Could You Just Hold Me? 11/50
Chapter 11
The next two hours Bobby just tried to stay at Dean's tail. The boy drove like he was racing the devil himself but thankfully they didn't run into any cops. Bobby wasn't sure if a cop trying to pull Dean over would live long enough to regret it.
During the drive Bobby had time to think. First of all: Who was Nick? He still had no clue and no matter how much he wracked his brain he couldn't remember one of the boys ever referring to somebody with that name.
And why didn't they want him on this one? If this Nick was in danger or hurt, Bobby could probably help. But the only reason Bobby was right behind the Impala was because Sam hadn't come up with something to send him off.
Not getting anywhere with those questions Bobby's mind persisted on returning to the little fact that Dean had encountered a succubus before. That the man he loved like his own son had gone through the withdrawal alone. Alone on the dirty floor of some abandoned house. Did John know and if so did he care? In moments like this Bobby wished that bastard was still alive so he could kill him.
Bobby gritted his teeth and nearly missed the turn Dean took in front of him. When they reached the town Dean finally slowed down but not by much and he drove like he knew his way around this place pretty well.
They finally stopped in a rundown neighborhood that had seen better times.
"Okay, we fan out. I take this direction." Dean waved ahead. "Sam, you go left and Bobby …" Now he hesitated like he'd just realized that Bobby was also there.
"I look over there." Bobby took over. "This allies are like a maze. What am I looking for, Dean?"
"His name is Nick, he's hurt." Dean explained while Sam already took off, yelling the man's name.
"He said he hid behind a dumpster." Dean yelled over his shoulder and seconds later Bobby was alone.
"Balls." He muttered under his breath and went searching in the alley the brothers had left for him. From the distance he heard the occasional bellowed "Nick!" followed by the hopeful silence waiting for an answer.
"Nick?" He started yelling himself. After fruitless minutes he rejoined with Sam.
"Anything?" Sam asked and spread his arms in a helpless gesture.
"You sure he's around here somewhere?" Bobby asked and together they started another round around the area.
"He has to be here." Sam muttered. "Nick!"
When his phone started ringing Sam answered it before the first ring was finished.
"You found him?" He barked into the phone and a second later he took off running. Bobby followed him, cursing those damn long legs.
When he caught up with them he found Dean kneeling between two dumpsters with Sam hovering over him, eager to do something but in the narrow space there was nothing he could do.
"Dean." There was a new voice and arms sneaked around Dean's neck, clinging tightly to him and then Bobby spotted a head with the face buried in the crook of Dean's neck. Impatiently Sam shoved one of the dumpsters aside to get access to the man hiding behind.
"Hey, Nick." Sam said in a soft voice and all of a sudden Bobby felt like an intruder.
"Okay, let's get you outa here." Dean shifted, getting a better hold of the man in his arms. "Can you walk? Okay, that's a no. Sammy, get his other side."
Only when his eyes fell on Bobby Dean seemed to remember once again that they weren't alone.
"Get the car." He threw him the keys and Bobby didn't waste time. One look at the man now hanging between the Winchesters told him that he needed at least a bed or maybe even a hospital. Either way, he needed it as soon as possible.
The young man, Nick, didn't want to let go of Dean so they ended up with Sam driving the Impala, Bobby in the passenger seat, he would come back for his car later, and Dean and Nick in the back seat.
"Motel or hospital?" Sam asked with a worried glance in the rear-view mirror. "Dean, hospital?"
But it was the mysterious Nick who finally answered: "No hospital. Please."
The brothers exchanged a look through the mirror and Dean gave Sam a little nod and with that it was settled.
"Okay, no hospital." Dean brushed the hair out of Nick's face who still clung to Dean as if his life depended on it. "Can you tell us what happened?"
Nick's gaze landed on Bobby and once again Bobby felt like he didn't belong there.
"I'm Bobby." He tried in his friendliest voice, the last thing he wanted to do was to spook the kid farther. Nick was around Sam's age but scared like he was he looked about five. "I'm a friend of Sam and Dean."
Nick's gaze shifted to Dean who confirmed that with a nod. It was clear that Nick still felt uncomfortable around Bobby, however, before they could push him to talk, Sam steered the car into a parking lot and shut the engine off.
"I'll get us a room." He shifted in his seat to meet Nick's eyes. "We can talk inside, sounds good?"
Nick nodded into Dean's chest and Sam hurried to get them a room.
By the time he came back Bobby had already decided to wait outside because Nick clearly wouldn't open up with him around and he couldn't blame him. He was a complete stranger to him.
What did surprise Bobby was the meaningful look Dean directed at him while he and Sam had one of their silent conversations.
They ended up with Dean guiding Nick inside and Sam and Bobby staying outside and Bobby couldn't shake off the feeling that Sam was somewhat guarding the room. Was he afraid Bobby would eavesdrop on them?
"Okay, Sam. Who is he?" Bobby asked after he'd watched Sam pacing in front of the door for a minute.
"A friend."
"Looks like a very close friend."
"Yeah, we are social enough to have a friend. Big surprise." He snapped at Bobby but stopped his pacing when the door opened. Dean looked pale.
"What did he say?" Sam prompted.
"Not much yet." Dean admitted. "But he got attacked in his apartment. He thinks his roommate is dead."
"What?"
"I think …" Dean swallowed visibly. "It sounds like the succubus."
"You sure, son?" Bobby stepped in. "Because that's one hell of a coincidence."
Now Dean glared at him. "I'm not sure. But he says something about a woman and glowing green eyes and he has claw marks on his back."
Bobby's stomach dropped and Sam covered his mouth when the realization of what probably had happened to their friend kicked in.
"Did she …?" Sam started but broke off.
"Don't know yet." Dean's face was the stone mask again. "You two check out the apartment, I'll take care of Nick."
It was obvious that Sam wanted to stay with Dean and Nick but after a long second he turned to the car and jerked his head for Bobby to follow.
They drove in silence. Bobby had questions, a lot of them, but Sam wasn't in the mood to talk.
Sam found the right building and after seeing their FBI badges the landlord, a Mr. Mitchell, let them in.
"Crap." Sam mumbled at the sight of the yellow police tape covering the door to the apartment. "They are quick around here." He said the last part loud enough for the landlord to hear.
"They took the body out, asked me a few questions and that's it." He chewed on the filter of his cigarette. "The police has more important cases than a domestic quarrel gotten out of hand. At least when it comes to these people."
Sam had opened the door and had already ducked under the tape to get in but now his head snapped around to glare at the man. But Sam didn't ask the obvious question.
"What do you mean with these people?" Bobby asked and Sam's expression became unreadable.
"Faggots." Mr. Mitchell shrugged and grinned around the destroyed remains of his cigarette. "Oh, I'm sorry. Homosexuals."
Bobby tried to keep this professional while he wanted to wipe that smug grin out of his face.
"Thanks, Mr. Mitchell." He ducked under the tape. "We'll have a quick look around. We may have a few questions later." And before the man could answer Bobby shut the door in his face.
"What an asshole."
Sam had already finished his walk around what seemed to be the living room. Couch and table stood out of place and pieces of the broken TV lay scattered around and there was a puddle of blood on the floor. To Bobby it looked like a struggle and so far he couldn't tell if this was something supernatural or not.
Bobby checked the other rooms. A small kitchen area, a bathroom and two bedrooms.
"Smells like sex in here." Bobby observed. The bed looked well used and there was blood, too. "A lot of sex."
"So it could be the succubus." Sam spoke his first words since the landlord had let them in.
"Your Nick and this Aiden Green." Bobby started. "Were they together?"
"No." Sam answered, short and sure. "They were roommates, friends, nothing more."
Bobby nodded to himself. Two bedrooms and neither bed was big enough to be comfortable for two people.
"Then lets talk to Mr. Mitchell again."
"Why?" Sam hold him back. "We know everything we need to know."
"He may have seen her?" Bobby suggested.
What was with Sam? He wanted to get back to Dean and their friend, Bobby got that, but that doesn't mean they could get sloppy on the job. A job that involved Sam's friend no less.
They didn't have to go looking for Mr. Mitchell, he was hovering right outside the door.
"And you only saw Mr. Perkins leaving." Bobby tried to get the information they needed while Sam kept quiet. "There was nobody else? A woman maybe?"
Now Mr. Mitchell snorted. "Believe me. No woman ever set a foot in that apartment."
"So what makes you think this was a domestic quarrel?" Bobby started walking down the stairs towards the exit. "Could be a breaking and entering as far as I can tell."
"They always denied it but they can't fool me." Mr. Mitchell looked rather proud of himself for figuring that one out. "They were together. Except for, you know, when they were working." He even made air quotes for the last word and then waited with a grin for them to ask. But Sam didn't ask.
So Bobby did: "What do you mean with working?"
"Selling their asses to everybody willing to pay." Came the smug answer and out of the corner of his eye Bobby noticed Sam's clenched fist.
However, Mr. Mitchell just continued like the old blabber he was who finally had found a willing audience
"Mr. Perkins." He said the name as if it was something dirty. "Even let his work drive him home this morning. There should be a law against men kissing in public, it was disgusting. Thought they would do it right one the sidewalk." He shuddered theatrically. "I bet that's what they fought about later."
Once again Sam didn't rise to the bait instead he looked close to punching this asshole in the face. Bobby couldn't blame him, he was about to do the same.
"Could you describe the man?" Bobby asked and at the same time Sam said: "Thanks for your time." and tried to drag Bobby away but Mr. Mitchell answered Bobby's question anyway.
"Couldn't really see his face, some guy in a leather jacket. But he drove a nice car, you know, one of those old muscle cars."
They stepped outside and Sam headed for the car but Mr. Mitchell followed them. When he spotted the Impala, his face became slack and his eyes stared into space.
"I broke your toy, Dean Winchester. Now we're even." He said in a hollow voice. For long seconds he didn't move, only stared at the car. When he came to he looked around as if he wasn't sure where he was before he hurried inside, leaving a stunned Bobby behind. Sam had his eyes closed with a defeated expression on his face.
"Okay, safe bet." Bobby opened the passenger door, unwilling to think about the rest just yet. "This is a succubus."
They sat in the car for a moment.
"Bobby, I …" Sam broke off because apparently he didn't know what to say either.
"Let me get this straight." Bobby tried to make sense out of the new information. "This Nick works as a what? Prostitute? And Dean drove him home this morning."
Sam cringed. "It's not like that."
"Than tell me." Bobby demanded. "Because I'm getting some pretty strange ideas here."
Sam didn't answer.
"Look, Sam." Bobby rubbed his beard, trying to think. "Right now it looks to me, like you two let me down because Dean wanted to buy himself a nice piece of ass. And that's not like Dean. So please tell me I'm wrong."
"It's not like that." Sam repeated and let out a deep sigh. When he spoke he didn't look at Bobby. "Yesterday was their first anniversary."
continue to chapter 12
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