Dean Winchester (godsfave) wrote in aumadisonvalley, @ 2021-07-09 09:45:00 |
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Another glorious day in Madison Valley. At least there wasn’t a fucking hell loop, so Dan never knew what to expect. Dean handed him a shopping list, as he did a couple of times a week. Sam even added to it with a grunt, which from Sam basically equaled a declaration of love. Dan passed by Jame’s son, and noticed the kid avoided him. Good. After the visit to the clinic, the kid had given up any hope of besting Dean and Dan. Plus, rumour was his friend had developed eye problems from the pepper spray, so even Dean admitted that hadn’t been Dan’s worst idea. He meandered to a few other supply stores first, saving the groceries for the end. No sense in having them go to waste. And all he needed to really grab? Some alcohol, gauze, and a new knife. When Dan entered the grocery store, he made sure to grab a cart, and two containers of peaches. Dean loved peaches, and they looked decent. Plus, since Dan could kind of cook, he planned on baking with one of the baskets. When he got to the produce section with apples, he saw Dean. “What the fuck, boss? You tell me you have time to visit the store. Which, for you, actually means you have more important shit to do, and yet you’re here. And before you ask, yes, I checked the peaches before I put them in the basket.” In fact, Dean hated any kind of shopping in this town. After finding the mansion to be empty, Dean had decided to take a trip back to the main street area. In order to figure out how to leave, or even understand what was happening, he needed to do some recon. He stepped into a ramshackle version of a grocery store and was horrified at what he saw. The shelves were all mostly bare. No packaged bags of chips, no boxes of cookies, the majority of the dairy section was empty, and there seemed to be very little in the freezers. How the fuck did anyone survive this place? He continued to stroll up and down the aisles, hoping to find something that wasn’t a fruit or vegetable, and still edible. He continued to forget that there was another version of himself and looked at everyone oddly when they practically fled in the other direction. Nobody had dared to make eye contact or even acknowledge his presence. It was definitely strange and he was beginning to wonder if he would need to start wearing a sign or something to let everyone know they didn’t need to fear him. The thought was quickly discarded as he realized it probably wouldn’t help much at all. With an exasperated sigh, he moved to peruse the produce department and came across someone who clearly wasn’t afraid of him. Dean raised a brow over the comments from the other and just shook his head. “Yeah, I’m not the Dean you think I am. Who the hell are you? I don’t recall having ever seen you around before.” At that, Dan looked the other man over and said, “No. I suppose you’re not.” At the question, Dan sighed in exasperation. “I’m Dan. We, well other you and I, bonded over the fact that I can get shit done for you, and I used to be in a Hell loop. My ex-wife is in a relationship with Lucifer and I’m friends with a demon named Maze.” He realized they were drawing a few curious eyes, so Dan lowered his voice. “Look, we need to get this shit and leave. It won’t be long before a few locals figure out you’re not the right Dean and honestly? I don’t think I need the real Dean to come back and find out that the town isn’t afraid of him. Plus, they might actually kill you, which would be bad for you and me. Plus Sam.” Dan really didn’t need this right now. At all. And then he noticed James’ curious glance. “James, can I help you?” Dan nonchalantly balled his right hand into a fist, with a “come at me fucker” expression. What warmth had resided in Dan’s eyes when he arrived no longer existed. And James backed away. He was a little surprised that Dan had accepted it so easily, and he wondered what might have given himself away. But, he would save that question for later. He turned to look in the direction of James, who had apparently been watching them. Dean was more than confident in his ability to protect himself, which also meant that he would take on any persona necessary to get the job done. He fixed his gaze on the young man and looked at him with a cold stare. “If you know what’s good for you, James, you’ll back the fuck up, and don’t even think about looking our way.” His voice was deep and there was a growl as he stood there, watching the kid practically fall over his own feet to get away. “Come on, Dan. Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he added with another growl, storming out of the store as if he were truly angry. “Vamos, Dan! We don’t have all day. Forget about that shit in the cart. I need to sharpen my knives.” He walked out of the store and bent over to retrieve the knife he was carrying from his lower leg. The silver metal glistened in the sun and Dean pressed the top of the knife into the tips of one of his fingers, drawing a small amount of blood.. “Eh, maybe it’s already sharp enough.” He hesitated a moment and turned slightly, throwing his knife at a wooden board, just barely missing a man walking by, which had been intentional. “Yup, definitely sharp enough,” he nodded again and stepped over to retrieve his knife from the board. What had given Dean away was his eyes. His eyes held warmth and confusion, two expressions that the Dean he knew never wore. Which, honestly, didn’t bode particularly well for either of them at the moment. But then other Dean redeemed himself and Dan inwardly thanked this Dean for having some ‘survival of the fittest’ skills. It meant that they both might survive whatever happened next. And, in this world? Survival was paramount. As James backed away, he noticed the curious expression left his face. His usual skittish expression returned to his face. As Dean spoke, Dan followed him. “Whatever you want, Boss.” He’d need to give this Dean a couple pointers privately, but so far, nobody was any the wiser about this current Dean. “Great throw, Boss.” Dan rarely called Dean anything besides Boss, having learned early on nobody called Dean ‘Dean’ unless they were people from back home. Once they managed to exit, the peaches randomly left on the shelf, Dan breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, that definitely went better than I expected. Good thing you can act like other Dean.” The sentiment that he could act like the other Dean probably wasn’t a good thing, but it wasn’t something he was about to dissect. There were going to be similarities between any version of himself. He followed Dan to the car and got in the passenger side. “I don’t suppose Baby is here, my Impala?” If it were, it would probably be in dire shape, depending on the supplies available around town. “I have no idea what the fuck a hell loop is, but I think I do know your ex-wife, along with douchebag Lucifer, who I think left, and I am more than familiar with Maze.” Dean couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face as he thought about their time together. “Also, I think I met your daughter, possibly, Trixie? Back to more important things, like our survival. Just how bad is this other Dean? I’m a skilled fighter, but without Sam, I don’t know if I can take on an angry mob.” He leaned back into the seat and let out a sigh. “I don’t think the other Dean is here, by the way. I’m fairly certain we swapped places, but I can’t be too sure. I went to the house, but I didn’t find anything. Pretty sweet place he’s got, I’m sure he didn’t pay for it, though.” If this current Dean had issues with acting like the normal Dean? He could hide out at home. It’s not like that was any different than most days for Dean. Okay, so Dan got to drive? Fuck. He hated driving this thing. “Sorry, your car is definitely not here and I can’t see the Dean from here naming anything, least of all ‘Baby’.” “Wait. You know Chloe? And Trixie??” Dan couldn’t hold back his astonishment. He missed his daughter so much, and it wasn’t like he and Chloe weren’t good friends these days. Or, at least before Hell and this...sort of hell. “Lucifer isn’t...terrible. I mean, he’s the literal devil, but he also made me a gigantic pudding cake, so he’s not the worst. Plus he’s good to Trixie.” Dan startled himself with the laugh that escaped him; a rather foreign sound these days. “So you and Maze huh? She’s a good friend. Haven’t slept with her. I...have some leftover feelings about Charlotte anyway.” He immediately sobered up. “The good news is, the other Dean has solidified his rep well enough that as long as you speak to me and others the way you did in the store? You should be fine. Besides, I’m part of your muscle here, so generally I throw a punch or snap a wrist and we’re good. The other Dean...he likes torture. He’s not nice. It’s how I could tell you weren’t him. Your eyes aren’t fucking daggers of ice.” “Dean already lived here a few months before I arrived, so while I’m sure you’re right about how he got the house? I don’t know by what means he actually procured it. Swapping makes some sense. Hopefully, it’s not too long, so shit doesn’t completely fall apart before Dean gets back here. Are Trixie and Chloe safe?” Dan cared about Maze and Lucifer, but those two could take care of themselves. “Trust me, he calls it Baby. If he has the Impala in the first place, that is.” While Dan drove, he took the opportunity to once again assess the surroundings and to make a mental map of where things were. “No idea who Charlotte is, but if you haven’t slept with Maze, you are seriously missing out. I never personally met Chloe, but I did meet your daughter, and she’s fantastic. Seriously, really great kid.” When Dan mentioned that he was part of the muscle for Dean, he turned to look at the man with an arched brow. “He makes you do all the heavy lifting?” If the other Dean enjoyed torture, he wondered at what point in his life he had gone dark. It was certainly a path that Dean was familiar with, but thankfully, he had never travelled too far down. “Trust me, I can go just as dark if our lives depend on it.” Maybe. He wouldn’t be able to kill anyone who didn’t deserve it, but hopefully, things wouldn’t escalate to such a level. “Trixie and Chloe are absolutely safe, yes. Believe it or not, but there’s another version of this place and it’s far from being a dump. Civilization is very much alive and thriving on the other side.” He was a little surprised that Dan was eager to get the other Dean back, especially when he was supposed to be such a shit person. “Nothing is going to fall apart, Dan. I’m going to try and find a way back, and when I do, you should come with me.” Dan laughed at the image of Dean calling anything baby, but it stood to reason that this Dean might know other Dean better than him, since they shared history. Maybe? How did that work, actually? “Charlotte is...was my relationship after Chloe and I ended. Turns out she was also embodied by God’s wife at one point, so wasn’t weird at all finding that out...from God.” At the mention of sex with Maze, Dan grinned. “I probably am, but that’s just not our relationship.” Maze was of course hot, but they both needed each other’s friendship more. “Nah, not all the heavy lifting, and it’s not just me. But, it certainly helps things run more smoothly if the townspeople associate me with you...err him...you know what I mean.” Dan knew enough about Dean’s past, including their shared Hell stories, but given he had only just met this other Dean, that answer he did not have. Dan honestly only wanted other Dean back because it worked in this world. If he lived elsewhere? He didn’t think he’d care. Although, he wondered how other Dean was doing without him. At the mention of going with this Dean, back to his version of the world, Dan pulled over and looked at him. “Go...back. With you?” He laughed bitterly. “I mean, that sounds nice, but I’ve been in Hell and here since I died, so I do hope you get back. I don’t think I deserve it. Besides, how could I look my daughter in the eyes? I’m...not the dad she remembers.” Dan barely remembered his former self. And, since he pushed most of his feelings far down into himself, he thought seeing his friends and daughter might break him. “Wow, dude, you slept with God’s wife? I didn’t even realize he had a wife. Maybe mine didn’t...he did have a sister who was smoking hot. He’s a giant bag of dicks, though. God, that is. At least yours didn’t smite you.” Dean replied with a shrug, finding Dan to be kind of interesting. He was curious about hell loops and what it was like down there for Dan, if it was always the same or not. Just a bunch of demons torturing the souls of the damned. He was a little curious about the other Dean, what had happened to him and why he ran the place the way he did. But, it was unlikely they would cross paths. At least that’s what he was hoping for. He knew all too well the way Dan was feeling, and he understood completely. “Dan, I haven’t known you for very long, but you don’t seem like the type of guy who deserves to be in hell. Sure, you’ve done some things you aren’t proud of, but you did it for survival. I probably don’t deserve to be in a good place anymore than you. Yet, here I am.” Why had they ended up in this shitty version of Madison Valley anyway? It didn’t seem fair at all, but in life, nothing was ever fair. “I’m pretty sure your daughter will love you, regardless of what you’ve done here. But, it’s up to you, man. I’m not going to pressure you either way.” “I didn’t know she was God’s wife at the time. And then God exploded me and put me back together for it. Goddess of creation and I only found out after she died.” And that he needed to ask Amenadiel, her son, about it only added to the awkwardness. “Nah, the God from my world feels more like...that uncle you see at family reunions who everyone likes, but in small doses? Mine seems thrilled to be a grandpa, though.” Did Lucifer have uncles and aunts? Dan didn’t think so, but he certainly possessed enough fucking siblings. Not that Dan disliked Amenadiel. The other man was a good friend. Lucifer was...something. Dan considered it. “I don’t know how your hell works, but ours is based on guilt. If you die feeling guilty about something, that’s how you’re tortured. Theoretically, you can leave, because it’s your own mind holding you back.” Dan couldn’t explain his own hell loop. At least not yet. “If you can figure out a way back, I’ll go with you. I’m kind of over this place. It...I wouldn’t mind a chance to relax and see my kid. Hell, I’ll settle for some ribbing from Lucifer. This place...it’s awful. But, it’s still better than Hell in some ways.” "Wow, your God is way better than mine. He literally treated us like a television show that he was watching. If I had your God, we would have still been a family, maybe." It was hard to say either way, given that without the influence of heaven, he might not ever have been born in, in any of the universes Chuck had created. Although, it wouldn't have mattered much to him if he hadn't been born. He had tried once before to change that, but the end result was never the same. "Mine also wanted to kill his nephew, because he felt threatened by him. In my world, you can literally sell your soul to a demon, and then you get to enjoy whatever you wish, for ten years. When the time is up, hellhounds come to get you and drag you down to hell. The only way to escape is if an angel pulls you out, or if the gates are open. I've been to both heaven and hell, along with purgatory." Dean wasn't sure why he was telling Dan so much. Though, maybe he just wanted to make sure that Dan knew what he was capable of, and that he didn't need to worry. "Almost everything is better than hell, I think." They pulled up to the mansion that the brothers had claimed for themselves and Dean really hoped that his other half wasn't around. The last thing he wanted was to get killed by his own self. "Honesty, I'm not really sure how to get back. It's not like I have a spell book to cast anything, and Cas can't hear me. Well, it's either that or he's ignoring me, but I highly doubt that." Was Dan’s God better than Dean’s? Who knew. They certainly sounded different, though. “I don’t want to be anyone’s entertainment, thank you very much. Are you a direct descendant of God, then? Well, your version.” The Dean from this world didn’t delve too much into his world, except when they compared notes about hell and torture. “My world’s God is more like the friendly neighbour who likes to host barbecues. Your world sounds way more complicated than mine, but I’ve only recently learned about Lucifer and God...and Maze.” Dan found himself liking this Dean and felt less concerned about what might happen to them in this world. “Who is Cas? Yeah, I still have no idea how the hell I ended up in this place, which is fucking weird let me tell you.” They got out of the car and Dan said, “Your room is upstairs, second room on the right.” The master room, of course, with an ensuite. “Mine is an absolute fucking dick, that’s for sure. I’m apparently a descendant of Cain and I was supposed to say yes to Michael, the angel, and blah, blah, blah. It’s a long story and kind of complicated. Maybe I can tell you another time.” He had already visited the house with Laurel, but he hadn’t explored the entire place, deciding to hit the streets again. “Cas is an angel, and the one who pulled me out of hell.” When he stepped out of the car and wasn’t instantly attacked, he figured that Dean was still not around, and that was a very good thing. “Upstairs, and on the right, got it.” Searching his twin’s room directly could prove to be more useful, and hopefully, he would find some items of interest. “If he does happen to show up, I’ll figure a way out of the house, but I’m still ninety nine percent sure he’s not here.” |