Chain Of Pleasure

Chapter 8

She wakes up in a cold sweat, her eyes popping open as her entire body jerks and her fingers flex, a small gasp coming from shaking lips.

Piper stares across the itchy sheets to the window on the far side of the room, seeing the sun setting low and seeing lights flaring up through the pine needles on the other side of the window. Her tongue runs over her lips, tasting the distinct annoyance of sleep on her teeth and she pushes herself up slowly.

She doesn't even question where she is when she wakes up this time, her body aching a little as she stands.

Her head insists this will all end soon, that she'll wake up on the other side, in her room, listening to her mother scream but so far, she's still here. And despite her panic, she's more than elated to be here; well, not at the moment when cold water slaps her in the back but she's still pretty excited.

She wanted to know things, Piper always wanted to know more, and she wanted to see if some theories were right, if she was close enough to see the normal Edward come to witness the future he was tormented with. But she would have to settle with this Edward for a moment, the rough ones the irrational one, the one with that hot-as-fire thigh holster.

In a few minutes, she'll step out of the bathroom and instantly panic, hearing the sound of boots thunking around the otherwise quiet house and the clink of glasses downstairs.

Her heart flutters in her chest and Piper clenched the fabric over where her heart was, easing towards the opening to the stairs. She peered down from as close to the edge as she felt comfortable getting and saw a long shadow dancing in candle light; broad, even if the shadows exaggerated things on a regular basis.

"Ya gonna come down or not," relief instantly uncoiled inside of her, quickly replaced by that sick flurry of butterflies. "I can hear the boards squeakin', kid."

Piper exhaled and released her shirt, leaving deep crinkles as she padded softly down to the living room. Edward had set down two glasses on the small table in the center of the room, a bottle of Jack in his hand but he only filled up one glass.

He gave her a soft side glance, lips twitching into a smile. "Knew it," he murmured and Piper ducked her head, shuffling towards the couch as he sat down. "Hurry up, kid, ain't got all night."

There was nowhere else to sit but beside him, right beside him. So hesitance and worry filled her as she sank down into the cushion, her leg briefly brushing against his before she jerked away. He chuckled at her, taking a slow sip of his drink while Piper just turned every shade of red in the book.

"Act like ya never sat next ta a guy before."

Piper looked over at him, eyes still wide in disbelief at the sight of him sitting beside her. "I. . .I really haven't," she murmured and looked down again. "I mean. . .I've sat next to guys before but um," she gave him a quick side glance. "Nevermind."

"Nah," he chuckled. "Ya can't leave it at that, kid and expect me not to get curious."

Piper's cheeks seemed to deepen in color, if that were possible and she gripped her knees tightly. "N-No I can't uh," she swallowed thickly. "I'm so embarrassed right now, to be honest."

He chuckled again and, as if he were out to make it worse, he reached up and pushed her hair back, exposing her face and making her give him another scared look. There it was again, that flash of black in his eyes - but that couldn't be right, it wasn't the right season and - but she had read so many things and -

"Got somethin on your mind," he questioned, sipping slowly at the amber liquid in his glass.

Piper licked her bottom lip slowly, very much aware of the look he gave the subtle movement; fan fiction didn't do the real thing justice, she didn't expect them to be nearly spot on. But this didn't send arousal through her -- okay, it did but only a little bit -- it sent mostly fear into her, an uneasiness that came naturally around men. She'd never felt comfortable around them, her own mind sending her to crazy places thanks to wandering eyes and hands.

"Y-You're a good man, Edward," she sputtered out against her will, meaning to keep it inside her head and cringing for it. "I uh. . .I mean. . .I've seen what happens here," she looked around the room. "In this time ya know and. . .anything you do doesn't make you a bad man."

He arched an eyebrow, slowly rotating the glass in his hand; his wrist crackled and popped. "Well where the Hell did that come from," Piper ducked her head, eyes squeezed tight. "You're too funny kid, ya know that?"

Piper looked back up at him, already tired. "You're not exactly what I expected," she whispered and he hummed around a mouthful of alcohol. "I mean. . .you're Edward, you're just like you are on the show but," she shook her head. "But. . .this version of you is so much different than you are on an average day."

He snorted. "Kid, this is how I am on an average day," she shook her head softly, sighing. "What? What are you hidin' kid?"

Piper pursed her lips, fingers plucking at a scab healing on the side of her leg. "I can't. . ." She shook her head and gave him a distraught look. "I already said I can't, and I meant it," she fisted her hand against her knee. "I don't know what I can and can't do here, what I'm allowed to help you with, what I'm allowed to say. . ."

Edward huffed and swilled down the last bit of his drink. "I'm sure whatever sent you here is just laughing their ass off as they watch," he grumbled. "Sick of all of these supernatural creatures f*****g with innocent people."

Piper ran her tongue slowly over her bottom lip. "Well, how do you know I was. . .am innocent?"

And that gained her a look, a loaded look, a look she had never gotten before and it made her stomach erupt again. His eyes moved around her face, lips parting in the way they always did in her fantasies, her dreams; meanwhile, she waited. Piper knew she wasn't innocent, between the thoughts and the loaded shotgun she had put between her teeth: Her innocence had been taken a long damn time ago.

"No," Edward murmured and Piper realizes, with a burst of blood flow to her neck, that he had leaned closer to her. "No, you're a sweetheart."

"Oh," she chirped low under her breath.

And he chuckled, eyes mischievous as he looked down at Piper. No. . .what was going on? He had to be messing with her - this couldn't be happening. She knew the look, but only on a screen because no one had ever given the time of day to look at her like that.

"Edward," she whispered in a questioning tone, leaning slightly away from him.

He hummed, but something in his eyes changed, something darkened. And then his eyes widened and he pushes himself to his feet, clenching his face and hissing in an angry tone to himself. Piper clenched her knees, shoulders hiked up, heart hammering in her chest; what was going on?

"Edward," she whispered, this time concerned; she pushed herself hesitantly to her feet, approaching him with an outstretched hand. "D-Edward are you okay?"

Her hand was a hairs breath away from his shoulder when he whipped around, making her jump.

And then she saw his eyes.

Black, soulless and transfixed on her.

Piper stumbled back, letting out a small yelp as she collapsed back onto the couch. Her nails raked down the fabric, pushing her up onto her knees before Edward was in front of her, pushing her back down into the couch by her shoulders.

He was grinning at her, black eyes reflecting her and her terror. He was a demon, Edward Winchester was a demon - how was that possible?! Of course it was a theory, but that was just it, a damn fan theory!

Who knew they were right?

"I tried," he admitted, waving his arms out with a guilty smile on his face. "I really did, Cas kept saying no and I tried to obey but I just. . .God, you smell like a f*****g virgin - I bet you are, what do ya say baby girl? I bet it'd be easy to get those panties off of ya if I said the right thing. Because I'm your crush, huh? Don't lie now, your cheeks turn that brilliant shade of red when I'm around. The human body really betrays the soul inside of it some times."

Piper trembled as he took a step back, staring up through golden curls to the six foot demon. Her arms stung where he had held onto her and she ran her hands up her skin, feeling where bruises were already going to form.

"I knew it," she whispered. "I-I knew something wasn't right. . ."

"Oh, look who can talk," he snickered. "Now, how about we listen to ya beg?"

"Edward!"

Piper looked over at the door to Castiel, who was glaring from the open door, his gun in hand. She looked up at Edward but didn't move, waited for him to speak. He didn't look angry, didn't even look annoyed, just looked plain disappointed. He looked back down at Piper and his eyes flickered back to green; the display was more unnerving than the truth.

"I hoped I would get here in time," Castiel sighed and shut the door behind him. "I said to wait on me before you talked to her."

"And I thought I told you that I would come anyway," Edward snapped, tucking a hand deep into his pocket. "Besides, she likes alone time with me, don't ya sweetheart," he winked and, despite herself, Piper blushed again. "Told ya, your body will betray you at the worst of times."

"Enough," Castiel snapped and Edward sighed; Castiel looked down at Piper, brow creased in worry. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you did he?"

Piper looked up, looked to the red fingerprints wrapping her arms. "Just some bruises," she murmured. "Its fine, Castiel, really. . .I know what worse he could have done if he wanted to."

"Who says I don't wanna do worse," he purred.

"Because you didn't do it," Piper lifted her chin a little. "You can. . .easily over power Castiel with how weak he is with minimal powers," the look Castiel gave her made Piper sigh. "Don't worry, your world will. . .nevermind," she sighed again.

Castiel pursed his lips softly. "Well, on another note," he cradled his rifle with one arm, reaching back with the other. "I thought you'd like to have this back."

Piper's eyes didn't light up when she saw her grandfathers old shotgun with fresh markings in the grip and barrel. She felt fear, despair, a little bit of control but most of all sadness. She had ended her life with that thing and also began a new one - for however long that lasted. It fit into her life like an old friend and an unwanted guest all at the same time; she'd grown up practicing with that thing.

"Thank you," she whispered, wrapping it in her lap after Castiel had handed it to her. "It was. . .all I had to get away from her," she looked up, eyes slightly misty. "I killed myself the other night, to get away from my mother and ended up here. . .where I wished and begged to be," she shook her head. "Could whatever sent me here really be all that bad?"

Castiel frowned, Edward shrugged and grabbed his glass, refilled it. "It could bring a girl in from a different reality but can't help us fix the world," Edward snapped. "f**k whatever it was."

"I believe. . .it was an angel," Castiel hummed.

Piper furrowed her brow, c*****g her head. "I. . .why would an angel do this?"

"I do not know," he shook his head. "No creature has the magnitude to orchestrate something like this. A higher power, demonic or angelic, pulled you through the veil to this plane. Whether you were in another world or reality entirely, we cannot say. There are creatures that create elaborate, realistic fantasies to lull victims and feed from them."

"Either way. . ." Piper shook her head. "I was a nobody. . .why dump me here with this knowledge?"

Castiel shook his head, gave her a concerning look. "You are not nothing," he paused. "When you first arrived, the tantrum in Edward's cabin. . .your voice, it was more than a wail - it was a warning. Too high, too loud. I originally believed you were a Banshee, even a siren. . .but you lack the markings, the energy - but you still have the voice," he approached slowly and Piper leaned away from him, chills over her skin. "I do not know what you are. . .but you are very important in the fact that you made it through without harm."

Piper looked between Edward and Castiel, hands shaking in her lap as she tried to wrap her head around what was happening.

She hadn't. . .hadn't thought she was screaming or begging in a different tone, she thought it was normal. But they had heard, Castiel was an angel, Edward was a demon, they knew right away that something was off about Piper. What did that make her though? If not a Banshee or Siren. . .then what?

"I. . ." She shook her head and buried her face into her hands. "I-I don't. . ."

There was a shift in the couch and Piper jerked her head up, tears brimming her eyes as she looked to Castiel. He had this sympathetic crease to his face, one that made her. . .want to scream. She didn't want sympathy, she wanted answers - and he couldn't give them to her, obviously. Or maybe he could, maybe he was just hiding something from her; Piper wouldn't put it past him.

"Wh-What. . ." She inhaled deeply and shook her head. "What do I do?"

"You don't do anything," Edward snapped and she looked up at him. "You're gonna stick with me or him until we figure what the Hell is going on, don't need anyone or anything getting a hold of you. Whatever brought you here wanted us to find you, not just anyone."

"Edward," Castiel murmured and looked up hesitantly at Edward. "I do not think. . .her staying with you would be safe, if we're being honest."

Edward grit his jaw, looking over at Piper; she just looked down. She didn't want to be alone with him, but he was -- he was still Edward Winchester and she would be dammed if she got drug away from him now.

"No," she muttered and looked back up at Edward, who arched an eyebrow. "No, I'll be fine with him. . .I trust him."

Castiel cleared his throat softly, looking up at Edward, to Piper, back again. "Fine," he conceited after a moment and Edward grinned. "But, don't make me or her regret putting an ounce of trust in you, Edward."

Edward closed his eyes and held up two fingers, free hand splayed over his chest. "I won't hurt the kid," when be opened his eyes, all she saw was black. "I'm a demon of my word."