I just called...(Bobby)

[ZZZ - R.I.P. - Ren Mercer]

Somewhere on the road…

At dusk Ren sat at a picnic table trying to put off the inevitable. On the table in front of her lied a map, various books (King, Edlund, Tolkien, and of course Butcher), a half drank bottle of beer, her rucksack, and a cellphone. In a nearby trash can was a used pizza box and several empty bottles of beer. She reached over and spun the cellphone on the table, trying to prolong the time till she did what she knew she had to.

She had been putting off the calls for weeks now. The funeral had come and gone and she didn’t call anyone before it either. That probably explained why she and Hunter were the only mourners. Of course it wasn’t like Simon had left her any instructions save “make sure to burn my body.” Just the experience of losing Simon served to make her realize how little she knew about him, only one more regret in her short life. She had gotten a non-denominational minster to pray over the tomb not even knowing what religion he believed in (although she was pretty sure it was Christian based since that's what the exorcism he taught her was based on).

She went to her jeep and pulled out a pen and paper, taking a seat at the table again. Picking up the phone, she twirled it in one hand, trying to think of what to say. ”Hi, I’m Ren, you don’t know me but you know Simon? He’s dead. How? Well it was the vampires.” She shakes her head, frustrated at herself. It’s not in her nature to disappoint people, especially people she hardly knows. The problem is she doesn’t want to disappoint Simon and he would want his friends and family to know he was dead.

She gets up from the table again, pacing back and forth, watching the phone like it’s going to do a trick. It’s not like she could tell the people she called how Simon died, they might lock her up. She picked up the beer and took another swallow of liquid courage, tossing the now empty bottle in the trash can. Looking to Hunter sleeping soundly she sighed ”Maybe once this is done I’ll be able to sleep too.” She envied her dog for his clear conscious.

She finally pulled the notepad to her and took down the name of the person in the phone book before calling the number. She made it through Angela and Alan telling them that Simon was killed in a break in. It was as close to the truth as she could come. When they asked her who she was to him she said she was his hunting friend, letting it serve to see if the person was in the know.

The next name in the phone was Bobby. She scratched the name down on her paper, took a deep breath, and hit dial.

[bobbysinger1]

Bobby Singer had been having his typical normal day in paradise. Or so he could call it anyway. His phone ringing non stop he picked up each one, mostly because he had to. Sometimes it was Dean and Sam asking for advice again, other times it was Rufus....Bobby was ready to strangle his friend. Rufus drove him crazy, especially today, and he had been arrested more then once already. Bobby had to bail him out twice.

Bobby paced back and forth as he looked at his fridge. He was hungry, and needed sleep occasionally, but even now, he wasn’t going to get that. He headed towards the fridge and grabbed a sandwich, he was just about to take a bite when the phone rang again. He sighed looking at his food. Would it ever get eaten? He wasn’t too sure.

Finally after an hour later, he took the phones off the hook and decided he needed to eat....something. ANYTHING. He grabbed another sandwich since the first one went bad and finally ate. He missed his wives pies. She always made the best, and Dean would have LOVED them.

Bobby suddenly felt a rush of cold hit him, and he shivered abit wondering what the hell was in there with him. Just as he was about to question it, the phone rang once more. The coldness stopped as Bobby picked up, “Hello?” he asked.

[ZZZ - R.I.P. - Ren Mercer]

Hearing Bobby's voice on the other end of the phone her stomach twisted in fear, the last two calls were bad enough but she had to do this duty for Simon, she owed it to him. In all honestly she should have done this eons ago, probably before the funeral. She probably should have also spoken to Simon about who the people he knew were, she could honestly use a hunter to point her in the right direction right now. What she didn't know is that she was on the phone with who would probably be her best bet in that situation.

“Hi, you don't know me, I realize that. My name is Ren Mercer and I have some bad news. Your friend Simon died a few weeks ago. I'm sorry I didn't call before the funeral and that we haven't met before this and I feel really bad about that so maybe I'll just stop talking now and let you get a word in edge wise.”

Ren practically had to bite her lip to stop speaking she was so nervous. If she had these people's address' she would have sent out cards instead. As she listened to the old guys reply she looked down at the sleeping Dog at her feet. Flashes of how Hunter used to sleep at Simon's feet while she studied and Simon researched. The mornings when she would wake up early, Hunter and Ren would both cook breakfast, dancing around to the radio, in Simon's home. It was the only home she knew after her parents had been killed and she healed there by making it warm and comforting.

Now though when she thinks of Simon's all she can think of is the blood soaked living room and the metallic smell that blood makes outside of a person's body. No, the vampires may have bit him, but they tortured him to death, slowly and bloody. For all Ren knew she was the reason they had killed him and are following her even to today. Really all she wanted to do right now was find a safe house and lick her wounds till she was strong enough to go after the vampires.

Her greatest hope though was that someone she was calling today would somehow let her know they were a hunter, the bad guy kind not the animal kind, so she could find someone else willing to teach her like Simon did.

[bobbysinger1]

It rang in Bobby's head who Ren was, she was Simon's student. He remembered now. Bobby frowned into the phone as the caller kept on talking. Simon died. Was that what she really said? Bobby was sick and tired of losing people he loved, of course he knew Sam and Dean were also sick and tired of it as well. That was part of being a hunter though, loosing those that you loved.

Bobby sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Simon died huh?” he asked her trying to stay calm and focused on the phone. Meanwhile, the other phones were ringing like crazy, including his cell phone, which had Dean’s phone number on it. He picked it up for a minute, “Dean I’m tied up, I’ll call you in a bit...” Bobby said to him and hung up.

“Simon died...” he repeated to Ren, “How?” he asked.

They had a funeral? Without him? Bobby had been to enough funerals in his days, and he wasn’t quite sure he needed to go to this one.

Bobby wasn’t sure what to say now. Ren called to tell him that Simon died. What was he SUPPOSED to say? How was he even supposed to react? It wasn’t like he could give a good heart to heart to her. They didn’t know each other that well, and if they did...Bobby would have been over to her in a heartbeat. Still, he felt that she needed someone to talk to, and Bobby was good for that.

[ZZZ - R.I.P. - Ren Mercer]

In all honestly she did need someone to talk to. The world had become a big scary place where it didn't matter who you were, you could die. Ren had now lost the only person in the world she considered family and now she was all alone. Of course Simon hadn't told her Bobby was a hunter and someone she could confide in. He was afraid that she'd have insisted on getting missions from him and she wasn't even close to being ready. It was strange the way that Ren had made Simon want to protect her, like a daughter, it may be something that the girl inspires in others.

She head the question but in all honestly she couldn't answer it truthfully, she might end up in the psycho ward. Yet she also had to somehow answer it in a way that might tell her if she was talking to a Hunter on the other line, she had to find someone else desperately. Of course with that need also came the guilt. Are these vampires coming after her? Is she being hunted by them in order to be tormented. If she found another hunter and went to him/her would she be condemning them to death too? All she knew is that she wouldn't make it out in this big world on her own so the choice was clear, find other Hunters or lie down and die. She wasn't ready to die yet, that made her choice easier.

It was a Hunting accident.

There, she dropped the hint. If the person on the other line knew Simon was a Hunter then he'd hopefully react in a way that would tell her he was a Hunter too. If not then that word had a different meaning as well.

Ren needed someone to confide in, to rely on. She had been training with Simon close to three years but still she was so wet behind the ears that if she went after anything on her own she might get killed. If luck was on her side she just might have found her way to the help she needed.

[bobbysinger1]

Bobby listened to what Ren had to say. A hunting accident, of course. He figured Ren didn’t realize Bobby knew that Simon was a hunter? Bobby didn’t advertise his expertise to everyone that was for sure. Still, Bobby wondered if Ren had anyplace to go. He was usually one to open his house to hunters, expectably after something like this happened. Still, Bobby was trying to be optimistic, but it was hard, especially now. He and Simon went back a ways.

“So, Simon was in a hunting accident,” Bobby repeated as she told him. “I get it,” he said. “Listen, why don’t you stop by?” he asked. “You sound like you could use company,” Bobby said. Truth was Bobby could use it also. He was a bit lonely and hadn’t heard from Dean and Sam in a while. He didn’t want Ren to think that he would just blow her off after hearing news about his friend, “Maybe we can talk more about this...hunting accident when you get here,” Bobby said. He wanted to know what got him. What was he after? Bobby wished he knew right away, but he wondered if he should ask her at all.

He sighed as he looked at the phone a minute, “What kind of hunting accident was it?” Bobby finally decided to ask, “You can wait until you get here if you want, but I’m wondering what kind of creature it was,” Bobby said. “If it needs researching I could be on it by the time you get here,” he said.

Bobby didn’t want her to be alone, not now. He knew what it was like to loose someone, hell, he’s lost Sam and Dean a bunch of times. Bobby sighed as he paused to let her answer his questions. Would Simon be alright? He had no idea. All he knew was, he wanted to find his killer.

[ZZZ - R.I.P. - Ren Mercer]

As she listen to Bobby she could hear so much he wasn't saying. He sounded tired, worried, and sad. All she wanted to do was give the old guy a big hug, feeling like she was the reason he sounded that way. He reminded her so much of her own grandfather who had died when she was fourteen. Same raspy voice and kinda tough guy with a heart. She remembered being read to by him so many nights as he tucked her in when she was young. When he asked her to stop by her heart lifted a bit. Maybe there was someone else in the world who she could connect with and try to fill that little lonely hole in her heart.

”I would love to come by, where are you?” She wasn't sure where he was, hoping he was somewhere close. She was tired and a long drive was only going to make her fatigue worse. At first she didn't understand what he meant by “I get it.” Sometimes she was a little slow.

Then the magic words came out of Bobby's mouth, asking her what kind of creature it was. Her heart leaped in her chest, she had found a Hunter, something she desperately wanted to find. For once since Simon died she felt that it might be okay. Then she realized that she had to actually tell him what happened. Honestly she was scared more of having to own up to her own failure as a Hunter than she would be if she had to face hundreds of vampires.

”Can I tell you about it when I get there?” There was a hint of panic to her voice, also remorse and pain, try as she might she was to tired to not let it slip through. She wasn't prepared to go the fight alone and what's worse is she knew it. She got up from the picnic table, nudging the sleeping dog awake and motioning him to the jeep. “You don't mind dogs do you? A little lightness entering her voice. Maybe it was fate or just Simon looking down on her. She had a little hope left now and maybe, just maybe things might work out.

[bobbysinger1]

Bobby slowly explained the directors on how to get to his place. He didn’t really like giving people directors over the phone, because if a demon was listening, OR if she was possessed that would be a different story. Still though, Bobby decided to give her the directions to his place. He was more concerned for her safety. If Simon was killed, then she could be in danger next. 

Bobby sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “Listen,” he said to her, “Just make sure your not followed,” he told her, “If Simon was killed by something this powerful.... just make sure you are safe,” was all he wanted to really add.

Bobby did in fact sound sad, and exhausted. He knew that. He just didn’t want to get into it. He would miss Simon, and really...he wanted more then ever to find what killed his friend.

“You can tell me about it when you get here,” Bobby nodded in agreement. That might be best anyway he figured. He sighed and started to pace a bit. What would be so bad that she couldn’t tell him over the phone? He wondered that and he wondered what exactly destroyed his friend now. He wondered if he should call Dean and Sam on this one, or just let them handle it.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said.

[ZZZ - R.I.P. - Ren Mercer]

It took two days of long driving but she finally pulled up to the Salvage Yard. At the gate she stopped, blinked a few times, then decided coincidence was to blame for both the name of the business as well as the location. Either that or Bobby was a fan of the Carver Edland books too. She put Shelby in drive again and pulled up to the house, parking in the driveway. As she got out she held the car door for Hunter to jump out of, which the little beagle did, pausing a moment to stretch out.

When she looked to the door her stomach fluttered with butterflies. She knew she was headed here for days but now that she had made it she knew she was going to have to tell this complete stranger how she had let not only Simon but her parents down. She took a deep breath and started walking for the door.

Now, you'd think that she would have brought with her some sort of weapon. You also might think that she would have sent Hunter in first to check for the tell tale signs of something unworldly. She did neither, trusting Simon's friend at his word. Bobby said he was a hunter, Simon had his number, she trusted him. Lucky for her, this time, her naive trust was not misplaced.

She walked up to the door, pulling a hand through her hair to straiten it, feeling badly that she didn't have some sort of gift, like a cake or something, for Bobby who was so gracious to invite her to visit. She took one last breath and knocked at the door and waits, shuffling her feet nervously.

[bobbysinger1]

Bobby was having another typical day at the office. Taking phone calls from hunters, and talking to Rufus Turner back and forth. He wanted a break of some sort. He was trying to actually eat lunch. Something that one of his neighbors brought over to him. Though he didn’t know his neighbors much. There was one nice lady across the street that sometimes brought him food knowing that he was alone in his house.

He decided that he needed to find out more about Ren, although he didn’t find much, and he figured that she would tell him everything when she got here anyway. Bobby wanted to eat more then anything.

He turned when he heard the door. He opened it and saw Ren standing there. Bobby nodded at her, “Come on in,” he said to her. “I’m sorry about Simon,” was the other thing he said.

He walked into the kitchen, “Can I get you tea or anything?” he asked knowing she probably drove a long way.


He wanted to start talking about Simon and he was antsy about it. How did his friend die? He was curious especially since she hadn’t been able to explain it to him.

"Have a seat," he said motioning to the couch in the living room.

[ZZZ - R.I.P. - Ren Mercer]

She followed Bobby in, her little beagle Hunter following right beside her, his nose working overtime to take in all the new sights. She took in the house, picking up on the smell of old books herself, she loved that smell. She also noticed that the place was in a huge need of cleaning up, which she made a note to do if he offered her crash space for a night or two.

“Can I get you tea or anything?”

”Water would be great if it's not to much trouble?” She followed him into the kitchen, seeing the uneaten food a pang of guilt passed through her, she had taken him away from a meal.

When he motioned her to the living room and the sofa she hesitated a moment, she felt awkward not only now meeting Bobby but getting this feeling like he could really use a hug. She restrained herself though because, hardly knowing him she didn't know what his reaction to the hug would be. She did however sit down giving him a grateful smile.

”I'm sorry we couldn't have gotten here earlier but thank you for having us.” The us referred to her and Hunter of course, who sat down on the floor by Ren's feet when she took the offered seat. She crossed her arms in her lap and looked to Bobby, she had to make sure first before she told him anything. ”I'm not wrong in assuming your a hunter right? Not just the sport kind but the full on ghost, vampire, and demon kind right?” Now of course if his answer was no she'd had no other way out of a conversation as to what she meant and how it all exists but her instincts said that she might not be wrong in her assumption. While she waited for an answer her mind was also racing a head to what she would tell him about Simon. Would she tell him how Simon's death was all her fault, that she was the one the vampires were after. Then it occurred to her how selfish she was being showing up here. That threat could be following her to Bobby's doorstep. Yes, she would warn him and if need be protect him.

[bobbysinger1]

As Ren asked for water, Bobby nodded. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottled water for her because the tap water sucked and he didn’t want to give her that. He would have offered to cook, but it wasn’t quit dinner time yet and he wanted to talk to her first. He had to find out what happened with Simon. EVERYTHING that happened.

As Ren asked him about hunting Bobby nodded, “It’s how Simon and I knew each other,” he explained. He told her the story of how they met. The thing was, Bobby knew many hunters. Simon was just one of them, but he was always saddened when he found out a fellow hunter died. He hoped that he would be able to help in someway, find the thing that killed him.

“My wife was possessed,” Bobby explained, he rarely talked about it, but he figured Ren needed a peace of mind. “She was possessed and I had to kill her, this was before I knew anything about hunting,” he said. “I had to look up everything after, I knew that i couldn’t just go into the job not knowing how to fight, or how to even get rid of a demon,” he said. “So I researched on my own, then I found other hunters like me,” he said. “John Winchester for example,” he said. “He and I became friends, but then I took his boys in when he was on the job, became close to his boys, Dean and Sam,” he said. “Now they’re like sons to me,” he explained. “Though they can be pains in the asses at times, I love em both,” he said.

Bobby looked at her a minute, “How did it happen?” he asked, “Details.... as much as possible, I’d like to go after the thing that killed Simon,” he said.

[ZZZ - R.I.P. - Ren Mercer]

Listen intently to Bobby, at the moment he asks her how it happened she looked down to her hands, holding the unopened bottle of water between them. How it happened, why it happened, the horror of it all, she tried to sort out each part of the story. If she was going to do this she'd need to do it all, beginning, middle, and end. Swallowing and taking a deep breath she begain.

”My parents were killed by vampires.”

Didn't that sound like the setup for a bad movie? The truth was that even though it had been years the loss of her parents still affected her as deeply as it had ever. Reaching a hand out to softly pet Hunter who had sat at her feet, she took a moment to compose her next words. She brought her eyes up to meet Bobby's, pain and shame playing in them as she continued.

”After they died I wanted to find who was responsible and stop them. I read a lot and found out about the whole world that most people don't know about. I kinda wished I didn't find out about it all but now that I knew I couldn't just stand back and do nothing.”

She tries to fight it, but a twitch of a smile moved to the corner of her lips as she thought of her colossal screw up of a first hunt, her eyes falling to the floor again.

”I met Simon the first time I went after something, a ghost in particular. He saved me from the ghost that I was woefully under trained to take on. I followed him home, begging for him to teach me. He finally gave in.”

Home, that's also what she had found with Simon. Home and a new family to be part of. It wasn't long after her parents were killed that Simon had taken her in.

”I work in search and rescue by trade. I was away on a job and when I came home it was like I walked into the same nightmare that I had with my parents and it was only because of luck and Simon's training that I got out with my life.”

She couldn't help it, tears started to fall, caressing her cheeks as she looks back up to Bobby, unsure why it he is able to pull out the additional confession.

”It's all my fault. I'm the only reason I can think between the two attacks and I'm not even sure what I did to attract vampires. I want to find them and stop them before something like that happens again.

[bobbysinger1]

Bobby listened to Ren and he stayed quiet for a few minutes. Here she was a young hunter, like Dean and Sam, alone now because Simon was dead. What would she do now? Would she just go off on her own as Sam and Dean did? Both their folks died but at least the boys had each other. Bobby was worried that Ren would go out there and get herself killed. He didn’t play like that, he wasn’t about to let her get killed. At least not until he helped train her a bit more.

He looked at her sadly as she started talking about her parents. He nodded, “Same thing with my wife,” he said to her. He rarely liked talking about his wife. More so, he liked talking about other things, but still... he knew it might help her to hear she isn’t the only one. He took a swig of liquor and handed her some in case she wanted it.

She started talking about how she met Simon and Bobby smiled a bit, “Simon’s a good guy...was...a good guy...” Bobby said with sigh. 

He remembered Simon, they always got along and he even introduced him to the boys. They had a few beers at his house before going on a few hunts together. He was sad to see another hunter die. He looked at Ren as she suddenly burst into tears. 

Bobby wasn’t very good at this ‘consoling’ stuff. Most guys weren’t, but he could see how upset Ren was and he sat closer to her. “Listen....it ain’t your fault,” Bobby said. “Sam thought that for a long time about his Mothers death after he found out the Yellow Eyes asshole was there for him,” Bobby said, “Nobody can stop the demons plans, OR
stop what is going to happen,” he said.

“I know one thing for sure I am NOT going to let you go out there alone and go after them,” Bobby said “I want to call some hunting buddies in on this,” he added. “But this ain’t your fault,” he said to her handing her a tissue. “Vamps are....they go after whoever they choose to, not really for any reason half the time, I know that for a fact,” he winked at her a bit trying to make her feel better.

[ZZZ - R.I.P. - Ren Mercer]

She wiped her eyes with the tissue, taking a deep breath and willing herself to calm down. When he offered her the booze she waved it off, never really liking the taste of anything stronger than beer. Course she had a love affair with beer...and pizza, the two would always go together in her mind. As he told her she wasn’t going out alone, reassured her she wasn’t alone, she had someone who would help her. She brought her eyes up to meet his, wanting so badly to feel safe again, if only for a little while. Her hand reaching out, resting on his, trying to both comfort him for what he’s told her about his wife and to show that she would be okay, even if the second half was a lie to herself.

”I’m not ready to go up against the vampires yet, I need some help getting that way.”

Her hand slipped off of his, without thinking about it she reached up and placed the hand on her neck, where the vampire had sunk its teeth in, rubbing it softly. No, she wasn’t crazy, she knew she was no match for the group of them together, but maybe, just maybe she could get there. Reaching down she gave her little dog a scratch behind the ears.

”I’m also not alone, I got the best partner anyone could want. Hunter here saved my life more times over than I can count.”

Proud of her little dog, yes she was. If it wasn’t for him she’d have been dead the night the vampire bit her. If not for him she’d have no pre-warning of threats in her area. If not for him she might have lost her mind a long time ago. Sure it was unconventional but Hunter was her partner.

”I hate to ask but can I stay here tonight? I didn’t arrange us a hotel room in town and I drove in from Louisiana. If not that’s okay.”

A home, even to spend one night in a home, that sounded wonderful. It’s not that she hated hotel rooms but there was something comforting about a place that has been lived in and had other people nearby who knew you. Something soft and cozy about a place that has so much life lived in it, a safe place. Of course, being Ren, she was already noting in her mind what needed to be picked up, straitened up, cleaned up, and cooked.