[AU] two worlds, a lot of demons, and a new set of problems

[gavemea_45]

It's still hard to believe it's over; that the yellow-eyed demonic bastard they'd spent their whole lives hunting is finally dead.

Sam figures it'll sink in eventually. Given everything else -- right now he's still pretty numb.

He's also desperately tired, but that doesn't matter. There's something he needs to do, and he can't afford to delay.

He waits until they've settled in for the night, and then waits still longer. Once Dean's been asleep for half an hour, Sam picks up his messenger bag -- already stuffed with books and his computer -- and heads straight for the bar.

He orders black coffee and snags a table with a good view of both doors and the stairs, then pulls out the first of the old texts and starts to search through it.

There's work to do.

Comments

[totalitarstupetballs]

She sets the skull aside and smiles at him, crinkle-eyed and warm. "Not so much," she agrees. "Although it is very cool to have a superhero for a big sister. That part, I don't mind keeping."

[gavemea_45]

“Superhero, huh?” Sam grins. “Now I have to introduce her to my brother. And you, too.”

[totalitarstupetballs]

"Superhero," Waverly says, firmly. However Wynonna might feel about it, she knows her big sister has what it takes.

Her smile brightens. "What's your brother like?"

[gavemea_45]

“A lot like Wynonna,” Sam says. “In his way, but still.”

[totalitarstupetballs]

"Sounds like a handful," she says, grinning. "Maybe we should compare notes."

[gavemea_45]

He grins back. “Works for me. So what’s it like in the Triangle with your sister?”

[totalitarstupetballs]

"Honestly?"

She thinks about being kidnapped by revenants, nearly hanged, forced to confront her own envy of Wynonna. "I'm just happy she's back," she says, finally. "She left such a long time ago. I'd lift the curse if I could, but... I can't be sorry that it brought her back home to me."

[gavemea_45]

He’s pretty sure there’ll never not be a time when he doesn’t feel guilt for leaving the way he did, but Waverly’s words definitely cause a swell of it. “I can see that,” he murmurs. “Sounds like it’s a hard place to be, with the seventy-seven and all.”

He breathes carefully and adds, “And I know I’d miss Dean if he weren’t around.”

[totalitarstupetballs]

Waverly nods, her eyes full of wry sympathy. "I know why she left," she says. "It was hard for her, after everything that happened. But she didn't have to leave me, you know?"

[gavemea_45]

“If I had to guess,” he murmurs, “I’d guess she felt she couldn’t stay, and that you’d be okay without her.”

He shrugs. “Not saying she was right. Just saying I’ve been there.”

[totalitarstupetballs]

"Everyone was awful to her," she says. "And I know she felt so guilty. SO maybe it was easier for her to run away."

She gives him a wry smile. "I understand it. I just didn't like it."

[gavemea_45]

“I can see that.” Sam takes a swallow of his coffee. “She’s here, by the way.”

[totalitarstupetballs]

Waverly blinks at him. "What, like right now? Here, here?"

[gavemea_45]

“Upstairs here,” Sam clarifies. “This is a bar and a hotel, basically. Between worlds. It’s weird, I know, but you get used to it. Anyway, time doesn’t pass back home for most people when you’re here, so she’s catching a few winks before heading back.”

He decides to leave out just how much they’d had to drink.

[totalitarstupetballs]

"She is?"

Maybe she shouldn't sound so suspicious, but, well...

Wynonna. "She's sleeping?"

[gavemea_45]

“Pretty sure, yeah. I mean, I didn’t go in her room with her or anything,” he explains.

[totalitarstupetballs]

"Huh."

Weird. But she's hopeful enough that her sister decided to actually get some rest that she visibly decides not to question it. "I won't bug her, then. She needs some rest."

[gavemea_45]

“I guess things have been pretty busy, huh.” Sam eyes the skull again. “For both of you.”

[totalitarstupetballs]

"More for her than me," Waverly admits. "I'm not the heir. I work at Shorty's."

Although she did just break up with Champ. That's new, and so is the way her thoughts keep returning to a certain red-haired deputy. She folds her arms on the table and smiles at him, glancing at his books. "How about you? Is all this for something in particular?"

[gavemea_45]

“Just because you’re not the one wielding Peacemaker doesn’t mean you’re not in the fight,” he argues.

“And yeah. We’ve, uh, got a problem with some demons breaking out of hell.” Among other things.

[totalitarstupetballs]

"You too, huh?" she says, sympathetic, like they're talking about an unusual stretch of drought. "Are they localized, at least?"

[gavemea_45]

“Not so much,” he says. “Best we got is that they’re spreading out from the gate.”

[totalitarstupetballs]

She frowns at that, thoughtful, and reaches to idly spin the skull on the table. "Well, that sounds like a problem."

[gavemea_45]

“Yeah.” Dry. “But we’re working on it.” He blinks as she twirls the skull. “Did you say you found that in a piano?”

[totalitarstupetballs]

"Well, in a box, in a piano, yeah."

She lifts her eyebrows at him, quizzical. "Why?"