Dakota Quinn meets a young boy in a similar situation to her own.
All the two have is each other, a stray dog, and the smallest amount of money possible. How will they manage?
[Book 1 of 3]
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After breakfast, which had been pancakes from the diner, Sam and Dakota get dressed ready to train.
"I'll be teaching you to shoot today, Kota." Sam explains softly as he picks up two guns and some ammunition. "I've already taught you about loading it and cleaning it. Now we just need to do shooting."
Dakota grins, shooting is something she has been looking forward to for ages. She's still not great at hand to hand combat, but she's getting there, and if she can learn to shoot she'll feel a lot safer.
"Great! Let's go." She states, heading to the door. Sam raises his eyebrows and grabs her arm gently.
"Dakota, if you are too excited about this there is a bigger chance you will get hurt. Try to stay calm, please." He pleads, using his puppy dog eyes that always manage to get Dakota to agree to anything.
"Okay. I'll try, Sammy." She nods. She turns away to leave again, a smile making it's way to her lips at the concern her boyfriend has for her. "I promise."
"Good." Sam states, walking past her and out of the door. "Let's go."
Dakota furrows her eyebrows in confusion. The way Sam spoke is so unlike him, he's always gentle with her and never talks in short sentences like that.
"Are you all right?" Dakota questions as she follows him out of the small building.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, Kota." Sam shakes his head slightly. "Just, shooting is dangerous, ya know? I'm worried you'll get hurt." He shrugs his shoulders a bit with a smile.
Dakota immediately takes his hand in hers and swings them slightly as they walk through the forest to their destination. "I'll be fine. You will be there to teach me to do this safely. Don't worry about me, Sammy."
"Okay." Sam grins, laughing quietly. "Sorry, Kota. I just worry easily. I really don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't. As long as I'm with you, nothing bad can happen to me. I know that you'll make sure of that." Dakota states as a matter-of-fact. "You're too, well, you, to let anything bad happen to me."
"Too late, Blondie. Bad things have already happened to you, because of me." Sam reminds her, frown etched onto his face. "The Demons."
"That wasn't your fault. And you saved me from them." She points out with a shrug, swinging their arms even further into the air. "You're a great Hunter, Sam. And I know you'll do great with College when you get in."
"I told you, Kota. That's just a silly dream of mine." Sam sighs sadly. "It can never happen. I mean, I'll try. God knows I'll try! But it's almost impossible."
"You'll get in." Dakota says softly. "I know you will. Remember what I told you? Don't doubt yourself, and you'll do fine."
"Yeah." Sam nods. He quickly looks around and nods. "We're here." He releases Dakota's hand and puts his bag down, pulling out a few targets and putting them on tree trunks before handing her a gun. "Let's get started."
"Let's do this." Dakota cheers with a grin before getting ready to shoot. Sam stands beside her, slightly backwards so he's not in the way, and just watches as she tries to shoot.
When Dakota still can't hit a target, or a tree for that matter, after finishing a whole lot of bullets off, Sam steps in to help with her aim. Standing behind her and placing his hands over hers, aiming the gun perfectly ad hitting right in the center of each target as they shoot.
"Perfect." He breathes, sending a shiver down Dakota's spine at the hot breath on her ear. "Now try without my help." The loss of warmth makes Dakota sigh inwardly, but she soon starts shooting. Hitting the target most of the time, and occasionally hitting the center.
"I did it!" She grins excitedly, jumping up and down. She immediately regrets it though as a loud gunshot goes off and a bullet lodges itself into a tree right to the side of Sam, who's eyes are wide in shock. "Oh my God! I am so sorry, Sam!" She drops the gun and runs to him.
"It's fine, Kota." He assures her, wrapping his arms firmly around her small frame. "I'm fine. It didn't even touch me. Just, try not to do that again. You could seriously hurt someone, including yourself."
Dakota nods against Sam's shoulder as tears fall from her eyes. "I'm so sorry." She repeats, murmuring it over and over again. "Sorry. Sorry. Sorry."
"Hey, hey. Kota. I told you, I am fine. Promise." Sam reassures the shaken young girl, trembling in his arms. Pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head, Sam lifts her into his arms and moves to sit against a tree. He sits Dakota in his lap and she buries herself into him, sobbing into his chest, soaking one of his many flannel shirts.
"I could've hurt you, Sam." She points out.
"But you didn't and I am fine." Sam counters, stroking his fingers through her blonde locks. "I have been shot before, Kota. And that is far worse than almost getting shot. I remember one time, I accidentally shot my Dad on a hunt. He was so mad at me, made me clean all the weapons that night, and I was grounded for a month. Not that I actually had friends or anything, but that wasn't the point. He was really pissed. It only grazed his arm, but that didn't matter to him. He thought I was trying to kill him, we'd had a fight the night before because I had wanted to learn soccer or something. He actually thought I'd try killing him over something so petty."
Dakota sniffles slightly, bringing her hands to dry her eyes. "Sam, I'm sorry. I know I didn't actually shoot you. I know I didn't. But I still feel really guilty. I'm just not used to this type of thing."
"I know, Buttercup. I know you are. And I have told you, you do not have to do this if you don't want to." He states, pressing his lips softly to her forehead, eyes fluttering closed as they trail down to her lips.
Dakota kisses back immediately, savouring the taste of Sam's lips. Eventually, she pulls away and lays her head against his chest, falling asleep.
