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bamby0304 · 5 years

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The Hart III: Secrets

Chapter Eight- Burn

Series Masterlist

Summary: Three months… Dean was gone for three months and now he’s back. He’s back and he truly has no idea how much things have changed. Life moved on while Dean was in Hell, and now things are complicated. With new faces and troubles right around the corner, will the trio find a way to come back together? Or has all hope been lost?

Warnings: Angst. Violence. Death.

Bamby

EPOV

I sat with Sam by his computer in my room, doing some research. I'd heard about rougarou before, I knew the stories and the lore. So, hearing Travis explain it to the brothers, well it had me a little concerned. I knew there was another way out of this. I knew we could finish the case without killing anyone. But I also knew the only person who would listen to me was Sam.

Which is why we were in my room researching, and not in his where Dean and Travis could hear our theories and concerns.

"You were right." He gestured to the screen. "There are stories of people fighting the urge to kill. They never take the last step."

Sighing, I stood up and walked away from the bed. "Yeah, only problem is, how do we tell Dean and your trigger-friendly-friend Travis?"

We shared a look, both understand what I wasn't saying.

This Jack guy was going through the same kind of things as Sam and me. Only, we weren't on the verge of tearing people apart with our teeth. Dean and Travis would never understand that. They'd never get what it feels like to have so little control over your future.

Dean's words from before started playing in my mind as I thought about the fact he hated Sam using his powers so much, he punched his brother and told him he would hunt him if they weren't brothers.

How did he see me, then? Was a monster? Was I on the edge of crossing that line? Was he as scared for me as he was for Sam? Or was he scared of us? Did I even mean enough that he wouldn't hunt me if things got bad? Was staying with him, putting myself in danger? Would he kill me?

A tear rolled down my cheek at the painful thought of Dean killing me. There weren't a lot of things in the world that scared me more than that...

"Lizzie." Sam pushed himself off the bed and came over to me.

I wiped away my tears, shaking my head. "I'm fine," I tried to assure him, even though it was a lie.

"No. You're not." Grabbing my shoulder, he gently pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me as his cheek rested against the top of my head.

I leaned into him, enjoying the comfort from my friend. We'd gotten closer over the four months Dean had been in hell. Sam was like the brother I'd never had. I knew, no matter what, he'd always have my back. It was nice, having someone like him around.

But at the same time, I knew being with Sam meant being with Dean, and I wasn't sure if I could handle that for much longer. Not right now at least.

Sighing, I pulled back from Sam, looking up at him. "I need you to do me a favour."

DPOV

"So, Elizabeth?" Travis gave me a grin as we worked on fixing up some gas cans.

I chuckled lightly. "What about her?"

"Who's the lucky guy, you or Sam?" he asked, when I didn't say anything, he stopped working and turned to me completely. "Don't tell me you've got a girl like her around and you're not doing something about it. She's a catch. So, catch."

Shaking my head, I focused on the can in my hands as I responded, "Liz and I… we have a past. But things are complicated right now," I explained, not wanting to tell him anymore. Getting back to business, I nodded to the cans. "So fire, huh?"

"The only way I found to kill these bastards. Deep-fry 'em."

"Well, that's gonna be... horrible. Is that what you did to Jack's dad?"

He gave a short nod. "Uh-huh."

The room door opened as Sam came in with some papers in his hands. Looking over at us, he gave a slight frown, seeing the gas cans in our hands. "Not wasting any time, are you?"

Travis shrugged. "None to waste. The guy hulks out, we won't be finding bodies, just remains."

"What if he doesn't hulk out?" Moving to take a seat on the bed near the table, Sam gestured to the papers he held. "I did a little homework. Uh, I've been checking out the lore on rougarous."

"What?" Travis looked a little offended. "My thirty years of experience not good enough for you?"

"What?" Sam chuckled nervously. "No. No, I-I- I just wanted to be prepared. I mean, not that you didn't..."

Seeing him struggle, I spoke up, saving his ass. "Sam loves research. He does. He keeps it under his mattress right next to his KY. It's a sickness." I looked to my brother. "It is."

Shaking his head, Sam got back to it. "Look, everything you said checked out, of course, but uh. I found a couple of interesting stories about people who have this rougarou gene or whatever. See, they start to turn, but they never take the final step."

This was news to me. "Really?"

"See, if they never eat human flesh, they don't fully transform."

"So what? Go vegan, stay human?" I asked.

Sam nodded. "Basically. Or in this case, eat a lot of raw meat, just not-"

"Long pig," I finished.

"Right."

"Good on you for the due diligence, Sam." Travis got up and walked over to the kitchen in the hotel room. "But those are fairy tales," he stated, pouring himself a coffee. "Fact is, every rougarou I ever saw or heard of... took that bite."

Standing up, Sam turned to him. "Okay, well, that doesn't mean that Jack will," he argued as I stood as well, taking his papers to give them a look over.

"So, what do we do? Sit and hope and wait for a body count?" Travis asked.

Sam shook his head. "No, we talk to him. Explain what's happening. That way he can fight it."

"Fight it?" Travis laughed. "Are you kidding me? You ever been really hungry?" he asked, pulling my attention away from the paper. "I mean, haven't-eaten-in-days hungry?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Yeah. Right then. So somebody slaps a big, juicy sirloin in front of you, you walking away?"

I thought about it for a moment before I realised I wouldn't. If I was hungry and the food was being offered, the there was no way I was going to give up the chance for a big, juicy steak.

"That's what we are to him now, meat on legs." Travis shrugged. "I'm sorry. I'm sure he's a stand-up guy, but it's pure, base instinct. Everything in nature's gotta eat. You think he can stop himself 'cause he's nice?"

"I don't know," Sam started, not backing down. "But we're not gonna kill him unless he does something to get killed for." He was final as he looked to Travis a moment longer before walking out the room.

We watched as he left, waiting for the door to close behind him.

"What's up with your brother?"

I shook my head, moving to sit down again. "It's a long story."

SPOV

"All right, so we're gonna go have a little chat with this guy which, you know... I'm down," Dean noted as he drove down the road. "But I just want to make sure, if push comes, you two are gonna shove." He looked over at me and then at Lizzie through the rearview mirror.

I frowned, turning to him. "Meaning?"

"Well, odds are we're gonna have to burn this guy alive." He shrugged.

"This guy has a name and a wife," I noted.

He nodded. "Yeah, who we're probably gonna make a widow, okay? I mean, you heard Travis. He's gonna turn. They always turn."

"You don't know that. And neither does he. Just because everyone he's killed has turned, doesn't mean they all do." The tone of Lizzie's voice made it crystal clear that she wasn't particularly fond of Travis' ways.

It's funny, when we first met her, she was a kill-first-ask-questions-later kind of girl. She hardly blinked at the idea of killing whatever monster we were hunting.

But it was different now. It was different because things weren't that black and white anymore. She wasn't on one side of the fence, and neither was I. Part of us was something else, something that wasn't human. We weren't completely human. That would change anyone's view on the world. It changed mine.

"Maybe he can fight it off," I noted, agreeing with Lizzie.

"And maybe he can't, that's all I'm saying." Dean was just as sure as Lizzie and I were, only we weren't all on the same side of the argument.

"All right, we'll just have to see then, okay?"

Dean shook his head. "This is what I mean, Sam. You sure your emotions aren't getting in the way here?"

I looked to him again, frowning once more. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, nice dude, but he's got something evil inside." He looked to me and Lizzie briefly before focusing on the road again. "Something in his blood. Maybe you two can relate."

I tensed my jaw, patience and temper at they're limit. "Stop the car."

Dean was genuinely confused. "What?"

"Do it, Dean, or I will," Lizzie snapped from the back seat.

Doing as he was told, Dean pulled over to the side of the road. But before he stopped the car, Lizzie and I were already getting out. Dean wasn't even out of the car by the time Lizzie turned and started to storm off to the lake we'd stopped by.

I slammed my door shut, turning to glare at Dean as he stood out of the car now. "You want to know why we've been lying to you, Dean? Because of crap like this."

"Like what?" he asked as we moved around the car.

"The way you talk to me, the way you look at me like I'm a freak!" I pushed past him, taking a few steps closer to the lake before turning to him again, pissed.

"I do not," he argued.

"You know, or even worse, like I'm an idiot!" Walking up to him, I got a little closer than usual as I went on. "Like I don't know the difference between right and wrong!" Sighing, I turned and started to walk a few steps away. When I turned again, he was looking at the ground, thinking. "What?"

Looking to me again, not pissed but not happy, he shrugged. "Do you know the difference, Sam? I mean, you've been kind of strolling a dark road lately."

"You have no idea what I'm going through. None."

"Then enlighten me!"

"I've got demon blood in me, Dean! This disease pumping through my veins, and I can't ever rip it out or scrub it clean! I'm a whole new level of freak!" I shook my head. "And I'm just trying to take this- this curse... and make something good out of it. Because I have to."

As I looked away from him, I knew he was watching me, thinking it over before he spoke again. "Let's just go talk to the guy," he suggested, causing me to scoff. "I mean Jack. Okay?"

After a moment, I gave a short nod before looking over at Lizzie, seeing her leaning against a tree, looking out at the water, quite a few feet away from us.

"I'll go get her," Dean offered. "Should probably hear her side of the story too." He sighed, walking past me and towards Lizzie.

EPOV

I looked out at the water, wishing I could just float away and pretend none of my problems existed. Maybe I'd float off to a little island or uninhabited forest. I could stay out there and forget the rest of the world, even if just for a few days.

Shaking my head- knowing that deep down, I didn't want that- I reached into my pocket and pulled out the bottle of pills, pouring one into my palm and then popping it into my mouth. I swallowed it without any water, putting the bottle back in my pocket.

A small shiver ran through me, causing my arms to come up so I was hugging myself, trying to keep myself warm.

"Hey."

I jumped at the sound of Dean's voice.

Turning to him, I pushed off the tree and took a few steps back as I hugged myself a little tighter. "Hi."

"Look, I didn't mean-"

"To tell Sam that if he wasn't your brother, you'd hunt him?" I shook my head at him. "You were gone for four months, Dean. Sam and I, we didn't know what to do. Do you know what that feels like, do you have any idea? Losing you, it almost killed us. It almost destroyed your brother. And now that your back you feel like you have the right to judge him?"

"Liz-"

"Ruby is a demon. Yes. Castiel told you to stop, Sam. Yes. But that does not mean you get to throw a tantrum because you don't like the way your brother decided to cope with losing you. He did the best he could without you here. So, back off, and actually try to understand his side of things," I snapped before I turned to look out at the lake again as my arms came up to hug myself once more.

Dean stood there for a moment, watching me, taking in everything I'd just said. I was sure there might have been a line I'd just crossed, but I didn't care. It was about time someone told him off for being such a dick to Sam.

After a while, he stepped closer to me, lifting his hand to rest on my arm. I flinched back, causing him to sigh. "Liz, I don't want to hurt you. Or Sam."

"Could have fooled me," I mumbled.

Shaking his head, he stepped a little closer. "I know I'll never understand what you and Sam are going through, no one else will understand. But... I'll try," he offered, causing me to look up at him, surprised. "Now, come on. You're freezing."

Being my stubborn self, I stood my ground. "I'm fine."

He simply chuckled. "You're shivering." Stepping even closer, he rubbed my arm, warming me up- which actually helped more than I thought it would have. "You wanna get out of here?"

Giving in, I nodded. "Yes, please."

Chuckling again, he wrapped his arm around me as we started for the car.

...

Sam led the way as he walked through the gate of Jack's back yard, Dean was right behind me as the three of us walked into the yard. Jack was there, watering his garden with the hose, seeming to be deep in thought, or maybe just zoning out.

"Jack Montgomery?" Sam asked, catching Jack's attention. He turned to us, surprised but didn't say anything. "I'm Sam Winchester. This is my brother, Dean. And our friend Elizabeth." Jack looked to each of us. "We need to talk," Sam noted.

Turning his attention back to Sam, Jack finally spoke. "About?"

"About you," Sam answered. "About how you're changing."

"Excuse me?"

"You're probably feeling your bones move under your skin," Dean started. "And your appetite's reaching, you know, 'hungry, hungry hippo' levels. How am I doing so far?"

Frowning, Jack looked to each of us again. "Who the hell are you guys?"

"We're people who know a little something about something." Dean shrugged.

Sam elaborated, giving Jack an answer he might actually like. "We're people who can help. Please, just hear us out."

...

After we'd tried explaining everything to Jack, we stood back and waited as it all processed. But it appeared, things weren't going to go as easy as we hoped. Not that I thought they would. Finding out you might become a monster isn't exactly a walk in the park.

Jack shook his head. "A-a what?"

"A rougarou," Dean repeated. "Sounds made-up, I know, but believe me, it's not."

"Alright, I've noticed certain things. I mean, some strange things. But I just, I-I don't know. I'm... I'm sick or something." Jack was completely in denial.

"Your father was one of these things," Sam told him, causing Jack to turn to him again. "Your real father. He passed it on to you."

"No. Are-are you guys listening to yourselves? You s-sound like you're-"

"Insane? Yeah, okay, we get it. But let's not ignore the facts, Jack." I took a step closer, my hands in my pockets. "You're hungry. Starving. And that's not going to go away easily. It's just going to get worse. "

"Hungrier for?"

"Long pig," Dean answered without hesitation. "You know, a little man-burger helper, may have crossed your mind already."

"No," Jack answered simply, but I could see it in his eyes, the doubt, the fear, the truth.

"It doesn't have to be like this, Jack. You can fight it off," Sam insisted.

"No," Jack repeated, turning away from us.

"Others have," Sam assured him.

"We're not gonna lie to you, though." Dean shook his head. "It's not gonna be easy. You're gonna feel like an alcoholic swimming around in whiskey. But I'm telling you. You gotta say no... or-"

Jack cut him off, turning to us again, "Or what?"

"One bite, and it's over. You'll change. And then we'll have no choice." I looked Jack in the eyes, not dancing around anything as I told him the complete truth. "We'll have to stop you."

"Stop me?" He looked down at me. "My dad, did uh, somebody stop him?"

"Yes." There was no need for me to lie.

That pushed him over the line. "Get off my property right now. I see you guys again, I'm calling the cops."

Sam stepped closer, still trying to get through to him. "Jack, your wife, everybody you know, they're in danger."

"Now!" Jack snapped.

Sam's hand landed on my arm, pulling me away. We both knew this was a lost cause, there was no getting through to him. At least not now, and not here.

As Dean, Sam and I headed for the gate again, Dean came to stand on my other side, looking over at his brother. "Good talk."

SPOV

We'd been following Jack all day, making sure he didn't do anything stupid- like kill someone. It was dark now. He was seated on a bench on the street, his phone to his ear. He'd been sitting there for a while now.

"So, have you told Travis what we're doing?" Lizzie asked from the back seat of the Impala, looking at the back of Dean's head.

"He knows," Dean answered without turning to her.

"And what? He has no problem with us stalking his prey without him?"

Sighing, Dean turned to look at her. "You got something to say, say it."

"Travis is a ticking time bomb. He's gonna do something stupid, probably get himself killed, and ruin any chance of Jack actually coming out of this thing alive and human."

As the two continued to glare at each other, I watched Jack, seeing him get up from the bench and start towards the apartment building across the street, while he looked up at the window where a pretty, young girl was closing her curtains.

"Damn it. Jack. No." I turned to the back seat, grabbing one of the flamethrowers Dean and Travis had made.

Dean and Lizzie got one each as well before the three of us hurried out of the car and started towards the building, hoping we weren't going to be too late.

DPOV

I kicked down the apartment door, hurrying inside, flamethrower at the ready as Sam and Liz stepped in to stand either side of me. The woman who lived in the apartment had just come out of her room and screamed at the sight of us before she ducked back into her room, closing and locking the door.

"Wait!" I yelled after her, a little confused. "Whoa, uh, we're here to save you, I guess."

"I'm calling the police!" she called through the door.

"We should go," Sam suggested.

I gave a short nod. "Yeah."

"Best idea yet," Liz added as she turned for the door.

Hurrying back out, I quickly grabbed the door and closed it, giving a short and embarrassed laugh as I did. Once the door was closed, I turned and rushed after Sam and Liz, knowing that if we didn't find Jack soon, things were going to turn bad, fast.

...

I pulled up in front of Jack's house, getting out of Baby as Sam and Liz did as well, all of us carrying a flamethrower each. We all looked across the street, seeing Travis' car parked there.

"I guess now we know where Travis is," I noted before pointing a finger at Liz. "I don't want to hear, 'I told you so'. Okay?" I warned as we started for the front door.

I stepped in first, opening the door slowly and carefully, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Creeping in, I looked around everywhere, keeping my eyes open, looking out for any movement. We had no idea what might be waiting for us.

Sam and Liz were behind me, closing the door behind them as we then headed into the living room. A chair rom the dining table was lying on its side, with some rope by it, but that wasn't what had us stop in the doorway. No, it was the large pool of blood soaking into the carpet, and the trail of blood leading to the back of one of the couches.

We moved over to see what was behind the couch, and what we found was not what I'd been expecting. It was meat. Raw meat. You couldn't even tell what it had once been.

"Oh, God. Think that's Travis?" I asked, looking around, keeping an eye out.

Sam sighed. "What's left of him." As I turned to him, I could see just how defeated he looked. "Guess you were right about Jack."

I was about to respond when a pair of hands suddenly grabbed Liz.

"Lizzie!"

"Liz!"

Sam and I turned to see Jack throw her against the coffee table, knocking her out.

We acted as fast as we could, pulling out our flamethrowers, going for the kill. But just as I got my lighter out and ready, Jack turned and jumped me, knocking the flamethrower out of my hands.

The next thing I know, I've fallen to the ground with Jack on top of me, grabbing my shoulders before he lifted me and then pushed me down hard, causing my head to hit the ground. Then I was out like a light.

SPOV

My head hurt like hell as I woke up. Opening my eyes, I looked around, finding myself on the floor in a closet. But worst of all, I was alone. Getting up, I moved for the door handle to get out, only to find it was locked.

"Dean? Lizzie?"

"Dean and Lizzie can't come to the phone right now," Jack called from outside the closet.

I slammed my hands against the door out of frustration and anger. "Jack! If you hurt them, I swear to God!"

"Calm down!" he snapped. "They're alive," he told me, and I relaxed a little, panting as I leaned against the door. "But not if you don't calm down."

Calmer now, I nodded. "Alright, Jack. Listen. Open the door. We can figure this out, okay?"

He laughed. "We'll have ourselves a little brainstorming session." I could hear the desperation in his tone, the underlining fear.

"Jack. Please."

"I don't think so. After what you did?"

I frowned, confused. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You send your friend here. He tried to burn my wife alive."

"What? Why?" I asked as I started searching my pockets.

There was a pause before Jack responded, his tone a little different. "He didn't say." Looking around, I spotted a metal hanger and grabbed it as Jack went on, "I guess psychopaths don't have to explain themselves."

"Listen to me. You gotta believe me. My brother, our friend, and I, we never would have hurt her, okay?" I told him as I started to untwist the hanger.

"Oh, God. I'm so hungry."

Finished untwisting it, I brought the hanger down to the lock to pick it. "Jack, don't do this."

"I can't ever see my family again. You three... your friend. You made me into this!"

"No one's making you kill us," I told him as I kept working the lock, but it just wasn't working. "Listen to me. You got this dark pit inside you. I know." I stopped working, leaning against the door with my eyes closed as I spoke. "Believe me, I know. But that doesn't mean you have to fall into it. You don't have to be a monster," I insisted as I got back to work on the lock.

He laughed again. "Have you seen me lately?"

"It doesn't matter what you are. It only matters what you do. It's your choice."

EPOV

I began to stir, hearing voices in the back ground, waking up. My head throbbed, and so did the rest of my body. But a voice in the back of my mind was urging me on, pushing me to keep going, to wake up. I knew there were people I needed to help, people I cared about that were in danger.

As I opened my eyes, I quickly remembered where I was and what happened. Jack had attacked me after Sam, Dean and I found what was left of Travis' body.

Blinking a few times, I looked around, finding that I was lying on the coffee table in the living room. Over on the mat I could see Jack, between me and the closet, his back facing me as he reached over, his hand inching closer and closer to Dean.

I could see it. I could see it in his body language. I could hear it in the noises he was making as he neared Dean. If someone didn't stop him, Jack was going to eat him.

"No!"

As I screamed, Jack was suddenly pushed up on to the roof with a force that was so strong it cracked the ceiling. Just as suddenly, he burst into flames, the red heat swallowing him as he screamed in agony, unable to fight or even move.

The sounds coming from him sounded as if they should be coming from wild animals being ripped apart. He screamed, screeched and wailed as the flames continued to burn him until there was nothing left. Nothing but a burnt, crisp body.

As the flames died, his body fell to the ground, crumbling and breaking at the impact. That's when I noticed the two sets of eyes watching me.

Dean was sitting up by the body, while Sam stood in the doorway of the closet, both of them looking at me with unreadable expressions...

DPOV

There was tension in the car as Sam and I drove back to the hotel. Liz had run out of the house before either of us could stop her. She'd jumped into Travis' truck and sped off as we'd called and ran after her. Now we were hoping she'd be at the hotel, hoping we'd find her in her room.

What she did... it scared me. Shocked me, too. With everything Sam had been doing lately, that was just the cherry on top. I had so many questions. Did she know she could do that? If so, how long had she known? Could she do anything else? Did she use the power a lot? What did she use it for? Why burn him on the roof?

That had been just as frightening as her actual power. Seeing Jack burning on the roof. It was too real, brought back too many memories...

"She didn't know."

The sound of Sam's voice had me jump. "What?"

"She's never done that before. Used that power. I thought you should know that before you start judging her." The flatness of his tone told me a lot more than his words did. He was still pissed at me.

"I'm not judging her. I just wanna make sure she's okay," I told him, sighing as he still sat there, tense and pissed. "Sam, I'm sorry. I know I've been kind of hard on you lately."

He shifted then, just slightly. "Don't worry about it, Dean."

"It's just that your, uh... your psychic thing... what you and Liz do, it scares the crap out of me."

"Look, if it's all the same... I'd really rather not talk about it."

I looked over at him briefly, a small smile playing on my lips. "Wait a minute. What? You don't want to talk? You?"

He didn't smile back as he turned to me. "There's nothing more to say. I can't keep explaining myself to you. I can't make you understand."

"Why don't you try?"

"I can't. Because this thing, this blood, it's not in you the way it's in me, the way it's in her. It's just something Lizzie and I have to deal with."

I shrugged. "Not alone."

He sighed, looking out the window. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. These powers..." He shook his head. "I'm done with them. I'm done with everything."

I looked over at him, surprised. "Really?" When he just kept looking out the window, I nodded, turning to the road again. "Well, that's a relief. Thank you."

Sam just scoffed lightly as he turned to me again. "Don't thank me. I'm not doing it for you. Or for the angels or for anybody. This is my choice."

...

Sam picked the lock to Liz's room while I kept watch. Travis' truck wasn't out the front, and all our knocks hadn't been answered, so the only other thing we could do was break in.

"Got it," Sam told me as he opened the door and stepped in.

I was right behind him, moving to start searching the room. But it was empty. There were no clothes, no food in the fridge, the bed was perfectly made. It was as if no one had even stayed in the room in the first place.

"Son of a bitch," I sighed, closing the doors to the wardrobe. I turned, seeing Sam reading a piece of paper as he stood by one of the bedside tables. "What is it?" I asked, moving over to him. He didn't answer. As his silence stretched on, my patience grew thin. "Sam?"

Turning slowly, he handed the note over without a word. Taking it from him, I wasted no time and began to read.

Boys,

You've got questions. I know. I swear, I have never done anything like that before. It scared me as much as it scared you, maybe even more. But I don't know where it came from, and I don't know if Dean can handle both Sam and I right now. So... I'm gonna go away for a while. Just until I can figure some things out, and until you two sort out your own problems.

Don't worry. I won't be alone. And no, I won't be at Bobby's. Or with Jo. Or Ellen. Tristan was coming to get me tomorrow anyway. Instead, we're meeting up somewhere else. He'll take care of me. He always does- you know that Sam.

I'll call you in a few days, and you never know, maybe I'll be back after a few hunts. Just give me some time. Let me figure all this out. And then I'll come back. I promise.

Elizabeth.

I frowned, reading the note over and over again, my confusion and worry only growing more and more. Eventually I lowered the note and turned my frown to Sam.

"Who the hell is Tristan?"

Bamby

#dean winchester fanfiction #dean winchester fic #dean winchester x oc #sam winchester fanfiction #sam winchester fic #elizabeth rose hart #the hart #the hart iii: secrets

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paisleywraith · 6 years

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Curses, Curses Chapter 3

Junior year is often considered the most difficult year of high school. Kyle would agree with that on a regular day, he didn’t need some magical bullshit wriggling its fingers at him and turning him into an ass-old Bill Murray movie reboot.

Kyle woke up for the fourth time, staring at his wrist. No bracelet. He sighed, rubbing his eyes as he tried to recap the past days.

Okay. Day one, normal. Day two, repeat. Day three, freak out and start panicking and get yourself sent to a doctor. The memory of his mother crying and fussing over her poor, mentally broken child made his cheeks burn and his heart ache. He was sent to a hospital, treated like a basket case, and that was 100% the last thing he wanted.

So now what?

Concentrate. Kyle clicked off his alarm before it could go off, bringing his knees to his chest. What could he do now?

He needed to see a friendly face. Kyle scowled at the notebook in his bookbag, but sent a text to Stan first. Just to make something different.

Kyle B: I’m bringing your notebook. See you soon.

He dressed quickly, shoving a hat over his ears and not bothering to check the reply.

In the kitchen, he grabbed a granola bar and stuffed it in his bag.

“Too busy to eat breakfast, Mr President?” Ike snarked from over his omelette.

“Had a bad night, you little nerd.” Kyle lovingly snarked back, reaching to ruffle his hair and earn a thoroughly irritable squawk. “Don’t tell Ma.”

Ike stuck his tongue out at him, a childish gesture he hadn’t used in a while and only pulled out when he was in a good mood. Kyle figured he was probably safe.

He didn’t bother waiting for the car to heat up all the way before jumping in. He was even earlier than usual, but he wanted to wait by the entrance for Stan. Who’d freaked out “yesterday” and sent a million texts of terror and sympathy. He could stand to see him today.

What was he going to do? He didn’t really want to sit down through classes today. Stan would probably pass out if he suggested they skip. He might be able to skip out and go to work and meet up with Stan later.

Kyle squinted. Passed two figures holding hands on the sidewalk, and pulled over.

Kenny’s head ducked into view soon after, Karen smiling beside him.

“Get in. I’ll give you guys a ride.” Kyle offered.

Kenny had been a constant texter yesterday as well, going so far as to offer to visit him in the hospital. Kyle hadn’t wanted to talk to him when his mother was weeping over his bedside, but he remembered the consideration. Especially considering he hadn’t even seen Kenny that day. Apparently, Stan was freaking out at school and the guy had been there to calm him down. He owed him. After years of pretty much radio silence, he was still treating them like friends.

Karen whooped, letting go of her brother’s hand to pretty much leap into the backseat, opening the door with abandon. Kenny’s grin widened, and he spared his sister a glance before hopping into the car next to Kyle.

“Hi Kyle!” Karen chirped, sitting right in the middle of the backseat. “Thanks!”

“Yeah, no problem,” Kyle shifted gears again, heading towards the school. “No reason for you guys to walk in the snow.”

Karen shivered into her coat, grinning at Kyle through the rearview mirror. Funny, he used to think the McCormick siblings looked very little like one another, but there was so much Kenny in her face.

Kenny wasn’t wearing a coat, just a sweatshirt, which he absently tugged up over his lips as he smiled out the window.

Kyle almost asked how their Christmas was, but he’d already asked that. He licked his lips. He hadn’t thought this far yet. He couldn’t mention anything the past few days, of course, and couldn’t remember when the last time they hung out was. His palms were sweating he was getting nervous.

“So, Smart Stuff,” Kenny spoke up, ankle crossed over knee and gazing outside. “Whatcha at school so early for?”

“What are you two at school so early for?” Kyle challenged him, and Kenny turned with a slight smirk, ready to fight, but Karen beat him to it.

“I have tutoring in the mornings.” Karen tugged at a raggedy, hand knit scarf draped over her neck.

Oh thank God. School he could manage.

“What subject?”

“Chemistry.”

Kyle smiled. Kenny tapped his fingers against the window.

“She’s getting good grades,” Kenny was quick to pick up. “She’s doing layout stuff for the newspaper right now.”

“I saw that,” Kyle mentioned. “I saw your name on the stafflines. Do you like it?”

“It’s fun,” Karen said, meeting Kyle’s eyes again in the mirror. “The people that work there can be rude though.”

“Tell me where in the school people aren’t, I’ll actually sign up for something.” Kenny drawled, making his sister roll her eyes and smile.

Definitely a lot of Kenny in Karen, just in a different way. She was less teasing, more actually willing to offer a real answer. Yet she still had the (Kyle couldn’t think of a better word for it,) impertinence Kenny wore around everywhere he went. He hadn’t noticed the youngest McCormick lately, aside from her name popping up or smiling at her in the hallway.

Kyle pulled over in front of the school.

“All out,” He called. “I’ll park and be in later.”

“Thanks, Kyle.” Karen swung her door open, hopping on one foot to adjust a boot before darting inside.

Kenny turned to meet Kyle’s eyes. He felt himself freeze. He was far too close to Kenny, he could see the different shades of blue in his eyes, under lank, greasy bangs.

Something odd flickered in his eyes for a moment, but after a glance back in Karen’s direction, Kenny turned back around and smiled easily as normal.

“Thanks, Ky. See you later.” With a flirtatious wink, the taller boy exited the car with a cheerful wave. Kyle watched him go for a moment, then moved the car into drive without another word.

Stan bought his excuse that he was sick, and treated him sympathetically. He chattered on about things that at least differed from the first Thursday, and Kyle half-listened in between classes. Just the familiarity of a friend was nice, helped calm him down.

Sometimes.

Kyle poked at the food he’d bought at the cafeteria, glaring at it like it personally offended him. Stan was pretty sure he wasn’t paying attention to anything he was saying. Time for a check question.

“What do you think?”

Kyle looked up from his meal, trying to look impassive. Stan did not look amused.

“Uh-huh.” He rolled his eyes at his auburn-haired friend. “I knew you weren’t listening. Where’s your mind today, man?”

“I told you, I don’t feel well.” Kyle grumped. He stabbed a fork viciously in the mashed potatoes and looked dismayed when it stayed upright.

“You’re really on edge,” Stan commented, watching his friend. “You don’t look sick.”

Kyle shot him a look. Halfhearted, like he didn’t quite have the anger to keep it there. He sighed through his nose, going back to staring at his food.

Stan looked between Kyle and potatoes before trying to prompt his unnaturally-quiet friend to talk.

“Heard you saw Kenny today.” Stan was rewarded with Kyle’s furrowed brows easing.

“Yeah.”

Interesting. Kyle didn’t hang out with Kenny much anymore. Or anyone, really.

“How is he?”

“Seems fine,” Kyle murmured. “Gave him and Karen a ride. I think Karen will be tall, too.”

Stan frowned. That was a weird comment. He didn’t get to mention it before Kyle spoke up again.

“I don’t have any classes with Kenny.” He commented.

“We did Freshman year,” Stan recalled. “I still have a couple.” He looked at Kyle, who was looking thoughtful. “You’re in all those highbrow classes, dude. You’re boring.”

Kyle scoffed, looking more like himself for a moment. “Jerk.”

Both of them were quiet for a bit. Stan watched Cartman across the refectory, surrounded by ‘yes pals’ he picked up around the beginning of high school.

“Can you stop by the library before you go home today?”

Stan looked back at Kyle, bewildered. He caught himself before he said “what?!” or something to make Kyle retreat.

“Sure, dude.” Stan said carefully, watching his friend. Kyle nodded a couple times and said nothing.

Stan’s worry only increased.

Work wasn’t helping him calm down.

“Excuse me-”

“James Joyce. Over in the fictional classics. Second shelf.”

Kyle ignored the girl’s weird look entirely and went about planning.

Why couldn’t something about this benefit him? If he had to give a speech or do a test, this repetitiveness would have been helpful. He was going to become crazy really quick.

SLAM

Kyle nearly jumped out of his fucking skin.

He looked up to nearly touch noses with a grinning Kenny McCormick. He jumped a second time, jerking the rolling chair back.

He was still so close he could see the damn eyelashes on Kenny’s face and a hint of freckles. Kenny’s grin widened as Kyle was startled speechless.

“What’s up, cutie?” Kenny’s eyes were sparking with humor. “You’re awful jumpy. You work at a library, Ky, not a jewelry store. I doubt you get many robberies.”

“Oh, shut up.” Kyle found his tongue again. “It is a library, I don’t have a lot of people beating my desk up.” He shoo’d Kenny off from leaning over it. Stan popped up behind the tall blond. “So you brought this thing along, huh?” He tried not to let the affection bleed through the words, but it was a losing battle.

“Hey, you looked down,” Stan pointed out with a poorly-hidden smile. He looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. “Kenny’s good for a morale boost.”

“Damn right, Stanny-boy.” Kenny flashed him a grin before going back to leaning over Kyle’s desk. “But I have work in twenty minutes, so I won’t be in your curly little locks for long, Kyle.”

Kyle brushed the curls escaping from under his hat self-conciously without thinking about it, but he couldn’t help the slight curl of his lips.

“You guys are just-” He shook his head, unable to keep the smile off his lips any longer. “Fine. Just lower your voices.”

There was something very comforting about having the two here, Stan with his hands in his jacket pockets and a beaming smile and Kenny leaning on his desk, eyes all different colors of blue like a crazy mosaic. Kyle may almost be an adult, but this comfort was sorely needed. He felt a rush of affection for them both.

“So what can I help you assholes with?” Kyle asked with all the love in his heart.

Kyle drew four long lines on his arm before clicking his lamp off. One for each day he’d lived through. He was hoping, desperately, that whatever reset he had didn’t apply to his own body.

He’d spent his time after his friends left and at home trying to do research, apply logic to this all. He didn’t have any regrets he needed righting, he didn’t have anyone he particularly hated (And if the universe was trying to get him to reconcile with Eric the whole universe could suck it because that wasn’t happening.) He was content with his life, headed towards his future. So why a roadblock?

Kyle pressed his lips together, reaching for his phone.

Kyle B: Hey Kenny?

To be honest, he didn’t really have a reason to be reaching out. No real question. Just a need for another voice in his head that wasn’t his own, and Stan was already worried over him.

Kenny M: wassup homeskillet

Kyle closed his eyes to keep from rolling them, lips twitching.

Kyle B: You’re ridiculous.

Kenny M: u kno u love me

Kyle B: You and Karen want a ride to school tomorrow, jackass?

Kenny took his time answering. Kyle fidgeted. He’d just looked for something to say, he didn’t mean for it to be- that was cool, right? Just offering to give a ride?

Blip!

Kyle nearly punched himself in the face in his haste to open the message.

Kenny M: sure

Kyle B: I usually leave at seven.

Kenny M: works 4 us

Kyle gave his phone a pale smile. Okay. Well. Guess he was picking them up tomorrow.

Kyle B: See you tomorrow, Kenny.

Kenny M: ;)

Kyle kept his phone in his hands, jaw locked as he stared at the ceiling. Please. Just let this day pass.

#sp k2 #k2 #kenny mccormick #kyle broflovski #kyle x kenny #I'm just dicking around on this site and I love it #PaisleyWrites #I once saw this fic ages ago where Kenny texted like my younger sister and it resonated #Like he would #Fuckin nerd

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