A Hunters Heart

Common Ground

Lexi was following Dean, walking outside the bunker to the Impala. She tried her best to smile as she got in the passenger seat. Dean glanced at her as he started the car and pulled out of the lot.
"So," Dean started, "Where am I taking you?"
"Oh, I live a few blocks north of the vamp nest."
"What? You're kidding me. That place is in the middle of nowhere!"
"Oh, you'll see when we get there. Got any music?"
"Yeah," Dean looked her way before putting in one of his cassette tapes. Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC started playing throughout the car.
"Sweet! I love this song! Turn it up!" Lexi exclaimed.
Needless to say, Dean was impressed by this. Usually when he turned on the radio, he could hardly hear it over Sam's groaning.
"Finally, someone with a decent taste in music!" Dean chuckled. For the next few minutes, the Impalas radio was at full blast. As the last note seeped out of the speakers, Dean reached to the volume knob and turned it until the music was almost silent. The notes of the next song hummed as Dean looked to his passenger. "So," Dean started, "tell me a little bit about yourself." Lexi looked at him with a confused face before she continued.
"Well, my hobbies include reading, driving, listening to music, and killing vampires," Lexi said with a voice imitating that of an announcer.
"Okay..." Dean said, he saw where this was going.
"I also enjoy sunsets and long walks on the beach,"
"Very funny..."
"But I would have to say my ultimate goal is to achieve world peace by killing one Sabre-toothed vampire at a time."
"Haha..."
"Now, for the trivia portion of the pageant!"
"I get it!" Dean laughed, "I was just wondering."
"What do you want me to say? My favorite color is blue. My middle name is Grace. Even though I constantly listen to AC/DC and Led Zeppelin, I still enjoy the musical stylings of Taylor Swift. There's not much to know."
"Look, I get it. I just figured, you know, Sam and I have a history that got us into this business, I thought you would too."
Lexi smiled at the driver. She could tell that he meant well, but her story wasn't one she flaunted.
"Sorry," she chuckled, "you've got to be at least a level 4 friend to unlock my tragic backstory." Dean smiled at this and reached for the radio once more, drowning out any potential conversation with classic rock.
Soon enough, they passed the now empty warehouse. A few blocks beyond that, Lexi's smile grew as she pointed to the left of the street. Dean had almost not noticed the van parked there. It was rusted and falling apart. There was a pair of stuffed dice hanging from the rearview mirror, and the seats were torn up. Dean had barely put the Impala in park by the time Lexi was out the door and racing to the van. Leading Dean behind it, she lifted the back wall of the vehicle and said, with a proud smile on her face, "This... is my battle van."
With the back now open, Dean could see inside and saw that it was very well lived in. A small map of America had pins popping out in a few states and pieces of yarn zig-zagged across it. Pictures of families were nailed to the sides, giving the van a rather innocent look. Lexi read Deans face and smirked at him. She reached out and grabbed a random piece of fabric that was dangling from where the ceiling met the wall and pulled it. Within a few seconds, an innocent scooby-doo van was transformed into an armored truck. Lexi had pulled down the false wall to reveal weaponry of all shapes and sizes attached to it. Machetes, shotguns, pistols, you name it, were all safely tucked onto the sides of the van. Not to mention old glass Coca~cola bottles filled with what seemed to be dead mans blood, it became obvious that Lexi was definitely prepared.
"Do you like it?" Lexi asked. Dean suddenly became aware of his dropped jaw and amazed expression. Embarrassed, Dean straightened himself up, trying to find the words.
"Yeah," he said, shrugging, "So, where do you keep your clothes?"
Lexi turned to the passengers seat of the van. She opened the glove box to reveal a cramped pile of shirts and pants. She grabbed a few of each and stuffed them in a nearby duffle bag.
"Is that all?" Dean asked, ready to get back to the bunker.
"Yeah," Lexi responded. She lifted the panel to give the van a fake wall again and was about to step out of the vehicle when she lingered.
"You alright?" Dean asked, reaching for the keys in his pocket.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lexi reached out to the wall of pictures. Feeling the walls, memories flooded her mind. Countless hunts and infinite laughs took place right where she was standing.
"You know," Dean started, "We have a garage. At the bunker, I mean. There's plenty of room for this thing."
"Really!" Lexi practically shouted. She put her arms up to her chest like a child who was just told to get ready for DisneyLand.
"Yeah. Believe me, if anyone can understand a sentimental attachment to a car, I can." Dean gestured to his beloved Impala as Lexi climbed into her driver's seat. She looked back at Dean with a challenging glare. "I'll race ya'!"