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clex_monkie89Title: Rekindling the Fires and Sparking New Flames
Author:
jenniferkaosFandom: Supernatural
Summary:A nightmare vision of an old friend takes Sam and Dean back to Lawrence, Kansas against Dean's better judgement. The murder of a college girl, and a series of inexplicable events following convince the Winchesters that they may have a case after all.
Pairings/Characters: Dean, Sam, OFC, OMC
Ratings: T (M in the future)
Chapter 2 Part 2
Sam walked into the kitchen. It was pretty crowded for a small room. There were people leaned against the sink and counter, deep in their private conversation. In the left corner stood a couple who seemed wrapped into each other, seeing who could shove their tongue down the other’s throat the furthest.
Witnessing the display of affection, his mind went to Jess. Memories so fresh, they hadn’t settled yet. She had been everything to him - best friend, partner, and soul mate. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for not being there to protect her. She should be here with him. That should be me and Jess, he thought, staring at the couple.
He closed his eyes, briefly squeezing them. Opening them again, he walked to the refreshment table, one shaky hand grabbing a beer.
"Sam? What are you doing here?" he heard the familiar voice behind him.
Sam turned and his heart dropped. The nervousness he felt before returned as his heart beat increased.
"Um...I...I was told that this was the place to be tonight. I had no idea you would be here," he lied, his hand trembling, gripping the bottle tighter.
Liz walked past him and leaned back against the counter. Her heart felt like it was going to come out of her chest at any minute. She crossed her arms to hide the tremors in her hands.
"My roommate dragged me here. I don't normally socialize with the “it” crowd on campus," Liz explained, gesturing to the kids around her.
An awkward silence settled between them. Liz took that moment to look him over. He had definitely gotten taller since they were kids. His hair was still the same, bangs falling over his eyes. She still felt her knees go weak when his hazel eyes met hers.
Walking to the refrigerator, Liz glanced behind her. "Why didn't you say anything at the diner yesterday?" Liz asked, opening the door, retrieving a beer.
Sam lifted a hand and scratched his brow nervously, running his hand through his bangs. Shaking his head, he wasn't sure what to tell her.
"Honestly, I don't know. I want to say it was nerves, but that would be a lie. I guess I was just waiting for you to make any sort of acknowledgement that you remembered who I was," he said, his lips curving into a smile. He took the beer from Liz’s hand.
"You’ve changed so much! Look how tall you are!” she exclaimed, looking him up and down. “You’re like what? Ten feet tall?” she joked, smiling.
Sam laughed a throaty laugh, bringing out his dimples. Looking down at his beer in his hand, he replied, “You’re funny. I’m only six-four.”
Bringing his cup to his mouth, he took a drink. “So, tell me. How have you been?” he asked, looking her over.
Seeing her standing in front of him brought back memories. Her smile that could brighten any room and her glowing tan skin awakened old familiar feelings inside him - feelings he hadn’t felt since Jess.
Placing her hand on her hip, she teased, “How have I been? Sam, I’m rather upset with you. You never called when you left. I mean, you told me you would call, but you didn’t once.”
Sam's face softened. "I know I didn’t. I'm sorry for that. It’s just my life got hectic,” he told her, watching as her blue eyes sparkled against the fluorescent lights. “My dad had my brother and me moving all over the place. I never forgot you though. That’s why I’m here now, Lizzie,” he said, bringing the bottle to his lips.
Liz took in a sharp breath, hearing his former nickname for her. She quickly turned her head to hide the warm sensation creeping up her neck.
Sam looked down at her, wondering how much to tell her. Should he tell her about the dream he had of her? If he told her she was in danger, would it scare her away? He never had forgotten her, but that wasn’t why he was here now.
“Liz, there’s a lot of stuff I haven’t told you…”
The music from the other room blared louder at that particular moment. Sam and Liz weren’t able to hear anything the other said. Moving closer, Sam touched Liz’s arm. Liz looked up at him and smiled shyly.
Moving her lips to his ears, she yelled, “I can’t hear you! Wanna go somewhere more quiet?”
Sam nodded, agreeing to follow her.
Breaking from her grasp, he said, “Wait! My brother’s here. I need to go tell him I’m leaving. I’ll meet you outside.”
Without another word, he turned to go find Dean.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed someone come to the staircase. The stranger didn’t sit down but instead leaned against the railing. Her gaze went from his blue, holey jeans up to his bright green eyes.
The man extended his hand, a smile on his face. "Hi, I’m Dean Johnson,” he said, waiting for her to shake his hand.
What was tonight? Come-hit-on-Jennifer night she wondered? She took his hand and shook it.
“Jennifer,” she said, looking behind him for Daniel to return.
Dean sat down beside her and leaned his back against the lower part of the rail.
Jennifer took note of his confident stance. Unlike Daniel, this man had a smell that was mixed between motor oil, leather and alcohol. He was cute but unlike Daniel, he was no pretty boy. When they shook, she had felt his calloused hand, evidence he performed handy work.
He leaned his head back against the railing. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
Shrugging her shoulders carelessly, she allowed herself to smile. “Actually, this party is getting to be quite boring,” she said, sighing.
Leaning toward her, he said, “Well, it’s a good thing I came over here when I did, now isn’t it? Maybe we can liven this party up.”
“So, are you a student here?” she asked, changing the subject.
Peering behind Dean’s shoulder, Jennifer noticed Daniel standing a few feet away. He was holding two cups in his hands. Before she could motion for him to come to her, a couple guys walked up to him, urging him to follow them, pushing him further into the crowd.
Her shoulders dropped and she sighed. She felt disappointed that she would have to wait until tomorrow to talk to Daniel again. She felt the two had made a connection, allowing her to feel both nervous and shy again. Something she hadn’t felt since Jeremy.
“Hey, Dean!” Jennifer heard, looking in the voice’s direction.
She saw a tall male wearing a red Polo walk up them. While he spoke to Dean, Jennifer looked the stranger over. She found that, like Dean, he was rather handsome. His golden-brown skin accentuated his brown shaggy hair and hazel eyes. His shirt hugged against his body, revealing the contours of his arms.
“Sam…” Dean said, standing from the step. “Don’t tell me you’re done with this party.”
“Yeah, I am,” he said. “I ran into Liz, which I’m guessing is what you wanted and we’re gonna head out of here,” he told him.
Hearing the name Liz, Jennifer straightened up. “Liz? Like Liz Lange?” she asked, turning her attention to Sam.
Nodding slightly, he said, “Yeah, you know her?”
Jennifer stood up and extended her hand. Everything began to make sense. These were the Winchester boys. The man in front of her was Sam Winchester, the guy Liz was friends with so many years ago. If he was Sam, then that meant the man she had been talking to was Dean Winchester.
“I’m Jennifer Scott, Liz’s roommate. It’s nice to finally meet THE Sam Winchester,” she said, shaking his hand.
Sam smiled, feeling the softness of her hand. He could see why his brother was drawn here. Jennifer’s glow and gentle dimples reminded him of Jess’ natural beauty and her warm smile seemed genuine.
“Well, Jennifer. It’s very nice to meet you. I see you’ve already met my brother here,” he said, feeling Dean’s glare on him. Bowing his head, he scratched the back of his neck, snickering. “Liz and I are going to head out of here. Just to talk,” he assured Jennifer.
Jennifer waved for him to go as she turned her attention back to Dean who smiled nervously at her.
“Dean Johnson, huh?” she said, starting to walk toward the kitchen.
"Wait,” he said, following after her.
He couldn’t let this girl get away from him. Not just yet. Besides the fact that she was beautiful and had an attitude he liked, he really liked talking to her. He couldn’t help but think about their conversation on the phone earlier that morning. Hurrying after her, he grabbed her arm.
Jennifer looked pointedly at the hand on her arm.
Narrowing her eyes, she said, bluntly, "If you want to keep that hand of yours, I suggest you let go of me.”
Letting her go, he looked to the ground. For the first time ever, he was speechless. He wasn't sure what was going on in his stomach, but something was moving around in there. Butterflies maybe? Nah! Dean Winchester didn’t get butterflies.
"I’m sorry!” he apologized, holding his hands out in surrender. “Look, Jennifer. My name is Dean Winchester. We spoke this morning on the phone. Don’t you remember?” he asked, his voice faltering.
Meeting his apologetic eyes, Jennifer gave in. "Yes, I remember,” she told him, sighing. “I don’t understand why you felt you needed to lie to me,” she stated, noticing his gaze intently on her.
Scratching the back of his neck, he shrugged his shoulders.
“I guess it’s what I do,” he told her, looking around them. “It’s my way of picking up girls I guess you could say,” he said.
Shaking her head, Jennifer said, “Well you aren’t going to get any decent girls that way.” She grabbed his arm. “Come on! Let me get you another beer,” she said, pulling him with her.
“Lead the way,” Dean said, following her willowy form through the partying college co-eds into the next room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So, this is the big University of Kansas?" Sam asked, reaching the last step of the stairway.
Walking beside Liz, Sam took a moment to look around the hallway. The cleanliness of the hall made it obvious this was a women’s dorm floor. Placing his hands in his pockets, Sam noticed the smile that never left Liz’s face. It was obvious she took pride in her school.
Speaking up, he said, “Before my brother came and got me, I was attending Stanford.”
As the two walked side by side, Liz had been focusing on the wall beside her, trying to figure out what to show Sam next.
Hearing the news, she gave him a heartfelt smile, nudging his arm. “That's amazing, Samwich!" Liz exclaimed proudly. “I always knew there was a brain up there some where,” she joked, reaching up to shuffle his hair around.
Looking down at her, he shrugged his shoulders. “I WAS at Stanford,” he said. Looking down at the blonde, he said, “I had an interview to get into law school…then Dean turned up on my door step asking me to go on this road trip with him. So, needless to say, law school has been put on hold.”
Liz wondered why Sam would give up an interview to get into law school just to go on a road trip with his brother. Glancing up at him, she started to open her mouth to ask but felt it die in her throat, realizing that he wasn’t the boy she’d known. The familiarity they had with each other back then was gone. She closed her mouth, realizing she didn’t know him at all now.
The pair walked down the hall, passing room by room. Opened doors revealed several students inside. As they passed, Sam glanced into each one. One in particular caught his eye. The room was completely black except for the flickering flames of several candles situated in various areas. He found himself drawn to the room as if there was a line pulling him towards it. A shadow flew past the doorway, slamming it shut. A startled Sam snapped back to where he was.
Liz stood in front of her door, looking at an intrigued Sam who seemed to be staring at a closed door. She knew exactly which door he was looking at. Whenever she walked by it, the room gave her the heebie-jeebies. The rumor of the dorm hall was the girl who lived in that room practiced witch craft. Not the simple love spells but more dark stuff like black majik.
"Sam? Are you coming?" Liz asked, pushing her key into the key slot. The door swung loosely open as if it had never been locked.
Glancing at Sam, her eye brows crinkled, she said, “That’s weird. I could have sworn I locked this before I left.”
Taking a hold of Liz’s arm, Sam pulled her behind him gently. “Hold on. Wait here,” he said, entering the room and turning on the light.
Everything in the room seemed to be in place - nothing looked suspicious. He took a look in the closet, moving hangers of clothes. He looked under the bed. Still, nothing. Coming to the conclusion that everything was safe, he told Liz to come in.
"Everything seems to be okay. Maybe you did forget to lock the door," he suggested, raising his eye brows.
"Yeah, maybe,” Liz replied, looking around the room.
Everything did seem to be in place but Liz still wasn't sure she had forgotten to lock the door. She dropped her coat on the edge of her bed, walking over to the small refrigerator that sat in the corner.
"Want a beer?" she asked him, grabbing a longneck for herself.
"Yeah. Thanks,” he said, gazing around the room.
Sam looked at one of the beds, seeing that it hadn’t been made for the day.
Liz took note of this and said, “That’s my roommate’s bed. She hates making it. Her logic is you’re just going to mess it up that night, why bother making it.”
He snickered. “Sounds like my brother,” he replied.
Walking over to a bookshelf, sitting in the corner of the room, he looked at each of the picture frames. Each frame displayed a year in Liz and her roommate’s life. He took note of a picture of some guy holding Liz from behind in a lover’s embrace. A prom photo, judging by the formal dress and tuxedo they both wore.
Walking over to him, Liz handed Sam his beer. She took a swig of hers and allowed him to continue exploring the room. She saw his stare focus on a picture of Jennifer and her. Pom poms and high ponytails proved that she had been a cheerleader at one time. Sam started to laugh. Hearing his laugh again made Liz miss him even more. Whenever she heard that sound, it brought a smile instantly to her face.
Pointing to the picture, he looked at her, still laughing. “You were a cheerleader, Lizzie? Look at those legs,” he exclaimed.
Nodding her head, rolling her eyes, she took a swig of her beer. “Laugh all you want but I was fairly good at cheerleading,” she defended. “Our squad won many championships,” she bragged, pushing his arm.
“Hey, I met her tonight,” he indicated, pointing towards the girl who had her arm wrapped around Liz in an embrace. “She was with Dean tonight.”
Smiling, Liz said, “That’s my best friend and roommate, Jennifer. These are her pictures actually. She doesn’t like to admit it, but she’s a softy at heart. Always keeping things as memories.”
Sitting down, she brushed a curl from her forehead with her fingertips. Liz sat down on the end of her bed and motioned for Sam to sit down on Jennifer’s that faced hers. She still couldn't get over how much he had grown. The last time the two had been in a room together, he had been this small, scrawny young boy and now he stood at well over six feet tall. Looking at his short sleeves, she could see his muscles pressed against it.
He sat down in front of her, bringing the bottle to his lips. Looking around the room again, he asked, “So, did your roommate decorate this place?”
His eyes fell on a flat screen television with several DVDs lying around it. The walls held a few movie posters; one of Titanic and the other of Casablanca.
“Another one of her many talents. If it wasn’t for her, this place would be a plain ol’ dorm room,” Liz complimented her friend.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Walking into the dimly lit rec room, Jennifer sat down on the couch, located against the wall. A small crowd surrounded the flat screen television as a couple students played Guitar Hero. She patted the seat beside her for Dean to sit down.
Taking his jacket off, he laid it across the back of the couch and sat down beside her. The two-seater couch had just enough room for them to remain comfortable.
“So, I see our mastermind plan worked,” he stated. “Sammy and Liz met up and we didn’t have to do anything but bring them here. I say that’s fate.”
“Fate has a funny way of working like that. Stick two people into a building together and they’re bound to find each other,” she said, watching the men, strumming their guitars like rock stars.
Dean turned his attention to where her eyes were and shook his head at the video game. Who would waste their time on such mindless games when you could go outside and shoot something?
“So, I heard a girl was murdered here last night,” he said, looking around the room.
The comment startled Jennifer, her heart accelerating suddenly, thudding against her chest. The statement had come out of nowhere but there was no way she would let herself break down. Not now. Not in front of a new friend.
“Yeah…there was a murder here last night,” she confirmed, looking at him.
“Were you here last night?” he asked.
“I was,” she said.
Dean turned his body to face her, resting his right arm on the back of the couch. “So, did you see anything? I heard it was a gruesome mess,” he stated.
Realizing she would have to eventually talk about the murder, she bowed her head, the memories fresh in her mind. She raised her head, turning her body to the man beside her. Rising off the couch a bit, she rested her leg under her bottom, resting her hand on her knee.
“The girl’s name was Sandra Grimm. A good friend of mine - best friend actually,” she told him, looking at his face.
Eyes widening a bit, he realized he had hit the jackpot with this case. Forget the interviews. He had found the dead girl’s best friend who was bound to know all. Sammy could keep his Google and research. Dean had found the answer.
“We were upstairs talking and scoping the place like we always do…and she insisted getting me another drink even though I told her I didn’t want one,” she said, looking down to her hands.
“She never came back?” he asked, searching her face for answers.
Shaking her head, Jennifer answered, “No. And it didn’t even occur to me to go look for her. I figured she had just gotten tied up with some friends.”
Dean rested his head against his hand, staring intently at the shadowed curves in her cheeks, taking in every word she said.
“What kind of friend doesn’t know there best friend is in danger?” Jennifer asked him, her head bowing down.
His heart fell at the sadness he could see filling her eyes, from the memories of her friend. Placing his finger under her chin, he raised her head to look at him. He couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the radiant energy she set off.
“That guilt you feel,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Get rid of it now. There’s no reason for it. Your friend was murdered and unless you killed her or know the person who did, you shouldn’t feel guilty.”
Jennifer nodded, looking into his eyes. The brightness of his green eyes and his kind smile made her feel comfortable and at ease.
Dean said nothing and stared at the girl beside him. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to lower his head to her lips and kiss her, but his conscience told him it wasn’t the right time. He knew that. But something unexplainable was pulling him towards her and he was afraid one wrong move would mess that up.
Returning to reality, he asked, “Did your friend have any enemies? Anyone who may have wanted to hurt her?
“I know it’s cliché to say that everyone loved her, but honestly, they did. Sandy was fun and knew how to have a good time. I can’t think of anyone who would want to hurt her,” Jennifer said, shaking her head as an unexpected yawn escaped her lips.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, bringing her hand to her mouth.
“Hey, there. Don’t you be getting sleepy on me?” he said, touching her arm gently.
She shook her head, leaning against the couch. “No, I’m not tired. Tonight has just been really strange for me,” she told him, wrapping her arms around herself.
“There you are.” The two heard, looking up to see Daniel.
Jennifer’s eyes lit up, seeing the dark-haired man standing in front of her. His bright blue eyes looked down at her and the familiar feelings returned. But as quickly as they came, they disappeared, remembering the man sitting beside her. Her heart accelerated faster scared of what Daniel would think.
“I tried looking for you, but you had already left. I looked everywhere for you except obviously here,” he said, motioning toward the room, lips curving into a smile.
He glanced at Dean briefly, raising an eyebrow and looked back at Jennifer. He felt his heart sink, seeing her with someone else, but her smile gave him hope they still had a possibility to form some sort of relationship. Whether it be romantic or on a friendship level.
An uneasy feeling formed inside Dean’s stomach as he stared at the man staring at Jennifer. He couldn’t get over the fact that he somehow knew this man from somewhere but without knowing where or how, he had no idea if their encounter was a good one or a bad one.
“Daniel, I’m sorry. I just got to talking and the room was getting noisy. I had to get out of there,” she said. “This is Dean. Dean, this is Daniel.”
Looking up, he said, “Nice to meet you.” Not able to shake the feeling he had, he asked, “Do I know you? I swear I’ve met you somewhere.”
“Same to you and no, I don’t think we’ve ever met” Daniel replied. Turning his attention back to Jennifer, he said, “I’m ready to get out of her. I’m not sure if you are too but if you want, I can walk you home?”
Jennifer got to her feet quickly, feeling the familiar flutter of nerves in her stomach. She was relieved that he wanted to continue their conversation which could be the start of a beautiful relationship.
Dean winced inwardly, seeing the speed of her response. Standing up from the couch, he grabbed his jacket. He didn’t know what it was about this girl, but he wanted an opportunity to find out more about her and he needed to know how much of her friend’s murder she had seen.
Dean held his hand out. “It’s nice meeting you, Jennifer. I’m sure we’ll see each other again,” he said, as she took his hand. Taking one last glance at Daniel, he nodded briefly, walking out of the room. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out where he had seen this man before.
Jennifer looked back at the man, standing beside her and smiled. “I thought I was going to have to wait to see you tomorrow,” she said, bumping his arm.
Resting his hand on the lower of her back, he nudged her forward. “No, we can talk some more on our way back to your room. Let’s get out of here,” he said, following her out of the party.