Come to me my sweetest friend
Can you feel my heart again
I'll take you back where you belong
And this will be our favorite song...
- Goo Goo Dolls "Come to Me"
February 12, 2011- Louisiana
A young woman bolted into action, waving to each of the cars that stopped to allow her passage across the four lanes of traffic between her and her destination.
She smiled brightly and called out an unheard "Thank you!" as she reached the other side safely.
Ahead of her, now that she was on her way once more, was an old brick building that she called home as long as she was a small town student in the 'big' city.
It was comfortable, and full of familiar faces and like minds; but she had always sort of missed her siblings.
"Hey Sarah! Would you mind walking with me to work? It's getting dark and I don't want to walk alone."
The young woman looked up, smiling at the familiar face of Holly Fredrickson.
"Sure thing! just give me a second to put my back-pack up!"
"Thank you!" Holly called back.
"I'll meet you in the lobby in a few minutes alright?"
"Okay!"
It was dark as Sarah Hewitt walked back to her dorm house.
She would be lying if she'd said she wasn't nervous about walking home in the dark in the middle of a city a hundred miles from any protection her family could offer.
The cat calls and honking horns as she walked along the side walk did not ease her fears.
This was not the first time she had gone through this, but she found herself thinking that the faster she got home the better off she would be.
Sarah cut through a parking lot, hoping the open space would provide her with a little distance from the leers of men driving passed.
She didn't count on there being people in the parking lot.
"Hey baby, where you going?"
She nearly leapt out of her skin at the sudden appearance of the obviously drunken man.
"H-home"
He slung and arm around her and she shied away from him, "How about we have a little fun first?"
Sarah gently ducked out from under his arm, "No thank you. My friends are expecting me."
She moved to continue on her way, but he grabbed her wrist, "Come on baby, just a little fun,it won't hurt nobody..."
Unaccustomed to this sort of situation, Sarah froze up, after a moment she tried to pull away, "n-no I-"
"HEY!"
Her eyes flickered to the approaching form of another man, she felt relief flood through her as he approached, "The lady said no. How about you leave her alone?"
Sarah looked on with baited breath as the two men stared each other down.
After a moment the drunk man released her, "Fine, didn't want to fuck the bitch anyway."
The second man watched as the drunk man stumbled away, but Sarah's eyes flickered between the two men.
The second man was taller than her, dark hair, a leather jacket and an overwhelming sense of security that rolled off of him in waves.
"You okay?"
Her eyes snapped up to meet his, and she realized suddenly that she had been nervously rubbing her wrist.
She gave him a shaky smile, "Yeah, I think so. Thank you for helping me."
He stared at her for a moment, as if examining her closely, "You aren't from around here are you?"
She relaxed a little bit, "No, I'm not."
"Well its not safe for a girl like you to be out on the street at night."
"I know, I was just doing a favor for a friend and..." she trailed off, fidgeting nervously.
"If you want I can give you a ride home."
She hesitated, taking in his appearance once more. He reminded her of her younger brother, the one who had protected her since grade school, despite being the younger sibling.
He seemed to be able to hold his own in a fight, but didn't seem like the type to go looking for one. More than anything, she could sense sincerity rolling off of him and his voice practically radiated it.
"o-okay..." she said hesitantly at first, and then re-affirmed her answer with a little more confidence, "Yeah. That'd be great. Please. If you don't mind."
"Okay, let me just go get my brother."
As she slid into the backseat of the sleek and shiny black Chevy Impala, the man from before, (who's name she had learned was Dean, thanks to his much taller brother Sam) turned on the radio.
"I can take you thru the center of the dark
We're gonna fly
On a collision course to crash into my heart
I will be your, I will be your, I'll be your"
Sarah nearly shot out of her seat in excitement, "Oh my god! I love this song!"
Dean gave her an odd look, "You know Def Leppard?"
She grinned, "Yeah! My dad used to listen to them a lot! Rocket is one of my favorite songs!"
With that said she slid back and buckled her seat belt, as Dean turned up the volume she found herself feeling much more relaxed around the two strange men.
The ride was short, and two songs later Sarah found herself thanking both men for their help and for their company.
"You be careful alright? No more wandering around in the dark by yourself."
She gave Dean a small smile and a mock salute "Ten four!"
She watched the Impala drive away.
"If I were you I'd avoid the plaid clad wonders."
Sarah jumped, whirling around to see a very familiar trickster leaning against the light post outside her dorm house.
"Who Sam and Dean?"
Gabriel rolled his eyes, "Yeah the wonder twins."
Sarah raised an eyebrow, "They didn't look like twins to me... besides, they were only giving me a ride home."
He pushed off the lamp post, "Yeah. that's how it always starts with them. They help some defenseless chick out and the next thing you know she's running for her life."
She frowned slightly "you're exaggerating right?"
Gabriel popped a lollipop into his mouth, giving her an eyebrow waggle. "Me? Exaggerate? Never."
She might have believed he was kidding if his face hadn't become so serious afterwards.
February 15, 2011
"...Essentially what you'll be expected to turn in is a completed and peer-reviewed scientific journal. This IS university, so I will be looking for University level work..."
BzZZzzZZzT
"If you need any help remember that my office hours can be found on page one of the syllabus you were given at the start of the-" BzZZzzZZzT
"Semes-"BzZZzzZZzT
"MISS HEWITT WILL YOU please DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT CELL PHONE?!"
Sarah jolted awake, scrambling to silence her phone.
Before she could view her text messages the classroom door flew open.
"Alright everyone out, Fire Marshal's orders, we have a serious gas leak in the building."
Sarah's head whipped around so fast she nearly lost her bearings.
"Dean?"
If the older man had heard her, he didn't give any sign.
Students were ushered out of the classroom single file, Sarah was the last one out before the professor.
Dean grabbed her upper arm, gently, but firmly.
The professor gave pause, "I just need to ask her some questions," Dean assured.
With a hesitant nod the professor followed after her class.
Dean released Sarah's arm, "Have you seen anything weird around here lately?"
Sarah raised an eyebrow, "Weird? Like what?"
It was Sam who answered, "Black goo? People acting oddly? Cold spots?"
Dean continued, "reflections in mirrors that shouldn't be there? weird voices..."
Sarah stepped back, "So what? You mean like a ghost or something?"
It was Dean's turn to appear surprised "So you have se-"
One instant She had been standing in front of Sam and Dean, and the next Sarah found herself standing outside in the school garden.
"Wha-"
"I told you those tweedles are bad news."
Gabriel's raised eyebrow told her that he wasn't angry, but he still seemed exasperated, like a parent talking to a child who didn't seem to understand the words he was saying.
He was still dressed in his janitor's uniform, but with his arms crossed he looked like anything but a janitor.
Sarah narrowed her eyes at him, "I was in the middle of a conversation, they're gonna think it's weird that I just vanished."
Gabriel walked in a circle around her, "You're probably right," he paused thoughtfully, and then beamed at her "and that's why, we're going on vacation."
"Huh?"
Gabriel snapped his fingers, giving her a taunting wink.
The sky was bright overhead, as the waves crashed against the shore in the distance.
Sarah fidgeted nervously.
"Oh, come on, you're not still afraid of the open water are you?"
She gave him a flat look, as she struggled to clasp her life jacket, "I still suck at swimming Gabe. I sink like a bag of bricks in the water."
After a few amused moments of watching the young woman struggle with the clasps Gabriel moved forward, "Here let me."
She gave him a pouting looked, but relinquished the clasp to him with little more than an indignant huff.
"I'm not a kid you know?"
Gabriel gave her a cheeky grin, ruffling her hair as he finished with the clasp, "Whatever you say kiddo."
"I'm serious!"
"Hi serious I'm Gabriel."
"I'm gonna strangle you!"
He waggled his eyebrows, "I thought you were serious."
"GAH!"