Cherry Pie

The Prodigal Sam

[Sam]

Wiping the blood from the corners of my mouth, I wadded up the toilet paper and threw it into the small wastebasket next to the toilet. As I leaned forward, my fingers gripped the enamel edges of the sink tightly. Instead of looking up, my eyes followed the now slightly pink water as it swiveled into a mini tornado and disappeared down the drain. I hadn't been able to look at myself in the mirror for quite some time. Drying my hands on the back of my jeans, I left the bathroom and went to grab my t-shirt that was hanging off the back of the kitchenette chair. 

Ruby sat up in bed and looked over at me. She noticed my gaze lingering on the marks on her wrists and casually pulled down both sleeves to cover them up. "You've been in there for a while."

"I just felt a bit sick...that's all."

She smiled and got up. "That's normal. You'll get used to the blood soon enough."

Hearing her say that in such a casual way nearly made me wince. I forced myself to smile back as she wrapped her arms around my torso and started to leave a trail of kisses across my chest. "Yeah," I said. "I know."

"Just remember why we're doing this," she reminded me again.

Right — I wasn't doing this for myself. I was doing it because it was our best chance. All I had to do was focus on that while I was doing what I was, and then I could fool myself into thinking that it was all right. Exhaling loudly, I squashed down the rising guilt. It hadn't left since I accidentally shot Rayne's mom, but I'd gotten pretty good at ignoring it. I located the Darkness within me and began to draw on it. In response, black veins started to slither down my arm towards my hand. It had gotten easier to use. It no longer felt like it was controlling me. I now felt like I had a better grasp of it — just like Ruby promised. Straightening my fingers, I relaxed, and watched as the blank ink retreated back into my veins.

"What are you thinking?" Ruby asked me as she closely watched my face.

After quickly schooling my features, I flashed her a grin. "I'm thinking that I'm starving. I'm gonna go pick up some food. Want anything?"

Her brow furrowed in mild confusion but then she let me go and went back to sit on the bed. "Whatever you're having is fine."

Pulling on my shirt, I grabbed the wallet off the table and stepped outside. It was late November, but it had been unusually warm the past couple of days, and I was glad to not need a jacket. I didn't have a car, but then again, I hadn't been on any hunts, so I didn't really need one. Other than being with Ruby, I hadn't been doing much of anything ever since my dad and I split up. Nothing that he, Dean, or Rayne would've been too happy to hear about anyways. That familiar, choking guilt made itself known again, but I quickly pushed it down. I may have not been very proud of what I was doing, but I was doing it for them. 

That had to count for something.

I was only a few blocks away from the motel when I got the sudden sense that I wasn't alone. The same feeling had intermittently come over me for the past week or so, but I never paid it much heed. This time was different, however. The sensation was almost palpable. Stopping mid-stride, I looked around me, eyes narrowing. I might have not been hunting in a while, but my senses were still as sharp as ever — even sharper now that Ruby was helping me.

Still, the flap of wings was unexpected when it came from right behind me. I spun around to find unnervingly bright blue eyes peering up at me. The sight was so surprising that it rendered me speechless for a few seconds. "Sera?" I finally managed. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask of you the same question, Samuel Winchester."

To hear my Christian name coming from an angel's lips was rather daunting, and I tried to convince myself that the accusatory implication I heard in her tone was just my imagination. As I slowly started to piece everything together, I opted for a different question. "How long have you been following me?"