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I feel like I'm ending the year on a good note. Last night a friend helped me get some just gorgeous headshots to send in to Valdez; then I finished my paper which is far from a great paper but is pretty good (and used Strong Bad as the epigraph) and which I'll post at some point. Then I went to hang out with friends who were finishing their papers and not only did they say I looked really nice for 1:30 AM, but when I provided the word "scope" for "epicness" I was told that I was "hurling bricks of brilliance" at them.
I have one more paper, due next week, and only two final exams.
Right now I've got a latte, a toasted bagel, and an orange.
So I feel pretty good.
PS: Jonathan Coulton wants you have a good time today. Such a good time, in fact, that that song is available for free download! Jonathan Coulton is awesome.
Moar SPN/YW! Most of which you've probably already read, but there are transitions and interior monologues and things.
Part one.
Part two.
Part three.
The burger place was farther than Sam had thought. Just after leaving it to return to the motel, his phone rang. He glanced quickly at the caller ID -- not many people had this number anymore, but better safe than sorry -- and answered.
"Ellen?"
"Sam, honey." Her tone was brisk, as ever, but warmly pleased. "How're you boys doing?"
"Hey," he replied, equally pleased. "I'm good, we're good."
"Keeping out of trouble?"
"Define trouble. What's up?"
She grew serious. "You still in New York?"
"For the moment, yeah. Why?"
"Good. Stay in the east. I just got word that demon activity is stirring up out here. The hunters're all on edge, and after that little snafu you had with Kubrick and Gordon, I don't think you want to be around a bunch of jumpy hunters."
Sam swore under his breath. "Ellen, we've gotta head west. We're leaving for South Dakota in the morning."
"What's in South Dakota that's worth the risk?" she asked, dubious.
He sighed. "Bobby's library. We need -- we've kind of picked up a stray."
There was brief pause.
"You what?"
Sam sighed again and outlined the situation as quickly as he could. There was another pause when he finished.
"You checked her out?"
"Yeah. Holy water right into a cut she had. She's clean, as far as we can tell. She's with Dean right now, and he's got the Colt if he needs it."
Ellen blew out a breath. "What's your gut say?"
Sam was silent for a long moment. Finally, he said, "My gut says she's telling the truth -- at least about being lost. And there's no reason to think she's lying about the different world thing. You'd have to be pretty crazy to make that story up on the spot and expect to be believed."
"That's true," Ellen said slowly. "Crazy ain't good, either."
"I think we can handle crazy."
"If you say so," she replied, a hint of amusement creeping into her tone. "Where're you stopping tomorrow?"
"Um," he said, cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder as he turned into the motel parking lot. "Probably Wisconsin, maybe Madison."
"I'm calling Jo to meet you there."
"Wait, what? Why?"
Sam could almost hear her ticking things off on her fingers. "If you're set on going west, an extra pair of eyes can't hurt none, and frankly I'd prefer it if she was with you boys instead of solo. And if you're proposing to drag this girl halfway across the country, I'm not gonna leave her with no one but you two."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked, slightly stung.
Ellen snorted. "You're good boys, Sam, but if you expect me to believe either of you know how to deal with a teenage girl, think again. Trust me," she added, the amusement returning, "it's for your own good as much as hers."
Sam let out a snort of his own as he turned into the parking lot. “Yeah. Okay. Listen, I gotta go - we’ll call when we meet up with Jo, okay?”
“Only if it’s safe,” she cautioned. “Take care, okay?”
“Of course. You too.”
He hung up, and sat there for a moment, thoughtful. All things considered, they had every reason not to trust Nita, especially with things apparently building to a head. To have her appear out of nowhere like this, with a wild story that conveniently forced her to rely on them . . . On the other hand, that was about how Ruby had shown up, too, and they knew that she was dangerous -- but they were trusting her with their lives.
Sighing, he grabbed the bags of food and got out of the car. John Winchester had taught his boys to trust their instincts, and Sam's instincts said that Nita wasn't a threat to them. What she was, exactly, they'd have to see.
As he approached the room, he noticed that some of the lights were off -- enough of a change to make him open the door more cautiously. There was nothing amiss in the room, though; just Dean cleaning weapons in the semi-darkness, looking up as the door opened.
"Hey," he whispered, nodding towards the other bed. "She conked out about ten minutes ago."
Sam came over and handed him the food. "She okay?"
"Just tired, I think. Said her head wasn't bothering her too much."
"That's good. Hey, Ellen called."
He recapped the conversation, and they spent a few minutes making plans for the next day's travel between bites of burger. Once the food was gone, and the weapons finally put away, Dean crumpled up the paper and lobbed it into the trash.
"Well, better get some sleep. We should start pretty early in the morning."
Sam was just a few seconds too slow to keep Dean from flopping onto the remaining bed and giving him a smug grin. Heaving a sigh, he headed for the couch. Dean snickered.
"Jerk."
"Hey," Dean retorted, "I've got a lot of driving to do tomorrow."
***
The car broke down somewhere in Ohio.
After half an hour of banging around under the hood of the Impala, Dean finally emerged with a growled "Son of a bitch!"
"What's wrong with it?" Sam asked, standing up from his seat on the verge and stretching.
"I dunno," Dean replied, annoyed. "Overheated, maybe. I'm sure not seeing anything."
"Can I take a look?"
They turned and looked at Nita, who was biting her lips as if she thought the question had been presumptuous. "You know something about cars?" Dean asked, disbelieving.
"Well, they're more Kit's specialty than mine, but . . ." She stood up and stepped around the hood, resting her hands lightly on frame of the car. Dean watched her, a little suspicious -- and stepped forward when her eyes closed and her lips began to move silently.
"Woah woah woah there, you are not putting any mumbo-jumbo on my car without telling me what you're doing first."
"Shh," she replied, not opening her eyes. "It's not a wizardry -- I can't make it work here, remember? I'm just talking to her."
"Excuse me?"
Nita ignored him; after a moment, she crouched, never moving her hands, head tilted as if listening.
"She says it's the wiring," she said distantly, and opened her eyes. "The casing's wearing off on some of it and when it contacts the other metal, it messes with the circuit."
Dean blinked at her, then came over to poke his head under the hood and investigate. Nita straightened and moved out of his way, keeping a hand on the warm metal of the car.
"How'd you figure that out?" Sam asked, surprised.
"I just asked her." She shrugged.
"I thought you couldn't do wizardry here, though."
"Oh. Yeah -- but that wasn't really wizardry. The Speech is a universal language. We use it to cast spells, but you can use it conversationally, too."
Dean poked his head around the hood. "You can talk to the Impala."
"Yep. Way easier than I expected." She smiled a little. "She's got a really strong personality."
Dean and Sam exchanged a look, and Sam laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, uh. Yeah, it does."
Dean stepped back and dropped the hood, dusting his hands. "I'll say. That shoulda done it."
Nita looked up at him, smile widening. "She says thanks."
Dean blinked at Nita, then looked down at the car and put a hand on the hood, with more gentleness than normal -- more like the way someone might pet a strange but friendly dog. "Well, uh. Tell her I say you're welcome."
"You could tell her," Nita pointed out, taking her hand away at last and opening the door. She paused before getting in. "I like her."
Dean looked up. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." Her smile took on a wistful, remembering look. "I knew someone like her once."
Sam and Deane exchanged another look as Nita got back into the car. Sam shrugged. Dean echoed the gesture, opening his door. "Guess we better get back on the road."
Part five.
I have one more paper, due next week, and only two final exams.
Right now I've got a latte, a toasted bagel, and an orange.
So I feel pretty good.
PS: Jonathan Coulton wants you have a good time today. Such a good time, in fact, that that song is available for free download! Jonathan Coulton is awesome.
Moar SPN/YW! Most of which you've probably already read, but there are transitions and interior monologues and things.
Part one.
Part two.
Part three.
The burger place was farther than Sam had thought. Just after leaving it to return to the motel, his phone rang. He glanced quickly at the caller ID -- not many people had this number anymore, but better safe than sorry -- and answered.
"Ellen?"
"Sam, honey." Her tone was brisk, as ever, but warmly pleased. "How're you boys doing?"
"Hey," he replied, equally pleased. "I'm good, we're good."
"Keeping out of trouble?"
"Define trouble. What's up?"
She grew serious. "You still in New York?"
"For the moment, yeah. Why?"
"Good. Stay in the east. I just got word that demon activity is stirring up out here. The hunters're all on edge, and after that little snafu you had with Kubrick and Gordon, I don't think you want to be around a bunch of jumpy hunters."
Sam swore under his breath. "Ellen, we've gotta head west. We're leaving for South Dakota in the morning."
"What's in South Dakota that's worth the risk?" she asked, dubious.
He sighed. "Bobby's library. We need -- we've kind of picked up a stray."
There was brief pause.
"You what?"
Sam sighed again and outlined the situation as quickly as he could. There was another pause when he finished.
"You checked her out?"
"Yeah. Holy water right into a cut she had. She's clean, as far as we can tell. She's with Dean right now, and he's got the Colt if he needs it."
Ellen blew out a breath. "What's your gut say?"
Sam was silent for a long moment. Finally, he said, "My gut says she's telling the truth -- at least about being lost. And there's no reason to think she's lying about the different world thing. You'd have to be pretty crazy to make that story up on the spot and expect to be believed."
"That's true," Ellen said slowly. "Crazy ain't good, either."
"I think we can handle crazy."
"If you say so," she replied, a hint of amusement creeping into her tone. "Where're you stopping tomorrow?"
"Um," he said, cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder as he turned into the motel parking lot. "Probably Wisconsin, maybe Madison."
"I'm calling Jo to meet you there."
"Wait, what? Why?"
Sam could almost hear her ticking things off on her fingers. "If you're set on going west, an extra pair of eyes can't hurt none, and frankly I'd prefer it if she was with you boys instead of solo. And if you're proposing to drag this girl halfway across the country, I'm not gonna leave her with no one but you two."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked, slightly stung.
Ellen snorted. "You're good boys, Sam, but if you expect me to believe either of you know how to deal with a teenage girl, think again. Trust me," she added, the amusement returning, "it's for your own good as much as hers."
Sam let out a snort of his own as he turned into the parking lot. “Yeah. Okay. Listen, I gotta go - we’ll call when we meet up with Jo, okay?”
“Only if it’s safe,” she cautioned. “Take care, okay?”
“Of course. You too.”
He hung up, and sat there for a moment, thoughtful. All things considered, they had every reason not to trust Nita, especially with things apparently building to a head. To have her appear out of nowhere like this, with a wild story that conveniently forced her to rely on them . . . On the other hand, that was about how Ruby had shown up, too, and they knew that she was dangerous -- but they were trusting her with their lives.
Sighing, he grabbed the bags of food and got out of the car. John Winchester had taught his boys to trust their instincts, and Sam's instincts said that Nita wasn't a threat to them. What she was, exactly, they'd have to see.
As he approached the room, he noticed that some of the lights were off -- enough of a change to make him open the door more cautiously. There was nothing amiss in the room, though; just Dean cleaning weapons in the semi-darkness, looking up as the door opened.
"Hey," he whispered, nodding towards the other bed. "She conked out about ten minutes ago."
Sam came over and handed him the food. "She okay?"
"Just tired, I think. Said her head wasn't bothering her too much."
"That's good. Hey, Ellen called."
He recapped the conversation, and they spent a few minutes making plans for the next day's travel between bites of burger. Once the food was gone, and the weapons finally put away, Dean crumpled up the paper and lobbed it into the trash.
"Well, better get some sleep. We should start pretty early in the morning."
Sam was just a few seconds too slow to keep Dean from flopping onto the remaining bed and giving him a smug grin. Heaving a sigh, he headed for the couch. Dean snickered.
"Jerk."
"Hey," Dean retorted, "I've got a lot of driving to do tomorrow."
***
The car broke down somewhere in Ohio.
After half an hour of banging around under the hood of the Impala, Dean finally emerged with a growled "Son of a bitch!"
"What's wrong with it?" Sam asked, standing up from his seat on the verge and stretching.
"I dunno," Dean replied, annoyed. "Overheated, maybe. I'm sure not seeing anything."
"Can I take a look?"
They turned and looked at Nita, who was biting her lips as if she thought the question had been presumptuous. "You know something about cars?" Dean asked, disbelieving.
"Well, they're more Kit's specialty than mine, but . . ." She stood up and stepped around the hood, resting her hands lightly on frame of the car. Dean watched her, a little suspicious -- and stepped forward when her eyes closed and her lips began to move silently.
"Woah woah woah there, you are not putting any mumbo-jumbo on my car without telling me what you're doing first."
"Shh," she replied, not opening her eyes. "It's not a wizardry -- I can't make it work here, remember? I'm just talking to her."
"Excuse me?"
Nita ignored him; after a moment, she crouched, never moving her hands, head tilted as if listening.
"She says it's the wiring," she said distantly, and opened her eyes. "The casing's wearing off on some of it and when it contacts the other metal, it messes with the circuit."
Dean blinked at her, then came over to poke his head under the hood and investigate. Nita straightened and moved out of his way, keeping a hand on the warm metal of the car.
"How'd you figure that out?" Sam asked, surprised.
"I just asked her." She shrugged.
"I thought you couldn't do wizardry here, though."
"Oh. Yeah -- but that wasn't really wizardry. The Speech is a universal language. We use it to cast spells, but you can use it conversationally, too."
Dean poked his head around the hood. "You can talk to the Impala."
"Yep. Way easier than I expected." She smiled a little. "She's got a really strong personality."
Dean and Sam exchanged a look, and Sam laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, uh. Yeah, it does."
Dean stepped back and dropped the hood, dusting his hands. "I'll say. That shoulda done it."
Nita looked up at him, smile widening. "She says thanks."
Dean blinked at Nita, then looked down at the car and put a hand on the hood, with more gentleness than normal -- more like the way someone might pet a strange but friendly dog. "Well, uh. Tell her I say you're welcome."
"You could tell her," Nita pointed out, taking her hand away at last and opening the door. She paused before getting in. "I like her."
Dean looked up. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." Her smile took on a wistful, remembering look. "I knew someone like her once."
Sam and Deane exchanged another look as Nita got back into the car. Sam shrugged. Dean echoed the gesture, opening his door. "Guess we better get back on the road."
Part five.