Cold to the Core Pt. 1
Dean took another swig of whiskey while Bobby continued on his never ending rant. “I don’t like this one bit,” he was saying. “For all you two know, those witches could be plotting to kill you.”
Dean rolled his eyes. “For the last time, Mariah and Kit are on our side.”
Bobby scoffed. “It could be a trick.”
They were sitting in Bobby’s kitchen while Sam and the girls were doing research for another case. This tirade had been on going since the four of them had shown up five days ago. Bobby wasn’t out right cruel to the two witches but he did make it clear that he wasn’t going to accept them on the Winchester’s word alone.
Dean set down his glass. “Both of those girls have put their lives on the line for us. I trust them.”
“Oh you trust them. So that’s just supposed to make all of this ok?”
“If they bother you that much, we will leave,” Dean offered. “But they are gonna stay with us till we figure out why that guy came after Kit and make sure she is safe.”
Bobby glared at Dean through narrowed eyes. “And this has nothing to do with you being all hot and bothered over the little brunette?”
Dean’s fist tightened around his glass. “Her name is Mariah first off. Second, what makes you say that? The two of us have barely talked.” And they hadn’t. Mariah hadn’t said two words to him that wasn’t necessary since the day at the diner. And if he tried to initiate a conversation, he was ignored or interrupted by Kit.
Bobby gave a humorless laugh. “I’m not blind ya igit. I see how you look at her. And how she looks at you when you’re not look’in.” The old hunter crossed his arms. “That girl has you tied up in knots just like that demon’s got Sam.”
Dean stood up so fast, his chair toppled over. “Mariah is nothing like Ruby.”
The two men glared at each other for a good while till Dean let out a slow stream of air. “Just give them a chance Bobby. That is all I ask.”
He grumbled shuffled his feet. “Alright fine. But I’m telling you, if they double cross you I’ll burn them my self.”
Dean quickly looked to make sure Bobby was wearing the silver chained bracelet Mariah had given him to block his thoughts. With what had happened the first few times with Sam’s spiteful thoughts, Dean didn’t want Bobby’s opinions hurting her.
Bobby quit his grumbling for the time being and went back to adding potatoes and carrots to a large pot. Dean picked up his chair and stared to sit back down when the witch in question peeked into the kitchen. She had obviously used a glamour as she called it to hide the bruise on her cheek and her split lip. She had twisted her hair up into a bun and was wearing an oversized sweater and very fitted leggings.
Her looking at you when you’re not looking. Dean quickly pushed that thought away. “What’s up, sweetheart?”
“Sam thinks he found a case.”
Dean nodded and followed her to the study with Bobby following behind. Sam was lounging on the window bench with his laptop in his lap. He looked up whe they came in and said, “Found something in Cody Wyoming that looks like our sort of thing.”
Kit walked in at that moment, tossing a spray paint can in the small trash bin. Bobby raised an eyebrow. “What were you doing?”
Mariah flinched slightly at his gruff tone but Kit didn’t react expect to say, “I was fixing the warding on your house. The Enochian was off. Now, not a single angel or demon can step foot in this place unless you break one of the sigils.”
Bobby’s eyes widen and he blinked in shock. “You tell’in me, you know Enochian well enough to correct mistakes I might of had.”
Kit smirked and nodded. Bobby thought on this for a moment then glanced at his desk. “Maybe you could look at something for me later.” Kit’s smirk turned into a broad smile. “Sure thing, Bobby.”
Dean grinned and turned to lock eyes with Mariah who was also smiling. Seemed Bobby was warming up now. “What you got, Sammy?”
“Man found ripped apart on a hiking path. The body had evidence of being eaten from.”
Dean made a face. “Awesome. So what, werewolf? Heart missing?” If he hadn’t been paying close attention, he would have missed the flash of what must have been fear over Mariah’s face. Kit’s head snapped up from the book she was looking at with Bobby.
Sam, not noticing, continued. “You would think, but it wasn’t just the heart. Everything. Liver, stomach, intestines, flesh.”
Mariah held up a hand. “We get it. So, how is this our thing? It could just be an animal.”
Sam smirked. “Well the body was also found frozen solid. Outside. In June.”
Mariah nodded. “Yeah. Does sound like our thing.” She had visibly relaxed now that it was confirmed there was no werewolf.
Must have been a bad case. His thought was interrupted by Bobby asking, “Did you do this too?”
Dean turned and saw him holding up one of his many notebooks that was scattered on his desk. Mariah cleared her thiroat and said, “No. I did. I was having trouble sleeping and translating helps clear my head.”
All the men in the room stared at her. Bobby broke the silence. “You can translate ancient Aramaic?”
“Um yeah. I know over fifty languages. Not all fluently and not all spoken, but enough to accurately translate and understand. We both do.”
Kit pipped in. “Part of witch training.”
Sam chuckled but quickly stopped when it looked like they weren’t joking. “The two of you really know that many accurately?”
Mariah smiled. “Well, in spell casting you have to be able to translate actually or it can literally blow up in your face.”
“And when young fledgling witches are bad, they are forced to sit for hours translating dozens of books, scrolls, or what ever else.”
“And Mariah and I were very bad fledge witches,” Kit commented.
Everyone laughed at that. Bobby went back to looking through books with Kit, motioning Mariah over. Sam and Dean started planning for the case. They both tried to convince the girls to stay behind. The girls of course said they would be going and that was that. Finally, everyone decided on leaving first thing in the morning and broke up to head into the kitchen for some of Bobby’s stew.
Mariah lingered for a moment and caught Dean’s arm to stop him. “Can I ask you something?” Shocked that she was speaking to him, Dean just nodded. “Why is Bobby researching signs of the end times and seals of Lucifer?”
Dean tensed. He knew her and Kit had a right as fellow hunters to know but it was a subject he had no desire to get into just yet. “Don’t worry about it.” He tried to walk away but she wouldn’t let go of his arm. Dean sighed and stared at her. She was biting the corner of her bottom lip. A tick he learned she did when she was frustrated at not being able to read his mind.
Dean sighed. “I promise to explain. Just not right now. Ok?”
Mariah narrowed her eyes but let him go. “Alright.”
The next morning, they loaded up both cars and headed out with Bobby extracting promises from both Kit and Mariah to come back and have a look at his library. And to the brothers surprise the old man actually hugged both witches and wished them luck before shuffling back into his house.
They made it to Cody in the early afternoon. Dean had parked the impala at a motel that was to their usual standards with the corvette close behind. The boys started getting out and getting their stuff when Kit made the comment, “We are staying at a crack hotel because, why?”
Sam chuckled, “Most big hotels require major credit cards with matching IDs.”
Kit nodded, “Yeah, I get that but don’t you guys have cards?”
The brothers exchanged looks then Dean said, “Kit, all our credentials are fake. You get that right?”
Mariah laughed. “It’ll be ok Kit. Just this once.”
Kit grumbled but agreed. “Fine. But next time, Mariah, you better get us in a Hilton.”
The brunette laughed again and walked passed the boys and their confused looks. Dean had decided that all four of them would be sharing one room and wouldn’t budge. His way of thinking was that who ever had taken Kit before had done so from a motel and could definitely do so again.
Not wanting to fight the matter in front of the front desk clerk, both girls agreed. They had slept in the same bed thousands of times and it wouldn’t bother them.
Sam wanted to head to the police station immediately. “Don’t know how we will pass with four FBI agents but we’ll think of something.”
Mariah scoffed. “Oh Sam, do I look like an FBI agent to you?”
The younger Winchester didn’t know how to answer. He stared to stammer out a reply when Kit to pity on him. “Mariah isn’t good at the cop thing. If we do need to, I handle it. She has her own way of getting info.”
“This isn’t some black market dealer you can charm sweetheart.” The words left his mouth before Dean could think. It had been meant as a joke but his tone had been far to condescending and harsh from the glare Mariah was now giving him. She rolled her eyes and said, “Not my only bit, Winchester. I have many tricks.”
Smirking, Kit added, “She poses as a journalist. Interviews the families.”
“That works?” Sam asked.
“Even if they don’t tell me everything directly, I usually get all I need.”
Dean clicked his tongue. “How you manage that?”
In response Mariah tapped her temple, grabbed her duffle and went into the bathroom. It took the boys a minute but they both had a click of understanding. Telepathy.
Kit followed her friend and came back out ten minutes later in a very well tailored suit. The deep blue hair she had been sporting during her kidnapping had been changed to pitch black the night before. The was no nose ring in place and very little makeup. She looked lethal.
“We can head out. Mariah will take my car once she’s ready.”
That didn’t sit well with Dean. “You want to leave her alone?”
“Better than leaving her with you.” She brushed passed him as she said it.
Dean grounded his teeth but said nothing more. It would have to take a great deal to get out of the hole he had dug with both witches. He glanced at the door to the bathroom for a minute then followed Kit and his brother out of the room.
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