Under the Crossroads

Chapter Three

Jen opened her eyes to find herself strapped into a demon torture table. After taking a careful and slightly panicky look around, she realized she was in the same place she always was when she closed her eyes at night: a memory. Despite her moment of fear, her body was completely relaxed as it was when this originally happened. Jen was slightly surprised, however, as this was the first time this dream had occurred in almost five years.

Jen had almost forgotten about the torture room. It was completely pitch black, except the bright spotlight shining directly down on her like she was on a dissection table. Of course, once she thought about that, it basically was a dissection table. The only difference ... frogs started off dead. The silence was almost deafening, as well. It was so quiet it still startled her when the door opened.

The light from outside seemed so bright to her, she could only see the silhouette of one of the two demons who would torture her and revel in it. It was the only creature that could send shivers down her spine since she became a hunter. It was her master.

For a while, He was silent. Jen kept her eyes toward the dark corner she knew from which He was observing. She spoke to Him before, when she thought He was a human. The bastard had tricked her for almost a whole year, gaining her trust until He revealed his true nature. That's what you get when you retire from the life, Jen supposed. She watched as He slowly stepped into the small circle of light.

He had selected a young man, maybe twenty-five, with nice but average looks. Smart, if you want to keep away from a hunter's radar. He wore a small grin, like He always had. Now she understood why He was always smirking, as if He had known something she hadn't. "Hello, my dear." The American accent He had used before was gone, revealing He was actually British. He waited, as if He actually expected her to answer to him. "Now, come on, Jen, no use being a bad sport."

Jen spat in his general direction, to which he reacted with a small chuckle. "Oh, I see. Someone's a bit put off that she was so easily duped by a demon. I'm sorry, couldn't you tell, or were you too busy making googly eyes with my meatsuit?" Jen felt her body tense in anger, just as it had when this confrontation happened the first time. He had hit a nerve, as she had trusted him so well she had started falling for him.

Jen managed a small grin. "Maybe so, but if you hadn't gotten into the kissing so much, I might never have known what you were." His grin didn't falter, but his jaw was obviously clenched. "Oh, I'm sorry ... Did I offend you? Perhaps I should have used the word 'snogging', should I have?" She ended the sentence with a similar accent to his.

"You are awfully cheeky for the situation you are in," he replied, sounding slightly annoyed. He stepped closer, placing his hand softly on her leg just above the ankle strap of the table. "I'm actually here to give you a chance to avoid what's about to happen." His voice was softer, almost kinder, and she knew it was to make her believe He actually cared. "I have a deal for you, love. Not one other demon will hurt you ever again, nor will you hurt them, so long as I live. All I ask in return is that you work at my side, serve me. I know it's not exactly the dream of a hunter, but it will protect you and my kind for as long as I am alive. What do you think?"

"I think you're crazy if I'd rather serve you than endure an eternity of torture," she replied bravely. "Besides, I would rather plan on an escape so I can kill you myself. I don't care how long it takes."

He almost seemed to pout in disappointment. "Very well, my precious, Jen. I'll spend a moment or two more in here before Alastair comes and rips your body into little bity pieces." He took a moment to appreciate her mostly naked form. "It is a shame. I had imagined what you would look like in a similar situation, but I never imagined your body would be so ... flawless. Not a single scratch, except the small one right above your navel." He slid his hand up her leg, then playfully circled the only scar she ever had, making her squirm uncontrollably.

"Something the matter, love? Ticklish maybe?" His eyes changed to their demonic color, and smiled as he traced his way up her ribs. His fingers leaped over the chest strap, then delicately traced her collarbone, by which time she managed to keep herself from moving. "You're no fun. Maybe you will be after Alastair finishes with you."

Speaking the name seemed to summon Alastair himself, as he just then opened the door. "See you tomorrow, love." Her future master toucher her scar once more, this time with no reaction, before walking away and shutting the door behind him.

"No!" Jen woke with a start, though not sure what made her awaken so suddenly.

"Hey, easy there, sunshine!" Dean took a couple steps back, startled at both her scream and her now extended wings. "Next time I'll just set an alarm for you."

Jen shook her head and brought her wings back to her body. "Sorry, kid.  Bad dream." She held her head as the memory seemed to give her a migraine, something she had never experienced before.

"Headache? Need an aspirin?" Dean asked, handing her a small bottle. "I don't know if it'll work for you, but it's worth a shot."

Jen glanced over, surprised at his kindness, despite his mistrust of her. Cautiously, she took the bottle. "Thanks." She took two pills and popped them into her mouth, swallowing them before Dean could blink. "I have no idea if they'll work, I've never had a headache."

As Jen swung her legs over the edge of the bed, Dean sat cautiously at the edge of the bed. "How could you never have had a headache? Is that part of your healing thing?"

She chuckled. "I guess. I don't really know."  She glanced over at Dean, who seemed to have only half of his rear on the bed. "You know, you don't have to avoid me like the plague. I don't bite."  As Dean scooted the rest of the way onto the bed, she added, "At least, not hard enough to draw blood."

Dean nearly jumped off the bed in fear. "Good lord, can't you take a joke, kid?" Jen stood up, frustrated that gaining his trust just took a couple steps back. She grabbed her first holster and strapped it around her chest, then attached the second to her thigh. She pulled open the drawer on her nightstand to reveal her newest favorite weapon: the 500 Smith & Wesson Magnum.

"Where in the world did you find that?" Dean tried not to stare, but it proved difficult. The 500 Magnum was the biggest handgun in the world, and Dean had never seen it up close. "That thing is huge!"

"I bought it. How else could I get it?" Jen saw how much Dean admired the gun. "Do you want to hold it?" When Dean seemed hesitant, she told him, "Go ahead." Jen held the Magnum out to the guy. "Maybe if you like it, I can buy one for you."

As Dean grabbed the heavy handgun, he paused. "You would do that, even after the way I've treated you."

"Why wouldn't I?" Jen was genuinely puzzled. "Even if you don't trust me, I trust you and your brother, and we're all fighting on the same side." Well, that was mostly true, anyway. If she were able to break free from Him, she'd never go into retirement again. She watched as Dean held the gun up with both hands and peered down the sights. "I always help out a fellow hunter, especially my friends."

"Well . . . thanks." Dean had to struggle to get the last word out. He had never expected to interact in a humane way, especially thanking them for their kindness. This never happens; monsters aren't nice and hunt other monsters. Bobby trusted her, which should've been enough for Dean, but what she was kept bugging him. That private phone call and the mention of her 'boss' was also plaguing his mind as well.  "Here." He handed the gun back to her. "We'll be heading out soon. Be ready."

Jen watched sadly as Dean left her alone to get ready. Maybe someday she would get used to this treatment, or maybe hunters would realize not all  non-humans were monsters. Only time would tell.