Title: November 2nd
Author: Bj Jones
Rating: FRM
Summary: The demon returns
Series: Brake Lights in the Distance, The Bodyguard, Evil Lurks, November 2nd, Family Business
***
Dean tossed the shovel back into the trunk of the Impala. It was supposed to be a simple salt and burn, but lately nothing had been simple. He had noticed a trend of heavier handed supernatural baddies out there in the world. Ghosts were getting more active and vicious. Ghouls, well they were always nasty, but there seemed to be more of them. A Vampire nest, Werewolf, hell even a Wendigo up in the Redwoods.
Ever since he had become Tony Stark’s bodyguard, he had stopped hunting to an extent. He stayed in the Los Angeles, California area, at times taking jobs in Northern California, Nevada, Arizona, and if big enough, Utah, Oregon and Washington.
He turned up the music and headed back down to Malibu. Tony had been out of town dealing with a new weapon that he had begun design on. Happy and Pepper were with him, and since it was mostly a conference with the Department of Defense, Dean really didn’t need to tag along as his bodyguard.
Dean had taken the opportunity of a free week and went out on a few hunts. One of them actually ended up being a possession. It was that last one that got the Hunter suspicious of the high activity, to the point even that he had thought about calling his dad. But then again, Dean hadn’t talked to John Winchester since that night he threw the phone down the cliff.
The past months he had been slowly talking again with Sam. It started with text messages, emails, and now short conversations. Dean had always been proud of Sam getting into Stanford and making a life for himself. It was in some ways what encouraged him to actually take Tony’s offer, as his bodyguard. Sam had told his girl about Dean, which went a long way in his book.
Tony, though, still wanted to rip the younger Winchester a new one, or let Pepper loose on him. Then again, Tony Stark didn’t forgive easily. He was still screwing over old businessmen who tried to push him out of Stark Industries. If someone irritated Stark, he’d just ruin their life. If they pissed him off, they would be lucky to come out of it alive.
Tony Stark was very loyal to those who showed him loyalty. He trusted very few people, and those he did he protected. Dean had seen what Tony would do, when an old boyfriend of Pepper’s decided to make her uncomfortable. The man’s life was destroyed; death would have been a blessing by the time Tony got done with him.
Dean pulled up to the Malibu house, parking the Impala in the garage. He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to wake up. He got out of the car and glanced over to the display of clocks on the back wall; it was just past Midnight.
“Welcome home, Mr. Winchester.”
“Thanks, Jarvis,” Dean called out to the AI. “Anything I should know?” If there was something going down in the house, Jarvis was the man to know.
“Mr. Stark has returned; he’s been arguing with Mr. Stane for the past half hour,” Jarvis informed him.
Dean frowned slightly; he hadn’t much contact with Stark’s CFO, Obadiah Stane. Matter of fact he hadn’t met the man once. Dean knew Stane didn’t like him, and demanded on many occasions for Tony to fire his ass, but Tony had ignored every threat and comment.
“So I should distract with sex,” Dean muttered as he headed for the stairs.
“Might be a good idea, sir.” At times he swore he could hear the humor in the AI’s voice. “Mr. Stark’s heart rate is up, sir, and he sounds very agitated.”
Dean hurried up the stairs and then skidded to a halt when he sat Tony pacing in the living room, yelling into the phone. Tony rarely raised his voice. He never needed to.
“I don’t give a fuck!”
Well shit. Dean stepped into the room, moving quickly to Tony’s side. The older man rarely cursed, even less than he yelled. To add the two together, something major went down.
“I will not do business with them. It’s a known fact that they are supplying terrorist organizations.” Tony stopped when he saw Dean; he held up a hand to indicate he didn’t want to be disturbed. “Plus the fact I don’t trust their CEO.” He paused then growled in a low steady tone, “No Obadiah. If you go behind my back with this, there will be hell to pay!” He slammed the phone shut and tossed it onto the couch.
Dean had moved over to the bar and poured him a scotch. “Drink.”
Tony just took it and downed it then shook the glass towards Dean, demanding a refill. “Obadiah wants to start selling to the Private Sector. I did some research on the company he wants to sell to, only to find out that they are connected to a few known terrorist organizations.” He downed the second drink then set the glass on the bar top. “The CEO freaked me out. I swear your supernatural crap is rubbing off on me.”
“What exactly happened?” Dean asked, pouring himself a drink and downing it before moving towards his lover.
“He didn’t want to be near me.” Tony eyed his bodyguard/lover. “Why?”
Dean stepped forward and pulled out the necklace Tony was wearing under his shirt. “This is a powerful protection charm, against demons. They don’t like being near it.”
Tony wrapped his hand around Dean’s and looked down at the necklace. “So you’re saying the CEO of this organization is possibly possessed by a demon? A demon terrorist?”
“Is it really that shocking?” Dean asked with a shrug.
“Well when you put it that way.” Tony grabbed the bottle off the bar top and poured himself another drink. “So did you play with all your supernatural friends while I was gone?”
“Fuck you.” Dean smirked as he sprawled onto the couch. “Where’s Pepper?”
“Later or now, would be good actually.” Tony straddled him and kissed him deeply. “And can we not talk about my perky redhead assistant at the moment?”
Dean pulled him in for a deeper kiss, when the lights flickered. He looked around the living room, dread and concern settling around him.
“Jarvis, what’s up with the lights?” Tony got up off Dean and turned towards one of the control panels.
“Sir, there’s a presence in the office where Ms. Potts is located,” Jarvis informed them, a sense of urgency in his metallic voice.
Dean grabbed a gun from the coffee table and moved down the hall quickly towards the main office, Tony only a few steps behind him. He slammed open the door, gun raised. His worst fear was coming true when he saw the dark shadowing figure standing in the middle of the room. Pepper was pushed up against the far wall, struggling against an invisible force. Dean fired the weapon, emptying the clip into the shadowy figure. All the bullets passed through him and embedded into the wall behind the figure.
The gun was ripped from his hand as he was shoved up against the wall. He looked over to see Tony in the same position, the now open door between them.
“Jarvis, call 911.” Tony struggled against the bonds. “I don’t know who you think you are…” He cried out in pain as he felt something slice across his chest.
“You, Mr. Stark, are no concern of mine, except for the fact you have interfered with my plans.” The figure formed into a man and then stepped in front of Dean. “Hello, Dean. It’s been a good many years since I’ve seen you. Last time you were running out the door carry baby Sammy.”
“You!” Dean struggled, lunging towards the Demon.
“Yes, me.” He stepped back, turning his back on the Hunter. “I’m disappointed in you Winchesters. John has been all gung ho, in hunting me down. Dragging his boys all over to kill evil things. Then Sammy, who I have so high hopes for, just ups and leaves for college.” The Demon tisks, shaking his head. “No respect, that boy. Just leaves you behind after all that you’ve done for him. But then you.” He gets close to Dean, running his smoky fingers over Dean’s chest. The Hunter cringed as he felt the burning down his chest. “You just left also. Don’t you want to avenge your mother’s death?”
“Let them go,” Dean growled. “This has nothing to do with them.”
“Oh but it does.” He backed away from Dean, barely giving Tony a glance before turning back to Pepper. “They stole you from me. Much like that pretty blonde of Sammy’s stole him from me.”
“Don’t you dare touch her!” Tony yelled.
Pepper started to move up the wall and towards the ceiling. Tony’s yells began to get louder, cursing the demon. Latin made its way through the chaos. An old exorcism that was stronger than any of the ones Dean had known when he grew up.
“Nice try, Jarvis.” The Demon looked over at the control panel. “But that isn’t going to work. Though I’m quite impressed that a machine could actually confront me.”
“Let her go!” Dean yelled, struggling even more. “She has nothing to do with this.”
“Oh but she does.”
Pepper cried as she was pinned to the ceiling. She felt the slash of pain across her stomach, and then everything went dark.
“NO!” Both men screamed as the fire spread out over the ceiling.
“You fucking bastard!” Dean felt the tears slide down his cheeks. God no. Not Pepper. He watched in horror as the fire burned fast and began to spread through the room.
“I’ll give your regards to young Sammy.” The demon disappeared in a whisp of smoke, leaving both men to drop to the floor. Dean scrambled as he grabbed Tony before he could get to Pepper. He dragged the screaming man out of the room. Tears streaming down his face, knowing that Pepper had died because he couldn’t protect her. He hadn’t warded the house…
“Jarvis…” Dean’s voice was harsh and thick with emotion.
“Emergency services are on their way,” Jarvis informed him. “Now that the Demon is gone, my systems are working at full capacity, the fire is out sir, but Ms. Pepper Pots is deceased.”
Tony pulled at Dean as he tried to get back to the room. The younger man held him to his chest. “I’m sorry, Tony. I’m so sorry.”
Tony collapsed into Dean’s arms, emotions overwhelming him. Pepper, the only woman in essence he ever loved. She was his friend, confidant, his everything in many ways. He leaned into Dean’s strong arms. There will be hell to pay. He will not let her death be in vain.
He shook his head. “Dean…”
“I’m sorry…” The guilt was eating at him.
“He said something about Sam.” Tony didn’t like the kid, but his girlfriend Jessica could be in danger.
“Get Sam on the phone, Jarvis!” Dean yelled as he heard the sirens getting closer.
‘Dean!’ Sam’s voice came over the line. ‘God Dean!’
Dean knew they were too late. “I’m sorry, Sammy.”
‘I was out, just getting some milk for the cookies she made, when I came back there was… fuck Dean. It was a demon.’ He could hear the fire over the phone. ‘I was too late. She was on the ceiling just like mom.’
“He killed Pepper,” Tony spoke up.
Sam’s breathing hitched. ‘I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. She was…’ He paused. ‘Fuck. We can’t… Dean we have to find dad… hunt the bastard.’
“We will. We will.” Dean nodded.
‘I don’t know what to do.’ Sam sounded so lost, like the child Dean had raised.
“Sam, you will be the Winchester I know you are,” Tony stated, his voice firm and sure. “You will deal with the situation at hand. You will bury your girl, take care of all the arrangements that need to be taken care of. Then we will pick you up, and we will hunt.”
“We?” Dean looked over at Tony.
“Yes we. This Demon made the biggest mistake of his life.” Stark looked over at Dean, his eyes hard and determined. “I will not stand by while you hunt him down. He took Pepper from me, and he will pay.”
Sam’s voice came back over the line, stronger than it was, now with a sense of purpose. ‘We have work to do.’