Chapter Text
The world around Layla lit up like a spotlight. Her lungs burned and heart pounded as she raced across the carpet. It was like the thick fibers were stretching up her legs with each step, trying to trip her and anchor her in place. The bright light around her pointed out her location like a beacon as she moved, but no matter how far she traveled, it was like all possible shelter never got closer.
“There she is!” A thunderous and painfully familiar voice shouted. “Get her!” Earth-shaking footsteps clued Layla in that the humans were giving chase yet again. The same humans she had foolishly decided to put her trust in.
A massive boot planted in front of her, prompting the Borrower to crash into and fall flat on her ass with a muffled curse. A shadow eclipsed her, sending her heart racing as adrenaline rushed through her veins. Layla rolled out of the way just in time to avoid a giant hand slamming down into the carpet with enough force to shatter bone.
She didn’t have time to let herself be freaked out. Springing to her feet with speed only someone facing death could have, Layla zig-zagged across the floor in a desperate attempt to evade her impending capture. Suddenly, the ground quaked beneath her, throwing her off her feet and onto the dirty carpet.
Again, darkness fell over her, but this time when Layla turned onto her back to get a look at what she was facing, she stopped dead. It wasn’t a hand, but the unmistakable expanse of textured rubber that made up the bottom of a boot. Horror turned her blood to ice, freezing her in place. Instinct screamed for her to run, but her body would not respond. A familiar face flashed far above, one who had promised not to hurt her, as the shoe came down with devastating force.
Layla shot up with a gasp, eyes snapping open as she frantically took in her surroundings. The scene of the quiet motel room, just barely lit with early morning sunlight, allowed her adrenaline to ebb enough for her to calm down. Right, she thought I’m not in my motel. The memories of what happened just a week prior filled her mind.
She was traveling with two human brothers. As a Borrower, that was already insane enough but paired with the fact that said brothers were ‘hunters’, people who fought monsters, one of which she wanted to be, most would call her crazy or suicidal. Layla wasn’t quite sure she was right in the head either, but here she was.
Layla pushed herself up and shrugged her blanket off, glancing around the dim room. From her vantage point on the floor behind the nightstand, she could see one of the two twin beds, part of the small table, and the large window with the shades drawn. As soon as the three had arrived, Layla made it very clear that she was not going to sleep out in the open. It wasn’t safe for her to just be in plain view. What if somebody broke in? What if one of the brothers forgot she was there? It only made sense. At least, that’s what she told them. In reality, although those were still valid points, she simply wasn’t comfortable sleeping somewhere that wasn’t an enclosed space. After spending her entire life hiding, staying in shelter, living in the dark, it was difficult to just flip all of that onto its head.
Layla stood up from her makeshift bed. It was a repurposed matchbox stuffed with scrap cloth and cotton balls, along with a particularly thick square of fabric for a blanket that kept her warm. It was too early for the humans- er, Sam and Dean, to be awake yet, and after that dream...
The Borrower stood, stretching her arms over her head with a small sigh. She wasn’t going back to sleep any time soon and she knew it. So, with a quick stretch of her arms, legs, and back, Layla scooped up her climbing hook and satchel before jogging along the wall out into the open.
Just as she’d thought, both brothers were still asleep, Dean snoring away and Sam stretched across the mattress. So far, after spending two days in the car with the pair and five days sharing a motel room (not that it was very difficult for her), Layla was not ashamed to admit she was still wary of them. Of course, by now she was pretty confident that they did not intend to purposely cause her harm, but a Borrower couldn’t afford to be complacent. Layla had never heard of a Borrower coexisting with a human before, but she was sure getting lazy wasn’t a good idea.
Humans were simply too big to be safe.
Seven days had passed since Layla was injured saving Dean from a witch. She had suffered a minor concussion and a gashed leg, but since then she had healed with little issue. With human medical supplies and a steady source of food, she was stronger than ever. Now, as she ran at a steady pace around the room along the baseboard, all that was left was a dull ache in her leg.
Layla enjoyed peaceful mornings like this. It helped her collect her thoughts and prepare for the day ahead. Living with humans was stressful, though she wouldn’t admit it out loud.
Arriving at the leg of the motel table, Layla took her hook and began swinging it to build momentum before letting go. She watched it sail up into the air, not surprised when it perfectly hit its mark. A few firm tugs confirmed it was secure before Layla began to hoist herself up the line. Despite her lack of energy from healing, she never let herself fall out of shape. She may be getting a bit of extra help from humans now, but she wouldn’t let herself get lazy. She couldn’t afford to.
Only slightly winded, Layla pulled her body up onto the tabletop. She left her hook on the side for now, not planning on staying for too long. It was just as she remembered it from yesterday; forgotten styrofoam boxes of food and random books. Layla knew she technically didn’t have to be doing this, but getting her own food made her feel independent still. She was already grappling with the feelings of being a disgrace to Borrowerkind. Who among her people let themselves be taken care of by humans? Having everything handed to her made her nothing more than a pet. She would fight it off as best as possible, but the feeling never really left.
Layla grabbed her knife from inside her jacket, easily propping open the box to step inside. There were a few bites left of a sub sandwich, and she strode over. The bread on the bottom was soggy from sitting out, but the top was still good, if not a little stale. Stale food was nothing new—in fact, most Borrowers would consider this fresh. Her knife made quick work of the food, slicing off a sizeable chunk to nibble on as she sat down to rest. Her leg had almost fully healed, yes, but trying not to use it as much made it get tired faster than usual.
The quiet was nice. Layla always appreciated it. Back when she lived in the walls, quiet was normal. It meant safety, calm. Noise most often meant humans or some other disturbance. Being very aware of the presence of two humans in the room with her, the quiet felt a bit different, but she made herself believe it was safe all the same.
If they wanted to kill her or hurt her, it would be downright counterproductive to wait this long.
It was nice to be able to go borrowing without constantly worrying about being seen or caught. She was still cautious, of course; anything could happen—what if someone broke in? Or an animal got inside? —But the presence of Sam and Dean offered a degree of protection that allowed her some semblance of peace of mind.
Some time later, Layla heard the telltale sounds of a human beginning to stir. Despite being familiar with them, her instincts still flared up when they moved too fast. A brief glance over the lip of the box she still sat in told her it was Sam who was waking up. Even though she felt adrenaline beginning to churn in her stomach and her limbs tense up, she forced herself not to move. They were living together, after all. She didn’t have to move. She didn't have to run.
A strained sigh came from the closest bed where Sam had slept, the mountain of blankets shifting with a rustling sound as the human slowly came to awareness. Layla watched in silence as the large man sat up and stretched his arms above his head, popping his joints then running a hand down his face tiredly. He glanced sideways at the nightstand, reading the bold flashing numbers that read 7:22 AM. Might as well get up and face the day.
Sam pushed the blanket off and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Layla felt a small smile twitch at her lips as he hesitated and looked over the floor before planting his feet. He stood, letting out a measured breath as he took a few slow steps away from the bed. A quick peek behind the nightstand showed Layla’s empty bed, which prompted Sam to glance around the room for his small friend.
Figuring that refusing to reveal herself would have no benefit, Layla raised her arm and waved to draw Sam’s attention. “Hey!” She called out, standing up in the to-go box.
Sam’s eyes found her faster than a normal human’s would—Layla kept forgetting about their ‘hunter instincts’ or whatever Dean called it—and he smiled. He crossed the room in a few long strides and slowly knelt beside the table. “Hey.” He said quietly, trying to mind his volume. His voice was rough with sleep, but Layla didn’t mind. “When did you get up?”
Layla’s grip tightened around the strap of her bag as the giant man came closer, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Not long.” She replied, the silence of the room and his proximity making it so she didn’t have to raise her voice much to be heard. “I was just- uh, waking myself up a bit.” Layla internally cringed. It was habit to hide that she had been taking food, even though she knew they didn’t mind. She was technically stealing, no matter how the brothers saw it.
If Sam noticed her hitch in speech, he didn’t comment. “Gotcha. I’m gonna take a shower then go out and grab some breakfast before Dean wakes up. Want me to get you anything?”
Layla nodded in understanding then faltered. She was still getting used to being offered food so freely. She busied herself with climbing back out of the box to stall as she tried to figure out what to say. She didn’t need a ton of variety in her diet anyway. Whatever he got would be fine for her.
“No, I’m okay.” Layla waved Sam off, averting her eyes to the table beneath her feet as she studied the wood grain like it was interesting all of a sudden.
Sam didn’t answer right away, and Layla got the feeling he could tell something was off with her refusal. But eventually he sighed and stood up again. “Suit yourself.” He said, much to Layla’s relief. “I’m gonna get cleaned up. See you.” He bid Layla farewell before turning and walking off to the motel bathroom like he said.
Layla didn’t respond, only stepping back a respectful distance as Sam stood and left. The sound of the door closing behind him echoed in the following silence, and Layla was left to think about her denial.
It wasn’t long before Dean woke too, the activity of the humans bustling around chasing away the peaceful quiet of the morning. Layla had long since decided to leave the table and go back to her nook behind the nightstand. It was easier to settle her nerves when she wasn’t in the open.
Tired humans were inattentive humans, and inattentive humans were dangerous.
Instead of staying in her small bed, Layla surveyed the room and found an entrance into the walls, a sliver of loose wallpaper in the corner. As soon as the familiar darkness surrounded her, Layla felt her entire body relax. The environment, although unfamiliar in itself, had the same atmosphere and conditions that her body instinctually knew was safe. Even as the ground shook faintly with each massive step of the humans around her, motes of dust swirled into the air, and old wooden beams creaked, Layla wasn’t nearly as on edge.
Living her entire life in the walls, where small, dark spaces always meant safety, would most likely always stay with her. That, and her apprehensiveness toward open spaces.
In any case, having to spend so much time with her natural predators in the exact opposite of her intended environment was a little stressful. Layla let her eyes close as she breathed deeply, unbothered by the stale air. She sat for a moment, letting her constantly racing heart slow, and ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. She grimaced at the feeling, making a small sound of disgust. She needed to clean up—wash her hair, clothes, that kind of thing. But she really did not want to ask Sam or Dean for help with that.
She didn’t need help to bathe herself, damnit.
Realistically, unless Layla decided to go searching through the walls for a water source, which was not guaranteed to be found nor to be clean, Layla did need help. She wouldn’t admit it, though. So, for now at least, Layla let herself brainstorm how she might be able to achieve such a feat without the old pipe in her home. Well, she didn’t exactly live there anymore. Leaving her motel wasn’t just an emotional ordeal, but a practical one. She was insanely lucky to have all the resources she did, and now she had to rely on the humans she decided to travel with.
Layla hated it, but it was exactly what she signed up for when she asked to travel with them and become a hunter of the supernatural.
A few hours into the day Layla decided to emerge from the walls and interact. The mere thought filled her with trepidation, but she would get used to it eventually. She had to.
Her eyes quickly adjusted to the light as she emerged from the dark, focusing on the two towering figures she’d come to recognize. Sam sat at the table with a newspaper and skimmed over the articles while Dean sat across from him and devoured a breakfast burrito. Layla grimaced at the sight but pulled out her hook anyway and began walking across the carpet toward them.
Both pairs of legs were still as they sat focused on their respective tasks, much to Layla’s relief. Her dream was still fresh in her mind, and having those same boots shaking the ground was not a pleasant thought. It didn’t take long for Layla to scale the table, pulling herself up with a grunt of effort. She felt eyes on her instantly, a feeling she ignored as she picked up her hook and coiled up the string.
“Where’ve you been?” Dean’s voice asked casually, prompting Layla to meet his eyes. Thankfully, he’d finished eating.
“Looking around.” Layla replied vaguely. She hadn’t found anything in the walls other than dust bunnies and ants. “What took you so long to wake up?” She shot back.
Dean paused at the blunt remark, glaring at his brother when Sam snorted in laughter. “Hey, I drove the entire way here yesterday!” He defended.
Layla casually walked over to the closed laptop and sat on it, crossing her legs. “Oh no, you had to sit in a chair for hours straight.” She deadpanned.
“Driving a car takes more effort than it looks, pipsqueak.” Dean countered.
The nickname earned a glare. “Sure it does.” Layla said dismissively, crossing her arms.
“You two bicker like an old married couple.” Sam chimed in with a grin.
“Ew.”
“Dude!”
Sam laughed at their unenthusiastic responses. His attention returned to the paper he held, brows rising in sudden interest. “Listen to this.” He says, grabbing the other two’s attention. “This is from yesterday. ‘6-year-old reported missing by mother who claims a giant bird took her son. This is another event in the recent strings of disappearances, marking the eighth case involving children between the ages of 4 and 11.’” Sam looks up from the paper.
“A giant bird?” Dean repeated skeptically. “Does it say if the chick has a history with drugs or anything?”
Sam looked back down at the paper and flipped the page. “No. There’s only a little bit of information about the family. Single mother, 34 years old, name is Jayden Bear. Works at a diner close to her home in Cherry Creek, South Dakota.” Dean fell into a thoughtful silence as Sam continued. “Seems worth a look, at least. Even if it is just a serial kidnapper, that’s a lot of missing kids.”
Dean sighed, finally nodding his head. “Fine, we’ll head over. S’not far, and it sounds pretty simple. Sounds good for a first case, huh?” Dean grinned down at Layla.
The Borrower had been listening in silence, focusing on keeping herself calm and the information she’d received. She blinked in surprise when Dean addressed her, realizing that he was right. This would be her first case. Missing kids, huh? She thought. Exactly the reason I decided to go along with these two knuckleheads.
Layla raised her head to return Dean’s look with a smirk. “Sure does.”