The Runt of the Litter

Make the Choice, Give the Chance

Note: For anybody wondering: Yes, it is 1:05 in the morning. Yes, I am sitting on my kitchen floor eating ramen noodles as I finish composing and posting this chapter. And yes, I did write almost nine thousand words in one day after (once again) procrastinating all week. So, things are pretty much going the same as usual lol.

Thank you so much, as always, for reading, voting, and commenting! I am so grateful to all of you. I know I've been a bit of a mess for a few weeks now with the end of the semester, but this has been my first week in over three months when I didn't have to worry about classes and work and could write a chapter relatively distraction free. I know I still finished at one a.m., but nobody's perfect.

This chapter is for a request by the wonderfully patient SydneyHodder who wanted to see Anna go on a hunt with Rowena without the boys knowing about it. I'm sorry that this took so long to write! I feel pretty good about the way it turned out, though, and I sincerely hope you'll find it was worth the wait.

Also, when reading Rowena's dialogue, try to imagine her voice/accent in your head. I started out trying to change the spelling of certain words to reflect her accent, but it got pretty messy. I'm sure you can all hear her voice in your head without much effort anyway.

Anna is seventeen in this chapter.

Make the Choice, Give the Chance

"You're quiet," Dean said into the warm but uncomfortable air of the Impala.

Anna shrugged absentmindedly, staring out the window at nothing in particular. The morning sky was a dull shade of gray this morning, a few thin, sad-looking clouds dispersed throughout. "So are you," she challenged without much force in her voice.

Dean gave her a sideways look. "Okay, well, you're in a mood this morning."

Anna rolled her eyes. "I'm not in a mood."

"Don't make this into a nobody understands me because I'm a teenager thing. I didn't say you were in a mood for no reason. I just said you're in a mood."

"Thanks for the validation," Anna said sardonically.

Dean let it roll right over his back. "You're welcome."

Anna gave another eye roll.

"So..."

"So?"

"So?"

"So?"

"So?"

"Dean. Shut up."

"Then talk to me."

"I'm just mad, okay?" Anna finally grouched and followed it up with a sigh.

"Okay. Why?" Dean asked.

Anna sighed and looked out the window again. "Because... Cas."

It apparently wasn't what Dean had been expecting, because it took him a minute to answer her. "You mean because he said 'yes,'" he surmised.

"Yes, because he said 'yes.' To Lucifer. Of all people. After frickin everything."

"Well, it was a crappy situation."

"Really? You want to defend him?"

"No, I don't want to defend him. Not that choice anyway. I'm just sayin', sometimes when the shit hits the fan, people forget the bigger picture. You're kinda known for that, you know."

"Yeah, well I wouldn't invite the devil to ride my ass."

"Never said you would," Dean said patiently. "I'm just saying, crappy situations lead to crappy choices. We're gonna get Cas out of this. He's done the same for us."