Skin.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN, SKIN

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Sweat forms across the girl's forehead. Her mind was racing a million miles per hour. She hates pressure.

"Aaaand time!"

"Wh-What?--"

Sam grabs the paper and looks at her answers. Athena's breathing quickens, she looks over Sam's shoulder and watches him check the answers. He notices her leaning towards the paper and shifts his body, so she couldn't see.

"Hey!"

"You don't get to watch me check your answers." Sam says.

Athena squints her eyes, but she leans back in her seat with a sigh. Athena was a smart girl, but anytime she had pressure on her; her mind would go blank. Just like now. Since Athena wasn't in school, Sam wanted to make sure she still was able to get the education she deserved. So he would help her with different subjects, then she would take a quiz. If she got above a 75% she would be able to help Sam and Dean with the cases. This time, Athena had a timer and she was taking the quiz in a driving car.

The odds were not in her favor.

"Yeahhhh..."

Athena looks up from her bandaged fingers and looks at Sam. He turns to the girl, his lips pressed together in a sympathetic manner. The girl slumps her shoulders.

"I don't need to check the rest of these to know you passed."

Athena's eyes light up. "Really?!"

Sam laughs at Athena's excitement.

"Why did you try and scare me?" Athena grabs the test and looks across it. "Wow...I'm a genius."

"Okay, don't let that go to your head...it's only one quiz." Sam says, pulling his phone out.

"Athena is a genius, Sammy." Dean voices, slowing the car to a stop. "An evil genius. She could be a future Jigsaw or something."

Athena frowns.

"I figured we'd hit Tucumcari by lunch, then head south, hit Bisbee by Midnight." Dean says, he turns to see Sam staring at his phone. He looks at his sister and she shrugs.

"Sam wears Women's underwear." Dean voices.

Athena giggles.

"I'm listening. I'm just busy." Sam speaks.

"Busy doing what?" Dean asks.

"Reading E-mails." Sam answers.

"You read E-mails?" Athena's mouth slightly opens. "That's sounds professional."

"Oh, yeah. Back at college--it was all professionalism for me." Sam replies.

"Did you take a welding class in college?" Athena asks.

Sam pulls his brows together, "No, why would I need to take a welding class?"

Athena purses her lips and shrugs. "It seems fun or being an engineer."

"Studying to become a Lawyer was fun." Sam states.

"I'm not saying it was't." Athena says. "All I'm saying is I like all the different options."

Sam looks through the rearview mirror at his little sister. Athena sounded genuinely interested in Sam's college life. Almost like she was interested in going herself.

"Who would you even be getting E-Mails from?" Dean asks, putting gas in the car.

"From my friends at Stanford."

"You're kidding." Dean huffs. "You still keep in touch with your College Buddies?"

"Why not?"

"Well...what exactly do you tell them, you know, about where you been, what you been doing?" Dean walks around the car.

"I tell them I'm on a road trip with my big brother and little sister." Sam answers.

Athena had to admit, it made her feel good knowing she wasn't left out.

"Well, so you lie to them." Dean shrugs.

"No." Sam says. "I just don't tell them..everything."

Dean deadpans, "Yeah. That's called lying."

"No, it's not." Sam retorts.

The eldest Winchester sighs, "Athy."

"Lie. An assertion of something known or believed by the speaker or writer to be untrue with intent to deceive." Athena pronounces from memory. She looks at Sam. "It sounds like lying."

Sam massages his brow bone.

"Hey, look man, I get it," Dean says. "Telling them the truth is far worse."

"So what am I supposed to do, just cut everybody out of my life?" Sam scoffs.

Dean shrugs, saying it wasn't a bad idea. Athena pulls her brows together.

"You're serious?" Sam sends his brother an incredulous expression.

"Look, it sucks," Dean says. "But in a job like this, you can't get close to people."

Athena's frown deepens. "You're very antisocial," she states.

Dean looks at his sister, offended. "Hey!"

"She's not wrong." Sam voices.

"Sam shouldn't have to cut anyone out of his life." Athena states. "It's good to have people you love and trust around you."

Sam wrinkles his nose, "Well...I don't know about love, but--thank you, Athena."

The girl presses her lips into a smile. Athena didn't know anything about friends. Any friend she did have was either ripped away from her or was only using her. Athena understood Dean's preference to be alone, but he shouldn't try to advise others to do the same. It's their choice.

"God..."

Simultaneously, Dean and Athena turn to Sam; who had a shaken expression across his face.

"What's wrong?"

"This E-mail from this girl Rebecca Warren, one of those friends of mine." Sam shows his phone to his siblings.

"Is she hot?" Dean asks.

"Cool down, why don't you?" Athena wrinkles her nose.

"Sorry." Dean falls quiet.

"I went to school with her and her brother Zach." Sam continues. "She says Zach's been charged with murder. He's been arrested for killing his girlfriend. Rebecca says he didn't do it, but it sounds like the cops have a pretty good case."

Athena leans back into her seat, not liking the story.

"Dude, what kind of people you hanging out with?" Dean asks.

"Maybe...Dean has a point with the whole cutting ties with people thing." Athena nods her head. "Starting with Zach and Rebecca."

"No, guys. I know Zach. He's no killer." Sam states.

"Well, maybe you know Zach, as well as he, knows you." Dean states.

"They're in St. Louis. We're going." Sam says.

"Not even a please?" Athena cranes her neck forward. "I mean...I would think that a please would suffice, but it seems like no one has manners anymore..." she sighs.

"Please." Sam adds.

"Look, I'm sorry about your buddy, okay?" Dean says. "But this does not sound like our kind of problem."

"It is our problem. They're my friends." Sam replies.

"Athena, how far is St. Louis?" Dean asks.

The girl looks at the map and sighs, "About...400 miles behind us."

Dean looks back at Sam, who obviously wasn't budging. Athena looks between her brothers. "Maybe we should go." she says. "I'm sure dad can handle a few days without us on his trail."

Dean looks at Athena.

"Dean, if we don't go then you're teaching me that I shouldn't be there for the people I care about." She cocks her head to the side and blinks. "Is that really what you want to teach the impressionable child?"

Dean's mouth slightly opens and Sam smirks. He points at the girl and she gives him her signature warm smile. He then points at Sam, who shrugs. "What?"

A chuckle of disbelief escapes the eldest brother's mouth. "You two are unbelievable..." he walks around the car.

Sam keeps his eyes forward, but he holds his hand out towards Athena, who gives him a high five. Dean gets in the car, Sam and Athena both sit still; trying to contain their triumphant smiles.

☆

"You know what you can do with that 'Little Becky' crap."

Becky and Sam hug, causing Athena to smile. It was nice seeing Sam in his element. For a moment, it looked like Sam wasn't in pain thinking about evening Jess or stressed from tracking down their father. He was College Sam. In that moment being happy for Sam, made Athena's smile sad. Because she knew that college was good for Sam, which means that leaving her behind was good for him as well.

"I got your E-Mail," Sam says, pulling away from the girl.

"I didn't think that you would come here," Becky replies.

Dean takes a step forward, taking into account how attractive the blonde was. "Dean--older brother."

Becky and Dean shake hands.

"Athena--the burden."

Silence settles between all of them and the young girl blinks. "I was...kidding--I'm sorry. I'm the youngest."

Becky awkwardly chuckles and shakes the girl's hand.

"I'm sorry about our dear sister," Sam says. "She doesn't get much human interaction."

Athena's mouth hangs open, "H-He's lying--"

"No, he's not." Dean shakes his head.

"We're here to help!" Athena exclaims, hoping to change the subject which causes Sam and Dean to smile.

Becky raises her brows out of surprise from the girl's loud voice.

"Whatever we can do," Sam says, his tone a lot calmer than Athena's.

Becky looks back at her friend and steps aside, "Come in."

The Winchesters follow Becky through the house. Athena's eyes look around the large house, her mouth agape. "Whooooa..." she's seen movies that had big houses in them. But she's never seen one in actuality. "This place is huge."

"Y'know, sometimes I forget you're a Motel Baby." Dean looks down at his sister.

"Athena Winchester...the forgotten child." she spreads her hands out in a dramatic manner.

Dean raises his brows, "It's catchier than Half-Blooded Burden."

"Right?"

Sam and Dean noticed that Athena was becoming more comfortable with talking to them about things like before. Granted, there were still things Athena wasn't ready to share with them yet, but one step at a time.

"Do you guys want a beer or something?" Becky asks.

"No, thanks." Sam says.

"Can I have some water?" Athena sits on the stool.

"Of course." Becky turns to the fridge and grabs a water bottle. She hands it to the young girl.

"So...tell us what happened?" Sam asks.

"Well, Zach had came home, and he found Emily tied to a chair." Becky starts. "And she was beaten up and bloody, and she wasn't breathing. And so he...he called 911. And the Police, they showed up, and...and they arrested him. But the thing is, the only way that Zach could have killed Emily is if he was in two places at same time."

Athena slightly tilts her head.

"The police, they have a video. It's from the security tape from across the street. And it shows Zach coming home at 10:30.

Now, Emily was killed just after that. But I swear he was here with me, having a few beers until at least after midnight."

"You know, maybe we could see the crime scene—Zach's house." Sam says.

"We could?" Athena and Dean chorus.

Sam turns to his siblings.

"Why? What could you do?" Becky asks.

"Me and Athena not much." Sam says.

Athena raises her brows and starts to drink some of her water.

"But Dean's a cop."

Athena chokes on her water and coughs. The three young adults look at the child. Dean awkwardly pats Athena in her back.
Athena wipes her mouth.

"You okay?"

Athena inhales a deep breath. She nods her head, "Yeah, great—living the dream."

Athena covers her mouth as the conversation continues.

"I'm a Detective actually." Dean speaks.

Athena rolls her eyes.

"Really? Where?"

"Bisbee, Arizona." Dean answers.

Athena covers her face with her hands.

"But I'm off duty now." Dean continues.

"I don't know." The blonde exhales. "You guys, it's so nice to offer, but I just—I don't know."

"Beck, look. I know Zach didn't do this." Sam says. "Now, we have to find a way to prove that he's innocent."

"Okay." Becky nods. "I'm gonna go get the keys."

As soon as the girl leaves the room. Athena and Dean turn to Sam.

Dean whistles and Athena scoffs.

"Oh, My God!" Athena hisses.

"You're a real straight shooter with your friends." Sarcasm evident in Dean's voice.

"No, he's a liar." Athena scoffs.

Sam and Dean deadpan.

"Yeah, Athena. It was sarcasm. I was being sarcastic." Dean says.

Athena slightly opens her mouth. "Oh...okay." She points at Sam. "And a cop. Really?"

"Yeah, you could've said something so much better than..." Dean shudders and Athena nods her head furiously, agreeing.

"Look, Zach and Becky need our help." Sam says.

"I just don't think this is our kind of problem." Dean shrugs.

The girl clears her throat. The brothers turn to Athena and see her raising her hand like she's in grade school.

"Yes, Athy?"

Athena lowers her hand. "As much as I hate that Sam lied..." she flares at Sam, who tenses. 

"...shouldn't we at least help them though?" Athena hops off the stool with her water in her hand. "Also, two places at once? I'm sure we've looked into less."

Dean lets out a breath and looks at the ceiling. "You guys seriously are too good of people."

Athena pulls her brows together, "Thank you...?"

After they looked at the crime scene, they went back to Becky's place to look at the footage.

"You said time of death was about 10:30."

"Our Lawyers hired some kind of video expert."  Becky explains. "He says the tape's authentic. It wasn't tampered with."

"Hey, Beck, can we take those beers now?" Sam asks.

"Me too!" Athena raises her hands in the air.

"Absolutely not."

"I was kidding." Athena rolls her eyes. "Can I have an apple juice."

Becky nods, "Yeah, sure." She stands up and starts out of the room.

"Hey, uh...maybe some sandwiches, too?" Sam asks.

Athena raises her brows, "Or you could make your own sandwich." She looks at her brothers.

"What your sister said." Becky says. "What do you think this is, Hooters?"

Becky walks out of the room.

"I wish..."

Athena rams her elbow into Dean's side and he groans.

"You know how you guys give me school lessons?" Athena looks between her brothers. "Well, you guys are gonna become feminist. And you're going to like it."

"Yes, ma'am." The boys chorus.

Athena was out a frustrated breath and looks back at the camera footage. She pulls her brows together and slips her goggles on. "Huh." She tilts her head.

"What? What is it?" Sam asks.

"Look at the top left hand corner." Athena pints and rewinds the video.

She slows down the footage and catches sight of the man with glowing eyes.

"Maybe it's just a camera flare." Dean suggests.

"That's not like any camera flare I've ever seen." Sam says.

"You know, a lot of cultures believe that a photograph can catch a glimpse of the soul." Athena explains.

"Right."

"Remember that dog that was freaking out?" Sam reminds them. "Maybe he saw this thing."

"Maybe this is some kind of dark double of Zach's—something that looks like him but isn't him." Sam shrugs.

"Like a Doppleganger."

"Or a shifter." Athena says.

"That would sure explain how he was at two places at once." Sam agrees.

Athena pulls her brows together, "Of course it would." She snorts and nudges Sam. The girl's jaw goes slack. "Unless he can teleport."

"No one can teleport." Dean says.

Athena raises her brows and tilts her head side to side. "You sure about that?"

Dean pulls his brows together. He starts to rethink his answer.

☆

"Why do you keep moving? STOP MOVING!"

Athena flinches and crawls toward the stairs. Victor grabs Athena by her ankle and a sob escapes her lips.

"LET ME GO!"

Victor pulls her down the stairs, she tries her best to claw at the stairs. Her finger nails chipping because of it.

Her stomach slams into the floor. Victor forces Athena onto her back, her eyes meeting his.

"Athy—"

"GET OFF OF ME!"

"BE QUIET!" He slaps a hand over her mouth.

"PLEASE STOP!" Athena sobs through his hand.

"Athena—"

"NO!"

Athena's eyes fly open, her breathing quick. Her arms fly over her head and she curls into herself. She continues to breath quickly, tears rolling down her face.

"Hey, hey. It was just a nightmare."

Athena shakes her head and continues to keep herself shielded from the world.

"Athy."

The girl flinches. Sam goes to tap Athena's arm, but Dean quickly grabs his wrist. Sam turns to his older brother, his brows pulled together. Dean has seen this happen with Athena a few times. And everytime Athena asked for the same thing and he would give it to her.

"Hey, Athena." Dean starts, his voice soft. "Sam found something with the case eand we're gonna check it out. Give you a chance to breathe, all right?"

Athena keeps her arms over her head. But her breathing was calmer than before, signaling the brothers that she would be okay.

Dean turns to Sam, the younger brother nods his head. Both brothers leave the car and start towards the house.

"How did you know what to do?" Sam asks.

Dean stuffs his hands into his jacket pockets. "That wasn't the first time." He shrugs.

"Are you kidding me? Why haven't I heard of this?" Sam's voice was more aggressive than before.

Dean rolls his eyes, "You have never called us—once and you changed your number." He then lets out a scoff of disbelief. "I wasn't gonna call you Sam if you weren't gonna call us."

Guilt settles into Sam's chest. "It just sucks seeing her like that." He says.

"Yeah, believe me. I know." Dean's voice was more quiet before.

Athena slowly uncovers her arms from her head. She wipes her tears. Every now and then Athena would get the urge where she couldn't breathe and needed to be alone. She didn't want anyone near her. There would be times Athena would get flashbacks about Victor. But she would always push it down. Why was it bothering her now?

Athena pulls her knees toward her chest and inhales a shaky breath.

A siren was heard passing the car, causing Athena's ears to perk. The car doors open and both brothers get back in the car. Before saying anything about the case, they turn to their younger sister who was practically curled into herself with red rimmed eyes.

"Hey, we could drop you off at the Motel. If that's what you want?" Sam says, his voice gentle.

"Or we could all do something, just the three of us." Dean adds.

Athena pulls her brows together and looks between both her brothers. "What, drop the case?" She sniffles. "You would do that for me?"

"Of course."

Sam wanted to find out what happened to Zach—of course. But he wanted to be there for Athena. After everything she has been through and he has out her through, he needed to be there for her.

Athena smiles softly, "You guys are so cool." She wipes at her eyes.

Sam and Dean's hearts warm from their sister's smile.

"But we need to help your friends." Athena says. "Saving people..."

"Hunting things..."

"...the family business."

Simultaneously, the siblings burst out laughing. "That was so cheesy." Dean shakes his head.

Athena shrugs, "I thought it was cool."

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Authors Note:

The bonding is real y'all!!!!