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skylar0graceTitle: What Isn’t But Really Ought To Be.
Author: SkylarGrace.
Status: Complete.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Maybe it isn’t so perfect after all…
Spoilers: Obviously ‘WIAWSNB’ but to be on the safe side, I’m gonna say all of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Supernatural’.
Disclaimer: ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and all related characters are copyright Joss Whedon and ME. No infringement intended. ‘Supernatural’ and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended.
Notes: Based off of the challenge ‘What Isn’t But Really Ought To Be’ set by Tany.
“All of them,” Dean said out loud as he looked down at his father’s gravestone. “Everyone that you saved, everyone Sammy and I saved – they’re all dead. And there’s this woman, Jess’ sister, that I can’t get off of my mind and I don’t know why. I don’t know what the connection is. Not yet, anyway. And I swear I saw Azazel in the restaurant tonight - it’s like my old life is coming after me or something, like it doesn’t want me to be happy.
“Of course, I know what you’d say. Well, not the “you” that played softball, but you’d say, “Go hunt the Djinn. It put you here, it can put you back. Your happiness over all those people’s lives? No contest.” Right? But why?” His voice started to break as a tear slipped down his face. “Why is it my job to save these people? Why do I have to be some kind of hero? What about us, huh? Mom’s not supposed to live her life? Sammy’s not supposed to get married? Why do we have to sacrifice everything, Dad?”
Dean brushed the now steady stream of tears off of his face with his hand. He’d thought he’d been given a second chance, a chance to be happy. But at what price? The demons and spirits still existed here, he’d just never grown up hunting them. He could always hunt them himself now, keep his family happy, but for how long? How long until whatever he was chasing came after them again? How long until Azazel had Jess in his sights again? Dean looked back down at the silent headstone.
“Yeah,” he said, before turning around and walking away.
Dean had reached the edge of the row when he saw movement in his peripheral vision. He turned and saw Buffy walking across the cemetery, head down with her arms wrapped tightly around her as she tried to keep the night air out. He wondered who she was visiting this late at night when he saw a man following her, his head bent and gaze solely on her. Dean looked at him closely and noticed the misshapen features of his face. He knew that the man wasn’t human and then he noticed the large teeth.
“Aww, crap!”
Dean broke out in a run just as Buffy disappeared into the row of trees separating the sections of the cemetery. He didn’t want Jess’ sister to get eaten by a vampire on her first night off from work. Not to mention that Jess would be absolutely devastated. He heard a small yelp and pushed through the trees to see the vampire throw Buffy back over a headstone. Dean didn’t know what was more surprising; that her back didn’t break or that she used the momentum to flip herself forward and kick out at the vampire sending him sprawling on the ground.
There was a blur of blonde hair and black leather before she pulled a stake from the small of her back and thrust it into the vampire’s chest. He barely had time to say ‘Ow!’ before he exploded into dust and Buffy turned around still panting. She noticed Dean and took in his surprised expression before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
“Just a trick of the light,” she rattled off as she waved a hand in the air.
Dean found his voice and took a step toward her conscious that she was still watching him warily.
“I’ve never seen a vampire dust before, usually I have to behead them and then there’s just a body…”
She raised an eyebrow. “Usually?”
Dean held out his hand for her to shake. “Hunter.”
Buffy gingerly took his hand. “Slayer.”
Dean looked impressed and smiled at her. “Slayer, huh? Impressive. Does your family know?”
Buffy gave him a pointed look. “Does yours?” Dean looked down at the ground. “Jessie and Dawnie don’t know,” she offered. “My Mum found out a few years after I was called but we kept it from them – it was safer that way. Gave them the chance to live normal lives.”
Buffy gave the cemetery a quick sweep before beginning to walk out. Dean fell in step alongside her and watched as her eyes scanned the area.
“What did you see at the restaurant?”
Dean took a deep breath. “A demon I’ve been tracking for a very long time. It’s done a lot of damage, killed a lot of people I know but always slips through my fingers.”
She looked at him. “Want any help?”
“Sure, if you’re offering.” He grinned at her. “Guess you’re not a school teacher huh?”
Buffy smiled. “Actually, I am, except I train other Slayers. Just got back from recruiting more, ones that we missed the first time around.”
As they reached the end of the cemetery, Dean looked at his watch. Carmen would be getting off work in half an hour and he wondered if he should pick her up. He didn’t want her walking back alone, it was evidently too dangerous – even in Lawrence.
“Want a lift back?” he asked. “I don’t have to pick up my girlfriend for another half hour so I’ve got time.”
Buffy tilted her head. “Why do you talk about her like that?”
“Like what?”
She shrugged. “Jessie said she thought you’d ask Carmen to marry you soon and you act like you’ve only just met her.”
Dean looked down at the keys in his hand before unlocking the door. Marriage was new to him. His old self probably wouldn’t have hesitated but he’d only just met Carmen. Even in his screwed-up life he knew that marriage should mean something special. “Long story.”
He climbed into the Impala and saw Buffy standing on the sidewalk. He leaned over and opened up the door. “Get in.”
She hesitated momentarily before climbing into the car and looking across at him. He saw her bright green eyes regarding him curiously. Dean took a deep breath as he started the engine and immediately regretted it; the smell of her perfume invaded his senses and he wondered, once again, what on earth it was about this woman that made him want to protect her. He’d seen her fight, knew she could handle herself but there was this part of his mind whispering that she was in danger.
Of course he was attracted to her, who wouldn’t be? She was stunningly beautiful and she moved both gracefully and deadly but he knew there was more to it than that. It was as though he’d seen her somewhere before and as hard as he tried the information was just out of reach.
On his way to the motel, Dean drove past the hospital and saw lights flashing on several police cars out the front. He frowned softly and pulled into an empty space. He didn’t even glance at Buffy as he hopped out of the Impala without saying a word and walked toward the doors. A young police officer placed a hand on his chest.
“I’m sorry; unless there’s an emergency, I can’t let anyone inside.”
Dean was about to say something when an older police officer stepped up to them. Dean took one look at his sympathetic eyes and knew something was very wrong.
“Dean,” he began, “There’s been an incident.”
Dean barely heard the police officer talking to the younger man as he turned around. Buffy was standing just behind him with a concerned expression and as he felt the police officer guide him through the tape, his hand swiftly reached out and grabbed hers, pulling her through with him. Her face held nothing but surprise as she looked at him, trying to read his expression. Dean turned away and followed the older man inside but didn’t relinquish his grasp on her.
They stopped in front of the OR and the police officer turned to Dean. “We think she was attacked a few hours ago but it’s so quiet at night that she wasn’t found til recently. We think it was a mugging and that the attacker accidently killed her. She must have bled out on the grass. The paramedics did everything they could but she was already gone. I’m so sorry, son.”
Dean barely heard the man. He pushed the doors open and walked inside. The sight of his girlfriend lying dead on the operating table didn’t affect him the way he thought it would. He let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding and closed his eyes. The hospital team had obviously tried to revive her but had failed and as he looked at the equipment surrounding the beautiful woman he’d woken up next to not that long ago, he wondered where the anguish was. Surely if he intended to marry the woman he should feel anguish.
He felt a small tug on his hand and noticed he was still holding onto Buffy’s hand. He looked up at her face and she looked at him sorrowfully. “I’m so sorry.”
Dean noticed the police officer had left and looked back at Carmen’s body. “Me too,” he replied softly.
Buffy pointed to Carmen’s neck. “It was a vampire. Based on her colour, I’d say he didn’t drain her; gave the response team something to work with.” She looked up at him. “I’m so sorry.”
Dean shook his head. “Don’t be. I didn’t even really know her.”
“Dean--”
“No, listen. I know you’re gonna think this is crazy but this isn’t my life. I don’t know how I got here. It’s just a couple of things that have changed but they’ve made the biggest impact.” Dean let go of her hand and walked closer to Carmen’s body. Buffy’s eyes watched him curiously. “I didn’t know her, Mum died years ago, Jess died a few years back – hell, Sammy left Law school and is now hunting with me. This,” he said gesturing around him, “is everything I wanted and nothing like it.”
Dean rubbed a hand over his tired eyes and looked up to see Buffy watching him from across the room. At least she believed in demons. He could have been having this crazy conversation with Sam. Dean almost laughed at the thought before looking back at her.
“I know how crazy I sound, believe me, but if I hadn’t been hunting down that stupid Djinn, I wouldn’t even be in this mess.”
“Djinn?”
“Yeah, it’s a feakin’ genie. Sammy was researching it and I was tracking it down and boom! I wake up here.”
Buffy glanced quickly around the room before grabbing his hand and pulling him from it. “We have to talk,” she threw over her shoulder.
Dean followed her back through the police line and opened up the doors of the Impala. They both hastily climbed in but Buffy looked back at the hospital before nodding at the car.
“Drive,” she ordered, “We need somewhere quiet to talk.”
Dean headed back to his apartment but looked across to see Buffy frowning and muttering softly to herself. Every now and then she’d shake her head and look out the window at the passing scenery. As they got to his apartment, Dean opened the door and let them both in. He noticed her eyes glancing around the room before she began pacing in the lounge room. Dean shoved his keys into his pocket and walked over to her, effectively stopping her pacing as she looked up at him.
“I was tracking down a Djinn too. It got the jump on me and I remember it trying to touch me with a glowing hand before I woke up here.”
“You woke up here? So this isn’t your world either?”
Buffy snorted. “No. I don’t even know Jessie. Dawn’s my sister but she knows all about this stuff, has for a while now. But it’s the little things. Like, back home, my Watcher runs the new Watcher’s Council. The headquarters are in England but there are offices all over the world. Here, my Watcher works for the University. He runs an office out of Lawrence but instead of the Watcher’s Council being open to me, it’s closed off like it used to be years ago.”
“So what happened? Are we in some alternate reality or something?”
Buffy shrugged. “I guess so, I just don’t know how to get back home.”
“What if we ask your Watcher?”
“Already tried. He didn’t seem to know anything more about the Djinn than what I did. That was a no-go.”
“Is there anything wrong with us being stuck in this reality?” Buffy raised an eyebrow. “I just mean, Sammy’s happy and my Mum’s alive. Having to still kill a few demons seems like a small price to pay.”
“You can stay if you want but I’m gonna find a way home. I don’t belong here.”
Dean watched her push some hair behind her ear. “Do I know you? I mean, before now, had we met?”
“That sounds like a pick-up line.”
Dean frowned as he tried to place her face in his memory. “No, no, it really wasn’t. But I’ve felt connected to you since I first saw you. Do you suppose it’s because we’ve both been sent here?”
“Don’t know, that’s not really my area of expertise. Dawn would be able to tell you in a heartbeat; me, I just kill the evil things.”
Dean brought the laptop over to the lounge and sat it down on the coffee table. He turned it on and Buffy sat down beside him. “What are you doing?”
“Research. It’s normally Sammy’s job but how hard can it be?”
Author: SkylarGrace.
Status: Complete.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Maybe it isn’t so perfect after all…
Spoilers: Obviously ‘WIAWSNB’ but to be on the safe side, I’m gonna say all of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Supernatural’.
Disclaimer: ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and all related characters are copyright Joss Whedon and ME. No infringement intended. ‘Supernatural’ and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended.
Notes: Based off of the challenge ‘What Isn’t But Really Ought To Be’ set by Tany.
“All of them,” Dean said out loud as he looked down at his father’s gravestone. “Everyone that you saved, everyone Sammy and I saved – they’re all dead. And there’s this woman, Jess’ sister, that I can’t get off of my mind and I don’t know why. I don’t know what the connection is. Not yet, anyway. And I swear I saw Azazel in the restaurant tonight - it’s like my old life is coming after me or something, like it doesn’t want me to be happy.
“Of course, I know what you’d say. Well, not the “you” that played softball, but you’d say, “Go hunt the Djinn. It put you here, it can put you back. Your happiness over all those people’s lives? No contest.” Right? But why?” His voice started to break as a tear slipped down his face. “Why is it my job to save these people? Why do I have to be some kind of hero? What about us, huh? Mom’s not supposed to live her life? Sammy’s not supposed to get married? Why do we have to sacrifice everything, Dad?”
Dean brushed the now steady stream of tears off of his face with his hand. He’d thought he’d been given a second chance, a chance to be happy. But at what price? The demons and spirits still existed here, he’d just never grown up hunting them. He could always hunt them himself now, keep his family happy, but for how long? How long until whatever he was chasing came after them again? How long until Azazel had Jess in his sights again? Dean looked back down at the silent headstone.
“Yeah,” he said, before turning around and walking away.
Dean had reached the edge of the row when he saw movement in his peripheral vision. He turned and saw Buffy walking across the cemetery, head down with her arms wrapped tightly around her as she tried to keep the night air out. He wondered who she was visiting this late at night when he saw a man following her, his head bent and gaze solely on her. Dean looked at him closely and noticed the misshapen features of his face. He knew that the man wasn’t human and then he noticed the large teeth.
“Aww, crap!”
Dean broke out in a run just as Buffy disappeared into the row of trees separating the sections of the cemetery. He didn’t want Jess’ sister to get eaten by a vampire on her first night off from work. Not to mention that Jess would be absolutely devastated. He heard a small yelp and pushed through the trees to see the vampire throw Buffy back over a headstone. Dean didn’t know what was more surprising; that her back didn’t break or that she used the momentum to flip herself forward and kick out at the vampire sending him sprawling on the ground.
There was a blur of blonde hair and black leather before she pulled a stake from the small of her back and thrust it into the vampire’s chest. He barely had time to say ‘Ow!’ before he exploded into dust and Buffy turned around still panting. She noticed Dean and took in his surprised expression before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
“Just a trick of the light,” she rattled off as she waved a hand in the air.
Dean found his voice and took a step toward her conscious that she was still watching him warily.
“I’ve never seen a vampire dust before, usually I have to behead them and then there’s just a body…”
She raised an eyebrow. “Usually?”
Dean held out his hand for her to shake. “Hunter.”
Buffy gingerly took his hand. “Slayer.”
Dean looked impressed and smiled at her. “Slayer, huh? Impressive. Does your family know?”
Buffy gave him a pointed look. “Does yours?” Dean looked down at the ground. “Jessie and Dawnie don’t know,” she offered. “My Mum found out a few years after I was called but we kept it from them – it was safer that way. Gave them the chance to live normal lives.”
Buffy gave the cemetery a quick sweep before beginning to walk out. Dean fell in step alongside her and watched as her eyes scanned the area.
“What did you see at the restaurant?”
Dean took a deep breath. “A demon I’ve been tracking for a very long time. It’s done a lot of damage, killed a lot of people I know but always slips through my fingers.”
She looked at him. “Want any help?”
“Sure, if you’re offering.” He grinned at her. “Guess you’re not a school teacher huh?”
Buffy smiled. “Actually, I am, except I train other Slayers. Just got back from recruiting more, ones that we missed the first time around.”
As they reached the end of the cemetery, Dean looked at his watch. Carmen would be getting off work in half an hour and he wondered if he should pick her up. He didn’t want her walking back alone, it was evidently too dangerous – even in Lawrence.
“Want a lift back?” he asked. “I don’t have to pick up my girlfriend for another half hour so I’ve got time.”
Buffy tilted her head. “Why do you talk about her like that?”
“Like what?”
She shrugged. “Jessie said she thought you’d ask Carmen to marry you soon and you act like you’ve only just met her.”
Dean looked down at the keys in his hand before unlocking the door. Marriage was new to him. His old self probably wouldn’t have hesitated but he’d only just met Carmen. Even in his screwed-up life he knew that marriage should mean something special. “Long story.”
He climbed into the Impala and saw Buffy standing on the sidewalk. He leaned over and opened up the door. “Get in.”
She hesitated momentarily before climbing into the car and looking across at him. He saw her bright green eyes regarding him curiously. Dean took a deep breath as he started the engine and immediately regretted it; the smell of her perfume invaded his senses and he wondered, once again, what on earth it was about this woman that made him want to protect her. He’d seen her fight, knew she could handle herself but there was this part of his mind whispering that she was in danger.
Of course he was attracted to her, who wouldn’t be? She was stunningly beautiful and she moved both gracefully and deadly but he knew there was more to it than that. It was as though he’d seen her somewhere before and as hard as he tried the information was just out of reach.
On his way to the motel, Dean drove past the hospital and saw lights flashing on several police cars out the front. He frowned softly and pulled into an empty space. He didn’t even glance at Buffy as he hopped out of the Impala without saying a word and walked toward the doors. A young police officer placed a hand on his chest.
“I’m sorry; unless there’s an emergency, I can’t let anyone inside.”
Dean was about to say something when an older police officer stepped up to them. Dean took one look at his sympathetic eyes and knew something was very wrong.
“Dean,” he began, “There’s been an incident.”
Dean barely heard the police officer talking to the younger man as he turned around. Buffy was standing just behind him with a concerned expression and as he felt the police officer guide him through the tape, his hand swiftly reached out and grabbed hers, pulling her through with him. Her face held nothing but surprise as she looked at him, trying to read his expression. Dean turned away and followed the older man inside but didn’t relinquish his grasp on her.
They stopped in front of the OR and the police officer turned to Dean. “We think she was attacked a few hours ago but it’s so quiet at night that she wasn’t found til recently. We think it was a mugging and that the attacker accidently killed her. She must have bled out on the grass. The paramedics did everything they could but she was already gone. I’m so sorry, son.”
Dean barely heard the man. He pushed the doors open and walked inside. The sight of his girlfriend lying dead on the operating table didn’t affect him the way he thought it would. He let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding and closed his eyes. The hospital team had obviously tried to revive her but had failed and as he looked at the equipment surrounding the beautiful woman he’d woken up next to not that long ago, he wondered where the anguish was. Surely if he intended to marry the woman he should feel anguish.
He felt a small tug on his hand and noticed he was still holding onto Buffy’s hand. He looked up at her face and she looked at him sorrowfully. “I’m so sorry.”
Dean noticed the police officer had left and looked back at Carmen’s body. “Me too,” he replied softly.
Buffy pointed to Carmen’s neck. “It was a vampire. Based on her colour, I’d say he didn’t drain her; gave the response team something to work with.” She looked up at him. “I’m so sorry.”
Dean shook his head. “Don’t be. I didn’t even really know her.”
“Dean--”
“No, listen. I know you’re gonna think this is crazy but this isn’t my life. I don’t know how I got here. It’s just a couple of things that have changed but they’ve made the biggest impact.” Dean let go of her hand and walked closer to Carmen’s body. Buffy’s eyes watched him curiously. “I didn’t know her, Mum died years ago, Jess died a few years back – hell, Sammy left Law school and is now hunting with me. This,” he said gesturing around him, “is everything I wanted and nothing like it.”
Dean rubbed a hand over his tired eyes and looked up to see Buffy watching him from across the room. At least she believed in demons. He could have been having this crazy conversation with Sam. Dean almost laughed at the thought before looking back at her.
“I know how crazy I sound, believe me, but if I hadn’t been hunting down that stupid Djinn, I wouldn’t even be in this mess.”
“Djinn?”
“Yeah, it’s a feakin’ genie. Sammy was researching it and I was tracking it down and boom! I wake up here.”
Buffy glanced quickly around the room before grabbing his hand and pulling him from it. “We have to talk,” she threw over her shoulder.
Dean followed her back through the police line and opened up the doors of the Impala. They both hastily climbed in but Buffy looked back at the hospital before nodding at the car.
“Drive,” she ordered, “We need somewhere quiet to talk.”
Dean headed back to his apartment but looked across to see Buffy frowning and muttering softly to herself. Every now and then she’d shake her head and look out the window at the passing scenery. As they got to his apartment, Dean opened the door and let them both in. He noticed her eyes glancing around the room before she began pacing in the lounge room. Dean shoved his keys into his pocket and walked over to her, effectively stopping her pacing as she looked up at him.
“I was tracking down a Djinn too. It got the jump on me and I remember it trying to touch me with a glowing hand before I woke up here.”
“You woke up here? So this isn’t your world either?”
Buffy snorted. “No. I don’t even know Jessie. Dawn’s my sister but she knows all about this stuff, has for a while now. But it’s the little things. Like, back home, my Watcher runs the new Watcher’s Council. The headquarters are in England but there are offices all over the world. Here, my Watcher works for the University. He runs an office out of Lawrence but instead of the Watcher’s Council being open to me, it’s closed off like it used to be years ago.”
“So what happened? Are we in some alternate reality or something?”
Buffy shrugged. “I guess so, I just don’t know how to get back home.”
“What if we ask your Watcher?”
“Already tried. He didn’t seem to know anything more about the Djinn than what I did. That was a no-go.”
“Is there anything wrong with us being stuck in this reality?” Buffy raised an eyebrow. “I just mean, Sammy’s happy and my Mum’s alive. Having to still kill a few demons seems like a small price to pay.”
“You can stay if you want but I’m gonna find a way home. I don’t belong here.”
Dean watched her push some hair behind her ear. “Do I know you? I mean, before now, had we met?”
“That sounds like a pick-up line.”
Dean frowned as he tried to place her face in his memory. “No, no, it really wasn’t. But I’ve felt connected to you since I first saw you. Do you suppose it’s because we’ve both been sent here?”
“Don’t know, that’s not really my area of expertise. Dawn would be able to tell you in a heartbeat; me, I just kill the evil things.”
Dean brought the laptop over to the lounge and sat it down on the coffee table. He turned it on and Buffy sat down beside him. “What are you doing?”
“Research. It’s normally Sammy’s job but how hard can it be?”
