All righty, now we'll start on our story. ;) They've been on the road for a year, trying to stop the Apocalypse. Please let me know what you think!

**Nothing from Charmed or Supernatural belongs to me.**

Chapter Two

Melinda sighed as she flopped onto yet another hotel bed. She was sick to death of hotels. No, no. Not hotels. Motels. Grungy, rent-by-the-hour motels. They'd been on the road, chasing after Lilith for a godforsaken year, and they were no closer to her now than they'd been when they started. Castiel was keeping track of the seals Lilith had broken, and they were up to 27 now. They had been present for a few of them, stopped a few, arrived just a smidge too late for a couple. Dean brought their bags in and dropped them on the floor beside the bed. She looked up at him, and he smiled down at her.

"Hey, pretty girl."
"Hey."

Dean bent down and kissed her, running a hand over her face. He shrugged his jacket off his shoulders and sat beside her. He laid back, stretching out the opposite way Melinda was. He reached over and took her hand.

"Got our own room this time."

Melinda smiled.

"I noticed. Lucky for us that the Lucky Star Motel was cheap and apparently vacant."

Dean had hit a particularly fine pool-hustling streak in the last town they were in. Melinda couldn't even remember what the name of the town was. She'd been to so many damn towns they all ran together now. Dean kissed her hand.

"Sam and Peyton are right next door. I think they might be going to get something to eat. You want to join 'em?"

Melinda sighed and shook her head.

"Dean, we were in that car for the better part of two days. I don't want to drive anywhere. I don't want to walk anywhere. I just want to lay here, and try to figure out what the hell that is on the ceiling."

Dean looked over to where she pointed, and he smiled.

"I don't really think I want to know, babe."
"Yeah, me either."

Dean rolled over on his side and looked at her. She could feel him watching her, but she was used to it by now. He told her all the time, he just liked to look at her. And she understood, somewhat, because she liked to look at him.

"Mel, you okay?"

She put on a smile for him.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just a little tired. Cranky, I guess."
"Know what might help that?"
"Not a bacon double cheeseburger, I can tell you that."

Dean sighed and flopped back down. Melinda smiled and rolled over, laying her head on his stomach.

"If you keep forcing those things on me, soon all I'll be able to wear will be your pants."
"Would that be the worst thing?"
"Uh, yeah. I enjoy getting in your pants, but not that way."

Dean fell out laughing, and Melinda moved up to kiss his smiling mouth. He brushed her honey-colored bangs out of her face.

"You're not going to turn into Sam and eat rabbit food all the time, are you?"

Melinda smiled and laid her head on his chest.

"Not all the time. Just every once in a while. And it wouldn't kill you to—"
"Yes, yes it would."

Melinda giggled, and Dean ran his hand up and down her arm.

"You want to order a pizza?"

Melinda laughed at the hopeful expression on his handsome face. Times like this, where he was relaxed and joking with her, smiling like a little boy… She cherished them, held them in a special place in her heart.

"Fine. Life is too short for salads all the time. Make it cheesy."


Sam and Peyton didn't end up going to eat. They ordered a pizza too, and ate it in bed. Peyton was wearing Sam's button-down, and he was smiling at her. He always told her she looked much better in his clothes than he did, and she was constantly stealing them. She slept in his t-shirts, which hung down nearly to her knees. Right then, Sam leaned back on the bed, wearing only his jeans, which he hadn't even bothered to button. Peyton curled up beside him, tucking her knees under her and covering them with the ends of the shirt.

"Sammy?"
"Yeah, babe."

He let Peyton call him "Sammy," when only Dean and his father had been able to before. He liked the way it sounded when she said it. She sighed and he started to massage her head.

"How long do you think this job will take?"

Sam thought for a minute. Bobby had sent them to Ohio, to check out a possible seal in Columbus. Sam really didn't think anything would come of this one, but it was worth it to check it out. Especially since Lilith seemed to be taking her time these days.

"I don't know, babe. If we don't find anything, we can move on probably in two days."
"Well, I was just wondering…"
"What, Peyton?"
"Maybe we could take a little time off. I mean, we've been pounding the pavement pretty hard for a year now, Sam. And our birthdays are coming up. Mine and Mel's. I was just thinking maybe we could celebrate them at home this year."

Sam felt like a complete ass. He knew when Peyton's birthday was, because she'd dropped a ton of hints last year. He gave her a rose and sprang for a nice hotel room, and you'd have thought he'd given her the moon from the way she reacted.

"You homesick, babe?"

Peyton shrugged her shoulders.

"A little bit. I miss my mom. But it's not really me. It's Mel."
"Really?"
"Sam, she's … I can hardly describe it. I am so glad you got us this room to ourselves, because I just don't know what would have happened if I had to be in there with her for another minute."
"What do you mean?"

Peyton sighed, and snuggled closer to him.

"She's homesick. She's tired of driving, tired of motels, tired of chasing after something that we just can't seem to find."
"She's burnt out."
"Yes. Exactly."

Sam nodded, and put his arm around Peyton.

"Tell you what. If we wrap this up quickly, and we don't get another case, we'll surprise Mel and go home for your birthdays. If it's at all possible, we'll take about a week, relax a little. Take a breather."
"Really? You mean it, Sam?"
"I mean it."

Peyton took his face in her hands and kissed him. Sam laughed, for a minute, but he soon took hold of Peyton's hips, lowering her to the bed, and taking his shirt back from her.