Demons, Demigods and Hunters: Return from Hell

Chapter 21

Anna

She's glad Dean avoided New York City. It's too close to Camp for comfort. Too close to Olympus.

The closer to Massachusetts she got, the looser the tension in her chest got. The clearer the world became. By the time Dean and Sam left the big white house and she was clean, Anna nearly felt herself again. Earth or Tartarus, she isn't too sure which she's at, but either way she's clearer than she's been in a long time. She was dressed in clean clothes again, fresh jeans and a t-shirt. She had no idea where the boys seemed to find their endless supply of clothes, especially ones in her size, but she's grateful. 

New clothes, not covered in blood or dirt or dust or grime, along with her clean hair makes her feel almost human again.

Her damp hair stuck to the back of her neck as she slid out of the car behind the boys, and the wind gusted around her. The cold seeped into her and Anna shivered. Dean draped his coat around her shoulders, tugging the front closer together so it was securely wrapped around her. He sighed, gripping her shoulders as he held onto her for a second longer than he needed too. The bell above the door rang cheerily as Sam held it open for them, and she let Dean gently tug her inside. The smell of fried oils and cooking meat washed over her in a wave of painful familiarity. Her stomach instantly clenched at the hopes of food besides the burning water of the Acheron, or cardboard breakfast sandwiches. 

She managed a small smile as Dean sat her down in the booth across from Sam. She folded her hands neatly on the table in front of her. Sam pulled out the laptop and Anna fought the urge to recoil from the machine. She wanted french fries, and she wasn't going to spook the boys because technology makes her nervous. She's not the one using the computer, it shouldn't attract any monsters to her location. 

Or so Anna hoped.

"Sammy what do you want?" Dean asked, standing up again. Anna examined her hands closely. Everything had been scrubbed clean, even her nails. Nothing of the hellhound's blood remained. It's as if the attack never happened. At least if she ignored the bandage on her right arm where the hellhound had gotten in a good blow. But that would heal quickly enough as it is. It hadn't even needed stitches. And if she could get herself to one of her safe houses, she would have access to nectar and ambrosia. 

But to get there, she'd need the boys to believe she's lucid again. To trust her. And if this was just a hallucination? Then nothing she did would matter anyways. She looked up at Dean.

"Can I have fries?" He blinked at her, eyes wide.

"Uh, yeah Anna. Sure. One order of fries coming right up." He assured her, stumbling over his words. She smiled at him and pulled his coat closer around her. She liked the familiar feeling of the soft buttery leather. Anna missed her own jacket. But that had been destroyed a long time ago, back when Dean had still been in Hell and she'd been trying to break them out. 

Poltergeist. That's what the boys had talked about in the car. She can do that. Ghosts are easy.

Salt. Bones. Flame.

The boys hardly trust her anymore, but they aren't going to kill her. Not yet. And they won't as long as they never find out that she's a demigod. Mortal hunters, even the Winchester boys, don't see enough grey to allow anything non-human to live.

She needs to get to a safe house. She might be crazy, but her safe houses could protect her and Anna can recover. Once she recovers, after she rebuilds her defenses, gets her story straight then she can be with the boys again. Her boys. Dean and Sam. Her friends. 

"Uh, I'll get the HealthQuake Salad Shake. Thanks Dean." Sam muttered as he stated tapping away on the computer. Dean rolled his eyes, muttering about rabbit food as he went up to the counter to order. Anna picked at her fingernails, staring at the table.