Journey 05/08: Supernatural AU
Title: Live and Breathe
Author: yami_faerie
Words: ~6,000
Ratings/Warnings: Rated PG-13 (or R if you're offended by the F word), language, general spoilers for seasons 1-5
Disclaimer: Not my sandbox. I'll get my own someday, I swear.
Summary: Meet Sam and Dean Winchester through the eyes of Roxanne "Roxy" Parker as her best friend Danielle Young works with Sam to fix his mental shields after the events of Keep On Runnin'. Roxy also reflects on the friendship she has with Dani.
"Okay, if we split it three ways, then that's gonna be around two-fifty each, yeah?"
Roxanne Parker nodded as she opened the employee entrance door and she and Danielle Young stepped out into the frigid January night. "Yeah," she said. "Makes it a little easier on you and me, doesn't it?"
"It does," Danielle agreed, tugging her bright blue beanie more firmly onto her head. "Are you sure she'll be fine having me around? I know I didn't give her the best first impression."
"Taryn loves you," Roxy reassured her best friend, shoving her dark-colored hands into her pockets, "and she totally understand that you were grieving. Of course, it could help if you told her exactly why it was so horrible for you -"
"You really think Taryn's gonna believe me when I say demons did it?" Danielle asked dryly. "It took you three days to believe me."
"I know," Roxy said, "but no one believes in stuff like that these days. You're lucky I'm the best friend ever."
"I am lucky," Danielle said. Roxy grinned and pulled one hand out of her pocket, snagging Danielle's hand and pulling the other girl closer. She and Danielle were as close as sisters, maybe even closer. They had only started renting a small house in Provo two weeks before Christmas, but things were going so well with Roxy and Taryn that the girlfriend was going to be moving in at the end of the month.
Just then, Danielle's phone started ringing and she pulled it out, staring at the screen for less than a second before she answered. "Dean? Did you find Sam?"
One thing that irked Roxy slightly was that Danielle didn't tell her a lot of things anymore when she had once told her everything. For example, when had Sam gone missing?
Danielle suddenly met her eyes and mouthed 'sorry' before returning her attention to her cell phone. "A demon? How is he?"
Roxy watched Danielle's face as it became more concerned. "Completely gone? Like, he can't just rebuild them himself?" She had pressed her lips together tightly. "He said that? God…" Danielle dropped her head back with a groan, tightening her grip on Roxy's hand. "Yeah, I can help him. How long -? Well, please don't overtax yourself, Dean, it takes more than a week for a stab wound to heal… I'd expect you to know that after twenty-odd years of Hunting. Please, just take it easy for Sam's sake. You know he'd want you to take care of yourself, too. Okay, call me when you're close. Take care." She shut her cell phone and turned to Roxy.
"Well?" Roxy asked with raised eyebrows. "What's been going on?"
"A demon grabbed Sam a week ago and possessed him," Danielle said with a sigh. "Dean only just found him, but he's in bad shape."
"Bad shape how?" Roxy asked.
Danielle scowled slightly. "The demon ripped his mental shields to shreds and put him through a lot of mental pain."
"The mental shields you taught him to put up?" Roxy clarified. "Sorry, I'm still trying to keep this all straight."
"It's fine," Danielle said with a small smile, "and yeah, those shields. I'm gonna have to help him put it all back together."
"Anything I can do to help?" Roxy asked. "Are we gonna let them crash at our place?"
"You wouldn't mind if they did?" Danielle asked.
"Not a bit," Roxy said. "It took you almost a month last time to help Sam, right? I think they'd appreciate staying somewhere that doesn't charge by the night."
Danielle grinned. "I bet you they'd try to contribute to the rent, anyway."
Roxy shrugged. "I'm cool with it. It'll be hard enough to make rent this month, anyway."
Danielle laughed and the two girls headed over to her car.
It's first grade, and some mothers decide that they want to form a new Girl Scout troop. Roxy's a girly-girl, but she loves riding horses and she already knows a lot of knot-tying stuff from her older brother.
Danielle's in the room with her mom, eyeing everyone silently like she doesn't know whether or not she even likes any of them yet. Roxy can't really blame her. All the other girls are in her class with Miss Jennings, while Danielle has Mrs. Barlow down the hall. She's seen Danielle at recess, and she knows the girl likes to play and run around, has seen her playing on the see-saw with a blonde girl named Kristen while chatting animatedly to others in their class. But now, Danielle looks withdrawn and uncertain, standing close to her mother.
Roxy can't help but want to make her feel welcome. After all, she remembers being the odd one out a year ago when her family first moved to Provo. There aren't many black families in this area, so the other kids spent the first week or two staring at her with fascination before they got over it. "Hi," she says, walking up to Danielle. "I'm Roxanne."
"I'm Danielle," Danielle says, sticking her hand out. Roxy smiles and reached out to shake it.
"I've seen you at recess," she tells Danielle. "You like to play a lot."
Danielle smiles back, and Roxy can see that she's missing one of her front teeth. "You and Teresa" - she nods her head at Roxy's best friend - "like to sit under the trees."
"I hate running," Roxy says with a shrug. Danielle grins.
"You wanna know something?" Roxy nods. "So do I, but Kristen hates dancing."
"You dance?" Roxy's mom asks.
"She's amazing," says Danielle's mom. "She's started learning to play the piano this year, too, and I gotta say, she's got talent."
"I play the piano, too!" Roxy announces, and Danielle's grin gets bigger.
They aren't as close as Roxy is with Teresa, but it's the start of a long-lasting friendship that will come to mean so much more in the future.
Nearly two days later, a shiny black car pulled up in front of the house. Roxy stood in the doorway as Danielle ran out to the car, pulling the first one out of the car into a tight hug. Judging by the short hair and leather jacket, Roxy was pretty sure that that one was Dean.
"You didn't wear yourself out, right?" Danielle asked Dean as he shut the door on his side of the car.
"You know me," Dean said with a grin that only looked a little forced. In fact, Roxy could see that he'd been pretty tense when he'd stepped out of the car, but less than a minute in Danielle's presence and he was already looking more at ease. "Drove non-stop the whole way."
"The sad thing is I completely believe it," Danielle said dryly as the younger brother slowly emerged from the car. Roxy could immediately tell that he was at least as tall as Jared had been, if not taller. "Hey, Sam."
"Hey," Sam said softly as Danielle threw her arms around him, and Roxy watched as his face went from pained to relieved and calm in less than a second. Roxy could tell that Danielle hadn't been exaggerating when she'd said that Sam could draw upon her mental shields to protect his own mind. Danielle stepped back, tightly holding Sam's large hand in her much smaller one as she guided him toward the front door.
"Okay, so we've only got a bed in the spare bedroom so far, but Roxy put fresh sheets in the dryer about an hour ago, so we should have those for you soon." Danielle looked over her shoulder at Dean. "You two are capable of sharing a bed, right? Cause lemme tell you, I'd hate to sleep on our couch, it's way too small for either of you."
"What size is the bed?" Dean asked as they reached the front door. Roxy stood back to let them through.
"Queen," Danielle answered quickly. "Honestly, it's the bed Jared and I used to share, and he could just fit on it if he slept with his head about two inches away from the headboard."
"Your old bed?" Dean's face had a flash of sorrow. "Dani, you really don't have to do this, we can always find a motel -"
"I insist," Danielle cut him off. "I can't sleep on it anymore, it's too big, you know?"
Roxy watched as Dean's face settled into a sad acceptance.
"Anyway," Danielle said, her now-bright tone sounding a tad forced as she and Sam sat down on the couch, "it's a good bed, so if you can stand to share…"
"We'll be fine," Sam said, smiling at Danielle. "We've done it before."
"Not since you were a small-fry," Dean mumbled with a roll of his eyes, starting when he caught sight of Roxy. "Dani, you never said your best friend was hot." Roxy burst into laughter.
"I've already got a girlfriend," she said. "Sorry, lover boy."
Dean laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure I can find other willing ladies elsewhere."
"Come to school tomorrow," Roxy told him, "and I guarantee all the single ladies'll be all over you."
Sam snorted. "Sounds like the perfect distraction, Dean. I haven't noticed you getting any action since before Connecticut."
"You pay attention to that?" Roxy asked dubiously.
"You spend all your time with someone, you notice stuff like that," Danielle said. "Roxy's girl is over here almost every night, and I can say that they get it goin' a lot."
Roxy blushed, snatched a pillow from a nearby chair and chucked right at Danielle's face, but it stopped about two inches away. "Wha…?"
"Telekinesis," Sam spoke up.
"I told you about that, remember?" Danielle said with a grin. Roxy rolled her eyes.
"Cheater," she mumbled, and Dean chuckled. Roxy decided then and there that she liked Sam and Dean a lot, and she could see how they managed to help Danielle come out of her shell again. They were definitely good guys.
It's sixth grade. Roxy doesn't go to Girl Scouts anymore, so she and Danielle don't see each other, especially since Danielle had to start attending a new elementary school the year before. Roxy's family has never been LDS, nor have they ever shown an interest in converting. There's a new girl named Lily Hansen who's moved into town with her mother, and they're both Lutheran, while Roxy's family is Catholic. Teresa and some of their other friends start making fun of Lily for being different from them, for not being LDS during lunch about a month after she starts going to their school.
"Not everyone has to be Mormon," Roxy speaks up.
"That's right," says Teresa, "you're not a member of the Church, either." There's something different in her eyes today, something that Roxy doesn't like, and she suddenly wonders if their friendship over the last six years has meant anything to her or not.
Apparently, it doesn't.
By the end of that lunch period at school, Roxy and Lily have become outcasts. Roxy tries to talk to Lily, but she says she's not interested in having friends and becomes the recluse at their school. Roxy is deeply hurt and isn't sure she can function as a recluse.
The next week she and her mother go shopping at the new mall in Provo, and Roxy spots Danielle with her own mother. They both look happy enough, but when Roxy and Danielle's eyes meet, she knows that the other girl has been hurt in her own way. She manages to drag her mother over to Danielle, and the four of them spend the rest of the day shopping and eating.
The next day is Sunday, but Roxy gets permission to go over to Danielle's house after church. They settle down in Danielle's new room (once her mother's craft room) and chat while eating gummy bears and pistachios. Eventually, Roxy finds herself talking about school and how she's being treated for not being Mormon. It's a strange thing, to trust someone so quickly after being hurt, but she can't help but think that they've somehow been headed for this for a long time, only other friends and different schools have kept them at bay from becoming closer.
"That isn't right," Danielle says when Roxy is done talking. "Catholics claim to be the one true church just like my religion says it's the one true church fully restored to what it was before the Fall or whatever. No one should judge you for what you believe." Then she speaks about how members of her family's congregation say cruel things about her sisters because of their learning disabilities, and both girls come to the realization that there must be something wrong with everyone else around them. They promise to stay friends no matter what differences lie between them, and Roxy knows that Danielle will keep her word, no matter what.
That sunlit afternoon cements their friendship and sets the foundation for something deeper.
The first thing Roxy decided was that Sam and Dean were going to have to contribute to the groceries, because breakfast for four pretty much ran them out of eggs and bacon. When she announced this, Dean immediately offered to go grocery shopping.
"Dean, I thought we're low on cash," Sam spoke up, and Dean rolled his eyes.
"I've got two cards I haven't maxed out yet," he said.
"Wait, what?" Roxy said.
"Hey, Roxy," Danielle cut in before either brother could speak, "follow me for a moment, would you?" She pulled Roxy into the bathroom and shut the door behind them.
"What's goin' on, hon?" Roxy asked. "Is this another thing you 'neglected' to tell me?"
"For the love of… Look, I'm sorry," Danielle said, exasperated. "It was stupid of me not to tell you about Sam when he went missing, but this other thing… I forgot about it, all right?"
"Forgot that Dean is doin' what?" Roxy asked loudly. "Running credit card scams?"
Danielle snorted and gave Roxy a look. "Not so important in the grand scale of things, doncha think?" The two girls stared at each other for a long moment.
"You know what the real issue is here?" Roxy finally asked.
Danielle sighed and scrubbed at her face. "Would you like a full Q&A when you get off work tonight?"
"Yes," Roxy said firmly. "I'd really like to know everything, you know?"
"Yeah," Danielle said, "I hear ya, and I am sorry."
"I know you are," Roxy said. "Just… you used to tell me everything, you know? I don't like that things are so different now."
Danielle's eyes were wet as she nodded. "I know. I am trying, Roxy. Things have been -"
"Hard," Roxy finished for her. "I know."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Uh, ladies," came Dean's voice, "is it customary to have secret meetings in the bathroom, cause I gotta go."
Danielle and Roxy both burst into laughter at the same moment. "Sorry," Danielle managed when she opened the door. "It was closest."
Dean stared down at both girls, looking a little bewildered. "Right," he said. "You mind?"
Danielle giggled and pulled Roxy out of the way, bursting into more laughter when Dean shot her another confused look before shutting the door.
"Don't mind Dean," Sam said as they entered the kitchen again, "he's better at seducing girls into bed than he is just communicating with them."
"I heard that!" Dean shouted, voice muffled by the door. This time, Sam joined in the laughter.
"Well," Roxy managed after awhile, "if I didn't have a girlfriend, I'd say he was welcome to try seducing me anytime."
Sam grinned at that. "That's what all the girls say."
"Not me," Danielle stated, and Roxy rolled her eyes.
"You're just impossible all around," she said. "Even before Jared, she never cared much for dating."
Roxy watched as Danielle shrugged and looked away, and she instantly felt bad for bringing up Jared.
"It's fine," Danielle said softly, "and very true."
There wasn't much to be said after that.
"Dani, we need to talk."
Roxy grabs Danielle and drags her off the stage where she's currently painting a series of flats to look like the interior of a house for their latest play, which Danielle has managed to score the lead role in. It sometimes amazes Roxy that Danielle's as good of an actress as she is. Most people can't tell when she's using her talents to lie about her feelings, but Roxy can. Roxy's the only person who knows every facet of Danielle's personality.
"What's up?" Danielle asks when they're in a secluded corner of the auditorium, away from all the lights and people.
"Okay," Roxy says, trying to stay calm, "I've been wanting to talk to someone about this for awhile, but I wasn't sure how to say it and uh…" She presses her lips together. "I've got a crush on Lily."
Danielle looks across the theater at Lily Hansen, who is Provo High School's only out-of-the-closet lesbian. It took about four years for Lily to stop being a recluse and reveal the truly awesome person she is underneath the silence and stoicism, and in the months since joining tech crew, Danielle has managed to coax her out of her shell even more. It's funny how Danielle can gain the trust of everyone around her without having to give much of herself back in return. Sometimes Roxy is jealous of her abilities, but mostly she's just grateful that someone like Danielle even exists.
"How long?" Danielle asks after a long moment, and Roxy has never been more grateful for her friend than she is now. Any other LDS person in Happy Valley would be disgusted by the idea of crushing on someone of the same sex, but not Danielle, even if she is a devout member of her church, going every Sunday, praying five times a day, and even participating in her youth group activities. Still, nothing seems to phase her best friend, and it makes Roxy that much more grateful for Danielle's friendship and trust.
"About two months," Roxy answers meekly, and Danielle raises her eyebrows before frowning.
"You usually don't wait so long before saying something," she observes, leaning against the wall in that way that means she wished Roxy had talked to her sooner. "What's the problem?"
"I'm pretty sure she only sees me as a friend," Roxy sighs before groaning. "Fuck, I thought I only liked guys, Dani! What the hell am I supposed to do?"
Danielle reaches out and clasps Roxy's shoulders tightly. "Tell her," she said. "It's only going to be more awkward to be around her if you don't say anything."
"It's going to be awkward when I tell her and she doesn't feel the same way," Roxy states dryly.
Danielle sighs and runs a hand through her shoulder-length hair. "You know I've got your back no matter what happens, right?" Roxy nods. "Lily's our friend," Danielle says. "If there's anyone around who can understand what you're goin' through, it's her. Even if she only sees you as a friend, she'd still help you make sense of it all. I know it."
Funny thing is, Danielle's right. Lily doesn't reciprocate Roxy's feelings, but the experience somehow brings the three of them closer. Lily's death that summer in a car accident hurts them both deeply, but they still have each other, no matter what.
Roxy decided that Sam and Dean were very easy to like as the days passed. Dean was dedicated to his brother in a way that pretty much took Roxy's breath away. It reminded her of how Jared had been with Danielle, as well as how Danielle was with her sisters and all of their other close friends.
Sam was just a sweetheart all around, his bright smile and dimples showing more and more with each passing day as Danielle carefully helped him put himself back together. Roxy observed her level of dedication and caring, and finally had to ask a question that had been on her mind from the first day she had learned about Sam and Dean. "You love him, don't you?" she asked Danielle one day during their lunch break at school. "You love Sam."
Danielle smiled sadly. "As much as a broken-hearted woman could manage," she answered softly. It hadn't been a full year since Jared's death, so Roxy thought she understood. It was something that could never go anywhere or even get started because her best friend was broken in a way that would probably take years to fix. Still, it was more than clear that Danielle cared very much for Sam and Dean. That night, when Dean headed out to hustle up some cash (you could only rely on credit card scams so much, he had told Roxy) and Danielle was making dinner, Roxy sat down with Sam in the front room.
"I wanna thank you," she said honestly.
"What for?" Sam asked, looking confused. His mental shields were recovering fairly quickly, and she knew he must have had them up at that moment.
"For Dani," Roxy answered. "We've known each other since elementary school, but last year, I almost lost her completely. I'm thankful that you saved her."
Sam smiled and looked away. "She saved me, too."
Dean returned two hours later, insisting that Danielle and Roxy take half the money he'd 'earned' to pay for their rent. "It's the least we can do, you letting us crash here and all," he said, voice earnest and awkward. Roxy thought he really was a darling under that tough exterior of his, and she knew Sam couldn't have a better brother.
Roxy and Danielle are both working at the movie theater by the end of the summer after their first year attending Utah Valley State College, and one day, they are working the concessions stand together. Two brothers walk up to the counter, the shorter (and probably younger one) ordering food for them. Roxy is distracted by the way the taller one keeps his eyes firmly on Danielle, even though he never says a word. Roxy ends up overflowing a drink she's getting for another customer and gets Sprite all over her hands. Danielle instantly comes over with paper towels and helps her clean up, all the while chatting aimlessly to the shorter guy.
Personally, Roxy doesn't really find either brother to fit her personal tastes, but she can't help but lean in close and whisper, "The taller one keeps staring at you."
Danielle breaks off in the middle of sentence and turns to Roxy. "What?"
Roxy glances at the shorter boy and then nods at the taller one. She watches as short-stuff turns to look at his brother and frowns before tugging on his sleeve and leaning closer to say something Roxy can't make out. The embarrassed look that results on gigantor's face, however, is priceless. "The taller one," Roxy repeats, meeting Danielle's eyes. "He's eyeing you like you're the most beautiful girl he's ever seen."
Danielle splutters, cheeks going red as she wipes off the customer's drink and slaps a lid on it so hard it breaks. Roxy laughs and shoos Danielle away, replacing the lid and continuing to help her own customer. Meanwhile, she watches from the corner of her eye as Danielle sets a large bag of popcorn on the counter and moves over to her own drink tower to get two Mr. Pibb's for the brothers, the bean pole still watching her silently.
Roxy has finished with her own customer by this point and she moves closer, asking short-stuff what movie he and his brother are seeing. While he answers, Danielle finishes the drinks and slides them onto the counter. "Anything else I can get you guys?" she asks.
That's when the thin giant finally opens his mouth. "Would you like to go on a date sometime?" he blurts, face going red a moment later when his brother turns to look at him. Roxy has to work hard to keep from bursting into laughter as she looks at Danielle.
Danielle pretty much never dates, often finding something wrong with whoever she's with and breaking up before things can get too serious, or just saying she doesn't have time with her busy schedule. Roxy thinks it actually has something to do with the fact that she's always trying to find reasons to not trust someone (given the way people have treated her family, it doesn't surprise her), and of course Danielle doesn't agree. Regardless, the last five guys who have tried asking for a date have been turned down with a simple, "I'm sorry, but I'm really not into the dating scene right now."
For whatever reason, however, the way gigantor blurts the question seems to completely throw off Danielle, because a few seconds later, she says, "Sure. Yeah. I'm Danielle, by the way."
"I'm Jared," says the giant, reaching across the counter to shake her hand.
Roxy's jaw falls open, the younger brother looks surprised, and the giant looks relieved, judging by his smile. Roxy takes over the order while Danielle and Jared step aside to exchange phone numbers. The moment Jared and his brother have walked out of sight, Roxy corners Danielle.
"What the hell was that?" she asks loudly. "You never say yes, anymore!"
"I don't know," Danielle replies testily, lightly shoving Roxy away from her and stalking over to the popcorn machine to dump out the kettle. "Besides, it's not like it'll go anywhere. He's gonna be out of town for the rest of this week, anyway."
"What? Why?"
Danielle sighs. "He works on an oilrig in Wyoming, and apparently it's some week-on, week-off job. I doubt he'll call when he's back in town, anyway, so there wasn't much harm in it, was there?"
Roxy raises her eyebrows. "Of course not," she says sarcastically.
The funny thing, though, is that Jared does call the next week when he's back in town. Both Roxy and Danielle are on break at work, so Roxy's standing right next to her when the call comes. They arrange to meet the next day, and Danielle tells Jared to surprise her on what it is that they are going to do.
"I bet this date sucks," Danielle confides to Roxy as they wait in line at McDonald's in the mall's food court.
"You don't know that," Roxy says. "He could be the best guy you've ever dated on your very short list of men." Not that three makes much of a list, she thinks to herself.
It isn't until late the next night that Danielle calls her, begging her to meet up at Denny's for an impromptu girl-talk session.
"We went to Lagoon," Danielle says the moment the waiter brings them their drinks and leaves to put in their food orders. Lagoon is Utah's amusement park, like Disneyland or Six Flags, and is located north of Salt Lake City. "The people on oilrigs must make a lot of money, because he paid cash for both our tickets, and he bought all our food!"
Roxy blinks. "Okay," she says slowly, "but what's he like?"
Danielle leans back in her seat and stares out the window. "He drives like a maniac," she answers, "and he's kinda clumsy, I mean, he's only 21 -"
"Two years older," Roxy cuts in, and Danielle nods.
"He seems kind of… awkward, I guess," she continues after a moment, "but there was this moment…"
There's something in Danielle's voice that really attracts Roxy's attention. "What?" she asks. "What happened?"
"I told this lame joke," Danielle says quietly, "and I'm pretty sure he knew it already, but he smiled and -" She breaks off and turns her head back to Roxy, eyes wide. "I've never seen anything like it," she whispers. "It was so… beautiful and - Roxy, I think I like him. A lot."
Roxy struggles to hide her smile. "After one date?"
"We spent over ten hours together today," Danielle says, "and it was the most fun I've had with a guy in well… ever." She leans forward, eyes still wide. "Roxy, what the hell do I do?"
Roxy finally smiles, reaching out to take Danielle's hand in her own. "You go on another date with the guy," she says simply. "You trust him, really trust him, and you let him surprise you with how well he handles it."
Roxy isn't surprised at all when, one year later, Danielle and Jared are sealed in one of Utah's LDS temples, this one located in Salt Lake City. It's the happiest she's ever seen her best friend, so when Jared dies nearly three years later, the way Danielle closes off and barely cares for anyone in her family, Roxy included, is truly heart-breaking. Roxy doesn't know how to help Danielle, and it hurts. A lot.
It's over seven months before Danielle reaches out and talks to Roxy again. They share three classes at school, but this is the first lunch break in months that Danielle has shown up at their usual spot, looking sorrowful for the way their friendship has taken a nosedive. Roxy looks closer and finally sees the one thing that's been missing since the day she learned her best friend's husband was dead.
Grieving. Danielle's finally grieving, and Roxy can't help but feel hopeful that maybe their friendship is strong enough to outlast everything. She forgives Danielle for being a distant prick, and they begin to pick up the pieces of their lives together once more.
It took a total of ten days before Sam's mental shields were sustainable, and then it was another six after that before Danielle was satisfied that she had 'fixed' him completely. "That stupid yellow-eyed demon should be pleased with me," she had dead-panned when she'd withdrawn her hands from Sam's forehead, "fixing his 'prize horse' for him."
Dean snorted. "Yeah, well, don't expect a fruit basket for your efforts. Demons suck at thank-you's."
That night, they had a big dinner, inviting Danielle's family and Roxy's girlfriend over. Everyone was careful not to mention anything about the supernatural since Taryn was unaware, but everyone still managed to have a good time.
The next morning, the boys were ready to hit the road once more. "Know what you're gonna go after next?" Danielle asked as Dean placed the last of their things into the trunk of their car.
"Tattoos," Dean answered before Sam could say anything.
"Huh?" Roxy asked.
"Anti-possession tattoos," Sam explained. "We can't really risk losing any protective charms while on the job. Tattoos are more practical, save us a lot of trouble."
Roxy glanced down at the scarred skin on Sam's right forearm, remembering what had happened to him nearly three weeks ago. "Where are they gonna go?" she asked.
"Right here." Sam pointed to his chest, just above his heart.
"Nice," Roxy said. "You'd better send pictures."
Dean chuckled. "I guess you like seeing some man-chest, then?"
Roxy grinned. "I like seeing both of your man-chests." Both she and Danielle burst out laughing when Sam blushed.
"No flirting," Dean admonished with a grin of his own. "You're taken and Dani's still rockin' the single status."
"My girl would totally be all for lookin', too," Roxy pointed out with an even bigger grin. "Photos, seriously."
There was more laughter as hugs ensued, and then the boys were on their way once more.
It was only then that Roxy learned something about her best friend that chilled her to her very core.
They were still standing outside, watching as the old, black car rounded the corner on their street and out of sight, when a question slipped out of Danielle's lips that Roxy had never imagined she'd ever hear.
"Do you think Sam's a better person than me?"
Roxy whipped her head around to stare at Danielle. "What kind of a question is that?" she asked incredulously. "You are both very good people, Dani."
Danielle glanced over at her. "Would you kill to protect the goodness in someone else?" she asked, voice soft.
Roxy opened her mouth, but she had no idea what to say. "Where the hell did this come from?" she finally managed. "Why would you even think of such a thing? Where did you get a fucked-up idea like that?"
More importantly than that, however, why hadn't Sam picked up on this? Roxy knew that Danielle had lowered her shields plenty enough the past few days that he should have noticed something like this. Danielle's brooding was just as obvious as Sam's had been in the days she had gotten to know him and his older brother.
Danielle met her eyes and actually held them this time. Roxy saw a mixture of emotions in their depths, from fear to love and something she was scared was resignation to a situation she thought she couldn't change. "I think it was an angel," was all Danielle said before turning to go back inside. Roxy stared after her for a moment before following.
"Dani -"
"Sorry," Danielle sighed, sitting on the couch. "I don't know why I even asked that."
"Just so long as you don't turn into an axe murderer anytime soon," Roxy grumbled, sitting next to her. "You and Sam are both very good people. I can't imagine why you'd think killing to save someone else from doing the same is a good thing, because that's not you, Dani, not at all."
Danielle nodded silently. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid," Roxy said after a moment.
"Roxy -"
"Promise me," Roxy insisted as firmly as she had ever insisted on anything.
Danielle met her eyes again. "I promise," she said softly.
Roxanne somehow knew Danielle wasn't going to keep her promise, and that knowledge hurt worse than anything else the two of them had been through in their lifetime together. Neither girl slept well that night, and it was a very subdued Danielle who headed off to church the next morning. Roxy watched her go and wondered, for the first time in the many years they had known each other, if she really knew her best friend, after all.
The idea that she didn't wasn't comforting in the slightest.
Next: Gone Crazy
Author: yami_faerie
Words: ~6,000
Ratings/Warnings: Rated PG-13 (or R if you're offended by the F word), language, general spoilers for seasons 1-5
Disclaimer: Not my sandbox. I'll get my own someday, I swear.
Summary: Meet Sam and Dean Winchester through the eyes of Roxanne "Roxy" Parker as her best friend Danielle Young works with Sam to fix his mental shields after the events of Keep On Runnin'. Roxy also reflects on the friendship she has with Dani.
"Okay, if we split it three ways, then that's gonna be around two-fifty each, yeah?"
Roxanne Parker nodded as she opened the employee entrance door and she and Danielle Young stepped out into the frigid January night. "Yeah," she said. "Makes it a little easier on you and me, doesn't it?"
"It does," Danielle agreed, tugging her bright blue beanie more firmly onto her head. "Are you sure she'll be fine having me around? I know I didn't give her the best first impression."
"Taryn loves you," Roxy reassured her best friend, shoving her dark-colored hands into her pockets, "and she totally understand that you were grieving. Of course, it could help if you told her exactly why it was so horrible for you -"
"You really think Taryn's gonna believe me when I say demons did it?" Danielle asked dryly. "It took you three days to believe me."
"I know," Roxy said, "but no one believes in stuff like that these days. You're lucky I'm the best friend ever."
"I am lucky," Danielle said. Roxy grinned and pulled one hand out of her pocket, snagging Danielle's hand and pulling the other girl closer. She and Danielle were as close as sisters, maybe even closer. They had only started renting a small house in Provo two weeks before Christmas, but things were going so well with Roxy and Taryn that the girlfriend was going to be moving in at the end of the month.
Just then, Danielle's phone started ringing and she pulled it out, staring at the screen for less than a second before she answered. "Dean? Did you find Sam?"
One thing that irked Roxy slightly was that Danielle didn't tell her a lot of things anymore when she had once told her everything. For example, when had Sam gone missing?
Danielle suddenly met her eyes and mouthed 'sorry' before returning her attention to her cell phone. "A demon? How is he?"
Roxy watched Danielle's face as it became more concerned. "Completely gone? Like, he can't just rebuild them himself?" She had pressed her lips together tightly. "He said that? God…" Danielle dropped her head back with a groan, tightening her grip on Roxy's hand. "Yeah, I can help him. How long -? Well, please don't overtax yourself, Dean, it takes more than a week for a stab wound to heal… I'd expect you to know that after twenty-odd years of Hunting. Please, just take it easy for Sam's sake. You know he'd want you to take care of yourself, too. Okay, call me when you're close. Take care." She shut her cell phone and turned to Roxy.
"Well?" Roxy asked with raised eyebrows. "What's been going on?"
"A demon grabbed Sam a week ago and possessed him," Danielle said with a sigh. "Dean only just found him, but he's in bad shape."
"Bad shape how?" Roxy asked.
Danielle scowled slightly. "The demon ripped his mental shields to shreds and put him through a lot of mental pain."
"The mental shields you taught him to put up?" Roxy clarified. "Sorry, I'm still trying to keep this all straight."
"It's fine," Danielle said with a small smile, "and yeah, those shields. I'm gonna have to help him put it all back together."
"Anything I can do to help?" Roxy asked. "Are we gonna let them crash at our place?"
"You wouldn't mind if they did?" Danielle asked.
"Not a bit," Roxy said. "It took you almost a month last time to help Sam, right? I think they'd appreciate staying somewhere that doesn't charge by the night."
Danielle grinned. "I bet you they'd try to contribute to the rent, anyway."
Roxy shrugged. "I'm cool with it. It'll be hard enough to make rent this month, anyway."
Danielle laughed and the two girls headed over to her car.
It's first grade, and some mothers decide that they want to form a new Girl Scout troop. Roxy's a girly-girl, but she loves riding horses and she already knows a lot of knot-tying stuff from her older brother.
Danielle's in the room with her mom, eyeing everyone silently like she doesn't know whether or not she even likes any of them yet. Roxy can't really blame her. All the other girls are in her class with Miss Jennings, while Danielle has Mrs. Barlow down the hall. She's seen Danielle at recess, and she knows the girl likes to play and run around, has seen her playing on the see-saw with a blonde girl named Kristen while chatting animatedly to others in their class. But now, Danielle looks withdrawn and uncertain, standing close to her mother.
Roxy can't help but want to make her feel welcome. After all, she remembers being the odd one out a year ago when her family first moved to Provo. There aren't many black families in this area, so the other kids spent the first week or two staring at her with fascination before they got over it. "Hi," she says, walking up to Danielle. "I'm Roxanne."
"I'm Danielle," Danielle says, sticking her hand out. Roxy smiles and reached out to shake it.
"I've seen you at recess," she tells Danielle. "You like to play a lot."
Danielle smiles back, and Roxy can see that she's missing one of her front teeth. "You and Teresa" - she nods her head at Roxy's best friend - "like to sit under the trees."
"I hate running," Roxy says with a shrug. Danielle grins.
"You wanna know something?" Roxy nods. "So do I, but Kristen hates dancing."
"You dance?" Roxy's mom asks.
"She's amazing," says Danielle's mom. "She's started learning to play the piano this year, too, and I gotta say, she's got talent."
"I play the piano, too!" Roxy announces, and Danielle's grin gets bigger.
They aren't as close as Roxy is with Teresa, but it's the start of a long-lasting friendship that will come to mean so much more in the future.
Nearly two days later, a shiny black car pulled up in front of the house. Roxy stood in the doorway as Danielle ran out to the car, pulling the first one out of the car into a tight hug. Judging by the short hair and leather jacket, Roxy was pretty sure that that one was Dean.
"You didn't wear yourself out, right?" Danielle asked Dean as he shut the door on his side of the car.
"You know me," Dean said with a grin that only looked a little forced. In fact, Roxy could see that he'd been pretty tense when he'd stepped out of the car, but less than a minute in Danielle's presence and he was already looking more at ease. "Drove non-stop the whole way."
"The sad thing is I completely believe it," Danielle said dryly as the younger brother slowly emerged from the car. Roxy could immediately tell that he was at least as tall as Jared had been, if not taller. "Hey, Sam."
"Hey," Sam said softly as Danielle threw her arms around him, and Roxy watched as his face went from pained to relieved and calm in less than a second. Roxy could tell that Danielle hadn't been exaggerating when she'd said that Sam could draw upon her mental shields to protect his own mind. Danielle stepped back, tightly holding Sam's large hand in her much smaller one as she guided him toward the front door.
"Okay, so we've only got a bed in the spare bedroom so far, but Roxy put fresh sheets in the dryer about an hour ago, so we should have those for you soon." Danielle looked over her shoulder at Dean. "You two are capable of sharing a bed, right? Cause lemme tell you, I'd hate to sleep on our couch, it's way too small for either of you."
"What size is the bed?" Dean asked as they reached the front door. Roxy stood back to let them through.
"Queen," Danielle answered quickly. "Honestly, it's the bed Jared and I used to share, and he could just fit on it if he slept with his head about two inches away from the headboard."
"Your old bed?" Dean's face had a flash of sorrow. "Dani, you really don't have to do this, we can always find a motel -"
"I insist," Danielle cut him off. "I can't sleep on it anymore, it's too big, you know?"
Roxy watched as Dean's face settled into a sad acceptance.
"Anyway," Danielle said, her now-bright tone sounding a tad forced as she and Sam sat down on the couch, "it's a good bed, so if you can stand to share…"
"We'll be fine," Sam said, smiling at Danielle. "We've done it before."
"Not since you were a small-fry," Dean mumbled with a roll of his eyes, starting when he caught sight of Roxy. "Dani, you never said your best friend was hot." Roxy burst into laughter.
"I've already got a girlfriend," she said. "Sorry, lover boy."
Dean laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure I can find other willing ladies elsewhere."
"Come to school tomorrow," Roxy told him, "and I guarantee all the single ladies'll be all over you."
Sam snorted. "Sounds like the perfect distraction, Dean. I haven't noticed you getting any action since before Connecticut."
"You pay attention to that?" Roxy asked dubiously.
"You spend all your time with someone, you notice stuff like that," Danielle said. "Roxy's girl is over here almost every night, and I can say that they get it goin' a lot."
Roxy blushed, snatched a pillow from a nearby chair and chucked right at Danielle's face, but it stopped about two inches away. "Wha…?"
"Telekinesis," Sam spoke up.
"I told you about that, remember?" Danielle said with a grin. Roxy rolled her eyes.
"Cheater," she mumbled, and Dean chuckled. Roxy decided then and there that she liked Sam and Dean a lot, and she could see how they managed to help Danielle come out of her shell again. They were definitely good guys.
It's sixth grade. Roxy doesn't go to Girl Scouts anymore, so she and Danielle don't see each other, especially since Danielle had to start attending a new elementary school the year before. Roxy's family has never been LDS, nor have they ever shown an interest in converting. There's a new girl named Lily Hansen who's moved into town with her mother, and they're both Lutheran, while Roxy's family is Catholic. Teresa and some of their other friends start making fun of Lily for being different from them, for not being LDS during lunch about a month after she starts going to their school.
"Not everyone has to be Mormon," Roxy speaks up.
"That's right," says Teresa, "you're not a member of the Church, either." There's something different in her eyes today, something that Roxy doesn't like, and she suddenly wonders if their friendship over the last six years has meant anything to her or not.
Apparently, it doesn't.
By the end of that lunch period at school, Roxy and Lily have become outcasts. Roxy tries to talk to Lily, but she says she's not interested in having friends and becomes the recluse at their school. Roxy is deeply hurt and isn't sure she can function as a recluse.
The next week she and her mother go shopping at the new mall in Provo, and Roxy spots Danielle with her own mother. They both look happy enough, but when Roxy and Danielle's eyes meet, she knows that the other girl has been hurt in her own way. She manages to drag her mother over to Danielle, and the four of them spend the rest of the day shopping and eating.
The next day is Sunday, but Roxy gets permission to go over to Danielle's house after church. They settle down in Danielle's new room (once her mother's craft room) and chat while eating gummy bears and pistachios. Eventually, Roxy finds herself talking about school and how she's being treated for not being Mormon. It's a strange thing, to trust someone so quickly after being hurt, but she can't help but think that they've somehow been headed for this for a long time, only other friends and different schools have kept them at bay from becoming closer.
"That isn't right," Danielle says when Roxy is done talking. "Catholics claim to be the one true church just like my religion says it's the one true church fully restored to what it was before the Fall or whatever. No one should judge you for what you believe." Then she speaks about how members of her family's congregation say cruel things about her sisters because of their learning disabilities, and both girls come to the realization that there must be something wrong with everyone else around them. They promise to stay friends no matter what differences lie between them, and Roxy knows that Danielle will keep her word, no matter what.
That sunlit afternoon cements their friendship and sets the foundation for something deeper.
The first thing Roxy decided was that Sam and Dean were going to have to contribute to the groceries, because breakfast for four pretty much ran them out of eggs and bacon. When she announced this, Dean immediately offered to go grocery shopping.
"Dean, I thought we're low on cash," Sam spoke up, and Dean rolled his eyes.
"I've got two cards I haven't maxed out yet," he said.
"Wait, what?" Roxy said.
"Hey, Roxy," Danielle cut in before either brother could speak, "follow me for a moment, would you?" She pulled Roxy into the bathroom and shut the door behind them.
"What's goin' on, hon?" Roxy asked. "Is this another thing you 'neglected' to tell me?"
"For the love of… Look, I'm sorry," Danielle said, exasperated. "It was stupid of me not to tell you about Sam when he went missing, but this other thing… I forgot about it, all right?"
"Forgot that Dean is doin' what?" Roxy asked loudly. "Running credit card scams?"
Danielle snorted and gave Roxy a look. "Not so important in the grand scale of things, doncha think?" The two girls stared at each other for a long moment.
"You know what the real issue is here?" Roxy finally asked.
Danielle sighed and scrubbed at her face. "Would you like a full Q&A when you get off work tonight?"
"Yes," Roxy said firmly. "I'd really like to know everything, you know?"
"Yeah," Danielle said, "I hear ya, and I am sorry."
"I know you are," Roxy said. "Just… you used to tell me everything, you know? I don't like that things are so different now."
Danielle's eyes were wet as she nodded. "I know. I am trying, Roxy. Things have been -"
"Hard," Roxy finished for her. "I know."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Uh, ladies," came Dean's voice, "is it customary to have secret meetings in the bathroom, cause I gotta go."
Danielle and Roxy both burst into laughter at the same moment. "Sorry," Danielle managed when she opened the door. "It was closest."
Dean stared down at both girls, looking a little bewildered. "Right," he said. "You mind?"
Danielle giggled and pulled Roxy out of the way, bursting into more laughter when Dean shot her another confused look before shutting the door.
"Don't mind Dean," Sam said as they entered the kitchen again, "he's better at seducing girls into bed than he is just communicating with them."
"I heard that!" Dean shouted, voice muffled by the door. This time, Sam joined in the laughter.
"Well," Roxy managed after awhile, "if I didn't have a girlfriend, I'd say he was welcome to try seducing me anytime."
Sam grinned at that. "That's what all the girls say."
"Not me," Danielle stated, and Roxy rolled her eyes.
"You're just impossible all around," she said. "Even before Jared, she never cared much for dating."
Roxy watched as Danielle shrugged and looked away, and she instantly felt bad for bringing up Jared.
"It's fine," Danielle said softly, "and very true."
There wasn't much to be said after that.
"Dani, we need to talk."
Roxy grabs Danielle and drags her off the stage where she's currently painting a series of flats to look like the interior of a house for their latest play, which Danielle has managed to score the lead role in. It sometimes amazes Roxy that Danielle's as good of an actress as she is. Most people can't tell when she's using her talents to lie about her feelings, but Roxy can. Roxy's the only person who knows every facet of Danielle's personality.
"What's up?" Danielle asks when they're in a secluded corner of the auditorium, away from all the lights and people.
"Okay," Roxy says, trying to stay calm, "I've been wanting to talk to someone about this for awhile, but I wasn't sure how to say it and uh…" She presses her lips together. "I've got a crush on Lily."
Danielle looks across the theater at Lily Hansen, who is Provo High School's only out-of-the-closet lesbian. It took about four years for Lily to stop being a recluse and reveal the truly awesome person she is underneath the silence and stoicism, and in the months since joining tech crew, Danielle has managed to coax her out of her shell even more. It's funny how Danielle can gain the trust of everyone around her without having to give much of herself back in return. Sometimes Roxy is jealous of her abilities, but mostly she's just grateful that someone like Danielle even exists.
"How long?" Danielle asks after a long moment, and Roxy has never been more grateful for her friend than she is now. Any other LDS person in Happy Valley would be disgusted by the idea of crushing on someone of the same sex, but not Danielle, even if she is a devout member of her church, going every Sunday, praying five times a day, and even participating in her youth group activities. Still, nothing seems to phase her best friend, and it makes Roxy that much more grateful for Danielle's friendship and trust.
"About two months," Roxy answers meekly, and Danielle raises her eyebrows before frowning.
"You usually don't wait so long before saying something," she observes, leaning against the wall in that way that means she wished Roxy had talked to her sooner. "What's the problem?"
"I'm pretty sure she only sees me as a friend," Roxy sighs before groaning. "Fuck, I thought I only liked guys, Dani! What the hell am I supposed to do?"
Danielle reaches out and clasps Roxy's shoulders tightly. "Tell her," she said. "It's only going to be more awkward to be around her if you don't say anything."
"It's going to be awkward when I tell her and she doesn't feel the same way," Roxy states dryly.
Danielle sighs and runs a hand through her shoulder-length hair. "You know I've got your back no matter what happens, right?" Roxy nods. "Lily's our friend," Danielle says. "If there's anyone around who can understand what you're goin' through, it's her. Even if she only sees you as a friend, she'd still help you make sense of it all. I know it."
Funny thing is, Danielle's right. Lily doesn't reciprocate Roxy's feelings, but the experience somehow brings the three of them closer. Lily's death that summer in a car accident hurts them both deeply, but they still have each other, no matter what.
Roxy decided that Sam and Dean were very easy to like as the days passed. Dean was dedicated to his brother in a way that pretty much took Roxy's breath away. It reminded her of how Jared had been with Danielle, as well as how Danielle was with her sisters and all of their other close friends.
Sam was just a sweetheart all around, his bright smile and dimples showing more and more with each passing day as Danielle carefully helped him put himself back together. Roxy observed her level of dedication and caring, and finally had to ask a question that had been on her mind from the first day she had learned about Sam and Dean. "You love him, don't you?" she asked Danielle one day during their lunch break at school. "You love Sam."
Danielle smiled sadly. "As much as a broken-hearted woman could manage," she answered softly. It hadn't been a full year since Jared's death, so Roxy thought she understood. It was something that could never go anywhere or even get started because her best friend was broken in a way that would probably take years to fix. Still, it was more than clear that Danielle cared very much for Sam and Dean. That night, when Dean headed out to hustle up some cash (you could only rely on credit card scams so much, he had told Roxy) and Danielle was making dinner, Roxy sat down with Sam in the front room.
"I wanna thank you," she said honestly.
"What for?" Sam asked, looking confused. His mental shields were recovering fairly quickly, and she knew he must have had them up at that moment.
"For Dani," Roxy answered. "We've known each other since elementary school, but last year, I almost lost her completely. I'm thankful that you saved her."
Sam smiled and looked away. "She saved me, too."
Dean returned two hours later, insisting that Danielle and Roxy take half the money he'd 'earned' to pay for their rent. "It's the least we can do, you letting us crash here and all," he said, voice earnest and awkward. Roxy thought he really was a darling under that tough exterior of his, and she knew Sam couldn't have a better brother.
Roxy and Danielle are both working at the movie theater by the end of the summer after their first year attending Utah Valley State College, and one day, they are working the concessions stand together. Two brothers walk up to the counter, the shorter (and probably younger one) ordering food for them. Roxy is distracted by the way the taller one keeps his eyes firmly on Danielle, even though he never says a word. Roxy ends up overflowing a drink she's getting for another customer and gets Sprite all over her hands. Danielle instantly comes over with paper towels and helps her clean up, all the while chatting aimlessly to the shorter guy.
Personally, Roxy doesn't really find either brother to fit her personal tastes, but she can't help but lean in close and whisper, "The taller one keeps staring at you."
Danielle breaks off in the middle of sentence and turns to Roxy. "What?"
Roxy glances at the shorter boy and then nods at the taller one. She watches as short-stuff turns to look at his brother and frowns before tugging on his sleeve and leaning closer to say something Roxy can't make out. The embarrassed look that results on gigantor's face, however, is priceless. "The taller one," Roxy repeats, meeting Danielle's eyes. "He's eyeing you like you're the most beautiful girl he's ever seen."
Danielle splutters, cheeks going red as she wipes off the customer's drink and slaps a lid on it so hard it breaks. Roxy laughs and shoos Danielle away, replacing the lid and continuing to help her own customer. Meanwhile, she watches from the corner of her eye as Danielle sets a large bag of popcorn on the counter and moves over to her own drink tower to get two Mr. Pibb's for the brothers, the bean pole still watching her silently.
Roxy has finished with her own customer by this point and she moves closer, asking short-stuff what movie he and his brother are seeing. While he answers, Danielle finishes the drinks and slides them onto the counter. "Anything else I can get you guys?" she asks.
That's when the thin giant finally opens his mouth. "Would you like to go on a date sometime?" he blurts, face going red a moment later when his brother turns to look at him. Roxy has to work hard to keep from bursting into laughter as she looks at Danielle.
Danielle pretty much never dates, often finding something wrong with whoever she's with and breaking up before things can get too serious, or just saying she doesn't have time with her busy schedule. Roxy thinks it actually has something to do with the fact that she's always trying to find reasons to not trust someone (given the way people have treated her family, it doesn't surprise her), and of course Danielle doesn't agree. Regardless, the last five guys who have tried asking for a date have been turned down with a simple, "I'm sorry, but I'm really not into the dating scene right now."
For whatever reason, however, the way gigantor blurts the question seems to completely throw off Danielle, because a few seconds later, she says, "Sure. Yeah. I'm Danielle, by the way."
"I'm Jared," says the giant, reaching across the counter to shake her hand.
Roxy's jaw falls open, the younger brother looks surprised, and the giant looks relieved, judging by his smile. Roxy takes over the order while Danielle and Jared step aside to exchange phone numbers. The moment Jared and his brother have walked out of sight, Roxy corners Danielle.
"What the hell was that?" she asks loudly. "You never say yes, anymore!"
"I don't know," Danielle replies testily, lightly shoving Roxy away from her and stalking over to the popcorn machine to dump out the kettle. "Besides, it's not like it'll go anywhere. He's gonna be out of town for the rest of this week, anyway."
"What? Why?"
Danielle sighs. "He works on an oilrig in Wyoming, and apparently it's some week-on, week-off job. I doubt he'll call when he's back in town, anyway, so there wasn't much harm in it, was there?"
Roxy raises her eyebrows. "Of course not," she says sarcastically.
The funny thing, though, is that Jared does call the next week when he's back in town. Both Roxy and Danielle are on break at work, so Roxy's standing right next to her when the call comes. They arrange to meet the next day, and Danielle tells Jared to surprise her on what it is that they are going to do.
"I bet this date sucks," Danielle confides to Roxy as they wait in line at McDonald's in the mall's food court.
"You don't know that," Roxy says. "He could be the best guy you've ever dated on your very short list of men." Not that three makes much of a list, she thinks to herself.
It isn't until late the next night that Danielle calls her, begging her to meet up at Denny's for an impromptu girl-talk session.
"We went to Lagoon," Danielle says the moment the waiter brings them their drinks and leaves to put in their food orders. Lagoon is Utah's amusement park, like Disneyland or Six Flags, and is located north of Salt Lake City. "The people on oilrigs must make a lot of money, because he paid cash for both our tickets, and he bought all our food!"
Roxy blinks. "Okay," she says slowly, "but what's he like?"
Danielle leans back in her seat and stares out the window. "He drives like a maniac," she answers, "and he's kinda clumsy, I mean, he's only 21 -"
"Two years older," Roxy cuts in, and Danielle nods.
"He seems kind of… awkward, I guess," she continues after a moment, "but there was this moment…"
There's something in Danielle's voice that really attracts Roxy's attention. "What?" she asks. "What happened?"
"I told this lame joke," Danielle says quietly, "and I'm pretty sure he knew it already, but he smiled and -" She breaks off and turns her head back to Roxy, eyes wide. "I've never seen anything like it," she whispers. "It was so… beautiful and - Roxy, I think I like him. A lot."
Roxy struggles to hide her smile. "After one date?"
"We spent over ten hours together today," Danielle says, "and it was the most fun I've had with a guy in well… ever." She leans forward, eyes still wide. "Roxy, what the hell do I do?"
Roxy finally smiles, reaching out to take Danielle's hand in her own. "You go on another date with the guy," she says simply. "You trust him, really trust him, and you let him surprise you with how well he handles it."
Roxy isn't surprised at all when, one year later, Danielle and Jared are sealed in one of Utah's LDS temples, this one located in Salt Lake City. It's the happiest she's ever seen her best friend, so when Jared dies nearly three years later, the way Danielle closes off and barely cares for anyone in her family, Roxy included, is truly heart-breaking. Roxy doesn't know how to help Danielle, and it hurts. A lot.
It's over seven months before Danielle reaches out and talks to Roxy again. They share three classes at school, but this is the first lunch break in months that Danielle has shown up at their usual spot, looking sorrowful for the way their friendship has taken a nosedive. Roxy looks closer and finally sees the one thing that's been missing since the day she learned her best friend's husband was dead.
Grieving. Danielle's finally grieving, and Roxy can't help but feel hopeful that maybe their friendship is strong enough to outlast everything. She forgives Danielle for being a distant prick, and they begin to pick up the pieces of their lives together once more.
It took a total of ten days before Sam's mental shields were sustainable, and then it was another six after that before Danielle was satisfied that she had 'fixed' him completely. "That stupid yellow-eyed demon should be pleased with me," she had dead-panned when she'd withdrawn her hands from Sam's forehead, "fixing his 'prize horse' for him."
Dean snorted. "Yeah, well, don't expect a fruit basket for your efforts. Demons suck at thank-you's."
That night, they had a big dinner, inviting Danielle's family and Roxy's girlfriend over. Everyone was careful not to mention anything about the supernatural since Taryn was unaware, but everyone still managed to have a good time.
The next morning, the boys were ready to hit the road once more. "Know what you're gonna go after next?" Danielle asked as Dean placed the last of their things into the trunk of their car.
"Tattoos," Dean answered before Sam could say anything.
"Huh?" Roxy asked.
"Anti-possession tattoos," Sam explained. "We can't really risk losing any protective charms while on the job. Tattoos are more practical, save us a lot of trouble."
Roxy glanced down at the scarred skin on Sam's right forearm, remembering what had happened to him nearly three weeks ago. "Where are they gonna go?" she asked.
"Right here." Sam pointed to his chest, just above his heart.
"Nice," Roxy said. "You'd better send pictures."
Dean chuckled. "I guess you like seeing some man-chest, then?"
Roxy grinned. "I like seeing both of your man-chests." Both she and Danielle burst out laughing when Sam blushed.
"No flirting," Dean admonished with a grin of his own. "You're taken and Dani's still rockin' the single status."
"My girl would totally be all for lookin', too," Roxy pointed out with an even bigger grin. "Photos, seriously."
There was more laughter as hugs ensued, and then the boys were on their way once more.
It was only then that Roxy learned something about her best friend that chilled her to her very core.
They were still standing outside, watching as the old, black car rounded the corner on their street and out of sight, when a question slipped out of Danielle's lips that Roxy had never imagined she'd ever hear.
"Do you think Sam's a better person than me?"
Roxy whipped her head around to stare at Danielle. "What kind of a question is that?" she asked incredulously. "You are both very good people, Dani."
Danielle glanced over at her. "Would you kill to protect the goodness in someone else?" she asked, voice soft.
Roxy opened her mouth, but she had no idea what to say. "Where the hell did this come from?" she finally managed. "Why would you even think of such a thing? Where did you get a fucked-up idea like that?"
More importantly than that, however, why hadn't Sam picked up on this? Roxy knew that Danielle had lowered her shields plenty enough the past few days that he should have noticed something like this. Danielle's brooding was just as obvious as Sam's had been in the days she had gotten to know him and his older brother.
Danielle met her eyes and actually held them this time. Roxy saw a mixture of emotions in their depths, from fear to love and something she was scared was resignation to a situation she thought she couldn't change. "I think it was an angel," was all Danielle said before turning to go back inside. Roxy stared after her for a moment before following.
"Dani -"
"Sorry," Danielle sighed, sitting on the couch. "I don't know why I even asked that."
"Just so long as you don't turn into an axe murderer anytime soon," Roxy grumbled, sitting next to her. "You and Sam are both very good people. I can't imagine why you'd think killing to save someone else from doing the same is a good thing, because that's not you, Dani, not at all."
Danielle nodded silently. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid," Roxy said after a moment.
"Roxy -"
"Promise me," Roxy insisted as firmly as she had ever insisted on anything.
Danielle met her eyes again. "I promise," she said softly.
Roxanne somehow knew Danielle wasn't going to keep her promise, and that knowledge hurt worse than anything else the two of them had been through in their lifetime together. Neither girl slept well that night, and it was a very subdued Danielle who headed off to church the next morning. Roxy watched her go and wondered, for the first time in the many years they had known each other, if she really knew her best friend, after all.
The idea that she didn't wasn't comforting in the slightest.
Next: Gone Crazy