Chapter Ten
Once settled at the motel, Dean laying on his front on one bed, Shelley asleep on her side on the other, Sam ran through the information they had uncovered, searching as many reports on Thomas Parker as he could, the light from the laptop in the dark room causing his eyes to play tricks on him every time he looked up
The lights dancing across his vision like firefly's on water, playing across the surface until each one was indistinguishable from the other. It had been a hell of a day, it had been a hell of a month, one month, one month since Nebraska and Dean was already injured again. He was going to have words with his brother and his need to save everyone from everything all the time.
Sam searched all the databases he could, trying to find where little Megan had been buried, he was pretty sure the father was connected in more ways though, the black alter in the house spoke of magic's greater than just keeping the spirit of a child hanging around. But still, getting rid of her spirit was a start, they only had one more day if the pattern was true enough to go by, and he was all the more sure now that Dean was a target, they'd arrived at the motel and Shelley had gone to take a shower, Sam helped Dean to the small table by the window, the light from the moon casting a pale glow across his brother's already pale features. Dean had nodded his thanks and Sam had turned back out to the car to grab the rest of Shelley's bags, as he walked back in Dean was stood upright, backing slowly away from the window. If Sam thought him pale before there was no mistaking the lack of pallor now.
"Dean?"
"She tapped on the window Sam, I saw her, saw her hand print on the glass"
"Crap"
"You're telling me"
Sam glanced over at his sleeping brother and sighed, they needed to end this before Dean ran out of lives, he was marked, they'd been naïve to think Nebraska wouldn't come around to bite them on the ass. As he searched through the list of cemeteries and occupants his eyes caught a headline that caused his heart to take on a whole new ache.
Great, just great, couldn't they catch a break, just once?
He stretched and turned the computer off, walked to the bed where Dean slept and carefully lowered himself down next to his brother, jostling the bed only minimally, Dean moaned slightly in his sleep, his head facing Sam, he sighed and relaxed as his breathing evened out once again. Laying back Sam willed his mind to quieten, willed the thoughts to slow down and take stock, willed sleep to release him from the hunt that seemed intent on testing their resolve at every turn.
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Coffee, the unmistakeable smell of coffee, that was Dean's first thought, then the pain in his back began to break through his delight at the smell of caffeine, it was around this time that the realisation that he wasn't alone in the bed hit him square in the pesqueeter.
What the hell?
He slowly opened his eyes and got a look at Sam, fast asleep with his head turned toward Dean, asleep on his back, almost like little brother was mocking the injured man.
Why the hell was he in Dean's bed? He hadn't done that since he was ten and had accidentally fired off a shot into the closet thinking it was haunted, Dad had comforted Sammy but then tore Dean a new one for not keeping an eye on his little brother, Sam had felt so guilty that night that he'd climbed into Dean's bed by way of apology and kept his sulking brother company.
And where the hell had the coffee smell come from?
Gathering his strength for the impending pain, Dean slowly rolled his head toward the other bed, his eyes falling onto the largest cup of coffee he'd ever seen, then onto Shelley nursing her own steaming beverage, sat crossed legged on the other bed smiling at him.
"Hey"
"Hey"
"How do you feel?"
"I'm ok"
"Really?"
"Ok it hurts a little"
"I'd imagine it to hurt a lot"
"It will when I have to get up"
"I think it's best you stay where you are for now don't you"
"Can't"
"Why?"
"Need to pee"
Shelley laughed quietly and leaned forward, hooking her arm under Dean's and gently helping him to raise up off the bed and sit on the edge, his face was covered in sweat by the time he was upright, she handed him the coffee and sat back opposite him. Sam barely moved. Dean turned to look at him, began to turn, but then settled for leaning, his brother was fast asleep, his hand over his heart while the other dangled off the bed. He faced back around to Shelley and nodded his thanks as he took a long savouring drink of the warm liquid, he shivered despite himself.
"Cold?"
"Yeah, you?" He motioned toward her jumper and jacket.
"Yeah, have been for a few days now, guess we share that in common"
"Guess we do"
"What do we do now?"
"Now? Now I pee, then we talk"
Gingerly making his way back to the bed, Dean sat down carefully, but forcefully enough to purposefully wake Sam.
"Morning sleeping beauty"
"Hey"
"Sleep ok?"
"Yeah, you?"
"Would have done, but there was this big slug next to me drooling and snoring all night"
"Dude I don't drool"
"But you do snore"
"I… no"
Shelley laughed and handed Sam his own large cup of coffee.
"Thanks Shelley, you sleep ok?"
"Yeah I did, was kinda nice being out of the house for a change"
"You Dean?"
"Me what?"
"Sleep well?"
"Yeah, I think I was out for the count the second I laid down. Good drugs"
"You need to eat, you have painkillers and antibiotics to take"
"I will Francis, as soon as I've finished my coffee I'll go across to the diner and pick us up something"
"Dean, no! You need to take it easy, you heard what the Doctor said about tearing stitches"
"Dude chill, it's just across the street"
"Dean you're supposed to stay in bed today"
"Well if you hadn't noticed we're kind of on a deadline so maybe lazing around isn't the wisest idea at the moment"
"Dean"
"Sam"
"I'll go, you too carry on with your pissing contest, if you need it there's also a tape measure in my bag somewhere, I'll be back soon with breakfast"
Shelley left the two brothers staring each other down, once she'd closed the door they both allowed themselves to laugh and relax.
"Tape measure?"
"Dean you know I'm taller than you"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I have bigger hands as well"
"Shut up bitch"
"Jerk"
Carefully sitting around on the bed Dean faced Sam and tried to hide the grimace of pain that the movement caused to course through his body. He had to admit staying in bed was an enticing idea, but they didn't have the time, they both knew that. This thing needed to be finished today, for Shelley.
"So what did you find out last night?"
"Well, seems salting and burning the body is going to be more difficult than we first thought."
"Why?" Asked Dean slowly.
"The body was stolen from the cemetery"
"What?"
"Yep, there's a report that said someone snuck in and desecrated the grave, took the body, they have no idea who but it happened about six months after Megan was killed."
"Thomas?"
"Thomas"
"What does he want with her body?"
"Well I did some more checking, seems there's an old school voodoo ritual that can bind a living person to their dead loved one, causing both to hover between life and death"
"What the hell would he want to do that for?"
"Seems that if this is done correctly the two would be able to touch each other, hold each other and live like they were both alive"
"But?"
"But it also means the fate of one is the fate of the other"
"So we kill Megan we kill Thomas"
"Exactly"
"So we kill his baby and we kill the father who was just trying to save her"
"Dean, come on man, his guilt has twisted him, he's using this power against innocent people"
"I know, but man, you can understand why"
"Yeah"
Dean smirked as he turned toward Sam.
"Babe's got the power"
"What power?"
"The power of Voodoo"
Sam smirked , contained his laughter and carried on.
"Who do?"
"You do"
"Do what?"
"Remind me of the babe"
Shelley walked back in with bacon and egg bagels to the sound of the two brothers laughing hysterically, Sam hunched forward holding his belly and Dean attempting to stay upright against the pain in his back from the laughing.
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So, who knows where those last lines came from? Theres a Dean and Sam cookie for anyone who guesses right!