Wolvena

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

As Esme stood with her hands stretched out to Anna, she watched Anna react to what she had just seen her do. She sighed inwardly and held up her hands. “Yes, I came with Duke.” she told her as she stepped back, showing she wouldn't do anything to Anna. Of course, Anna would be wary of her after seeing her melt the steel doorknob and then crumble the handcuffs and chains under her hands. She didn't mean to scare Anna in any way with her magic, but it was the only way to free her quickly. Thinking about it now, she should have given her a bit of a warning before going straight into it. And now, out of the whole group, Anna was the only one who knew Esme could use magic. She wondered if Anna would bring it up to anyone later after they were out of there. The first person she could see her telling was Sam. Momentarily getting lost in her thoughts, she didn’t see Anna nod to her instructions, but her next words pulled her out of her thoughts. A slight smirk played at the corners of her mouth at the question. ‘Of course, you’d ask that.’ she thought.

Esme had already started to shake her head when Anna told her not to answer. She may not know what exactly she was, but she was sure she wasn’t a Witch. She may know how to use magic thanks to her Godmother, who was a fairly powerful Witch, but that didn’t make her one. “Yes, let’s.” she responded with a nod. Once Anna stepped off, Esme followed closely behind her, looking for a stairwell leading down to the basement. Lucky for them, it was lit up brightly. Esme could have laughed at the luck, but now was not the time to laugh. Following Anna to the staircase, she could feel her stomach cramping with anxiety already for what they would find. Pieces of her visions flashed before her eyes as they descended the stairs. She wished she wouldn’t have to see any of it, but something told her that no matter how much she wished, she would see exactly what she saw in her visions. Before they reached the boiler room door, Esme could already feel the emotions radiating from behind it, and she didn’t like it at all. Then, she could hear the chaos taking place in the room.

Esme swallowed heavily as she ran to the door with Anna and heard Sam yelling at Alastair. Her stomach cramped more, fearing that he was going to get himself killed. When Anna opened the door, Esme didn’t have a chance to take anything in with her eye before Anna cried out Dean’s name, grabbed her hand, and pulled her toward Dean. Her eyes became saucers as they landed on Dean, with Anna pulling her closer. He looked exactly like he did in her vision. Pulling her gaze from Dean, she looked over at Sam just as he used his powers to kill Alastair. She watched as she watched Alastair’s body spark and slump over. At that moment, Esme didn’t know if she should be scared of Sam or relieved that he killed a major threat, as if it were nothing. Anna’s movement pulled her gaze from Sam, and she looked around the room, her eyes falling on Duke. She felt frozen where she stood as she stared at his back, watching him free Mika’s body from the pillar before he collapsed with her to the floor. Her eyes welled up with tears as he looked just like he did in her vision.

“No. Out of everything I saw, I didn’t want this to be true.” she whispered softly to herself. “Mika didn’t deserve this.” Hearing Duke’s words to Mika’s body, Esme wanted to go over to him, but she was still frozen to the spot, her whole body feeling like lead. It only got worse and was followed by an aching burn in her chest when Dean crawled over to Duke and cried with him. It was all becoming almost too much to handle. Esme knew that she would lose him mentally if she didn’t go to Duke soon. She knew that he’d run off and become reckless and get himself killed. She also knew that they could lose Dean as well. Taking a breath, Esme was about to walk over to them when she heard Casteil speak to Dean, causing her to narrow her eyes at the angel. She wanted to yell at him for not stepping in and stopping this from happening. Esme flinched just as Duke did when Dean cried at Castiel, pulling her slightly from her frozen state. When Casiel disappeared with Dean, Esme looked at Duke’s back sadly as she sniffled.

Her mind was racing with thoughts of what Duke would do once they got out of the warehouse and back to Bobby’s. She knew he more than likely wouldn’t do anything until the numbness wore off, but she knew he would do something that would result in him doing something stupid. Esme was once again pulled from her thoughts when Dean re-entered the room, now healed, walked over to Duke, and took Mika’s body from him without a word. She watched as Dean placed a kiss on Mika’s forehead and then left the room. When Dean was out of sight, Esme looked back at Duke, her heart dropping at his state. Willing herself to move from her spot, she quickly went to Duke and dropped to her knees in front of him as he brought up his bloody hands and stared blankly at them. Esme forced back her tears as she looked at Duke’s blood-soaked hands, trying to be the strong one for them, then looked into his pale, tear-stained face. “Duke, My Love?” she said sadly before gently pulling his hands from in front of his face. She wanted to tell him it would be alright, but she couldn’t because she felt like it wasn’t.

“Look at me.” Esme told him as she gently took his face into her hands. “I’m here…. I’m here, My Love.” She scanned his face, trying to read his thoughts, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. She knew he blamed himself for Mika dying and was devastated about losing her; she could feel that strongly, and it caused her chest to burn intensely with pain. She knew he probably wanted to track down a demon to make a deal to bring Mika back, and he probably wanted to kill every one of them at the same time. But what she could never think of was him wanting to die with her, even if she should have. It was a thought she couldn’t allow herself even to touch on. ‘Don’t check out on me now. Not until we get back to the truck or home so I can take care of you.’ she thought. Esme leaned forward a bit, then gently pulled Duke’s face closer to press their foreheads together gently. “Don’t blame yourself for what happened. In no way is this your fault.” she told him softly but matter of fact. “And I’m sure she’d tell you the same…. I may not have known her well, but I know she wouldn’t want you blaming yourself for what happened.”

Closing her eyes briefly, Esme lightly sighed, then nuzzled her forehead against his to comfort him a little. Placing a soft kiss on his lips, she pulled back just enough to look into his sad blue eyes. She wanted to believe that if Mika hadn’t gone with Dean in the first place, she’d still be alive, but she knew that Mika would have found another way to get to the warehouse, and the outcome would have been no different. Almost as if it was fated to happen, not that she totally believed in fate. If she were to blame anyone for this, she would blame Castiel. He had brought Dean and Mika to the warehouse and was there through it all, but he did nothing to stop Alastair from killing Mika. Thinking about him standing there doing nothing made her furious, and she clenched her jaw. Mentally shaking her head, she focused back on Duke as she fought to keep control of her emotions and not let the emotions in the room overwhelm her. Her main objective was to get Duke outside, into his truck, and back home. “Now, I need you to stand up so we can get out of here and go home.” she told Duke softly. “We’ve been here long enough.”

Releasing Duke’s face, Esme moved to his left side, slipped her hand into his pocket, pulled out his truck keys, and slid them into her pocket. He was in no shape to drive, and there was no way she would let him try. She then draped his left arm over her shoulders, wrapped her right arm around his waist, placed her left hand on his stomach, and hoisted him up off the floor with some difficulty. “Come on. Nice and slow.” she said softly once she felt Duke and herself were steady. Esme slowly led Duke to the door, holding him close to her, half fearing he’d run off. Once at the door, she opened it and pulled him through, down the hall, up the stairs, through the building, and out the next door. Once outside, she took a deep breath and led him to his truck. “We’re almost there.” she told Duke. At the truck, Esme pulled the keys from her pocket, unlocked the driver's door, opened it, and made Duke sit in the seat. She stuck close to Duke, mostly to watch him as the others got settled for the ride home. She couldn’t even bring herself to look towards Mika’s car or at Dean. It was far too painful at the moment while trying to stay strong for Duke.

Once they got back home and she got Duke to calm down and rest, she could break down in her own space, but until then, she would do her best to keep it together. She placed her hand on his thigh and looked into his face, her features soft and caring. “Please don’t bottle what you’re feeling.” she started in a loving tone. “I won’t force you to talk to me, but know I’m here to listen when you’re ready.” Esme brought up her free hand and gently placed it on Duke’s cheek. “All I ask is that you don’t hide from me…. I love you, and I want to be there for you.”

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme sat silently in Duke’s truck, her arms crossed over her chest, her head leaned back against the seat, and looking out the passenger window as Bobby reinstalled the starter relay. She was more hurt than angry at Duke for attempting to leave her behind after agreeing to let her back him up. She fully understood his want and need to protect her, but they weren't dealing with your garden variety monster this time. They were dealing with freaking angels. There was no way in hell she was letting him go this alone, and Duke should have known that. He should have known she’d find a way to follow him if he left her behind. How could Duke even think she’d be okay with him leaving her behind with angels involved? At the sound of the hood slamming, Esme was pulled out of her head. She looked out the windshield and gave Bobby a thankful nod before returning her gaze out the passenger window. Esme remained silent as Duke started the truck, drove the semi-circle, and through the slow drive to the gate. When Duke broke the silence, she sighed silently but didn’t look over at him, just listened to him talk.

She took note of his pause and saw him pull his phone and look at it from the corner of her eye. Cason must have sent him to address at some point, and that’s what he was looking at. Before Duke started talking again, Esme shifted her gaze out the windshield, catching the brief look Duke gave her out of the corner of her eye. He was right; she did want to take a swing at him right now, and he was right about saying sorry wouldn’t fix it. Esme closed her eyes tightly and clenched her jaw and fists as he continued. ”Of course, you're not sorry for trying to keep me out of it.” she said in the softest of whispers so he couldn’t hear her. After a moment, she took a deep breath through her nose and slowly let it out through her mouth. “I’m not upset with you wanting to keep me safe, but did you ever stop to think how it would affect us if anything happened to you?” she questioned, her tone still angry. “Did you think about how we would get through losing you?.... I’ve lost you once, Duke. I won’t sit on the sidelines and let it happen again if I can help it.”

Esme raised a hand to her chest to fiddle with the pendants on her necklace, pausing her words momentarily, and sighed. The memory of the nurse telling her that Duke didn't make it came back to her briefly caused her tightly closed eyes to burn with tears threatening to fall. She pushed back the tears and mentally shook the memory away. She wasn't going to lose him tonight, not if she could help it. Esme was going to bring him home along with Dean, Mika, and Anna. They were all going to come home. Opening her eyes, she looked out the windshield. “You heard how well I took losing you last time. Can you imagine how bad it could be if I lost you again? How much more damage could I cause?....” she sighed heavily through her nose, shaking her head. “Plus, you know as well as I do that this isn’t a one-person rescue mission, even with Cason planning to pop in later. As good of a hunter as you are, no one would have let you go alone.”

A Little Later

After Duke pulled into the lot and turned off the engine, Esme took a deep breath and slowly let it out to collect herself, which gave Duke enough time to jog around the truck before she opened the truck door. As soon as she climbed down, Duke took her hand, and she looked up into his face as he spoke. “That sounds like the best way to do this.” she said before Duke took her face into his hands. As he stared into Esme’s eyes, she stared back into his, her features softening as he spoke again. She may have still been upset with him, but she knew she couldn’t go in completely mad because she knew there was a chance neither one of them would come out of this, but she tried to stay positive. Bringing up her hands, Esme rested them on the sides of Duke’s neck. “I’ve always known, and I love you, too. There’s nothing that I love more than you. Nothing.” she told him. Before she could say much else, he pulled her into a rough and passionate kiss that she quickly returned. When Duke pulled back, Esme saw the resolve in his eyes before he nodded to her.

She nodded back, seeing his eyes light up with mischief, and then reluctantly let him step away from her. She watched him grab his backpack, toss it onto his back, jog off towards the warehouse, and disappear into the shadows. “You better come back to me.” she whispered. Taking a deep breath, Esme jogged towards the warehouse and into the darkness, looking for a way into the building. After finding a way into the warehouse, she looked around with a flashlight she pulled from her pocket before concentrating on everything she could feel in the building, trying to hone in on just Anna’s emotions. Dean’s emotions were the first and the strongest, and if she was honest with herself, they scared her. She had never felt anything this intense come from him. Yes, she had always known he felt things more intensely than most, but this was new to her, telling her they hadn’t made it there in time to keep him from having to torture Alastair. Esme moved on from Dean, brushing over Alastair because she didn’t like what she felt from him. She then felt Mika’s worry for Dean and her distrust of Castiel, followed by Castiel’s doubt.

“Where are you, Anna?” Esme mumbled. She briefly picked up on Duke before she felt Anna, and a small, relieved smile came to her lips. “There you are.” she sighed. Concentrating harder on Anna’s emotions, Esme could feel Anna somewhat close. She was led to a room in one of the far corners of the warehouse. Carefully looking through the window on the door, she could see Anna sitting on the floor and chained in place, and she was alone. Trying the doorknob, she found the door locked like she figured it would be. “Don’t worry, Anna. I’m going to get you out.” Esme told her through the door, looking at her through the window. “Are you alright?” Esme then moved from the window, knelt in front of the door, placed the flashlight in her mouth, and pulled her lock kit from her breast jacket pocket. After several failed attempts, she sighed heavily through her nose in frustration. Just when she thought she had it, something prevented the lock from turning. Taking to her feet, she returned the lock kit to her pocket and studied the door as she removed the flashlight from her mouth. The door was solid, and it would take quite a bit to break it down.

Esme still attempted to ram the door and kicked it a few times, but not much happened. She wasn’t giving up yet. She still had one more option in her tool box. It was one option she didn’t use very often, but she saw no other way that would get the damn door open other than shooting its hinges or lock. Placing her flashlight between her neck and shoulder, Esme took a breath and rubbed her hands together while whispering, her eyes lightly glowing a light purple. She then hovered her hand over the doorknob; it glowed brightly and melted beneath her hands. Pushing the door open, she ran to Anna's side, dropping to her knees to look her over quickly. Being this close to Anna, she could tell she had drank demon blood, but she wasn’t going to say anything about it. “I’m so glad you’re alright.” Esme told her. “Now, let’s get you out of the chains and meet up with the others.” Looking away from Anna’s face, she looked down at the handcuffs and chains on Anna. Esme placed one hand on the handcuffs and her other on the chains on Anna’s ankles, being careful not to touch Anna’s skin, then softly mumbled some words, causing her eyes to glow lightly once again.

After a few seconds, the handcuffs and chains crumbled away under Esme’s hands. Looking back into Anna’s face, the glow faded from her eyes as she pulled her hands away. “Are you good to walk out of here?” Esme asked her. “We need to get down to the basement.” She scanned Anna’s face briefly before taking to her feet, then held out her hands to help her off the floor.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme watched Duke, knowing he was more than likely still thinking about locking her up and forcing her to set this one out, but it seemed her kiss on his nose helped her words sink in a bit. She nodded at his response to her jumping in if things got bad. “You have my word. I won’t jump in unless absolutely necessary.” she told him honestly. After her request to go to the RV, Esme thought she felt something other than nervousness come from him for a split second, but she shook it off. She knew going to the RV would give him a chance to run off without her, but she hoped he wouldn’t. Once Duke helped her to her feet, she went to follow him out the back door, but Sam came bursting in with news about Anna being taken by the angels. Esme’s eyes widened to saucers, knowing that this whole thing had just worsened for them. This had gone from going and saving Dean from doing something he didn’t want to do to a possible hostage situation and hostage exchange, and she didn’t like it one bit. She couldn’t help but hope that Anna was alright.

Esme nodded at Duke’s next words and followed him out the back door past Sam. “Don’t worry, Sam. We’ll get her back.” she told him before the door closed. At the RV, she stopped briefly as Duke let her go and patted himself down. “Alright.” she told him. ‘You better not leave me.’ she thought as she jogged up the steps into the RV and shut the door behind her. Once inside, she quickly slipped off her boots and walked over to the bed, picking her jeans off the floor. She wanted to change into a pair of jeans quickly. By the time she got her sweatpants off and one leg in her jeans, she heard Duke’s truck door slam. “You gotta be kidding me!” she growled. She quickly slid her other leg into her jeans, buttoned them, and did her belt going to the door. She stopped hearing voices, and she sighed. “Thank you, Bobby.” This allowed her to return to her bag, grab a hair tie, and pull her hair back into a low ponytail. Grabbing a few other things and placing them in her pockets, then walked back to the door, slipped her feet into her boots, grabbed her jacket, yanked the door open, and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

Esme angrily made her way across the gravel to where Duke had his truck parked, listening to the conversation between Duke and Bobby as she put on her jacket. She had just come around to the other side of the RV when Bobby yelled at Duke, causing her to flinch slightly and pause in her steps momentarily. ‘Is that what all this is about? He’s afraid he's going to get me killed.’ she thought. She closed the gap, glaring at Duke even though he was still looking at the ground. She approached Bobby, softening her face as she looked up at him. “Thank you for stopping him, Bobby.” she said gratefully, standing on her toes and kissing his cheek. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees he needs backup on this. Could you please quickly reinstall that so we can get going? The sooner we leave, the better.” Esme then quickly walked around the truck to the passenger side, opened the door, and got in. “You’re an asshole, you know that?” she told Duke angrily before shutting the door and crossing her arms over her chest.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme knew that not saying anything about Duke’s sticky fingers was just enabling his habits, but who was she to judge when she also had sticky fingers occasionally? But that was mostly out of necessity, not a want or a gift for someone. In this life, even with credit card scams, getting the things you needed was sometimes tricky. She also knew that Dean had sticky fingers. She helped with the act a few times. So she really had no room to judge Duke with his sticky fingers when getting the necklace and bracelet for her. Before she turned around for him to put the necklace on her, Esme saw Duke’s wide smile and quick nod. She looked down a bit as Duke’s hands draped over her shoulders, then looked to the side as Duke brought his face close to the side of hers, holding back a shiver as his breath moved some strands of her hair near her ear. After he redid the clap, brushed the necklace forward, and stepped back, Esme released her hold on her hair just as he took her hand and spun her around to face him. She couldn’t help but smile warmly at his words as she looked at him.

“Thank you.” was all she managed to say as she watched how he looked at her. Despite not knowing what dress she had chosen, he did a good job picking out a necklace that matched her dress, almost as if something had told him to pick it and its matching bracelet. Esme’s eyes left Duke’s face and to her hand. Watching as he lifted it, held it with two fingers, and placed the bracelet on her wrist. Her eyes then went back up to his face as he spoke, a smile and a blush coming to her face before she averted her gaze and shook her head softly. “Now you're just being sweet.” she said softly. As much as she liked the dress, she still felt a little awkward in it and wasn’t too sure she’d be the prettiest there, as Bobby and Duke had said. But it was sweet of them both to say so. However, she wasn’t going to let the slightly awkward feeling ruin her fun tonight.

A Bit Later - Whitaker Mansion

As they pulled up to the mansion, Esme looked out the window, her eyes widening slightly at its sheer size. Yes, she expected the place to be big, but not this big. Duke had said nothing about how big the pace was going to be, and neither did the old woman he spoke to due to his comment as he got out of the car. When Dean opened her door and offered his hand, she took it before swinging her legs out of the car. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as Dean helped her out, wrapped her arm around his, and stepped up to Duke. Her eyes went to the parapet as the two spoke, and she nodded silently. Esme’s eyes came back to Duke as he took her hand and wrapped it around his arm. As the three of them walked across the gravel circle lot, her mind began to wander, but she could still hear the boys' conversation. She was pulled back in at the mention of wife or mistress and laughed at herself. With Duke dresses like this, he did look like he’d have a mistress. Esme almost said something at the light bickering, but they had reached the door.

After Duke dropped the name ‘Singer,’ she walked inside with the boys, her mind wandering again. Even though she thought it was sweet that Dean told Duke to keep her close, she didn’t like that it slightly sounded like she couldn’t take care of herself. She was sure she could have gotten the necklace herself if the two weren’t keen to finish the job themselves. But something else told her that both boys wanted her to have a good time tonight and not have to worry about getting the necklace. If that was what they wanted, she’d give it to them. Esme opened her mouth to say something, but a butler approached them with a tray of masks, causing her to close her mouth and look over the masks. She ran her hand over a couple before deciding on a purple and gold one. After they had all chosen their masks and the butler walked away, Esme placed hers on her face and pulled its black silk ribbon to the back of her head. “However we get it done, just make sure you're both careful and smart about it.” she told them softly, tying the ribbon against the back of her hair.

Esme had just turned to face the boys when a male guest in a nice suite walked up to her and spoke. Before she could even open her mouth to reply, Dean had quickly stepped back up to her and took her arm, answering for her with a sheepish smile. The look on the man's face was priceless as he looked between Dean and Duke before looking back at her. She had to hold back the smile that threatened to show itself before the man walked away. Esme let her smile show as she saw and felt the pride in Dean. As Dean turned to Duke, so did she. When Duke leaned in and whispered in her ear, she smiled a little bit more, then blushed lightly when he kissed her cheek and called her Sweet Pea. “Good luck, not that you need it.” she said as Duke stepped away. Esme watched Duke weave through the crowd and quickly found a woman to work his magic on. She laughed with Dean as the woman lost her breath as soon as she made eye contact with Duke. When Dean leaned his head down and spoke to her, she nodded to the first part of what he said before looking at him.

Esme’s cheeks flushed at Dean’s words, which were mostly covered by her mask. Esme smiled sweetly and looked into Dean’s eyes when he brushed his nose against hers. She could feel eyes on them, but she didn't care. She elegantly brought a hand up to her chest and looked at him almost seductively. “You flatter me, sir.” she said elegantly. “You’re looking good enough to eat.” Esme slowly leaned in, brushing her lips against his ear as she smiled. “I’d love to take you up on your drink offer, but I don’t think my boyfriend would approve.” she whispered against his ear. “However, he has no idea that I’m here…. So, what do you say we have a little fun?”

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme watched Duke, knowing he was probably thinking he wished he had never let her learn his body language and facial expressions so well. He had promised to let her in when she asked him to, and she was glad he did. It made things better between them, but she knew that she sometimes took advantage of what she could see. She didn’t mean to take advantage, but sometimes it was the only way to know his thoughts since she couldn’t read his mind. Esme just wanted to be there for him and to keep him from doing anything stupid, which she hoped he knew. She also knew his way of thinking was to keep her safe and would do anything to keep her out of harm's way. Esme knew that if she let Duke, he’d lock her away somewhere safe and not let her out until he returned. She couldn’t allow him to do that, even if it would make him happy. She wasn’t one to just sit on the sidelines and do nothing while others needed the help. With everything she had gone through in this way of life, she had to do what she could, even if it sometimes scared the hell out of her.

Using the trio’s motto, Esme knew she was playing a little dirty, but she knew he’d never be able to leave her behind if she used it. She watched Duke freeze as soon as the words left her lips, then whispered as he watched her eyes. She watched him nod his head, and his eyes darted around momentarily as if he were looking for a solution to keep her safe. As soon as she heard Duke sigh and saw him scrunch his nose, she knew he was taking her with him. Esme sighed a bit through her nose at his words but nodded as he turned his eyes back to hers and spoke again. Keeping hold of his hand, she brought her free hand up to his face, stroking his cheek lovingly with her thumb. “I promise I’ll be careful.” she told him, still looking into his eyes. “If anything feels off, I’ll let you know. But you have to promise me you’ll also be careful. Okay?” Esme leaned forward, her nose just inches from his. “I don’t plan on doing anything that will hinder us in bringing Dean and Mika back home. After seeing how Dean looked in my vision, I want him back here just as much as you do.”

Esme looked deep into Duke’s eyes to show him she meant her words. “If it makes you feel better. Think of it as me going with you as backup. You have the lead on this. I won’t put myself in any situation that makes you feel like you need to come to my rescue.” she told him. “But if you get into trouble, you can bet your ass I’ll jump in.” Closing her eyes and sighing softly, she tilted her head and kissed his nose softly, then touched her nose to his. “Before Sam and Anna get here, I’d like to go to the RV and get some things.” she said softly.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

As Esme sat on the floor, she could hear everything spoken between the three in the kitchen, even though their voices sounded distant, that was until Cason dropped his voice. It came as a bit of relief knowing Cason knew where the angels had taken Dean and Mika and that he could get them close, but it still bothered her to know what they would find. Out of all the visions she had in life, she had never been able to change them unless it was something small, and this wasn’t small. Esme knew there was no changing the outcome of this vision. Something told her they would never make it in time to change it. Her heart sank, and she forced back the tears threatening to show themselves. Now wasn’t the time to cry. She had to pull herself together and be strong even if she was scared about her vision coming true. Again, Esme tried to shake the image of Duke crying and cradling someone from her mind, finally being successful. She drew in several deep, shaky breaths and slowly let them out, trying her best to collect herself and get control of her trembling body.

Esme could feel herself starting to improve when Duke squatted in front of her and brushed some hair from her face, causing her to flinch. She didn’t feel him approach her like she usually did. Dropping her hands from her head and opening her eyes, she looked into Duke’s face, unable to erase the worry resting on her face. Her eyebrows knitted together at his words, and she softly shook her head. “No….” she started but was cut off by his thumb brushing her jaw and his following words. Esme scanned his face. She knew that look in his eye. She could see he was debating on making a run for it and forcing her to stay here with Cason and Natalia. “There’s no way in hell I’m letting you walk in alone. Even with Cason backing you up later.” she told Duke softly. Lifting a hand, she took Duke’s hand and squeezed it, looking deep into Duke’s eyes after tilting his hat back a bit. “If you go. I go.” She didn’t like what they would find there but wouldn’t let Duke find it alone. Esme knew that he was going to need her on this one more than ever, and she was damn sure going to be there for him.

“You and me. Remember?” Esme told him. “That applies to just about everything we do. You'll have to lock me in a room or tie me down to make me stay here. Which I can tell you're tempted to do.” She continued to look deep into his eyes to drive home that she meant what she said, and if he did either of those options, she would find a way to free herself and come after him. After losing him once, she was determined to keep him from going off on his own and potentially doing anything stupid and reckless, which was a possibility after what she saw in her vision. Esme was determined to be there and help him through everything. Whoever he was holding in her vision, she knew the grief could potentially push him over the edge and cause him to bolt. She was going to do everything she could to keep that from happening and show him she was there for him.

All Roads Lead To You

Esme

Esme couldn’t help but keep a smile on her face at Dean’s awkwardness. Seeing this side of Dean was something she didn’t see very often, and she thought it was cute. Since she had never worn anything this fancy around Dean, it was also the reaction she was going for when she chose this dress. When Dean answered her by telling her he didn’t think she would have to worry about him looking at anyone, she had to admit to herself she was glad to hear it, even if she was teasing him. As she watched Dean and his nervousness, she smiled a bit more and slightly started to wonder if this dress was the best choice after all. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be too big of a distraction for him, so he could get the job done. Then there was Duke. Esme could tell he was fighting with himself to keep his emotions in check but was holding himself together well. Nervousness was a big one for him, but he kept his signature smile on his face, still teased her, and kept his careless swagger. Esme still wondered how Duke could always stay so positive at times that she knew were hard for him. She’d have to ask him his secret sometime.

When Bobby replied to her tease with a tease, Esme couldn’t help but smile brighter and blush when he kissed her forehead and told her she’d be the prettiest girl there. “I don’t know about that, but thank you, Bobby.” she said warmly. She laughed a little at his reaction and reply to her photo suggestion, then a little more at Dean’s complaining. “Oh, come on, Dean. Don’t be a stick in the mud. You’ll be glad we have them later.” she told him before Duke came up on her other side and wrapped his arm around her waist. Esme adjusted her footing as Duke pulled her closer to him so she didn’t trip off the step she was on. When Dean stepped over and put his arms around her, she released the part of her dress she was holding and draped her arms over the boy's shoulders while they seemed to compete on where to place their hands, almost making her laugh, even if it was a bit awkward. At Bobby’s request, Esme gave her best smile as Bobby took the photos. When Bobby had gotten what he wanted, she relaxed even though both boys still had a hold of her.

Bobby’s next words made her smile softly at him. “We’ll be careful.” she told him warmly. Duke’s muttered ‘Wait’ caused her to look at him and watch the silent communication between him and Dean. When Dean released her, she removed her arm from his shoulders and rested at her side as Duke pulled her off the step and around the corner. Once around the corner, Esme removed her arm from Duke’s shoulder and watched him rummaging through his jacket pocket. Her eyes immediately fell on the necklace and bracelet he pulled out. They were beautiful. Lifting a hand, she placed her fingers on the stone of the pendant, and then Esme’s eyes went to Duke’s face as he spoke, bringing a warm smile to her lips again and blushing a bit. “You’re too sweet. They’re beautiful.” she said warmly, looking at the jewelry again. She didn’t have to ask where he got them. She was pretty sure she already knew where. “Could you help me put them on?” she asked, looking up at him. Without waiting for an answer, she removed her fingers from the pendant and turned around, holding her hair out of the way so he could put the necklace on her.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

As soon as Esme came to and felt Dean’s hands on her upper arms, she could feel that he had tensed up even more than before. She watched him as she gave her vague answer. She knew it was vague, but how could she tell him what she saw at the end of her vision? How could she tell him they might lose someone when she didn’t want to believe it herself? Esme watched as Dean looked over at Mika, knowing he now was probably tempted to sneak off without her. She barely heard Mika delegate Natalia’s care to herself, Duke, and Cason as she watched Dean. Esme’s eyebrows knitted together at Dean's words, and her eyes grew worried. “You always do.” she mumbled inaudibly. Dean always did what he thought he had to do, no matter what anyone said. As he backed her into Duke’s chest, she was tempted to tell him to take at least one more of them as backup but knew he would shoot her down. When Duke wrapped his arms around her, Esme sighed, leaned into him, and placed her hands on his arms as Dean spoke to all of them. She didn’t want to listen, but in a way, she knew he was right.

Esme hated the idea that they had to stay behind while Dean and Mika went on to do whatever the angels wanted Dean to do, especially after her vision. She understood that they both wanted to keep Natalia safe, but she felt like two just wasn’t enough on this case. But again, she knew Dean wouldn't change his mind and knew that he probably had to fight to have Mika go with him. At the arrival of the angels, Esme’s mind and herself fell silent. She grew tense and gripped Duke’s arm slightly as she watched and listened to the interaction between them and Dean. When Duke spoke up, she nearly flinched and gripped his arm a little tighter, then narrowed her eyes at Uriel’s answer, threat, and him calling Natalia a whore. Even though she had words she would have liked to say, Esme stayed quiet as Dean snapped at Uriel. All she could bring herself to do was stand there with Duke, watching and listening silently, even though she agreed with Duke on deserving to know where they were going. But of course, they wanted to make sure they stayed back and away. As the bickering and conversation continued, Esme watched and listened on, her ears perking when Castiel asked Dean the magic question.

Dean may not have known what they wanted, but she did, which made her stomach knot painfully. She had never seen that side of Dean and didn’t want to, though she had seen it twice due to her visions. Esme dropped her head and closed her eyes, unsure how much more she could hear or handle between them. It was becoming too much. When they left, she sighed silently as silence filled the kitchen momentarily before Cason broke it. As Esme felt Duke stepping away, she stood straighter and removed her hands from his arms. With Duke closer to Cason, Esme stepped back until her back hit the wall, then she slowly slid down it to sit on the floor, keeping her eyes closed. Cason’s voice sounded distant as the image of Duke crying while cradling someone flooded her mind. She tried to shake it from her mind but failed. ‘Who is Duke holding? Out of all of us. Who would he cry that hard for? Me, Dean, and Mika. Sam?’ she thought. She wasn’t sure if he knew Natalia and Anna well enough to make him cry that hard, but it was possible. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but it scared her not knowing who Duke was holding.

Knowing how Dean could possibly come out of this scared her as well. With how Dean looked, it could easily be Dean that Duke was holding and crying over, but she knew it could easily be Mika because she was there, too. Squeezing her eyes shut tighter, she released a shaky breath and brought her trembling hands to her swimming head. “Who is it? Who is it?” she softly whispered.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Name: Seraphina Shaw

Nicknames: Sassy, Phina, Shaw

Species: Witch

Age: Unknown, but older than she looks.

Appearance:

Relationship to characters(optional): Esme’s godmother.

Bio:
Seraphina was a good and close friend of the Stirlings for many years. After Esme was born, Wesley and Evelyn Stirling named her as Esme's godmother, which she gladly accepted. As Esme grew, Seraphina remained a constant in her life. Watching over her, teaching her things, and serving as a babysitter when Esme’s parents went out. After Esme’s mother was killed, Seraphina stepped in even more to help Wesley care for her and teach her what she needed to know to become a hunter. As Esme got older, she took the opportunity to teach her a bit of magic, sticking to the simpler things until she reached her late teens. Even with Esme in and out of her home and helping with cases, Seraphina never let up on any of Esme’s training. After Esme lost the rest of her family, Seraphina took a small break in her training and took Esme in. She got her back on her feet and then back into hunting to pull her out of her head and self-blame. After rescuing her from the asylum, Seraphina took it upon herself to up the training so that Esme would never have to worry about being unable to escape certain situations.

Today, Seraphina takes on cases as they reach her, still keeps tabs on Esme, and helps her where she can. She’s caught word of Esme teaming back up with Dean and some others and the few mishaps they’ve encountered, but not much more than that as of now. But she knows Esme will fill her in when she has the chance.

Weapons: Magic, an assortment of guns, bullets, knives, salt, and holy water.

Supernatural - Hell On The Horizon

Esme

Esme took a breath when she felt Duke’s hand making soothing circles on her lower back as she worked through what she felt coming from inside the house and what was going through her mind. As he answered her question, she looked up into Duke’s face, watching his expression. Esme could tell he was thinking the same as she was: why would the angels come early? She took in his words as he spoke, sighed silently, and shook her head. “I’m not sure, but I don’t like any of what I’m feeling.” she answered. Esme was growing more uneasy about what they might discover after entering the house. If Castiel had come early to get Dean with whatever the angels needed him for, she could slightly understand why he would be uneasy, but it seemed like there might be more to it that they didn’t know. Something also told her that not all of them would be going or something terrible would come out of it. Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Esme followed Duke inside after he opened the door and stepped in. As soon as she entered, she was hit harder with all the tension, just like she predicted she would.

Esme gave a small smile to Mika and Natalia and a nod to Cason as she saw them. Then, she stopped at the wall beside the refrigerator, resting her back against it while Duke walked over to Dean. She crossed her arms loosely over her stomach while she watched Dean answer Duke’s questions. She couldn’t hear what they were discussing, but Duke was clearly getting Dean to speak to him. Esme’s eyes briefly shifted to Duke as he walked back over to her and simply explained things to her as he shoved his hands into his pockets. The way Dean ate and the look in his eyes said so much and confirmed what Duke was telling her. Pulling her eyes from Dean, she looked up at Duke and sighed. “Something tells me Mika won’t be letting him go alone.” she started in a low tone. “I don’t know the details of what they want him to do, but I know that he shouldn’t go alone even if the angels want him to. I also hate that Dean thinks he has to take everything upon himself to protect all of us. I don’t have a good feeling about any of this.”

Esme sighed and dropped her gaze to the kitchen floor, pulling her arms a little tighter around her cramping stomach from the tension. “But knowing Dean, he’s going to try and force us to stay behind despite knowing he should have backup. I’m pretty sure he and Mika aren’t going to want Nat anywhere near any of it. Other than Cason, who would they get to stay behind with her?” Esme then tilted her head back and rested the crown of her head on the wall to avoid putting pressure on the stitches on her head. Her mind was swimming with several outcomes and who they would trust Natalia with. Other than Cason, she could see the next choice out of those there being Duke. She wasn’t sure if Mika trusted her enough with the task just yet, even if she didn’t like the idea of having to stay behind, not knowing what was going on, but would help keep Natalia safe if they asked her. The longer she stood there against the wall thinking about it all, the more it bothered her, knowing Dean was wanting to go alone. Esme’s eyebrows knitted together, and released a heavy breath through her nose.

Without a word to Duke, Esme dropped her arms to her sides, pushed herself off the wall, walked over to Dean, looked up at him, and spoke so only he could hear her, her face neutral. “Dean, please don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about doing this alone. I know you have to know it's a bad idea, even if they told you only you could go…. I know you want to keep everyone out of it and safe, but you can’t shoulder every problem that comes our way.” As she spoke to Dean, she looked into his green eyes, trying to drive home what she was telling him even though she knew he could be stubborn. “Share some of the burdens you carry. You don’t always have to be the strongest one in the group. Let us be strong for you sometimes.” Esme gave a small smile to show she cared, then brought a hand up, resting it on his forearm. As soon as her hand touched his arm, she gasped sharply, going rigid, her smile fading and staring blankly. Just like her last premonition, she was plunged into that same room she didn’t recognize, but this time, she could see the face of the man Dean was torturing.

It played out like an old, poorly put-together silent movie with missing parts. Esme watched as it skipped along through Dean torturing a man who seemed to be enjoying being tortured by Dean. She watched as Dean chose a variety of objects to use, including salt and holy water. Then it skipped to Dean lying on the floor, badly beaten and bloody, then she saw Duke from behind, kneeling on the floor, cradling someone in his arms and crying. Esme was quickly snapped back into reality, staggering back a bit as her hand dropped from Dean’s arm. She looked at the floor and took a shaky breath as her body trembled slightly. “You can’t go, Dean…. At least not alone if you’re being forced to go. Whatever they have planned is going to end terribly.” she told him in a shaky whisper. Esme lifted her gaze from the floor to look at Dean's face, instantly regretting it as it flashed to Dean’s face from the vision and back to normal after a few minutes, causing her face to contort into a look of hurt and worry.