed her?" I demanded.

"Because demons can't be killed by run-of-the-mill cutlery. At the very least, you'd need an ancient demon-killing knife of the Kurds"

"That's what this is" Dean said pulling it out of his jacket a little to show them.

"Where'd you get that?" Dominic demanded.

"Demon gave it to me. We've been around this block so many times"

"Now, that portal or whatever it was you came through, is it still open?" Sam asked.

"I highly doubt it. Why?" Henry answered.

"I'm just thinking if we can't kill this Abaddon..."

"Maybe we can shove her back where she came from. How did you do it?" I finished.

"It's a blood sigil. Blood leads to blood. Or their next of kin" Henry said.

"But Abaddon came through it, also, right? So can you create this blood sigil again?" Mel wondered.

"Our blood, an angel feather, tears of a dragon, a pinch of the sands of time...we would need those and...at least a week for our souls to recharge, but, yes, it's possible" Dominic explained.

"You tapped the power of your souls to get here? I thought only angels could do that" I mentioned.

"You should know this. What level are you two?" Vincent asked Dean and Sam.

"What level?" I repeated. He ignored me though and kept eyes on them. Suddenly his whole demeanor was turned around. It was like I didnt even exist.

"Level of knowledge. You're Men of Letters, correct?" Henry spoke.

They looked at each other and I sighed annoyed and impatient. "I'm a little rusty on my boy hands. Men of what?"

"Well of course you wouldn't know what it is...." He gestured to me and Mel. "That's why it's called Men of Letters...like your fathers who taught you our ways" he elaborated, still only referring to Sam and Dean.

"Our fathers taught us how to be hunters" Sam told him, gesturing to all of us. They all chuckled at some kind of joke that we missed.

"You're not...are you? Hunters?" Henry asked. We nodded. "All of you?" Vincent enforced. We nodded again. "Hunters are...hunters are apes. You're supposed to...you're legacies" Dominic leaned forward like we were all in on some top secret information.

"Legacies of what?" Mel inquired.

They wanted to show us now instead of tell. So we all got back in the car and got on the road. I told Sam I would take the back with grandpa 1, 2 and 3 because I was the smallest so he rode in front. I didnt realize tho I'd be squished in the backseat for four hours of silence.

We came to a stop. "Women of letters?" one of them finally let out a sigh.

"It's unheard of. Let alone women as hunters..."

"Lets figure this out slowly but surely. We’ll get to the bottom..."

"You know I'm right here right?" I narrowed my eyes at them but they all ignored me as we came to a stop and got out of the car.

"What's going on here?" Henry murmured as we came to a sign that said Astro Comics and Vincent ran his fingers over a worn away symbol that was carved into the wall next to us.

Dean clapped his hands. "All right, well, this was enlightening. Let's hit the road, huh?" But I grabbed his jacket to keep him in his spot.

"Just give them a minute, Dean" "We just spent four hours driving, okay? All he did was stare out the window and request Pat Boone on the radio. They had their time"

"It's just a facade, a way to rook our enemies into believing we are housed elsewhere" Dominic explained.

"Okay, enough with the decoder talk. How about you tell us what this whole “Men of Letters” business is, or you're on your own" I finally demanded.

"It's none of your concern" Vincent snapped at me.

"Why? Because we're hunters? Because they're women? What do you have against us?" Dean grunted.

"Aside from the unthinking, unwashed, shoot-first-and-don't-bother-to-ask-questions-later part, not much, really"

"You know what? Wait a second. We're also John's children"

"You're more than that, actually" Vincent stepped toward them. "My father and his father before him were both Men of Letters, as John and you two should have been. And as the son of Vincent and William should have been..."

"Sorry to disappoint" I crossed my arms and I noticed Mel shift in her spot.

"We're preceptors, beholders, chroniclers of all that which man does not understand. We share our findings with a few trusted hunters – the very elite. They do the rest"

"So you're like Yodas to our Jedis" Mel spoke up, staring a the ground. She doesnt even like Star Wars...will I have to remind her about everything? Even her likes and dislikes...?

"Never mind. You'll get there" Dean waved her off since they obviously didnt understand the reference.

"Okay, but if you guys were such a big deal, then why haven't we, or anyone we know, ever heard of you?" Sam asked.

"Abaddon" the three of them spoke in sync and then walked inside the comic store. We followed. I noticed Dean and Melissa hanging back while they fought about something that I couldn't hear so I just focused on the mission.

"Why'd she do it anyway?" I asked. Vincent held up a small wooden box that had a similar symbol carved into it.

"I think for this"

"Okay...what is it?"

"I wish I knew. Abaddon attacked us the night of my final initiation. All secrets were to be revealed then"

Suddenly Mel was at my side and she was definitely pissed. "Let me get this straight. You traveled through time to protect something that does something you don't know what from a demon that you know nothing about?" she snapped and they all looked at each other before walking deeper into the store. Awesome.

“Hand me your... walkie-talkie." Henry looked at us as we came around to a woman standing behind a register.

"You mean my phone?" Sam wondered, holding it out to him.

He took it and it his mouth to it. "Even better. Operator, I need Delta 457..."

"Who are you not calling?" Dean asked.

"Our emergency number"

"Yeah. Not anymore" he took the phone back and gave it to Sam.

"They can't all be gone. There must be another elder out there who can help us figure out how to stop Abaddon and what to do with the box" Dominic tried to reason.

Melissa stepped forward, addressing the gothic-looking girl ebhind the counter. “Hey uhh can we hijack your computer for a hot second?"

"Like you could fit a computer in this room" the three or them laughed.

The woman eyes them first and then agreed. "Thank you" Mel turned the laptop around and steed back for Sam to step forward. "All right, um... give me a name. Anybody who might have been there that night – one of those elders" he instructed.

Sam looked up exactly what Vincent told him and all that was found was an article of a fire that burnt down a gentlemen club. Everyone inside died which I figured was unhelpful. But "grandpa" found it as a lead. A lead to the cemetery where his poor SOB friends were buried. And when we go to cemeteries what happens? We exhume dead bodies that need to be put to rest. Except these bodies didnt need to be put to rest. So why were we doing this again...?

"Tell me how we got stuck doing this" Dean complained as him and Sam were in the hole digging with me and Mel holding the flashlights and Henry, Vincent and Dominic crouched nearby. I felt Mel keep glancing up at me but I continued to ignore her. We didnt have time to deal with her right now.

"Okay...so if somehing is wrong with me..."

"Which there is" I muttered, annoyed that she still thought she was fine.

"Whatever. How do you suppose I get fixed?"

That was the first time she ever seemed willing to change. I looked up at her and I lost all traces of who she was. She wasn't my best friend...she was just some stranger coming along for the ride. "I don't know yet..." I told her honestly.

Dean and Sam lifted the coffin up and placed it in front of us. We opened it up to see the skeleton wearing a worn out veteran suit. "Hey, was Larry a World War I vet?" Dean asked.

"No" they all answered.

"Well, then, who's the stiff?"

"No idea"

I read the metal tag. "Captain Thomas J. Carey III. That mean anything to you?" I asked but they all shook their heads.

"Well, somebody wanted you to see this, so maybe that somebody is Larry" Mel suggested.

"So, what, maybe he survives the attack and hides out with this guy's identity?" Sam questioned.

"Okay. What are we waiting for, then? Cover this up. Let's be on our way" Vincent ordered and the three of them walked back to the Impala. We all looked at each other annoyed and frustrated.

~~

Dean was on the bed using the laptop while I sat with Sam at the table and he flipped through Johns journal while the three stooges sat on the couch, lounging. I sent Mel across the street to get some food. How badly could she mess that up.

"What's wrong, Brit?" I looked up at Sam.

"You know exactly what's wrong" I hissed.

He sighed. "Maybe..."

"Maybe nothing Sam. That's not Melissa and you and Dean are just too blind to see it"

"Hey..."

"I'm sorry but I just feel very alone on this"

He gave me a sad look. "Okay...look. Just hear me out" I waited. "What if...this is a good thing..." I narrowed my eyes at him and leaned across the table.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...it seems like she's forgotten all the bad stuff that happened in her life. She forgets who Katherine was and how she ended up killing her. She forgets how the four of us forgot about each other. I don't even think she remembered Jesse and Abbey..."

My face twisted. "Have you talked to her about this?"

"Yea, I talked to her some and got a jist of what she knows and doesn't"

"Why didnt you tell me any of this?"

"Same reason we're not telling Dean any of this"

I glanced over at him and hung my head. He would be crushed if he knew the extent of the situation. "It's just...not once has she even mentioned her truck...or Cas..."

"She can't remember the relationship she had with him" he assumed.

"But he was like a brother to her! I remember being jealous of how much closer they were. You don't see the problem with her not remembering?" My face twisted again, narrowing my eyes at him because I do remember how weak and fragile and emotional I used to be. Just thinking about it made me cringe. But then I remembered Mel always bringing me back, calming me down...and just being there.

Sam just shrugged. "Like I said. She forgot the bad things. Don't forget Cas also betrayed her and Dean..."

"But it was the bad things that made her strong. They made her the person that I knew would always be there, someone I can depend on..."

"She's still here, Brit..." His voice was gentle but also kind of condescending which just made me angrier. I’ve been feeling that a lot lately.

I shook my head at him. "No. Not all of her"

He rubbed his face. "Okay. Lets just finish one thing at a time..." I wanted to yell at him and remind him how Mel should come first but I knew it wouldn't be right.

"What is that? I know that tune" Dean suddenly spoke up, referring to Henry's whistling.

“As Time Goes By. I hope so. It's from "Casablanca" he answered him.

"Right. Dad used to whistle it from time to time" Sam said.

"Your father saw "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy" at the drive-in one night. It scared the beeswax out of him. So I got him this little music box that played that song to help him sleep at night. It worked like a charm"

"Wow, it's hard to believe Dad was ever scared of anything" Sam replied, making Dean shoot to his feet and rush out the door. I went to follow him.

"What about you, Brittney? Your father used to do anything that was special for you?" Vincent asked me.

His question was genuine but as I really considered it...it just seemed like a lifetime ago. "Umm whenever I got scared or whenever I felt alone...he would take me outside to look up at the stars...and he would tell me no matter where we are, close or far apart, just look up at the stars and know that they are what connect us..." I murmured and kept my head down as Sam just gave me a look.

Okay so my dad never did that. But Mel's dad did. Whenever my parents were traveling for work (which was all the time) Will stepped in as the father figure I needed. I didnt have the heart though to tell my grandfather his son never payed much attention to me and my answer seemed to suffice him. Dont get me wrong, I had a pretty good childhood. I always got what I wanted, my parents never hit me, they were always loving and caring and affectionate. They just never had enough time for me.

Suddenly I just needed some air, so I stood up and walked to the door. Sam followed me outside right as we saw Dean pacing in the middle of the parking lot while he ranted off to Mel who was carrying a bunch of grocery bags. But then she put them all down on the pavement, grabbed Dean so he would stop moving and she hugged him tight. He instantly wrapped his arms around her, relaxing as she ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. Well...she may not be my Mel anymore but at least she's still Deans....

~

"Hey...Brit. Wake up" Mel hissed in my ear. I groaned, pushing her away.

"What?" I snapped.

"Brit, They're gone. Come on, get your ass up" Dean hit me with a pillow.

"Who's gone?" I snapped again, sitting up. But then I realized Vincent, Henry and Dominic were the ones gone. "Oh...damn it" I flew off the covers.

All they left was a note saying they were going to "fix" everything. And when we went out to the car we found that they took an angels feather so we can only assume that they’re going to try to pop themselves back to their time and either stop Abbadon or haul ass. Either way we had to find them...and fast. Abbadon was closing in on our trail.

"Okay Mel and I will go find Henry. You two find Larry. Figure out how to kill this chick..."

I quickly jumped forward. "Umm I think Mel should go with Sam" I announced.

They all gave me weird looks. Dean could possibly be heading right into a trap where Abbadon is waiting for her moment and there's no way Mel would be able to defend herself against something like Abbadon. She should go with Sam. Play it safe.

"What, we can't switch it up every now and then?"

They exchanged a look. "Yea...okay. Brit’s with me" Dean waved me over and we both walked out.

"What's wrong with you lately? You're acting weirder than normal" Dean noted as we tracked down the runaways. I furrowed my eyebrows in frustration. Do I tell him? Can I tell him? He should already know...he hasn't even noticed...?

"Nothing's wrong with me, Dean..." I started.

"Come on, Brit. You really think after everything we've been through together I can't tell when you're lying?" he chuckled lightly.

"I just...I mean..."

"We'll, come on! Spit it out!"

"How do you not see it?" I murmured.

"See what?"

"Dean...Melissa is..."

"Is different, yea we already talked about this..."

"No. She's not just different. She's someone else completely. It's like...it's like nothing ever happened to her. Her past isn't her past anymore. She sees things..." I was doing my best to hint at everything that he was oblivious to without completely losing it.

"I don't get what your trying to say..."

But that's when I heard it. The honesty behind his lie. He knew already something was wrong but refused to admit it. He was stuck in this state of mind that was back to when things were considerably normal. He was forcing himself to see Mel as someone she wasn't. Not anymore.

"Dean...you can't just..." my voice was quiet.

"I know, Brit!" He snapped suddenly, hitting the wheel and making me jump. "I know...I just...I wanted it back...even just for a bit...I wanted it the way it was..." his voice was suddenly soft as he admitted what he was really thinking.

"I know you did...but ignoring the problem won't make it disappear...she's forgetting something new every day, Dean. Who knows when it will be before she forgets us"

He knew I was right...but I dont think he really knew the extent of what Mel was going through...and quite honestly I dont even think I knew the extent of Mel ‘s “condition”.

"I...don't know what to do...how to make it right...how to make her...and without Cas..."

Between his incomplete thoughts he ran a hand down his face to his jaw and that's when I saw him fighting the tears. I took his hand. "Well...that's why you have me" He gave it a small squeeze and suddenly I didn't feel so alone anymore.