The Lightning Strike -- Chapter 3

[hezio2]

Dean had worried about disappointing Becky when he didn't find anything of hers on the road. However, when he saw the amount of loot she asked him to carry into the motel room, the feeling disappeared.

"Jeanine, thank you so much." Buffy gave the nurse another hug.

"It wasn't a big deal, Becky. I knew you were about the same size as my sister. My mom would make her take 'em to the Goodwill, anyway, so you're doing her a favor," the nurse replied as she looked around the room. She whistled in appreciation. "Wow, the Lees have really fixed this place up."

Dean dropped the final load of bags onto Buffy's bed. "What is all this crap?"

"Girl stuff. You know, make up, hair care, tampons..." Jeanine answered with teasing smile.

"Geez, all right. I so don't need to know," Dean said in response, shuddering as he turned away from the two giggling girls. "I was hoping you'd have bought some food. I'm starving."

Buffy began to search the bags, knowing she had bought some food, when Jeanine interrupted her. "Oh, hey, guys I meant to tell you, the Owl's Nest is having a big cookout today to help all the people still without power. Y'all should stop by. They have great food. They're just asking for donations to help those that got hit by the tornado."

Buffy lit up. "We should totally go. I can give them some of my Red Cross money."

"Becky, that money is for you, for necessities," Jeanine reminded her with a small shake of her head.

"Food is a necessity," Dean said, hoping he'd at least get a free meal out of it.

Jeanine shook her head. "Do what ya want. I'm going to stop by before my shift, so maybe I'll see you there." She took her keys back from Dean and said, "I'll be damn happy when I'm done with the night shift. Take care, y'all."

Once Jeanine left, Buffy pulled some clothes from the bags and asked, "Do you want to go swimming? I was thinking of checking out the pool and cooling off a bit." She nervously bit her lip.

Dean took a second to answer, his eyes boring into her the whole time. "Uh, actually, I was going to go check on my car, make sure it wasn't damaged in the storm."

"Oh, okay," Buffy dropped the clothes she was holding and chose something else. "Let me go change, and I'll go with you."

Dean watched her stroll into the bathroom. Living with a cute girl was not going to be easy. He flopped back on his bed and reviewed all of the reasons it would be wrong to try anything with this girl. Besides the fact that Jeanine had already accused him of wanting to take advantage of her, there was the fact that 'Becky' didn't know who she was or where she was from. What if she was married?

Buffy applied a quick swipe of mascara and stepped back to check her look in the mirror. The sundress was nice and light; it didn't make her look like a kid and it didn't make her look like a slut. She had her hair up in a clip to keep it off her neck, and with some mascara, she felt she looked pretty good.

"You okay?" she asked when she saw Dean laying on the bed. She sat across from him and strapped on her new espadrilles.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered as he sat up. He spoke too soon. From his current vantage point he could see straight down her dress. He'd stand to get away but, that would put his crotch level with her face if she sat up - not an option. So, he did the only thing he could do, lay back down and hum Ramble On. He was trying to think of anything but the girl when he felt the bed dip next to him.

"Dean? Are you sure you're okay?" Buffy gently touched his cheek and found it warm.

"I'm fine. Maybe a little tired," he said, sitting up quickly, forcing Buffy to move back. "Storm kept me up last night." He stepped around her, making a mental note to push the beds further apart, and asked, "Ready to go?"

Buffy jumped up. "Yep, maybe we can check out the town a little, too."

Dean looked over his shoulder with a quirked brow. "Someone's a little stir crazy, huh?"

Buffy shrugged. "Well, I have been kinda locked in a hospital room for a few days. So, yeah, definitely."

When they crossed the parking lot, Dean saw the motel owner carrying a couple gallons of paint and called to him. "Mr. Lee! This is my friend, Becky. Can she have a key to my room?"

"Sure, just go to the office and one of the kids will get it for you. Nice to meet you, Becky. Enjoy your stay," the man smiled as he walked into a guest room.

"Wow. He's of the friendly, isn't he?"

Her word choice made Dean pause, but he said, "Yeah, the Lees are awesome."

At Cliff's garage, the first thing Dean noticed was the tow truck was gone, which meant Cliff must be out on a run. The second thing he noticed was his baby parked in a bay towards the back of the shop and a guy bent over working on her.

"There she is," Dean noted. He took a few steps into the garage before he turned to Buffy. "Maybe you should wait here. I don't want your dress to get all dirty."

"Okay." Buffy hung back and watched Dean cross the garage.

"Richie, how's it coming along?" Dean called once he was near enough.

Richie pulled back from the car. "Hey, Dean. She's coming along real good. Just finished the radiator. I'm adding the coolant right now. Why don't you get in and start her up for me?"

Across the garage, one of Cliff's other employee's approached Buffy. "Well, hello there. What can I do for you, little lady?" the man drawled as he looked Buffy over.

Buffy smiled. "Nothing, I'm just waiting for my friend. His car is getting worked on." She pointed in Dean's direction.

The man followed her eye line to the Impala. "The Impala? That's a sweet ride. That's from back when America still made real cars. Not the plastic crap on the road today."

"I guess, I wouldn't know," Buffy answered.

"What? Your boyfriend has a beauty like that and he hasn't taken you for a ride yet?"

Buffy smiled, "He's not my boyfriend, he's just a friend. And he hasn't had the chance; the car's been here since Wednesday."

"Not your boyfriend, huh? Does that mean the rest of us guys have a chance?"

Buffy giggled and read the man's name tag and answered, "Why Todd, I'm flattered, but I'm not ready to date anyone right now."

"That's too bad, but I understand, I've had bad break ups, too. When you are ready, you should give me a call." He went to the small counter and grabbed a business card. After writing something on the back, he gave it to Buffy. "There's my number. You feel free to call me anytime, day or night."

"One more time," Richie called from under the hood.

"What?" Dean snapped. His focus was on the scene across the garage, not on the mechanic in front of him.

"One more time."

Dean turned the key and listened as the engine finally turned over. He smiled as he listened to his baby purr. But his happiness was dampened when he looked over to where he left Buffy. Was she actually flirting with that guy?

Not that it mattered, Dean reminded himself. The girl could talk to whoever she wanted. It's not like Dean had a claim on her or anything. Was that guy giving her his number? Dean fumed. It was time to leave.

After the garage, they walked through a park. They weren't talking much. Dean was thinking about why it bothered him when he saw that guy talking to 'Becky'. He decided it was because he couldn't trust anyone. He had no idea who had abandoned her or if that person hurt her; so it was better to not let anyone get too close to her.

Buffy didn't like quiet Dean, it seemed like something was bothering him. Maybe she needed to get him talking about something. "Hey, didn't you say your dad was a detective?"

Dean paused, wondering where she was going with this question. "Uh, yeah."

"Cool. Are you going be one, too? You said something about him working in Alabama or something?"

Surprised she remembered all that, Dean gave a half shrug. "Yeah, I don't know. It's kinda the family business, so I guess. I've been helping him out pretty much my whole life."

"Cool. What about your brother? What college does he go to?"

"Sam just got into Stanford. The kid got himself a full scholarship."

Buffy could hear the pride in Dean's voice, but even if she couldn't, his smile would have shown how proud he was. "Wow, that's impressive. What's he going to study?"

"Don't know if he knows yet. He said something about law." Dean chuckled quietly, "He said with how much trouble our family's been in, we could probably use a good lawyer in the family."

Buffy smiled to herself, quite happy she had made Dean smile like that.

The cookout Jeanine mentioned was packed with townspeople, but it was more like a party than people bemoaning their situation. Buffy spotted Jeanine, who waved them over.

"Glad you made it. Becky, Dean, this is my boyfriend, Jim. Jim, this is the girl I told you about."

Jim shook their hands. "Hi, it's good to meet you. Why don't you go grab some chow and join us? We'll save you a seat."

"Thanks, we'll be right back." Dean led Buffy to the food line and grabbed two plates, ready to take advantage of the free food. When he turned to hand her a plate, Buffy wasn't there. Anxiously he looked around until he found her with the sheriff.

"Sorry, miss, this storm has kept me and my deputies pretty busy. I haven't had time to look into your case that much," Sheriff Brown admitted with regret.

"I totally understand. I just wanted you to know that I'm out of the hospital. I'm staying with Dean at the Bluebird."

"The young man that found you on the road?" the sheriff asked, though he knew the answer. He glanced at Dean in the food line.

"Yes, it was either stay with him or the psych ward, but a tree crashed into the ward last night, so that left the Bluebird," Buffy explained.

The sheriff's wife recognized the look on her husband's face. The man was suspicious of Dean's motives. "Have you eaten, yet?" she asked. "You really should. You and your friend can join us if you'd like."

"Thanks, I was about to get some dinner when I realized I should tell you where I'm staying," Buffy replied. "Dean also thought my picture shouldn't be on the news."

The sheriff took a deep breath and puffed out his chest. "Did he now?" He hardly noticed his wife's hand on his arm.

"Yeah, he -" Buffy was cut off by Dean's sudden appearance next to her with two plates of food.

"Hello Sheriff, Ma'am. Here, Becky." He handed her an overflowing plate. "I didn't know what you like so I got you some of everything."

Buffy laughed. "I guess I don't either, but it all looks good."

"Well if the brisket is as good as it smells, it's gonna be awesome," Dean replied with a polite smile.

The sheriff fixed Dean with a look. "Becky was telling me you don't think her picture should be on the news."

Dean's smile faded. He recognized the accusation in the sheriff's tone. "It's just that her doctor said she might have witnessed something bad and is repressing it. So, I thought maybe it'd be safer if she wasn't on the news. That's all."

"That so?" the sheriff asked in the same tone.

"Oh, and he figured out I'm not from around here!" Buffy gushed excitedly. Dean cringed inwardly; he knew the sheriff wasn't as trusting of him as Becky was.

The sheriff's brows shot up. "Well, Columbo, do tell."

Dean answered with a breath, "She doesn't have a Texas accent."

Sera Brown looked from Dean to her husband and smiled. "She doesn't, does she?"

Her husband relaxed a bit next to her. "Hmm," he nodded. "I hadn't really noticed. I'll talk to Dr. Sgriccia, if he thinks we shouldn't broadcast your picture, we won't."

Buffy grinned at Dean, for some reason she felt proud of him, but his eyes were downcast and his jaw clenched. "Well, we should let you get back to your dinner, sir. Sorry for bothering you," Dean said quietly and he stepped back to allow Buffy to walk first.

Buffy took the hint and walked towards where they had left Jeanine and Jim. Dean's change in behavior made Buffy think she had done something wrong. "I saw the sheriff and thought I should tell him where I was in case he had learned anything," she explained.

"Good idea," Dean replied without much conviction.

"Dean, did I do something wrong?"

"No," he quickly assured her. "It's just, the sheriff doesn't trust my motives. He and Jeanine think I want something from you."

"I don't have anything. What could you possibly want?"

Dean smiled at her innocence. "You have plenty. Believe me." His grin grew when he saw understanding creep with a blush over Buffy's features. "Don't worry, I wouldn't. I mean, I won't try anything. I promise."

"It's okay, I trust you." Buffy felt a sudden tightness in her chest. She hadn't thought people would think Dean was doing anything unseemly. She felt a bit guilty for making him seem untrustworthy. "If you were going to hurt me, you would have done it while I was unconscious. You wouldn't have taken me to the hospital."

Dean gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

When they got back to the Bluebird, the power had been restored. Dean did what he usually did, crank the a/c to its highest setting and turn on the TV. After checking the amount of money he had left -- not much -- he put his wallet on the coffee table and got comfortable on his bed.

Buffy watched him for a minute, and then began to put away the clothes from Jeanine and the items she bought earlier.

"Hey, Beck, Night of the Living Dead is on. Come watch it," Dean called to her.

Buffy stood by her bed and wondered if it was her imagination or if there was more room between the beds now. "Is this supposed to be scary?" she asked, as she sat on her own bed.

Dean made a face as he decided. "Well, maybe 'supposed to be' but it actually isn't. However, it's a total classic. I'm sure you've seen it. Maybe you'll remember something, again."

Buffy smiled at him. "Cool, thanks."

Dean wore a sly grin. "And if you get scared, I'll protect you from the evil fake zombies."

"My hero," Buffy sighed dramatically with a hand over her heart.

When the movie was over, Buffy was shivering, but not from the movie. The air conditioner had chilled the room so much that Buffy was sure she could see her breath. She changed into flannel cow print pajamas and crawled under the covers.

Dean got the hint and rolled his eyes. He adjusted the temperature so it wasn't quite so frigid. Unfortunately, this meant he was too warm, leaving him no option but to sleep above the covers in only his boxers.

That night Buffy's dreams were filled with odd creatures. They would start off looking human, but then their faces would morph into something quite awful. They would grow fangs and their eyes would turn yellow. Although she found them frightening, in her dreams that fright turned into adrenaline. She was able to fight them and even destroy them.

On the next bed, Dean was also dreaming. His dreams were of a long highway stretching out ahead of him. As he drove, the weather worsened, and soon a huge storm raged. The Impala was skidding out of control. No matter which way Dean turned the wheel, he was ineffectual. He felt helpless until he realized someone was in the car with him. 'Becky' was in the passenger seat, laughing and smiling. At first, Dean was irritated that she thought the situation was funny, until he looked forward and noticed the sky had cleared and the car was once again responsive to his steering.

The next three days fell into a routine. Dean was always awake first. He was showered and making coffee by the time Buffy rolled out of bed. When Buffy was done with breakfast and showered, they would go to see either Dr. Sgriccia or the sheriff. Buffy would either try to remember who she was or she'd see if the sheriff had learned anything about her.

On the third day, Jeanine greeted them outside Dr. Sgriccia's office. "Hey, guys. Whatcha doin' tonight?"

Buffy and Dean exchanged looks and both shrugged. "Nothin'," Dean answered.

"Good, I'm done with the night shift and I have tomorrow off, so me and Jim are goin' out. You guys should join us."

"Okay," Buffy replied eagerly. "Where are we going?"

Jeanine pursed her lips in thought. "How about the Clubhouse? It's just behind the Bluebird. Y'all know it?"

Dean nodded, "Sure. What time?"

The nurse shrugged. "I da' know. How 'bout seven? We'll get food and drinks. It'll be fun." Before either Dean or Buffy could say anything else, the nurse grabbed Dean's hand. "Well, let's get these stitches out while Becky's visiting the doctor."

Buffy got comfortable on Dr. Sgriccia's couch. She still refused to be hypnotized, but she hoped the doctor would help her recover her memory. "Do you remember what you dreamed about last night?" the doctor asked once he sat in his chair.

"I dreamed about that girl again."

"The one with brown hair?"

"Yeah. She was there. So were those monster looking things. But, last night me and Dean watched a comedy, uh, Caddyshack, no monsters."

"Well, Becky, you have to remember, the 'monsters' are a symbol or a metaphor usually for something you don't like about yourself. There are no such things as monsters."

Buffy rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, I know. I'm just telling you what was in my dream."

Taken back by her attitude, the doctor tried again. "Well what kind of feeling does the girl create in you? Does it feel like you know her? What type of relationship do you have with this girl in your dreams?"

Buffy made a face as she thought. "I find her annoying. And she's whiny." She watched the doctor write some notes. "At the same time, I feel like I have to make sure she's okay. You know? I have to keep the 'monsters' away from her."

"Hmm, you think she's irritating, yet you need to protect her. Sounds like a sibling."

Buffy wrinkled her nose in thought. "A sibling?"

Dr. Sgriccia smiled. "Sure. Most people who have a brother or sister, especially a younger sibling, tend to feel that way about them. It's okay for you to pick on them or tease them, but let anyone else try and there's hell to pay."

"So you think this girl might be my sister?"

The doctor didn't want to give her false hope, but he did think this recurring dream was encouraging. "Well, this isn't the first time this girl featured in your dreams. I think she may symbolize someone important to you. A sister wouldn't be a stretch."

Once they were alone, Jeanine tried to get information out of Dean. "So what's it like living with Becky? Has she remembered anything?"

"She hasn't remembered anything new that I know of," Dean winced as she cut the first stitches. "But sharing a room has been easy. She's fun. I thought it would be weird because we don't know each other, but 'Becky' is pretty laid back."

"Well that's a relief, right? I mean, she could have been a total beotch, and you'd be screwed for telling her she could stay with you."

Dean chuckled. "Right? I guess I got lucky."

"As long as you don't get too lucky," Jeanine said with just enough threat in her voice that Dean instantly got the hint.

After a dinner of one of the best burgers Dean had ever tasted, Buffy and Jeanine excused themselves to the ladies room.

Dean's eyes were glued to Buffy as she walked out of the room. "They always go in pairs, you know," Jim said with a nod as he noticed what had Dean's attention.

"Yeah, I know. I've always thought that was kinda weird."

"You, me and just about every guy on the planet." Jim signaled the bartender for another round. "How long are you in town?"

"Just until my car's fixed." Dean's answer surprised Jim. "Or longer, I don't know."

Jim smirked, "Don't know? Is Becky the reason you don't know?"

Dean shredded his beer bottle label, trying desperately to appear nonchalant. "I don't know, maybe. I kinda want to make sure she finds her family. Or at least remembers who she is." He eagerly accepted the new beer from the bartender.

Jim had listened with a skeptical raised brow. "You think she's cute." Dean rolled his eyes to show his indifference, but Jim wasn't buying. After taking a swig from his beer, Jim continued. "Hey, I don't blame you, she is cute. And she also seems real nice."

Dean shook his head, not willing to admit even to himself what he thought of 'Becky'. "She might be nice, but she's a lot harder to live with than I thought. Seriously, she should've come with a warning."

Jim looked at Dean in confusion. "What do you mean? What does she do?"

"Nothin'," Dean shrugged, but Jim gave him a look that told him he should continue. "Normally, I'd be all over a girl like Becky. It's just that I told your girlfriend and the sheriff that I wasn't trying anything with her, just looking out for her, you know?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"Well, not trying anything with her is a lot harder than I thought it would be." Dean saw that Jim looked more confused. "She's got these pink shorts - they say juicy right across the ass. Yesterday, she did this thing where she was bent in half and said 'I think I was a cheerleader'. I almost lost it right there." Dean shook his head but Jim was grinning. "But, if I try anything, your girl will have my nuts in a sling."

Jim laughed loudly at Dean's predicament. "Yeah, that sounds like a threat Jeanine would use."

Dean nodded and took a swallow of beer. "Right? And now, Becky thinks I'm a germ freak or something."

"Why she think that?"

"'Cause I'm taking two, three showers a day. And it has nothing to do with the weather."

Jim laughed.

Dean shook his head. "Great, laugh it up. You're not the guy not getting' any."

"Come on it's not that bad, is it?" Jim asked still chuckling.

"Oh no, not at all," Dean replied with an exaggerated eye roll. "But I am thinking of getting my hand something special for Christmas this year."

"So, how's it going living with Dean? You guys having fun?" Jeanine teased.

"Yeah, it's great," Buffy replied with a smile. "Usually, it's great. I mean, yeah, everything's fine."

Jeanine paused, studying Buffy to see if she could figure out what was really going on. "Did something happen? Do you want to leave?"

"Oh no, nothing happened. I like staying with him. That's the problem." Buffy turned to face Jeanine. "I'm not blind; Dean is good looking, right?"

Jeanine smiled, "Yeah, he's not what I'd call ugly, that's for sure."

"Well, that's just it. He walks around without a shirt. He sleeps in just his underwear," Buffy ran a hand through her hair. "It's making me crazy. I wanna jump the guy." She noticed Jeanine grinning. "I know, makes me a total slut."

"No, not a slut and definitely not crazy. Why don't you tell him you're uncomfortable when he does that?"

"What! And have him stop? I don't think so!" Buffy responded making the nurse laugh. "To make matters worse, he's super nice and funny and fun to be with. Ugh," Buffy groaned.

Jeanine barely suppressed her giggle. "So, you've got a little crush, no big deal. Just don't let it get the best of you."

When the girls finally returned, Jim handed them the beers he had ordered. "How about a game of darts? Losers buy the winners shots."

Dean looked at Jim trying to figure out his motives. "What's teams? Girls against the guys?"

"No," Jeanine said adamantly. "You and Becky against me and Jim."

Jim exchanged looks with Dean and shrugged before following Jeanine to the dart boards. Dean put his hand low on Buffy's back and whispered in her ear. "Think you've ever played darts before?"

Feeling Dean's hand on her back and his breath on her ear, sent electricity down Buffy's spine. "I don't know," she replied in a strained whisper.

Taking pity on Buffy, the others let her throw last. "Hey, it doesn't matter how awful you throw," Dean said quietly into her ear as she stood up to the line. "Just relax and have fun."

Buffy closed her eyes and rolled her shoulders. Relax, right, she thought to herself, then stop breathing into my ear like that. After a mental head slap, she shook out her wrist and threw the dart. The others were silent as she threw her first dart into the bulls-eye. Wide-eyed in surprise, Buffy turned to Dean, whose expression matched hers. Her next two darts also scored bulls-eyes.

Momentarily too stunned to speak, the group was silent until Buffy turned to Dean. "Holy crap! Did you see that?"

Dean whooped and started laughing.

Buffy looked at the dartboard then back at Dean. "Maybe I'm a dart champ or something."

"Maybe," Dean said, still laughing as he took in the shocked look on Jim's face.

Jim whined, "Great, she's a frickin' ringer."

When it was time for her next throw, Dean handed her the darts and said, "Okay, sweetheart, just like last time, but this time you won't need all three to be bulls-eyes."

Buffy nodded and took a deep breath. Had Dean just called her 'sweetheart'? Again, she had to mentally shake herself, concentrate she reminded herself.

When Buffy hit the triple seven, making them win, she found Dean's arms around her lifting her off the ground in a hug. "You did it, Becky!" When he put her down, he kept his arm casually around her shoulder. "Come on, Jim, time for shots!"

Jim groaned, but led the way to the bar calling over his shoulder, "I want a rematch!"

Dean gave Buffy's shoulders a squeeze before he answered, "You got it, man. Becky can kick your ass a second time, no problem."

Jeanine considered Buffy for a moment, and smiled to herself. "Let's get the shots over with first. What's everybody drinking?"

As they gathered at the bar, Buffy pointed to a mounted animal that stood by the register. "What the heck is that?"

Dean and Jim exchanged knowing looks. "That, my dear Becky, is the fierce jack-a-lope."

"Jack-a-lope?" Buffy asked leaning in for a better look at the creature. "I don't think I've ever heard of one; which of course is no surprise. It looks like a really big rabbit that someone glued antlers onto."

Jeanine opened her mouth to say something but was stopped by Jim's hand squeezing her arm.

"A jack-a-lope is an ancient breed of Jackrabbit and antelope. But, they are vicious creatures known to attack people," Dean replied.

Buffy looked at Dean in skepticism. "You've got to be kidding."

"Dean is underplaying how dangerous the jack-a-lope can be. They have been known to kill people," Jim added, handing Buffy a beer.

"Are you serious?" Buffy asked. "That little thing?"

"Tiny but deadly. Stay out of the dessert," Jim warned.

Buffy looked at the others. Jeanine was buying the shots and Dean was nodding solemnly at her. "Okay," Buffy mumbled, though she doubted the small creature was as deadly as they were making it out to be. After taking a drink from her beer, she whispered to Dean, "He's joking, right?

Distracted by her closeness and the way the light struck her eyes, Dean ruined Jim's joke. "Yeah, it's a joke," Dean reassured her in a whisper so Jim wouldn't hear.

Jeanine handed each of them a shot glass of green liquor. "Alrighty, drink up."

Dean and Buffy sniffed it then shrugged then drank it. Buffy's eyes immediately lit up. "Oh my god, what was that? It tasted like candy. I want another one."

Jim smirked at Dean then answered Buffy. "Sure, sweetie, you just have to win another dart game. Ready?"

"Oh Jim, I'm so very ready," Buffy said, brimming with confidence. She grabbed Dean's hand, "Let's go, partner." Dean squeezed her hand in return and let her lead him through the bar.

The hunter and the slayer easily won the next game, and enjoyed the winnings, which this time included a round of margaritas after the shots. Buffy soon discovered that margaritas tasted really, really good and Dean discovered it didn't take much to get Buffy really, really drunk.

#*#*#*#

It wasn't long until Buffy and Jeanine were dancing on the table. When Dean attempted to get Buffy off the table, Jim stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Come on, man, let 'em dance. I need this, Jeanine never cuts loose."

Dean rolled his eyes. He definitely did not need more enticing images of Buffy; he was already losing the battle of self-control.

However, fate smiled on Dean, because when the song ended, Buffy and Jeanine got off the table and began singing Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville at the top of their lungs.

When the third pitcher of margaritas had disappeared without Dean or Jim having a single glass from it, Buffy jumped up to get them more. "I don't think we need anymore," Jim suggested, reaching for the pitcher.

Buffy swayed a bit as she stood before him. "Don' think 'bout it. I'll jus' get it."

Dean and Jim exchanged quick worried looks as Buffy stumbled-skipped her way to the bar. A young man grabbed her butt as she passed and Buffy squealed, "Hey!"

"Touch her again and I'll break every bone in your hand." Dean snarled having somehow arrived in front of the man nearly instantly.

The man stood and attempted to diffuse the situation. "Relax, dude, she didn't mind. Did you darlin'?" He leered at Buffy

"I minded."

"She minded. Don't touch her again," Dean growled.

Buffy spun on the man. "Yeah," she said, sounding drunkenly tough. "He'll hurt you." She emphasized her statement with a poke to the man's chest, not realizing her slayer strength.

The man collapsed onto his chair. Dean gave Buffy a look of slight surprise, but rationalized that the man must have stumbled. "Come on, Becky, it's time to go."

"No. I don't want to go. I want more mahrgahreetas."

"We have margaritas at home. I'll make you one."

"You will? Oh, that's so sweet. Why are you always so sweet to me?" Buffy put her head on Dean's arm. "Do you like me?"

"I'm crazy about you," Dean said in a sarcastic monotone. "Now, come on." He put his arm around her and led her out of the bar.

Unfortunately, when the fresh air hit her, it seemed the alcohol hit her even stronger. Buffy wobbled on her feet. "Can you make it or do you need me to carry you?" Dean asked, noticing her staggering.

"I kin" was all she was able to say before she started to fall.

Dean scooped her up. "Come on Princess."

Buffy laid her head on his shoulder. "Mmm - You smell good."

Dean snorted. "Eau de dive bar. It's a classic."

Buffy squirmed in his arms, forcing Dean to tighten his hold on her. "Mmm- I wanna-" Her tongue touched his neck just below his ear and Dean's brain stumbled. Then, she began to softly suck on his neck and Dean's legs stumbled.

The fantasies Dean had been having of Buffy were beginning to come true and Dean's body was saying 'about damn time'. Buffy slid her hand from around his neck to down his chest to his shoulder, and made another "mmm" sound against his neck. She squeezed his shoulder and whispered, "God, I want you."

Dean groaned. If she kept kissing his neck and touching him like that, he wasn't going to make it into the room. He set her down to unlock the door, but Buffy moved in front of him. She stretched up on her toes and her fingers threaded through the hair on the back of his head to pull him into a kiss.

Dean didn't know how he got the door unlocked because Buffy's kiss was making all his blood rush south. Her hand explored Dean's chest before slowly making their way down his sides to rest at the waistband of his jeans. Then her fingers tucked inside and pulled him towards her.

They had been slowly making their way to Dean's bed and as the back of Buffy's legs touched it, she lost her balance and fell back. Her world spun for a moment then she grinned up at Dean. "HI."

"Hi." Dean smiled in return and leaned over her to kiss her again. Buffy's hands roamed over his body, loving the feel of his muscles shifting and flexing as he held himself over her. Buffy moaned softly, thinking this was going to be as good as she'd been hoping.

Dean seemed to know just how she liked to be kissed and just how she liked to be touched. It didn't take long for Dean to turn her into a moaning, writhing, whimpering mess. Even if she could remember her other sexual experiences, Buffy was certain that this was better than all of them.

Buffy groaned as she attempted to sit up. With her eyes still closed, she flapped her hand around blindly until it connected with the bedside table and she was momentarily able to stop the world from spinning. Her tongue felt like it was stuck to the roof of her mouth and several burly men with jack hammers were pounding away in her head. She heard a voice softly say, "Here." And a glass of water was placed in her hand. Greedily, she drained the glass and it was replaced with another one.

"Thanks," she croaked. Buffy opened her eyes to find Dean watching her carefully. She tried to smile reassuringly, but Dean wasn't convinced. Forcing herself to stand, Buffy wobbled to the bathroom. She splashed cool water on her face, but it didn't help her feel any better.

She looked at herself in the mirror and cringed. She looked as bad as she felt, but why was she wearing Dean's t shirt? She certainly didn't remember putting that on. She sobered even more when she realized she just crawled out of his bed. Crap, did I sleep with him? she worried. I don't remember! The thought made her panic and feel nauseous. After spending the next few minutes dry heaving over the toilet, Buffy washed her face and returned to the room.

Dean tried not to smirk, as hard as he could he tried, but a tiny smirk formed on his face as he asked, "You doing all right?"

Buffy blushed as she looked at him and nodded, but the movement of her head was painful and she grimaced when she sat on her bed.

"You need to drink more water. Think you can keep something down? Because you really should take some aspirin, too."

Buffy laid back and covered her face with her hand, "I am never drinking again."

"We all say that."

Still hiding behind her hand, Buffy groaned, "I feel like a jack-a-lope is trying to break out of my skull."

Dean chuckled. "That's what happens when you drink margaritas like they're Kool Aid."

"They tasted like Kool Aid," she whined. "Can you just kill me so I can get this over with?"

"Come on," Dean tried to sound encouraging. "Have something to eat, you'll feel better. How about crackers or ice cream, maybe?" He had no idea what would help her, he only knew what helped him when he was hung over.

"Okay, yeah, I'll try some crackers I guess."

Dean fetched a bag off the counter and brought them to her along with a Coke. "Here, and have some aspirin."

Buffy looked meekly at him. "Thanks. Uh, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot." Dean flopped onto his bed and flipped on the television.

"Um," Buffy turned fifty shades of red. "Did we uh..." She looked at the bed, then at Dean, blushed another fifty shades of red and muttered, "um, you know..."

Dean muted the TV and slowly turned to her with a cocked brow. He was about to make a joke, but something about how she looked, hurt him and he paused. "Wow," he uttered shaking his head.

"Dean, I just," Buffy was surprised at the look on Dean's face; "I don't remember anything and I woke up in your bed, wearing your shirt."

"So now you do think I'm the type of guy that takes advantage of a girl so drunk she's barely conscious." He turned back to the TV, but was too annoyed to pay it any attention.

Buffy pouted. She hadn't meant to anger Dean, but she truly had no memory of anything after the bar. How did she end up in his bed in his shirt? "Dean, I didn't mean anything bad. I just don't remember," she paused. Her head hurt too much to argue with him.

"Huh, so I'm either a perv or you think sleeping with me would be something you'd easily forget. You are so good for my ego. Here I thought we were bffs after I held your hair for you." Dean turned back to the TV. He took a deep breath "Well, after you nearly started a bar fight, we left. Then, you kissed me in the parking lot." From the corner of his eye, he saw Buffy's eyes widen. "You nearly fell down. I had to carry you back here. You tried to molest me again, and just when I thought I was gonna have to break out some crazy self-defense moves, you passed out. On my bed."

Buffy took a deep breath. "Oh."

"The shirt thing happened a couple hours later. You got up and almost made it to the bathroom, but puked before you did." Buffy groaned. "Yeah, that shirt you were wearing, I didn't think it could be saved, so I tossed it and gave you one of mine."

"Oh god, I am so sorry. I can't believe I thought you might have..." she groaned, this time in embarrassment. "Why do you put up with me?"

Dean turned to her with a small smile. "You're entertaining." And you kiss good.

Buffy lay back and put the pillow over her head. I'm a drunken sleeze. I cannot believe I attacked him. Actually, I can believe it, but ohmigod he must think I'm a total slut. After a minute Buffy had the worst realization yet. Ohmigod, I kissed him and I don't even remember it! She whimpered softly.

"Becky, come on you've got to eat something. Or at least drink something. You're dehydrated."

From under her pillow, Buffy moaned. "Just leave me here to die."

Dean chuckled, sat on her bed, and gently tugged on the pillow. "I didn't pick you up from the road in a storm just to let you die from margaritas."

"More like embarrassment," Buffy mumbled.

Buffy looked more embarrassed than Sam had the first time Dean caught him watching porn. He figured if she was this upset about a kiss, he couldn't make her think she did more. Gently patting her leg, Dean said, "Hey, everyone has had too much to drink at some point in their life. And I was kidding about the molesting stuff, none of that stuff happened." The image of her laying back on the bed, looking up at him saying, "Hi" replayed in his mind and he hoped he'd someday see it again. Of course, he also hoped she wouldn't pass out right after saying it.

Buffy still blushed, but she looked up at him. "The puking?"

"Yeah, that happened. And, yes, I did hold your hair. But you took off your own shirt. I didn't want you thinking I had tried anything, so I gave you my t-shirt to wear." He went to the kitchenette and prepared an ice pack.

He pulled the pillow off Buffy's face. "Here. I'm going to work on my car. Let you get some rest."

After a couple of hours of rest, Buffy took the longest shower of her life. She was supposed to see the sheriff that afternoon, and the last thing she wanted was to smell like alcohol. She straightened up the motel suite as best she could. She wished she could do something to show Dean she appreciated everything he'd done for her, but she had no idea what to do.

Since he no longer had stitches in his hand, Dean was able to work on his beloved car himself. Richie had done most of the work, already, but Dean finished the work. Then, in order to cover the cost of the parts he had needed, he worked on other cars around Cliff's garage.

Truthfully, Dean was avoiding returning to the motel. He knew Becky might remember some of what happened the night before and realize he had lied about kissing her. If he had lied about that, she might think he had lied about just how far things had progressed last night. Sure, he knew nothing happened, but he wasn't the girl who woke up in someone else's clothes.

A young deputy greeted Buffy as she entered the sheriff's station. "Hey, Becky, how are you today?"

Buffy gave him a smile that belied her condition. "I'm great, Dan, and you?"

"I'm good. The sheriff had some replies this morning, so maybe he has good news today," the deputy announced, smiling when he saw the girl's face brighten. "I'll tell him you're here."

#*#*#*#

"Hey, Becky, why don't you take a seat?" the sheriff said and directed her to a chair.

"Dan said you got some replies today," Buffy gushed eagerly.

The sheriff sighed, "Yeah, about that. I've heard back from the Center for Missing Children, the FBI, and several municipalities. It seems you haven't been reported missing."

Buffy was stunned. "But what - what does that mean? Obviously, I'm missing," Buffy stammered.

The sheriff could sense her rising depression. "Now, don't get too riled up. We were only able to submit your picture. It's very difficult to work without a name. Maybe your family doesn't know you're missing, yet. Maybe you were on vacation and not expected to be heard from for a while. Some people aren't close to their families and it might be a while until someone notices you're gone. Or there's even a chance you were running away from your family when Dean found you."

Buffy listened and considered the sheriff's ideas. After a minute she said in a voice near a whisper, "So, no one is looking for me?"

She looked so dismayed, the sheriff wanted to comfort her. "Now, Becky, we don't know that for sure. Once you remember your name, it will be easy to find your family."

Buffy felt like she was about to cry, but she controlled her emotions enough to stand and give the sheriff a polite smile. "Thanks for your help, sheriff."

Buffy fought back her tears as she walked back to the Bluebird. She knew she was going to break down when Dean asked her about her trip to the sheriff. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to tell Dean. He would let her cry on his shoulder and Buffy knew that he would somehow make her feel better. She decided to meet Dean at the garage instead of waiting for him.

When Buffy arrived at the garage, Dean was nowhere to be found. She noticed his black car was parked in a new location. While she looked around, she drew the attention of Cliff, the owner of the garage. "Can I help you, miss?" he called from his office.

"Oh, hi. I'm looking for Dean. His car is here, but I don't see him," Buffy said when she got to his door.

"Yeah, he and Richie went to the diner. They're celebrating the car being done. They should be back soon."

Buffy stared at him for a moment as that news washed over her. "Okay, thank you. I'll go see if I can find him."

Buffy took a deep breath. If Dean's car was done, that meant he'd be leaving. She found herself drowning in anxiety. No one was looking for her and the only person she knew was about to be out of her life. She would go to the diner; maybe she could convince him to stay for a few more days.

#*#*#*#

As Richie and Dean were leaving the diner, Richie asked, "So, you must be pretty happy to be able to get on your way, now, huh?"

"Not as much as you'd think," Dean said surprising himself. "I was thinking of sticking around until Becky remembers who she is."

Richie nodded in admiration. "That's real nice of you, but I thought you were all eager to catch up with your dad." Dean was quiet for a minute as he weighed his options. After last night, it was going to be harder to pretend he wasn't attracted to 'Becky'. He also knew his Dad would be disappointed he had taken so long to join him.

Buffy turned the corner and smiled when she saw Dean a few paces ahead of her. She hurried to catch up.

"You're right. I've got to get out of here. Living with Becky is a lot harder than I thought it would be."

Overhearing his complaint was more than Buffy could take; she stopped walking. She couldn't take anymore blows to her self-worth.

#*#*#*#

She didn't know how long she stood there, but it was long enough for the young deputy to leave the diner and approach her. "Becky? You all right?" he asked tentatively.

Buffy blinked a couple times as she came back to the present and looked up at him. She shook her head and tears began to fall. "No."

"You want me to give you a ride back to motel?"

The motel? She didn't want to go there. She didn't want to see Dean, but she had nowhere else. She nodded because she had no other choice.

The deputy gently took her arm and led her to his car.

Dean took the long way home from the garage. He relaxed as he hit the highway on the outskirts of town and had the chance to push his baby to her limits. He was closing in on twenty over the limit when he spotted the sheriff's car at the side of the road. Reluctantly, he slowed to the proper speed. He waved at the sheriff as he drove past. Since he couldn't open her up all the way, he decided to head to the Bluebird. Maybe Becky would want to go for a drive.

Buffy felt numb. She didn't know what she had done to make Dean dislike her, but she was sure it was something that happened the night before. Maybe she was an awful person and didn't even know it. That's why no one was looking for her. No one cared enough to miss her and the only person she did know, wanted nothing to do with her.

She looked around the room. I had better get my stuff together, she thought. She didn't know where she was going to go, but she knew once Dean left, she wasn't going to be able to stay at the Bluebird.

Dean's great mood was shattered when he entered the room and found Buffy stuffing her few belongings into a plastic grocery bag. He was stunned into inaction. She was leaving? "Becky, did the sheriff find your family?" he finally asked, trying to smile hopefully.

"No," she mumbled without looking up from her task.

Dean stepped forward. "Then, what are you doing? Why are you packing?" He was barely able to hide his concern.

Buffy turned to him, unable to stop tears from forming. Taking a deep breath, she tried to feel angry. Anger was better than the worthless empty feeling that had taken hold of her. "I'm leaving."

"Why? What hap-?"

"Your car's fixed, isn't it? Aren't you leaving?"

Dean was confused. Yeah, he should be leaving, but why was she packing? He watched her stuff a few more things into a bag and noticed she'd been crying. It made him feel like someone was standing on his chest. He took her arm to turn her to face him. "Becky, did you remember what happened to you?"

"No." Buffy wiped her eyes. "No one is looking for me and you hate living with me." Dean stepped away from her. Buffy felt a hollow victory at the expression on his face. "Since your car is fixed, you don't have to be here anymore. But without you, I can't afford to stay at the motel. So, I'm packing."

"It's paid for. The room. It's paid through the week," Dean babbled. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. She must have found out about his conversation with Jim last night. No wonder she wants to be away from him. "Becky, I'm sorry." His voice, so low and quiet, Buffy almost didn't recognize it. "I'm going," he said after he cleared his throat. "The sheriff's going to need to know where you are." He grabbed his duffel from the cubby by the door, and then walked to the bureau.

Buffy dropped her bags on the ground and let the tears finally fall. When she took a shaky breath, Dean finally chanced a look at her; her tears were another punch to his gut. "Becky, don't cry. Everything's gonna be fine." He reached for her, but she pulled back, and he let his arm fall heavily to his side. Looking at the ground instead of her, Dean said, "I know what you must think of me, but if you need anything -"

"I don't want anything from you," Buffy replied shakily. Considering he didn't even like her, Buffy thought Dean had already done enough.

Since he was a near expert at leaving in a hurry, Dean was out of the Bluebird in a matter of minutes. After tossing his bags in the trunk, Dean stared at his car for a while. He had been so happy to get her back, now it was part of the reason he was out of room seventeen. He knew he had no one to blame but himself. He desperately wanted to do something to make Becky feel better. Since she wanted him away from her, he left. But, he knew she was worried about money; that was something he could handle.

Now where was that bar Richie told him about?
<--Master Post      chapter four-->