{btvs/spn} sensitivity to spirits
Title: Sensitivity to Spirits
Author: aaronlisa
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Supernatural
Pairing/Characters: Faith Lehane/Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester
Rating: FR13
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon and company while Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke and company.
Prompts: Written for supernatural50 for prompt #34 (breathe) and for day 11 at mini_nanowrimo where I signed up to write 250 words a day for the month of November.
Notes: Set after BtVS Season Seven and sometime during Season One or Two of SPN.
Summary: Faith goes on a hunt with Dean and Sam.
Word Count: 1302
The smell of rotting meat and feces permeates her nostrils and Faith almost gags at the scent. Sam raises an eyebrow at her response and pushes past her. She avoids looking at Dean because she doesn’t want him to think that she can’t cut it. Hunting vamps is one thing but she’s quickly learning that hunting ghosts and demons is something entirely different. Dean places a comforting hand on her shoulder as he follows her brother and Faith tries to get herself together. It’s not as if she can explain things to Sam if she had wanted to. Dean has told her to keep quiet about being a vampire Slayer because apparently there are things that the younger Winchester wouldn’t be receptive to.
So Faith squares her shoulders and tries her best to take shallow breaths. She ignores how the weight of the shotgun feels unnatural in her hand and instead she follows Sam and Dean alert for any sign of the supernatural. The deeper that they go into the house, the stronger the scent gets and Faith has to fight the urge to gag with each step that she takes. She’s not even sure what she’s trying to prove anymore. Dean knows that she’s a good hunter; still she refuses to back down.
When they finally enter the kitchen, Sam goes in first, shotgun at the ready. Dean ushers Faith into the room behind and he stands guard at the doorway. Sam thrusts a container of rock salt at her and she lowers the shotgun as she fully steps into the room. She’s not sure if she completely trusts Sam or not but now is not a good time for petty squabbles. So instead of acting on her doubts, Faith steps into the center of the room and begins to pour a circle of salt.
There’s a creaking sound that has Sam moving quickly towards what Faith assumes is a pantry, however she focuses on the circle. Dean has told her that the salt circle has to be perfect to prevent ghosts from crossing it. When she’s done, she steps inside the circle and raises her shotgun, providing cover for Dean and then Sam, who both enter the circle.
“Now what?” Dean hisses at Sam.
Faith stays quiet and alert while the brothers argue about the ghost. So far the house has been rather uneventful except for the smell. She looks up quickly when they fall silent and finds Sam weighing her with his eyes and she suddenly doesn’t like being brought on this hunt.
“No to whatever you’re thinking Sammy,” Dean says.
“What? You said she was an experienced hunter,” Sam points out.
And Faith realizes before Dean’s next sentence that Sam has effectively boxed them into a corner. They either go with whatever he’s planned or admit the truth that Faith’s not like most hunters. And right now on a hunt is not the best time to start explaining what a Slayer is. Faith cuts off Dean before he can even continue to argue.
”What’s your plan?” Faith asks.
Sam’s plan is simple and Faith can’t find fault in it. Instead of waiting for the ghost to find them, they’ll use her nose. Since she had the strongest reaction to the scent, she’ll lead them to where it’s strongest. Sam suspects that they’ll either find the ghost or the corpse. Either way, they’ll finish the hunt. Faith doesn’t allow Dean to argue, instead she steps outside of the circle and gives the brothers a look before she lifts her shotgun and walks out of the kitchen and back into the hallway.
There’s a slight squeak on the floorboards behind her that signal that they’re following her. And she leads them through the house until they reach the stairwell that leads upstairs. She turns and looks at them, Dean gives her a slight nod and Sam just waits for her to move. Faith turns back and puts one foot up on the stairwell. She’s worried that it might not hold their weight, the house is old and in disrepair but as she climbs the stairs, the smell keeps getting stronger and stronger. Halfway up, Dean has to grab her around the waist when she bends over doubled. She looks up at him and she realizes that neither of them can smell what she’s smelling, or if they can it’s nowhere near as pungent as it is for her.
She nods at Dean and straightens, once more climbing up the stairs. With each step, she finds that the scent gets worse. It’s all that she can do to hold her shotgun up and she wonders why she’s more sensitive to it. Finally she stops in front of a room and she leans against the opposite wall, the smell choking her as she points towards the closed door.
“There,” Faith gasps as she slides down the wall, unconcerned about the dirt and grime.
“Are you certain?” Sam asks.
“Y-yes,” Faith spits out.
Before Sam can push open the door a ghost jumps out at him, its claws extended and Dean shoots at it but misses. Sam ducks and Faith lifts the shotgun up with hands that are trembling and manages to shoot the round at the ghost. This time hitting it squarely in what should be it’s chest. Sam smirks at her before pushing opening the door. From what she remembers Dean telling her, they only have so long before it comes back.
“Jackpot,” Dean says.
And Faith stays out in the hallway, her shotgun resting on her knees, senses alert as the brothers take care of the corpse in the room. An unholy wailing starts up when the brothers set fire to the mattress where the corpse is. They both rush out of the room and Dean helps her to her feet as Sam stands guard. Faith follows them down the stairs, trying not to trip as the ghost’s moaning and wails shake the walls around them.
When she stumbles, it’s Sam who picks her up and carries her out of the house; Faith feels her face burning in shame. In all of her years as a Slayer, the only other time when she needed to be carried out was when Angelus had bitten her. He sets her down once they reach the Impala and the three of them watch as the old house catches on fire and burns to the ground, none of them saying a word.
“What was that all about?” Dean finally asks.
“What do you mean?” Sam asks.
“Why did Faith smell that odor?”
Sam looks at her before turning back to Dean. “Probably because she’s more sensitive to things like that. It happens.”
“What do you mean more sensitive?” Faith asks.
“Some people are more sensitive to psychic energy, I am assuming you’re one of them. Although I am surprised you’ve not had this type of reaction before on other hunts.”
“I don’t normally hunt ghosts,” Faith replies with a shrug.
Sam nods in response and dumps his shotgun into the trunk of the Impala.
“We should go,” Dean finally states.
Faith hates the omission but it’s not her call so she nods in agreement and slides into the backseat of the Impala. She’s worn out in a way that she’s not familiar with. When she’s hunted vampires, she’s always felt refreshed, not completely drained and she decides as the Impala roars to life that she’ll call Giles the first chance that she gets and she’ll ask him about what happened. Faith catches Sam staring at her and she wonders just how much he actually knows. He gives her a smug knowing look that makes her feel uncomfortable and she resolves that later when she has a moment alone with Dean she’ll ask him about Sam.
((END))
This story was nominated at the Sunnydale Memorial Fanfiction Awards during Round 22.
Author: aaronlisa
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Supernatural
Pairing/Characters: Faith Lehane/Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester
Rating: FR13
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon and company while Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke and company.
Prompts: Written for supernatural50 for prompt #34 (breathe) and for day 11 at mini_nanowrimo where I signed up to write 250 words a day for the month of November.
Notes: Set after BtVS Season Seven and sometime during Season One or Two of SPN.
Summary: Faith goes on a hunt with Dean and Sam.
Word Count: 1302
The smell of rotting meat and feces permeates her nostrils and Faith almost gags at the scent. Sam raises an eyebrow at her response and pushes past her. She avoids looking at Dean because she doesn’t want him to think that she can’t cut it. Hunting vamps is one thing but she’s quickly learning that hunting ghosts and demons is something entirely different. Dean places a comforting hand on her shoulder as he follows her brother and Faith tries to get herself together. It’s not as if she can explain things to Sam if she had wanted to. Dean has told her to keep quiet about being a vampire Slayer because apparently there are things that the younger Winchester wouldn’t be receptive to.
So Faith squares her shoulders and tries her best to take shallow breaths. She ignores how the weight of the shotgun feels unnatural in her hand and instead she follows Sam and Dean alert for any sign of the supernatural. The deeper that they go into the house, the stronger the scent gets and Faith has to fight the urge to gag with each step that she takes. She’s not even sure what she’s trying to prove anymore. Dean knows that she’s a good hunter; still she refuses to back down.
When they finally enter the kitchen, Sam goes in first, shotgun at the ready. Dean ushers Faith into the room behind and he stands guard at the doorway. Sam thrusts a container of rock salt at her and she lowers the shotgun as she fully steps into the room. She’s not sure if she completely trusts Sam or not but now is not a good time for petty squabbles. So instead of acting on her doubts, Faith steps into the center of the room and begins to pour a circle of salt.
There’s a creaking sound that has Sam moving quickly towards what Faith assumes is a pantry, however she focuses on the circle. Dean has told her that the salt circle has to be perfect to prevent ghosts from crossing it. When she’s done, she steps inside the circle and raises her shotgun, providing cover for Dean and then Sam, who both enter the circle.
“Now what?” Dean hisses at Sam.
Faith stays quiet and alert while the brothers argue about the ghost. So far the house has been rather uneventful except for the smell. She looks up quickly when they fall silent and finds Sam weighing her with his eyes and she suddenly doesn’t like being brought on this hunt.
“No to whatever you’re thinking Sammy,” Dean says.
“What? You said she was an experienced hunter,” Sam points out.
And Faith realizes before Dean’s next sentence that Sam has effectively boxed them into a corner. They either go with whatever he’s planned or admit the truth that Faith’s not like most hunters. And right now on a hunt is not the best time to start explaining what a Slayer is. Faith cuts off Dean before he can even continue to argue.
”What’s your plan?” Faith asks.
Sam’s plan is simple and Faith can’t find fault in it. Instead of waiting for the ghost to find them, they’ll use her nose. Since she had the strongest reaction to the scent, she’ll lead them to where it’s strongest. Sam suspects that they’ll either find the ghost or the corpse. Either way, they’ll finish the hunt. Faith doesn’t allow Dean to argue, instead she steps outside of the circle and gives the brothers a look before she lifts her shotgun and walks out of the kitchen and back into the hallway.
There’s a slight squeak on the floorboards behind her that signal that they’re following her. And she leads them through the house until they reach the stairwell that leads upstairs. She turns and looks at them, Dean gives her a slight nod and Sam just waits for her to move. Faith turns back and puts one foot up on the stairwell. She’s worried that it might not hold their weight, the house is old and in disrepair but as she climbs the stairs, the smell keeps getting stronger and stronger. Halfway up, Dean has to grab her around the waist when she bends over doubled. She looks up at him and she realizes that neither of them can smell what she’s smelling, or if they can it’s nowhere near as pungent as it is for her.
She nods at Dean and straightens, once more climbing up the stairs. With each step, she finds that the scent gets worse. It’s all that she can do to hold her shotgun up and she wonders why she’s more sensitive to it. Finally she stops in front of a room and she leans against the opposite wall, the smell choking her as she points towards the closed door.
“There,” Faith gasps as she slides down the wall, unconcerned about the dirt and grime.
“Are you certain?” Sam asks.
“Y-yes,” Faith spits out.
Before Sam can push open the door a ghost jumps out at him, its claws extended and Dean shoots at it but misses. Sam ducks and Faith lifts the shotgun up with hands that are trembling and manages to shoot the round at the ghost. This time hitting it squarely in what should be it’s chest. Sam smirks at her before pushing opening the door. From what she remembers Dean telling her, they only have so long before it comes back.
“Jackpot,” Dean says.
And Faith stays out in the hallway, her shotgun resting on her knees, senses alert as the brothers take care of the corpse in the room. An unholy wailing starts up when the brothers set fire to the mattress where the corpse is. They both rush out of the room and Dean helps her to her feet as Sam stands guard. Faith follows them down the stairs, trying not to trip as the ghost’s moaning and wails shake the walls around them.
When she stumbles, it’s Sam who picks her up and carries her out of the house; Faith feels her face burning in shame. In all of her years as a Slayer, the only other time when she needed to be carried out was when Angelus had bitten her. He sets her down once they reach the Impala and the three of them watch as the old house catches on fire and burns to the ground, none of them saying a word.
“What was that all about?” Dean finally asks.
“What do you mean?” Sam asks.
“Why did Faith smell that odor?”
Sam looks at her before turning back to Dean. “Probably because she’s more sensitive to things like that. It happens.”
“What do you mean more sensitive?” Faith asks.
“Some people are more sensitive to psychic energy, I am assuming you’re one of them. Although I am surprised you’ve not had this type of reaction before on other hunts.”
“I don’t normally hunt ghosts,” Faith replies with a shrug.
Sam nods in response and dumps his shotgun into the trunk of the Impala.
“We should go,” Dean finally states.
Faith hates the omission but it’s not her call so she nods in agreement and slides into the backseat of the Impala. She’s worn out in a way that she’s not familiar with. When she’s hunted vampires, she’s always felt refreshed, not completely drained and she decides as the Impala roars to life that she’ll call Giles the first chance that she gets and she’ll ask him about what happened. Faith catches Sam staring at her and she wonders just how much he actually knows. He gives her a smug knowing look that makes her feel uncomfortable and she resolves that later when she has a moment alone with Dean she’ll ask him about Sam.
((END))
This story was nominated at the Sunnydale Memorial Fanfiction Awards during Round 22.