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The coffee shop was lit warmly, light glowing off the worn wood surfaces of the bookshelves lining the walls. In the back corner, a group of students sat, books open in a semblance of studying. In reality, the boy with the red hair was flirting awkwardly with the girl in a blue sweater, the girl with five piercings in each ear was doodling in the margins of her notes, and the girl with long dark hair and heavy bangs was staring at the two men who had just walked in.
As she watched, the shorter of the two turned to the other and began speaking. She couldn’t hear him, but from the furrowed brow and the stabbing motions he was making with his hands, she presumed he was upset. She watched them curiously, hints of a memory beginning to surface. They ordered at the counter and took a table near the window, looking around them and positioning themselves so that one had his back to a wall and the other was looking directly at the door. The barista brought the men’s orders over, and the one who had been complaining looked at it in disgust. She thought she saw him say “Seriously?” before taking a tentative bite of what looked like a sandwich full of sprouts and making a face like it was poison.
It took another twenty minutes of the girl sneaking glances at them before she had sifted through to the right memory. She turned to her friend, who was still doodling. “Hey, do you want anything else? I’m going to get a refill.” After getting a shake of the head in reply, she walked to the counter, watching the men carefully. As she stirred two packets of sugar into her fresh mug of coffee, she took a deep breath and gathered her nerves. Grasping the mug firmly, she walked straight up to their table.
“Excuse me?” They stopped their conversation, staring at her. The complaining one’s eyebrows had shot up, and he was giving her a look that spoke of great confusion.
“Um...yes?” It was the taller one who actually spoke, and since he didn’t look like he was going to kill her, she went on.
“Um...I was just wondering, and I know this might sounds super weird, but...I think I know you.”
Shorter-Angry-Confused man said, “I doubt it. We’re with the FBI, in town to investigate a strange case. We’re based out of the Seattle office. This is our first time out here.” He made a move to take a bite of his sandwich, stopped it halfway to his mouth, and put it back on his plate with a sigh. “Dude, this sandwich sucks,” he muttered.
“No, really. You-” She paused, knowing that she was about to sound like a crazy person. “You were my teddy bear doctors.”
It took a moment, but realization slowly dawned on the two men. The shorter one spoke first. “Audrey?”
“You remember my name?!”
“Dude, you were so annoyed when I called you Little Girl. Of course I remember!” he said, holding out his hand to her. When she shook it, the corners of his eyes crinkled, and he chuckled. “Dean. And this is Sam, my brother.”
“Nice to see you again, Audrey,” Sam said. “So, how’s the bear?”
She tipped her head back and laughed. “After becoming inanimate again and having some brain surgery, he’s lived a calm life. He recently moved from the end of my bed to the shelf in my closet, so he’s having to adjust to that. I’m keeping him away from the booze.”
“That was one weird case,” Dean said, shaking his head. “Freaking suicidal porn addict alcoholic teddy bears and invisible kids and that damn sandwich...”
Sam laughed. “It was weird, even for us.” He turned to Audrey, and motioned for her to sit. “Did anything else crazy happen in town after we left?”
Audrey thought for a moment. “Not that I remember, but then again, I was eight. I was mostly worried about my bear. And I was mad, cause I never got to have a tea party with him.”
“That was in...Concrete, wasn’t it? How’d you end up here?” Sam asked.
“School,” Audrey said. “I’m at the university.”
“Dude, has it really been that long?” Dean looked surprised.
Audrey shrugged. “I’m eighteen now, so yeah. It’s been a while. It took me forever to remember why you looked so familiar. Course, my brain’s kind of fried from the studying, so that could be part of it.”
“Finals?” Sam looked at her.
“Yeah. I’m on the pre-med track.”
Dean made a face. “Nerd.”
“Whatever,” Audrey said. “Anyway, I need to get back to studying. Good luck with whatever weird thing it is you’re working on now. I hope you don’t have to off any stuffed animals.”
“Thanks,” Sam said. Dean nodded, mumbling something unintelligible through a mouthful of food.
Audrey walked back to her friends, smiling.
“What was that all about?”
“Oh, nothing. I know those guys from back home,” Audrey said. “Just wanted to say hi. Have you gotten anywhere with the stupid bio chapter?” They turned their focus back to the textbooks and highlighters in front of them. Audrey didn’t even see the Winchesters leave fifteen minutes later.
*****
As the brothers slid into the Impala, Dean paused. “You know? I’m glad we saw her.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t it make you feel good, knowing that her life didn’t end up totally fucked up cause we got there in time and stopped the crazy from taking over the town?” Dean looked over at his brother.
Sam tilted his head. “I guess so. It almost makes me want to check in with some of the others.”
Dean shook his head. “No way, dude. They don’t all end up happy.” The car was silent for a moment. “Now, let’s go dig up a corpse.”