Bedtime Stories
I awoke with a start. A strong, calloused hand was covering my mouth. A large hand. Definitely male. I tried to pull back, but the hand followed. I looked up, my eyes following the leather-clad arm up to the face of my attacker. He was holding a finger from his free hand against pursed lips.
"Shhh, it's ok. You're ok. We're not going to hurt you; we're here to help. My name is Sam, this is my brother Dean, and I promise you, we're here to help, not hurt, you." I followed the voice to a second man. He was taller than the other guy, with longer hair. His voice was soft, matching his gentle face.
"Now here's what's going to happen," the gruff voice snapped my attention back to the first man, "I'm going to take my hand away and you are not going to scream. Good?" I nodded against his hand, which was promptly removed.
I took a deep, shuddering, breath. "Help me with what? Right now my only problem is the two strange men who broke into my bedroom in the middle of the night."
"Really? So nothing odd, or troubling, or out of the ordinary has happened since you got that charm bracelet? You know, other than the B&E?" Dean gestured to the silver charm bracelet laying on my nightstand and I felt the blood drain from my face. "I take that as a yes." He smirked.
"Umm, yeah, ok?" I looked down, "Nothing I considered really harmful, but strange things started happening when I got the bracelet. Pretty standard horror movie stuff actually. Flickering lights, electronics going crazy, weird sounds, glimpses of things out of the corner of my eye," I finally looked back, my eyes going from Dean to Sam and back to rest on Dean, "I dismissed it at first, then, as the activity became more frequent and harder to ignore, I thought I was losing it."
"You're not," Sam said.
"The bracelet's cursed and you are in danger," Dean added.
"I don't know if that's frightening, or a relief," I sighed, "Now what?" Again, my eyes darted between the two brothers.
"Now, we get you somewhere safe. Destroying the bracelet won't be enough. We need to figure out how to get rid of whatever's attached to it. So for now, we go to a safe house," Dean answered.
"For the record, by 'safe house' he means cheap motel room," Sam added.
"And now I think we're back to you two being my bigger problem," I said.
"I know it sounds insane and sketchy at best, but I swear, we just want to help," Sam said.
"Look, sweetheart, I don't think you have much of a choice here. If you want this thing taken care of, we are your only option," Dean said. Sam shrugged and nodded as if to say "he's right, you know".
"Fine. Give me a minute to change."
"No time," said Dean, shrugging out of his leather jacket, "Here. Put this on," he held it out to me. I snatched it from his hand and slipped it on. I held it tight around me as I got up. I followed them out of my apartment and into the chilly night air. I couldn't suppress the laugh that escaped my lips when I caught sight of their black '67 Impala. "Something funny about my baby?" Dean asked.
"No, you guys just aren't as slick as you'd like to think. I saw the car earlier. It's popped up here and there around town for days now. Not enough to raise my suspicions, but enough to be identifiable" I answered, sliding into the backseat.
"Yea, well, we were working on tracing the bracelet, not being stealthy," Dean said as he started the engine.
"Whatever you say. So where are we going?" I asked.
"We're staying at the Red Roof Inn, it's not far," Sam said, turning in his seat to face me while Dean drove. Five minutes later we were there, hurrying into the room. Once inside, I watched as they lined the door and window with salt. When I gave him a questioning look, Sam simply stated "Generally, it keeps out the paranormal; they can't cross it." I nodded in response.
"Ok, here's the plan: Sam and I are going to take turns on watch duty. I'll take first shift," Dean said, repositioning the room's chair so he could see the door, window, and beds. He grabbed a gun out of a duffle bag and settled into the chair as he continued, "So, Sam, get some rest. And you can go back to sleep."
"Seriously? That's the plan?" I asked.
"Yes, it's late and we're all tired so our best bet is to rest up and figure it out tomorrow when we're firing on all cylinders, ok?"
"Fine," I answered, chucking the leather jacket at Dean and crawling beneath the covers of the bed that was left empty. Sam had ducked into the other bed fully dressed, while I was left in the tank top and panties I had been sleeping in. If the way Dean was watching me when I got into bed was an indication, he approved.
I tossed and turned, unable to return to sleep. 30 minutes later, I finally gave up and sat up in bed with a sigh. I hugged the covers around me, tucking them under my arms.
"Can't sleep, huh?" Dean asked.
"No, I'm pretty wired at this point," I shook my head.
"It's the adrenaline. Good ol' fight or flight," Dean nodded.
"I guess so," I shrugged. "So, do you guys have day jobs, or do you hunt the things that go bump in the night full-time?"
"No, no. This is it for us, taking on the monsters."
"So, what's the going rate for rescuing damsels in distress these days?"
"On a good day? A thank you and a smile."
"Ok, then. I won't ask how the room's being paid for. But I will ask why? Why do it?"
"Because not only do we know about all this supernatural crap, we know how to fight it. That means we have a responsibility to help keep people like you, people who have no clue about this stuff or how to defend themselves from it, safe." His eyes shifted away from me, first over to the bed Sam lay asleep in, then down towards the floor.
"That, that's remarkably honorable, and brave, and, and heroic. Also a little sad, I mean, that's an incredible burden to bear."
"You get used to it, this life. Yeah, it's a lot, but how could I turn my back on all those people. Besides, being a hero is pretty awesome." His green eyes finally met mine again and he gave me a half-smile. We talked for a few more hours. I learned a few things about what's really out there in the world. I eventually stifled a yawn, and Dean glanced at the clock. "Looks like it's time for the changing of the guard." I watched him shake his brother awake. Sam quickly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He dragged his hands down his face, then ran them through his long hair as he got up and headed over to the chair Dean had vacated. While Sam was settling into the seat with the gun in his hand, Dean approached the bed I was sitting in and gently plucked the covers from under my arms and slid in next to me.
"Dean, what are you doing? You can't just climb into bed with the girl we're protecting," Sam said.
"It's ok," I said looking at Sam, and then I turned to Dean with a smile, "really, it's fine." Sam opened and closed his mouth once, then just smiled and nodded, unable to formulate a verbal response. "But, ummm, I am a little confused here as to why?"
"Because you were freaked and couldn't sleep, and I thought I might help. Now come on and lay down," Dean said, already laying on his back and looking up at me. I slid down under the covers, lying beside him. "Come here." He opened his arms to me and I scooted closer. He pulled me the rest of the way, folding me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest, draped an arm across his stomach and entwined our legs.
He ran a hand from my shoulder down to the small of my back, and then pushed it under my tank top. "Dean, what are you…"I started to ask.
"Shhh, it's ok. Trust me." He began rubbing his hand up and down my back.
"Mmmm, that's nice," I murmured.
"Yeah? You like that?" Dean asked.
"Mmmhmmm, it feels good," I replied sleepily.
"Good," Dean said.
"Dude! I am right here," Sam suddenly said.
"Oh, come on, man. I'm just helping her relax and go to sleep," Dean said.
"Yeah, I'm getting that," Sam said.
"Don't be smutty. I'm rubbing her back," Dean said, his chest rumbling beneath my head as he spoke.
"Don't worry, Sam. It's all perfectly innocent over here," I said, cracking my eyes open to look at Sam. He nodded in answer. I closed my eyes again and slipped my fingers under Dean's shirt to rub my thumb over his hip.
"Mmm, whatcha doin'?" Dean whispered.
"You know what they say about turn around, right?" I asked.
"Fair play," Dean replied.
"Exactly. Plus it's calming," I said.
Sam cleared his throat, "Guys, shut up and go to sleep. It's 3:00 in the morning."
"Right," Dean said. I just smiled against Dean's chest and snuggled closer. He continued rubbing my back and I kept running my thumb over his hipbone. Soon I fell asleep to the sound of his heart beating.