DA/SPN Fanfic: Ghosts of the Past (11/11)
Title: Ghosts of the Past
Author: poestheblackcat
Rating: PG-13
Crossover: Dark Angel/Supernatural
Characters/Pairings: Max/Alec-ish, Sam, Dean
Warning/Spoilers: Both Seasons of DA, up to Season 3 finale of SPN
Summary: Seattle 2022. Alec runs into Ben's ghost, or is he simply going crazy like his twin? Alec discovers the world of ghost hunting via supernatural hunters Sam and Dean Winchester.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to their respective owners.
AN: Lots and lots of sick!Alec and protective!Dean. You know you love it.
Ghosts of the Past
Chapter 11
Alec walked down the street, too preoccupied with the tremors shaking his body to notice that he was being tailed. It was too late when he turned around at the sound of footsteps coming after him as a bat swung into his face and another into his side.
Alec grunted, falling back but catching himself with his enhanced reflexes. He was dazed for a moment, long enough for the bats to swing back again.
“Take that, ya freak!” “Yeah, serves you right, Trannie trash.” How many of them were there? Two? Three? Damn, the guy who had aimed at his head must have been a baseball player in another life or something.
This time Alec caught both bats and twisted them away from his head and body but missed the metal bar coming at him from behind. It connected with a sickening thud and he fell face-down on the wet sidewalk. The blows rained down, harder and harder, and he tried to lash out, hit someone, but as they kept swinging, he ended up curling his body and protecting his head to minimize the damage. He wondered as his vision faded and stars danced in front of his eyes if this was how his buddy Biggs had died.
Suddenly, the hits stopped, and out of the haze he heard the low rumble of a familiar voice. “You really think you’re something, huh? Ganging up on an unarmed guy like that. Think you’re all manly and everything? Huh?”
“He’s a Trannie. We’re just doin’ our duty as citizens of this city.” The guy’s voice sounded smushed, strangled. Alec opened his eyes, the cut above the left one starting to bleed, to find that his savior had knocked out two of his attackers and was crouched over the third, pushing his ugly (or so Alec assumed) face into the ground.
“Yeah, well news flash. He’s a person, Transgenic or not, same as you and me, got that?” Man, Dean sounded mad. Wait a minute. What was he doing here?
“Go to hell, ya Trannie-lover.” Alec had to give the guy this, he had some nerve. Or maybe he was just plain stupid. Even Alec was a little scared and he wasn’t the one the threats were being directed at. One thing he had learned about Dean in the short time he’d known him was that he was one guy never to get on the bad side of.
Dean gave a bitter laugh. “Been there. Done that. Trust me, I wouldn’t recommend it for a vacation spot.” He bent down so that his lips were close to the guy’s ear. His voice hardened, got colder, lower. “Now listen and listen carefully ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once. If I ever hear about you or your friends messing with one more Transgenic, I promise you, I will hunt you down. And when I do, you’ll be sorry you were even born. You’ll be sorry your parents were born. I never go back on my word.” Alec shuddered. Oh yeah, Dean Winchester could be one scary sonofabitch when he wanted to be. “Now get outta here before I kill ya,” he growled as he straightened.
Needless to say, the “Trannie-hater” scampered off as soon as Dean let him go. As well as several broken face bones and bruised ribs would let him, anyway. Casting a cursory glance at the other two guys still sprawled unconscious in the street, Alec made his painful way to his feet. Oh yeah, that’s gonna bruise. So not a good combination with his seizures. A strong hand gripped his shoulder.
“You okay, kid?” There wasn’t a trace of anger left in Dean’s voice, just concern. A glance at his face corroborated what Alec had heard.
Alec attempted a smirk and was relieved to find that it wasn’t too shaky. “I’m just peachy. What are you doing here?”
Dean let the lie slide. “Rescuing your damsel in distress ass, that’s what,” he grinned.
Alec stumbled but regained his balance and continued on his way, Dean following closely to make sure he didn’t keel over. “What is it with you and Max and my ass? Now I don’t mind Maxie ogling it, ‘cause she’s hot, but it’s just wrong if you do it. And by the way, I am not unarmed. I didn’t wanna pull out my gun ‘cause I mighta hurt someone.”
Dean scoffed. “Yeah, of course. Because you were just afraid of hurting those guys when they were trying their goddamn best to bash your head in.”
Alec smiled a shit-eating grin, holding his arm against his injured ribs. “Exactly. Glad you see it my way. And again, were you following me?”
Dean shook his head. “Naw, I was on my way to get a drink or five. Where were you headed?”
“Home.” Alec looked down at himself. Crap. Probably literally, knowing the sort of stuff found dumped in the streets of Seattle. “Good thing, too. I need to get outta these clothes. I stink.”
“Great. I’ll walk you there,” Dean declared with a nod.
Alec threw the older man a look. “I don’t need a babysitter, and anyway, I thought you wanted a drink.”
Dean smirked. “I can get one at your place. Free, and it’ll be quieter there, too. Besides, I don’t want you to get jumped again on the way home. You can barely walk.”
Alec rolled his eyes. And winced. Ouch, bad idea. “Right. And here I was thinking that you cared.”
Dean paused, a softer look flashing in his eyes before he teased, “Well that, too, but you’ve been getting knocked around so much lately that I’ve decided you need constant supervision. Don’t want you losing any more brain cells than necessary, now, do we?”
“Ha ha. How did those guys know I’m a Transgenic, anyway?” Alec grumbled.
“Well, I’m not Einstein, but I think it may have something with that barcode tattooed on the back of your neck, for starters,” Dean said with a smirk, worry not quite hidden behind it.
“My-” Alec brought his shaking hand up to the neckline of his black t-shirt where his collar should have been covering the black lines, to find that he was touching bare skin. “Dammit. I musta left my jacket at home. It wasn’t cold when I left.”
Dean gave him a searching look, taking in the bruises starting to form on the young face and the now-muddy clothes on the trembling frame. Poor kid looked downright miserable. Like a wet kitten. Sighing, he took his leather jacket off and handed it to Alec. “Here, cover up that barcode.”
Alec blinked for a second before taking it and shrugging it on. He popped up the collar. “Thanks.” It was warm and fit him pretty well, a little on the big side, but that was to be expected, seeing that it was a bit loose on Dean. It smelled of gun oil and leather, obviously, and another smell Alec identified as Dean, and it comforted him. Alec looked up to catch a peculiar expression in his original’s eyes.
“It used to be my Dad’s, you know? He was gonna to throw it out after it got all bloody and messed up after a hunt. I cleaned it up and kept it back when I was a kid.” Dean flashed a smile at Alec. “It looks good on you.”
They walked in silence for a while, Dean catching Alec when he pitched to the side, but the younger man’s legs collapsed. Dean gently lowered him to a sitting position.
“Whoa there, Alec. What’s going on with you? You’re shaking all over the place and I know it’s not from the cold.” Damn, the kid really didn’t look good. Dean wondered if he should call Max or Logan.
“S-seizures.” Oh god, his head hurt, like a million hammers were knocking at his skull. From the inside. Alec bit down on his lip to keep from uttering the moan that was threatening to come out.
Dean was full on worried now. “I can see that. You get them often, or are they from that knock on the head you got?” he asked, brows knitting in concern.
“D-downsides of b-bein’ m-made in a t-test t-tube. D-damn s-scientists messed up w-when they p-put m-me to-together. W-wires in m-my h-head got crossed or s-somethin’,” Alec chattered. “G-got s-stuff f-for it at h-home.”
“C’mon. Let’s get you home then,” Dean muttered, as the younger man’s eyes fluttered closed and his head lolled. He hauled him up on his feet and draped the trembling arm around his shoulders. “Good thing we’re the same size, kiddo. I’ve done enough of hauling Sam’s humongous ass around to last me a lifetime.”
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Dean gazed at the sleeping form, lips pursed in thought. Sam wouldn’t be worried that Dean didn’t make it back for the night; he’d called to tell him he’d be spending the night at someone else’s place. Okay, it was usually a female someone else, but what Sammy didn’t know…anyway, Dean had promised to keep this whole thing under wraps.
Alec moaned and shifted on the bed. Dean instinctively put out his hand to gently brush away the hair that stuck to the kid’s forehead slick with sweat. Alec sighed and settled at the surprisingly soft touch. He looked so young, lying there, eyelashes and the cut over his eye standing out darkly against his pale skin. Dean wondered if he himself had ever looked that vulnerable. Yeah, probably, even though he hated the thought of it.
Alec, he knew, didn’t like being this weak, especially with someone else around to see it. After Dean had helped him into Terminal City, past the sentries, assured the gun-wielding panther-man and shark-headed girl (okay, exaggeration, but she still looked…fishy and toothy) that he was helping Alec (“He’s fine, just need to get him to his place.”), and half-carried him to the apartment, the X5 had turned to Dean, handed him the leather jacket, and said, “Thanks, I’ll be okay now.” It would have been pretty believable, too, if a seizure hadn’t chosen right then to come on. Alec had crumbled and started to shake. Really bad.
Trying to hold down the flailing arms and legs wasn’t a good idea, Dean found. The bruised eye and bloody lip he sported was evidence of that. The shaking lessened and Alec managed to gasp out, “T-trypto…T-tryptophan,” before letting out a sharp pain-filled cry and it all started up again.
Dean let go of the Transgenic and leaned back in confusion. What the hell did “tryptophan” mean? He shot up as the answer hit him. Medication. The kid was talking about his medication. He ran to the bathroom and threw open the medicine cabinet. Shaving cream, razor, toothpaste, pain pills. Huh, those were horse tranquilizers. Never mind. Finally in a small plastic container, “TRYPTOPHAN,” prescribed to a Dick Grayson.
Dean grabbed it and ran back to the still violently seizing form. He shook the pills out and-damn. He rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a glass. Filling it with tap water, he hurried back to Alec.
He couldn’t get near him for while, but once the shaking stopped enough, Dean held on to Alec’s head and forced his mouth open so he could pop in the pills and pour in a little water after them to make them go down easier. He was grateful when Alec managed to swallow, choking a little, but getting the white capsules down. Now all Dean had to do was wait. He hoped he’d gotten the right dosage.
The pills barely had time to work before the next seizure started. It was not as powerful as the last one, but Alec’s eyes still rolled back in his head and a muffled whimper escaped from his pale lips. Dean was still holding onto his head to keep it from banging into the floor with each shake. The kid belonged in bed.
Carrying the X5 would have been much easier if he didn’t keep slipping out of Dean’s grasp, but then, no such luck. After nearly dropping him several times, Dean finally heaved him onto the bed. Which immediately began to shake along with the seizing body on it.
Hearing the uneven gasps coming from the shuddering figure curled up on his side, Dean wondered again if he should call someone. His attention was grabbed by Alec mumbling something through his shaking lips.
Dean leaned down. “What is it? Do you want something?”
Green slits focused on Dean before closing again. “D-don’t call a-anyone.” He gasped. “ ‘Specially n-not M-max. D-don’t want ‘er s-seeing me l-like this.”
The shaking had lessened by now, Alec’s body only giving a few jerks every few seconds. Dean sat down on the edge of the bed and put his hand gently on Alec’s shoulder. “Okay. I won’t.”
Alec gritted his teeth in obvious pain. “P-promise?” He sounded like a little kid. Like Sam when he’d been younger.
Dean melted. “I promise.” He grabbed the bottle of pills and propped Alec up again. “Here. Take these. They’re tryptophan. That’s what you said to give you, right?”
“Mmmm,” was the only response Alec gave as he drifted off to sleep after swallowing the pills shoved into his mouth, a warm hand rubbing circles on his back.
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It was late in the morning when Alec awoke. He was in his bed with no memory of how he got there. He felt a presence in the room and shot straight up to confront the invader. He soon regretted the action as the pain shot into his head, and he fell back into the bed with a groan. He hoped whoever it was would just hurry up and kill him. Anything was better than the blender chopping his brain up into itty bitty pieces.
He felt the mattress dip. “How’re you feeling?” A deep voice. Dean. The events of last night were a little fuzzy, but Dean featured prominently in what he could remember of it. Seizures. Shit.
“I think I know what a hangover feels like. Never had a real one, but I heard it sucks,” Alec moaned into his pillow.
The older man chuckled softly. “I’ve had my fair share of ‘em. They do suck. Don’t worry, it’ll get better. Need help getting to the bathroom?”
Alec turned his head to glare at Dean. “No. I can get there on my own, thank you very much.”
Dean got up. “Sure thing, Robin. Just no ‘holy’ anything jokes.”
Alec just stared. “What?”
Dean was taken aback. “Aww, come on. Robin? Batman?” He got only a blank look in reply.
He shook his head in disbelief. “You have no clue what I’m talking about. Batman is only the coolest superhero ever and Robin is his sidekick. Dude, the name on your prescription says ‘Dick Grayson’.” At Alec’s raised eyebrow and continued silence, he continued, “Robin’s alter-ego?”
Alec shrugged, slowly pushing himself to a sitting position. “ ‘Dick’ was just the name Max was gonna call me, after ‘Alec’.”
Dean blinked. “Max named you?”
“Yeah. All I had was a designation before. X5-494.” Alec swung his legs over the side of the bed and mustered up the energy to stand up. “We were breeding partners back at Manticore, you know, ‘cause the DNA bank had been blown up a while back, by Max and her little buddies, by the way. So it’s all her fault. I walked into her cell and told her our orders were to ‘copulate.’ Next thing I knew, she’d kicked me against the wall and told me that that was the only physical contact we were going to have.”
Dean huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, she’s a real feisty one. You two are together now, though, right?”
Alec made his way to the bathroom. “Nah, that’s just for show. She and Logan have this virus thing going where if they touch Logan dies. So I’m the new boyfriend to make Logan think she’s moved on so she can’t hurt him.”
Pursing his lips and raising his eyebrows, Dean said, “But you do get special privileges because you’re doing her a favor, don’t you?”
Alec gave a dry smile and rolled his eyes. “Yeah. She hits me less.”
Dean gave a disbelieving laugh. “Dude, you’re so whipped,” he said, shaking his head.
Alec made a face. “Am not.” He glanced down, noticing for the first time that he was wearing only his boxers. Cheeks turning red as he snapped his head up to look at the older man, he exclaimed, “Did you-?”
Dean straightened. “Well of course I did,” he bit out. “What, didja think you had a girl over last night or something? Your clothes were all wet and muddy, and may I remind you, you have absolutely nothing that I haven’t seen. I just had a whole lot more scars at your age.”
His mouth twitched with suppressed mirth as his younger carbon copy turned away muttering something about the new and improved version being way sexier. “Yeah, you just keep tellin’ yourself that, kid.”
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Dean fixed the two of them something to eat, and Alec managed to keep a few mouthfuls down. Dean ate enough for the two of them, though.
“So anyway,” Dean started, “why did Max call you ‘Alec’? You never finished your story. I get the ‘Dick’ comment, but why-”
“She called me ‘Alec’ ‘cause I’m such a smart-aleck.” Alec said. “She was trying to get on my nerves by giving me a name when I told her I didn’t need one.”
“Guess you got more than your looks from me. Suits you. Better than ‘Dick’, anyway. That’s a terrible name.” Dean smirked.
Alec gave an identical smirk. “You think that’s bad? I got off lucky. You should hear the names she gave to some of the others. Bullet, Zero, Fixit, Bugler. Jeez. Gotta say, though, this girl ending up named ‘Ralph’ was totally my fault. She really hated the sight of blood.”
Chuckling, the two of them fell into companionable silence. Alec sipped at his milk thoughtfully. Before Manticore burned down, he was used to spending his seizures being poked and prodded at by scientists. Once he got out he’d only ever had Joshua stand watch over him all through the night, but it was just his luck that his friend hadn’t been around last night. Only to Joshua did he ever show physical vulnerability. He wasn’t sure how he felt about letting Dean see it.
Dean’s voice burst in on his thoughts. “You’re pretty quiet. What’s up? Head still hurting?”
Alec shook his head. “Not so much anymore.” He sighed and cleared his throat. “Thanks for, you know, last night. Rescuing me from the evil Transgenic-haters. Staying with me and everything,” he said with some embarrassment. He glanced up at the other man to see his response.
Dean kept his eyes on his mug as he took a sip of hot coffee out of it. He looked embarrassed, too. “No problem. Couldn’t leave you alone now, could I?” He met Alec’s eyes with a warm smile, the skin around his eyes crinkling up. “Like I said, you need someone to watch out for you, make sure you’re okay.”
Alec smiled back, somewhat bashfully. His mind went back to what he’d heard Dean say to that guy. “Last night, when you said you’ve been to hell, was that true? Is there really a hell?” he asked softly.
Dean tensed and was silent for a long time. Alec was starting to regret ever opening his mouth when the older man spoke again, his voice rough. “Yeah. It’s real alright. Fire, pain, torture, and all the other crap they say about hell. Spent four months down there, but it felt like forever.”
“What’d you do? Why were you there? Don’t you have to die to go there?” It was a touchy subject, Alec knew, but darn it, he was a cat after all, and you know what they say about cats and curiosity.
Silence again. Then, so quietly Alec almost had to use the advantages of his Transgenic hearing to catch it, “I sold my soul to a demon to save Sam.” Dean paused before continuing. “He was killed. He’d died in my arms and I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t go on. He’s my little brother, you know? The only family I had left. I practically raised the kid. So I traded my soul for his life. Got a year out of the deal. Had my year, got ripped to pieces by hungry hungry hellhounds, and went to hell. Not the best way to die. Wouldn’t recommend it.” He swallowed another mouthful of the bitter coffee.
Alec frowned. Dean had died? “But you got out, though, didn’t you? I mean, you’re here now.”
“Yeah,” Dean said, with a distant look in his eyes and looking years older than he really was. “I woke up in a pine box, with no memory of the last four months and no idea how I got out of hell.”
Alec looked back down at his now-empty glass and frowned. “Was it Sam?”
Dean sighed. “No.” Turning to the X5 with world-weary eyes, he continued softly, “Listen, son. You don’t wanna know, alright? The truth-it ain’t pretty. Just trust me. You don’t wanna know.”
Alec swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay.” Dean nodded, too, satisfied that the younger man understood what he was trying to say. He smiled a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and looked more like a grimace. “So the lesson of that story is ‘what’s dead should stay dead.’ You gotta remember that one, kid. You’ve got a long family history of sacrificing your own life for the people you love.”
Taking a deep breath and letting it out, he added, “But you know what? I don’t regret the choice I made. The world got screwed up for a while because of what I did, but Sam’s alive and well, and that’s all I really care about in the long run. Keeping my family safe,” he said, glancing at the younger man. ‘Got that?’
Alec didn’t ask the questions that came into his mind just then. Instead, he thought about who he’d give up his life for. He would have for Rachel. He already had for Max by not killing her and taking her barcode and would again in a heartbeat. He would for Joshua. He had a feeling he would for Dean now, too. Because, well, family’s family. Crap. He really was a true Winchester. He was screwed, but somehow, he didn’t really mind. His family would help him through it, watch out for him. Keep him safe.
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AN: My way of saying that I have no idea how Dean got out of hell, because season 4 hasn’t aired yet! (as of the time I wrote this) I can’t wait!
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