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Entry tags:	fandom: supernatural, otp: dean/janis, otp: sam/nina, writing: supernatural

Wash Away My Sins: Chapter Three - Supernatural
Title: Wash Away My Sins
Authors: Aratocriel and Jade Blood
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Dean, Sam, Dean/OFC, Sam/OFC, OC!villains
Disclaimer: Supernatural and it's characters belong to Kripke and the CW. Nina belongs to Aratocriel, and Janis belongs to me (Jade), so no using them without our permission. We make no profits from this and are just having fun!
Summary: A year after the events of "Unity in Duality", Janis and Nina are a bit savvier regarding the world of the paranormal, but the resurgence of old enemies has left them needing the help of the Winchesters once more.
Author's Note: If there is more than a week long gap between this and chapter three, don't panic. I'm going on a trip to visit with Aratocriel for New Years, but as soon as I get back, another chapter will be up. For now, enjoy this one! :D
Previous Chapters: 1 : 2



Chapter Three

The sun rose to find Nina and Sam much in the same position they had been when they fell asleep: curled up in one another's arms, Nina's head resting against Sam's chest, the sound of his heart gently putting her to sleep. They both had spent the night this way, talking until they could no longer hold their eyes open and reveling in being together once again. No ropes, no worry about Nina morphing into a monster with the night’s touch. Just a simple night spent together. In their eyes, it was perfect.

Kissing his chest where her head had rested, Nina sat up, smiling down at Sam as his eyes opened.

"Morning," he muttered, running a hand through his shaggy hair.

"Sleep well?" Nina asked, then frowned slightly. "Well enough once Janis and Dean shut up." She shook her head, remembering when they had both been awoken by apparently the couple’s second wind around two in the morning.

"Best sleep I've had in days," Sam sat up, pressing his lips gently to hers.

Nina pulled back with a smile on her face. "Let's get dressed. I'll get breakfast started. Bacon and eggs sound good?"

"Sounds perfect." Sam followed her example, standing and dressing then heading to the kitchen with her.

Sam helped as much as he could, laughing when he was reduced to preparing toast while Nina juggled eggs and bacon. They both agreed that with it being her kitchen, that was the safest way to go. It felt like being in a real, honest-to-God home, laying out place settings while the house was filled with the smells of sizzling food. He could almost ignore the salt and devil’s trap by the kitchen window.

Just as they were sitting down to the table, Dean entered with Janis riding piggyback. They’d heard their laughter from across the house yet had assumed they were merely “at it again”. When the voices had drawn nearer, Dean muttering some inaudible thing and Janis’s giggles soon following, they had stopped to eye each other warily. Now, Dean was leaning awkwardly to plop Janis into a chair, then taking a seat by her. Both of them looked freshly showered, Janis’s long hair leaving wet splotches on her shirt where the tendrils fell. She swiped a hand over Dean’s cropped hair, sending a gentle spray of water off of it.

“Thank you,” she snickered at him.

“No problem,” Dean replied and stretched his neck like a pleased cat when she stroked his cheek.

“That was quite an entrance,” Sam noted with amusement.

“Yeah, she was having trouble walking,” Dean grumbled with a not-so-modest quirk taking over his features. “Figured since that was my fault, I’d lend a hand.”

"Such a gentleman," Nina said and rolled her eyes, placing two plates full of bacon and eggs on the table. Sam finished buttering the toast he made, placed it alongside the rest, and sat down. Dean glanced into the empty mug sitting next to his plate and then looked up at Nina who raised an eyebrow at him. "Coffee is in the pot on the counter. You can get it yourself since you have two perfectly good legs."

Dean grimaced then walked to the coffee pot, snatched it up, and returned to the table. He poured some for himself, then filled Janis’s mug.

She gave Nina a pointed look at this. “You joke, but look who’s getting my coffee.”

Dean said nothing to this, actually avoiding the looks as he returned the pot to the counter. When he was seated again, he wasted no time in scooping up mountains of eggs and bacon for himself.

“Mind saving some for the rest of us?” Sam laughed.

“Well, he had a big night,” Janis grinned. “He has a right to be hungry.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Dean smirked.

"Oh, trust me, we heard your big night; both times you had it," Nina pointed out, taking some of the bacon and eggs for herself. "Tonight I am wearing earplugs to bed."

"Maybe we should give them a taste of their own medicine," Sam whispered, leaning in close to her and speaking low enough so that only she could hear him.

A wicked smirk passed over Nina's face as he drew back. "I like how you think, Sammy."

Dean had been shoveling food into his mouth and raised his head, a strip of bacon dangling from between his lips. “Hmm?”

“I don’t think we want to know,” Janis warned with a grin. She tugged the bit of bacon from him, shocked he didn’t try to bite her, then tucked it into her mouth with a satisfied smile. She turned her attention back to Nina and sighed. “I think this is probably the nicest night… slash morning we’ve had in days. I could get used to this.”

"I agree," Nina nodded, taking a sip of her apple juice. "It'd be nice to think that you boys have put enough fear in the demons that just your mere presence scares them off."

"I think Dean surprised them last night when he met them at the door,” Sam explained. “They weren’t expecting you two to have help. I'm sure we haven't heard the last of them yet."

The table grew silent for a moment as both boys peered down at the platter of bacon were a lone piece was lying. Their eyes met and forks flashed out to stab. Dean's fork missed the bacon all together, poking Sam's hand. The younger of them grunted and went after his brother’s hand in return. Nina slipped her own hand past the stabbing of forks and snatched up the piece of bacon, causing both boys to stop and stare at her as she tore it in half and handed them each a piece.

"Sheesh, you'd think they hadn't eaten in days." Nina shot a smirk at Janis.

Janis snorted behind her hand, then chanced reaching for the sugar to put some in her coffee. “I’m surprised Sam had the guts to try a stunt like that…”

“Yeah, well, he needs to learn to share,” Sam replied.

“You need to learn to shut up,” Dean growled.

“Hey, hey…” Janis chastised with a giggle, poking Dean’s side. “Be nice.”

"If you boys wanted more bacon that badly I can make some," Nina offered, then stood and moved to the fridge, opening it and digging through the drawers for another pack of bacon. "Okay, well, maybe I can't since we're out of bacon." She peered into the fridge a moment longer and closed the door, her nose wrinkled. "We're also out of a few other things, beer included on that."

Dean gazed at her like a deer in headlights, which caused fresh laughter to peel from Janis. “Not the end of the world, sweetie,” she assured him. “We’ll get more.”

She reached over for yet another, affectionate rub, but the phone rang. She sprang up, and her legs did wobble. It had been no exaggeration that she wasn’t finding walking the easiest of tasks this morning. She made it to the phone intact and answered with a smile in her voice, unable to help herself. She carried the cordless receiver back into the kitchen with her, leaning against the door as she listened to the voice on the other side confirm that it was the middle-aged secretary from her place of work calling.

“Vicky, hey,” Janis greeted warmly. “Yeah, Nina and I are still in the thick of this business that, honestly, I’m just glad no one’s asked any invasive questions about yet. But we’re okay. I appreciate you calling, though!” She paused, her face changing to one of confusion. “Oh, well, what’s going on?” Her eyes snapped to Dean, who had been watching her with some interest and perked up fully now at the shocked expression she offered. “What? How?” Janis moved over to her chair and plopped into it as the rest of the strength in her legs vanished, listening for a long beat. “I’m… stunned. Yeah. Vicky, I’m just… No, I’m sorry… Yeah, you too. Take care of yourself, okay? …Bye, hun.”

Janis pulled the phone from her ear and hit the red “end” button, resting her elbows in the table. She put on hand over her mouth, unable to believe she’d just made it through that short conversation, since further words felt impossible to pluck from her brain.

Nina tilted her head and set her fork down, her face morphing into one of confusion. "Janis?" she asked, but Janis didn't acknowledge her. "Janis," she repeated, a little more loudly. "Sis, what's the matter?"

Janis jerked her head toward Nina and dropped her hand, as if she’d been asleep and had only now woken. Nina was the portrait perplexity, Sam seemed to brace himself for the worst, but Dean was the fierce pillar of strength she needed at her side even if he did reek of impatience.

“It’s Reg,” she said, then squinted with irritation at herself, realizing the boys would need an explanation where Nina wouldn’t. “This guy I work with at the newspaper. He’s a photographer a few years older than me. Working freelance part time. He drives me home when I stay late… Or he did. Vicky just told me he’s dead.”

"Oh my God…" Nina muttered. "Did she say how he died? Please tell me it was a normal car accident."

“Afraid we’re not going to get that lucky,” Janis sighed. “He was disemboweled. And nailed to his ceiling. Vicky almost couldn’t hold her breakfast down trying to tell me. She’s scared out of her mind, thinking there’s a Charles Manson on the loose out there. Natural for her to feel that way. Things like that don’t happen here.”

“She’s not half wrong,” Dean grunted. “It’s definitely some kind of fucked up family, just not human.”

“We’ll need to check the crime scene out sometime today,” Sam put in. “Did you know where he lived, Janis?”

She nodded. “He cooked me dinner once. He had… kind of a crush on me, I think.” She swallowed and offered them a brave smile. “It’s been a reality check of a morning, hasn’t it?”

"Unfortunately," Nina sighed, leaning back in her chair. "This doesn't bode well at all… You think they're going after friends now?"

"It's possible, but we won’t know everything until we check out the house." Sam reached over and laid a hand on Nina's leg.

"Give us directions, and Sam and I'll check it out," Dean said.

“Actually, I’d like to tag along if that’s okay,” Janis muttered.

“Well, it’s not,” Dean replied, and his tone left no room for argument even though he knew one was nigh. “If they are going after people you know, why do you think they’re doing it? To try and draw you out of this house. You leave, and you give them exactly what they’re after.”

“It’s my fault Reg is dead,” Janis growled. “It’s doubtful I’ll be getting a chance to pay my respects at his funeral, so I owe him this much, don’t I?”

“How about making sure he didn’t die in vain?” Dean returned.

“You know, we’re not having this discussion again,” Janis laughed. “It seemed fine a year ago, logical even, but I’m not the same girl I was then. I knew him. Chances are I could help.” She softened. “Don’t push me out of this because you’re scared, Dean.”

“Not scared,” Dean snapped, then turned away to take a long drink from the dregs of his coffee. “Sam and I know what we’re looking for. We can go alone just fine.”

“Honestly, she makes a point, Dean,” Sam almost whispered.

Dean glared at him. “Don’t tell her that. Whose side are you on, dude?”

"She does make a good point, and I'm going, as well," Nina put in. When the older brother snapped his glare to her, she added, "Dean, we're not the same girls you knew a year ago. We've learned and can probably be of help. We're also not helpless."

Dean had shut his mouth, knowing that anything he tried to interject would only be viewed as arrogant and misogynist. Then again, how else was he expected to feel when he knew there were five, renegade demons out there who had painted targets on anyone and anything even remotely connected to the two of them? His eyes were steely as he averted them from all involved, knowing his words of wisdom would be lost on them at this point.

“You don’t have to come, Nina,” Janis said gently. “If you’re going for me, I’ll be okay. I don’t want you to have to see anything…” She trailed off, not wanting to express gory details.

"I'm going because you're my best friend and I don't want you facing this without me." Nina smiled softly, then added quietly, "besides, I'm the one who pissed this demon off in the first place, and I'm not hiding in the house while all of you are out there."

“I guess if we are all going, you shouldn’t be here alone,” Sam added.

“Even if this is the anti-demon Fortress of Solitude and just about the only place you two should be when there’s a paranormal hit out on you,” Dean muttered. “Not that what the veteran hunter has to say about it matters at all.”

“Wow, that was pretty bitchy,” Janis noted, tilting her head at him. “Do I need to lend you a tampon?”

“That right there,” Dean pointed. “Exactly why I hadn’t said anything. Because you think you’re a badass now since you have a lot of salt and know how to bless water. Somewhere along the way, you’ve lost sight of the fact that having a gang of creatures from Hell on your ass isn’t natural, and it’s going to take being a little less of an idiot to fix this.”

“You’re acting like I invited this mess on myself,” Janis laughed. “Do you really think that little of me, Dean? All I’m trying to do is take responsibility for it. Believe it or not, I’ve outgrown being a damsel.”

“I’m telling you, we could be walking into a trap, and those things are just praying that we’re stupid enough to drag you along.”

“All the more reason for us to be there! To try and help if that is the case! I won’t send you out to your death alone--”

“I’d have Sam, who at least knows what--!”

“Listen, this isn’t the time, okay?” Sam noted sharply, drawing the attention of both parties. “Janis knows enough about Reg that anything truly out of the ordinary, aside from a ceiling covered in blood, will stand out. Nina can’t stay here alone, because there are too many entrances, even if they are protected. It would make it that much more likely for one of them to pull some trick out of their sleeve we’ve never seen before, break their way inside, and outnumber her. You know as well as I do, Dean, that they just love proving they’re the geniuses of the underworld while we look on dumbfounded.”

Dean’s jaw ticked as he glared at his brother, nodding reluctantly.

“Janis, I know you’re both different and smarter than you once were, and that’s amazing,” Sam laughed. “I’m proud of you both. More than I can say. But Dean and I have done this longer with more success, so please trust us when we want to shield you. We aren’t trying to be patronizing. We just don’t want to see you hurt.”

Janis added a hesitant nod of her own.

“So can we stop bickering and try to get something accomplished?”

To Be Continued...