Wolvena

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

When Duke chimed in from her insult, Esme quickly shot him a glare, seconds away from reacting before Dean stepped in, saving Duke by covering his mouth. Her eyes shot back up to Dean as he began to speak, to attempt to explain his recklessness. When he paused, she started to ask if he wanted to elaborate, but Bobby beat her to the punch. So she remained quiet and let him continue. Esme’s eyes never left Dean as he explained what happened during their hunt. She took in his words, her gaze not softening a bit. However, as he explained, she couldn't deny that what he said was true. No matter how much she wanted to believe in that moment, thanks to her state of mind, they went in recklessly, knowing the entire situation. If he had been lying, she’d know it. She was practically a human lie detector, thanks to her empathic abilities. But then. Right now. She needed someone to vent all her rage and frustration on, and poor Dean and Duke just happened to be the ones to get it. Bobby had gotten an earful from her after her shower, but nothing like what the boys got.

When Dean spoke about how they knew how Vampires were, she nodded slightly in response. Her eyes then jumped to Duke when Dean mentioned him getting snatched. “Of course he did. He looks like the type to get into trouble.” she thought. She opened her mouth to speak, but yet again, Bobby beat her to the punch, echoing the questions burning in her mind. Dean’s reply caused her to sigh heavily. Of course, Dean couldn’t leave Duke behind. No matter how bad things were, it wasn’t in his nature to leave anyone behind during a hunt. She had seen that on a few occasions, and being one of those people, he hadn’t left behind. Relaxing her crossed arms, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes with a heavy sigh through her nose, her shoulders relaxing slightly. But it was clear her rage hadn’t dissipated.“For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never been able to leave a man, woman, or child behind.” she said, fighting to use a calmer tone. Esme breathed in deeply and slowly let it out a few times, trying to calm herself without much luck. She still needed to get out her frustrations.

She still needed to beat, kick, and yell at someone or something or just go somewhere and scream at the top of her lungs to release it all. “I believe you, Dean.” she sighed. “I have no reason not to.” She fell silent as she continued to lean against the wall with her eyes closed. Then, she tilted her head, bringing a hand up and placing it on her now pounding head, and closed her eyes tighter. All this rage and yelling, on top of being thrown around earlier, had caused her head to ache as if someone were beating on it like a drum, and the smell of the two boys wasn’t helping it either. “Now go and take a shower. You reek.” she told him bluntly. She didn’t move from her spot on the wall, feeling she wouldn’t reach a chair before hitting the floor from the light-headedness settling in. “And don’t worry, I’ll still be here when you get out. I don’t plan on going anywhere after the day I’ve had.”

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme stood there glaring at Dean, watching how he reacted to her lashing out at him. It was clear he could see how pissed off she was by his actions and facial expressions. Then, to make her mood worse, Duke spoke up and stepped towards her. She shot him a nasty look, and he repeated himself. She did her best to hold her tongue and not lash out at the cowboy as Dean told him to shut up, but he didn’t listen. The more Duke tried to talk to her, the angrier she became. She wasn’t talking to him. She was talking to Dean. Esme clenched her jaw and balled her fists tighter, causing her nails to dig into her palms so deep they bled. Her eyes darted back to Dean as he began to explain himself, only to be interrupted by Duke, who flashed a bright smile as he spoke as if he was proud of the whole situation they had been in. That was what pushed Esme over the edge. His proud smile caused Esme to snap and see red as she looked back at Duke with daggers in her blue eyes. She’d had enough of him speaking.

Esme stepped toward Duke, then shoved him into the chair Dean had pulled in front of himself. “Sit down and shut the hell up, Cowboy! I’m not talking to you! I’m talking to Dean!” she yelled at him, missing Bobby’s joke. If he opened his mouth one more time, she would punch him, making sure it was hard enough to knock him out of the chair. “Open your mouth again, and I swear you’ll regret it!” she warned. She didn’t care to hear whatever Duke had to say. She didn’t know the man and didn’t care to know him. Esme was half tempted to pull her gun on him to make sure he kept his mouth shut. She then lifted her daggered gaze back up to Dean. “Now! Explain to me why you went into a Vampire nest half-cocked with only this moron as back up!” she demanded. After everything they discussed about going into a hunt half-cocked before she left, she wanted to know why he went ahead and did it anyway. Esme was so zoned into him, and hearing what he had to say, she hadn’t noticed that the gash on her eyebrow had begun to bleed again. As she waited for his answer, Esme crossed her arms across her chest and shifted her weight to one leg.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

As Esme stood there with the group, her mind began to numb from all her emotions hitting her at once. Anger, fear, and slight helplessness were the strongest. She couldn’t lose Duke, not now. Not after finally having him back. She planned to do everything possible to find Duke and have him back at her side. She wasn’t leaving this farm until she found Duke there or knew where he was taken. Esme swore this to herself. At Dean’s second outburst, she was pulled from her numb mind, knowing precisely who he was speaking of when he said they needed to find him. He was referring to Duke. Then came his comment about Cason. She winced, knowing that wouldn’t sit well with Natalia. And just like clockwork, Natalia yelled at Dean, defending Cason. Then Mika spoke up, echoing her thoughts about this not being the time for arguments. Esme stood there, only able to listen since it was hard to get a word in edgewise. Plus, she felt this was slightly more between them and not her. Esme was close to walking away from the squabble about Cason when Sam asked what the plan was, causing her to sigh silently.

Esme nodded to Sam’s words even though he was talking to Dean. That was the most logical thing for them to do so that things didn’t end up even worse for them. Then Natalia spoke up again. She knew Dean wouldn’t go for that, but Mika chimed in before he could say much. When Sam asked about the barn, she shook her head and mumbled no. Esme had no arguments about going inside the barn. The way she saw it, it was the only option they had. She turned her head to look at the barn, taking in how the light from inside was shining through the holes in the roof and how they hadn’t been heard by anyone with how loud the group had been. She turned her head back as Dean spoke, nodding in agreement to regrouping. She felt she needed more than what she currently had with her. Then Dean turned overprotective brother as he talked to Natalia, which ended with him looking at her with a fearful and knowing look, causing her breath to catch slightly. She understood the look. Her look back echoed the same. She was worried they’d find him dead in the barn.

As Dean stepped away from the other and walked over to her, Esme pulled her staff from the ground. His worried sigh caused her to tense up before she looked at him as he spoke. His words stung, and she gripped her staff until her knuckles turned white. How could he ask her to prepare herself for what they might find? No one could prepare themselves for finding a half-dead or dead loved one somewhere. She softly nodded as he brought up how they both knew how Duke was. Yes, she knew full well how he was. Esme then placed a hand on Dean’s arm out of habit. “I can’t promise you I can prepare myself for this. I don’t know how, but I’m not going to lie. I’m terrified about what we might see in that barn.” she told him. Esme closed her eyes tightly and sighed heavily before continuing. “If we find him……..” she couldn’t bring herself to say the word. “I know I’m not going to be able to handle it. I will lose it.” she said, looking up at him. “I’m not as strong mentally as you always thought I was. I don’t handle loss well.”

As they walked back to the cars, she kept her hand on his arm in an attempt to keep them both somewhat grounded like she used to. Whatever they found in that barn, at least they wouldn’t be seeing it alone. A knot formed in Esme’s throat as she walked alongside Dean towards the cars, Duke’s well-being and Dean’s mental state heavy on her mind. When Dean repeated himself, she gently squeezed his arm. “Dean, we’re going to find them, and then we’re all going to get the hell out of here.” They were going to find them. When Duke’s truck came into view, the knot in her throat grew bigger, causing her to stop in her tracks and turn away from the truck. Esme dropped her head and closed her eyes tightly. She breathed deeply to control the tears that stung her eyes and threatened to show themselves. “Come on, Esme. Keep it together.” she breathed. “You have to stay strong.”

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme sat behind the wheel of a ‘68 Chevelle she shared with her father, glaring at a decrepit house she had just come out of. She was told this would be an easy one-ghost-and-done case. She had found three ghosts within its crumbling walls while also falling through its floors, thrown through its walls and doors, and into various kitchen, living room, and bathroom items. She was covered head to foot in bumps, cuts, scrapes, debris, and ectoplasm from the whole ordeal. “There's only one. It’ll be easy, they said. You won't need help, they said.” she grumbled. “Hell, if they call that easy. I'd hate to see what they call difficult.” Esme then placed her forehead on the back of her hand resting on the steering wheel, closed her eyes, and released a heavy sigh through her nose to collect herself. “This has been one hell of a day. It started with demons with Sassy early this morning. Then, it was the long drive to this place with these three ghosts: an older man, a woman, and a young girl. She could only assume that the woman and girl were victims of the man by what she found inside.

The man died of a self-inflicted gunshot after being cornered by the police. She was here for him, not the other two. Now that it was over, she could go to Bobby’s, get cleaned up, and take a breather now that she had nothing else to take care of. She sighed and shook her head. “Where did this guy get his information, and how did Sassy know him?” Esme sighed to herself. Suddenly, her car roared to life, with the keys still in Esme’s pocket, then quickly slammed into gear. “What the hell!” she yelled in surprise, lifting her head. The engine revved, and the car peeled out, heading straight for the house. “Oh, hell no!” Esme stomped on the breaks, but it was no good. She took hold of the wheel with both hands, trying to turn it, but the car kept its heading. She turned to the door and grabbed the handle, only to have the door immediately lock her in. Desperately, she tried to pull the lock up and open the door, but she couldn’t get either to budge. She moved to the passenger door only for that door to lock, and the car hit a bump.

She bounced up, hit the car's roof, and then face-planted on the seat. Groaning, Esme pushed herself up to sit in the seat. Quickly searching through her pockets, she finally found her phone and pulled it out, but before she could use it, the car jerked hard to the right, causing her to hit her hand on the window and drop her phone. Dazed, she felt around the seat, then bent down to search the floorboard for her phone. When her fingers finally landed on it, she quickly grabbed the phone moments before the car jerked to the right again, causing her to hit her head hard on the steering wheel. Sitting back up in the seat, she held the phone tightly in her hand, opened it, and selected Sassy’s number, but before she could call, the car swerved and hit a large planter sitting in the front yard. “You son of b…..” she started before another large planter was hit. Her car was now driving through the large yard in front of the decrepit house, hitting or driving over anything in its path. With a growl in her throat, Esme finally managed to dial the number and hit speakerphone.

She dropped her phone in her lap when the car went through an overgrown flower bed, which caused the car to bounce. Esme grabbed the wheel once more, trying to gain some control of where she was headed while listening to her phone ring. “Come on, Sassy, answer the damn phone!” she growled. Finally, she heard a hello on the other end. “Sassy, I need your help! That wack job you got your info from is a damn liar! There’s more than one here, and one has possessed my car with me in it!” she yelled. “I need you to find out who it is! I’ve already taken care of the perv, along with the woman and child that showed up!” There was silence on the other end of the phone after Esme had finished talking. An eerie disembodied laugh could be heard in the car. The laugh sent a shiver down her spine. “She’ll never get you the information in time. You'll be dead by the time she finds out who I am.” the voice said with another laugh. “SASSY!” Esme practically screamed the woman’s name into the phone. “I’m on it!” was the reply she got back. “Hurry!”

While waiting to hear the woman’s voice again, Esme was bounced around in her car, and was getting ever closer to the house. If this ghost weren’t so content with toying with her, she would have already been driven into the house. He was taking her on a joyride through the whole yard and taking out anything that got in the way. “Esme! I think I found him!” the woman’s voice came through the phone. “Damn!” the ghostly voice yelled. “You’ll never hear what she has to say.” The car turned sharply and drove for the house. “Talk quick!” Esme yelled before she felt invisible hands wrap around her neck. She gasped for air as she reached up to her throat. “Esme! ESME!” she heard the woman scream. “Who!” she gasped. Before Esme could hear the answer, her car smashed into the house, and her throat was released. Her car traveled several feet before coming to a hard stop after hitting something solid. She was thrown forward and hit her head on the steering wheel, making her see stars. Deep laughter in her ears drowned out the screams of panic coming through her phone. Invisible hands wrapped around her throat.

“You’re going to die here, Hunter!” the ghost breathed in her ear. He squeezed her throat tightly, pushing her back into the car’s seat, and she struggled against her unseen enemy. She needed salt. Esme checked the pockets where she usually kept handfuls of salt, which were both empty. “Dammit to hell.” she choked out. She had some in her pant pocket, but how could she get to it? It was going to take work. With effort, Esme worked her hand into her pocket and wiggled a vile of salt out of her pocket as she gasped for air and was close to blacking out. Esme popped the top and threw the salt around the car. The ghost screamed as he released Esme. She coughed and gasped for air as she slumped over in the seat. She grabbed her phone off the seat and held it up in a shaky hand. “Sassy? Who is it?” she asked hoarsely. There was a relieved sigh before she heard what she needed. “His name is Bartholomew Burgess. He’s the brother of…. Him.” she said quickly. “The two had done everything together. He owns that house.” Esme groaned. “Of course he does.” she sighed.

Rolling forward, Esme pulled out a belt of salt vials and an iron bar. Without another thought, she sat up and bolted out of the car, throwing the belt over her head and wearing it like a sash. Esme rushed through the house, collecting anything that could be linked to Bartholomew and using the salt and iron when needed. Throwing everything into a pile, she threw salt on it, then lit an old piece of cloth with her lighter to set it all ablaze. She waited to hear his scream but heard nothing. “Dammit to hell. It wasn’t any of that.” she growled loudly. “You're mine now!” Bartholomew howled as he appeared a few feet away. That’s when she saw it. Throwing salt at him, she bolted for the next room, grabbed an old hat sitting on a chair, and then ran back and tossed it into the fire. That was it, but she couldn’t stay to watch the job get done. The old house suddenly began to buckle in on itself. Esme bolted for her car as everything crumbled around her. Pulling the keys from her pocket, she jumped in, slammed the door, and tried to start her car.

The engine wouldn’t turn over. “No, no, no. Come on, girl. Don’t do this to me.” she groaned, wiping away blood from her eye from the gash on her eyebrow. “I’ll get you all fixed up at Bobby’s. I promise.” she said sweetly as she continued trying to get her car to start. The engine roared to life. Putting it in reverse, she stomped on the gas and backed out. The front of the car nearly cleared the house before it collapsed. “You really know how to make me panic, don’t you?”

Two hours later

After arriving at Bobby’s, Esme grabbed her duffle from the trunk and took a few steps towards the house. Then, she turned back to her car and winced at the sight she saw. “If Daddy were to see you like this, he’d kill me for sure.” Esme breathed. She did not attempt to knock on the door since Bobby knew she was coming. She called him to let him know she was a few hours away. He had met her at the door in his usual manner after walking in. “Hey, Bobby. Long time no see.” she smiled tiredly. He gave her a light scolding compared to what he usually gave Dean, even after she explained everything. He then sent her off to shower, telling her he’d have a beer waiting for her when she finished. “Thanks, Bobby.” she smiled warmly. After getting cleaned up, dressed, and her hair dried, she made her way to Bobby’s desk, where he poured himself over a book and two beers sitting on his desk. Esme then sat down, grabbed one of the beers off the desk, and took a long drink before setting it back on the desk with a silent, content sigh.

She talked to Bobby for a while about what had happened since she was last around and what had gone on that day, getting herself fired up again. That guy needed to be shot for what he had pulled today, and she would gladly do it if it kept him from getting other hunters in the mess she was in. She had gone silent for about twenty minutes, getting lost in her thoughts, before the boys came through the door. Bobby’s sudden movement pulled her from her thoughts, but she didn’t move from her spot, even when she heard Dean’s voice. She knew better than to walk in while Bobby was scolding Dean. Esme did listen in, though, and didn’t like what she was hearing from Dean and the other voice. It was causing her anger to rise more. When the company question was asked, she took that as her cue to show herself. Standing from the chair, she walked into view and looked directly at Dean, a fire burning with her blue eyes already. The sight of him didn’t help matters. She didn’t even look Duke’s way. “What the hell, Dean?!” she yelled, taking a few steps towards him.

“I thought we had talked about not going into things half-cocked and without backup before I left! I thought we had an agreement! But then I come back and find you like this! Looking as if you barely got away by the skin of your teeth!” she vented with clenched fists. The thought of him going into a Vampire nest half-cocked and not having enough backup infuriated the hell out of her. If she had had her beer in hand, she would have probably thrown it at him for his stupidity and knowing he was close to getting himself killed. She didn’t come back just to find him like this. She didn’t want to yell at him, but him like this, on top of everything else she had dealt with today, was just too much for one day.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

As Esme walked, Dean overtook her stride, causing her to walk faster to keep up with him. She was sure she held her staff higher on her shoulder as they went so that it was not too close to the ground to trip over. As she walked behind Dean, she gripped her staff lightly and tried to keep her thoughts positive, which was difficult, with Dean’s worry hitting her so strongly. She didn’t have to be an Empath to know just how worried Dean was. He had those he cared for missing, just as she did, as after what they had been through tonight, how could they not be? They had no idea if they were alive, dead, or on the edge of death. It was enough to make anyone sick with worry. And as worried as she was for the whole group, most of her worry was for Duke since she knew he had a significant injury. She prayed that he was still alive and that she wouldn’t find him dead somewhere in the barn. As strong as she made herself out to look, she wouldn’t be able to cope with losing Duke at the end of all this.

Even with her mind racing with all the possible ways they could find the others, Esme was sure to watch for more demons since neither knew how many were still around and if they were planning an ambush as they searched for everyone. Then they rounded the corner of the barn, and there was Mika, alone, with demons running off into the night. A silent sigh of relief escaped her lips. Yes, the two hadn’t hit it off that great, but she was still glad to see the woman alive. When Dean grabbed her hand and pulled her long, it was like a blast from the past, and out of instinct, she wrapped her fingers around his hand. She would have smiled at the familiar action if this had been any other moment. When Dean dropped her hand, she was snapped back into the present. She slowed and slowly walked over to Dean and Mika, keeping a little space between them. While Dean checked on Mika, Esme scanned the darkness around them for any signs of movement. She could see nothing, and she could hear nothing but Dean and Mika and crickets, causing her to chew her lip in worry.

Suddenly, Natalia’s voice called out to them. Esme quickly turned to see the woman in the darkness walking towards them on unsteady feet. She quickly rushed over to Natalia. “I got you.” she told her as she wrapped an arm around her waist and then led her over to Dean and Mika. Moments later, Sam found them and told them what had happened on his end. “What!?” she said almost in unison with Natalia. Esme’s jaw clenched at the news. Anna had been taken, and Duke and Cason were missing. Jamming the end of her staff into the ground, Esme released a heavy sigh through her nose as she closed her eyes and ran her free hand through her hair with worry and frustration. “Where the hell are you?” she mumbled, as it sent pain through her tender shoulder. It took every ounce of her willpower not to pass Natalia to Sam and bolt into the darkness to search and not care about how dangerous it was going alone. Opening her eyes, she looked at each person around her, stopping on Dean as if looking for answers or what he was thinking, knowing his mind was racing from the news.

No matter what was going through his mind, the look in her eyes clearly spoke of what she wanted to do and what she felt she needed to do. She then looked over at Sam. “I couldn’t find Duke after we were separated. The last time I saw him, he was…… Stabbed in the stomach. By the time I could return to where I last saw him, he was gone.” she said, her worry for Duke evident in her tone. She half wished she could go back and rip that female demon’s head off herself. Esme’s fist clenched at the thought of Duke lying somewhere, bleeding out, while she stood there doing nothing but talking about what had happened. She had to find him, and soon.

All Roads Lead To You

Name: Esme Stirling

Species: Human/Empath/Hunter

Age: 23

Appearance:


Relation to characters (optional): She had become a friend of Dean after meeting him on a hunt with her father.

Bio: Esme grew up with a hunter father and a non-hunter mother. Her father had attempted to leave his hunter's life behind him when he found out his wife was pregnant, but the life was one you could never really escape. From a young age, Esme’s father had begun to teach her about the things that go bump at night, which she picked up quickly, to her father's surprise. He called her a natural-born hunter. From then to the present, Esme has lost her mother to a Hellhound, has learned many tips and tricks from her father and other hunters she has met.

Weapons: A silver knife and a pistol. She also has a duffle bag with bullets, a couple more pistols, a machete, crosses, salt, holy water, lead pipes, and iron bars.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme did her best to stay aware of her surroundings while she followed along with the group, but not well enough because a female demon almost got the better of her and Duke. She barely had enough time to step back as a female demon came out of nowhere and took a swipe at Duke. She barely had enough time to lean back and take a step away before the woman came for her, which Duke blocked with his hand, causing her to wince as he cried out. Taking another step back and using her staff, Esme regained her footing. She turned to Duke to call out to him but stopped when a giant male demon entered her sight. Esme took a few steps back, holding her staff out to shield herself, causing the demon to grin. “Aww, look. A scared little rabbit to play with.” he teased in a deep tone. Esme gripped her staff tighter, glaring up at the demon, who had to have been a wrestler in a former life. “Scared rabbit? Sure.” she hissed. “I’ll show you a scared rabbit.” she breathed. Esme charged him and swung her staff, which he caught with a gloved hand.

With one quick pull on her staff, the demon pulled her off her feet and quickly wrapped a hand around her throat. “Damnaidh!” she breathed as his grip tightened around her throat. He then yanked the staff from her hand, tossing it to the side and squeezing her throat tighter. She gasped for air and tried to free herself from his iron grip, but it was useless. She looked over his shoulder and saw Duke holding his own. Then she scanned the demon’s body for any exposed skin, but all there was was his face, which she couldn’t quite reach.“How do I always get tangled up with the giant ones?” she questioned herself. Wrapping her hands around his arm, she kicked at him, but he was just out of reach. As her vision began to go hazy, survival mode kicked in, causing her to remember the salt in her jacket pocket. She plunged her hand into her pocket and pulled a handful of salt, throwing it into the demon's face. He howled, throwing her to the ground pawing at his face. “You little bitch!” he growled, kicking her in the stomach just as she got a lungful of air.

She felt the air leave her as she grunted, then rolled to the side to dodge his foot aimed at her head. Coughing, she shakily took to her feet, holding her aching stomach. “Why don’t you just give up? You know you can’t win this.” he sneered. “Never.” she coughed. Esme held her ground, watching the demon with unwavering eyes. He then charged her. She held her ground until the last minute. She moved to the side, dropped to one knee, pulled a knife from its sheath, and threw it at his back. It struck in between his shoulder blades. His howl of pain and anger echoed through the barn. While he fought to reach the blade, Esme took this chance to grab her staff. Once her hand landed on it, the demon had abandoned the idea of pulling out the knife and charged her again. Quickly taking to her feet, Esme charged the demon, then dropped into a slide and swung her staff at his shins, sending him face-first into the ground. Standing, she looked over to check on Duke, only to realize he was not doing well. He had been backed into the barn by the female demon.

Esme wanted to help, but her hands were full with this giant demon. Just before the demon could get to his feet, she ran over and bashed his head with her staff a couple of times. She then pulled her knife from his back and was going to attempt to plunge it through his heart, but stopped halfway through when she saw the female demon stab Duke in the stomach. “Duke!” she cried out, which gave the male demon an opening. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her off her feet. She landed hard on her back, knocking the wind out of her. “Aww, the little rabbits Cowboy lost.” he chuckled as he got to his feet. Fighting for air, Esme grabbed her staff and knife, then scrambled to her feet before the demon could land another attack. Placing the hilt of the knife in her mouth, she charged the demon, barely making him out through her blurred vision. Instead of dropping low like last time, she jumped and aimed for his throat with her staff, only to have him duck and dodge her attack. “Nice try, little rabbit. You’re too slow.” he laughed as her feet hit the ground.

Then, she heard Duke yell out for her to run, his tone sending a shiver down her spine. She spun around to see the female demon coming for her. There was no way she could fight off both on her own. Then Sarah came out of nowhere and attacked the female, sending some relief through Esme. Esme went back to fighting the male demon with everything she had. The fight had taken them around to another side of the bar. She had been thrown into some farming equipment and the side of the barn, resulting in her left shoulder being dislocated and her losing her weapons. When Sarah finished with the female, she found Esme on the ground and stood at her side protectively. “You have a Hellhound?.....” he yelled in surprise, looking as if he was ready to bolt. A smirk came to Esme’s lips at the fear she saw in his eyes. “Sarah, if you would.” she said to the Hellhound as she got to her feet. Sarah pounced on the demon and pinned him to the ground, growling. “You’re human. How can you see it?” he yelled. “Sarah, shut him up, please.” she asked the Hellhound softly.

Sarah leaned in, growling and baring her fangs in his face in a threatening manner. He flinched at Sarah’s actions, not daring to look her in the eyes. “How the hell did you tame it?” he asked, lowering his tone. Holding her left shoulder, Esme walked over and peered down at the demon, a smirk still resting on her lips. “Who said I did?” she responded flatly. She then turned and walked off a few steps before turning back around. “He’s all yours, Sarah.” she told the Hellhound. Turning, Esme looked around and collected her weapons quickly. As much as she felt like putting that demon through the ringer, she knew now wasn’t the time. She needed to gather her weapons swiftly and get back to check on Duke and the others. As she gathered her weapons, she could hear Sarah rag-dolling the demon and then crushing his head. Sarah made her way over to Esme and gently nudged her with a whine. “I’ll be fine. We need to group up.” she told her. Esme slipped her knife into its sheath and used her staff to steady herself. The two walked around the barn to where Esme last saw Duke.

He wasn’t there, only a blood stain on the ground from where he had been. “Hellfire!” she hissed. “I hope one of the others found him and got him out of here.” she told Sarah. As much as she wanted that to be true, something told her it wasn’t. “Come on. We need to keep looking for the others.” Esme walked as quickly as she could, using Sarah as support and noting how quiet things had gotten, giving her a sinking feeling in her gut. The two rounded the corner of the barn, and she could see Dean just at the other end. She was going to attempt to get his attention when a rogue demon popped up out of nowhere. Sarah reacted and quickly took it out. “Nice work, Sarah.” she told her softly. Esme pushed on, and Sarah returned to her side, watching for more stray demons to pop up. They were clear the rest of the way to Dean's position, and she couldn't have been happier. “Dean! You good!” she called out when she was within earshot. As she closed the gap, Sarah slowed and hung back a bit, ensuring not to unnerve Dean with her presence.

Once the gap between them had been closed, she stopped, stuck her staff in the ground, and held onto her left arm. She looked around; the others were nowhere in sight. “I’m assuming you don’t know where the others are either.” she sighed, looking back at him. Esme closed her eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it through her nose to get her worry for Duke under control. “How did this go so wrong?” she said mostly to herself, opening her eyes. “We need to regroup. I hope one of the others found Duke during all the chaos. He got stabbed, and I couldn’t get to him because I was in a fight of my own.” she told him. Now that she had that off her chest, she needed to do something about her dislocated shoulder. There just happened to be an electrical pole on that side of the barn. Esme walked over to it, pulled a leather glove from her pocket, and placed it between her teeth. Then, she lined her left shoulder up to the pole. She breathed in and out, giving a few practice rocks towards it to make sure she hit on the right spot.

Taking one last breath, she let it out and slammed her shoulder against the electrical pole, putting it back in place. Esme bit down on the glove and groaned from the pain shooting through her shoulder. She leaned against the pole momentarily before breathing deeply through her nose and pushed herself off the pole as she released it. Taking the glove from her mouth, she shoved it back into her pocket, walked back over to her staff, plucked it from the ground, and looked at Dean. “Come on. Let’s go find the others.” she almost whispered as she rolled her left shoulder back and began the search for the others.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

After the plan and teams were decided, Esme walked over to the back of Duke's truck, grabbed her duffle bag, unzipped it, and began to pull out the items she needed, wincing as she heard Anna’s words. Her first pick was her favorite pistol, which she tucked into her right jacket pocket. Then she took out flasks of salt and holy water, a couple of knives, and extra ammo, all of which she shoved into the pockets of her jacket and jeans. The last item Esme pulled from her duffle was a foot-and-a-half-long steel rod with an intricate inlaid design in iron. She didn't use it often, as it held some painful memories for her and was a gift from a family member. She zipped up her duffle and stepped away from Duke's truck. As she walked away, she ran her thumb over the small engraved letters on its surface:

To my fav cuz, from your fav cuz. Love Ari.

When Duke spoke, Esme looked at him and softly laughed at his mischievous smirk. “Can you ever be truly ready to play with demons?” she asked, giving him a mischievous smirk in return, hiding how uncomfortable she felt. With a quick flick of her wrist, it expanded into a five-foot-long bo staff, the ends made of iron. Esme twirled it in front of herself, over her head, then back in front. “Yeah, the sooner we get it over with, the better.” she replied as she stopped spinning the bo staff and planted one end on the ground. Being this close to so many demons made her skin crawl and feel incredibly uneasy. She hoped to keep herself in check and not lose control of her powers. She knew at some point, she was going to have to find a solution that would help her stay in control of them. Esme felt lucky knowing she wouldn't have to go it alone. She knew Duke would be there to help her in any way he could.

_____________________________

Before everyone started to group up, Esme took that moment to clear her mind and focus on the task and what needed to be done, not what could happen. The longer she focused, the more her white-knuckled grip on her staff loosened. Sarah had come up, sitting next to her, leaning gently against her during this. Esme was determined to maintain control of her powers so that this whole thing didn’t go sideways for everyone. Esme had finally found her happy place by the time everyone had begun to group up. Taking a deep cleansing breath, she lifted her staff off the ground and walked over to the group as Dean started to bark orders. A small smile came to her lips when Duke interrupted Dean on what they could do before Dean could finish his sentence. “Yes, just like the old days.” she breathed, a small smile still on her lips. As the groups went their ways, Esme found a spot that gave her a clear view of everything.

Sarah came over and sat close to Esme while she watched the others move into their positions. Soon, her gaze focused on Natalia, watching as the woman took up her bow, nocked an arrow, loosed it, and hit her demon target. “Seo sinn a-nis.” she breathed as the demons noticed one of their members down. Esme gripped her staff, readying herself to jump in if either group needed help. As she stood there, she felt a knot growing in the pit of her stomach. No matter how hard Esme tried to ignore it, she couldn’t. Bad feelings and thoughts weren't needed at a time like this, not with how many demons were involved and how she had the tendency to lose control of herself. “Fòcas, Esme, fòcas.” she breathed to herself. “Gheibh thu tro seo gun dad uamhasach a’ tachairt.”

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme sat quietly between Duke and Sarah on the tailgate of Duke’s truck, listening to the others argue. She sighed inwardly. She never cared for the term sacrificial lamb, especially in such situations. If she hadn’t made such a big deal about not being reckless to Duke, she would have readily volunteered herself, even with the feeling she had of something hiding in the shadows waiting to attack after they tired themselves out. Plus, she wouldn’t be going alone; Esme knew she would have Sarah at her side because she wouldn’t let her go alone. Hearing Duke, Esme looked away from the group, up at him, and nodded. “I wouldn’t be either if I was Natalia. You also can’t blame Sam after all the trouble he went through to get her back.” she said, keeping her voice low. “I’m tempted too, and you should know by now I wouldn't want you going on your own. And as good as we all are, four demons is a lot for one person to handle.”

When Duke placed his hand on her thigh, she put her hand on top of his and squeezed it. “And hoping this would be a quick one was wishful thinking, Bright Eyes.” she added with a little laugh. With everything Esme had witnessed since becoming a hunter, she had learned never to be hopeful for a quick and easy job. So it was very welcomed whenever she got a fast and easy case. She was about to suggest possibly sending Sarah to clear their way, but Duke called out to the others, so she fell silent and listened. Much to her dislike, Esme also agreed with Mika, but it was their best option. Breaking into two teams would give them the best chance of taking out the demons and getting inside to figure out what was happening in there. Releasing Duke’s hand, Esme slid off the tailgate and looked at each group member. With this many, you would think they would have at least a little better luck than a group with two or three, right?

It all depended on whether they could work together as a team, would watch each other's backs, and nothing unexpected reared its ugly head, which almost always happens. As much as she hated to be wishful or hopeful, she could only hope they could work together since there was a little tension between a couple of them in the group. Only time would tell if that tension would dissipate or not, but she saw it taking a lot of work and cooperation from all involved. Esme spoke, keeping her voice low but loud enough for the group to hear her. “Alright, now that that’s decided, let’s group up and move out.” Esme was ready to get to the bottom of this and get out as quickly as possible. She also didn’t like the feeling she got from this place either. The less time they spent here, the better it was for her.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme continued to stare at the far wall of the room until Dean spoke up, her eyebrows slightly knitting together when he said, “It can be seeing the future.” and continued. Esme only shook her head at the demon question; she had no idea what demon could do that much damage to the group. If he didn’t think it was the future, what did he think it was? she thought to herself before Duke chimed in, the annoyance in his tone clear. She also wondered if Dean didn’t think they should take this premonition seriously, which only made her wish she hadn’t had to tell him. Esme slowly started to back her way closer to the door, feeling the rise in emotions in the room but stopped at Dean’s reply, her eyes widening with confusion. Her seeing the future didn’t freak him out; how the hell could it not? It did her.

It was clear that she wasn’t the only one surprised by it, and she was about to open her mouth to say something when Cason and then Anna spoke. She listened to Anna and sighed softly to herself when she said everyone was afraid of her; what Anna didn’t know was that she was mistaken. Esme wasn’t afraid of her; she felt a slight connection with her because she could burn demons as well, and she felt like she was the weird one, even if her weirdness didn’t involve demon blood. She would have to find a way to tell her at some point since now was not the time. When Duke and Cason spoke, Esme’s eyes darted to them. She wanted to throw in her own opinion, but Dean slapping the table caused her to flinch and look his way. Esme listened to Dean and Cason, bringing a hand to rest on her tight and aching chest.

She understood where Dean was coming from, but as much as she hated to admit it, Cason was right about needing to find out what they were walking into. Esme continued to listen to everyone talk as she tried to hold it together, even with Sarah near, feeling slight relief when Sam spoke calmly to defuse things. After Mika and Natalia spoke, Esme nodded in agreement with the two women. She definitely preferred everyone to go in smart so that no one was hurt and they didn’t lose anyone. Looking at Dean, she watched him, waiting to see if he would listen to their reasoning, sighing softly when he conceded. From where she stood, she saw Duke’s and Cason’s shoulders relax and felt some of the tension fade, but not enough to help her out. There was so much tension, rage, and frustration in the air it would take more than this to clear the air.

Esme’s gaze shifted to Anna as she shifted in her chair and spoke, then to Cason when he snapped at her. She nodded after the back and forth between them, not liking that she actually agreed with Cason, but what he said was true. Then Dean agreed, which she knew he hated, and continued about how she wasn’t a weapon, and they would keep her away from the demons. Like Dean, Esme didn’t miss the glance between Anna and Cason and wondered what it meant. Was Cason feeding her? She shook the thought from her mind and looked around the room after Cason spoke again. Sighing heavily, Esme looked over at Anna, trying her best to fight through the pain.

“They're both right, you know?” she started in a pain-filled tone as she looked at Anna. “I also consider you a friend, even though we haven’t had much of a chance to really get to know one another, but know this: I’ll fight alongside you and fight to keep you out of the hands of those demons for as long as I can.” Esme took in a shaky breath, looking back to the others in the room, still clutching her chest. She was close to losing control; Dean’s emotions had come close to pushing her over the edge, just like they used to. His emotions always seemed so much stronger than others, and his, with everyone else's, felt like a weight on her, especially in this small room. “I’m also up for getting out of here.” she added. Without another word, Esme turned to the door and left, almost at a run to leave the rage and frustration behind her.

Esme only made it as far as Duke’s truck before her knees gave out, and she fell against the truck's tailgate. Closing her eyes tight, she gripped the tailgate, trying to hold back the release of emotions bubbling at the surface. She couldn’t let them go; this wasn’t the place. She half wished she could throw herself down in a hole so she could release them. Sarah soon came up behind her and whined softly. “I need to get to the room.” Same whispered. With a soft bark, Sarah moved close to Esme’s side. Esme put her arms around her, and Sarah just about carried her to the room door. Once in the room, with some difficulty, they went over to the bed and sat on the floor. Esme curled into a ball and leaned against the bed with Sarah close by her side.

Being out of the room and having Sarah by her side, Esme should have started feeling more at ease by now, but she still felt as if she were still with the others. Which told her she had stayed too long and it would be a long and painful process to get back to normal unless she just released it, which would hit Cason. Esme closed her eyes and moved to curl up on the floor. She remembered what had happened at Bobby’s the first time she was like this. Sarah had shielded Cason with her own body, which worked for the most part. Would that work for her? She was smaller than Cason. Sarah could easily cover her small frame. A wave of pain shot through Esme as she curled into a tighter ball; she did her best to muffle her cry of pain only to have another follow.

Then, as if Sarah had been reading her thoughts, she moved closer and curled her massive frame around Esme’s smaller frame. Sarah softly nuzzled Esme’s cheek with a slight whine before resting her head close to Esme’s. “Thanks, Sarah.” Esme said, almost crying. Just Sarah curled around her did some good; it was slowly becoming bearable, but it was still quite painful; she knew that the group would want to leave soon, and she wouldn’t be able to. So, feeling that Sarah was ready, Esme released what she was holding back, screaming into her hands, even though she was muffled by Sarah. Esme didn’t move afterward. She lay there, trembling and softly crying against Sarah, listening. It was silent save for Sarah’s breathing. “It worked.” Esme whispered before the flood of tears came.