Chapter 16: Danger

"Any idea of what this danger might be, Cas?" Dean asks, sitting down on the couch next to me with his beer.

Sam stands off to the side, leaning up against the wall while sipping his beer, one hand in his pocket. We got here later than expected and Bobby had been heading to bed when we arrived.

"No," Castiel says, "but I do not think that it is a big threat. Though, Emma here would explain why I kept getting her name through the signals."

I look down. "How much you want to be that it's Chester?"

Dean puts an arm around me. "If it is, I'll kick his ass if he comes anywhere near you again."

I put my face in my hands. "This is exactly what Mom was trying to protect me from," I say through my fingers.

No one says anything for a while. "Emma?" I look up and see that it was just Dean and me in the room now. "You know that I'm never going let anyone hurt you, right?"

I laugh. "I feel like that's impossible in what we are dealing with, Dean."

Dean grimaces. "Okay. You know what I mean. You are going to get hurt. A lot. You're going to want to quit, but just remember one thing: you are a Winchester. You hunt things. Save people. It's the family business. And you are going to be damn good at it," he says and I let out a big sigh.

"I know, Dean. But... What if this life just isn't for me?" I ask.

Dean shrugs, putting his arms on his knees and leaning forward. "Then that's your choice. I will never force you to stay in this life, Emma. I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable," he says, a distant look in his eyes. "I'm your father. Not someone you need to be constantly obeying. I'm not going to bark orders out to you and expect you to follow them like Dad did to Sammy and me."

I lean my head against his shoulder. "Even if I decide to stop hunting, I'm never going to stop being hunted."

Dean nods. "This is true. But I will do everything in my power to keep that sick bastard from hurting you. At least, as best as I can. Because you are going to hurt. It's in part of the job. Hunting isn't safe, which is why I completely understand if you want to walk out that door right now."

I sit up and shake my head. "No, Dean. I can't stop now. I know that this isn't the life that Mom wanted for me, but it's the life I was always destined to have. I'm a Winchester, just like you said. As much as I don't like it, I'm a hunter now."

"You sure?" He asks. "Because once you're in, and I mean like, really in, there's really no way of getting back."

I nod. "Yes, Dean. I'm sure."

He gives me a hug and I close my eyes. "I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe," I hear my dad whisper. "I promise."

I squeeze him and he squeezes me back. "I know."

"You should go get some rest," he says and we both stand up.

"You too. Goodnight, Dean," I say.

He smiles and walks out of the room. I walk up the stairs and into my room, shutting the door behind me. I lay down in my bed and it doesn't take me long to fall asleep.

***

I open my eyes to lightening illuminating my room. I look at the clock: 1:06 am. I sit up and yawn and walk out of my room, my mind on getting a glass of water.

When I walk out of my room, though, I am no longer in Bobby's. Instead, I stand outside in pouring rain, thunder making the ground shake. I hear a scream off in the distance and I start running towards it.

The scream gets louder the closer I get and I freeze when I find the source. "Mom!" I call out to the woman hanging out of the blue car. I race to her but am stopped by a crushing weight.

"Get off me!" I scream. I shove the body off of me and come eye to eye with Michael.

"Emma!" he yells, but I cut him off.

"No!" I say. "No! I need to go help my mother! I will not let you stop me this time! Just let me go!" He tries to grab me, but I've gotten stronger these last couple weeks and am able to shove him away from me. I run to the car where my mom sits in the front seat.

Blood runs down her face and she looks like she's barely conscious. I hear sirens in the distance, but they never seem to be getting any closer. "I got you, Mom!" I say and begin helping her out of the car.

"Hello, beautiful," a voice says behind me. I freeze and turn to see Chester standing there, an evil grin on his face. "So nice to see you again."

"You," I say and shove him away with my hands. "You stay away."

He laughs. "Oh, honey. You're so fiesty. I like that." He licks his lips and I feel a wave of nausea make it's way up my throat, but I push it down.

"Go away, you sick bastard."

He smirks. "Okay. But know this, I'll be back. And next time, it won't be in a dream state." And with that, he's gone. I turn back to my mom and begin pulling her out.

"Emma!" I hear behind me. I had just gotten my mothers seat belt undone when I feel myself being pulled away from the car.

I turn my head to see Michael pulling me away. "Let me go! I hate you, I hate you! Just let me go!" But before I can fight my way out of his arms, the car explodes, the heat of it hitting my face and I scream.

***

I sit up in my bed, still screaming my mom's name. A cold sweat runs its way down my entire body and I'm shaking really hard. Tears run down my face and I find it difficult to breathe. I jump when the door flies open. Dean rushes in, flipping on the light switch.

"Are you okay?" He asks, examining my person.

I swallow hard and nod. "Y-yeah. Just a nightmare."

He nods and pulls me to him, hugging me. I hold onto him, my entire body shaking from both fear and crying. We stay like that for bit until I am done crying. We pull away from each other and he looks at me. "You going to be okay?"

I swallow again and nod, the image of my mother burned into my mind. "I think so."

"Was Chester in it again?"

I nod. "Yeah. I told him to go away... And he left, but said the next time we see each other it will be in person."

Dean nods. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to come get me, okay?"

I nod back and lay back down. Dean leaves again, turning off the light and closing the door. It takes me awhile to fall back asleep, but I must have at some point because when I open my eyes, light shines through the window and I sit up.

I open my door and nearly trip over Dean who is sleeping outside my door. I look down at him and smile. After grabbing him a blanket and putting it on him, I carefully step around him and make my way downstairs.

It was still early, so no one was awake yet. Well, except Cas, but I figure that's because he doesn't sleep.

"Good morning," he says and I smile, making my way to the coffee pot.

"How are you?" I ask.

"I am well. I heard you scream last night. What happened?"

I shrug. "Just a bad dream."

He nods and I sip on my coffee. Not much later, Dean makes his way downstairs. "Morning," he says, stretching his arms behind his head.

"I have some information, Dean," Castiel says.

"Yeah?" Dean asks, perking up a bit. He looks behind him and then at me. "Let's wait for the others to wake up. I'm sure they're going to want to hear this, too."

I sit down and shrink back in my chair, my heart racing. Whatever it was, I have a feeling it might have to do with my dream from last night.

"You alright?" Dean asks and I nod.

"Oh, yes, Just peachy," I say and he gives me a sad look. He walks over to me and ruffles my hair.

"I'll go wake Sam. We can tell Bobby later, but I don't think we should wait for this," Dean says. "Cas, this better be something useful."

Castiel nods. "I think it will be of much use, Dean. It has to do with that vampire you were telling me about."

I sigh and focus on my coffee. It was going to be a long morning.