The Curious Case of Dean Winchester Part 2

Dean, Sam, Bobby, and Angela headed towards the motel. Bobby tried to roll himself up, but couldn't.

"Little help here?" he asked

The three of them stopped. Sam went down and pushed Bobby up the incline. Dean and Angela walked alongside.

"You know, I still think I should play." Sam commented.

At the top of the incline, Bobby took over rolling himself. Dean stopped walking, so did Sam and Angela, and Bobby stopped too.

"No, no, no." Dean shook his head. "You're not good enough. I'm better. Bobby's way better. We both lost."

"Exactly." Bobby agreed.

"So, what? So I don't get a say in this anymore?" Sam asked.

"Sammy, when you get to be our age—Dean started.

"You're 30, Dean!" Sam yelled. "Look, I've watched you play plenty of poker—

"Sam, I gotta agree with them…" Angela said. "Knowing the game is not enough. It's not about playing the cards."

"It's about playing the other guy. I know that." Sam replied.

"Well, hooray for you." Bobby snarked. "All I'm saying is, I played this guy. I know his style. I can take him."

"No, Bobby." Dean protested. "You don't have enough years in the bank."

"I got enough."

"No, you'll die if you lose, Bobby." Angela replied.

"So what if I do, huh?" Bobby asked. "What exactly am I living for, huh? The damn apocalypse? Watching men die bloody while I sit in this chair, can't take a step to help 'em?"

"Bobby— Dean started.

"No, no. It's the facts. I'm old…and broke down…and I can't…" he took a moment to breathe. "I ain't a hunter no more. I'm useless. And if I wasn't such a coward, I'd have stuck a gun in my mouth the day I got home from the hospital."

"Bobby, you are not playing again." Sam said. "I'm not letting you do that. There's another way out of this. There's got to be. And I'm gonna find it."

~/~\~

Dean opened the door so Bobby and Angela could get in. Bobby looked up and stopped abruptly. Lia was sitting on the bed. She held up a piece of paper.

"Take it. It'll help you."

Bobby rolled closer and took it. "What is this?"

"The most powerful reversal spell you've ever laid your eyes on."

"And it reverses what?" Angela asked.

"Patrick's work-all of it." Lia answered.

"You… you saying I could be normal again?" Dean asked.

"You and everyone else he's ever played." She replied. "Who's still alive." She added.

"Why the hell should we trust you?" Angela asked.

"Trust me, don't trust me. I don't care. The spell is real." Lia said, getting up and heading to the door.

"If it zaps everyone, don't that include your man?" Bobby asked.

"And me, too. I look good for my age."

"Lady, this don't add up for squat." Bobby replied. "Why would you want that?"

"I have my reasons." Lia replied, looking at her silver locket. "Do it quick. We leave town tomorrow."

She left, and Dean, Bobby, and Angela watched her go. The three looked at each other.

~/~\~

Patrick looked up. Hesh, when he realized Patrick was talking to someone behind him, turned: it was Sam.

"Hesh here is gonna live to see his granddaughter's bat mitzvah." Patrick said. "Isn't that right, Hesh?"

Hesh turned back. "Thanks again, Patrick."

"Shalom, my friend. Shalom."

Hesh got up and left. Patrick shuffled the cards.

"That was nice of you." Sam commented.

"I'm a nice guy." Patrick shrugged. "What can I do for you?" he asked as he kept shuffling.

Sam sat down. "Deal."

Patrick smirked.

~/~\~

Bobby sat at the foot of the grave while Dean and Angela dug.

"Jawbone of a murderer. Great." Dean said. He stuck the shovel in the dirt, breathing hard. "You know, this really sucks. How so we even know her spell's gonna work?"

"We don't." Angela replied as she kept digging.

"But we ain't got a Plan B." Bobby added. "Now, less flappin' and more diggin'."

Dean went to move another scoop of dirt. Something cracked. "Oh, God!" Dean moaned.

Bobby and Angela rolled their eyes.

"My elbows! I'm all creaky." Dean said.

"Hurry up, you crybaby." Bobby replied.

"Pound it up your ass, Ironsides." Dean snarked.

"Boys." Angela warned as she kept digging.

"One little grave." Bobby said, ignoring Angela.

"Then you do it." Dean said.

"Fine. I'll hop right in."

"Well, at least your legs are numb." Dean grumbled.

"Can you two quit it?!" Angela snapped at both of them. "Just shut up and dig, Dean!"

Dean grumbled and went back to digging. "Oh! Now it's my back!"

"Can you straighten up?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, but a little sympathy wouldn't hurt."

"Butt cheek tingling?" Bobby asked.

"Well, that's kind of personal."

"So yeah?" Bobby asked as Dean looked up. "It's sciatica. You'll live. Keep digging."

"You know, Bobby, killing you is officially on my bucket list." Dean said.

"Right now, killing both of you is on my bucket list." Angela said.

~/~\~

Patrick was chewing on his toothpick. He had a glass of whiskey on the table, two cards in his hand, and several stacks of chips. Several chips were piled in the middle of the table next to the four of diamonds, a red court card, a black seven, the three of hearts, and a black two. Patrick took the toothpick out.

"I like you, Sam. I do." Patrick said. "You're smart, and your heart's clearly in the right place." Patrick threw down his toothpick and drank his whiskey. "I can tell a lot about a guy by looking."

"You mean you're psychic."

"No. That'd be cheating. I'm talking about good old-fashioned intuition."

"Right." Sam nodded. "Let's just play."

Patrick drank more whiskey. "We are playing." he said, putting the glass down. "Does your big brother know you're here? How about your girlfriend?"

"Bet five." Sam dropped a stack of five chips on the pile. He had a lot fewer chips left than Patrick.

"Didn't think so." Patrick hummed. He put one stack of five on another and adds that stack to the pile. "I raise. Here you are, right? Trying to clean up their mess, and they still want to sit you at the kiddie table."

Sam looked down. Patrick toyed with a few chips.

"You're not the little brother anymore, Sam." Patrick commented. "Then again, maybe you are. You're in over your head here, Sam. I mean, you can keep making these moves, you know, playing it cautious, playing the percentages. But I'm still gonna kick your ass into the nursing home."

"Does this armchair-psychology routine usually work for you?" Sam asked.

Patrick laughed. "You tell me. You're the one who's losing."

A little later, Patrick shuffled the cards, chewing on his toothpick. He had 30 or 35 chips and Sam had 15 or 20. Sam played with a few of his chips. Lia walked in. Patrick put down his toothpick. Lia leaned down to kiss Patrick. Patrick looked at Sam and smirked.

"Little break?" Patrick asked.

~/~\~

Sam burst out of the doors that read "EMMIT'S PUB DELIVERY RING". He looked around and spotted Dean and Angela.

"How's it going in there?" Dean asked.

"How do you think it's going?" Sam scoffed. "What about you guys? You have everything you need?"

"We still need a little he-witch DNA." Angela replied.

"He was chewing it." Sam held up the toothpick. "Hurry up, guys. Please."

"All right. Just keep him busy." Dean replied. "And, Sammy… don't lose."

Angela kissed Sam's cheek. "Good luck." She smiled softly. "Love you."

Sam smiled and nodded. "Love you too." He whispered before going back inside.

~/~\~

Sam played with his chips. Patrick sat back down. Lia stood behind Patrick, who pushed the deck of cards across the table.

~/~\~

"Airmidh mi air maponus, dia—Bobby started.

A car drove in front of where Bobby, Dean, and Angela were set up, Bobby reading from Lia's paper while Dean and Angela stood at the bowl of burning things.

"—na gogalachd." Bobby continued. "Gairmidh mi air sucellus, dia na time."

Dean threw a handful of something in the flames, which flared up blue.

"Till an-dràsda obair uile gu bheilair deànta. Mar sin bithdeadh." Bobby finished. "Drop it in."

Dean added the toothpick to the fire and paused. "Well? How do I look?"

Bobby didn't reply and Angela sighed in disappointment.

~/~\~

Patrick looked at Sam. "Question." He said, holding up a toothpick. "Is this what you meant to give to your brother and Angela?"

Sam didn't let his expression change. Lia flicked a glance at the toothpick.

"The one you gave them never passed my lips. Won't do a scrap of good." He said, throwing the toothpick across the table. "I don't like cheating, Sam."

Patrick stretched out his hand and clenched a fist. Sam stiffened, gasping for breath, while Lia watched. Sam put a hand to his throat.

~/~\~

Patrick was still choking Sam via witchcraft.

"Stop it!" Lia grabbed Patrick's wrist. "Patrick, let him go!"

"He tried to kill us!"

"I did it!" Lia yelled/ "I gave him the spell!"

Patrick, shocked, released Sam and looked up at Lia. "What?" he asked, standing up. "Why… why would you do that?"

"You know why." Lia replied, touching her silver locket. "You know."

Patrick looked away for a moment, then sat down. "Keep. Playing."

Lia looked away. Sam glanced at her.

~/~\~

Bobby was driving. Dean sat next to him and Angela sat in the back.

"Everything we put in that spell was kosher." Bobby said.

"Yeah, everything except the damn toothpick." Dean replied.

"You got to go get a speck of DNA." Bobby said.

"Strap on your track shoes, Dean." Angela added.

"Oh, goody. More stairs."

~/~\~

More than a dozen chips were piles next to the eight of hearts, the queens of cubs and diamonds, and the two of diamonds. Patrick discarded a card and dealt the ace of clubs. Sam had his hands folded against his mouth.

~/~\~

Dean was on the phone with Bobby while he and Angela looked around Patrick and Lia's apartment.

"It's too damn clean in here." Dean said. "First witch I ever heard of that didn't spew bodily fluids all over the place."

"Toothbrush, comb, anything." Bobby responded.

~/~\~

Sam stacked five chips next to another five next to the pile.

"Well, look at you, the percentage player betting the farm." Patrick said. "Awful transparent of you, Sam. I mean, if I had a monster hand like you have, I'd trap you. But you get so excited, you bet yourself right out of a big pot." Patrick sniffed and picked up his face-down cards. "I fold."

Patrick discards his cards.

"Set of ladies, I'm guessing."

Sam collected a couple dozen chips and turned over his cards: the three of clubs and five of diamonds, for one pair of queens. Sam stacked his chips.

"Nice bluff." Patrick said. "If we had time, I could make a real player out of you."

"I got time." Sam replied.

Patrick grinned. "Maybe. But I can't say the same for Dean. Your brother's gonna be dead soon."

Sam looked up.

"And when I say 'soon'…" Patrick leaned forwards. "I mean minutes."

Sam's expression changed, fearful, and he stood up. Patrick extended a fist to yank him back down with witchcraft.

"The game's not over till I say it is. Blinds."

Patrick slapped down two chips and Sam one.

~/~\~

Dean spotted a wine glass on the table, still with a little wine left undrunk. He started towards it.

"Sam…" Dean groaned, slumping to the floor.

"Dean!" Angela exclaimed, running over to him.

~/~\~

Patrick dealt two face-down cards apiece. Sam glanced at his and adds another chip to the pot.

"So." Patrick slapped down three cards and spread them out: the ace of spades and fours of hearts and clubs. Sam eyed the cards. "When it's about your brother, you get so emotional, your brain just flies right out the window. Good to know."

"Go to hell." Sam growled.

~/~\~

Dean lied on the floor.

Angela lied next to him and swallowed thickly. "Dean… Dean c'mon…"

~/~\~

Sam shoved all his chips into the middle. "I'm all in."

Lia glanced at him. Patrick sighed, checking his cards.

"Don't do that, Sam."

"I can't leave until it's over?" Sam asked. "Fine. It's over. Now, where's my brother?"

"Look, there's poker and then there's suicide."

"Just play the hand." Sam snarled.

~/~\~

Bobby was on the phone with Dean. "Dean? Dean, you there?"

Dean lied on the floor, gasping weakly.

Angela grabbed the phone. "Bobby… Something's gone wrong."

~/~\~

Patrick added all his chips to the pot. "Fine." He said, discarding a card. He dealt the seven of diamonds. Next was the nine of spades.

Sam and Patrick stared each other down, Sam worried, Patrick smug, and Lia nervous.

Patrick turned over his face-down cards: aces of clubs and diamonds.

"I'm sorry, kid. Aces full."

Sam looked at the cards.

~/~\~

Dean exhaled.

~/~\~

Sam let out a breath. He glanced at Lia. "You're crying."

Lia sniffled, looking away. Patrick and Sam watched her.

"For a witch, you're so nice, it's actually kind of creepy." Sam said. "It's okay." He looked at Patrick. "It was a great hand."

Patrick moved to collect the chips: the only hands that could beat a full house with three aces were a four of a kind and a straight flush. The flop cards were three different suits, so he knew Sam couldn't possible have a straight flush, and he knew the odds were very slim that Sam had the remaining two fours.

"Just… not as great as…" Sam turned over his cards, revealing the fours of diamonds and spades. "As four fours." Sam finished.

Patrick glanced up at Sam, then down at the cards. Sam took a deep breath and let it out.

"Well played." Patrick said. "You know, that whole… going-out-of-your-head bit, very method." He added. "Well, there's more to you than meets the eye."

Patrick raised his glass and Sam nodded.

"Cash these in for Dean, please." Sam said.

"With pleasure."

~/~\~

Bobby spotted something inside the building and turned to look. Two people came out of the door: it was Angela, and Dean who was 30 again. Dean held out his arms, grinning, and did a little dance as he and Angela approached the van. Bobby stared and Angela rolled her eyes, a small smile pulling at her lips. Dean jumped up, clicking his heels in the air.

"Idjit." Bobby muttered.

~/~\~

"No trick, you actually beat the guy?" Bobby asked.

Sam spread out his arms.

"How the hell?" Bobby asked.

"Just lucky." Sam smirked.

Angela grabbed Sam's hand and led him to the door, passing Dean, who was on the way in with a burger.

"See you guys later!" Angela waved as Sam grabbed his jacket.

"Where are you two going?" Dean asked.

"Uh… nowhere." Sam shrugged. "C'mon, Angie, let's go." He rushed slightly.

Bobby and Dean looked at them.

Angela sighed and rolled her eyes. "Sammy needs to get a booster shot." She said. "And as his girlfriend, I'm going with him for moral support."

Angela and Sam left. Dean came in and put his burger down. Bobby groaned.

"Well, I guess we can get the van loaded." Bobby said.

Dean held up a finger and cleared his throat. "I shouldn't have called you an idiot."

"Which time?" Bobby asked.

"I'm sorry. I mean, I actually, I-I get it." Dean said. "Getting old ain't a bachelor party. And dealing with the crap you got to deal with—

"Don't you go on pity patrol."

"I'm not. I'm not. I'm just… I'm saying, you know, if I was in your shoes…"

"You'd never stop complaining." Bobby said.

Dean stared for a moment. "Fair enough. You're not useless, Bobby."

"Okay. Good talk." Bobby went to roll away.

Dean stopped him. "No, wait a minute. Listen to me." He said seriously. "You don't stop being a soldier 'cause you get wounded in battle. Okay? No matter what shape you're in, bottom line is, you're family. I don't know if you've noticed, but me, Sam, and Angela, we don't have much left. I can't do this without you. I can't. So don't you dare think about checking out. I don't want to hear that again."

"Okay." Bobby replied after a long pause.

"Okay. Good."

"Thanks. Now, we done feeling our feelings?" Bobby asked. "'Cause I'd like to get out of this room before we both start growing lady parts."

"Yeah, we're done."

Dean got up. He picked up his burger, looked at it, and put it back down. He picked up his bag.

"Let's go, Ironsides." Dean said.

"Oh, that one's sticking, huh?" Bobby asked.

Dean looked back, smiling, and left. Bobby sighed.

~/~\~

A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I definitely had fun writing it. I'm going to try and update every day. I don't know how well that'll work out, due to the fact that I'm in college now and have a job, but I'll try my best. Thanks for your patience you guys, I know I was gone for awhile. Please leave me feedback. Thank you!

~Emily