In which they prepare to lay low.

[redhead_druid]

[Cowritten with smart_alec494. Sam = imnot_likeyou, Dean = hasperkynipples, Christopher = notawarrior. Set after THIS.]

O'Brien's was a small, out of the way bar that didn't get all that much traffic. Most hunter bars were the same way, just a place for hunters to come in, exchange information, get a beer, and talk freely for a little while. Some swapped war stories, some issued warnings, that kind of thing. O'Brien's wasn't any different -- less popular than the Roadhouse, but popular enough that there was still some decent traffic. It also looked run down enough to discourage anyone who wasn't a hunter and not attract too much attention.

Dean pulled the Impala to a stop outside of the bar, sighing slightly, before turning back to his brother. "So I'm thinking -- you two go in, see how pissed she is, then come out and let me know whether or not I can walk in their without losing an arm."

Sam rolled his eyes, before giving Dean a look. "That was six months ago, Dean. I think April's over it by now."

"Do you remember the last time I pissed her off, then came back before she was over it? She knows how to use a katana, Sam. I'm not taking any chances."

"Fine, fine," Sam sighed, shaking his head as he started to climb out of the car. "And you call me a bitch."

Alec didn't move. "Uh, at quick glance I look like Dean? I don't want to play decoy."

"You won't be playing decoy. It's the middle of the afternoon, she probably won't even be in there," Sam replied. "And besides -- April will probably yell before she starts hacking off limbs. She's also smarter than you'd give her credit for."

"Not reassuring." See that distinct lack of Alec moving from the back seat?

"Dude, Dean's being a moron. I don't know what he did to her the last time, but she's not going to kill him for it."

"Oh, I don't -- "

"Dean."

"Whatever," Dean sighed.

"Look. April's only going to mock you more, if you hide from her in the car. So she's either going to think that you're a coward because you're hiding from her for a stupid reason, or she's going to actually be nice to you because she's not going to judge you based on the fact that you look like my brother."

"If I'm injured I'm blaming you both. Also, swords are kinda neat. Out of the car Old Man."

Dean huffed, before grumbling slightly as he made his way out of the car. Sam climbed out and joined him, before starting to make their way towards the door of the bar. Inside, the room was pretty much vacant. It was around noon, so no one should have been around to begin with. The only living being was a guy passed out on top of the pool table, and whether or not he was actually living was probably debatable. Dean smirked at him, and Sam rolled his eyes, before making his way over to the bar, knocking lightly on the wood to see if anyone else was around.

"We're closed!" A female voice shouted from the back of the bar.

"We know," Sam shouted back. "Since when have we cared?"

There was a slight rustle in the back, and a tall redhead walked into the room, pausing in the doorway behind the bar. "The Winchester brothers. Well, I'll be damned."

Alec blinked. He hadn't expected her to be so hot. He wasn't sure why, he just wasn't. "Uh, are we sure the guy on the table isn't expired?" He figured someone should check these things.

April placed the box under her arm down on the bar, before grabbing one of the stray pool cues, spinning it around in her hand and bringing it down on the bar with a slam! "Christopher! We've got company!"

The guy on the pool table jerked slightly before one of his hands dropped over his eyes. "Motherfucker -- ten more minutes."

"See? He's alive," April replied, giving Alec a smile.

". . .yeah. You could have just said you'd checker earlier?"

"I hadn't," April replied. "He does this often." She paused for a minute, before looking at Alec carefully, then turning to Sam. "He's not Dean's -- "

"No. He's not Dean's kid. At least not that we know."

"I am right here, ya know?" Dean said, giving her a look.

April turned back to him, looking him over before turning to her box again and starting to open it. "Uh-huh."

"Me too." Meaning that he was right there. "And when you say often do you mean playing dead or swearing?"

"Both," April said with a sigh, stocking the bar as she looked over at the brothers. "So what can I do for you boys?"

Dean and Sam looked at each other for a moment, before Sam took a deep breath. "We're in a bit of a jam."

"Of course you are."

"We need somewhere to lay low for a little while."

"Of course you do."

"We'd really appreciate it if you let us crash here for a while."

"Of course you would." April paused for a minute, before running a hand through her hair as she actually made her way closer to their end of the bar. "How long?"

Sam shrugged. "Couple of weeks, maybe."

"That long, you earn your keep," April sighed. "Repairs, working behind the bar, whatever."

"Fine. Whatever you want."

"And I get to know why."

"Do we get free beer?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

April paused, hand on her hip. "Sam and your mini-me do. You have to pay."

"Oh, come on. You can't still be pissed at me for -- "

"Oh, yes, Dean. Yes, I can." She turned her eyes past them to the guy on the pool table. "Christopher. Help them with their crap and show them downstairs, will ya?"

Christopher had pushed himself up into a sitting position at this point, and just looked between the three of them with a half-asleep, half-confused look. "When the fuck did you guys get here?"

"While you were playing dead." But his attention was on April, wondering just how much detail she would require in her answer. The he shook his head a little. It didn't matter. He'd decided to trust Dean and Sam and they'd brought him here, so that was that.

Christopher paused for a minute, tapping the side of his head lightly with one hand as he slid off the table, almost like he was trying to get water out of his ear. Then he looked over Alec again, before extending the opposite hand slowly, catching sight of something on his palm, then cleaning it off against his pants and deciding to wave instead. "Christopher."

Alec was okay with that. Anything that meant he could keep physical distance was great with him. "Alec." There was a pause as his head tilted curiously. "That a comfortable place to sleep?" Sam and Dean would have already notice that he was very much like a cat in his sleeping habits and location choices. Sometimes on their beds, the floor, under tables, the hood of the Impala, it was all fair game.

"Not -- really," Christopher replied, letting Sam and Dean lead the way back to the car. "Pool tables don't really -- give."

"Hmmm. Don't really mind that much. The felt might be nice."

"Well, April doesn't really like it when people sleep on her pool tables. She just puts up with me doing it because I co-own the place." When Dean opened the door and the light started to stream in, he winced, covering his eyes with his hand. "Dear God, can someone turn down the fucking sun?"

"Shame. About the pool table I mean." He blinked at Christopher, eyes adjusting cat quick. "I don't think it takes requests. The sun I mean."

Christopher just muttered curses under his breath as he went to grab a pair of sunglasses. Dean just chuckled, shaking his head as he headed towards his car. "Find that surefire hangover cure yet, Hitchcock?"

"Hair of the dog, man," Christopher laughed as he headed out, sunglasses in place. "Works every time."

"Water works to you know. Just putting that out there." Smart assed, but scientificly accurate remarks available at all times of the day.

"Maybe. But water doesn't keep you going towards that lazy drunk feeling that I enjoy so much," Christopher sighed as Dean started tossing bags at him for him to carry. "It just hydrates you."

"But it does prevent that hung over feeling." He grabs a couple of bags. "Why would you want to feel drunk all the time?"

"Because feeling drunk is better than feeling what I feel when I'm sober. Plus, I'm easier to live with, and it's a lot more -- relaxing."

"I guess." It seemed like as good a reason as any. "Being drunk is very mellowing."

"Yeah. Mellowing is one word for it," Christopher sighed, slinging the bag over his shoulder before nodding towards the side of the bar where the storm cellar was located. "There's only two beds down there now, but I'm sure we've got a cot -- somewhere -- that we can toss in there."

Alec shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'm not picky." He followed Christopher to the door and sniffed. "Hey, cement. Smells like home." He sounded sort of cheerful about this.

Christopher paused as he dropped the bags down on the floor, looking at Alec carefully for a minute. "Don't take this the wrong way, dude, because this isn't an insult -- but you're a little odd."

"Most likely more than you know. Also, as it's coming from a dude who sleeps on pool tables? That kinda takes any real sting out of it." He puts the bags he's carrying down and looks around.

Christopher snorted a bit, before pointing around. "Bathroom's upstairs and to the left, and kitchen is a bit further down the hall. If you need anything from any of us, just shout and someone will come."

"Thanks." He knows he wont ask. He's still wholly uncomfortable with asking pretty much anything from anyone, unless it's simple questions to sooth his curiosity.

Christopher just nodded and headed back up the stairs, leaving the Winchesters and Alec alone in the guest room. Dean just sighed and dropped himself down on one of the beds and leaned back with a sigh. "Well, that went better than I thought it would."

"Paying for the beer can't be that bad." He was seriously learning to like beer. He couldn't have it in public but the brothers shared whenever they had it in the motel room. Which wasn't all the time, but that was cool. He was learning to like some sodas a lot to. And bottled water. It was better. It really was.

"It's not, trust me. She could have done much worse to me."

"What did you do to piss her off?" Alec sat on the foot of the other bed, knowing it was Sam's so not wanting to take up most of the space.

"Dean doesn't really have to do anything," Sam smirked. "He just aggravates April by being present."

"Hey, I'm a friendly guy," Dean said, giving his brother a look.

"Yeah, but that doesn't give you an excuse to attempt to grope anything with boobs when you're drunk, Dean," Sam replied, rolling his eyes.

"Ah." Now he gets it. "I'm almost glad it's really hard for me to get drunk."

Dean had a bit of a curious look on his face. "Have you ever been drunk before?"

"Once. Which was actually the first time I ever had a drink. Scotch. At least that's what it was in the beginning."

"Huh," Dean said with a nod. "I guess it took a lot to get you wasted."

"I was told it took every drop of alcohol the unit I was with had one them. Which was apparently a lot."

"That is a lot of booze," Sam said with a sigh. "But don't give him any ideas. Next thing you know, he'll be trying to get you drunk."

Alec snorted. "It wasn't that fun. Not really a recreational activity."

Dean shrugged. "It can be good for you, sometimes. Get you to let loose a little bit."

"Never really thought of it that way." He considered. "Might be fun. But I think April would be miffed if we used that much of her alcohol."

"Not if we pay for it," Dean pointed out. "But we don't have to do it now. Just -- at some point. If you wanted to."

"Maybe." He shrugged. "Last time I was sorta fifteen and Olie, he was the team commander, kinda had to."

"He had to?" Sam frowned.

"Mission. There was a river and uh," He seemed almost embarrassed, "I've got this . . .thing with water."

Dean and Sam looked at each other before shrugging slightly. "Planes," Dean sighed.

"Clowns," Sam nodded.

Alec looked shifty for a moment. "So. . .it's not that weird?" Because X5's weren't supposed to have phobias.

"Nah, everybody's got a thing," Dean sighed. "Some of us are worse than others. But the job's a job -- you gotta do what you gotta do to get past it."

"Like let someone get you insensibly drunk?" He hoped they'd never see just how afraid of water he is.

"Or hum Metallica to keep you from losing your cool thirty thousand feet up to stop a demon from crashing planes." Dean shrugged. "Everybody's got their things that help them get past it, it's just a matter of figuring out the hows and whys."

"I'm not a fan of planes, but I can jump from one if I have to." He rubbed the back of his neck. "And I wouldn't say I got past it. Just more. . .don't remember it."

Dean shrugged again. "Whatever works for you."
"Right. Okay, so no planes, circuses, or large bodies of water."

"Got it," Sam said with a smirk. "Sounds like a plan."

"Okay. So, new topic?"

"Sure," Dean nodded. "Anything else you want to know about these guys before we head up there?"

"Everything?" Yeah, he knew he was being ridiculous.

Sam chuckled slightly. "They're hunters. Their story is a little crazy, but some things are better for them to tell, because we probably wouldn't tell it right."

"Weirder than me?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Way weirder than you," Sam nodded.

Alec perked up at that. "Dude, bring that shit on."

Dean laughed, before shaking his head. "Oh, Christopher's gonna get a kick out of you."

"Uh huh." His eyes narrowed a little, like he was trying to decide if that amused him or not. It was a very feline expression.

Dean nodded, before pushing himself to his feet. "Alright. I need a beer, and April probably wants an update. We should head upstairs."

Alec nodded and bounced to his feet, feeling remarkably cheerful.

Dean lead the way and Sam took up the rear, letting him lead the way back into the bar. By the time they got there, April was sitting at one of the booths with four beers in front of her, one of which she was nursing herself. "Sit," she sighed, and her tone was more invitation than order, and she seemed to be in a bit of a better mood herself. "Tell me what you boys have been up to lately."

Alec sat across from her, and opened his beer but decided to let Dean or Sam field the question to start with.

"Oh, you know -- the usual," Dean shrugged as he slid in next to Alec, and let Sam settle in next to April. "Popping ghosts, dealing with the boogie man -- all the good stuff."

"Uh-huh," April replied, before nodding towards Alec. "When did you guys become a ward for lost boys that happen to share your face?"

"They like to think of it like adopting kittens." He grinned. "I'm just that adorable."

"Alec was in a bad situation. We got him out of it," Dean replied with a smirk. "That was about it."

"So how'd you wind up laying low in my bar, then?" April asked.

"That's a bit more complicated," Sam said slowly, looking over at his brother and Alec, to see who wanted to field it.

Alec decided he might as well give her the truth in it's simplest form. "We're laying low because I like keeping all of my organs in their original carrying case."

April just kind of stared at him in stunned shock for a moment. " -- I didn't know they still performed human sacrifice in this world."

Alec blinked at her. "They don't." He wasn't joking any more than she was.

"It's long and complicated," Sam replied.

"Sam, have you met me?" April gave him a bit of a look, before turning back to Alec. "So they will be removing your organs because -- ?"

"Because when something doesn't work right you break it down for useful and reusable parts."

"Yeah, but you can't do that with -- " April got a look from both brothers that cut her off, before she shook her head and took a deep breath. "Are we going to be swapping long and complicated stories, or is that all I'm going to get?"

Alec bit his lip and looked at Dean and Sam. "They stole me." And that was all he was going to say until they decided she could know more.

That only seemed to confuse April more, but Dean just rubbed the back of his neck slightly. "It involves the government. Do you really want to know?"

"If it involves why you're hiding out here, then yeah." She paused for a moment, before taking another sip of her beer. "If I go first with the long and complicated, would that help?"

"Is it supposed to? I mean, is that how this stuff works."

"Well, sometimes knowing that people have mutual weird in common helps," April sighed. "But if you don't want to talk about, that's fine. Just -- explaining my brand of weird takes -- a large suspension of disbelief."

"I don't mind talking about it." He took a swallow of beer. "It's more that I'm socially deficient. I mean seriously. You give me a role, sure, I'm golden, but turn me loose?" He shook his head.

"Social cues. I used to care about those," April shrugged. "Just worry about how you feel, Alec. We'll sort out the rest."

"I'm not so worried about social cues. Sure, bring on your weird. Sam promised it was farther out there than mine."

"Believe in alternate dimensions?" she asked curiously, running a hand through her hair as she watched his face.

He considered, then shrugged. "Sure. I'll believe in ghosts, why not alternate dimensions."

"Know any mythology?"

"Not precisely? But I'm a quick study."

"Okay," Sam said with a sigh. "Early on, a lot of people created these groups of 'gods' and legends to go with those gods in order to explain the unexplainable in the world -- storms, bad luck in battle, natural disasters -- they were all attributed to being the 'wrath of the gods'."

"Or at least that was what people believe now," April amended. "A few people, most of them hunters, know that that's not necessarily the case. These 'gods' did exist, and some of them are actually still around. Not the big names, of course, just the lesser known ones, who have to do what they have to do get by without the humans willingly providing them with sacrifices. The big names, however -- they fit into my brand of weird."

Alec's sum thought for a long moment was that if Ben had been right about that whole Blue Lady thing someone was going to die. Alec just didn't know who. "Okay."

"Okay," April nodded. "So when the big names got abandoned for Christ, they decided to create their own parallel world where that didn't happen and they could have all the backwards civilization they wanted. They were pretty chill with letting other gods come to party, so long as they just terrorized the humans -- not the gods. That all changed when Ka Anor made the scene and started devouring other gods."

"Wait. . .they can eat each other?" Yeah, he found that creepy.

"Not all of them. In fact, most of them can't, but Ka Anor -- " April swallowed slightly before shaking her head. "He wasn't pretty. And over there, if you can find a thing that can scare them and you're on the wrong side? You're fucked five ways from Sunday."

"Okay. But this is all gods. Not you." Now he was curious and watching her intently.

She took another pull from her beer before nodding. "My half-sister was what they called the 'gateway witch.' She could control the doorway between the two universes and control what went in and out. When we were sixteen, she was kidnapped by a god called Loki -- the Norse god of chaos and destruction. She somehow saw it coming and managed to drag me, Christopher, and two of our friends into Everworld -- the alternate dimension -- with her."

"That sounds uh. . .terrifying quite frankly."

"Oh, it was," April nodded. "It got worse when Senna went missing on us and Loki held us responsible, and then after we tracked her down again, all the gods wanted to use her to get out of Everworld. She didn't want to be used as a puppet. So she, in her infinite wisdom, launched an army of machine guns on a world where their most advanced weapon was a catapult."

". . .there's nothing I can say to that."

"That was just in the first year. We spent twelve years over there, managed to find a way out when they hit their own brand of Apocalypse and crawled our way back here."

"So they blew themselves up?" He gives her a wide eyed look like this might be the best story hour he's ever gotten.

"Sort of?" she shrugged. "It was more like they tore each other to shreds."
"Best way to deal with an enemy that out numbers and over powers you. Turn them on each other and duck."

"Yup," April said with a sigh. "And we're the only ones who got out."

"We meaning you and your friends or meaning just you and Christopher?" It wasn't really the sort of thing you should ask and he knew it, but still twelve years in hostile territory made them a unit. If they all lived that meant there were other people around somewhere. If she and Christopher were all that was left in meant they were so tight there was barely room for air between them.

"Me and my friends -- well, minus Senna. She died at the end of that first year."

"Sorry." And he meant it. Losing a sibling hurt like a bitch.

"Don't be," April replied trying her best not to snap. "We weren't that close. In fact, the only reason I actually knew that she existed was because her mother abandoned her and my dad had to take care of her. And she hated me." April also killed her, and she really didn't feel all that bad about it.
"Oh. Well, I retract my statement." A pause. "Okay, help me out here, what's the correct response here?"

"You had the correct response," April replied. "Most people would be upset that their half sister was dead, but most people didn't have Senna as a sister, and most people didn't have to kill her in order to stop her."

"Yeah, well, some of my sensibilities are uh. . .skewed?"

"Everybody's are, whether they believe it or not."
"Huh." He sits quietly for a minute considering that and the far reaching implications if it.

April seemed almost amused, before taking another swig of the beer, before patting Sam on the shoulder. "So. Still don't think I've gotten the real answer to what you're doing here?"

"People that we stole Alec from want him back," Dean sighed, taking a sip of his beer himself. "They've put a bounty out on him, and we're waiting for things to blow over, needed somewhere to wait it out."

"I've been devalued though. I mean, I'm sure the bounty is less than I'm worth. I'm a little insulted."

April snorted slightly, before nodding. "Okay, so I should be on the lookout for Bela Talbot types."

"Probably," Sam said with a nod. "And if the pay is high enough, one of our favorite friends of hers might be paying you a visit, and things could get ugly."

"Eh, me and ugly go way back," she shrugged. "Nothing I haven't been through before."

Alec huffed. "I can take care of any trouble. I just would rather avoid it, you know?"

April smiled slightly at that. "Never said you couldn't, sweetie. But if it's who Sam and Dean think it is, he might be a little harder to take out than you think."

"This would be where you all elaborate."

"Mason Trent, if he chooses to come after us, is an incredibly lucky man," Sam sighed. "Supernaturally lucky, in fact."

"Is that dodging bullets lucky?"

"Yup," Dean sighed. "As well as making everybody else look like morons lucky."

"That. . .sounds just great." Cats? Not font of looking silly.

"Yeah, well -- hopefully he won't be able to find us," Dean sighed. "That would be counting on our luck."

"I gotta say, I'm not normally all with the good luck." He took another drink from his bottle.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "Neither are we."

Alec let his head fall back on to the wood of the booth with a thump. "Why me? I mean all those other fucking traitors don't have bounties on their heads."

Dean and Sam both tilted their heads at that. "Is this related to that twin thing?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. He jumped the wire with eleven of his sibs. The colonel never has found them."

"How long ago?"

"Eight or nine years ago."

"Maybe he got bored with trying to find them -- or decided they've been out long enough that they're not worth gettin' back," Sam frowned, thinking on that for a moment. "Maybe he's let us go for this long for a reason?"

"He didn't get bored. And he won't. 452 is his favorite. She looks like his dead wife. I saw a photo once. And we're worth 20 million dollars apiece in construction alone. Not to mention," he waved his beer bottle, "everything else. Still worth getting back. It's that last point that bothers me."

"That he might be playing with us?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." That was really all he had to say on the matter.

"Fantastic," Sam sighed. "Well, we do know things he doesn't know. And people. I'm sure we could be able to come up with something to throw him."

"I sure as hell hope so. Because I can't go back."

"And even if you could, we wouldn't let you," Dean added, before sighing slightly. "Maybe Bela can -- distract Mason somehow. Find out if he's actually coming our way."

"I dunno. I mean, I could most likely take over a small country with a fork, but supernatural bounty hunters? I'm at a loss."

"Mason's a smooth son of a bitch," April sighed, before starting to push herself up to climb over the back of a booth. "If I happen to see him coming, I'll give you fair warning."

Alec couldn't help watching the nice view. He kept himself from commenting by drinking his beer.

April paused, sitting at the top of the bar, and looking back at them. "I gotta get back behind the bar. When you boys are ready to get to work -- lemme know." And with that, she hopped off the top of the booth and headed back to the bar.

"Damn." That was all he could think of to say.

Dean smirked. "About her?"

"Yeah. That's X5 looks right there."

"Christopher said that he and David used to use her for bait. Every man back there would just stand shell-shocked at the sight of a pretty girl," Sam said with a smirk.

"It's a good strategy. I think that's partly why we're pretty." He paused. "Is it still bait if the bait can clean your clock?"

"Yup," Dean admitted, with a nod, before pointing over at April. "Because she definitely can."

"Swords?" Somehow that only made her hotter.

"Swords, hand-to-hand, she's even a pretty decent shot," Sam nodded. "And for the love of all that is holy, don't put a staff in her hand unless you're looking to be knocked on your ass."

"I'm in lust. Think she'll teach me?" He was staring after her.

"Probably," Dean smirked. "If you ask nicely."

"I can ask nicely."

"Then ask away," Sam nodded. "She'd probably be happy to teach you."

He grinned. "Awesome. Manticore didn't teach anything more old school than weaponless martial arts."

"Probably figured you had to be cutting edge," Dean shook his head. "People don't think that in order to look forward you gotta look back."

"Maybe. They didn't take well to us questioning things. But! I'm a fan of having a low-tech fallback." There was a pause and then a grin of pure teenaged boy glee. "Also swords are cool."

Sam chuckled slightly, before nodding. "Yes, swords are very cool."

Alec gave his a suspicious look. "Are you humoring me?"

"Not at all," Sam replied, shaking his head. "Just -- when I was your age, I probably would have had the same reaction. Just don't be too upset if they make you learn with sticks first."

"Do you know how to use a sword?" He shrugged. "I wouldn't let a beginner swing something big, sharp and pointy at me, so stick makes sense."

"I do," Dean said with a nod. "Kind of. Not the kind of swords they know how to use, but I do know how to use one."

"I have an idea of how to use one," Sam shrugged. "I haven't really had the chance to learn -- and swords wouldn't do much good with most of the things we face anyway."
"Maybe not, but still, points for style." He grinned.

"Very big points for style," Sam laughed. "You don't forget a guy with a sword."

"Nope!"

Dean grinned at that, before taking another pull on his beer. "See? Layin' low won't be so bad."