Chapter Five

*This story runs during the equivalent of Season 3, with some skewing of timelines and information, as it is an Alternate Universe, based on the events of the television series. Canon parts are worked in with my own.

Dan quickly realized that while he would be helping raise the baby, Honey was in charge. Elora had Wheeler as her last name, Dan on her birth certificate as his father, and she would know Dan as one of her Daddy’s. As she got older, she’d be told she had two, and the other she would be told traveled with business. Sam would visit when he could, and Honey gave him an open invitation. Dan agreed that telling Elora about Sam’s work would be okay when she was older. He was appalled that Honey agreed to allow Elora the choice to become a Hunter.

Sam was aware of Dan’s bond and protectiveness of his daughter. He both resented and appreciated Dan’s role in this, but made it clear he wouldn’t be shut out of his child’s life, despite his nomadic lifestyle.

***

Trixie stretched as Dean rejoined her in bed. Both were naked and warm from their lovemaking, and she wrapped her body around his as they relaxed. His hand played with her sandy curls, his eyes on the ceiling, where he had painted a protective symbol to encompass the room.

“You still leaving in the morning?” Trixie asked softly.

“Yeah,” his eyes were on the ceiling. “We’ve been here almost a week. It’s risky.”

Trixie laid her head against his chest, wishing she could feel those strong arms around her every night. He kissed the top of her head.

“I’ll be better about keeping in touch,” he said.

She laughed. “No, you won’t. You’ll leave it to Sam.”

“I’m not good at this chick stuff,” he grumped. She giggled.

“I know,” she ran her hand over his chest, admiring the washboard abs and smooth skin. “Dean, do you really like Hunting?”

“I love it,” he answered, honesty, turning his head to look at her. She noted how his eyes suddenly lit up. “It’s who I am. I grew up doing it. I like knowing I can contribute to making this world a better place. Sometimes it gets tiresome, and there are days I hate my dad for forcing us into this life, but it’s what I am.”

She nodded. “I thought so.”

“I can’t be in one place, with a nine to five job? Kill me now,” he chuckled. “I love what I do.”

Trixie smiled and kissed him. “I’m glad.”

“What’s on your mind?” he asked.

She shook her head. Dean never missed a trick, even if he didn’t always let on.

“Nothing,” she hugged him.

She wanted to ask more questions about Hunting, but it would raise his suspicions about her motivation. How could she tell him she was starting to consider a career change? She was in good shape physically; she was proficient with several weapons, trained in tae kwon do. She could make a good Hunter, Trixie thought. And it would certainly be more exciting than running security and background checks and following cheating spouses.

But she couldn’t do it alone. And she was pretty sure she couldn’t go on the road with Dean and Sam. Would they even be willing to train her? Honey might find the idea tempting but she had a brand new baby. Maybe Dan would join her. He liked the action. They could open a new facet to the agency, on the down low of course.

Dean’s lips found her neck and Trixie quickly lost track of all thought relating to Hunting.

***

The Winchesters left early in the morning, after a quiet goodbye. Trixie watched the Impala take off.

Honey held her baby as tears made their way down her face. She knew she loved Sam, but he had to save the world. It sounded funny, but that was what the boys did. She had given him a special credit card, told him to use it when needed, just not tell Dean about it. He had smiled and said he didn’t want it, but she said as long as he had it, and used it occasionally, she’d know they were all right. It eliminated some of the need for pool hustling, as much as Dean enjoyed it.

***

Trixie poked her head into Dan’s office.

“Got a minute?” she asked.

He looked up and flashed his heart breaking smile.

“For you, Freckles, always.”

She stuck her tongue out as she walked in and took the seat opposite him. His dark hair had been trimmed recently and his suit hugged his excellent physique. Not for the first time, Trixie wished she could have felt something other than brotherly love for her old friend. The last five months or so he had softened in his womanizing ways, spending as much time with Elora as he could. Trixie wondered if Dan didn’t have unresolved feelings for Honey.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked, reclining back in his chair.

“Well, it’s about the Agency,” she began.

He raised one eyebrow.

“I think we need a change,” she continued.

“You firing me?” he asked in amusement.

“Don’t be silly,” she chuckled. “You’re an equal partner, I can’t fire you.”

“So you wanted to?” he grinned.

“She shook her sandy curls.

“Hush a minute and listen.”

“Yes ma’am,” he drawled.

“You know I haven’t been real happy with things around here. Agency, business wise,” she said.

He nodded. He had noticed. It had started a few months after that trip to her house, and meeting the Winchester brothers. After Elora was born, it had gotten worse. She was antsy, on edge, bored.

“Get to the point, Trix,” he said gently. ‘You’ve been climbing the walls for months.”

Trixie sighed. “Dan, I’m thinking about becoming a Hunter.”

Dan went silent as he stared at her. He had a good poker face, she thought, but she already knew that.

“I see,” he said slowly. Somehow, he wasn't surprised. She had been reading an awful lot of books on demons lately, though he thought it was for ways to protect Elora.

“Hear me out before you say no,” she said, getting up and pacing. “Because of Elora and the Winchesters, we know what’s out there. We’ve all spent the last months reading up on urban legends and creatures that supposed to be myth, and how to protect ourselves. I’ve actually been building a database of everything, especially after talking with Sam. The other Bob-Whites don’t know and they tease us about our sudden interest in such things, but the bottom line is, we know they exist. Honey and I witnessed firsthand a malevolent spirit. Sam can’t be with his daughter because this demon will hunt them both. We’ve heard tales from the boys about what they’ve gone up against. But honestly, it appeals to me.”

“What makes you think you’re qualified?” he asked, calmly. The thought of Trixie and Honey chasing down demons and evil spirits terrified him. Gun smugglers, and jewel thieves were bad enough.

“Look, physically, we’re in great shape. We have plenty of martial arts training and kickboxing. We’re all good with a gun. We’ve all memorized loads of information about these things.”

“And you think that makes you qualified to hunt demons? What about the families?” he asked. “How would you explain to them that you’re dropping your lifelong dream to chase things that half of them won’t believe in? They’ll have you committed, Trixie. Dean made it very clear how dangerous the job is. Those guys put their lives on the line every time they take on a new Hunt. Not to mention they’re hunted themselves, by their own targets and the FBI. Dean is wanted for murder in two states! We might know he's innocent but the FBI won't accept the fact there are demons out there. Particularly shape shifting demons.”

“I haven’t thought about what to tell the family,” she admitted.

“Trix,” Dan leaned forward, “I was raised Catholic. We were taught all about demons and evil. And while I believe they exist, and that my daughter is a target for one, I don’t like the idea of actively and knowingly bringing them into our lives.”

“But Dan,” Trixie protested, “think about it. The boys do good work. They hardly ever get a thank you because people don’t believe, don’t see and don’t want to know about the evils really walking on the earth. Think about how much good we could do.”

“And run credit card scams to finance our ventures?” he asked sarcastically. Trixie shook her head.

“You know with Honey’s money, we could have good equipment. We don’t need to travel all over the country; we can limit it to once sector of the US. There are other Hunters out there, a whole community. We’d have resources, help if needed.”

“Help? Trixie, you haven’t heard from Dean but once or twice. I know Honey and Sam email constantly but they haven’t been back this way since Elora was born. Dean also made it clear that there are other Hunters who are Hunting Sam. With your connection to the Winchesters, I don’t think we could be very trusting of other Hunters.”

“They’ll be here next month,” she said quietly. “They’ll be here when she turns six months old, just in case.”

“If they’re even alive,” he snapped. “Trixie, there’s no telling what’s going to happen between now and then. We have so many charms and symbols and protection on that apartment that nothing should get through it, according to the guys. But what if it does? They’ve already said rock salt won’t stop this demon. What kind of weapon could we possibly use again it? Our research has turned up nothing.”

Trixie sighed. “I just don’t know Dan. But it’s not a hasty move. I’ve been thinking about this for ages.”

“Trix,” Dan reached over and took her hand. “I think you’re getting caught up in the Romanticized view of things. Dean warned you against that. It’s not a glamorous life. It’s tough, it’s thankless and it’s lonely. Let me think about this, okay? You just dropped a huge bomb on me. Have you talked to Honey about it?”

“Only in the vaguest sense,” Trixie admitted. “And with Elora, I wouldn’t want her actively Hunting. I had actually thought, well, she could handle the business end, maybe some regular PI stuff while you and I Hunt.”

Dan looked surprised. “You’re counting me in on this?”

“Of course!” Now Trixie was surprised. “Dan, we’ve been friends and partners for so long it wouldn’t feel right. I have a feeling Elora is going to be very curious about her birth daddy when she grows up, and had I been presented with the opportunity to Hunt as a child, I probably would have taken it. It would have beaten the crap out of reading Peter Rabbit to Bobby fifty million times.”

Dan chuckled. “Trix, how much does this have to do with Dean Winchester?”

“Dean?” Trixie repeated, nonchalantly. “Nothing, why? Other than him introducing us to this stuff.”

“Look,” Dan tried not to chuckle, “I know how you feel about Dean and all, but—”

“I like Dean and he’s great in the sack,” she said bluntly, making him laugh. “Other than that, I don’t feel anything.”

“Trix, when you were dating Tad awhile back, right before you two stopped, he came to me and asked me who Dean was.”

Trixie blanched, and then turned red. “He told you-”

“He didn’t have to. I asked if you had told him about Dean, and he said ‘um, not exactly.’ It doesn’t take a genius to figure out you called him Dean at a really inappropriate moment.”

Trixie’s face was flaming red. “We weren’t having sex,” she grumbled. “We just kind of making out and…I…kind of…called him Dean.”

Dan chuckled.

“Oh Dan, I couldn’t help it!” she burst out. “I was missing Dean, and thinking about him and I just…let my mind wander.”

“To Dean, while Tad was kissing you?”

“Yeah,” she said guiltily. “He just stopped cold and looked at me and said, ‘Who the hell is Dean?’ And I couldn’t really answer, so he got mad, and said ‘Well, I guess that’s the third person that’s been in this relationship from the get-go.’ He stormed out and that was the end of that,” she sighed.

Dan shook his head. “Trix, please don’t let Dean break your heart.”

“I won’t,” she said casually, but he could see the longing deep in her eyes. “He made it clear from the start he’s not a settling down kinda guy.”

“Is that why you want to do this Hunting thing?” he asked. “To make you feel closer to him?”

“No,” she said firmly. “I think the whole idea is exciting. Think of all the people we could help, Dan.”

Dan leaned back in his chair.

“Let me think about all this, okay?” he repeated. "It's a hell of a lot to dump on a guy, Trix."

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Author’s Notes
- a big “I am freakin' velvety smooth!”, to Donna and Mary, my fabulous editors!
- A repeat of some lengthy notes here but they'll fill in some gaps on the Winchester boys!
- Season 2, All Hell Breaks Loose parts 1 & 2, Sam was murdered by another ‘psychic kid’ that Azazeal was using to open a gate to Hell (built by Samuel Colt to trap demons and protected by a private railroad- iron bars that demons can’t cross.) Dean made a deal with a Crossroads Demon to bring Sam back to life, in exchange for Dean’s soul. Instead of the standard ten years though, Dean was given one year before his soul would be claimed and he’d go to Hell. Which he did.
-Season 3, episode 3, The Kids Are Alright, Dean encounters a fling from 8 years prior, and her son is a mini-Dean. Lisa insists the boy is not Dean’s but he never quite believes her. In episode 8, Dream a Little Dream, Dean’s dream is revealed to have Lisa and Ben as his family.
- Season 4, episode 3, Back to the Beginning, Dean is given a chance to go back in time, and discovers his mother was a Hunter, unbeknownst to his father. John was killed and Mary made a deal with Azazeal, the yellow eyed demon. In return for John coming back to life, Mary would give Azazeal ‘something’ ten years later, when he returned. “Something” turned out to be Sam. Mary died trying to protect Sam (pilot episode). Azazeal fled, and after Mary’s death, John began to realize there were darker things in the world. He never knew Mary was a Hunter when he met her.
- Dean was framed for murder on both occasions both times. One was a shapeshifter from Season 2, Nightshifter, the other he was found standing over a body in Season 3.
- Word Count, 2,118