Wolvena

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme saw Duke’s smile fall a bit when she told him he could talk to her as well. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t wonder what had flashed through his mind at that moment to take his smile away, but she didn’t press it. She had also noticed the deep scars on his back as they had gone into the RV. She had seen scars like them before and knew they had to be from a monster they dealt with in their line of work. But seeing as they just met, she felt it wasn’t her place to ask about them. That conversation would probably come in time. When he answered her in a tease, she laughed again. “You think so, huh?” she laughed a bit more. Dark and edgy side? That’s one of my specialties.” she teased back. She watched him as he tossed all the guns into his duffel, then threw the handles over his shoulder. She couldn’t hold back her laugh at his comment about Dean. “Isn’t that the truth.” she replied as he walked past her. That was one thing that hung in the back of her mind as she thought about going inside to grab her stuff.

Esme turned and followed Duke out of the RV, catching a glimpse of his scared back before she turned to close the door behind her. She slowly descended the steps and followed him out to the covered carport and to the back door. By the time she walked in the back door, Dean and Duke were talking, and Duke was at the fridge grabbing two beers. She stood there holding in a laugh at how Dean was reacting to Duke running around without a shirt on around a stranger. She took it that it was odd for him to do so. When Dean addressed her, she gave a warm smile at his narrowed eyes, then walked over to Dean as Duke rolled his eyes and left the kitchen. Esme placed a hand on Dean’s, a smile still resting on her lips. “Yes, Dean. I’m perfectly fine.” she told him as she gently squeezed his hand. “I don’t doubt that you did tell him to give me space. You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t.” She gave a soft laugh as she looked at him. “But there comes a time when too much space can become a bad thing.”

“He’s just trying to help me work through all the emotions from last night.” She gave Dean’s hand another squeeze as she rubbed her thumb over the top of it. “But if you’re that worried about me. You are more than welcome to join us out there.” she told him, making it clear she was going whether he went or not. Esme then placed her free hand on his cheek, leaned in, and kissed his other cheek. “I really am okay, Dean.” she whispered. She kissed his cheek again before pulling away, then looked into his green eyes. “I’m going to go grab my stuff and give you a chance to think it over.” Esme gave him another warm smile before she kissed his lips sweetly, then pulled away to go grab her stuff.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme (Duke and Dean Collab)

Esme barely listened to Cason as he questioned the news they just heard. But he did have a good question, seeing as it could be supernatural-related. Her mind didn't even go to the possibility of it being Duke, even if she wanted to refuse that he was really gone. Plus, none of them were fit to go and investigate the situation. Esme closed her eyes with a heavy sigh, and she could see Duke’s face with a smile so bright that it reached his blue eyes. The image made her heart hurt. She closed her eyes tighter and wiped away a tear on her cheek. “You didn't deserve to go out like that. I'm so sorry, Duke. I should have tried harder to keep you with us.” she told herself. Esme pulled her jacket tighter around herself as she hung onto the image of Duke. When Dean got into the Impala and started it, she opened her eyes, watching as they left the field and got into the highway. She was more than happy to leave this place behind and all the memories connected to it, but she knew those memories would be hard to forget, no matter how hard she tried.

But as soon as they got onto the highway, she was pulled from her thoughts of Duke by Cason pushing Dean’s buttons. “Really? You just couldn’t keep quiet?” she groaned quietly. As they bickered, Esme tried to tune them out, but it was proving difficult and getting irritating. This trip was long enough with all the tension build-up. They didn’t need Cason pushing Dean. By the time she had enough, Mika turned around and lectured Cason. Then everything went quiet. Her thoughts went blank as she stared out the window. After what felt like ages on the road, she saw the town come into view and a figure lit up by the Impala’s headlights. Esme watched the figure as they got closer, noticing they had blonde hair and were wearing an open flannel and a pair of jeans. When Dean spoke as they passed the man, Esme’s eyes widened in surprise. She knew that blonde hair. She knew those scars. “Duke?” she whispered, confused. She bolted up in the seat, ignoring the pain shooting through her body, and yelled at Dean, already reaching for the door handle to jump out. “Stop the car! Now!”

Dean flinched like he was shot when Esme suddenly lurched forward and yelled at him to pull over. He slammed on the breaks, reflexively and the Impala came to a screeching halt in the middle of the empty highway.
"What the hell?! Are you trying to get everyone killed?" He scolded her, turning his rearview mirror down to look back at her like an angry father.

Esme already had the door open before the Impala came to a complete stop. She looked at Dean briefly in the mirror, catching his look, but she said nothing back as she quickly scrambled out of the Impala. She didn’t care he was upset with her for yelling for him to stop. She had to know if that was really him or if her eyes were playing tricks on her because of her grief. If it really was him, could he possibly be a Zombie or possessed? She was told that he died. There’s no other way he could be up and walking unless he was a Zombie or possessed. She ran a few feet past the Impala's back end and stopped, staring at the man walking away in front of her. “Is that really you?” she asked herself, tears already welling up in her eyes. There was only one way for her to be sure, one thing she could call out that she knew he’d react to. “Jason!” she called out to him.

Dean sighed, watching Esme glance to him before jumping from the car like a maniac after the drunk guy. He turned and looked at Mika, slapping his hand on the steering wheel. He couldn't let her just get out on her own and go after some random guy in the shape she was in. He opened his door and stepped out after her, following her around the back of the car, but keeping some distance behind her.

Duke had stopped walking, staring at the back of the Impala blankly as it screeched to a stop. There was no way it was real. He was now seeing things. Whatever had brought him back was making him see things...
He squinted, trying to make out what he was seeing. Suddenly, Esme's voice rang out in the dark, a snappy call of his real name and his body flinched as if shocked by electricity. He winced as if he was scolded by a parent. Raising his hand, he covered the tail light of the Impala to see her better, but said nothing at first. She knew his name. She used his real name. It was like a jolt of lightning to his heart and let out an exasperated sigh.
"Esme?" He called to her, his voice hoarse and broken. "I-I don't know what I'm seein'..."

His southern drawl was almost thicker than ever with his confusion, and he sounded like a confused little boy. Dean gasped, his eyes saucers behind Esme as he heard that voice, Duke's scared voice. It was like heaven to his ears in that moment but he couldn't move, just staring at him, tempted to pull Esme back, in case it was a trick. "Duke?"

Esme had stepped forward when he stopped walking and turned to face them. As soon as he flinched and winced at his real name being used, she knew it was him. There was no doubt in her mind that it wasn’t him. He hated being called Jason and would get angry if anyone called him that. He always referred to it as his government name. Then he called out to her. His southern drawl coming in thicker than she ever heard was full of confusion and fear that it broke her heart to hear. Tears were now streaming down her cheeks. It took Dean’s voice behind her to get her to move from where she was rooted. She stepped away from Dean and then broke into a run toward Duke, almost slipping as she went. When she was close enough, she jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him and burying her face into his neck. Esme couldn’t control her tears as she held onto him. “How?” she sobbed. “How are you here? I thought I lost you.”

Duke didn't know whether to walk toward Esme or to stay planted in case she thought he was some kind of monster. He wasn't even sure that he wasn't some kind of monster, if he was being honest with himself. His hand was beginning to shake as he held it in front of his face, and then suddenly, Esme broke into a run toward him.
He turned a bit, ready to run away from her, or at least brace himself for an attack, when she threw herself into his arms. With a loud groan, he caught her, his knees nearly buckling as he wrapped his arms around her to keep her from hitting the ground. He stared over her shoulder at Dean, who was still just standing there, watching them with wide teary eyes.

The questions Esme asked both made perfect sense and no sense at all, to Duke. Obviously, he had died, somehow. But he didn't have an answer as to how he was alive. He didn't feel like he was fresh from death, other than a sore throat and a few stitches. Duke brought a hand up to the back of Esme's neck, trying to provide her some type of comfort as he frowned and buried his face into her shoulder. The emotions of it all weren't hitting him, yet, other than fear. He was scared to death, and his heart was racing. He could feel it in his neck as it hammered away, "I don't know, babydoll. I don't even know if this is real..."

Esme clung to Duke, fearing that if she let go, he’d disappear right before her eyes. Feeling his hand rest on the back of her neck, his face on her shoulder, and his racing heart, she nuzzled her face into his neck. She knew he was scared. She could feel it. She was also scared. She feared this was some sort of sick joke the universe was playing on her, and once she thought she had him back, he’d be gone again. Then he called her by his nickname for her and confessed he didn't know if this was real. That tore at her heartstrings, and she cried more. She never thought she would hear him call her that again. She pulled her face from his neck, took his face in her hands, and looked into his fear-filled blue eyes with her own. She sniffled, then lifted a hand from his face to brush his hair from his face, then played with the hair at the back of his neck. “I know, my dear, sweet, bright-eyed cowboy.” she said softly. She leaned in and softly kissed his nose, wishing she could take away his fear and help him see this was real. Esme pulled back and lovingly ran her thumb over his cheek.

“After what you’ve been through today, it must seem like you’re in a dream. But I am here.” she told him. She softly kissed his cheek, then kissed his lips sweetly. After a moment, she broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his. “Come home with me, Bright Eyes?” she whispered as a tear slid down her cheek. “If this isn’t real, then what harm will it do?”

Duke wasn't sure what Esme was going to do as she pulled back from his shoulder and looked into his eyes, her hands on his cheeks like little slices of heaven. He was so relieved to feel the warmth of her skin against his, even if every part of him was telling him to pull away from her and keep walking. He hated seeing Esme cry. It wasn't anything he ever wanted to cause, and it wasn't making his emotions any more stable as his eyes welled up in tears, staring down at her with scared eyes.

As her hand began to move his hair around, he was reminded of how comforting the simple action always was, back even before she loved him. That alone was enough to send memories rushing in, behind his teary eyes. He closed his eyes, a couple of tears streaming down his cheeks as she kissed his nose, and then he sighed, taking in her words. I'm here.

He didn't shy away from her kiss, closing his eyes once again as he kissed her back, his own hand coming up to cradle her jaw as he allowed his shoulders to relax, just enough to try and enjoy kissing her in such an impossible moment. He sighed, slowly opening his eyes as she broke the kiss and asked him to come home with her, her nickname for him slipping off her lips like second nature. He nodded slowly, another tear slipping down his cheek.
"Okay. I-I think I can do that."

Esme smiled as she lifted her head from his, leaning her face slightly into his hand still on her jaw. His touch calming her. She was happy that he agreed to go with her. She didn't know what she would have done if he had refused. She lovingly brushed his tears from his cheeks and kissed his nose ever so gently. “Please don't cry, Bright Eyes. It’ll be okay.” she told him softly. She placed a soft kiss on each of his eyelids, then his cheek, before she unwrapped her legs from around him and placed her feet on the ground. Then, she let her arms slide from around his neck so her hands rested on his bare chest and looked up at him with a warm smile. She then turned slightly to look back at Dean, who was still standing by the Impala. She could just barely make out his face from the taillights, but she saw his tears as he looked at her and Duke. Esme then turned back to Duke, took his hand in hers, and squeezed it as she brought it to her lips and kissed his fingers. “Come on. Let’s get you out of the cool night air.” She then lifted his arm and draped it over her shoulders, then wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling him close to her before pulling him towards Dean and the Impala.

Duke breathed another sharp sigh of relief as Esme brushed his tears, and spoke his nickname once again. It almost felt too good to be true, to hear it again. He closed his eyes, not flinching away from the kisses to his eyelids and his cheek. If it was a dream, or fake, or whatever it was...It had to be a good thing, right?
As Esme lowered herself to the ground, he held onto her a bit tighter, until he knew she was steady on her feet. He reached up and wrapped his fingers around one of her hands on his chest as she turned to look at Dean, following her eyes to another face he never thought he would see again. He nodded his head, and Dean nodded back, wiping a hand down his face before turning to walk back to the drivers side of the Impala. Dean opened the door, looking back at them briefly with a sigh, and then leaned in.

"One of you climb up front." Dean barked to Cason and Nat in the backseat.

Duke looked back down at Esme, squeezing her hand tightly as she brought it to her lips and kissed his fingers. He simply nodded at her, barely even realizing that part of the numbness in his body was due to him being cold. He leaned his head to the side as she draped his arm over her shoulder, and he kissed her hair, a simple gesture to try and prove to himself that he was indeed touching her as they walked back to the car.

Esme smiled when Duke kissed her hair, then she held him tighter. She wanted to let him know that she was really there and not some dream or illusion. She walked back to the Impala slowly for him and also for herself as she could feel her pain returning. She was also starting to feel the cold settling in despite wearing a jacket. But she didn’t care about herself at that moment. Her focus was on getting Duke in the car, warmed up, and giving him a good looking over. Then, later, figure out how he was even alive. Everything in her screamed that he shouldn’t be at her side while she helped him walk to the Impala. He had died in the hospital. She couldn’t think of any explanation that could explain how he was there. When things settled down, maybe she could ask Bobby to help her find the answer because this confused the hell out of her. As far as she knew, none of them made a deal to bring him back, and she surely couldn’t see the angels stepping in to bring him back. She shook the thoughts from her mind and focused back on Duke and getting him to the car. “Almost there.” she said softly to him after a bit of time had passed.

Once they reached the Impala, she looked up at him and smiled warmly, but she didn’t let him go. Even though he had agreed to come with her, part of her was still afraid he’d run as soon as she let him go. She then looked at everyone sitting inside, wondering how they were going to do this, someone was going to have to move up front, and she knew Cason would have a problem being moved away from Natalia. Esme then looked back up at Duke, studying his face for a moment. “You doing alright?” she asked in a concerned tone.

As Duke and Esme reached the Impala, Duke stilled a bit, his eyes fixed in position as he zoned out and stared off into space over the top of the car. He barely even noticed the shuffling happening inside the car, as Cason quickly found a solution to keep Nat near him, and lifted her up, scooting underneath her. Cason sat Nat down, across his lap, and held his hands up to Dean who glared at him for a moment and then sighed, rolling his eyes. Dean simply got into the car, and sighed again, "I work with children. We just found Duke, walking half naked down the side of the road, and the biggest issue the demon in my backseat has is possibly touching skin with one of us..."

Duke glanced down at Esme, flinching from his thoughts a bit as she asked if he was doing okay. He nodded quickly, pasting a sweet smile to his face, "I'm good. For now, I'm good."

"So, there's room." Cason called to them, gesturing his hand for the newly empty seat beside him. "I'll take the cowboy!"

Duke nearly laughed as Cason volunteered him to sit in the middle. He had no idea why Cason was suddenly so weary of Esme. Despite the obvious background Cason and Esme had, Cason had never seemed particularly scared of her. Duke bent down, hissing a bit as his stitches pulled in his cold skin, and he opened the drivers back door letting go of Esme only to crawl in. It was awkward, sitting knee to knee with a demon, but at least Nat's legs gave a small buffer as Duke folded his hands over his lap. He tried not to notice that Dean was staring at him through the rearview mirror, tears in his eyes and a constant look of disbelief plastered on his face.

Esme took note of how Duke flinched when she asked if he was alright, as if she had pulled him out of his thoughts, but she gave a sweet smile in return to his reply. As she looked up at him, she knew something was bothering him and she wished she knew what, but she wasn't going to press him for answers. It wasn't the time. Hopefully, he’d be up to talking about it later. When Cason called to them, Esme looked away from Duke and into the backseat to see that Cason had placed Natalia in his lap and had scooted all the way over. She sighed at what he said. Of course, he’d choose to have Duke sit in the middle over herself. He was still scared about what she might or could do to him. When Duke bent down and hissed, Esme winched at the same time, but said nothing as he opened the door. After he let go of her, she stayed close as he crawled in and sat next to Cason. She knew it had to be awkward for the guy, even with Natalia’s legs as a buffer. Esme stood at the door and sighed heavily through her nose, the realization of having Duke with her washing over her once again.

She tilted her head back and looked up at the sky, fighting the tears that were threatening to show themselves again. “Please. Please, don’t let this be some sick joke.” she whispered so no one could hear her. It was still hard to believe he was actually there, sitting in the backseat. Dropping her head, she sniffled, closed her eyes, and wiped her face clear of tears with both hands. Then, she got into the backseat with a wince next to Duke and closed the door. She looked up and saw Dean staring at Duke with disbelief in his teary eyes through the rearview mirror. She gave him a look that said, “It’s hard to believe he’s really here.” Dropping her eyes to the back of the front seat, Esme snaked her hand under Duke’s arm, wrapped her arms around his, and rested her head against his shoulder. She just wanted to hold him close and let him know everything would be okay and she was there for him. Turning her head, she buried her face into his shoulder and rubbed her thumb soothingly on his arm.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme watched Cason, seeing how tense he was. She couldn’t blame him for how she was before she went nuclear. As soon as he frowned, she knew he was confused about why she was asking him, and she probably wouldn’t like his answer. She was right. She didn’t like his answer. He knew nothing. He couldn’t give her the answers she was seeking at that moment. However, she lost a little hope in finding answers when he said he could ask around his circles about someone who could make someone like her and that he never heard of anything like that happening. Mostly, she just wanted to know what in the hell she was since she just found out she wasn’t human. Esme watched Cason studying her. She’d seen the look before. He was trying to read her emotions. She knew he was worried she’d go nuclear again with how upset she was, but she had nothing left. It was a wonder she was actually on her feet. She looked down at his hand as he held it out, then back to his face as he spoke softer. Before she could respond to Cason, Dean came over, turned her, and hugged her gently. Even with his gentleness, she softly whimpered.

Esme welcomed Dean's hug. A tear slid down her cheek as she closed her eyes, rested her forehead on his shoulder, and put her arms around him, feeling the mixture of emotions coming from him. How could he not be feeling a mixture of emotions after learning she wasn’t human? But she knew he was glad she was okay before he said it. “I’m glad you’re okay, too.” she said as he checked her head. At his next question, she softly shook her head. “No, it happened before.” It must have looked worse than she thought if he was that concerned. She could only nod in agreement when Dean told her they needed to get her somewhere and looked over. She knew there would be no arguing with him about not being looked over. She was just starting to feel herself calming when Cason spoke up. Esme sighed through her nose and carefully pulled herself away from Dean before he snapped at Cason. She knew Dean wouldn’t react well to Cason wanting to take Natalia. After stepping back from Dean, she leaned against Sarah again, using her for support while Dean and Cason had their back and forth about Cason getting into the car.

As she leaned against Sarah and listened to the back-and-forth, she knew Cason was in a losing battle; he’d never win this argument against Dean. But she also realized what situation this put her in. She would be crammed in the backseat with Cason and Natalia. It wasn’t until Cason finally gave up, agreed, and got in the car that she groaned inwardly at the situation. Cason had put himself right in the middle, which meant she’d be right next to him. “God, this is going to be one hell of a ride.” she thought with another inward groan. She wasn’t about to bring up her unhappiness about it to Dean. She knew she’d never win that argument, not to mention she didn’t have the energy to fight it. Sighing heavily and with Sarah’s help, Esme made her way over to the open door. Before getting in, she saw that Cason was sitting as close to Natalia as he could get. She mentally shook her head and slowly lowered herself in the seat. “I really did a number on him in there.” she thought as she pulled in her feet. She shifted so her back was to him and rested her head on the back of the seat.

“I’m not going to do anything to you.” she told Cason. “I’m not going to blow again either. I have nothing left.” She looked at the open car door and heard what Mika had said to Dean. “Murder victim and a suspect on the loose. That doesn’t sound right. “ she said softly to herself. Sarah’s head then popped into view. She stuck her head in and softly nuzzled Esme’s cheek, which made her smile. Esme lifted a hand and rubbed Sarah’s head. “I’ll be alright, girl. I’ll see you at the hospital, or you can follow us there.” she whispered so only Sarah could hear her. Sarah gave Esme another soft nuzzle with a soft whine before pulling away, then pushed the door closed with her head. After Sarah closed the door, Esme pressed herself up against the door and looked out the window.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme couldn’t help but smile slightly at Duke's words before she suggested they go shooting. She found it sweet how he felt so deeply about the situation. Other than Dean, her father, and Sassy, she hasn’t had anyone act in such a way about things that have happened to her. It was strange to her. Her smile grew when she saw how surprised he was when she said she wanted to shoot with him. She gave a slight nod to his question as he spoke, almost laughing as he continued to talk. She followed his finger to the garden of mannequins and other various items to shoot. “Alright. Seems like plenty to take some anger out on.” she responded. She watched him stand and descend the stairs, fully intending to wait for him there on the steps. But then he turned around and asked her if she wanted to go with him, and he held his hand out to her. Esme thought about it a moment, then hesitantly took his hand. “Okay. I need to grab mine as well.” she replied. “If he tries any funny business, I’m gonna deck him.” she thought. She didn’t care how sore she was. She’d do it.

A few little later

Esme walked with Duke to the RV. Once there, she stopped when he turned to her and smirked before opening the door. It was almost as if he wanted her to see it inside. “Did he have this planned from the start, or was he just hoping I’d say yes to coming with him?” she thought. She sighed softly to herself and tried to clear her thoughts. It was too early to judge him in such a way, wasn’t it? After Duke climbed the steps and offered his hand to her again, Esme stepped up to the steps and took his hand. Once up the steps and inside, she winched a little at his words. “Yeah, you got kicked out last night when I showed up and blew up. Sorry about that.” she said as she stepped in further. She took in her surroundings as he approached the small table, noticing how they were all torn apart. “He was hoping I’d agree to go shooting with him. I don’t understand why after how I treated him last night.” she thought. Esme took note of his collection of books on religion and the small radio playing country music.

As she looked around, she crossed her arms loosely over her stomach, taking in everything to learn a little more about him. She was pulled from her exploring when Duke stood, and she could feel him looking at her, but she didn’t turn to face him until he spoke. A smile graced her lips at his kindness and his comment about Dean. It was true. It was like pulling teeth to get Dean to open up about things. Then she laughed when he welcomed her to her new therapist's office. She grabbed her ribs with a wince but continued to laugh. “My new therapist, huh? Pfft. You sure you can handle what I might come to you to talk about? I could possibly come in here with some doozies.” she said, a laugh till in her tone. In this line of business, she felt every hunter could do with a therapist or someone they could talk to who understood what they dealt with pretty much daily. She couldn’t lie to herself. Knowing she had someone willing to listen to her when she couldn’t talk to Dean, her father, Sassy, or Bobby about things was nice.

Even if she didn’t know Duke all that well, but it was nice just to have him tell her he’d be there if she needed to talk. She couldn’t think of anything she’d want to talk to him about at that moment. However, she knew that would more than likely change over time, just like it did with Dean. After collecting herself, she looked back at Duke. “Thank you. I appreciate that.” she smiled warmly. “You’re also welcome to talk to me if you ever need to. I know there is only so much you can talk to Dean and Bobby about. It’s always nice knowing you have someone else you can go to when you need them.” Esme went silent, waiting for the rest of the ache in her ribs to subside from her laugh. It had been a bit since she had laughed like that, and she needed it after being taken over with rage. She then took a breath and slowly let it out, feeling slightly better after her laugh. “So, now that you have what you came for. Why don’t we go get mine and head over to the range?” she suggested. She didn't want to sound rude, by suggesting they go so quickly, but she wanted to be out in the sun with the light breeze blowing in her face. She enjoyed being outside and wanted to spend some time outside while she could before Dean decided she needed to take it easy and rest inside.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme watched Natalia as she processed her words but couldn’t find the words to respond. When Natalia nodded at her, Esme softly smiled and nodded back. She wasn’t expecting her to say anything back; she just wanted to try and comfort her a little. When her attention went to Cason, Esme looked down at Sarah, still lying at her feet. Her eyes then went up to Dean and Castiel, who were conversing deeply about healing her and Natalia. A light smile came to her lips at his concern for them. She felt Natalia was much worse off than herself and needed to be healed more than herself, but it was nice to hear him include her. She listened to the back and forth between them, getting upset that Castiel wouldn’t heal Natalia. Then came the words from Castiel’s mouth that took everything out of her. She wasn’t human. She felt Dean and Cason staring at her before she completely zoned out. Esme’s gaze dropped to the ground in front of her. She saw and heard nothing else but her thoughts. “If I’m not human….. Then what the hell am I? A monster that needs to be taken care of before I kill someone close to me?

Was everything Valdin told her true? Am I like them in a way? If it was all true, why didn’t Father or Sassy tell me anything about it? How could they keep this from me?” By the time Esme came out of her thoughts, Castiel had already left. Esme painfully lifted her shaking body from the Impala and stood on shaky legs. Sarah immediately stood up and pressed herself close to Esme to support her so she wouldn’t fall. Esme placed a hand on Sarah’s back, leaned against her, and looked at Cason. He was the last person she wanted to talk to after everything that had happened, but she figured he’d be the only one who could give her answers. “Is it true….. Am I not human?” she asked, tears welling in her eyes. “And is what Valdin said true? I should have never been born. The only reason I’m here is because of a deal that was made?” Standing there with Sarah’s help, waiting for Cason to answer, she felt she would be sick. Her whole body screamed in pain as she stood against Sarah. Her head hurt, she was dizzy, and her vision was blurring, but she wanted answers to all the questions burning in her mind.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme glanced at Duke when he spoke after she explained everything to him, feeling the anger coming off him. She was surprised to see him so angry over something that happened to a stranger. It was then that Esme caught a glimpse of what kind of person Duke was, making him slightly attractive at that moment. She mentally shook her head and looked away at the grass. What was she thinking? She’s with Dean. She then shook her head to Duke’s questions. “All he gave us was his first name. Mark. I have no idea who he runs with.” she told Duke. She fell silent momentarily and looked up and out over the yard in front of them, sighing heavily through her nose. “I doubt he’ll call again. He probably thinks I’m dead, and I probably should be after all that happened last night….. But thank you for your concern and wanting to go after him.” Esme then picked up her cup, drank the last of her coffee, rested the empty cup on her knee, and went into thought. After a moment, she glanced over at him. “Whatcha say we go shoot and blow off some steam?” she asked him with a slight smile.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

As Esme lay under the rubble, she could feel her body growing less numb, and the ringing in her ears was subsiding. She still couldn’t believe she was alive, even after seeing Sarah was there with her. Did she shield her from everything collapsing around her? She must have if she was awake. “You’re a good girl, Sarah.” Esme whispered after the ringing stopped. Sarah nuzzled Esme’s face with a soft whine. “I’m sorry you felt you had to save me from this. You can go. It’s okay.” Sarah softly growled and put her nose on Esme’s cheek. “Okay. Okay. Stay.” Esme whispered. Esme went quiet. She could hear breathing, but it wasn’t her’s or Sarah’s. “Violet?” she questioned. She received an answering whine. “Good girl.” She could hear the breathing of other Hellhounds, along with one more. Her eyes went wide as she realized who the breathing belonged to. “Dean?!” She tried to yell, but her throat was too sore. “Dean, are you okay? Please answer me!” she strained her voice to get loud enough for him to hear her. He didn’t answer or move. She could then feel that he was next to her. The numbness had subsided.

“Dean must have run over just before I erupted.” she thought. “Dean, you idiot. Why didn’t you leave? For once, why could you leave me?” she whispered. “Don’t you dare die on them.” She closed her eyes as tears fell from them and cried softly from the emotion overload she was finally free from. She was shaking, hurt all over, couldn’t move, knew she was bleeding, and she couldn’t yell for help for Dean. She soon heard movement in the rubble. They were looking for them. “Hang on, Dean. They're coming.” she whispered to him. Esme listened as the sounds got closer, then lightly smiled as she heard Dean being uncovered. “They found him.” she thought with relief. Her smile faded when she heard the unfamiliar voice. “Who the hell was that?’ She was pulled from her thoughts when two of the other Hellhounds unburied themselves from the rubble and uncovered most of her upper body. Sarah didn’t move except to keep rubble from falling in Esme’s face. When Sarah moved her head, Esme’s eyes fell on Castiel as he called out to Dean, who still wasn’t responding. She took in Castiel's appearance. Was this the angle Dean spoke of?

He then asked the stupidest question she thought he could ask. Just looking at her, he could see she was. She wanted to be sarcastic, but this wasn’t the time for that. “Yes, but Dean’s worse off than me. Help him.” she said her voice still in a whisper. When he lifted her to her feet, she couldn’t hold back the cry of pain that escaped her lips. A whimper escaped her as he bent down and took hold of Dean’s wrist. The walk to the Impala was hell, even though Castiel was mostly carrying her. Esme’s eyes fell on Cason as he ran over to her. She watched how hesitantly he wrapped his arm around her, which caused her to muffle a cry at his touch. As Cason eased her into the driver's seat of the Impala, she took hold of his hand and squeezed as she whimpered in pain. At his question, she sighed heavily and leaned against the seat. “I’ve been better.” she breathed, releasing her grip on his hand. Her gaze then went to Dean as Castiel spoke, answering Cason. Before Castiel could finish answering, Esme yelled at him, straining her throat more and causing her to wince. “Shut up and heal him!”

Esme’s eyes followed Castiel’s movements, then fell to Dean Esme’s eyes followed Castiel’s movements, then fell to Dean as he woke up with a loud gasp. She sighed in relief seeing him awake, but she frowned when she saw him feeling around her and heard him call for her. “I’m here, Dean. I’m here.” she called, just loud enough for him to hear her. Suddenly, the seat lurched from Mika, who kicked it to get out of the car. Esme groaned as pain shot through her. She watched Mika run over to Dean and skidded on the ground beside him. Mika spoke her fear and hugged him. It was a side of Mika she had never seen before, and she wasn’t sure if she’d see it again. It was definitely something for her to see in Mika. She could hear her thoughts screaming, “She really does have a softer side.” Esme then rested her head on the seat and closed her eyes tightly. Her shaky still hadn’t subsided, and it wasn’t helping with the pain shooting through her body. Sarah came over and laid protectively close to Esme’s feet. “I’m so……. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” she whispered, not expecting anyone to hear her. Thoughts began to invade Esme’s mind as she sat in the Impala.

Valdin’s words kept echoing in her mind, and she couldn’t help but think, could they be true? Was she really only here because of a damn demon deal her mother unknowingly made? A tear rolled down her cheek, and she sighed through her nose. She would have to ask Cason later and see if he knew anything about it. Opening her eyes, she stared at a spot just past Sarah’s nose, wishing she had Duke’s arms around her and telling her everything would be alright and fussing over her injuries. Having him there would also help her stay awake. She was so tired but knew she had to keep herself awake because of a possible concussion. She then heard Natalia mumble to herself. “Don’t say that….. You know none of us could have left you in this hellhole.” she told her. “I know, just as you do, what that place was like….. We had to get you out. We all knew what we were going into, but it didn’t matter.”

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme had sat her coffee cup on the step beside her and zoned out, looking out over the yard. It was pretty peaceful here, even with Bobby tinkering with things in the garage. She wasn’t even aware that Duke had walked out the front door and was now on the porch with her. It wasn’t until he came and sat down on the steps that she noticed him because it caused her to jump slightly. When he said nothing, she returned to looking out across the yard. She thought it was a little weird he wasn’t talking. Since meeting him, he’s done nothing but talk. But apparently, the silence got too much for him because he asked her about what happened yesterday a few moments later. Esme softly sighed, tilting her head down to look at her lap. Then, let the hand holding the bag of peas fall so both rested in her lap. She closed her eyes, and her hair fell to cover her face. Did she really want to talk to Duke about it? She had planned to talk to Dean about this, but he wasn’t there at the moment. He was still inside, giving her some space.

But he allowed Duke to come out with her, which surprised her after everything she had witnessed. “Do you really want to hear about it, or are you just trying to be nice?” she asked. Esme fell silent, thinking once again if she should tell him. She hardly knew him. It was also strange for her to hear someone she had just met say they would sit and listen to what was bothering her. But she did feel like she needed to get it out before it festered and turned into what it did last night again. Opening her left eye, Esme briefly looked over at Duke before lifting her head and looking back across the yard. “The day started like any other.” she started, deciding to talk about it. “Sassy and I got a call with information about demons running rampant in one town and a ghost problem in another. Since we were together, we took out the demons without much trouble. They weren’t too smart.” she told him. She paused to pick up her coffee, take a drink, and then set it back down. “After that, I told her to go home. I’d take care of the ghost….”

“It was only supposed to be one, according to what the guy told us.” Her grip on the peas in her lap tightened. “That one ghost turned into four. Two were easy enough to take care of. The third gave me a run for my money. He threw me around that decrepit house like a rag doll.” She paused again, taking a few deep breaths, her grip on the peas tightening again. “It took some trial and error to send him off finally. I thought I was done. I collected what I had dropped, then headed for my car…. I got in and called Sassy to let her know it was done, then that’s when all hell broke loose.” Esme closed her eye, seeing everything play out again and feeling her anger rise. “That last ghost possessed my car, locked me inside, and took me on a joyride I won’t soon forget. He dove my car into every object in that giant yard, every dip and every hole. Then drove straight into that damn house. I barely got out before it collapsed after I salted and burned his hat.” Esme released a heavy, irritated sigh through her nose as she dropped her head and shook it.

“I’m pretty sure the guy Sassy got the information from is out to get my family. There are so many that don’t like us…… If you were to ask me why. I couldn’t tell you. Maybe it’s the way we handle things, or maybe it's because of what happened to my mother.” Esme tensed up as she brought up her mother. She hoped Duke didn’t notice, but if he did, she hoped he wouldn’t ask about her. That was one thing Esme couldn’t bring herself to talk about. She barely touched on it with Dean. “That guy needs to be found and have a bullet put right between his eyes.” she mumbled.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

As soon as the words about Duke left her mouth, she felt how hard they hit Dean. She wanted to be the one to tell him first, but not like this. Not in this state. Not when she was about to blow and take out the whole place with her. She clutched her head more, watching Dean and Cason trying to get each other out, with Dean refusing to go. “Get out of here!” she yelled at them, not even sure they were listening. Suddenly, Cason disappeared, and Dean ran up to her, causing her to step back. She didn’t want to hurt him more than she already had with her words. She also didn't want him to get caught up in the rubble after she went nuclear. But Dean quickly closed the gap and placed his shaky hands on her cheeks as he begged. As he spoke, she took in his words. They stirred up the memory of the first time he told her he would also jump if she jumped. More tears streamed down her cheeks, and a glow started to take over her body. It also tore her up seeing him begging her to go with him.

When Dean closed his eyes and looked down, Esme pulled her face from his hands, walked past him, and stood in the center of the room, clutching her head with both hands with a whimper. “I remember,” she replied with a tear-filled voice. She then turned around to face him once more. “I remember the first time you told me that, and every other time we said it to each other... when we were in desperate situations.” She fell silent except for the whimper that escaped her from the pain engulfing her, and the glow of her body grew steadily brighter. She heard his whimper and saw the tear trailing down his cheek. She didn’t want to take him with her. She didn’t want to take him away from the others. They needed him. Esme doubled over with a cry, closing her eyes tight and holding herself as the next wave of intense pain, just as Dean spoke again. She looked over at Dean, her eyes returning to normal. “I know he wouldn’t.” she cried. She then collapsed to her knees, muffling a scream. “That’s why you have to leave now…… You have Mika….. Natalia and Sam…. They need you.”

She breathed heavily as she looked over at him through blurring vision. “I’m not jumping because I want to…… I can’t stop it….. I’m not strong enough.” she cried to him. The glow around her got brighter, almost blinding. “You still have time to get out….. If you go now.” Esme leaned forward with a cry, trying to hold it back longer to give him a chance to run for it, but something told her he wouldn’t. “I love you….. Dean….. Please…. Don’t jump with me.” She knew she couldn’t hold it back much longer and was terrified of the blast's strength. She was afraid of dying alone but didn’t want Dean to die with her. She hated the thought of him dying because of something she did. Her soul would never find peace after that. Esme reached the point where she couldn’t hold it back any longer. She took a deep breath as her body reacted on its own. Her glow intensified, filling the room. Her torso lifted and arched back, her face lifted to the ceiling, and then a gut-wrenching scream erupted from her throat, followed by a strong blast of energy that shot out in all directions.

The walls of the asylum shook and cracked from the force of the blast, then started to crumble slowly. When everything passed through her, Esme took a shaky breath as her body rocked forward on its own accord, she couldn’t hear anything but ringing in her ears, she couldn’t see, and she was numb all over, but she knew the building was going to come down around her and on her. She didn’t know if Dean got out or not, but she prayed he did. Esme sat on her knees shaking and breathing heavily. She couldn’t move, and her body felt made of lead. Esme closed her eyes and waited for everything to end for her. Unbeknownst to Esme, Sarah and Violet stayed behind after Cason left, watching over Esme. They had braced themselves during the blast. At the first signs of the place coming down, they ran over to her and tried to get her to move. When she didn’t respond, they stepped closer and used their bodies as shields from the crumbling walls and ceiling. Not long after that, the whole building crumbled into a heap of rubble around them, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

A little later, Esme opened her eyes and saw nothing but darkness, but she could smell the dust in the air from the building collapsing. She coughed and winced at the pain she felt. She wondered if she was dead, but that was soon answered when she saw Sarah’s eyes shining in the darkness. “How am I still alive?” she whispered from the lack of a voice. She still couldn’t move, her body was still numb, and there was still a ringing in her ears. She was trapped under the rubble. There was no reason she should be alive except for Sarah shielding her, but she knew there was no way she was getting out from under it.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

When Dean and Duke offered to fix her car, she hardly knew how to respond. She didn’t look up from her plate until Bobby got up from his desk, walked through the kitchen, and headed out into the garage. “You two don’t have to trouble yourselves with looking at it.” she said, looking between them. “I enjoy working on that old car. I can fix her when I can move around better.” If she were being honest, she’d rather work on it than have someone else. Her father would probably flip his lid if he knew someone other than him or her had worked on that car, but he’d flip even more at the state it was in currently. When Dean spoke again, she shot him a slight glare with her good eye at his order. He should know she didn’t like being told what to do by now. Just because she was in rough shape and in quite a bit of pain didn’t mean she got to be ordered to do anything. She knew Dean wanted her to take it easy and heal; it was sweet, but she wasn't going to allow him to keep her under house arrest.

Yes, she wanted to rest and heal, but didn’t want to be trapped in the house. She needed air, especially with how these two bickered. Esme sighed heavily, eating a little more, and fell silent as the two boys talked, noticing the extra hard kick Dean gave Duke for implying they were more than friends. She also found it odd how Dean kept kicking Duke over certain things. Was he afraid Duke would charm her? She could have laughed at the thought. Esme picked up her coffee cup and took a drink. With a wince, she silently took to her feet and walked around the table to the doorway. “When you two are done with….. Whatever this is, I’ll be out on the porch getting some air.” she said without turning to face them. Then she walked out of the kitchen. Usually, she would have cleaned up herself, but she couldn’t be stuck between them a moment longer. After going through the living room, she opened the front door and stepped out on the porch, shutting the door behind her. Walking to the steps, she slowly and carefully lowered herself to sit on them with a light groan.

Resting her cup on her knee, she breathed in the morning air with a small smile. “It’s going to be hard getting any rest around here with those two.” she said softly. “The bickering and the kicking to shut one up is going to get old fast. It kinda already is.” She sighed before taking a long drink of her coffee and adjusting the bag of peas on her face.