Chapter 1
A Match From Heaven And One From Hell
Play: "Pour Some Sugar On Me"
By: Def Leppard
The bar was crowded as always, the partially deafening noise of clinking glasses, pool balls hitting others and the occasional cheers from drunk customers. She was sitting at the counter, a drink in hand. She was wearing a hunter green, sleeveless top and a pair of black skinny jeans to go along with her brown combat boots. A silver charm bracelet laid on her wrist and a long silver necklace was hanging from her neck. A man was sitting next to her and they were chatting. He stood up and put his drink on the counter, leaving to use the restroom. He weaved his way through the enormous crowd and disappeared. The girl was left alone at the bar, she took the last sip of her drink and set her glass down on the counter.
"Another please," she said to the bartender. He nodded, grabbed her glass and began to fill it up again with whiskey. She looked around the crowded bar when the door opened. A young man, probably in his late twenties, walked in. He was wearing a long, brown leather jacket that was clearly too big for him, a pair of dirty jeans and some black boots. He wore a strange shape on a necklace that hung from a worn, black thread. He looked around the loud, overly crowded bar and smiled when he saw the empty seat next to the girl. He walked over and sat down with a smirk.
"Jack Daniel's on the rocks please," he said, His voice was soft, yet it cracked when he spoke, like he'd yelled too many times in the last couple of days. Now that he was closer, the girl could see him more clearly. There were dark bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for days and his face was dotted with soft, brown freckles. He had a snarky smile and the most intriguing green eyes. He stole a few glances at the girl as his drink came. She had noticed a few before she turned to him. The man smiled and asked, "What's a girl like you doing in a loud, over-crowded bar filled with disappointment and bad decisions?"
"Oh, you know, running away from my problems, trying not to have too much fun, the usual." the girl replied. "What brings you here?" The man chuckled at her response and took a sip of his drink. Putting it back down on the counter, he spoke.
"Taking a break from my little brother, we're on a road trip." The girl nodded and took a sip of her own drink.
"Did they give you a name along with that stunning jacket of yours?" she asked.
"Ah, seems I've met the queen of subtle transitions. What's yours?" the man asked quickly. The girl was taken aback for a moment, not knowing how to respond.
"Harper," she replied, making up her mind. The man smiled.
"Dean," he stuck his hand out and Harper shook it with a smile.
"Nice to meet you Dean," she said sweetly.
"So, what are you doing in Kansas?" Dean asked curiously.
"Just… visiting someone, an old friend." Harper answered. Dean tilted his head the slightest bit to show that he didn't exactly believe Harper. "What about you? How come we just happened to be in the same bar on the same night? Road trip really that bad, huh?"
"No, my brother and I just like our privacy once in a while. He's back in our hotel room." Dean replied.
"Understandable," Harper took another sip of her drink, "I sure need some time away from my sister sometimes."
"Your sister?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, her name is Jackie, she's the sweetest thing you'll ever meet but she is very… oh, what's the word for it… passionate? No, maybe-"
"Irritating?" Dean suggested.
"Exactly," Harper replied, "She got really clingy when she found out I was moving away after college, she thought I was coming to live back home." Harper explained.
"So she's younger?" Dean inferred.
"Yeah, she's eighteen, a senior." Harper replied. Dean nodded and reached for his drink. Harper accidentally found herself staring at him. Maybe for a bit too long. Dean looked up at her and smiled. Just then, the man from the counter came back out of the bathroom and saw Harper and Dean from across the way. Dean said something inaudible that made Harper laugh. She kicked her head back and laughed with her whole body, the man had never seen her laugh like that before. Harper glanced to her left and saw him, she could practically see the steam coming from the top of his head as his smile turned into an irritated scowl. Harper stopped laughing and turned to look at the man who was making a beeline towards her and Dean. When he got there, he crossed his arms in front of the two. Dean turned around to face him.
"Uh, Dean, this is my boyfriend, Marcus." Dean's smile dropped and he cleared his throat.
"Nice to meet you-" he began.
"Harper, come with me." Marcus said forcefully. When Harper didn't move from her seat, Marcus repeated, "I said, come with me!" He grabbed Harper's hand and pulled her off of the barstool. A look of pure horror came across her face as she turned back to Dean while Marcus dragged her to the back of the bar with one hand, pushing back through the crowd with the other. Dean was confused for a moment but went back to his drink, thinking of the pleading look Harper had given him before Marcus had dragged her away.
Marcus dragged Harper to the back of the bar. He let go of her hand but not before he spun her around to face him.
"Why were you talking to him?" Marcus asked.
"He sat down next to me and we started chatting. There's nothing wrong with a friendly conversation." Harper replied. Marcus' face burned a dark red. "Marcus please, not now." Harper urged, crossing her arms. Marcus stomped his foot like a schoolboy.
"You do not have the right to flirt with other men!" He screamed. Out of rage, he slapped Harper as hard as he could across the face. Harper's hand cradled her cheek as Marcus threw a punch into her side and she doubled over, removing her hand from her cheek.
"I wasn't flirting, I was having a conversation. I still have the right to speak to whoever I want!" Harper retaliated. Marcus punched Harper in the face this time, two, three blows to her right eye. She fell to the floor and urged herself not to cry as people began to look in their direction.
"You are so unbelievably arrogant!" Marcus yelled as he kicked and punched. People around the bar were beginning to realize what was happening. One man stood up from his seat and separated Marcus from Harper. Marcus picked up an empty beer bottle from a table behind him and threw it at the man. He missed and it shattered on the back wall.
Hearing the glass breaking, Dean turned around. From his seat he could see Marcus struggling under the stranger's grip and Harper over to the side on the floor, holding her face with one hand and her side with the other. Dean stood up, leaving his drink and raced to the back of the bar.
"Get away from her you filthy bastard!" Marcus yelled. Dean ignored him and raced over to Harper.
"Oh my god, are you alright?" Dean asked. Harper gave a small nod, out of breath. Dean gently placed a hand on Harper's side.
"Don't touch her!" Marcus yelled from behind.
"We're going to get you out of here. Come on," Dean said quietly. Harper nodded and Dean assisted her as she stood up shakily. Dean guided her to the door as Marcus screamed his head off. Strangers from all around the bar went to restrain him as Dean and Harper left.
Dean gently guided Harper into the passenger seat of his 67' Chevy Impala. The door creaked as Dean opened it. Harper plopped down onto the black leather seat. There were no seat belts, so Harper just clutched onto the arm rest as Dean closed her door. He hurried off to the driver's side and opened his door. He flung himself into his seat, slammed his door, and started the car. End Song If Not Yet Finished
Play: "Sugar, We're Going Down" By: Fall Out Boy
"Where are we going?" Harper asked.
"Back to my hotel room. My brother and I can patch you up." Dean replied as he drove away from the bar.
"Oh, that's okay, you can just drop me off at my apartment, I can patch myself up no problem." Harper argued, wincing at the pain from her side and her right eye. Dean glanced at Harper quickly, then he looked back to the road, but not before he saw a glint of light that had bounced off of Harper's silver charm bracelet from the streetlights. There was one charm that caught his eye, it was a pentagram inside of a sun-looking shape. Dean recognized that symbol, he had the same one tattooed onto the left side of his chest.
"No, don't worry, my brother and I can take care of you," Dean said politely. "Besides, hunters help each other out, right?" Harper's good eye widened. She turned to face Dean.
"You're a hunter too?" She asked. Dean nodded and Harper grinned. "Then I think I will go back to your hotel, maybe I can meet your brother." Harper suggested.
"Yeah, he's a joy." Dean muttered sarcastically. Harper giggled but soon regretted it due to the stinging in her side. During the ride, Dean kept glancing at Harper from the corner of his eye. This was partially because he wanted to make sure she was feeling alright and partially to check her out. Her eyes glowed for a moment as they passed a streetlamp. Dean smiled as he noticed her freckles on her nose. End Song If Not Yet Finished
Play: "Bad Moon Rising" By: Creedence Clearwater Revival
They got to the Hilton Hotel around fifteen minutes later. Dean helped Harper out of the car while getting out his room key. They reached the front door, Dean inserted the key, turned it and the two stepped inside.
The room was an ugly beige color with a darker brown trim around the walls. There were two beds with white bedding to the left and a desk to the right with a rolly chair. Dean's brother came out of the bathroom door and pulled his hands through his long, brown hair. He looked up and stopped when he saw Dean and Harper.
"Hey Sammy, we got company." Sam's eyes were wide, not with fear, but realization.
"Harper?" Sam asked.
"Sammy?" Harper asked in return. Sam smiled at his old friend.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Dean asked pointing back and forth between Sam and Harper.
"We were best friends in high school and college." Sam replied.
"Graduating class of 2000," Harper explained. "Coincidentally, we were both accepted into Stanford with a 174 and a 178." Sam grinned.
"Full rides," Sam added, "we made history, I think."
"Yeah, two kids in the same class to get full rides to Stanford is a pretty big deal." Harper said. Dean smiled.
"Oh my god, you're bleeding." Sam said as he realized. Harper could feel the warm blood flow down her right cheek.
"Here, sit down." Dean said quickly. He guided Harper to the nearest bed and sat her down. Sam sat down across from her on the other bed and patted her shoulder.
"How did this happen?" Sam asked.
"My dick boyfriend…" Harper murmured. Sam looked at her, puzzled. "We were at a bar, he left to use the bathroom, Dean came in, sat down next to me. We chatted for a while before Marcus came back. He was furious that I was even looking at another guy. He slapped and punched, that's really all there is to it." Harper explained. Sam frowned.
"Can I see how bad it is?" He asked. Harper nodded. Sam reached over and examined her eye. It was beginning to swell and her vision was getting blurry. She drew in a quick breath as Sam touched the skin around the wound. "Yeah, it's pretty bad." Sam said sadly. Dean walked in with the supplies to stitch Harper up.
"How's it looking? Does it hurt?" Dean asked as he sat down beside Harper.
"Not good." Harper replied. Dean took a look at her wound and analyzed it.
"Yeah, you're going to need about three or four stitches." Dean said. Harper nodded as Dean got out a sewing needle and a long piece of thread.
"Can I do it? I've never really had anyone do it for me before, I'd rather do it myself." Harper asked shyly. Dean hesitated for a moment before giving the needle and thread to Harper with a sheepish smile. She took it from him with a silent thank you and began to clean the wound. She went into the bathroom so she could use the mirror. Sam and Dean followed her and stopped in the doorway. Harper stopped the bleeding with a bit of pressure, then she took a damp paper towel and wiped away the blood from the surrounding skin. When she could actually see what she was doing, she began to stitch herself up. When the needle punctured Harper's skin, she grimaced from the slight pain. She'd done this hundreds of times before, she didn't know why it hurt so much now. Sam and Dean watched in awe as Harper stitched up her own eye.
If Song Finishes, Play: "Hot Blooded" By: Foreigner
When she was finished, Harper took the thread from the bloodstained needle and placed it gently on the sink beside her. She looked up at Sam and Dean who were still starring as she finished putting a bandage over her eyebrow.
"What?" She asked. Dean smiled and Harper started to clean up the supplies.
"Nothing, I just don't think we've ever seen someone… do that before." Dean replied as Harper threw away the damp paper towel.
"What, stitch themselves up? I'm sure you've done it thousands of times." Harper said.
"No, not really, I've only done it about twice." Sam replied.
"Then I guess I just take more risks than you two." Harper retaliated. Dean smirked and put the rest of the kit away.
"So… now what?" Sam asked as the three came out of the bathroom.
"Well, I think I have to go back to my apartment… face Marcus-" Harper was interrupted by Dean.
"No, you're not going back there."
"Why not?" Harper asked, turning around to face him. Dean hesitated before speaking.
"Yeah, why not?" Sam asked curiously.
"Harper, at the bar… I saw that you had a lot of scars. I saw some on your shoulders," Harper covered her shoulders warily, "some on your knees and one on your left cheek." Harper was silent. "Harper," Dean sat down next to her on the bed. She looked down at her shoes. "How long has this been going on?" From the hurt look in Harper's eyes, Dean could piece it together before she even said anything.
"Five months," Harper muttered under her breath. Sam drew in a short breath.
"Five… five months?" Sam asked.
"How come you didn't get away from him the first time?" Dean asked angrily.
"I tried!" Harper yelled. "He wouldn't let me leave! I tried to break up with him and... and he threatened to kill me." Sam and Dean looked up, surprised.
"What?" Sam asked, his face straight.
"I tried to fight back, he came back with twice the force. I… I just couldn't beat him."
"Well, we don't want to kill him, but be will if we have to." Dean said. "This is not okay."
"But some of those aren't from Marcus." Harper looked up to meet Dean's eyes. "Some of them are hunting scars…" She looked to Sam who knew. "Some of them are from my parents." Dean's jaw almost dropped.
"W-what?" Dean stuttered. He looked to Sam who had placed a hand on Harper's knee. She had forced her gaze back down to the floor. "Do you want to tell us… me about it?"
"Well, my mom is a heroin addict and my dad is an angry drunk. Together, they beat me when I slipped up, usually when I refused to go and get my dad another beer or my mom another syringe. I never told anyone about it but people still managed to find out. One day, I came to school with a giant slash across my face," she pointed to the fairly large scar from her mid cheek to her chin, "I was known as the beaten kid who didn't talk in class. The only class I even looked up from my book was music. I love to play the piano, sing, dance, all of that. My music teacher, Mrs. Brown, was basically my best friend. The only person I told was her, she was the only one I could trust with that information." Harper looked up at Sam. "Then I met this little bugger in my sophomore year, he became my best friend." Sam smiled at her. "I told him, he kept my secret, we graduated together, we both got full rides to Stanford, and then he left." Harper looked at Sam with a hint of betrayal. "You didn't even tell me." Sam looked down. "You know I would've understood, right? I'm a hunter too, you know."
"I know, I just didn't know how to tell you." Sam said sadly.
"Where did you even go?" Harper asked, standing up.
"Dean and I went to go find our dad." Sam replied.
"He went on a hunting trip and he hadn't been home in a few days." Dean added.
"So, you went to go find your dad and hunt… and you couldn't tell me?" Harper asked.
"It was personal Harper." Sam argued.
"Are you kidding me?" Harper yelled. "You think that sharing the biggest secret I've ever had was not personal? That telling you my parents abused me was not personal? I told you everything! I trusted you!" Harper paused, taking in a shaky breath. "I still do." She said quietly. Sam walked over to Harper. She reached up and hugged Sam as tight as she could. "I missed you, you big idiot." Harper stuck her face in Sam's collar and hugged him even tighter. When they pulled away, Sam smiled down at Harper, who was six inches shorter than him.
If Song Ends, Play: "Look At You" By: Screaming Trees
"Now that that's over…" Dean said awkwardly from the bed, "what now?"
"You can drop me off at my apartment in the morning." Harper suggested again. Dean was about to object, "Don't even bother, Dean."
"We don't want you getting hurt again." Sam urged. Harper thought for a moment.
"How about you drop me off, I go in, you two stay in your car outside without barging in and if I'm not out in fifteen minutes you can come in." Sam and Dean looked at each other. "If I'm okay, I'll give you a sign… there's a window facing the driveway. I'll pull it up halfway once, then put it down, then pull it all the way up. That okay?" Sam and Dean nodded. Harper stood up and sighed. "Which bed am I sleeping in?"
"You can sleep in mine," Sam said. Harper nodded and climbed into Sam's bed in her clothes, but she took off her shoes. Dean went and turned off the lights and climbed into his own bed, taking his own shoes off. Sam got into his with a sad smile. They fell asleep a few minutes later from exhaustion. End Song If Not Yet Finished
Play: "Lonely Is The Night" By: Billy Squier (Quietly)
Harper, Sam and Dean arrived at Harper's apartment at 9:30am the next morning. Sam turned around from the passenger's seat.
"You ready?" He asked. Harper nodded nervously. She got out of the car and walked up to the front door. She took a deep breath and got out her house key. Sam and Dean watched as Harper stuck the key in, turned it and opened the door. She walked in silently and closed the door behind her.
Harper's apartment was small, yet it seemed bigger than it was. The walls were painted a light grey and the furniture was all white. Harper heard music coming from the radio in the corner, but Marcus was nowhere in sight.
"Marcus?" Harper called. There was shuffling from the floor above and Marcus came rushing down the stairs.
"Harper! Oh my goodness, are you alright? Where did you go? Where did that guy take you?" Marcus asked hurriedly. He ran over to Harper and scooped her up in a giant hug. She flinched from his touch and he backed away slowly. "Harper, I'm so sorry-"
"This has to end, now." Harper interrupted. Marcus' face dropped.
"What?"
"I can't do this anymore. You have been abusing me for five months, enough is enough." Harper couldn't face Marcus. There were no tears in her eyes, but she still felt upset.
"What are you saying?" Marcus asked. Harper could tell by the crack in his voice that he was getting angry.
"Marcus, I'm breaking up with you. I never want to see you again. I'm getting all of my things and I'm leaving." Harper looked up to see Marcus's red face.
"No!" He yelled. "You can never leave me! I won't allow it!" Marcus made his way over to Harper, his hand raising to slap her.
"Not this time," Harper muttered under her breath. Marcus brought his hand down, but Harper raised her own hand to block it. She pulled her other hand back and punched Marcus in the jaw. He stumbled backwards from the blow. His hand shot up to his cheek and he looked up at Harper with hatred in his eyes. She was not scared of him anymore. "Not ever again, to anyone." Harper finished. Marcus was suddenly on top of her, he tackled her to the ground and began to punch. He hit her nose with full force which made it bleed. Harper fought back with all she had. This time, it was just enough. Harper flipped Marcus over and pinned his hands and legs down on the ground under her.
"You will never leave me." Marcus spat.
"That's where you're wrong." Harper punched her opponent in the nose which caused it to bleed as well. Marcus pushed her off and they both stood up. "I've changed my mind, get out of my house."
"I'm never leaving!" Marcus yelled.
"If you're not out of my house in the next ten seconds you're going to wish you were in literal hell after what I will do to you." Harper threatened.
"Is that a threat?" Marcus asked.
"You have no idea what I am capable of, Marcus." Harper said dangerously.
"I'm not scared of you." Marcus said bravely. Harper laughed and reached down into her shoe. She pulled out a small ballpoint pen from her sock. Marcus chuckled. "And what are you going to do with that? Write me a scary story?" Harper smiled, the look in her eyes telling all there was to know. She clicked the pen and it transformed into a dagger before Marcus's eyes. The handle was a light wood and carved into it was a tree design with falling leaves. The blade was sleek and sharp, Marcus couldn't see the devil's trap engraved into the other side. Marcus's eyes widened and he took a step back. Harper took two steps forward. Marcus whimpered and bolted for the door. He threw it open and sprinted down the steps and into a blue car in the driveway. Sam and Dean watched as Marcus drove away and Harper appeared in the doorway with her dagger. It turned back into a pen and she stuck it back in her shoe. She locked eyes with Dean who looked past the bloody nose and the red knuckles, he saw a girl with beautiful green eyes and a deep past. She gave him a small smile and headed back inside to grab a few things. End Song If Not Finished
Play: "I Saw Her Standing There" By: The Beatles
"What do you think she did to him?" Sam asked. Dean didn't answer right away.
"I don't know. Whatever it was, all it left him with was a bloody nose… and maybe a few mental scars." Dean replied. Sam smiled as his best friend retreated back into her apartment.
Harper came out with a backpack and her blue laptop. She hopped into the backseat of the Impala and Dean started the car.
"Alright champ, you've got to tell us what you did in there." Dean urged.
"What exactly made him run for the hills?" Sam asked.
"Well," Harper said as she slung her backpack off her shoulder and onto the seat next to her. "First, he attacked me when I broke up with him. Gave me a bloody nose, but I managed to pin him. I gave him a nosebleed as well, then he told me he wasn't scared of me." Harper's voice went down to a whisper. "I had to go all 'Creepy Hunter Dark Side Psychopath' on him."
"And what exactly did you say to him?" Sam asked.
"I said 'If you're not out of my house in the next ten seconds you're going to wish you were in literal hell after what I will do to you.' Then I pulled out my super-secret ballpoint pen dagger and showed it off. That seemed to get through his thick skull and he bolted." Sam and Dean were silent for a moment.
"Awesome." Dean finally said. Harper laughed the way she did in the bar, she threw her head back against the seat and just… let it out. It brought a smile to Sam and Dean's faces. Sam turned to his brother.
"I haven't seen her laugh like that since she got drunk on her birthday." He said with a grin. "And it doesn't count when you're drunk."
"I told her an awful joke at the bar and she laughed like that." Dean murmured. Sam was shocked.
"Wait, really?" He asked.
"Yeah, why?" Dean asked.
"She's just always been super stressed… or sad. Her laugh is a rare thing." Sam replied. Dean smiled and continued to drive back to the hotel room.
"Glad I could be of service." Dean replied confidently. When Harper was back to normal, she reached between Sam and Dean's seats and turned on the radio.
"What are you doing?" Dean asked.
"I'm playing some music." Harper replied bluntly. Sam sighed. Dean turned to look at him.
"What?" Dean asked.
"When Harper picks the music, you never know what she's going to play." Sam explained. Dean turned to Harper for a moment, then turned his head back to the road. Harper smiled as the introduction to one of her favorite songs began to play. End Song If Not Yet Finished
Play: "Back In Black" By: AC/DC (Loudly)
"Oh, hell yeah! Back in Black! I love this song!" Harper yelled over catchy drum beat. She leaned back in her seat and sang along. Dean turned to Sam, beaming. Sam rolled his eyes as Dean turned up the music to a very loud volume.
"She's awesome," Dean said bluntly.
"Yeah, five years of friendship with a guy like me can do that to a girl." Sam said sarcastically over the music. It was Dean's turn to roll his eyes in annoyance.
"At least she's not dead." Dean said quietly. Sam's eyes widened and he looked at his brother with worry. "What?" Dean asked. Sam obviously new something Dean didn't. Sam quickly restored his facial expression back to normal. "Tell me." Dean commanded.
"No, I promised I would never tell." Sam said quietly.
"Sam, if she's going to be sticking around, which I still haven't decided if I'm okay with, then I need to know everything about her. If she knows something that could be used against us or something that could get her killed..." Dean glanced at his brother then back at the road, "We need to protect her if she's coming along." Sam smiled. Dean rolled his eyes as the song continued to play on the radio. He thought nothing of the fact that Harper might've been listening to their conversation, which, coincidentally, she had been. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered what Sam had been talking about.
That's a story for another time. She thought. End Song If Not Yet Finished
Play: "Burnin' For You" By: Blue Öyster Cult
Dean pulled up to a parking spot right in front of the hotel and the three got out of the car, shut their doors and walked into the hotel room in silence. Harper decided to be the first one to speak.
"Have you guys found any cases recently? I really need something to take mind off of my ex boyfriend." She said.
"Well, no. We just finished up a hunt. We haven't done any more research." Dean answered. Harper nodded and took her backpack into the bathroom.
"I guess that's the first thing we're doing then." She closed the door with a tired smile, even though it was only 7:00pm.
"I guess we're doing research." Dean said. He reached into his bag on his bed and pulled out his laptop.
"Yeah," Sam said as he reached for his own laptop. "Once Harper decides to do something, no one can change her mind."
"She's bossy." Dean muttered. Sam smiled and opened his computer. A few minutes later, Harper came out of the bathroom with red and green plaid pajama pants and a gray AC/DC t-shirt with the Highway to Hell album cover on it. Dean looked up from his laptop and smiled at her. Harper grinned back awkwardly and threw her backpack on Sam's bed. She grabbed her computer and threw a pillow on the floor. She sat on it with her back against her bed. "What's with the outfit?" Dean asked Harper.
"I want to wear my pajamas for the 'research hour', they're more comfortable." Harper replied as she opened her computer. Dean nodded to himself.
"Fair enough." He muttered. Sam chuckled, grabbed his computer and sat down next to Harper on his own pillow. He smiled and winked at her quickly so Dean wouldn't see.
"What?" Harper whispered. Sam turned to make sure his brother wasn't listening before answering.
"You should totally ask him out." He replied quietly. Harper rolled her eyes.
"Not happening, Winchester. I already have to deal with one of you." Harper whispered back. Sam grinned and went back to research. Harper did the same, but smiled to herself after a moment. Both Sam and Dean noticed, but they didn't say anything. Dean hid his face behind his laptop screen and grinned. The three continued their research well into the night.
Harper had nodded of a couple of times during the nine hour research period, but this time she was fast asleep. Her head fell from leaning straight up against the bed and onto Sam's shoulder. It startled him but he didn't make any noise. Sam smiled and put his laptop down on the floor next to him. He supported Harper's head with his hands as he stood up and made sure she didn't wake up. Sam picked her up and placed her gently onto his bed. Dean looked up and saw that it was quarter after four in the morning. There were empty beer bottles and coffee mugs next to him and he stood up. The boys sat down on Dean's bed and conversed.
"Remember when I said I needed to know more about her?" Dean asked quietly. Sam nodded and turned to his brother. "I want to know everything about her." He finished.
"Well, I'll start from the beginning. Ever since she was little, she has dreamed of becoming a musician. Her parents began to beat her when she was twelve years old. They didn't stop until she had left for college. She's extremely smart, she scored a full ride to Stanford on a music scholarship. She came to the school, we were roommates." Sam turned to face Harper. "She has always had trouble connecting with other kids, they just didn't understand her, at least not like I did. I became her only friend, even though there were some 17,000 students in our university. She was just… she's a really big introvert. They only people I've ever seen her talk to are me and the music director." Sam turned back to Dean. "But she's great once you get to know her. She's a secret geek, loves Star Trek and The Lord of the Rings. She's got killer street smarts, she can get anywhere without a clue where she is. She's hilarious, she can make anything you say into a clever joke. She's stubborn, if she believes in something, no one can make her think otherwise. She's sarcastic, she loves to read and make music, she has a beautiful singing voice but she doesn't like singing for other people. She's a tech geek too, I can't count how many times I've seen her hack into a website or get past a firewall. I learned that she was a hunter after three months of living together."
"Now how did she become a hunter?" Dean asked.
"She was captured by a shifter on her 15th birthday. Some other hunter saved her and now she's probably the best hunter I know." If Song Ends, Play: "Can't Find My Way Home" By: Blind Faith
"Better than Bobby?" Dean asked.
"By a landslide." Sam replied.
"Better than dad?"
"Way better."
"Better than us?" Sam rolled his eyes.
"Let's put it this way, we are at the bottom of the Hunter Food Chain. Harper is so far from the bottom she's floating in the zero gravity of space."
"Alright, Mr. Overdramatic, I hear you. She's good." Dean looked over at Harper. "Hey, have you ever heard of a hunter that smiles in their sleep?" He asked. Dean pointed to Harper who was indeed smiling.
"Huh, I've never noticed that before." Sam replied. Dean smiled and began to get ready for bed. Sam did the same.
When they were half asleep, Sam turned over to Dean. He hesitated, not wanting to wake him up, but he decided to anyway.
"Dean," he whispered. Dean didn't reply. "Dean," Sam whispered, a bit louder that time. Dean opened his eyes and groggily glanced at the clock. It read 6:02am, about two hours after they had gone to bed.
"What could you possibly have to tell me at this hour?" He asked. "Can't it wait until the morning?"
"No, it has to be now." Sam said quietly. He didn't ask his question.
"Well, spit it out, boy, I'm aging." Dean whispered angrily.
"Do… do you like Harper?" Sam asked. Dean turned to face his brother.
"What did you just ask me?" Dean asked.
"I asked if you liked-" Sam began.
Dean interrupted him. "I know what you said, I want to know why you had to wake me up in the middle of my four hours to ask me a stupid question."
"It's an important question and I just had to know."
"I've only known the girl for two days. Now go back to sleep. I still need two more hours in order to function correctly." Dean rolled over.
"I see the way you look at her, the same way you look at her when you think no one is looking, it's the same look you used to give Cassie." Sam said.
"Sam, can't you see that she's been through enough already? She doesn't need the burden of another person right now after her previous boyfriend." Dean said quickly. Sam smiled in the dark.
"So you do like her?" Sam asked.
"How could I not? She's… she's something else Sammy." Dean blushed but Sam couldn't see.
"I knew it. You have to tell her." Sam replied.
"No, we're going to hunt and keep all our feelings inside like we always do, you hear?"
"Yeah, whatever. Just promise me you'll tell her afterwards."
"Fine, just go back to sleep." Dean ordered.
"Fine." Sam rolled over and closed his eyes. But he couldn't fall back asleep, he was too busy thinking about what it would be like if his brother dated his best friend.
Dean fell asleep soon after, but he dreamt about what it would be like to date his brother's best friend.
Harper smiled in her sleep as she dreamt about dating her best friend's cute brother.
