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petrichoravellichor · 2 years

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Pairing: Mary x Rowena Setting: Shooting range

(~2k, read on Ao3)

Note on timing: This takes place at some point between 13x22 “Exodus” and 13x23 “Let the Good Times Roll” — that is, after the return from Apocalypse World but before Lucifer and Michael come through and stir shit up. (Let’s all just pretend Michael killed Lucifer and got stuck over there and our beloved characters finally got some much-earned peace, yeah?)

Endless thanks to the incredible @niche-pastiche for doing an alpha read and advising on proper terminology and gun handling protocols, to my tireless beta @rauko-is-a-free-elf, and to the talented @slytherkins for the absolutely beautiful commissioned art that accompanies this fic.

Last but not least, note that while eye and ear protection isn’t discussed here (as it’s not used on the show), it’s an important part of gun safety and should always be used when practicing.

**********

Mary’s on her way to the bunker kitchen when she hears a bang from the direction of the shooting range, which wouldn’t normally be concerning...except that this particular bang is accompanied by a high-pitched squeal and then a great deal of muffled, Scottish-accented cursing.

What on earth? Mary changes course, making a beeline for the range; when she gets there, the door is already ajar. She nudges it further open and peers inside.

Rowena is standing at one of the shooting stalls, arms trembling slightly as she raises a gun and lines up another shot.

“What the hell is going on here?” Mary demands; she hadn’t even known Rowena was visiting.

Rowena looks over, clearly startled, before schooling her features into a more neutral expression. “What’s it look like?” She tosses her head in the direction of the gun she’s holding, a Glock that Mary doesn’t recognize as having come from the bunker arsenal. “I’m practicing.”

Mary raises a brow. “That what you call shrieking like a little kid when your gun goes off?” She takes in Rowena’s appearance: a simple-yet-elegant brownish red dress and heels, hardly the type of outfit that screams ‘target practice’. “Do you even know how to hold a gun?”

“Aye.” Rowena draws herself up proudly. “I’ve had a lesson.”

“A lesson?” Mary repeats. “As in singular? And from who? Sam or Dean?”

Rowena purses her lips, now looking flustered. “From a…professional,” she says at last. “The same one who sold me the gun. I don’t know his name; we didn’t waste time on pleasantries.”

Didn’t waste time on—oh. Oh, you have got to be kidding me��

“Please tell me,” Mary says darkly, “that you didn’t get that thing in some kind of back alley deal.”

“Of course not.” Rowena glances down, away. “We met in the countryside, at an abandoned farm, and he showed me how to fire it.”

Mary just stares, at a loss for words that aren’t both exasperated and highly profane. “You’re saying,” she manages eventually, “that you bought a gun from some random dealer you don't even know, and you barely know how to use it.”

“What’s to know?” demands Rowena. She waves the gun, finger still on the trigger. “It’s not spellwork. I just point it at the thing I want dead and shoot.”

And for a good few seconds, Mary seriously considers just turning on her heel and marching out of the room. Leaving would be easy; it’d be so much easier than trying to scrape together a modicum of patience for this arrogant, snobby witch of a woman who’s somehow gained Sam and Dean’s trust to the point where she’s allowed to move through the bunker completely unchecked…

Sam and Dean.

Their names cause a sense of protectiveness to bleed into Mary's anger, giving her pause. If she leaves now, who’s to say that Rowena’s ignorance around firearms won’t eventually end with Sam or Dean injured, or possibly worse? Mary would regret it, she knows she would; it would be yet another failure to add to the list of things she can never forgive herself for.

Damn it...

She sighs, her mind made up; she might not know how to be the type of mother her boys deserve, but she can damn well make sure another person’s stupidity doesn't lead to them getting hurt. With a few quick steps, she's crossed the room to stand at Rowena's side.

“There’s a lot more to it than just 'point and shoot’," Mary says, holding up a finger. "For one, unless you’re literally ready to fire, keep your finger off the trigger.”

She glares pointedly at Rowena until the latter’s eyes flit down to the Glock and widen in realization; Rowena quickly relaxes the finger in question. “Oh. Right.”

“And while we’re on the topic,” adds Mary, holding up a second finger, “never, ever point a gun at something you’re not fully prepared to shoot.” She tilts her head downrange. “By which I mean, as long as you’re in this room, keep it pointed at those targets or at the ground and nothing else, or I will confiscate it. Got it?”

Rowena scowls, clearly not used to being chastised, but she nods.

“Good. Three,” Mary holds up another finger, “make sure you know what’s behind your target. A bullet doesn’t know the difference between a good guy and a bad guy, so if you shoot at a bad guy who’s standing right in front of a good guy, there’s a good chance the bullet goes right through the bad guy and proceeds to ruin the good guy’s day. And lastly, but most importantly,” a final finger, “always treat every gun as though it’s loaded, even if someone tells you it’s not. Think of it as…” Mary racks her brain, trying to think of an appropriate metaphor. “Think of it as a magical artifact that may or may not be charged and that could really hurt someone—or you—if it activates before you want it to.”

Mary's explanation seems to land, because while Rowena still doesn't look like she appreciates the sternness with which she’s being spoken to, her scowl lessens somewhat as she nods again. “All right. I understand.”

“Good.” Mary lowers her hand. “Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s talk about your stance. Show me what you’ve got, but don’t pull the trigger; I just want to see how you aim.”

Rowena complies, and right away, Mary finds herself shaking her head. “You’re leaning too far back, like you’re afraid the gun’s going to blow up in your face.”

“It could, for all I know,” Rowena mutters.

“Then you shouldn’t be using it,” Mary snaps, and Jesus, if she wasn’t frustrated with this woman before…

She exhales, forcing herself to remain calm. For her boys, she reminds herself; she’s doing this for her boys…

“What I mean,” Mary says, trying again, “it’s that it’s really, really important to make sure your gun is properly maintained, because if you don’t, that’s when accidents tend to happen.” She gestures at the Glock. “Did the person who sold you that tell you anything about its condition?”

Given the way their conversation’s been going, Mary is fully expecting a ‘no’, but that doesn’t make Rowena’s headshake any less infuriating. For Sam and Dean, for Sam and Dean…

“Okay,” Mary continues. “At this point, I don’t want you firing it again until either I or Sam or Dean have looked at it.” She gestures toward the counter of the shooting stall. “Put it down. Gently,” she adds, narrowing her eyes at Rowena’s petulant expression. “Or it just might blow up in your face.”

It’s a lie—Mary knows the chances of the gun misfiring due to sudden impact are extremely small—but it’s worth it for the way Rowena’s scowl loosens into something more appropriately cautious as she does as she’s told and carefully deposits the gun on the counter.

Mary picks it up. She removes the magazine and sets it aside, then racks the slide back to release the chambered round, smirking with a distinct sense of Schadenfreude when Rowena flinches as the bullet pops out and clatters to the ground. After a final check of the chamber to make sure it’s clear, Mary puts the gun back down and crosses her arms.

“You got lucky,” she says, the petty part of her a little disappointed. “At first glance, things look okay, but we’re still doing a more detailed check later.” Then, because it occurs to her that she hasn’t asked, she adds, “Why do you want a gun in the first place? Don’t you have witchy powers and all that?”

The look Rowena gives her is cold and guarded. “Of course I do. It’s just…” She glances down at the emptied Glock, and something in her expression cracks. “Well, spells can take time, and they’re not always effective against…particularly powerful creatures, and…oh, never mind,” she finishes harshly. “It’s not like it really matters now the rift’s sealed, it’s just for…peace of mind.”

It takes a beat for Mary to figure out what Rowena’s getting at, but when she does, her lips part in surprise. “This is about Lucifer?” she says, and the way Rowena shifts uncomfortably at the name is answer enough. “Rowena, he’s gone. He can’t hurt us anymore, and besides,” she tilts her head toward the Glock, “something like that wouldn’t stop him.”

“Aye, but it might slow him down,” insists Rowena, “or at least catch him off guard long enough for me to…to do something.” She takes a breath, eyes fierce with determination. “I won’t be helpless, not ever again.”

Mary swallows. There’s something dangerously close to empathy stirring in her chest, and she feels the bulk of her initial anger toward Rowena start to fade. Damn it…

“Fine.” She reaches into her waistband and pulls out her 1911, double checking the safety before holding it out butt first. “Then try this. It's heavier than what you were using and has more of a kick, but it’s got a similar grip, and at least I know where it’s been.”

Rowena’s gaze flickers from Mary to the 1911 and back; she looks confused. “You’re giving me your gun?”

“No,” replies Mary, “I’m loaning it to you, on a very temporary basis, until either my boys or I can check out the one you bought or we can go through the armory and pick out something that might work better for you.” She takes a step forward, offering the 1911. "For peace of mind."

Rowena hesitates, then reaches out, taking the gun and turning it over in her hands. “You said I was standing wrong,” she says after a moment. Her eyes flick back to Mary’s, and for the first time since Mary walked in, there’s a grudging sort of respect in Rowena’s gaze. “How am I supposed to?”

Mary waves a hand, indicating for Rowena to resume aiming. “Do what you were doing before. I’ll adjust you.”

Rowena adopts her previous stance, and Mary moves in closer. “Feet shoulder width apart,” she instructs. “Now bend your knees—just a little, you’re not doing a squat—and bring your right foot back a smidge.” She nudges Rowena’s foot with her own until it’s in the right position. “Like that.”

“It’s a wee bit early for footsie, isn’t it?” asks Rowena delicately, glancing at Mary with a hint of a smirk.

“Shut up,” Mary mutters, and if her face feels red, it’s only because she’s annoyed, damn it, “and keep most of your weight on your left foot.”

Placing a hand on Rowena’s left shoulder, Mary uses her other hand to cup Rowena’s right elbow and guide it upward. Through the thin fabric of Rowena’s dress, Mary can feel the warmth of the other woman’s skin.

She lets go of Rowena, moving to her left. “Okay, you see this little lever-looking thing on the side? That’s the safety; the gun won’t fire as long as that’s engaged. I want you to take your left thumb and flick it down. Good. Now line up your sights—both eyes open, there you go. Remember, there’s more kick to this one, so be ready for that. Okay,” she says again, satisfied, and steps back. “When you’re ready, go ahead and gently squeeze the trigger.”

There’s a bang as Rowena fires; she wobbles slightly at the recoil, but her grip remains steady. As she lowers the gun, Mary steps forward to peer downrange at the paper silhouette target.

“Looks like you got him in the shoulder.” Mary nods in approval. “Nice.”

For her part, Rowena looks stunned. “I did it,” she murmurs, then, louder, “I did it!” She beams, giving Mary a satisfied once-over. “I’ll be a crack shot before you know it.”

“Mm,” Mary says with wry indulgence, and if she’s more amused than put off by Rowena’s bravado, well. That’s her own damn business. “Not bad, rookie.” She gestures in the direction of the target, biting back a grin. “Now let’s see you do it again.”

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knifelesbianjo · 3 years

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hi i just wanted to say i have been Thinking about your mary/rowena gf girlboss tag on my spn family tree...... especially the dynamic of Mary barely lives for 30 years VS Rowena who's been there for centuries

Mary who turns to Rowena for issues like 'what's your wisdom witch (affectionate)' but Rowena's advices are just either kill him, get a rich husband or move to another country in another time

Rowena knows so much about the Grand Scheme of Things and the social dynamics, like Mary will complain about minimum wage and Rowena's like 'yeh capitalism is bad blabla we've been knew' but Mary has a new look on everyday things & she adapts quickly in everyday life stuff so she'd ask Rowena stuff like 'why don't you just internet the phone number instead of doing a spell? also logically it's probably about your amazon order just call back' and Rowena pretends it's a conscious choice bc she doesn't trust muggle things but actually she just forgets how to be a regular human being

also Mary keeps a witch killing bullet around her neck and it's actually a gift & show of trust from Rowena but they both pretend it's a constant threat

YOUR MIND!!!

Thanks for coming to talk to me about mary/rowena, they live in my mind rent free, i don’t know why this ship isn’t more popular. (sorry this got a bit long, but i have many Thoughts)

I love the “witch (affectionate)” cause really Mary has grown up her whole life thinking that witches are bad, that they are monsters to be killed, but she comes back in a new world and her sons are friends with demons and angels and werewolves and she... maybe she can learn that the world isn’t as black and white as she was told, by falling for a wicked old witch.

I see it starting as reluctant allies because Mary is working a case and she needs a spell and obviously Sam and Dean tell her to call Rowena and they work it together. Neither of them trusts each other at first - Mary calls her ‘the witch (derogatory)’ and Rowena says she’s just like her sons, pretty face but no brain- but they have to learn how to work together (cause Rowena wants something from the thing they’re hunting and Mary wants to save people) and by the time they close the case Mary calls her ‘witch (affectionate)’ with a playful smile and Rowena is shamelessly flirting. (i think this happens after s13 and of course in this universe Mary never dies)

I think they make out before Mary actually accepts her bisexuality and she FREAKS OUT, because she never thought about this before. she met john in highschool (i’m not mistaken about this, right?) and yes, girls were pretty, but she was not like that, she liked dudes, so it never crossed her mind. She has a heartfelt conversation about this with Dean and when she later tells Rowena about this she’s like ‘you lads are so close minded, like mother like son’.

They bond over their failed roles as mothers. Mary tells her how she can’t help but feeling guilty over leaving after having just come back and Rowena is the first person to actually understand her and tell her she did the right thing. Sam and Dean are adults and they can’t expect her to be a mom, she should be allowed to choose her own life for the first time.

also I love you idea about Rowena using magic for everything!! neither of them is really adapted to todays world but Mary at least tries, Rowena, however, usually forgets she has a phone.

AND THE WITCH KILLING BULLET!! I LOVE THAT CONCEPT. It starts in that first case, Mary shows her the bullet, threatening her. Rowena laughs at it like ‘look at you cute young thing, all so bravado and righteousness’, but also she’s a bit worried cause she doesn’t feel like dying again. Of course Mary doesn’t use it and it becomes a recurring teasing between them. Neither of them is the kind to make a commitment but it kinda is when eventually Mary takes the bullet out of the gun and wears it in a necklace. She plays it as causal and jokes that it is to remind her that she still has it, but they both know its a way of always having a reminder of her close to her heart. Mary changes her husbands ring - a sign of what she once thought was freedom but was just another lie chosen for her, a reminder of loss and mistakes, of all that was taken from her (her youth, her choice, her life...) - for a sign of actual freedom, of new beginnings, of having control over your own life and using it to tear down the bigotry that was taught to you.

Please come and add anything you want 'cause i'm obsessed with this <3

#SORRY THIS GOT SO LONG #supernatural #mary winchester #rowena macleod #mary/rowena #aslo i'm dying with the 'it's probably about your amazon order just call back' GOLD #roublardise #maryrowena

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