Keeping Good Company 3/?
Dean hadn’t spoken to his father in months, but John Winchester’s voice echoed loudly from the back corner of his mind as if the man was standing right behind him.
What were you thinking, Dean?
I’m sorry, Sir.
Letting some demon get the drop on you? Sitting around all night without taking any basic safety precautions?
I didn’t-
Exactly, Dean. You didn’t think. How is this taking care of Sam? You promised to look out for him, and now suddenly you’re cornered by demon without even a grain of salt for protection. Good luck getting Sammy out of this one alive.
The situation did look pretty grim. The demon wearing Jess’ mom seemed to know that as well. It chuckled playfully, and took a casual step closer to them.
“I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed, kids. I expected better from you. If this is how you normally hunt, I have no idea how you’ve survived this long.”
Dean refused to rise to the demon’s bait, gritting his teeth instead. It was trying to get them to attack first, and Dean wasn’t about to let himself get manipulated like that.
“You haven’t been in her this whole time,” Jess spoke, voice trembling, but still quietly assured. “I would’ve been able to tell.”
The demon tilted its head to peer at her with interest.
“Very astute, Jessie,” it hissed. “Someone’s been working on their mojo. Keep that up, and maybe Sam will move to number one on my kill list instead of you. Although, I did have such a great time during our last visit.”
“You were the demon inside Brady,” Sam realized. “You tried to kill Jess in Stanford.”
“Impressive. So far the team’s been two for two tonight. Care to weigh in, Dean?”
“This isn’t the end of a mystery novel, and you sure as hell aren’t a criminal mastermind,” Dean snapped. “Now get the hell out of Nicole, you son of a bitch.”
The demon tittered, a pale echo of Nicole’s full-bodied laugh they heard earlier this evening. “Please. Like that’s happening, Dean.” It took another step towards them, and Dean fought to keep from stepping back.
They were already crammed together in the far corner of the trailer, with nowhere else to go. Dean scanned the space desperately. If the trailer was used for hunting, there should be weapons there: salt, guns, and probably even holy water.
But the space was immaculate, aside from the mess of books they had pulled out. The deceased hunter’s weapons were probably all hidden away out of sight. Fat chance Dean could find something before the demon had finished tearing him apart.
“Nowhere to run, kids,” the demon taunted. “Might as well give up now. If you promise to go quietly, I’ll even restrain myself from killing greasy little Dylan. Mom’s still alive in here, too, although I kind of like this meat suit, so I won’t make any promises to let it go soon.”
Jess bit back a sob, but not before it was heard.
“That’s right, Jess,” the demon purred. “What do you say? Better than losing everyone you love to demons. Sam and Dylan and mommy dearest to me, and daddy… Well we know how that one went down.”
“I thought he died in a car accident,” Dean blurted out. Shit. He hadn’t meant say that out loud.
Dammit, he shouldn’t be playing into its games. Find a weapon. There had to be something. Anything.
The journal in his hand! It contained an exorcism. Not one he had tried before, sure, but it had the benefit of being accessible. Dean vowed to himself that when they escaped, he would memorize at least five different incantations.
“Sure, it might have been a car that crushed every bone in Ian Moore’s body,” the demon shrugged. “But the reason why his truck got turned into an accordion? That’s all on us. We can’t have hunters getting to close to our father, you know. John Winchester understands that. Don’t you boys know that’s why your daddy up and left? He thinks he can outrun us, but it’s only a matter of time before we catch up.”
“Enough with the mind games,” Sam demanded. “If you’re going to kill us, just get it over with.”
It smirked. “My pleasure.” Nicole’s body lunged forward, intent on the attack.
But it had gone no further than a foot before it jerked to a stop abruptly, as if it had run into a glass wall.
“What did you do?” it shrieked, shaking with fury.
Dean, wasting no time to wonder about it, began searching in Moore’s journal for the exorcism he had seen.
“Look,” Jess choked out quietly, tears still running down her face. She raised a shaky flashlight to the ceiling of the trailer.
“It’s the Solomon’s key we saw in that book,” Sam realized.
“I guess it does work,” Dean shrugged. “Then this exorcism must be good as well.” Finding the page, he took a deep breath before beginning to read.
“You’re gonna pay for this,” the demon panted, the words already having an effect.
“Not as much as you are,” Jess asserted. “Have fun in Hell.”
Dean kept reading, and the demon cried out, doubling over in pain. It shuffled back towards the door, but stopped as it hit the edge of the painted trap.
Huddled on the floor, the demon shook in pain and Dean nearly thought it was over until it suddenly began to laugh; a hollow chuckle that chilled the temperature of the trailer.
“What?” he snapped, not able to resist.
“It’s just…” It took in a shuddering breath. “The devil’s trap and the exorcism. You did it, sure. But you two…” It looked up to where Sam and Jess were standing. “Do you have any idea what you could do with the power inside you? And you’re still relying on these crutches. It’s a little like seeing Superman using a car.”
“We’re not using powers that come from something like you,” Sam replied. “Dean, finish it off quick. We don’t need to hear anymore.”
Dean had never been more happy to follow his brother’s suggestion in his life.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jess watched her mom take the mug of hot tea carefully in her hands. It trembled as she brought it up to her lips, but Nicole still managed to take a small sip before cupping it and burrowing a little more into her blanket. Jess wanted to leap up from her seat and hold the cup for her mother, or make the blanket more snug, or somehow make this all better. But the waterfall of tears cascading down her face exhausted her enough to keep her in her seat, reaching out with her toes to touch her mother’s enveloped thigh.
She was overloaded, and wanted nothing more than to crawl into a warm bed with Sam and have him hug it all away. But instead, she had to take care of her family, and figure out what their next move should be. Demons don’t take breaks, which meant that she couldn’t either.
“It came after you had been in the trailer for a few hours,” her mother told the concerned audience. “I was just getting ready for bed when I felt this… presence seep inside of me.” She shuddered and took another calming drink of tea.
“How did it figure out we were here?” Sam wondered.
“It’s been possessing Burt Hughes across the road for a while now,” Nicole explained. “It saw you drive up, and waited until it thought you would be most taken by surprise.”
Jess frowned.
“We talked for a bit,” her mom choked out, answering the unasked question.
“Mom, I’m so sorry. We never should have come here.”
“Jessie, don’t you dare apologize,” her mother spoke with surprising sharpness. “You’re my daughter. Do you think I like the idea of you facing all these things on your own? I’ll help you in any way that I can, and if that puts us in danger, then so be it.”
Dylan, ice pack pressed weakly to his head, was nodding as well, and Jess felt surge of yet even more tears. Unable to speak, she nodded, although it didn’t do much to dislodge the grapefruit-sized lump inside her throat.
“Thank you,” Sam replied softly, expressing what she couldn’t. “But we can’t just let you stay here. Not when we know that demons are staking out the area. We need to get you somewhere safer; where you’ll be protected.”
Sam was right. There was no way Jess could drive away from her family now. They needed a place to hide, where demons wouldn’t think to go and where they could be easily protected, if they were ever found.
“Bobby Singer’s,” Jess decided out loud.
“Wait, you know Bobby?” Dean asked.
“He and my dad had some business together a while back,” Jess shrugged. “I don’t know the whole story, but I do know that Bobby owed my dad a big one. If this isn’t a time to collect, I don’t know what is.”
“He lives in South Dakota,” Sam told Nicole softly. “I know it’s far away, but if Jess thinks so, then it’s probably our best bet.”
“If you think so, Jessie,” she agreed.
“Dylan?” Jess turned to her brother hesitantly. “I know this is a lot to ask, but I seriously think it’s the best way to keep you guys safe.”
“Yeah,” Dylan mumbled, eyes partially glazed over. “Whatever you think.”
Jess bit her lip, determined not to cry any more just yet. Dylan had been found unconscious in the house with a growing lump on his head and a smattering of bruises. He had passed Dean’s concussion test, but he still looked dazed, and considerably freaked.
“We should leave as soon as possible,” Sam spoke softly. “I don’t know how often the demon checked in, but we shouldn’t take any chances by waiting here for another one to come over.”
Nicole stood shakily, setting the blanket aside. “I’ll just pack a few things. You, too, Dylan. We’ll leave within the hour.”
Jess wanted to follow her mom upstairs, but stopped when she saw that Sam and Dean had their “planning” faces in place. She definitely wanted to be part of the conversation that hashed out how they were going to handle this.
“How long do you think it’ll take to drive to Bobby’s?” Sam asked Dean.
“If we push it?” Dean asked. “We’ve got three of us who can be potential drivers, so-”
Flattered though she was that Dean was finally considering her as a “potential” driver, Jess couldn’t help but cut in.
“We’re not driving,” she told the brothers shortly.
Dean frowned. “But-”
“No, Dean, think about it. No matter how fast we drive or how few stops, it’s still going to take us a few days. If we fly, we can be there in hours.”
Dean snorted. “Are you forgetting what happened the last time we were on a plane?”
“We exorcised that demon,” Jess argued. “And, yes, demons could still follow us on the plane, but the same goes for on the road. And with the amount of time it would take to get us there, the chances of being caught on the road are just that much higher.”
“But-”
“Dean, I agree with Jess,” Sam interjected.
Dean sent an annoyed eyebrow quirk in his brother’s direction. “You do?”
“Look, how about you follow in the Impala?” Sam suggested. “Jess’ll stay at Bobby’s until you can meet her, and we can go from there.”
“So we’re splitting up?”
“Temporarily,” Sam replied, exasperated. “That’s not so unheard of, Dean.”
“Which group are you going to go with, Sam?” Jess asked hesitantly. Call her selfish, but she really, really wanted him with her.
Sam glanced helplessly between her and Dean, and just as she was about to take pity on him, Dean spoke up.
“You’ll go with Jess. Obviously.”
“Really?” Sam seemed mildly surprised.
“She’s got civilians with her,” Dean shrugged. “You’ll protect each other, and Nicole and Dylan. I’ll meet up with you at Bobby’s. I just hope he’s willing to see us. He may owe your dad a big one, but he’d be none too happy to see our dad again.”
“He’ll be fine,” Jess asserted with more confidence than she felt. “He’ll complain about it a bit, but as long as you don’t drink all his beer he’ll put up with an awful lot.”
“Okay,” Sam nodded. “So we’re decided then.”
“Dean, thank you,” Jess said awkwardly. “For going along with this.”
Dean shrugged stiffly. “Your family, your rules,” he replied shortly. “Not much beyond that.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“… So Nicole and Dylan are okay. Sam and Jess are taking them… someplace safe. But, Dad, we found something weird in Moore’s journal. Have you ever heard anything about-”
The beep sounded in Dean’s ear, telling him that he had once again left a message that was too long on his father’s phone. Dean wasn’t sure why he even bothered calling when he knew that his dad wouldn’t pick up and probably wouldn’t call back. It was a force of habit, he supposed. He was in over his head, and desperately needing to have someone to tell.
Screw it. He’d just have to stumble along on his own, something he was getting pretty freaking good at by now. He threw his phone across the seat, cranked the AC/DC louder, and raised the needle on the speedometer. The heavy base made the steering wheel vibrate and Dean let out a long, slow exhalation as the vibrations tickled the palms of his hands.
So his father was still incommunicado. That wasn’t news, it was the new status quo, and Dean sure as hell should be getting used to it by now.
And as for Sammy… They had made the right call, both with sending Jess’ family on a plane to Bobby’s and with Sam accompanying them.
Dean knew that, logically, but still avoided looking at the empty passenger seat as much as possible. He would meet up with Sam soon, and they would be back on the road together. With Jess, of course.
Which was great. He liked Jess, really he did. She was awesome. Awesome because she knew how to handle herself in a fight, she never nagged when he left crap on the bed she shared with Sam, and she was as stupid in love with Sam as he was with her.
So, his dad had a decades-long vendetta to run off to, Sam had the freaking girl of his dreams, and Dean… Dean had his car. And his tapes. Which was fine. Really.
Dean groaned with relief when he saw that a turnoff was up ahead. However small the town was, it was bound to have somewhere for him to get at least a cup of coffee and stretch his legs. He had been driving for too long, and it was starting to screw with his brain.
A short while later, he was pleased to discover that he could not only get coffee, but also a full meal in the bargain. The independent diner was a little seedy, with dust on the window shades and some water spots on the glasses, but that all made it sort of homey to Dean. The restaurant was hardly crowded, with a couple of wrinkled men sitting in the booth closest to the door, cups of coffee and empty plates keeping them company. Dean chose to sit at the counter, not planning on staying very long. He ordered the biggest burger he could find on the menu from the sour waitress, and waited only a few minutes before it was dropped in front of him.
It was a thick burger, seeping ketchup and mayo as he picked it up lovingly. The cheese was melty and delicious and the lettuce was crisp.
“That’s got to be the best looking cheeseburger I’ve ever seen,” a voice spoke up, nearly startling him into dropping his burger.
She was a petite woman, barely out of her teens, it seemed, with a short blonde haircut and low slung jeans.
“Uh…” Dean didn’t normally find himself at a loss with women, but something about her brazen comment threw him off guard.
“Sorry,” she laughed, throwing Dean a smile with a hint of a sharp edge. “I haven’t eaten in a year, and that glorious mess on your plate is just calling to me.” She waved the waitress over to her. “I’ll have the same thing he’s got. And I want it, like, yesterday.”
No one ever said that Dean wasn’t a gentleman. So as he carefully transferred his burger into one hand, he pushed his plate of fries towards her.
“Until yours gets here,” he explained.
“You’re a saint,” she murmured reverently, plucking a fry from the plate and popping it into her mouth.
“Not quite as wholesome as that,” Dean grinned at her. Sure it wasn’t like he was going to take this girl home anytime soon, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to have some company while he ate.
“Fair enough,” the girl agreed easily. She hopped up on the chair beside him and planted her elbows on the counter. “So: got a name, stranger?”
“Dean,” he replied, seeing no harm in giving his real first name. “And you?”
She smiled that wickedly sharp grin again and took another fry from his plate. “My name’s Meg. It’s nice to meet you, Dean.”
What were you thinking, Dean?
I’m sorry, Sir.
Letting some demon get the drop on you? Sitting around all night without taking any basic safety precautions?
I didn’t-
Exactly, Dean. You didn’t think. How is this taking care of Sam? You promised to look out for him, and now suddenly you’re cornered by demon without even a grain of salt for protection. Good luck getting Sammy out of this one alive.
The situation did look pretty grim. The demon wearing Jess’ mom seemed to know that as well. It chuckled playfully, and took a casual step closer to them.
“I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed, kids. I expected better from you. If this is how you normally hunt, I have no idea how you’ve survived this long.”
Dean refused to rise to the demon’s bait, gritting his teeth instead. It was trying to get them to attack first, and Dean wasn’t about to let himself get manipulated like that.
“You haven’t been in her this whole time,” Jess spoke, voice trembling, but still quietly assured. “I would’ve been able to tell.”
The demon tilted its head to peer at her with interest.
“Very astute, Jessie,” it hissed. “Someone’s been working on their mojo. Keep that up, and maybe Sam will move to number one on my kill list instead of you. Although, I did have such a great time during our last visit.”
“You were the demon inside Brady,” Sam realized. “You tried to kill Jess in Stanford.”
“Impressive. So far the team’s been two for two tonight. Care to weigh in, Dean?”
“This isn’t the end of a mystery novel, and you sure as hell aren’t a criminal mastermind,” Dean snapped. “Now get the hell out of Nicole, you son of a bitch.”
The demon tittered, a pale echo of Nicole’s full-bodied laugh they heard earlier this evening. “Please. Like that’s happening, Dean.” It took another step towards them, and Dean fought to keep from stepping back.
They were already crammed together in the far corner of the trailer, with nowhere else to go. Dean scanned the space desperately. If the trailer was used for hunting, there should be weapons there: salt, guns, and probably even holy water.
But the space was immaculate, aside from the mess of books they had pulled out. The deceased hunter’s weapons were probably all hidden away out of sight. Fat chance Dean could find something before the demon had finished tearing him apart.
“Nowhere to run, kids,” the demon taunted. “Might as well give up now. If you promise to go quietly, I’ll even restrain myself from killing greasy little Dylan. Mom’s still alive in here, too, although I kind of like this meat suit, so I won’t make any promises to let it go soon.”
Jess bit back a sob, but not before it was heard.
“That’s right, Jess,” the demon purred. “What do you say? Better than losing everyone you love to demons. Sam and Dylan and mommy dearest to me, and daddy… Well we know how that one went down.”
“I thought he died in a car accident,” Dean blurted out. Shit. He hadn’t meant say that out loud.
Dammit, he shouldn’t be playing into its games. Find a weapon. There had to be something. Anything.
The journal in his hand! It contained an exorcism. Not one he had tried before, sure, but it had the benefit of being accessible. Dean vowed to himself that when they escaped, he would memorize at least five different incantations.
“Sure, it might have been a car that crushed every bone in Ian Moore’s body,” the demon shrugged. “But the reason why his truck got turned into an accordion? That’s all on us. We can’t have hunters getting to close to our father, you know. John Winchester understands that. Don’t you boys know that’s why your daddy up and left? He thinks he can outrun us, but it’s only a matter of time before we catch up.”
“Enough with the mind games,” Sam demanded. “If you’re going to kill us, just get it over with.”
It smirked. “My pleasure.” Nicole’s body lunged forward, intent on the attack.
But it had gone no further than a foot before it jerked to a stop abruptly, as if it had run into a glass wall.
“What did you do?” it shrieked, shaking with fury.
Dean, wasting no time to wonder about it, began searching in Moore’s journal for the exorcism he had seen.
“Look,” Jess choked out quietly, tears still running down her face. She raised a shaky flashlight to the ceiling of the trailer.
“It’s the Solomon’s key we saw in that book,” Sam realized.
“I guess it does work,” Dean shrugged. “Then this exorcism must be good as well.” Finding the page, he took a deep breath before beginning to read.
“You’re gonna pay for this,” the demon panted, the words already having an effect.
“Not as much as you are,” Jess asserted. “Have fun in Hell.”
Dean kept reading, and the demon cried out, doubling over in pain. It shuffled back towards the door, but stopped as it hit the edge of the painted trap.
Huddled on the floor, the demon shook in pain and Dean nearly thought it was over until it suddenly began to laugh; a hollow chuckle that chilled the temperature of the trailer.
“What?” he snapped, not able to resist.
“It’s just…” It took in a shuddering breath. “The devil’s trap and the exorcism. You did it, sure. But you two…” It looked up to where Sam and Jess were standing. “Do you have any idea what you could do with the power inside you? And you’re still relying on these crutches. It’s a little like seeing Superman using a car.”
“We’re not using powers that come from something like you,” Sam replied. “Dean, finish it off quick. We don’t need to hear anymore.”
Dean had never been more happy to follow his brother’s suggestion in his life.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jess watched her mom take the mug of hot tea carefully in her hands. It trembled as she brought it up to her lips, but Nicole still managed to take a small sip before cupping it and burrowing a little more into her blanket. Jess wanted to leap up from her seat and hold the cup for her mother, or make the blanket more snug, or somehow make this all better. But the waterfall of tears cascading down her face exhausted her enough to keep her in her seat, reaching out with her toes to touch her mother’s enveloped thigh.
She was overloaded, and wanted nothing more than to crawl into a warm bed with Sam and have him hug it all away. But instead, she had to take care of her family, and figure out what their next move should be. Demons don’t take breaks, which meant that she couldn’t either.
“It came after you had been in the trailer for a few hours,” her mother told the concerned audience. “I was just getting ready for bed when I felt this… presence seep inside of me.” She shuddered and took another calming drink of tea.
“How did it figure out we were here?” Sam wondered.
“It’s been possessing Burt Hughes across the road for a while now,” Nicole explained. “It saw you drive up, and waited until it thought you would be most taken by surprise.”
Jess frowned.
“We talked for a bit,” her mom choked out, answering the unasked question.
“Mom, I’m so sorry. We never should have come here.”
“Jessie, don’t you dare apologize,” her mother spoke with surprising sharpness. “You’re my daughter. Do you think I like the idea of you facing all these things on your own? I’ll help you in any way that I can, and if that puts us in danger, then so be it.”
Dylan, ice pack pressed weakly to his head, was nodding as well, and Jess felt surge of yet even more tears. Unable to speak, she nodded, although it didn’t do much to dislodge the grapefruit-sized lump inside her throat.
“Thank you,” Sam replied softly, expressing what she couldn’t. “But we can’t just let you stay here. Not when we know that demons are staking out the area. We need to get you somewhere safer; where you’ll be protected.”
Sam was right. There was no way Jess could drive away from her family now. They needed a place to hide, where demons wouldn’t think to go and where they could be easily protected, if they were ever found.
“Bobby Singer’s,” Jess decided out loud.
“Wait, you know Bobby?” Dean asked.
“He and my dad had some business together a while back,” Jess shrugged. “I don’t know the whole story, but I do know that Bobby owed my dad a big one. If this isn’t a time to collect, I don’t know what is.”
“He lives in South Dakota,” Sam told Nicole softly. “I know it’s far away, but if Jess thinks so, then it’s probably our best bet.”
“If you think so, Jessie,” she agreed.
“Dylan?” Jess turned to her brother hesitantly. “I know this is a lot to ask, but I seriously think it’s the best way to keep you guys safe.”
“Yeah,” Dylan mumbled, eyes partially glazed over. “Whatever you think.”
Jess bit her lip, determined not to cry any more just yet. Dylan had been found unconscious in the house with a growing lump on his head and a smattering of bruises. He had passed Dean’s concussion test, but he still looked dazed, and considerably freaked.
“We should leave as soon as possible,” Sam spoke softly. “I don’t know how often the demon checked in, but we shouldn’t take any chances by waiting here for another one to come over.”
Nicole stood shakily, setting the blanket aside. “I’ll just pack a few things. You, too, Dylan. We’ll leave within the hour.”
Jess wanted to follow her mom upstairs, but stopped when she saw that Sam and Dean had their “planning” faces in place. She definitely wanted to be part of the conversation that hashed out how they were going to handle this.
“How long do you think it’ll take to drive to Bobby’s?” Sam asked Dean.
“If we push it?” Dean asked. “We’ve got three of us who can be potential drivers, so-”
Flattered though she was that Dean was finally considering her as a “potential” driver, Jess couldn’t help but cut in.
“We’re not driving,” she told the brothers shortly.
Dean frowned. “But-”
“No, Dean, think about it. No matter how fast we drive or how few stops, it’s still going to take us a few days. If we fly, we can be there in hours.”
Dean snorted. “Are you forgetting what happened the last time we were on a plane?”
“We exorcised that demon,” Jess argued. “And, yes, demons could still follow us on the plane, but the same goes for on the road. And with the amount of time it would take to get us there, the chances of being caught on the road are just that much higher.”
“But-”
“Dean, I agree with Jess,” Sam interjected.
Dean sent an annoyed eyebrow quirk in his brother’s direction. “You do?”
“Look, how about you follow in the Impala?” Sam suggested. “Jess’ll stay at Bobby’s until you can meet her, and we can go from there.”
“So we’re splitting up?”
“Temporarily,” Sam replied, exasperated. “That’s not so unheard of, Dean.”
“Which group are you going to go with, Sam?” Jess asked hesitantly. Call her selfish, but she really, really wanted him with her.
Sam glanced helplessly between her and Dean, and just as she was about to take pity on him, Dean spoke up.
“You’ll go with Jess. Obviously.”
“Really?” Sam seemed mildly surprised.
“She’s got civilians with her,” Dean shrugged. “You’ll protect each other, and Nicole and Dylan. I’ll meet up with you at Bobby’s. I just hope he’s willing to see us. He may owe your dad a big one, but he’d be none too happy to see our dad again.”
“He’ll be fine,” Jess asserted with more confidence than she felt. “He’ll complain about it a bit, but as long as you don’t drink all his beer he’ll put up with an awful lot.”
“Okay,” Sam nodded. “So we’re decided then.”
“Dean, thank you,” Jess said awkwardly. “For going along with this.”
Dean shrugged stiffly. “Your family, your rules,” he replied shortly. “Not much beyond that.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“… So Nicole and Dylan are okay. Sam and Jess are taking them… someplace safe. But, Dad, we found something weird in Moore’s journal. Have you ever heard anything about-”
The beep sounded in Dean’s ear, telling him that he had once again left a message that was too long on his father’s phone. Dean wasn’t sure why he even bothered calling when he knew that his dad wouldn’t pick up and probably wouldn’t call back. It was a force of habit, he supposed. He was in over his head, and desperately needing to have someone to tell.
Screw it. He’d just have to stumble along on his own, something he was getting pretty freaking good at by now. He threw his phone across the seat, cranked the AC/DC louder, and raised the needle on the speedometer. The heavy base made the steering wheel vibrate and Dean let out a long, slow exhalation as the vibrations tickled the palms of his hands.
So his father was still incommunicado. That wasn’t news, it was the new status quo, and Dean sure as hell should be getting used to it by now.
And as for Sammy… They had made the right call, both with sending Jess’ family on a plane to Bobby’s and with Sam accompanying them.
Dean knew that, logically, but still avoided looking at the empty passenger seat as much as possible. He would meet up with Sam soon, and they would be back on the road together. With Jess, of course.
Which was great. He liked Jess, really he did. She was awesome. Awesome because she knew how to handle herself in a fight, she never nagged when he left crap on the bed she shared with Sam, and she was as stupid in love with Sam as he was with her.
So, his dad had a decades-long vendetta to run off to, Sam had the freaking girl of his dreams, and Dean… Dean had his car. And his tapes. Which was fine. Really.
Dean groaned with relief when he saw that a turnoff was up ahead. However small the town was, it was bound to have somewhere for him to get at least a cup of coffee and stretch his legs. He had been driving for too long, and it was starting to screw with his brain.
A short while later, he was pleased to discover that he could not only get coffee, but also a full meal in the bargain. The independent diner was a little seedy, with dust on the window shades and some water spots on the glasses, but that all made it sort of homey to Dean. The restaurant was hardly crowded, with a couple of wrinkled men sitting in the booth closest to the door, cups of coffee and empty plates keeping them company. Dean chose to sit at the counter, not planning on staying very long. He ordered the biggest burger he could find on the menu from the sour waitress, and waited only a few minutes before it was dropped in front of him.
It was a thick burger, seeping ketchup and mayo as he picked it up lovingly. The cheese was melty and delicious and the lettuce was crisp.
“That’s got to be the best looking cheeseburger I’ve ever seen,” a voice spoke up, nearly startling him into dropping his burger.
She was a petite woman, barely out of her teens, it seemed, with a short blonde haircut and low slung jeans.
“Uh…” Dean didn’t normally find himself at a loss with women, but something about her brazen comment threw him off guard.
“Sorry,” she laughed, throwing Dean a smile with a hint of a sharp edge. “I haven’t eaten in a year, and that glorious mess on your plate is just calling to me.” She waved the waitress over to her. “I’ll have the same thing he’s got. And I want it, like, yesterday.”
No one ever said that Dean wasn’t a gentleman. So as he carefully transferred his burger into one hand, he pushed his plate of fries towards her.
“Until yours gets here,” he explained.
“You’re a saint,” she murmured reverently, plucking a fry from the plate and popping it into her mouth.
“Not quite as wholesome as that,” Dean grinned at her. Sure it wasn’t like he was going to take this girl home anytime soon, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to have some company while he ate.
“Fair enough,” the girl agreed easily. She hopped up on the chair beside him and planted her elbows on the counter. “So: got a name, stranger?”
“Dean,” he replied, seeing no harm in giving his real first name. “And you?”
She smiled that wickedly sharp grin again and took another fry from his plate. “My name’s Meg. It’s nice to meet you, Dean.”