Robin slammed the back door of the Impala when she got out and stormed toward her motel room. Her boyfriend, Mark, wasn't far behind, shouting her name. Sam and Dean exchanged a look. Every time they met up with Mark and Robin for a hunt they ended up listening to the two of them bicker until it blew up into a fight.
"Awkward," Sam said.
"Isn't it always?"
Dean and Sam got out of the car and went into the room next door. Sure enough, they could hear the yelling.
"Do you know what started it this time," Sam asked.
"He doesn't respect her opinion," Dean said as he flopped down on the bed and covered his eyes with his arm.
They heard the door slam, then a car door. Sam peeked through the curtains.
"It's Robin," he said. "She's taking Mark's truck."
"She's gonna go get hammered," Dean said as he stood. "I'll be back later."
He tossed Sam the keys to the Impala and ran outside. Just as Robin was backing out, Dean yanked the passenger door open. He climbed in without a word and Robin took off.
She pulled into the first bar they passed on the road. Dean followed her inside and sat on the stool next to her. She ordered a whiskey, and Dean ordered a beer. He barely got the bottle to his lips before Robin swallowed the contents of her glass and asked for another. Dean kept quiet. After witnessing a few of Robin's fights with Mark, Dean learned to let her cool down. Something Mark obviously never bothered to learn.
After the second time, he started heading to the bars with her to look out for her. He remembered that night as if it just happened. He had been with Mark, trying to talk him down, and suggested they go grab a beer. When they walked into the bar, some guy was all over Robin. She was beyond wasted, and the jerk was definitely taking advantage of it. Mark got into a fight, and Dean was barely able to get Robin out of the bar before the cops arrived. Several witnesses saw the other guy throw the first punch, so Mark was just given a warning.
Dean didn't need that kind of trouble, so he played bodyguard. If any guy got close, Dean would make it known that he should back off.
She had kissed him once. She had way too much to drink and caught him completely off guard. He put a stop to it, gently reminding her that she was with Mark, but not before he noticed how soft and full her lips were.
Now, he waited for her to start talking. It would come eventually, once the anger faded. She downed her fourth whiskey and ordered another. Dean still nursed his beer.
"He's such an ass," Robin said. "I told him. I told him that the ghost wasn't Walker. Does he listen?"
She waited for Dean to answer.
"No," he said.
"No. Even when you guys start to suggest, just maybe, it's not Walker, will he listen?"
"Nope."
"No. Why?"
"Because he's an ass?"
"Yes! He thinks he knows everything. He can't be wrong! Oh, no! That's unheard of!"
The bartender eyed Robin as he put another whiskey in front of her. Dean nodded at him, and the bartender walked away.
"Robin," Dean said, "you need to lower your voice, sweetheart. The bartender is staring at you."
"Oh, shhhh," she put her finger to her lips. "Don't want to piss him off. He has the booze."
She made a move to down the whiskey, but Dean put his hand on hers.
"Why don't you slow down, huh? I don't need you puking on the drive back."
She nodded and sipped at her drink.
"Why do I bother? Why do I stay with him?"
"Well, your answer to that is usually, because you love him."
She sighed and leaned her cheek on her fist. "I do." She pushed the glass away without taking another sip.
"Coffee," Dean said. "Let's get some coffee."
Dean motioned for the bartender and ordered two cups. Robin smiled at him.
"You always end up babysitting me when we hunt together. You're getting good at it."
Dean shrugged.
"Seriously," she said, "thank you."
"Don't mention it."
After a couple of cups of coffee, Dean drove Mark's truck back to the motel. Mark was pacing outside their room and was at the passenger door as Robin opened it. He pulled her into his arms as she got out.
"I'm sorry, baby," he said. "You know I hate it when you run off that way."
"And you know I have to separate myself from the fight when it gets like that. You never listen to me, it's like banging my head against a wall."
"I'm sorry. You're right. I'll listen to you more. I promise."
Dean rolled his eyes as he unlocked the door to his own room. How many times had Mark made that promise? Dean lost count. He was already inside when Robin responded. All he heard was the sound of their door, and laughter a few minutes later.
Sam looked up. "Sounds like they're okay."
"They usually are," Dean said, "if by okay you mean severely disfunctional."
Dean sat on the edge of one of the beds with his elbows on his knees, and squeezed the bridge of his nose.
"You all right, man?"
"Just a little tired of cleaning up after Mark's fights."
"No one makes you get involved, Dean."
"You weren't there that night at the bar, Sam. Robin was wasted, and that guy was all over her. His hand was practically in her pants."
"What? You never told me that."
"I always wondered if he slipped her something. Robin holds her liquor pretty well. I'm sure she was drunk, but... I don't know, man. She was just way off that night. And she had almost no memory of it the next day. I can't let that happen again."
"Shouldn't that be Mark's responsibility, Dean?"
"She goes to get away from him. They're fighting."
The next morning Mark and Robin knocked on their door.
"Donuts and coffee," Mark said lifting up the box and tray.
Dean, who had just gotten out of bed, ran his hand through his hair and took one of the cups.
"Thanks."
"So," Mark said, "Robin was right. The ghost isn't Walker."
He smiled at Robin and she smiled back.
"So, then, who is it," Sam asked.
"We need to figure it out soon," Dean said. "We've been at this for three days."
"And we were already at it for two," Mark said. "That's why we pulled you in when we ran into you."
"All right," Sam said, "more research. We're missing something."
That evening, Sam finally found who they all agreed was their ghost, and tracked down where he was buried. It was an hour drive. Dean packed up the Impala while Mark and Robin packed the truck, and Sam went to check out of both rooms.
When they arrived at the next hotel, Robin was storming into the office to book a room. Dean got out of the car and walked over to Mark.
"Now what?"
"She flipped out because I didn't need directions," Mark said. "How stupid is that?"
Dean shook his head, got their bags from the trunk, and waited for Sam to get back with the room key. An hour later Mark was at their door. Sam answered.
"Is Robin in here," Mark asked.
"No, why?"
"We got in another fight. She took off."
"When," Dean asked.
"About an hour ago. My truck is still here, though. I thought she came over here to get away for a while."
"You try her phone," Sam asked.
Mark nodded. "She's not answering."
Dean stood and grabbed his keys. "All right, Sam, you stay here in case she comes back. Mark, you go east. I'll head west. Let's find her."
Mark ran out to his truck and took off.
"Dean," Sam said, "what are you gonna do, shout her name out of the window while you roll down the street?"
"No, smart ass. I saw a bar a few miles back when we came into town. I'm betting she's there. She probably caught a cab or hitched a ride."
"Well, why didn't you send Mark there?"
"Because if she hasn't cooled off they'll go at each other again. I'll call and let you know if I find her so you can tell Mark she's okay."
Sure enough, Dean saw her sitting at the bar when he walked in. He sat on the stool next to her and glanced at the whiskey in front of her. She held it in her hand and rolled the liquid around in the glass.
"How many of those have you had," Dean asked.
"This is my second."
"After an hour?"
"Yeah."
"You usually have a few more put away by now."
She shrugged. "I think I'm just tired."
"Aren't we all?"
"No... tired of Mark. Tired of the fighting. I just want one night with no arguments."
"Come on, you guys don't fight every night."
"Basically, we do. Not always like this, but little things. I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it."
Dean was surprised. Robin and Mark had been together for years. He never heard either one of them question the relationship, even after a bad fight.
"What are you gonna do," Dean asked. "You ready to go back?"
Robin pulled out her phone and opened a text message. She placed the phone in front of Dean. The message read "it's over."
"I sent that to Mark not long before you sat down."
Dean stared at the message. "Are you sure that's what you wanna do?"
She nodded. "I can't go back tonight. He hasn't messaged me back yet or tried to call. He probably thinks I'm bluffing."
"But you're not."
"No. Would you drop me off at the motel down the street? I'll catch a cab back in the morning to get my bags."
"No cab. I'll get a room and we'll both go back in the morning."
"You don't have to do that, Dean."
"I'm not leaving you alone. Come on."
Robin waited in the car for Dean to book their rooms at the motel. When he walked back out he went straight to the trunk, and Robin climbed out.
"I keep an extra bag in here for emergencies," Dean said. "Let's get settled and I'll go pick up something for dinner."
"What about the ghost? We were supposed to hit the grave tonight."
"Sam and Mark can handle it. I'll call Sam and fill him in."
Robin nodded and followed Dean into one of the rooms. He tossed the bag onto one of the beds and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
"Here you go," he said as he held them out to Robin. "At least you'll be comfortable to sleep."
"Thanks."
"You get showered and I'll get the food. You want anything in particular?"
"No, anything's fine. I'm not really hungry."
Dean came back with a couple of boxes of Chinese food. While they ate, Dean risked Robin getting angry again and brought up Mark.
"You know, breaking it off with Mark is a huge step. How long have you two been together?"
"Six years."
"That's a long time," Dean said. "Especially for hunters."
"I know. Maybe that's it. Maybe we've been together too long."
They ate in silence the rest of the time. Robin cleaned up their boxes and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Well," Dean said, "I should go shower."
Robin nodded.
"I'm just next door if you need me."
"Thank you, Dean."
He smiled, grabbed his bag, and left. He took a quick shower, then lay on the bed watching television. Dean checked the time. He had called Sam on his food run. He and Mark would be gearing up to find the grave for the salt and burn soon.
Dean was flipping through the channels for the second time when there was a knock on his door. He pulled his gun from the night table and looked though the peep hole. It was Robin. He slipped the gun into his waistband and opened the door.
"You okay," he asked.
She sighed. "This is so embarrassing..."
"What's wrong?"
"I'm not used to being alone. Mark and I are always together, especially at night. I'm bored out of my skull, and I can't sleep."
Dean stepped aside and motioned for her to come in.
"I was just trying to find something on tv," he said.
"Nothing on."
"Not a damned thing."
"Do you mind," Robin asked and pointed to the still made bed.
"No, go ahead."
She climbed on top and pulled one of the pillows into her lap as she sat back against the headboard. Dean put away his gun and went back to his position on the other bed. He picked up the remote and resumed his channel surfing.
"Can I make a confession," Robin asked.
"Those are never good."
She chuckled. "I was thinking about that time I kissed you."
Dean lowered the remote. "I didn't think you remembered that. You were pretty drunk."
"I wasn't that drunk. I remember." She looked up at him and grinned. "It was nice. Short, but nice."
"Yeah, well, I couldn't let you make a mistake you'd regret later."
"Right."
Robin turned on her side and held the pillow tight. Dean saw moisture building in her eyes. Robin never cried. Drank? Yes. Yelled? Yes. But, cry? He had seen her stitch up her own bullet wounds with barely a flinch.
"Hey, hey," he said, "what's wrong?" He moved to the edge of her bed and squeezed her arm.
"One decision changes everything."
"Yeah, it can, but you can still change your mind."
"No," she shook her head. "He hasn't even bothered to call."
"Like you said, he thinks you're bluffing."
"But wouldn't you at least call, Dean? Even if you thought I was bluffing?"
Dean thought a moment. "Yeah, I would."
Robin wiped at the single tear that slipped down her cheek, and covered Dean's hand with her own.
"Why are you so good to me?"
Dean just smiled and shrugged.
"I'm gonna ask you something," she said. "You don't have to answer, but..."
"But, what?"
"The night I kissed you... would you have regretted it if we hadn't stopped?"
Dean stared at her for a moment. He took his hand from her arm and brushed a lock of her hair away from her face.
"Not for a second."
Robin sat up so that her face was just inches from Dean's. He moved the pillow from between them and, for just a moment, thought that kissing her might not be the best decision. But his lips captured hers anyway, and he heard her sigh into the kiss. Her fingers brushed over Dean's face. She straddled his lap as she lifted his shirt off over his head, and Dean wrapped his arms around her waist. Robin pushed him onto his back as she kissed him, but Dean flipped them over and pulled her fully onto the bed beneath him.
He kissed her neck as his hand slipped beneath the faded rock tee she was wearing.
"I wanted to do this the minute I met you," Dean mumbled against her skin.
"Really?"
"Damn straight. You're gorgeous, sweetheart."
Robin pulled Dean's lips to hers and got him on his back again. She sat up to pull her shirt off, then leaned down for another kiss. Dean's hands covered her breasts. Robin rolled her hips against Dean's, and he let out a harsh breath.
He rolled them over again and pushed his pants and boxers down enough to kick them off. Then he sat up and pulled off Robin's. He kissed his way from her stomach to her lips as he covered her body with his. He stared into her eyes for a moment, lightly grinding against her, giving her one last chance to change her mind. When she thrust back against him, he lifted one of her legs against his side and pushed into her.
They rolled in the sheets until they were wrapped together. Back on top, Dean thrust into her, trying to find his release, but fighting to hold on until Robin broke. When she did, her entire body trembled. Her breath hitched as she moaned, and Dean's satisfied moan soon mingled with hers. He kissed her lips, jaw, and neck while her hands roamed over his shoulders and back.
They didn't bother to untangle themselves from the sheets. Dean moved them onto their sides, and they lay in each other's arms, exchanging soft kisses until they fell asleep.
