The Last Ride
Dean woke to the sound of the Impala's motor revving loudly, and then he heard the tires squeal and peel out of the motel lot. Confused, he jumped from the bed and ran to the door, throwing it open to see what in the hell was going on. Why would Sam take off in the middle of the night? And so noisily? Turning back, he was headed for the nightstand and his cell phone when something very odd caught his attention: Sam was laying in the bed next to his, fast asleep.
"FUCK!" Dean yelled, scaring the shit out of Sam, causing him to jump and fall out of bed.
"Dude, what in the hell is your problem? You scared the shit outta me!" Sammy yelled at Dean.
"Someone just fucking stole my car!" screamed Dean in an absolute rage.
"Huh?" inquired Sam, still a little sleep-dumb and confused.
"My car, Sam, someone stole the Impala!"
"Someone stole our car?" Sam asked, incredulous.
"Uh, HELLO, YES SAM, SOMEONE STOLE MY FUCKING CAR!!!! God DAMN it!" Dean swore.
"Oh shit," Sam said. "What are we gonna do? We can't call the police, Dean. That's just ASKING to be arrested."
"Ya think, college boy? Wow, those years at Stanford weren't wasted on you, were they?" Dean spat sarcastically.
"Hey, don't go getting all pissy with me because someone stole your precious hunk of metal, man. It's not MY fault," Sam sniped back.
"Precious hunk of metal? You're damn right, Sam. It's the only thing I have that Dad gave me. And that's "precious hunk of Detroit's finest metal", I'll thank you. Jesus, this is killing me. I rebuilt her from the frame up! My blood, sweat and tears are in every part on her." Dean was beside himself. He was rapidly pacing up and down the room, looking as if he were ready to kill someone.
"Well," said Sam, "what do you want to do? We aren't going to get very far looking for her on foot."
"Why couldn't the bastard steal her earlier when the fucking rental places were still open?" Dean whined.
"You, RENT a car? Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?" Sam asked, which earned him an evil glare from Dean. Deciding to take control of the situation, Sam said "Look, here's what we'll do. We'll walk a few blocks and find an old clunker that no one will miss very much; I'll hotwire it, and we'll go looking for her. If for some reason the theft is called in, we'll just take off on foot in separate directions and meet up back here, ok?"
"It's a starting point, I guess," Dean allowed. "But I'm telling you this: if the fucker who stole my car is still in her when we find her, I'm beating the ever-loving FUCK out of him and leaving him in a ditch somewhere."
"Ok, Dean, you can do that," Sam told him, knowing Dean would just be happy to have his car back unmolested.
XXXX
The dark-eyed man behind the wheel of the Impala grinned as he opened her up on a lone country road. "Nothing like her," he thought. "This beauty was made for speed." And he floored the accelerator, taking her as fast as she would go.
Later, he cruised back into the small town where he'd lifted her, finding a self-serve carwash and pulling into one of the bays. She was dirty. Very dirty. He couldn't believe anyone would let their vehicle, especially one as special as this one, get so grimy. Shaking his head, he popped $5 worth of quarters into the coin box and selected the Premium Wash option. He didn't really know what on earth would be included in a self-serve Premium Wash, but what the hell, this car deserved the best. He pulled the wand from it's holster and squeezed the trigger, watching the jet spray shoot water and soap over the beautiful and sleek black Impala. After he wet her down thoroughly, he got into the back seat and found a few ratty tshirts with which to scrub her skin. Lovingly, he pulled and pushed the cloth over the body of the car, making sure to scour every inch of her down to the tires. When he finished, he switched the option to the rinse cycle and sprayed the baby down again. He used the last two old shirts to sop up every drop of water on the car, being so gentle that it was almost like he was making love to her. Hell, truth be known, he had a raging hard on when he was done. "Hmmm, is it the car, or do I just need to get laid that badly?" he thought, chuckling to himself, knowing it had been a VERY long time since he'd enjoyed the company of a woman. He tossed the old shirts into the trash can at the edge of the bay and then emptied the small trash can that was sitting on the drive shaft hump in the back. "At least he doesn't trash her up with junk food wrappers and cans," he mumbled.
Getting back behind the wheel, the man, all hard muscle and rugged good looks, decided he'd cruise a bit more, heading in the direction of what served as "downtown" for the little 'burg he had found himself in earlier that night. He switched on the radio, searching for a classic rock station. He found one playing some Creedence, and he suddenly remembered the last time he'd heard a Creedence song. They were a great band, no doubt about it, but he couldn't take hearing them just now. He shut the radio off, deciding he wouldn't torture himself further. He wanted to enjoy this little bit of heaven as long as he had it.
He was forced to stop at a light. It bugged the shit out of him because there weren't any cars waiting for the lights in the opposite directions, nor were any approaching the intersection. He never understood why some towns didn't have sensor controlled light systems. It just didn't make sense, dammit!
"Hey, sugar, looking for a date?" a woman asked, approaching the passenger side of the Impala.
XXXX
Sam and Dean left on foot from the Old Home Motel where they were staying. Dean was still very angry, all red-faced and bitching about his car.
"Stupid asshole, when I get my hands on him, I swear, Sammy, I'm gonna..."
"Ok, Dean, calm down. We'll find her, alright?" Sam said, hoping to God that they would, that someone hadn't already taken her apart at a chop shop somewhere. He didn't know how he'd handle Dean if they never found the Impala. Hell, he'd probably have to bury him.
"Calm down? You want me to calm down? Ok, when we find my baby, I'll calm down. Until then, excuse the shit out of me if I'm just a little bit upset!" Dean raged.
It was going to be a very long night.
They walked about six blocks away from the motel into an area of town that could only be described as seedy. The houses were all in various states of tumble-down, paint peeling, shutters missing, grass needing mowed. Many of the "homes" they passed had busted windows with plastic taped over them. A few even had what appeared to be bullet holes in the shingling that clad their sides. Most of the cars they came across were up on blocks, missing the wheels and tires, or the engines, some even missing doors and the hoods and trunk lids.
"Man, can you imagine having to live like this?" Sam asked Dean, for once appreciating the fact that their Dad never moved them into an area such as the one in which they were walking. "All the places we've stayed seem like palaces compared to this, huh?"
Dean only nodded, giving Sam a sideways glance.
After another ten minutes or so, the boys came upon an old Ford Pinto. It had seen better days, once upon a time. The windshield was busted, cracks spider-webbing out from a central hole that looked like it had been made by a baseball bat. Dean looked all around and then nodded to Sam, who opened the driver's side door. It creaked loudly, causing both Winchesters to hiss "Quiet!" at the same time. Sam bent his long frame into the driver's seat of the small car, leaning as far forward as he could, searching for the wires he needed to accomplish the task of starting the engine. Since the passenger window was down, Dean climbed in through the hole left by the window's absence, wanting to avoid a repeat of the creaking noise Sam made when he opened the other door. Having found the right wires, Sam stripped the sleeves as best he could and twisted the bare ends of the wires together. The Pinto sputtered a bit, but the engine caught and started, rather loudly. Quickly putting the car into gear, Sam pulled away from the curb as fast as the choking motor would allow.
"Great!" Dean barked. "There's a hole in the frigging muffler!" The car was making a fairly loud rattling sound, followed by a small backfire every couple minutes.
"Well, we've done it now, so we might as well just keep going," Sam told him. "No sense in pushing our luck and getting caught if we steal another car."
Dean threw him a petulant look. "Yeah, ok, whatever."
XXXX
The man thought for a moment. "Sure, sweetheart, I could use a date," he told her. "Get in."
The woman, obviously a "lady of the evening" judging by her short skirt, lowcut blouse and pickup line, climbed into the seat beside the good looking man. "I've never really done this before," she told him.
He eyed her and said, "Ok, babe, whatever you say." She had long, beautiful wavy blonde hair, full lips, and blue-green eyes. "What's your name, sweetheart?" he asked her.
"Maria," she responded brightly. What's yours?"
"Oh, my name isn't really important, now is it?"
"Naw, guess not. I'll call you John."
"Now that's funny considering what line of work you're in!" he chuckled.
"Why do you think I picked that name?" she laughed back, eyes twinkling.
Looking the woman over, he wistfully told her "You remind me of someone.You look like her, laugh like her, hell, you even smell like her."
Maria simply looked at him, her eyes glistening in the dim light of the dashboard.
"Well, this is your town, honey, and I'm not familiar with it. Where should we go?" the man asked Maria.
"I'm not from around here, either. In fact, I kinda just got here myself. Maybe we could head out of town a little ways?" she suggested.
XXXX
With the car making so much noise, Sam was beginning to think he'd made a mistake by saying they'd 'keep' it. But there was nothing for it now, they were stuck with it. They'd already passed a few small groups of people who threw them some very curious and suspicious looks.
Sam drove around town, turning this way and that, trying to follow a grid pattern, hoping to travel as many streets as possible in order to look for Dean's beloved Impala.
"Dean, I don't know--"
"SHHHHHHH!" Dean shushed him. "Hear that? That's her! I hear the engine of my car, go that way!" he hollered, pointing out the window to the right.
Sam turned right on the next street and gunned the little car as fast as it would go. They travelled several blocks, looking down each side street and alleyway, but they found nothing.
Dean was despondent. "I know I heard the Impala's motor. I KNOW it. Fuck, why does shit like this have to happen to me?"
Sam didn't know what to say, couldn't think of anything that would make Dean feel better or that wouldn't start a fight between them.
Pulling to a stop at a red light, Sam looked at Dean and simply said, "Dude, I'm sorry. We'll keep looking for her, ok?"
Dean nodded, his face the perfect picture of a pouting child.
They didn't see or hear the group of hoodrats approaching the car.
XXXX
Following a dark road out in the country, the man and woman rode in silence, listening to the thrum of the powerful engine under the shiny black hood before them. It was like music and sex and food and life all rolled up into one.
Pulling off onto a tree-lined dirt road, the man smiled at his companion, his sexy bedroom eyes full of intent. There was a pullout off into the trees on one side of the road, so he slid in, putting the Impala in park and shutting her off. Beyond them, in front of the car, the couple spied a small pond, moonlight shining on it's pitch black surface. It was quite the beautiful setting.
"So..." Maria began.
"So..." 'John' answered her. "Why don't you scoot over here next to me?" he asked.
She seemed a little nervous, like a schoolgirl on her first date. She slowly scooched next to him.
"Is this really your first time doing this?" he asked her.
"Yes, it is. It's also going to be my last," she answered.
His questioning gaze became one of awe and wonder as he watched the transformation of the woman beside him. He pulled her close, taking her mouth with his, delving deep inside, searching for her soul. She responded to him with tiny moans in the back of her throat, opening herself to him.
"Back seat..." he rasped.
They pushed up and tumbled over into the back of the Impala, tugging at each other's clothing as they did so. Maria pulled the man's shirt off, popping his buttons in the process. Her hands skimmed over his chest and belly, pulling at his nipples and rubbing his abs as she kissed him passionately.
Having already removed Maria's blouse, the man made quick work of her beautiful lacy bra, undoing it with one quick flick of his fingers to the front clasp. Her lovely white mounds burst from their hiding place, full and beautiful in the moonlight that streamed in through the windows. His mouth descended on her breasts, hungrily sucking at her nipples, softly biting them, causing Maria to gasp "Yes, oh, God, it's been so long..."
XXXX
"Yo, man, what's up wit dis?" a young guy said to Dean as he came near the Pinto.
Dean glared at him. "What's up with what?" He noticed the tattoo at the juncture of the boy's neck and chest; it read 6Pak. Dean figured from looking at him that it referred to his abs, because this kid had muscles everywhere.
"Yo, you and ya boy drivin' a car don't belong to y'all," he stated rather contentiously.
"And?" Dean asked, his tone challenging, taking in the two other well-built young men standing to either side of the smartassed punk.
"Dean, take it easy," Sam said very quietly. "We don't want to start shit with the local homies."
Dean looked at Sam, surprised that he wanted him to back down from some kid wearing baggy clothes. "To hell with that, Sam. And you have some visitors over there, by the way," he pointed out, indicating the three dudes standing outside Sam's door.
Just then, the car sputtered and died. "Fuck! You. Piece. Of. SHIT!" Sam exclaimed, his head falling forward onto the steering wheel.
He heard a repetitive pinging sound on his window. When he looked up, he saw a knife in the hands of the pinger. "Aw, geez," he Sam thought, "we're gonna have to kick the shit out of these fucking hoodrat brats."
Without warning or preamble, the two terminators with 6Pak reached in the car, grabbing Dean and yanking him out of the window.
XXXX
"Yes," John moaned as he continued his suckling, "way too long."
"I want you, John, now. I have missed you so much," 'Maria' told him with tears in her eyes.
"Oh Mary, I never dreamed in a million years that this would ever happen, but I prayed for it, every day, since...since..."
"Shhh, I know, it's ok. Just love me," Mary Winchester said to her husband.
The couple rapidly shed the rest of their clothing, kissing and biting and sucking and rubbing each other all over in the process.
John entered his wife slowly, wanting to remember every second of this night, this experience. She wrapped herself around him like a glove, sighing and moaning as he began to thrust inside her, meeting him in the middle, matching his rhythm.
They loved each other for hours it seemed, but it was over too fast for the both of them.
Laying in the back of the Impala, they were tangled up in one another, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. John suddenly chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?" Mary asked. "Way to make a girl feel sexy!"
"I'm sorry, honey, but I was just thinking, I'll bet that Dean is having a shitfit right about now! I can just see him, raging mad over someone taking his car!" he told her, breaking into an honest to God belly laugh.
"John Winchester, you should be ashamed of yourself! How could you torture our son like this?" she chastised him. "I didn't even think about it, that you had to have taken Dean's car. Get up and get your clothes on, we're taking this car back right now!"
Her tone left no room for argument. "Yes," John thought, "this really is my Mary, and I'm here, WE'RE here. I'm not dreaming." He smiled indulgently at his wife, and got out of the car buck naked to put his clothes back on.
XXXX
Sam moved like lightning, reaching into his waistband and grabbing the gun he'd had the foresight to bring with him. He pointed it at the three cretins standing outside his window. Surprised, they all raised their hands and backed away, allowing Sam to get out of the car. He motioned them around the front of the vehicle to group them with the others. He didn't need them separated and surrounding him.
The two men holding Dean pushed him against the car, and 6Pak took that opportunity to get in a gut check. Dean crumpled, air spilling from his lungs as he fell to the ground.
The blast from Sam's gun took all six of the shady characters by surprise. The three who had Dean fenced in moved away from him quickly, noting Sam's deadly serious attitude.
"Get the fuck away from my brother," Sam growled at them.
"S'alright man, no pro'lem, we goin' now," stammered 6Pak, none too brave in the face of true danger. Then they took off into the night, not once looking back.
Sam helped Dean get up from where he'd fallen. "Man, this night just keeps getting worse, doesn't it, Sammy?" he asked dejectedly.
"Yeah, I guess it does." He looked at Dean with sympathy, knowing they were never going to find the Impala.
Dean knew it, too. Sam could tell he had finally resigned himself to the fact that his baby was gone.
Together, the boys headed off in the general direction of their motel.
XXXX
John drove back into town, Mary snuggled tight against his side.
"Remember when we used to take long drives in the country?" she asked him.
"Of course I do. And we always ended up doing what we just did," he responded, a naughty gleam in his eyes. He smiled at her, "That's why tonight was so special. This was really us, the good us."
Mary smiled back at him. "You're incorrigible, you know that?"
"Yeah, it's why you love me so much," he said.
Before they knew it, they were back at the boys' motel. John pulled into the slot outside their room and cut the motor. Quietly, he and Mary exited the car, staring at each other over the roof.
Clearing his throat, John said, "Well, he's certainly getting her back in a lot better shape than he lost her. You wouldn't believe how dirty he let this car get!"
"Now, John..." Mary started.
"Ok, ok, I'll leave off. Oh, hang on a minute." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a leather loop. At the end of it hung a solid gold pentacle. He reached in through the open window and placed the protection amulet over the rearview mirror.
Mary smiled at him. "That's wonderful of you, my love."
"Well, at least no other spirit or entity can take her from him now," he chuckled, amused at his prank on Dean. Then he turned serious. "And it will protect both of them when they're inside her, well, from, you know..."
"I know," Mary said.
Spying a pen and post-it pad laying on the front seat, John got another idea. He grabbed them and wrote a note, pulling the top piece of paper off the pad and sticking it to the mirror.
Mary came around the car to John, placing an arm around his waist. "You ready?" she asked.
"Yep. I'm ready," he told her, looking across the parking lot to the glowing white light that had appeared there.
Side by side, holding onto each other, John and Mary Winchester walked into their eternity, their reward to be together at last.
XXXX
Dean was silent as he and Sam walked the few miles back to the motel. He couldn't believe that his car, his BABY was gone. He knew it was just a car, but his Dad had told him so many stories of things that had taken place in her and with her. Long nights carrousing with his Marine Corps buddies, others spent on long drives with his beloved wife. It was truly the last piece he'd had of his father other than memories of him. Suddenly he smiled, thinking of John's infectious laughter, his practical joking, his zeal and determination to rid the world of evil. "I'll live," he thought to himself, "I'll live."
The sun was coming up as they approached their destination.
"Man, am I ever tired," Dean said to Sam. Hearing no answer, Dean looked to his side and found Sam wasn't there. He turned slightly to see Sam back a step or two, standing stockstill at the edge of the motel lot. "Sammy? What's wrong?" Dean asked, concerned with Sam's behavior.
Sam raised his hand and pointed toward their room. "Look!" was all he said.
Dean glanced over at the motel and then did a double take. "MY CAR!!!!" he yelled, happily sprinting over to her. "Oh man, aw geez, look at her Sammy! Not a scratch on her!" he said, giddy with relief.
"Yeah, Dean. And she's clean," he said.
"Huh?" Dean looked at the car, noticing that there wasn't a speck of dirt to be seen anywhere. Opening the door and getting in, he noticed that her insides were clean as well. "Uh, Sam," he said to his brother, who'd slid into the passenger seat, "who would steal a car, wash it and clean it out, and then return it?" he asked.
"Um, I don't know Dean," he answered honestly. He saw the amulet and note on the mirror at the same time that Dean did.
Sam fingered the charm while Dean pulled the note down and read it aloud. "Thanks boys," was all it said.
"Dean, this pentacle is made of solid gold. This is a powerful protection charm. Who could have done this?"
"I don't know, Sam, but this is weird man, fuckin' twilight zone," Dean responded.
They were silent for a minute.
"You know," Sammy said, "there's a scent in here. It's familiar to me, but I just can't place it."
Dean sniffed the air. "Mom," he whispered.
"What?" asked Sam.
"It smells like Mom," Dean said quietly.
Sam just looked at him. He took the note from Dean's hand. "This is Dad's handwriting, Dean."
XXXX
They sat in the car for a while, neither of them saying anything. After a bit, Dean got out to head inside their room. He looked back a Sam and smiled. "Let's get some sleep, bro. I'm wasted."
Sam simply nodded, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
FIN