Rachel rode in the passenger seat next to Dean as they made the 20 minute drive into the heart of Burkitsville, where things were more populated and less farm land. They agreed that that was the best place to start, since it was unlikely that any of the couples would have stopped to talk to the cows.
As they drove Dean vented about the whole thing with Sam and she listened while studying his face and wondering why she had said yes to Sam.
When he had called about 38 hours ago, Rachel had been just getting the bad news that she was immobile for the next 3 days at least as the mechanic ordered a new radiator and bumper for the Mustang. Because for some reason, he didn't have a radiator on hand for a classic car.
She'd know something was up almost at once when she heard Sam's voice. It didn't take long for him to get to the point and ask if she would meet Dean in Indiana and help out on a hunt that he couldn't be there for. It took a little longer for her to pull it out of him why he couldn't be there.
But when he finally spilled it she could hear the guilt in his voice at having abandoned his brother for his own purposes and against her better judgment, agreed to hop on the bus and meet Dean here.
She told herself it was because Sam needed the favor. She told herself that was she being a good friend and helping out Sam when he needed her.
She fought back the real reason in her head. Which was that she just wanted to be near Dean again.
When Sam had come out and asked her she'd felt an initial bolt of anticipation at the thought of being in the same breathing space as the elder Winchester again.
Followed immediately by the fight in her head that the right thing to do was stay away.
Nine months since Kelly had drowned. Nine months Rachel wanted nothing of the pleasures her sister couldn't have because it was her own fault that her sister was dead. Nine months of the pain of not having her sister as her partner. Nine months of not speaking to her mother because she just couldn't bear the pain of having cost her her youngest child. Nine months of punishing herself, nightmares and painful memories of better times.
It was to her dismay that all that was alleviated when she was around Dean.
Handsome as the Devil, funny, charming and witty she found it hard to remain in her self imposed guilt and doldrums when around him.
Not to mention that their chemistry clashed in such a white hot way that she found harder and harder to ignore the heat between them the more time she spent with him.
All this was enough to stay away from him. She felt wrong not being miserable for Kelly all the time and he made her feel right for some reason. She'd spent days getting his presence out of her head the last time they'd split in New Orleans.
And now here she was again. Sitting in his car, looking at his profile and wondering what his lips would feel like against hers. Or other parts of her body.
"So I'm right. Right?" Dean asked, driving with one hand and tilting his head to look at her.
She tried not to physically shake her head as she came back to reality from her thoughts and realized that he'd been asking her something. He waited for her reply and she winged it as best she could.
"Dean, is any one right in a situation like this?" She said with sad eyes.
"What?" He asked, frowning at her.
"Your not wrong, Sam's not wrong and your fathers not wrong, either. This whole thing isn't as easy as that." She said.
"Rachel," He said, deepening his frown. "I asked you if I was right about that sign saying that we're 5 miles from the town. I didn't get a good look at it."
Rachel felt the heat of embarrassment spring into her cheeks. She racked her brain on how to recover.
"I'm sorry." She said with a laugh. "The guy I sat next to on the bus had the worst B.O ever. Must have killed off a few of my brain cells."
"I'll say." Dean agreed but then cracked a smile to let her know that all was forgiven. "That bad huh?"
"Yeah. Pretty bad." She said.
"You know you could have told Sam to go screw himself." Dean suggested.
I SHOULD HAVE. Rachel thought as she tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach at the sight of the sun making his eyes a bright green.
"I could have," She agreed. "But he gave me those puppy dog eyes of his and I just couldn't resist."
Once again he frowned at her. "Over the phone?"
"They're very powerful." She laughed.
"Well, I'm glad your here." He said. Then after a pause, looked over at her and added "I missed you."
Her heart skipped a beat in her chest. He caught her eyes and they let the moment hang in the air for what felt like an hour.
I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE CAME. She thought. But looking at him she couldn't help but tell the truth.
"I missed you, too." She said quietly.
The moment hung for what felt like another year before they where able to look away. 5 minuets later Dean stopped the car and announced that they where just inside the town.
Rachel looked around at the charming atmosphere of the small town; the tiny post office, an actual sheriff station, the gas station with only two pumps. Hunter mode kicked in and she surveyed for anything out of the ordinary. It was during the scan that Dean spoke again.
"Where should we start?"
"How about with that guy?" Rachel offered inclining her head to a wall of shops 20 yards from where they where parked. The closest one had a swinging sign outside that said "Scotty's cafe." Out side the door a man in his late forties sat in a chair against the wall.
"Let's go." Dean said.
As they got out of the car Rachel reached for the missing people flyers on the dash board and handed them to Dean as they approached the man. Dean spoke first when they where close enough.
"Let me guess." He said, gesturing to the sign, "Scotty?"
The man looked up at the sign then back at Dean.
"Yep." He said in very unimpressed tone.
"Hi, my names John Bonham." Dean said.
Rachel did her best not to roll her eyes. But then she saw the Scotty's brow lower.
"Isn't that the drummer for Led Zeppelin?" Scotty asked.
Rachel tried with all her might not to laugh.
"Wow. Good. Classic rock fan." Dean said, flustered.
"What can I do for you, John?" Scotty asked.
While Dean tried to collect himself, Rachel took the photos from his hand and addressed Scotty herself.
"We where wondering if you'd seen these people by chance." She handed him the flyers.
"And who're you, Janis Joplin?" Scotty said before looking at the pictures.
"No." Rachel said and tried to put on a hurt face. "My names Rachel. Holly's my sister. That's her husband Vince. They disappeared last year and we're out here trying to find them. Have you seen then?"
"Nope. Sorry" Scotty said.
" Are you sure?" Dean chimed in. "They passed through somewhere around here, and we've already asked around Scottsburg and Salem—"
"Sorry." Scotty said handing back the flyers. "We don't get many strangers around here."
"Scotty, you've got a smile that lights up a room, anybody ever tell you that?" Dean said looking at Scotty who still looked like he smelled something slightly odd. That look turned to one of looking at Dean like he had three heads. "Never mind. See you around."
They walked away and once they where out of earshot Rachel took his arm and turned him toward her.
"What the Hell was that?" She asked.
"What? I thought you liked my charm." He said with that stupid smile of his.
"John Bonham? Complimenting his smile?" She asked.
"OK fine. I know." He said with the cutest look of defeat on his face. "It's just that Sam usually does this whole people stuff and I guess him not being here has thrown my equilibrium off a little."
"Tell you what, pretend I'm Sam and don't do that again. OK?" She offered.
He seemed to think about it for a moment then did that crooked smile of his with the one raised eyebrow and she thought she'd melt.
"Not for nothing, Rach, but it's gonna be tough pretending your a tall, dweeby, know-it-all dude." He said while looking her up and down just a bit.
As appealing as he was to her right now she forced a chastising look onto her features and crossed her arms.
"OK, fine." He said taking a step away. "Let's go Sam."