Summary: On a regular hunt, the Winchesters meet a young woman named Tori Bailey who helps Dean discover what love really is. Please, please, please R&R!
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or its characters.
Going Through Changes
Chapter Eight: The Final Seal
Okay…how can I describe Chuck Shurley? Chuck was weird, awesome, pathetic, and clever all in one package. I loved the guy, I thought he was amazing, but spending four hours on your own with him I wouldn't recommend. You run out of things to talk about with him (bless him). Topics become limited…in the normal sense…however with our lines of work, we had plenty to discuss. There was currently no time since Dean had gone to stop Sam killing Lilith since it transpired she was the final seal (What a fuck-up we'd made with that one!), and I was busy helping Castiel fight the Archangel.
"You side with demon spawn and mud-monkeys over us?" The Archangel growled, "We are disappointed, Castiel."
Castiel didn't answer; he just continued to use his Grace against the being before him. He was struggling and needed to recuperate, so I used the only trick I could think of at the moment…taunting.
"Hey!" I yelled, gaining the Archangel's attention, "Go fuck yourself!"
"Silence demon!"
"I'm not a demon, you stupid fuck-up!" I replied, "I'm half-demon!"
That didn't make it much better but it kept the Archangel talking…for about a second.
"Burn where you belong." He growled, holding a hand up towards me.
I felt pain surge through my body and I was thrown into a nearby wall and Chuck stepped before me.
"Stop this now or so help me!"
He broke a bottle and held the broken glass to his wrist, panic clear in the Archangel's eyes.
"Leave now or I'll do it!" Chuck said, pressing the glass near his wrist.
I watched as the Archangel actually left, getting up and limping towards Chuck.
"Thank you." I whispered, wrapping my arms around him and kissing cheek.
I moved towards Castiel and knelt by his side, smiling at him before hugging him too.
"Are you alright?" He asked, cupping my cheeks and checking me for injury.
"I'm fine, Castiel." I assured him, "You okay?"
He nodded and sighed, looking to Chuck.
"Thank you, Chuck." He said softly, "But I am sure we'll be seeing the Archangel again soon."
"We need to find Sam and Dean…" I said, suddenly seeing them burst through the front door, "OH! No need. Good timing, fellas!"
"We failed." Dean said blankly, expecting us all to flip and beat the crap out of them or something.
"Oh," I said, "Okay…"
God, why was I so calm about this? This was a crisis! A disaster!
"Well…let's just put the fucker back in the cage."
Everyone looked at me like I was insane.
"What?" I asked, "It's the best thing to do…hunt the fucker down and put him back in the cage or kill him…one or the other."
Sam then burst into tears. He just broke down and collapsed to the ground on his knees.
"Sammy!" I cried, running towards him and throwing my arms around him, "It's okay…shhh…"
"It's not, it was all my fault! I shouldn't ever have listened to Ruby!" Sam sobbed, "I'm so, so, sorry."
Dean took a deep breath and patted Sam's back.
"Come on, Sammy."
"He chose Ruby over me, Tori…" Dean said that night in the motel.
Sam had gone to get food, giving Dean and me a chance to talk. We sat on my bed and I held his hand tightly in my own, stroking soothing lines with my thumb over his.
"I don't know if I can trust him anymore." Dean continued, "This is too much…all of it's too much…"
He shocked me when he moved towards me and wrapped those strong arms around me, holding me close to him before burying his face in my neck. I was even more shocked when he started to cry.
"Oh…Dean, don't…shhh…" I whispered, completely unsure of what to do.
I'd never comforted a crying man before…well…one…after my first time (yeah, the guy cried; bless him). But to see someone so strong and brave just break down was hard to watch, and a man who I cared deeply for too. Yeah, maybe I hadn't known the guy for all that long, but I knew I had a lot of feelings for him. My chest tightened when I heard the first sob and I gripped him tighter, rubbing his back soothingly and pressing a gentle kiss to his temple.
"Shush, Honey." I said softly, stroking the back of his head, "You're okay. We're all here to help and support each other through this crap that we've been thrown into."
Dean chuckled a little and wiped his eyes.
"I'm sorry." He whispered, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Tori…you had a great life and I didn't let you go back to it."
"Listen, I wanted to stay, Dean. I wanted to stay with you guys…I love you all so much." I admitted, "I love Sam's puppy eyes, and Cas' confused head-tilt…I love your sarcasm and the way Bobby calls us all 'Idjits'…I'm going nowhere."
Pulling back from our hug Dean looked me right in the eyes before pressing his forehead to mine. My heartbeat sped up so much because I had no idea whether he just needed to do that or if there was anything romantic about it.
"Tori…?" He began, "I…I just…I…"
He couldn't finish and he kissed my lips, the feeling sending shivers right down my spine as I parted my lips to try and deepen the kiss. Dean broke the kiss and kept his forehead pressed to mine before pulling away.
"I'm sorry, Tori…" He whispered, "I shouldn't have…"
"No, Dean." I assured him, knowing that now was the time to tell him how I'd been feeling about him, "I've been hoping for that…"
I chased his eyes so he'd look at me.
"You mean you have feelings for me…" Dean said, stating it, not asking.
"Yeah…" I replied, "I get that you're in a really tough place right now, and if you don't feel anything for me or you do but you don't wanna…you know…I understand, Dean."
"No…I do feel something for you…" Dean admitted, "It's just…I'm feeling things I've never felt before…it's scaring me a little."
I decided to let him talk because for Dean to open up like this was very rare.
"But…we can't, Tori," He said, that sentence terrifying the life out of me (whoa…the life?), "Everyone who I touch just seems to get hurt, and I don't want that to happen to you."
"Dean…let yourself have something for once." Another voice said, both of us looking up to see Sam stood in the doorway with a bag of food.
Dean turned from his brother to me and back again, looking completely lost and alone.
"I'll be next door." Sam said, turning and leaving to head to the brothers' room.
The hunter looked back to me and bowed his head.
"Promise me you won't leave me…" I heard Dean say quietly, his face flushing with shame.
Dean needed someone to love him and stay with him. He'd been abandoned so much in his life, and I wasn't willing to let it happen again.
"I promise I won't leave you." I whispered, cupping his cheek, "I swear, Dean."
The older Winchester leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, and we shared a passionate (dare I say loving) kiss to seal the deal. As our lips moved together, I felt his body begin to relax.
-TBC-
