Who: Lisa and Dean When: During the Upside Down plot When: Backdated to the Upside Down plot What: Lisa is kidnapped to the Upside Down and Dean comes in to rescue her. Rating: PG-13ish Status: Closed; Completed Gdoc
How long had Lisa even been here? The days and nights seemed to all blend together. Struggling to stand, Lisa braced herself against the brick of one of the buildings in this dark Madison Valley. She was so exhausted. When was the last time she’d slept? Bruises and small cuts littered her body and the clothes she’d been taken in were ripped in numerous places. She was dirty, but she was still alive and so was the baby.
But for how much longer? Everything seemed to be alive here and out to kill her. The vines slithered on the wall beside her hand and Lisa yanked it back as if the surface was on fire. Above her head, bat-like creatures circled like vultures over a dead carcass and Lisa forced herself to start moving once more. Being seven months pregnant, the brunette was slower and far more vulnerable.
Desperately, she tried the door of the nearest vacant shop and, thankfully, it opened. Stepping inside, Lisa shut the door behind her and made her way to the back, as far from doors and windows as possible. She found a back office and, wincing, lowered herself behind the desk to hide. Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed nothing found her. Nothing, but Dean.
Dean had woken up one morning to find that Lisa was gone. Only, she wasn't gone like Sam. All of her things were still there, but she wasn't in the house and her phone was still there next to the bed. Sometimes, people left and returned a short while after, which was what he was hoping to be the case. However, after a quick visit to the network, he learned that some kind of a portal had appeared overnight and pulled people into it, along with letting some dangerous creatures out into Madison Valley. While Dean would have been more than happy to assist others, Lisa was his first and only priority, and he didn’t care if that was selfish.
He packed up a healthy supply of things he would need, first aid items, food and water, lots of weapons and other important items that he loaded into an oversized backpack. He had no idea where he was going or what to expect, so he went to see Castiel first for a tracking spell. Even if when all was said and done Lisa would be fine, he wasn’t about to just sit by while she went through whatever hell she was facing alone. Cas enchanted an object to lead him to wherever Lisa was, since she would possibly be on the move, and who knew how time moved in the portal.
The moment Dean stepped into the portal he felt consumed by despair and everything was just so damn dark and depressing. “I’m coming, baby. Just hang on for me.” He whispered to himself upon removing her sweater which pointed in the direction he needed to go. Luckily, he was able to wire a car so he didn’t have to walk the entire way, but finding gas would be difficult. While it felt like an eternity, it was only an hour or so when he finally found his fiance and he parked the car out front. He grabbed his backpack and made sure he had his weapons at the ready, namely his knives, which were the best deterrent against the vines, aside from fire.
“Lisa?!? Are you okay? Where are you, baby? It’s me, Dean.” He called out from the front door, using his machete to hack at the vines that threatened to coil around him.
Dean. His voice reached her ears like the echoes of a half-forgotten dream. Was it real? Having wandered here for a few days (or was it weeks?), Lisa realized that this place loved to play tricks on one’s mind. How many times had she thought she heard Dean only to find out it was some kind of monster instead? Or just an illusion. Was it even possible that this Dean was the real one? That she wasn’t hallucinating now?
Bigger question. Did she have the curiosity to find out? Taking a deep breath, Lisa slowly pushed herself up and started towards the front of the store. Outside, she could hear slashing, cutting, and the hiss of the vines as they shrank away from the blade. That had to be Dean, right? Lisa swallowed and crept closer to the door she’d only just locked. She could see the shadow through the dirty window and the build looked like Dean. Such a sight was worth calling out to him. Worth it for the bean growing in her belly.
“Dean! I’m here!” Lisa’s voice came out raspier than she expected. It shouldn’t have surprised her. She couldn’t remember the last time she had anything to drink. Part of her was surprised she was even still capable of standing at this point.
At the sound of her voice, tears flooded his eyes and he took a moment to compose himself. “Are you okay?” He reached out to try the door and found it to be locked. “Stay where you are, I’m coming in.” Sure, he could have asked her if she was able to open the door, but it would be faster to kick it down. Dean inhaled a deep breath and took a few steps back, suddenly lunging forward to use his leg to kick the door down with all his might. Nothing, would ever get in the way between them. Not if he could help it, anyway.
“Where are you, baby?” It was hotter than hell and he was dripping in sweat, his chest heaving rapidly while he stood his ground, wishing he had his flamethrower to light the entire place ablaze. “These fucking vine things are starting to piss me off!” Dean growled, slicing through a bunch of vines in a row that came after him. “I’m getting you out of this place and taking you back home.”
“Yeah, we’re okay.” Somehow. Lisa had no idea how she’d managed to navigate this place without running into those creatures. If anything, the vines and plant-life had proven far more difficult to avoid. They’d given her most of the bruises and cuts on her body. Plus, the way this place played with your mind? It was far worse than the damage dealt by the plants.
Lisa heard him jiggle the knob and, at his words, she backed up. “I’m not going anywhere,” Lisa called back. She braced herself against one of the walls. God was she exhausted. She needed a good night’s sleep and water. Food. Again, she was surprised she wasn’t passed out somewhere. Maybe this place had kept her going because it had something far more sinister in mind.
Dean’s footfalls pounded the pavement and she winced as she heard his booted foot collide with the door. It banged open and Lisa peered around the corner, a sigh escaping her lips as her eyes fell on Dean’s face. It was really him this time. It wasn’t just an echo. A trick of the mind. Lisa scurried out from behind the corner and ran into his arms. She buried her face in his broad shoulder and tried very hard not to cry. Yes, she wanted to go home and more than anything she hated the plant-life here. Completely.
“Dean. I was so scared,” Lisa murmured against his neck. “This place is-I don't even know how to describe it. Just that I’m so ready to go home. We are so ready to go home.”
She came around the corner so fast that he was momentarily stunned, but his arms were quick to wrap around her in a firm embrace. “It’s okay now. I’ve got you, I won’t let anything happen to you two.” Dean had never seen her look so scared before and it pained him to see the look on her face. She looked fucking awful, and as much as he wanted to tend to her every need, it was in their best interest to keep moving. Keeping her close he walked her back to the car and helped her get in, shutting the door quickly once she was in.
He ran around to the driver’s side of the car and got in swiftly, once again using the wires in the car to start the engine. “Here, there’s plenty of stuff in here.” Dean handed over his backpack and then pulled out of the parking lot, whipping the car around to head back to the portal. “Water, food, first aid stuff…” He glanced over at her as he drove, feeling guilty that he hadn’t been there to keep her safe. “Some of the things have been coming into Madison, and you’re not the only one who went missing. You didn’t run into anyone else here?”
Lisa allowed him to lead her to the car parked outside. He helped her inside and Lisa slumped against the seat, relief flooding her system as Dean shut the door and climbed into the driver side. She was going home. They were going home. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She found for the first time in what felt like forever she could relax. They weren’t out of the woods yet, but they were so close.
She was shaken from her reverie by Dean handing over his backpack. Nodding, Lisa summoned what remained of her energy to dig through it. She eagerly guzzled some water and ripped open one of the protein bars. It might have been the best thing she’d tasted in her entire life. She gobbled it up and drank more water. Finally, she felt somewhat coherent. “I didn’t run into anyone. Though, it’s not comforting to know those things are in Madison Valley now too.” Or that other people had been taken. She pitied anyone that was still here. This place was a nightmare.
Dean kept looking over at Lisa, easily noting how frazzled she was. It didn’t appear like she had been gone only a few hours, and he just hoped the baby was okay. “I’ll stay at home with you until they are gone, okay?” He promised, reaching out to take her hand in his own, giving it a firm squeeze. There was definitely a part of him that would want to go back in and save who he could, but he had others to think about. He needed to make sure that Lisa and Charlie were safe and sound above all else.
He turned his focus back to the road and spotted a large black object in the middle of the road not too far away. “Hold tight, Lis. Brace yourself.” Dean picked up on the gas and went straight towards whatever was in their way, driving right into it. There was a loud squeal and blood and guts were all over the windshield, preventing him from seeing as clearly. “Fucking son of a bitch!” He shouted in frustration, the wipers not doing much to clean off the window. “I have to pull over, I can’t fucking see now.”
Nodding, Lisa squeezed his hand tightly. “I think that would be a good idea, Dean. I know people are counting on you, but maybe just stay for a few hours until we are settled back in?” No, Lisa didn’t want to take him away from saving people. It was who Dean was at his core. Of course she selfishly wanted him to stay with her and the baby, but she knew she couldn’t ask that of him. People, other refugees, needed him too.
As much as she wanted to close her eyes and relax, Lisa couldn’t. Instead, she released his hands so he could put both on the wheel and followed his gaze back to the ground. Shit. A large, dark object occupied the space in the middle of the road in front of them. It appeared to be moving. Oh no. It was one of those creatures. The ones Lisa had only glimpsed as she attempted to flee as quickly and quietly possibly in the other direction.
“Dean…” Lisa trailed off, leaning back in the seat and grabbing a hold of the handle above the window. The car picked up speed as Dean hit the accelerator hard and the car careened towards the creature. Lisa closed her eyes just before the car slammed into it, her teeth dug deep into her bottom lip to keep from screaming.
Trembling and gasping for breath, Lisa knew she didn’t want to open her eyes, but keeping them closed wasn’t going to help either of them. Especially if Dean needed her. Slowly, her eyes crept open and landed on the blood on the windshield. Lisa immediately felt sick and her stomach gurgled beneath her clothes. Taking a deep breath and then another, Lisa looked over at Dean, his shouts ringing in her ears. No, Lisa didn’t want them to pull over, but they were riding blind. They had to pull over. Lisa forced herself to nod.
“We have to do what we need to,” Lisa replied quietly. “We can’t drive like this.” And they did have shelter. Kind of.
“No, Lisa. I have a family to protect now. I’m not the only one who is capable of fighting these monsters.” They were words he never thought he would say, and it almost sounded like he was speaking a foreign language. But, in Madison Valley, the world didn’t need him to survive. He could retire as a hunter without having to feel guilty about it.
The blood and guts everywhere barely fazed him, but when he turned to look at Lisa, he saw the color had nearly drained from her face and he pulled the car over swiftly. “Are you okay? Just take a deep breath, baby.” His hand moved to rub over her back, though he kept his gaze out the window, not wanting to be caught offguard. It felt like he had only been there a few hours, but it was now pitch black outside, which drastically decreased their visibility even more.
“Honey, I don’t really like the idea, but we might have to stay here until it’s not quite as dark anymore. I don’t know the road and the last thing I want is to hit someone, or drive off the road into a ditch or something.” Dean wasn’t fond of stopping at all, but it seemed like the safest alternative. “We’ll find a house or somewhere to stay in and I’ll stay awake while you sleep. How does that sound?”
Lisa took a deep breath and then another. Maybe if she hadn’t been pregnant, the sight of blood and guts on the window wouldn’t have fazed her as much. Having his hand on her back, rubbing the muscle gently, was soothing and despite the situation they were in, Lisa felt herself relax just a little. No, she didn’t like the idea of staying here either, but he was right. The last thing either of them wanted was to kill someone accidentally or cause worse damage to the car. The best thing they could do was stop for the night.
“I don’t either, but we don’t have a choice. We can’t risk causing worse damage to the car or hurting someone else,” Lisa replied quietly. “If we find a place to stay, as long as you’re with me, I’ll be okay.” Lisa reached out and grabbed his free hand, squeezing it briefly. She needed the comfort as much as she was trying to offer it at this point. She didn’t want Dean staying up for however long it was, but she would feel better with him keeping watch over them.
“Let’s find a place before it gets too dark.”
“Who gives a fuck about the car? It’s not Baby, I don’t care.” He put the gear in park and leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I will not leave your side, I promise. Now, yell if you see anything coming.” Dean informed her swiftly, getting out of the car so he could wipe the windshield clean with his arm. While he could now see more comfortably, he was also covered in blood and guts, which was probably not very pleasant for Lisa. “Sorry, babe. Hazard of the job.” He apologized sheepishly as he got back in the car and drove a little further down the road to a set of houses that looked suitable for the night.
He parked the car in the driveway and got out of the car, grabbing his weapons before going around to the passenger side to help Lisa out of the car. Unfortunately, he hadn’t brought himself a change of clothing and he just hoped he would be able to find something of use in the house. Dean was careful not to touch Lisa with his dirty clothes, but quickly decided to just ditch the shirt altogether. It wasn’t all that warm, but at least he wouldn’t have to worry about getting her sick. “Maybe they’ll have some food in the house.”
The blood and guts smeared on his skin was gross, but Lisa understood it had to happen. Though the smell of blood made her sick to her stomach. Thankfully, they didn’t have to drive long till they found a house to stop at. Lisa was surprised they’d found a place so quickly, but she wasn’t complaining.
The brunette watched as he unloaded his weapons and then came around to help her out of the car. Taking his hand, Lisa pulled herself up and tried to not lean against him as the two of them made their way to the house. Thankfully, Dean ditched the shirt and as soon as he did, Lisa leaned against him, head resting on his shoulder. With his warmth surrounding her, Lisa felt a million times better despite still being in the crappy situation they were in.
“Maybe. We need to find you some clothes. As much as I enjoy looking at you shirtless, it’s not great if it happens to get colder here.” Lisa glanced over at him with a small smile. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
"Baby, I would crawl over broken glass just to find you." He assured her confidently, both hands coming out to cup her face, his thumbs brushing over her jaw. Dean looked at her with the best smile he could muster, his eyes glassy with tears over the thought of losing her.
"Don't worry about me, okay? I'll be fine, I promise. I've been through it and back again." He leaned in to brush a chaste kiss to her lips, a tear spilling from his eyes as he pressed his forehead to hers. "I'm going to get us back home so you can take a nice, long, hot bath and just relax. I'll stay home and take care of you, even though I know you are beyond capable of doing so. I just need to do it."
He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, his arms moving to wrap around her body and hold her close. If she wasn't so pregnant, he would have carried her into the house, but he didn't want to drop her accidentally. Keeping her close by he walked with her to the front door and kicked it in, gaining entry to the house.
“Dean…” Lisa reached up and cupped his face, her thumb brushing his cheek. Those tears and that attempt at a smile broke her more than this place ever could. Even if he said he would always come for her, Dean deserved to know how much him being here meant to her. How much everything he did meant to her. The man standing before her with glassy eyes and looking at her with utmost devotion had lost everything countless times to save the world. Yes, he deserved to hear the gratitude even if he denied it every single time.
Lisa returned the chaste kiss and gave him a small smile. “I know you’ve been through it all, but I will still worry about you. It’s what you do when you are in love with someone.” She gently brushed the stray tear from his cheek and rested her forehead against him, taking comfort in the feel of his hands on her. “I won’t argue with a hot bath and spending as much time with you as possible,” Lisa replied softly. “And I know Charlie doesn’t either.”
Snuggled in his arms once more, Lisa clung to him as Dean raised a booted foot and kicked in the door. Not surprising, it was dark inside and Lisa looked up at Dean. “Here we go I guess,” Lisa said quietly.