Equals (Crowley Fanfic)

Skip Town

I had nearly driven in to the next town when Crowley woke up. He yawned.

"Oh, good. You're just in time for a supply run. Try not to lose your mind when I get the salt and holy water."

"Supply run? Where did you get the money?" He glanced in the rearview mirror, "You know how to clean up, don't you?" I ignored the hungry look in my own eyes and looked back at the road.

"I had to look pretty to run a scam. I got two hundred. Make a list of anything you need." I gave myself a stern look, "need." I repeated.

"Yeah, mother. You're about to miss your exit." The tires screeched as I shifted lanes too quickly.

"Dirty old man." I muttered.

I walked into a mom and pop and grabbed enough microwaveables and supplies to last a week. I bought a case of water bottles and several cans of salt.

There was a eighteen-year-old running the nearly empty checkout line. She was a little shocked when I handed her a hundred dollar bill for the forty dollar tab.

"I- Uh- don't have enough change for this, not this early in the day." she said timidly.

"Oh," I felt a little rush, "You know what? Keep the change."

Shock and fear spread across her face.

"Don't worry, It's clean cash. I just don't trust banks." Crowley winked and I walked to the door muttering at him in my head.

I noticed too late the rug that hadn't been lying in the doorway before. It stopped me in my tracks.

"Damnit!" Crowley shouted, his true voice coming through. A shotgun cocked behind me.

I raised my hands and turned around slowly. A heavyset man was pointing the gun at me. I looked at the girl.

"You knew?" I asked. She nodded. "Good job. You just outmatched the king of hell." She backed away.

"Don't worry, dear. I'm not at full power, you will live though this encounter." Crowley said.

"There are two of you in there?" the man asked, his face contorting with disgust.

"I'm a hunter. I was buying salt and water to bless." I pushed the bag I had dropped towards him with my foot. He looked in the bag and saw that I was telling the truth.

"And I'm her demon." Crowley was more amused than afraid.

"Ecorcizamus te, omnis immundus spititus," The man started

"That won't work." I said.

"Why not?" the girl asked.

"I'm wearing an anti-possesion charm." I told her. Her hand went to her necklace.

"I didn't work?" she asked.

"I... I took it off." just being around such a young hunter made me feel like a contaminated creature and I wanted to run just to protect her.

"It can keep me out, or keep me in." Crowley winked at her and I jerked my face to look at the man.

"It's a long story. There are hunters after us. They'll kill me whether I'm carrying a demon or not." For the first time in a long time I feared death. A tear slipped down my cheek. The salt boiled off my cheek and I didn't feel it.

"Dry up, Anna!" Crowley hissed in pain.

"Why would they do that?" the hunter asked.

"All I know is that they killed everyone in the place I was being held. Both demons and humans. They tried to track the body he was possessing. I made a deal. I didn't get the both of us killed and I would carry him until it was safe for him to return, in exchange... he can't hurt me anymore." I looked at the floor, hating how pitiful I felt.

"Her exact words were, 'We're equals,' and 'I'm keeping my soul.' If it weren't at my expense I would have been proud." Crowley was deliberately making this more difficult.

"Shut up. All you're doing is provoking them." I said to him.

"So, I'm supposed to hear that sob story and just... let you go?" The man looked unimpressed.

"I guess not." I smiled at him, "It's true. I'm telling you this for your sake as much as my own. When I do get out of here, I suggest you make whatever records you have of our little visit as easily accessible as possible, then run."

"Why would I do that?" he asked.

"Because they will kill you and you daughter and they will take us. They'll kill me and use Crowley. And when they are done, they'll kill him too. I don't hate demons so much that I'd let three people die for just one of their deaths. Do you? Would you sacrifice your daughter to kill a broken demon that's been put on a leash?" I thought I had changed his mind.

"You know what I think? That demon in your head is telling you exactly what to say. Or maybe it's the demon, keeping Anna -was it?- alive to get the information she has. Or... Maybe Anna has been dead from the moment she took off her anti-possesion charm." His words got to me. How was this going to turn out for me? Had all my precautions been useless? I may have signed my own death certificate with a kiss. I couldn't say anything and I felt Crowley's anger at my speechlessness and distrust before he even spoke.

"I don't break deals. I can't hurt Anna." He spit each word as if he was barely in control of himself, much less my mouth.

"Some would say that your very presence hurts her, yet here you are. Jenny, watch them. I'm going to get everything ready, we'll put it in the basement." He handed his daughter the gun and walked into the back of the store.

"Anna, look at me." Jenny said, "Do you promise that you're okay?"

"I-I think so, but you shouldn't trust me so much. Not when a more experienced hunter is telling you not to. Don't relax that shotgun so much, you may have almost no notice before you need to fire." I wanted so badly to have met her in a better situation. I was terrified that Crowley would pipe in and steal this moment from me. She reminded me so much of myself, it hurt.

"I am going to help you, for a price." she said adjusting the gun as I suggested.

"What price is that?" Crowley said. She knew it wasn't me and I was relieved.

"She deals with me, Crowley, no souls and no kissing." I said sternly and I felt his consciousness settle back as if my mind were an armchair.

"I saw you read my father like his thoughts were written on his forehead. I want you to teach me that. -and, I'm going with you. I want to hunt, but my Dad won't let me. I'm eighteen, but he locked me in my room last time I mentioned hunting." she was smarter than she looked, but not smart enough if she was contemplating freeing me.

"Alright, shake on it?" I hated setting her against her own father, but her story pissed me off and I had to get out. She agreed and cut through the rug with a pocket knife. She took me out to her compact car, I can't say I was sad to abandon the weed wagon.

"Keys?" I asked.

"You think I'm letting the possessed girl drive? Nah-uh." she smiled.

"Fine." I pretended to be put-off. "I needed to make some phone calls anyway."

We were pulling out of the parking lot when she said, "Uh, where are we going?"

"Nearest big city where we can get lost in the crowd." Crowley spoke for me because I was trying to remember Dean's numbers.

"Oh kay." she breathed and drove out of town as fast as legally possible.