gavemea_45 | [AU] two worlds, a lot of demons, and a new set of problems

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

totalitarstupetballs

"It's okay," she tells him. "Champ's not much for talking about anything. Or thinking, really."

His offer is unexpected, and she beams at him, warm and delighted. "Really? That would be great. Honestly, it's just nice to be able to talk about it, you know?"

From:

gavemea_45

Sam grins back at her. "I know. We always had to keep things secret from civilians, but all of us knew the score. Anyway, yes, really. I mean it."

From:

totalitarstupetballs

"That's really nice of you, Sam. Thanks."

She folds her arms on the table and looks over at the skull. "I wish Uncle Curtis were still around to talk to. I'd love to know why he even had this thing."

From:

gavemea_45

"No problem at all," he assures her. Sam studies the skull with her. "Good question. You said the note said you were the 'keeper of the bones' now? Like, bones plural?"

From:

totalitarstupetballs

"Yeah."

She frowns at the skull, then at him. "That's creepy, right?"

From:

gavemea_45

"Kinda, yeah." Sam eyes the empty sockets of the silent bone. "Nothing weird happened when you picked it up, right? It wasn't in the kind of place someone would have tried to ward, was it?"

From:

totalitarstupetballs

Waverly shakes her head. "Not unless someone warded the saloon. And I don't think so, because half the regulars are revenants."

From:

gavemea_45

"... then probably not, no," he manages, after a second or two to stare at her. "But still, 'bones' implies more than one. Want help looking?"

From:

totalitarstupetballs

Waverly blinks at him.

"You want to come help me look for the rest of this guy?"

From:

gavemea_45

'Want' is a pretty strong word, he feels, but he's already going to owe Wynonna more than his own life, and besides he can't help but feel sympathetic to everything Waverly's facing, too. Sam shrugs. "I mean, yeah, if it'd help you. If you've got it covered, that's okay too, I just thought I'd offer."

From:

totalitarstupetballs

"No, I'd appreciate the help, really," she says, quickly. "I'd ask Doc, but he's busy with Wynonna – "

In more ways than one. " – and Dolls is... well, Dolls."

From:

gavemea_45

"Dolls is the agent guy, right?" Sam makes a face at the thought. "Yeah, okay. I'll bring a EMF meter along, too - might as well find out if it can pick up on weird stuff where you're from or if it's all muffled by the Triangle's curse barrier."

From:

totalitarstupetballs

She nods. "I like him," she explains, "but he's very intense. And mysterious. And he seems to have something of his own going on right now."

Waverly passes the journal back to Sam. "When do you want to come?"

From:

gavemea_45

Sam shrugs. "When do you want me there? Time's not passing for me back home, if that matters."

From:

totalitarstupetballs

"Well... I was going to go see the blacksmith," she muses.

"And I'm starting to think I shouldn't do that without backup."

From:

gavemea_45

"If you don't know what this blacksmith's connection is to the problem witch you're already worried about, then I'd say you really should have backup with you," Sam agrees. "If not me, then someone."

From:

totalitarstupetballs

She considers, and instantly rejects, asking Deputy Haught to go along with her. "Even better if that backup has some experience with this stuff," she points out. "Well... I don't want to pull you away from what you're doing..."

From:

gavemea_45

"Don't worry about it. I offered, didn't I?" He closes his laptop and shoves it in his messenger bag, then picks up the pile of books and notes. "Let me just stash these in my room."

A thought strikes him and he adds, "Come along if you want. It's across from Wynonna's, so you can see where she is."

From:

totalitarstupetballs

"Oh? Okay."

She grabs the skull and stands, then reaches down for her mug of tea, and lifts it to him with a little smile before finishing it off. "Waste not."

From:

gavemea_45

Sam smiles back, a little amused, and tips his head toward the stairs. "This way. There's not much logic in the room structure up there, I'll tell you now, but the signage is pretty good."

He's careful to keep pace beside her rather than stretching his legs.

From:

totalitarstupetballs

He's taller than both Doc and Dolls, and she's grateful he doesn't walk as fast as he could and make her scurry to keep up. "Good to know."

She glances up at him as they walk. "Is your brother here now too?"

From:

gavemea_45

"No, he's back at the motel." He nods down the hallway as they reach the top of the stairs and starts in that direction. "He was already asleep when I decided to swing by."