A/N:Reviews welcome.
This chapter is dedicated to my herculean beta. Without whom I would never ever update.
Chapter 11
Frank had finished reading In the Beginning and Metamorphisis before Dean noticed that she was breathing uncomfortably in the back seat of the Impala. They were just outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
"You ok back there?"Dean wanted to know.
"'M'good."Frank breathed, closing her eyes and leaning back to expose her neck to whatever breeze might offer relief from the windows."I'm just not built for this climate. Why is it so hot? This is the beginning of October, for pity's sake!"
"Didn't you spend 6 months in Haiti?"
"Yes, and I thought I was going to die, every second. I've never had heat exhaustion so many times in my life."
"Well, we'll stop soon. We'll get a motel."
"With A/C, if that's at all possible."Frank murmured hopefully,"Otherwise we have to get two rooms, because I'm definitely sleeping naked tonight."
The Impala swerved slightly on the road,"Fuck!"
"Dean!"Sam exclaimed.
"Sorry, I'm getting delirious, I'm not filtering what I'm thinking...or saying."Frank mumbled sleepily.
XXX
As luck would have it, the only motel in town had only one vacancy. And no A/C. Frank looked like she would cry if she had the energy.
"There's an oscillating fan, though."the clerk at the front desk said sympathetically.
XXX
The Winchesters left Frank in the motel and headed out to buy some food. When they returned they found Frank lying spread-eagle, face up, on top of the sheets, dressed in her pyjamas. The shirt was rolled up under her breasts, the sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and the pants were rolled up to her knees. Her face was flushed and her skin glistened, her hair curled around her face damply.
"Will you read to me?"she asked pitifully, fingers tracing the cool spine of Yellow Fever, before her eyes closed.
"Did she just pass out?"Sam started, dropping the bags of takeout on the floor. He rushed to Frank's side."Frank? Frank?"
Dean went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He ran the water cold. He went over to the bed and scooped Frank into his arms.
"What are you going to do?"Sam followed anxiously.
Dean deposited Frank under the cold spray. She quickly came to with a gasp," Did I lose consciousness? Am I brain damaged? I am, aren't I? Quick! Ask me something!"
Dean turned the shower off,"Uh-What's the capital of Kandahar?"
"What? Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan...Kabul is the capital of the country."Frank looked confused.
"Ha...trick question."Dean said, looking embarrassed.
Sam rolled his eyes.
"Why do you act dumb when you're not?"Frank's head lolled heavily to her shoulder.
"Uh.."
"You're really smart,"Frank murmured to Dean with a small smile.
Dean quirked an eyebrow, unused to that kind of a compliment,"Sammy's the smart one."
"Don't sell yourself short, you're more than just a pretty face."
Dean didn't really know what to say to that.
"I'm cold now."Frank informed them,"And my pyjamas are wet."
"It's ok, they'll dry. Do you have a t-shirt and loose pants?"Sam asked, helping her stand.
Frank looked at Sam as though he was stupid,"Nope."
"We'll find you something to wear to bed,"Dean promised.
XXX
Eventually, Frank was situated on one of the beds, a bottle of water and copy of Yellow Fever in hand. She wore a t-shirt of Dean's and a pair of Sam's boxers.
"It's a good thing we did laundry before we left Bobby's,"Dean muttered,"Otherwise we wouldn't have had anything clean for her to wear. How does a woman with so many clothes not think to bring more than one pair of pyjamas?"
Sam shrugged.
"I like books that Bobby appears in."Frank piped up from across the room, she waved her book in emphasis,"He really loves you guys, you know that?"
Sam and Dean looked at each other.
"Yeah, Bobby's like family."Dean agreed,"Been there for us more times than I can count."
"My father is just awesome,"Frank said happily before she went back to reading.
XXX
The next morning, when Frank had finished her book and was dozing soundly on the bed, Dean got a call on his cellphone.
"Detective Ballard? Of course I remember you."
Sam looked over from his laptop, Baltimore? he mouthed.
Dean nodded, then frowned, "What kind of problem?"
When he got off the phone, he went over to sit with Sam at the table."I think we have to make a short detour to Baltimore."
"Why?"
"Drained bodies. Detective Ballard has been finding them around the city. The other cops are thinking some sort of spree killer. She thinks it's our sort of gig."
"Well, as far as we know, the thing in Tennessee is a wendigo. It'll keep for a few days while we deal with Detective Ballard's problem in Baltimore."Sam said.
"From what she said, it sounds like vampires."Dean nodded.,"Man, it's been so long since we got to chop off heads."
"Wow, really not something I wanted to hear just waking up."came Frank's voice from the bed.
"We're taking a detour. We have to go to Baltimore."Dean said,"Vampires."
"What about the wendigo in Tennessee?"
"It'll still be there."
XXX
"There is a distinct lack of informative road signs around here."Frank grumbled as she peered at the map again before squinting out the window determinedly.
"It's ok, Frank. I know how to get there."Dean assured her.
"It's true. His sense of direction is uncanny. If there's trouble, he'll find it."Sam grinned.
Dean turned up Ramblin' On and began singing along, off-key.
Sam suspected that his big brother would sing off-key on purpose, half to annoy Sam, half so that Sam didn't sound so bad in comparison.
"I think what you need is some time off for a little bit of nice, clean fun."Frank decided, amused at the antics in the front seat.
Dean looked as though he wanted to tell her that it wasn't clean fun he needed. But Sam had taken to scowling at him disapprovingly much too often, and he didn't want his brother's face to stick that way.
"Maybe once we wrap up this job...and the one in Tennessee...and get you back to Canada, we can take some time off."
Sam gave Dean a surprised glance. His brother hadn't exactly slowed down since the averted apocalypse, with the exception of the few weeks he'd spent with Lisa and Ben and their recent stay at Bobby's. Sometimes he couldn't figure Dean out.
"So tell me about this contact in Baltimore. I haven't read the book yet, so I don't know how you know them."
"Detective Diana Ballard arrested us during a job, and then ended up helping us solve the case after she saw a death omen."Dean said.
"Her partner tried to kill her."Sam supplied.
"And me, he tried to kill me too."Dean reminded Sam.
Sam nodded."And then she killed him."
"She killed Dean?"Frank was confused.
"No, she killed her partner."Dean corrected.
Frank rolled her eyes."Hey, it's a legitimate question."
"Fair enough."Dean agreed.
XXX
"I love Baltimore."Frank grinned as they entered the city limits.
"You've been here before?"Dean asked.
"Johns Hopkins is in Baltimore."Frank explained.
Sam turned around in the front seat,"You did your residency there, right?"
"That's right. And then I went down to Haiti to finish it off."Frank nodded.
"I think at some point you should learn how to fire a shotgun."Dean decided suddenly.
"Non sequitur, much?"Sam furrowed his brow.
"It never hurts to have backup."Dean said,"And once she's back in Canada, she should know how to protect herself."
"I'm not really familiar with guns."Frank jutted her jaw doubtfully, then perked up,"But I took fencing lessons when I was younger. Are there many sword-fighting demons out there? I'm a little rusty, but it's something. How useful would a sword be in a fight with a demon?"
"Not very. It would probably telekinetically rip the sword from your hand...and then rip your arm from your body."
"So...pretty much-I'm useless. Good to know."
"You'd make good bait."Dean said, hoping to soothe her.
"We're not ever using her as bait."Sam said firmly.
"Why not? If I was going to be bait for anyone, I'd feel better about it being for you guys. At least I know you'd keep me safe."
"Bobby would kill us bloody, though."
"Sam, dude, will you unclench?"
"Shut up, Dean."
"Your sword fighting skills could come in handy with the vampires, though."Dean ignored his brother."Just trade the sword for a machete, and you're good to go."
"'Hara kiri'."Sam reminded,"Those were Bobby's exact words."
"I'm not going to take her on any hunts. But that doesn't mean she can't learn some skills to take home after summer camp is over."Dean said pragmatically."What she chooses to do with those skills is entirely up to her."
Sam gave up arguing.
XXX
Sam wore suits well. He looked comfortable in them, natural. He stood up straighter, walked with a confidence. Kind of like the lawyer he had gone to school to be. Mr. GQ Lawyer.
Dean looked like a tired homicide detective whenever he wore a suit. He tugged at his tie often, shrugged his shoulders as if the jacket was too tight and itched.
Sam was having second thoughts about the decision to dress as State police as the brothers entered the police station and headed to the front desk. There had been much debate as to whether or not they should even show their faces within a city block of the Baltimore police station. Dean, however, was of the opinion that the chances of them being recognized were slim enough that they had to try.
"We'd like to talk to Detective Ballard, we're with the Maryland State Police Department."
They had dropped Frank off at the local pub that she had frequented as a resident, and headed straight for the station.
Ballard gave them the lowdown on the situation, after expressing relief that they'd come to her aid.
"I've done my research, and the only conclusion I've come to is that we have a vampire on our hands."She explained,"But I don't know what to do. I mean, I don't know the first place to look. I don't know if I should arrest it...or stake it."
"Staking it won't kill it."Dean shook his head quickly,"You have to chop off the head. You can slow it down with dead man's blood, but that won't kill it. Also, forget garlic. And holy water. And crucifixes."
"Don't worry about it, we'll take care of it."Sam said.
And with that, they left the station, leaving Diana Ballard stunned in their wake.
XXX
"Hi there."Frank hopped up onto a bar-stool."Busy tonight, isn't it?"
"Sure is. Busier than usual. But you don't sound like you're from around here. What can I get you to drink?"
"I'm from Canada, this was my bar when I was doing my residency at the hospital.. I'm Frank, by the way."
He shook her offered hand,"I'm Eli."
"Your accent isn't local either, Eli. Where are you from originally?"
"Here and there. Most recently Montana."
"I hear it's really nice there."
"It was, but I left anyway."Eli gestured to the liquor behind him,"I make a mean Bloody Caesar."
"Mm, I think I'll pass."Frank dazzled,"I never liked the idea of tomato and alcohol together. I'll just have your house Shiraz."
"Coming right up."
Frank set her clutch on the bar, nudging the bowl of peanuts away.
"So what are you doing back in Baltimore?"Eli set the glass of wine in front of Frank.
"Oh, just road-tripping with some friends."Frank shrugged,"We're actually heading back to Canada, but I thought it would be nice to see the old stomping grounds."
Eli nodded and moved down the bar to take another order.
Frank was glad she had secured a stool because the place was really getting packed.
"Lenore, we've got customers waiting!" Frank heard Eli shout across the room and time seemed to stop.
Lenore wasn't a common name. Frank felt her mind flipping like a Rolodex. Categorizing and deducing. If Frank was not mistaken, there was little chance that Lenore and bartender Eli were not the vampires that she'd read about in Chuck's books.
She felt her heart-rate ratchet up a few notches.
"You ok?"she heard Eli say to her.
Could he hear her heat beat? Frank wracked her brain to remember if vampires could read minds. She didn't think so.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just remembered that I forgot to tell my friends where to meet me."Frank pulled out her phone. Quickly she texted 'SOS' to Dean's number."I'm going to grab a booth."
XXX
Miraculously Frank was able to slip into a recently vacated booth with her glass of wine. She played with the stem of the glass nervously.
A pale woman with long dark hair and large eyes slid into the booth after Frank. She wore a t-shirt with the logo of the pub on it and a name-tag which declared her to be 'Lenore'.
Frank held her breath and stayed very still.
Lenore regarded Frank for a long moment."I know you know what we are."she said finally.
"I thought you might."Frank said slowly.
"I know why you're here."Lenore continued.
"No, you don't."Frank gave a small smile.
"We haven't hurt anyone."
"I know."
"Where are the others?"Lenore looked a little confused.
"They're coming."Frank held up her cellphone demonstratively.
"We're trying to stop the one who is killing people, so we can go back to living in peace."Lenore continued.
"Do you know who it is? It is a vampire, isn't it?"
"It's a new vampire. He hasn't learned to control himself yet."Lenore leveled her gaze at Frank,"It's not easy."
Frank steeled her jaw,"I never said it was. What do you plan to do to stop this new uncontrollable vampire? You know that if you don't stop him, someone else will."
XXX
Dean and Sam slipped into the pub as inconspicuously as possible. Sadly, 'SOS' was not the most descriptive distress signal one could receive, but they'd worked with less before.
Sam spotted Frank at the booth first,"Dean, I see her, she looks ok."
"Wait, is that Lenore?"Dean grabbed Sam's shoulder.
Sam frowned,"Yeah, I think it is."he looked toward the bar,"There's the other one...Eli, I think his name is."
"What's going on here, Sam?"Dean wondered.
"Let's go find out."
"Frank, are you ok?"Sam asked as the brothers approached the booth.
"Lenore,"Dean nodded,"Been a while."
"I knew you were in town the second she walked through the door."Lenore said,"Your scent was all over her."
"Ok, awkward."Sam grinned as Dean blushed.
"I have to say, that's a relief."Frank admitted,"I was half a breath away from a panic attack thinking we had psychic vampires on our hands."
"That would be a nightmare."Dean agreed.
"Lenore was just pleading her case. She tells me it's not one of her group."
"Not, per se."Lenore corrected.
"Ok, then who is, per se?"Dean wanted to know.
"His name is Tavis. He's a newly turned vampire. He was kicked out of his first pack because he was drawing too much attention to them. Unfortunately, he settled here. And he's been wreaking havoc ever since. He's going to bring hunters down upon us. He has brought hunters down upon us."
"So you know where Travis is?"Dean asked impatiently. A vampire would talk your ear off, if you let them.
"Tavis."Lenore clarified,"And all I know is that he frequents this area. Especially near the hospital."
"Well, in that case, I'd better get back to the motel. I'll meet you gentlemen when you're done."Frank slid from the booth.
"You're not going with them?"Lenore asked in surprise,"Aren't you a hunter?"
"I'm a lover, not a fighter."Frank said airily.
Lenore gave a small smile.
"Don't you get any ideas."Dean pointed a finger in front of Lenore's nose,"She's a civilian and she's off limits."He placed his hands on Frank's shoulders and marched her towards the door."Go straight to the motel. Do not stop to chat with any locals. Do not help old ladies cross the street. Do not rescue street children. Lock the door. Keep a machete by your side at all times. If Lenore is right and this new vamp has gone off the reservation-"
"That's a politically incorrect term, it is referring to a member of a tribe leaving the reservation to which they are restricted. It's very offensive. I would prefer if you didn't-"
"You can lecture me on the etymology later, ok? Right now I just want to get you back to the motel and keep you safe. There's a raving lunatic out there and Sam and I have to go take care of it."
"Oh Dean!"Frank cried in falsetto,"Don't make me swoon with your sesquipedalian vocabulary!"
"I'm serious, Frank!"Dean growled,"This nutjob is dangerous."
"Ok, ok, I'm going. Sheesh!"
"Be careful. Maybe I should just drive you back..."
"I'll be fine. My skirt's not short enough to attract any real attention, and I can run fast in heels. I should have been a superspy..."
Dean rolled his eyes and went back inside, shaking his head.
"You'd think he was my father."Frank muttered under her breath.
"It's a little late for a pretty woman like you to be walking home alone, isn't it?"A shadowy form stepped up behind her.
"Listen, I have stilettos on and I know how to use them, ok? I'm not interested."Frank said without a backwards glance as she started to head off down the street.
He gripped her arm and spun her around to face him, backing her into the brick wall of the bar.
"You'll stay."
"Ok, are you for real? Let me go or I'll scream."Frank said patiently, if a little rattled.
"It won't do you much good." The man was young, attractive...at least until his set of pearly whites transformed into a set of vicious fangs.
Frank, for her part, was horrified by what she saw. She felt the breath deflate from her lungs like a week old birthday balloon. Merde, she thought, Didn't Lenore say that this Tavis joker hung out around the hospital? What on earth is he doing here?
"I think I'll take you home, make you my mate..."Tavis breathed into her ear.
That woke Frank from her passivity. She shrieked in frustration as she began to struggle madly in the vampire's grip.
"Don't you want to be my Queen of the Damned?" Tavis sulked as he held her firmly beneath him,"Don't you want to be my Bella?"
"One too many Anne Rice novels and suddenly you think you're Lestat! Let go of me, you Twi-hard! Let go of me before I go Van Helsing on your ass! LET ME GO!"
"I need a mate. Vampires mate for life and I'm lonely."
"You are one sick puppy. Pardon my political incorrectness, but do I seem like someone who wants to be a emotional retard? Are you high?"
"But you're so pretty."
"Pretty doesn't always equal stupid, you moron."
"Women think that vampires are hot."
"No, pre-teens think that sparkly sulking suckers are hot. I am not prepubescent. LET GO OF ME!"Frank looked around, but the street was empty. The music from the bar also drowned out any chance that anyone could hear her inside.
XXX
"She is gonna kill me with that smile of hers some day."Dean muttered under his breath as he rejoined Sam and Lenore at the booth.
Sam gave him a questioning sidelong look.
"I should have driven her back to the motel."Dean frowned.
"Dean, if you feel that strongly about it, go pick her up."Sam shrugged."She's wearing those ridiculous shoes and she has short legs, she probably hasn't gotten all that far."
"Her legs are just fine."Dean snapped.
Sam's eyebrows met his hairline,"Yeah, fine, her legs are great."
"Why have you been looking at her legs?"Dean demanded,"You like her or something?"
"Uh..."As much as Dean's freak-out was highly entertaining, they had work to do."Listen, just take her back to the motel and then meet us at the hospital."
"You didn't answer my question."
"What question?"
"Do. You. Like. Her."
"No, come on, Dean, let's get going."
"Why don't you like her? What do you think is wrong with her? She's way out of your league, man, don't-"
"I am not having this conversation."Sam rose from the booth.
"I'll meet you at the hospital."Lenore said, following the brothers to the door.
"We'll be there soon."Sam assured her, and held open the door.
"LET ME GO!"
"Frank?" Sam started toward the shadowy figures against the building.
Panic that Dean has only ever known for one other person raced through his system. He grabbed for his keys and booked it to the trunk of the Impala. It took him three tries before he got the trunk open and he began rooting through their arsenal. Where the hell did Sam put the machetes? "We need some sort of IKEA shit back here."he grumbled under his breath as his hand closed around the handle of one of the knives.
When he returned to the front of the bar, Lenore was lying stunned on the ground and Sam was engaged in combat with the newbie vamp.
"Sam! Move!"Dean barked as he sliced towards the vampire.
Sam threw himself out of the way and Dean dispatched Tavis' head from his body. Killing a vampire was almost always messy and Frank was left covered in blood.
"So, now can can we go to Tennessee?"
"Not until you change."Dean gestured with his machete at her blood soaked clothing,"I don't want the Impala smelling like stale vamp blood."
"And also, it might be uncomfortable to spend a car ride covered in any sort of bodily fluid."Frank pointed out.
Dean nodded in agreement.
XXX
They arrived in Jackson early Sunday morning and found a small rustic motel in town. The boys checked Frank into the rooms and headed straight out to hunt for the wendigo, making the most of the daylight hours.
"Or best bet is the logging company that went under about 80 years ago. There was a few people who were killed or went missing during the course of one surveyor trip."Sam explained,"I bet that's where the wendigo came from. There's an old abandoned look-out tower a few miles into the woods."
Frank headed down the street for breakfast at the nearest diner. It was moderately busy when she walked in. The waitress directed her to a table and she sat with a copy of The Jackson Sun, the local newspaper, open in front of her.
"Coffee, and a glass of water, no ice, please."Frank smiled up at the young waitress with a name-tag that read Annabeth.
"Now, where're you from, hon? You sure don't sound like you're from 'round here."Annabeth smiled when she returned with the ordered beverages.
"I'm from Canada, actually. Just in town for a day or two."Frank took a sip of her coffee,"Oh, that's lovely, thanks."
"On vacation?"
"Sort of. Visiting my father in South Dakota, then decided to take a bit of a road trip."Frank shrugged and smiled.
"Well, I hope you enjoy yourself. You ready to order?"
"I'll have some french toast, please."
"That'll be all?"
"Yes, thank you."
"I'll be back in a jiffy."Annabeth left to fill Frank's order.
Frank was devoting her attention back to her coffee and paper when there was a commotion at the door. She looked up, almost expecting to see the Winchester returning from their hunt, but it was much too early for that.
"Ed. Ed!"
"What?"
"Do you think we got enough footage?"
"Yeah, Spruce will have plenty to edit. Come on, let's find a table."
"There's one over there."
Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler found seats in the booth next to Frank's.
XXX
Dean managed to muscle passed Sam and into the bathroom first to shower. Unfortunately the hot water didn't do much to ease his bone weariness and when he finally emerged from the bathroom wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, it was all he could do to crawl weakly under the covers of his bed.
Sam's shower was short, thanks to the small hot water tank feeding their motel room. He stumbled painfully from the bathroom, his towel wrapped around his waist, and fell face down on his bed, moaning pitifully.
"Y'okay, Sammy?"Dean mumbled.
Sam just groaned in reply.
There was a knock at the door,"Hey guys, I saw the car, you in there? Open up, I bought dinner."
Dean wished that Frank would just break down the door so he didn't have to get up off the bed. He groaned and hoisted himself to his feet, shuffling over to the door, feeling like an old man. He swung the door open.
Frank held her brown bag of Chinese food aloft."Best Chinese in town, I did my homework."
"Come on in,"Dean swung the door wider and stepped aside.
"You look a little stiff. Did the hunt go ok?"Frank asked in concern, breezing by him and setting the bag on the table by the window.
"Yeah, the wendigo is dead. We're just a little sore."Dean replied.
"Sam, are you alright?"Frank's eyes flicked over to Sam's prone form in the bed.
"'M'fine."came the muffled reply.
"You should go see a chiropractor or a massage therapist or something. I understand that acupuncture is quite effective with aching muscles."Frank recommended.
"I'm just stiff, is all. It'll pass."
"Or you'll strain something."Frank pointed out.
"I'll be fine, I have just as much chance of getting hurt as average people do in their regular lives."Sam said, rolling over onto his back with a grunt."Don't worry about it."
"See, the difference between you guys and uh, 'average people' is that, well, us average people worry about getting hit by a bus, getting struck by lightening, you know...it's there, in the back of our minds. But you two...you two go out of your way to step in front of who even knows what. So yeah, I'm worried."Frank had an edge in her voice.
"Aw, I'm glad you care."Dean quipped and turned to investigate the food."Whatcha bring us?"
"Bit of everything, but the extra eggroll is mine."Frank said, joining him at the table, shooting him a 'touch it and you die' look.
"Sam, you comin' over, or do you expect us to spoon feed you?"Dean said, glancing over his shoulder. Sam was still lying on the bed.
"If it's not too much trouble..."Sam joked, not making a move.
"Are you really ok, Sam?"Frank took a bite out of her eggroll, and wiped her fingers on one of the paper napkins.
"Yeah,"Sam breathed.
"I don't think you are."Frank set the containers of food back down on the table."Here, flip over. I know how tense your neck was that one time...if that's any indication. If you've pulled something, you should have it taken care of sooner rather than later. Come on."she knelt on the edge of the bed.
"Do you even know what you're doing?"Dean said grimly.
"Medical school gave me a general idea of what the musculoskeletal system looks like."Frank winked at him. She turned back to Sam,"Besides, you can pretty much see everything here. Sam's made it easy...I mean, look at how defined his muscles are. No, I can handle this for sure."
Dean busied himself with his food. He was really uncomfortable with how frank she was about his brother's body. He glared at his chicken fried rice.
Sam ducked his head and gripped a secure hand over the waist of his towel as he rolled over onto his stomach."Shouldn't I put some pants on?"
"No, this is fine, I have no interest in groping your ass, so rest assured, you're safe."Frank sounded amused, reaching out to touch him.
Dean's appetite was slowly disappearing. Disgruntled, he shoved more food determinedly into his mouth and chewed vigorously.
"I made some friends in town today."Frank pressed her fingers into the muscle tissue,"Two guys who are making some sort of documentary...actually, I think it's a series. Harry and Ed. They're hunters...well, sort of."Frank considered,"They call themselves Ghostfacers, so I guess it would be more accurate to say-"
"You met the Ghostfacers?"Dean asked sharply.
"You know about them? Are you fans? I'm sorry, I didn't get their autographs,"Frank frowned, then brightened,"We exchanged email addresses though."
"No, we are not fans."Dean grimaced."Those guys are pains in our asses."
"Are you a Facer-hater, Dean?"Frank looked like she was barely containing a grin.
"Damn right I am. Those idiots nearly got us killed."
"Oh."
"Yes, 'oh'."Dean grumbled.
"They're amateurs."Sam said, a little more calmly than Dean. Of course, he was getting a massage, so that probably had something to do with it.
"What are they doing in town?"
"Talking to locals about the local urban legends. It didn't seem like they were getting much, though."Frank leaned into the massage, seeking out the knots along Sam's back."They mentioned going down to New Orleans."
"Oh, right there."Sam moaned.
Dean pushed his food away.
XXX
They started driving north again the next day.
"Please, I beg you...can we please rent a motel that has a kitchen? And buy some groceries? I don't know how much more diner food I can eat."Frank looked apologetic about her complaints.
Dean gave Sam a look that clearly said, 'And this is why we don't bring chicks on the road.' "One motel with kitchen coming right up."
Frank smiled at him weakly in the rear-view mirror in the backseat.
XXX
"I bought groceries!"Dean sang out as he burst through the door.
"My hero!"Frank grinned and accepted the plastic bags from him. She took them into the small kitchenette and began unloading them."Milk, butter, and boxes of Kraft Dinner... wow... that's... really..."her smile looked a little forced as she turned around and gesticulated for words."Lovely."
Dean beamed and Sam rolled his eyes.
"Ok, so...instructions on the side of the box..."Frank turned the box of KD over in her hands and started to read.
"You read the instructions?"Sam asked,"Doesn't, like, everyone know how to make that stuff from memory?"
"No, not everyone."Frank looked over at him."I can make home made macaroni and cheese from scratch and it tastes like heaven...but every time I make Kraft Dinner it turns out wrong."she considered,"And it never turns out wrong the same way."
"What d'you mean?"Dean frowned.
"Either the noodles are too soft...or they're too hard...or the sauce is to runny...or it sticks to the bottom of the pan...and I follow the same instructions every time."she looked put out.
"Ok, guess that means that I'm makin' dinner tonight."Dean gave her an appalled look.
"How did you make it through university?"Sam joked.
"It was tough, but I survived."she shrugged."Plus I heard med students at McMaster University got scurvy because they tried to survive on KD, so I tried to avoid that."
XXX
"What's wrong with this? It tastes funny."
"Come on, it's good!"Dean insisted, shoveling a spoonful into his mouth.
"I think your taste buds are defective."Frank muttered.
XXX
"Ok, please tell me you got rid of this demon, Alastair..."Frank entreated after dinner, waving the next novel around for emphasis."If I hear about him hurting you one more time, I think I'm going to throw up."
"Short answer to that is 'yes, we did'."Sam answered.
XXX
Frank pushed her food around her plate the next morning,"So, Alastair's dead..."she attempted conversationally, unable to actually look at either Sam or Dean."And Uriel."
"Yes."Dean confirmed.
"I actually kind of liked Uriel until I found out he was not so good."Frank chewed her lip and pushed her plate away."I was stunned when Anna killed him."
"You ready to go?"Sam asked quietly.
"Yeah, I'm ready."Frank left some money on the table as she got up. The boys followed her out to the car after paying for their own meals.
Frank settled into the backseat of the Impala with the next book and began to read as they pulled out onto the highway.
XXX
"I do not like this Dean Smith guy."Frank grumbled, tucking her feet beneath her.
"Yeah, I didn't care much for him either."Dean agreed.
"He's just not you."Frank frowned and went back to her pages.
XXX
"A Supernatural Convention?"Frank blinked and shook her head.
"Don't remind me."Dean groaned.
"Well, it turned out ok with those guys helping us."Sam pointed out.
"Don't tell me what happens!"Frank gave Sam a pained look.
XXX
Sam's phone rang,"Hello?...Hi Bobby...Tamara, yeah I remember her...where are you?...Seattle, huh? Sure, we can take a case in Wisconsin...well, no, we got sidetracked by a case, so she's still with us...yes, of course we're taking care of her...ok, here she is."Sam handed the phone back to Frank,"It's for you."
"Hi Bobby!"Frank answered the phone.
"Those boys treating you alright?"
"Yes, of course...I mean, Dean won't let me drive...or pay for much, but otherwise it's been fine."
"Tamara told Bobby about a case in Madison, cursed object."Sam was saying to Dean in a quiet voice,"Think we could make a detour before getting her home?"
"Yeah, if it's ok with her."Dean replied.
"I'll talk to you later, ok Bobby?"Frank hung up. "So, we're going to Wisconsin? Did you know that it is the founding state of the Republican Party?"
"Fascinating."Dean deadpanned.
Frank ignored him,"And that the state dance is the polka?"
"So, I'm assuming you don't mind tagging along for a little while longer?"Sam asked.
"Not even slightly."Frank grinned.
XXX
"Are we stopping for food at some point? Or is you plan to let me starve in the back seat?"Frank inquired, holding her place in her book with her finger.
"Next diner we see, we'll stop."Dean promised,"I'm starving too."
"Am I the only one in the car who doesn't have a tapeworm?"Sam rolled his eyes.
"Dean and I are still growing, Sam."Frank said,"Not all of us have reached our full height yet, ok?"
XXX
Frank studied her menu,"Dean, check this out. They serve chocolate pie, a la mode...with a hot fudge-hot caramel drizzle."
"There's a lot of fat in that."Sam observed, examining the salad selection.
"I have to maintain my womanly figure somehow."
XXX
"You know, if we take the I-55 up towards St. Louis we could stop by Cape Girardeau and you could visit Cassie."
"She's not going to want to see me. It's been over 4 years since I saw her last."
"And the last time you saw her before that, it had been how long?"Frank shook her head,"Your argument is specious."
"Ok, you know what? You're gonna have to use smaller words. Not everyone here went to college, ok?"
"I went to university...in Canada, it's different than-"
"Ok! I get it, but small words, ok?"
"Your argument is unsound."she rephrased.
Dean growled.
"Don't growl at me."Frank went back to reading,"I'm unmoved by that argument too."
"Bossy..."Dean grumbled under his breath.
"It's not like it's out of our way."Sam pointed out.
" 'Some people come into our lives and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same.' "Frank piped up from the backseat.
"What?"
" 'They celebrate the true essence of who we are...and have faith in all that we may become.' " Frank continued." 'Some people come into our lives to teach us about love...The love that rests within ourselves.' "
"Flavia Weedn, right?"Sam guessed.
Frank nodded.
"Poetry?"Dean asked in dismay,"Are you serious?"
"I like that poem."Frank defended.
"You want poetry? I've got poetry...'A pirate, history relates'..."
"Dean..."
"...'Was scuffling with some of his mates',"Dean continued, ignoring Sam," 'When he slipped on a cutlass, which rendered him nut-less and practically useless on dates.' "
Frank bit her lip to keep from giggling.
"Real classy, Dean."Sam rolled his eyes.
"Excellent grasp of meter."Frank grinned,"Very impressive."
Dean shot Sam a triumphant smirk.
" 'Be yourself' is the worst advice you can give some people."Sam muttered to himself.
"Nice distraction tactic, by the way, but we're still going to go see Cassie."Frank informed Dean.
"Why?"Dean nearly whined.
"Because I liked her in the book and I want to meet her."
"Why don't I just tell you about her? Hmm?"Dean suggested,"Let's see, she has dark hair..."
"Dean, you have the memory of a demented gold fish when it comes to women!"Sam objected,"Let's just swing by."
XXX
"She could have moved. It's rude to just show up without calling ahead. She might live in a different state, for all I know. I haven't seen her in 4 years."Dean was still protesting.
"The last time you saw Cassie, her father had just died...she's not going to move out of state and leave her mother all alone."Frank rolled her eyes.
"She could have a boyfriend, she could be married."Dean continued.
"She's your true love and she's not married."Frank decided confidently.
"My true love?"Dean scoffed.
"I liked her."Sam said helpfully.
Dean growled at his brother."You are not helping."
"Turn here."Sam instructed.
Dean followed Sam's directions."We're not the same people anymore."
"Stop whining, it's going to be wonderful."Frank sighed,"And romantic."
"I agree with Frank, man."Sam was clearly enjoying this.
"So you've said."Dean grumbled.
"And here we are!"Sam announced as they pulled into the Robinson's driveway.
The trio exited the car, Dean with less enthusiasm than Frank and Sam. Frank handed Dean the They headed up the walkway. Sam clapped a hand on Dean in support.
"Could you please stop manhandling me?"Dean shrugged Sam's hand from his shoulder.
"Touchy."Sam grinned.
They stood at the front door and Frank knocked confidently. They heard movement inside, and just as the door swung open, a large green SUV pulled into the driveway behind the Impala.
"Hello?"Cassie's mother opened the door.
"Hi, Mrs. Robinson? Remember us? Friends of Cassie's from a few years ago?"Sam said.
"They took care of that monster truck problem you were dealing with."Frank reminded her with a smile.
"Yes of course, Sam and Dean Winchester." Mrs Robinson said, opening the door wider.
"We've come to visit Cassie."Sam explained.
"Well, here she is now."Mrs. Robinson gestured to the SUV.
The three turned to see Cassie exiting the front passenger door.
"She's really pretty."Frank blinked as they headed in Cassie's direction,"I mean, know that Chuck always writes that you've got some gorgeous woman hanging off your arm, but she's beautiful."
Dean wasn't really sure what to make of Frank's tone. She wasn't being sarcastic, and it didn't sound like she was jealous. She just sounded casually observant. Dean didn't like it. It was weird.
Cassie had caught sight of them. "Dean?"
"Hey Cassie."Dean finally found his voice.
They all stood in a tableau until the driver's side door opened and a man jumped out."I'll get the diaper bag."
All eyes snapped towards the dark haired man.
"Why don't you all come inside, I'm sure we have enough for three more."Mrs. Robinson said.
The look on Frank's face was positively comical as she allowed Mrs. Robinson to invite them inside.
"What was that you were saying about her not being married?"Dean said quietly as he gave Frank a sidelong look.
"I'm 26, never had a serious romantic relationship, why are you listening to me when it comes to things like this?"Frank frowned in embarrassed consternation.
Frank and the Winchesters followed Mrs. Robinson into the foyer. They were shortly joined by the dark haired man carrying a blue and brown diaper bag, and Cassie who was holding an infant around a year old.
"Cassie, you remember Sam and Dean."Mrs. Robinson said.
Cassie blinked and shifted the baby in her arms. He was wide-eyed and was sucking intently on his red pacifier.
"Boys, this is Edward Todd, Cassie's husband."Mrs. Robinson continued, when it was apparent no one else was going to provide introductions."Edward, these are Cassie's school friends who helped catch Cyrus Dorian."
"Wow...I always wanted to thank you guys for what you did."Edward said.
"Wait...Todd, as in Mayor Todd?"Sam said.
"My father."Edward nodded.
"So, Dean,"Cassie spoke for the first time since coming into the house,"Who's your friend?"
"We prefer to use the term 'life partner.'"
Frank took Dean's deadpan in stride and stuck out her hand,"Frank Houdin, it's a pleasure to meet you. Dean mentioned he had an old friend in the area, so we thought we'd drop in to say hello. We're on a bit of a roadtrip."
Cassie took in Frank's decidedly non-roadtrip-like attire as they shook hands. Frank had insisted that the white pencil skirt was the coolest piece of clothing she owned and that she had to wear the lavender silk blouse because it 'went well' with the skirt. Dean honestly didn't understand why she didn't just buy a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and call it a day.
"And this is my grandson, Harold."Mrs. Robinson reached out and took the baby from Cassie's arms."He'll be a year old in less than two weeks now."
"He's adorable."Frank offered.
"Cassie, would you mind helping me set some extra places? I've asked your friends to stay for dinner."Mrs. Robinson said."You boys make yourselves comfortable in the livingroom. The meal will be ready any minute."
The Winchesters followed Edward into the livingroom. Dean passed Cassie as she headed towards the kitchen. She smelled like baby powder.
Mrs. Robinson took the baby into the kitchen with her.
"So, Dean tells me you're a reporter..."Frank and Cassie walked inside, obviously forgetting the existence of the men.
Sam kept glancing over at Dean, whose expression was surprisingly unreadable. This was going to be a long evening.
XXX
Minutes later, the men were summoned into the diningroom.
Baby Harold was already situated in a highchair near the head of the table by the kitchen door and Mrs. Robinson gestured for everyone to take their seats.
Edward sat beside his son, at the head of the table while Cassie's mother sat at the other end. Cassie sat down on the other side of the highchair and gestured for Frank to sit between the two women. Sam sat across from Frank, on Mrs. Robinson's right, with Dean beside him.
"Well, this is cozy."Dean gave a small smile.
"It' so nice to see you having a family dinner in the middle of the week."Frank said to Mrs. Robinson."You seem really close."
"We are. Cassie and Edward come over whenever they can."Cassie's mother replied."I'm glad they decided to stay in town after they got married."
"You would have moved away from your Mom?"Dean frowned at Cassie.
"Well, Edward is a Harvard trained lawyer."Mrs. Robinson answered for her daughter,"He could have gone to the city to get a job with a big firm."
"I like working here in town. Big fish, little pond and all that."Edward shrugged goodnaturedly."Cassie likes it here. We grew up here. It's nice to put down roots in familiar ground. I'm a homebody at heart."
"These boys are free spirits."Frank nodded in the Winchester's direction,"Life is a highway for them."
Dean smiled at her,"We live for the day."
"Carpe diem."Sam tuned in.
"Seize the carbs."Frank agreed with a wink.
"And on that note, everyone help yourself."Mrs. Robinson gestured to the food.
"Isn't this fun?" Frank leaned across the table and snagging a roll from the breadbasket.
Dean raised his eyebrows and said, "Sure," in the way that meant 'I think you're a crazy person.'
"So how do you know Dean and Sam, Frank?"Cassie asked as she passed a serving dish full of green beans to her husband.
"They're friends of my father's."Frank said, accepting the mashed potatoes from Mrs. Robinson."He's a hunter too."
"And do you...hunt?"Mrs. Robinson asked.
"No way."Frank smiled"I am a surgeon. I was recently in Haiti with MSF...fixing things. Or at least, trying."
"MSF?"Mrs. Robinson asked,"What is-"
"Oh, Médecins Sans Frontières...which, is french for Doctors Without Borders."Frank nodded,"Medical personnel volunteer their time all over the world. I believe the minimum requirement is 6 months, and you don't choose where you get sent. It's based on the greatest need...and of course, it helps if your second language is relevant in that area. French is my first language anyway, so of course I was able to be of use in Haiti."
"I didn't know french was your first language."Sam said in surprise,"You don't even have a french accent."
"Well, not all biligual francophones sound like former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien."Frank smiled."I primarily spoke french at home, and also at school, but I had an English tutor...and of course by the time I was in university, I was taking most of my classes in English. McGill is in Montréal, so some of the classes were in French. I believe it's a requirement to be bilingual."
"Bobby speaks Japanese."Sam said anecdotally.
"Bobby speaks Japanese?"Dean looked incredulous.
"Came in handy when you had ghost sickness."Sam nodded.
"Yes, he mentioned that."Frank nodded."His Latin's pretty strong as well."
"You probably know Latin from medical school."Cassie said as Frank passed the mashed potatoes her way.
"And I grew up Catholic."Frank smiled,"I was going to take Spanish in school, but my grandfather encouraged me to study Mandarin instead. The only thing I know is how to ask to get to the washroom. Donde esta el baño?"
"Mandarin?"Edward piped up from the end of the table,"That's a little obscure."
Frank shrugged,"He's a businessman, and does a generous amount of business with the Chinese. He said it's always a pleasant surprise during a deal when you can speak their language."
"You speak any other languages?"Sam joked in disbelief.
"A bit of Punjabi."Frank wrinkled her nose,"But my accent is terrible. I could probably make a business deal, but I'd get lost on the way to the washroom."
"Wow."Dean muttered.
"Dean doesn't like it when I don't speak English."Frank confided to Cassie."He gets this strange look on his face."
Sam snorted back a laugh.
"That's not true."Dean defended himself.
"It is true. You press your lips together and you start breathing heavily. And your eyes get squinty."Frank served herself a pork chop from the plate in front of her."And you fidget like you've got ants in your pants."
Dean scowled darkly across the table at her.
"It's fine, I'll speak all the french I want when I get back home."
"Where is home?"Mrs. Robinson asked.
"Montréal."Frank said,"I'm from Canada."
"You mentioned the Prime Minister, I didn't figure you to be from around here."Edward nodded, taking a mouthful of beans.
"Well, enough about me...I've been monopolizing the conversation. Tell me all about yourselves."
"Edward came back to town after his father died, to arrange the funeral. He stuck around for a bit and Cassie and he just fell right back into their old routines. They grew up together and when they went off to college they lost touch."Mrs. Robinson said."They've be married for 2 years. August 8th, 2008."
Frank glanced over at Dean, who was pushing his beans around his plates. He had still been in Hell in August.
"A year and a bit later, Harold Martin Todd was born."Edward said,"The two happiest days of my life."
Cassie smiled down the table at her husband.
"You guys look really happy."Sam looked back and forth between them.
Frank caught Sam's eye and gave a worried look towards Dean. Sam looked at his brother in concern.
"This meat is excellent, Mrs. Robinson. I generally just serve pork chops with a bit of red pepper jelly, but this is lovely."
"Thank you, I can give you the recipe if you'd like."Mrs. Robinson beamed.
Frank gave one last look at Dean before tucking into her meal.
XXX
Once they had eaten their fill, they retired to the sitting room.
The women were chatting about Frank's trip to Haiti, while the men listened quietly, content to sit in a full-belly stupor.
"There were bodies wrapped in sheets lining the streets because there were to many corpses and not enough able-bodied people to help deal with them."Frank said quietly,"If you think Katrina wreaked havoc on New Orleans, just imagine what the earthquake did to a country that already required a U.N. force presence. Chaos reigned after Katrina, but it was already well-established on the throne in Haiti before any natural disaster came along."
"Even now, it's still a mess down there."Cassie noted."I wonder how much will change with the elections."
"It certainly will be interesting to keep an eye on."Frank nodded,"I'd like to go back, but of course, there are other places in the world that need our attention. It just seems like there always needs to be some sort of disaster to propel people into helping."
"Not everyone has that sort of social consciousness, though."Cassie pointed out,"You're right about people needing a disaster for people to notice that there is a world outside of their own little bubble."
"I'd like to go north, or even out east, to the native reserves in Canada. Some of the conditions there are as bad as third world countries. It's embarrassing as a Canadian to have that exist. Granted, the gap between the poor and the rich is much smaller than in the States...our wealthy citizens are not as well off as those in America, but our poor are not as poor as people who live here."
"Are you saying that capitalism and democracy in America isn't all it's cracked up to be?"Sam piped up.
"Well, we down really have a democracy in America do we? It's more akin to corporate oligarchy."Edward argued.
"I concur."Frank nodded,"The party line is democracy, but the truth of the matter is, the western world is in a recession thanks mainly to corporate and governmental elitism."
"I think we should be more vigilant about participating in Social Darwinism, and compose our government as a meritocracy."Sam decided.
Frank snorted delicately,"People who say that think that they are the most meritorious and therefore it is a self-serving desire. It's just another oligarchic manifestation."
"Not so, I don't want to work in politics. But I do want the most intelligent leader we can get."
XXX
Mrs. Robinson invited everyone into the livingroom for drinks.
"Oh, we need another glass, Frank would you mind?"Cassie said, looking over to the woman sitting closest to the aforementioned glassware.
"Not at all."Frank said, standing. She reached for a glass from the cupboard.
"How tall are you?"Dean asked.
"5' 1 and 1/2"."Frank replied, rising onto the tips of her toes to grasp the glass.
"5'1"?"
"And a half."Frank added, fingers closing around the cup."The half is very important. It means I'm almost 5'2"."
"Which is still really short."Dean pointed out.
"Short people live longer."Frank shot back, handing the glass over to Cassie."Medical fact."
"Really?"Dean's eyebrows raised.
"Our hearts don't have to work as hard pumping all that blood to our extremities."
"Huh, still, really short."
"Not short, fun-sized."
Cassie looked back and forth between Frank and Dean, a small smile forming on her lips.
XXX
Cassie and Frank ascended the stairs to get baby Harold bathed and changed for bed, leaving the men and Mrs. Robinson to nurse their drinks downstairs.
"We should probably hit the road."Dean said, 45 minutes later. Frank and Cassie were still upstairs. What was taking them so long? He was able to get Sammy ready for bed in under half and hour when they were younger. Amateurs."I'm gonna go get Frank."
Dean mounted the stairs and followed the hallway up to the room where he could hear Frank and Cassie trying to pacify the cranky baby Harold into sleep.
"I just hate putting him down when he's still fussing like this."Cassie tugged a hand through her hair, as Dean leaned on the door.
"Allez dormir. Go to sleep."Frank leaned over the crib, cooing,"Sommeil, bébé. Sleep, baby."
"I'm always worried that he's fussy because he's sick."
"No, he's just tired."Frank said, with her authoritative, trust-me-I'm-a-doctor voice."Do you need a lullaby to sleep, little bug?" She hummed six familiar notes under her breath.
"He's out of luck, I'm a terrible singer."Cassie chuckled, leaning against the crib with Frank.
"Take a sad song and make it better."
Dean's heart clenched.
"The Beatles? Really?"Cassie chuckled quietly.
"Anyone can sing Brahms Lullaby. My other go-to song is Stairway to Heaven.""Frank shrugged,"Remember to let her in to your heart, then you can start to make it better."
Baby Harold sniffed and hiccuped, quieting.
Frank's voice was clear, but gentle,"Hey Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, then you begin to make it better."
Dean could hear the baby rustle his blanket and give a tiny baby yawn.
"Amazing."Cassie whispered.
"And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain, don't carry the world upon your shoulders."Frank reached into the crib, adjusting the blanket."For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder." She straightened and turned, starting slightly when she saw Dean. She placed a silencing finger to her lips.
Cassie followed Frank out of the room, and Dean led them down the hall and back downstairs.
"We're heading out now."Dean murmured when they got to the foot of the stairs.
"Nice meeting you Cassie."Frank said, and slipped into the livingroom to join the others, and leave Dean and Cassie alone.
Crossing her arms, Cassie leaned back against the wall."So, what are you really doing here, Dean?"
"Honestly, I have no idea."
Her eyebrows raised.
"I mentioned I had a friend who lived in the area and Frank insisted we stop by and say hi."
"Well, it's good to see you."
"Yeah."Dean shifted,"I'm glad you seem happy."
"I am happy."Cassie gave a smile, glancing over her shoulder toward her son's room.
"Right, and I'm glad."
"You said that."Cassie looked amused.
"And Eddie...Edward, seems great. Really fantastic. Super."
"Same with Frank."
"Oh, we're not-she's not...uh..."Dean gesticulated.
"Uh huh, right."Cassie cocked her head.
"Listen, as much fun as it would be to run off with her to Canada and become, I dunno, a penguin wrangler, it's not gonna happen."
"Especially since there are no penguins in Canada, unless it's at the zoo."Cassie pointed out.
"I think you're missing the point."
"I doubt it. More like you are missing the point."
"I can't talk to you when you're like this."Dean muttered.
"Right."Cassie couldn't seemed to wipe the amused look off of her face.
Dean decided it was definitely time to leave.
They all said their goodbyes, and Frank promised to keep in touch with her new friend.
"Were you hoping to hook me up with Cassie?"Dean murmured to Frank as they got into the car.
Sam pulled out the map.
"No?"Frank said guiltily.
"Why?"
Frank worried her lower lip,"She made you happy...I mean, until you broke up. But you were happy when you were with her. I just think that you deserve to be happy."
"I was torturing souls in Hell while she was getting married."Dean reminded her.
"So, it never would have worked out anyway?"Frank suggested hopefully, giving him a small apologetic smile.
"I hate you."
And Frank's smile faltered a bit in a way that told Dean that she knew he was just joking, but was still slightly bothered by the possibility of him ever hating her.
"Well, what about Lisa?"
"What about Lisa? Why are you suddenly Little Miss Matchmaker?"
Frank sighed and changed the subject,"How far are we from Wisconsin?"
"Maybe a day and a half drive."Sam replied.
"I'm going to read."Frank picked up her book, Jump the Shark,"Have you talked to Adam...I think I'd like to meet him too."
Sam and Dean exchanged looks.
"What?"Frank looked horrified,"Is anyone you know still alive?"
The brothers remained silent.
"Nevermind,"Frank muttered darkly,"I'll find out sooner or later."
XXX
That night they stopped in Oakville, just outside of St. Louis.
The motel room was a strange turquoise colour, with plaid bedding. Frank blinked a few times at the clashing decor, before heading into the bathroom.
After dumping their bags into the room next door, Sam headed back over to Frank's room to hang out.
"Just to forewarn everyone:"Frank announced as she exited the bathroom,"If you don't turn the cold all the way over before turning on the hot water, you will scald yourself in the shower."
"Noted."Sam nodded.
Dean knocked on Frank's door,"Keys."he demanded of Sam, palm held out.
"Where are you going?"Frank asked.
"Out."Dean said curtly as Sam dug the keys out of his pocket and handed them to his brother.
"When will you be back?"
"Later."Dean closed the door after himself.
Frank sat down heavily on the bed with a sigh,"He's mad at me over the Cassie thing, isn't he?"
Sam looked out the window as the Impala roared away."I don't really think it's that."
Frank laced her fingers together and pressed them over her eyes, resting her elbows on her knees.
"You like him, right?"Sam asked slowly.
"Yes, of course!"Frank said, looking up at him. The thought of Dean is dizzying and Frank is not prepared for it in the slightest. Not exactly the white knight she'd thought she was supposed to dream about.
"So why don't you tell him?"
"I don't want him to feel like he owes me, or that I expect something...because obviously he doesn't. I'm fine that it's kind of one-sided, really. He's wonderful, he's a superhero, for goodness sake!"
Sam groaned,"Don't tell him that, he'll be insufferable!"
Frank shot him an affectionate look,"You know it's true."
Sam didn't deny it, because secretly he agreed with her."Dean doesn't expect anything from anyone, you know that."
Frank was quiet.
"You should tell him. He should know."
"It would be weird though, right? I mean, after my menage a trois with you and Meg..."
"Never say that again."Sam groaned.
XXX