Chapter Ten

"Jesus these are heavy. What the heck did you put in there anyway?" He'd lifted dead bodies that weighed less than the two suitcases he was now.

"Just some clothes… a couple of books... makeup…and six pairs of shoes…"

Okay, first of all: six pairs of shoes? What the hell was she going to do with six pairs? And second? No way that's all she'd packed. There had to be something else in there because clothes, makeup and a 'couple of books' did not get this heavy. Ever.

"Right." He muttered under his breath, not really caring if she heard him or not. Truce be damned.

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I don't. My girlfriend Jess and I…we used to pack up a suitcase sometimes, toss it into the trunk and just drive all weekend. See where it took us. She used to have to pack a bit of everything because we never knew what we'd end up doing. Her suitcase never felt this heavy."

Girlfriend? Damn. That. Man. He sure wasn't acting like a guy with a girlfriend. Oh God, what if he was one of those 'open relationship' types? It took everything she had to suppress the groan, covering it instead with what she hoped came out as lighthearted laughter. Strange that what she really felt was disappointment.

Okay Franny, be honest with yourself girl. Not that strange considering last night you were all but drooling over way he smells. Speaking of which… was that aftershave? Because if it was… she was definitely picking up a bottle of the stuff…should be illegal to smell so good. Wait. Did he say something? Dammit girl, concentrate. Distraction is not an option here.

"Huh? What was that?" She asked, shaking herself out of thoughts better left alone.

"I said: sure you don't have the kitchen sink in there? Or some bricks maybe?" He didn't know what she'd been thinking about just then but that pretty flushed blush that spread over her cheeks told him it was something pretty interesting.

"Nope, no sink and no bricks." She brushed past him in that way of hers, just barely touching but not really, to get to the front desk. God, being around her was driving him crazy.

"If you say so." He ground out from between clenched teeth as he followed her.

She was flirting with the clerk at the desk? Sam knew that eye flutter, that slow smile. Now, was that really necessary? He'd seen Cal do it…for information and to drive Dean crazy. That he could understand. But this was totally random flirting for the sake of flirting. Made him resist some nearly uncontrollable urges such as grabbing the room key from the guy's hand, tossing her over his shoulder and hauling her away. Hell, at this point it was all he could do not to reach over and hit the guy for flirting right back.

And it was ridiculous really. Totally absurd. Because he didn't like Fran that way. Couldn't. And even if he did he would never act on it because to do that was to practically hand her to the damned demon on a silver platter. Hell, he might as well set her on fire himself. So this was stupid, this reaction of his. This anger and jealousy. Because there was no way she was ever going to be with him…so why the hell shouldn't she flirt with the guy? Or any other guy for that matter?

He knew the answer. It was clear even if he didn't want it to be. Even if it would never happen. Sam didn't want her flirting with other men because Sam wanted Fran for himself. Dean knew it. Had to. Dean knew at that's why he was off somewhere with Cal researching their current job and Sam was here with her. Conflicted was not a strong enough word for what Sam Winchester was currently feeling. Because really? None of things that he currently wanted to do were anywhere within the realm of possibility. Murdering his brother wasn't an option…and what he wanted to do with Franny? Well it just wasn't going to happen. Period.

By the time they actually got in the elevator a few minutes later he was back to moody, brooding Sam… silently berating himself for feelings he just couldn't control.

Something had happened to that boy. Sometime between parking that gorgeous beast of a car and getting into the elevator he'd gone from light and teasing to dark and brooding. Not that Fran was complaining because moody on Sam? Moody made funny things flutter around her insides and that, in her books, was a very good thing. As disappointed as she was that he was off limits…well, girlfriend or no there was nothing stopping her from looking was there? She didn't think any woman in her right mind could possibly not look. In fact Franny was having a really hard time understanding how Cal could possibly fall for loud, obnoxious Dean instead of Sam.

So what was it? What had happened for the guy to go all quiet and brooding like that? As attractive as he was the frown she could do without. There had been the teasing about the weight of her luggage. He'd mentioned that girl of his…Jess was it? She'd been distracted by the way he smelled… yeah. The thought of it alone made her sigh happily.

And then she'd collected the key. And that's right about when that big beautiful smile petered out and disappeared. Apparently she needed to get to the bottom of this girlfriend thing because unless she was mistaken this had something to do with that girl he'd mentioned. Otherwise she would have called it jealousy over the shameless flirting she'd turned onto the kid at the desk and that just made no sense at all.

Sam didn't look like he wanted to talk right now though. No, actually he looked like he would much rather tear into something with his bare hands. This guy took it to a whole new level. Forget handsome… try tall, dark and dangerous. Gah. Yeah. Dangerous thoughts girl, dangerous thoughts.

So as soon as they stepped through the door of her tiny suite Fran took her things from Sam and made a beeline for her room. She needed higher ground and an opportunity to get it together away from that man. "I'm, ah, going to unpack. Could you, uh, start a pot of coffee? Or order it in from room service or something?"

Sam gave her a strange look "Um, yeah. Sure. Anything you'd prefer?"

"Not really, I'm easy." Oh God she had so not just said that. Cheeks flaming red again she practically ran the rest of the way to the bedroom.

Sam, well Sam was determined not to smile smugly to himself even as just the one corner of his mouth just barely twisted up igniting the slightest hint of dimple. Well it wasn't smug… but there was no denying the 'satisfied' because that blush? Yeah, it really was.

"So, I made some calls on the drive over and I got something interesting that supports the ghost theory. If we're lucky that's what it'll be…because those tulpas? Not fun to deal with."

Cal had been waiting out front when Dean had pulled into the lot at the library, a stack of paper in her arms. Photocopies of what she'd run across on tulpas and thought forms. It had been difficult even to get those because when Dean had made her laugh that anal librarian had wanted to kick her out. Some people just had no sense of humor.

"Okay, so what'd you find?"

They were headed back home. Cal was looking forward to getting back. To having some time alone, even if they'd just be pouring over paper.

"Jebadiah, and his wife Elizabeth." God she loved that lazy, cocky smile of his.

"And they are?"

"The original owners of the hotel." Aha! This was sure to be good.

"Let me guess, Jebadiah wasn't what one would call 'faithful'?"

Dean chuckled at her irritated tone earning himself one of those looks which only made him want to laugh more.

"Actually, the guy was rumored to chase after just about anything that moved. Apparently his wife didn't mind as long as he came back to her and their room every night… until he stopped doing even that. Well, she found out he'd taken another room. Elizabeth, being a girl and all, decided to go and talk to him…and found him in bed with one of the girls he'd just hired on to the hotel cleaning staff. Guess what happened next?"

Irritation was quickly replaced with that 'gotcha' look she had.

"She pulled a gun on them, killed 'em both in anger and then herself..."

"...and presto an angry, vengeful spirit is born."

"which might just be enough to blow this whole thought form theory right out of the water…right?" Cal sounded hopeful and though she was doing a really good job at hiding it he could tell that there was fear there too. Fear for Cal's safety.

"I'm hoping." Leaning over and kissing her lightly and touching her cheek. "We couldn't help what happened to Billie and JC, though god knows that JC guy had it coming. No way we could have stopped it. Franny though… you don't have to worry about her, okay? She's switched hotels, Sam's with her and she's got the three of us watching out for her. Nothing's going to happen."

Leaning in she kissed him back, partly to thank him for reassuring her without her having to say a word… mostly to hide the reaction she was afraid he might be able to read in her eyes. Sure, nothings gonna happen to her… this time. What about next time though? If there was one thing Cal had learned over the years it was that there's always a next time.

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