Water From Your Well (Part 25) by frostygossamer

Seated in the bar's corner booth, they talked. Tina told Sam funny stories about work and Dean, and said she was planning on taking his brother away on vacation.

"Poor boy's gotten kinda pondery lately. No clue why. Change would do us both good."

"Travel broadens the mind," agreed Sam, downing his glassful. "Broadened mine."

Barkeep Walt came over and refreshed their drinks, hovering.

Sam fixed him with a cold eye. "I know you?" he asked, pointedly.

Despite being no shrimp himself, the bearded barman quavered, "Uh, no sir," and moved away.

He knew better than to poke the bear.

Water From Your Well (Part 26) by frostygossamer

As the evening wore on, Tina warmed to Sam. Or maybe it was the beer.

"You're not what I woulda expected, Tina. Not Dean's regular arm candy, some party girl. So not THAT kinda woman."

"Not THAT kinda woman?" Tina laughed so hard. "Oh, I see. But 'We're all just men and women now', ain't that right?"

They learned that slogan in school.

"So they say." Sam nodded. "Long as you make him happy, that's the thing."

"Do my best." She had to smile. "He's worth the trouble."

Sam took a long slow pull at his beer. "He sure is."

Water From Your Well (Part 27) by frostygossamer

Sam agreed with Tina. Big brother Dean could be a pain, but he was worth it. Growing up, Sam was his biggest fan. Until Dean chose Tina. Then Sam decided to buy an old truck and blow town in search of another idol: himself.

But family can be magnetic. After two years crisscrossing America, north, south, east, west, Sam inevitably gravitated back to within spitting distance of his brother. Someplace along the way, an old drifter had told him about a place he could stay.

Sam had been living right outside town in that isolated log cabin for a year.

Water From Your Well (Part 28) by frostygossamer

Dean stood in the open door when Tina and Sam staggered home, alerted to their approach by tuneless and raucous singing. He lifted one eyebrow at Tina's arm slung around Sam's shoulders and Sam's hand resting lightly on her ass.

"Think we bonded," she remarked, as he shepherded them indoors.

"Little too much." Dean removed his brother's hand from her butt.

Sam smirked on the way up to bed, Dean watching him prowl by.

"He's gained muscle. Like a big cat. Leonine. Predatory. Dangerous."

"He's a jerk with a dick," commented Tina, tipsily. "And I LIKE him."

Yep, they bonded.

TBC

A/N: Sam and Tina have a lot in common. :) More soon.