Sorry this one is short. I've been a little bit stuck here and turned my focus to some other stories. I'm getting back on track with this one, though. Enjoy, and let me know what you think. Some dialogue and happenings come from SPN's Season 5 episode "The End."
**Nothing from Charmed or Supernatural belongs to me.**
Chapter Twenty-One
Dean ran the towel through his hair, letting out a long sigh. His muscles were still singing from his run, and he wrapped the towel around his waist before he slipped down the hall to the bedroom. He shut and locked the door behind him, his heart falling when he looked to the bed. Melinda was laying there, completely still, eyes closed as tears poured down her cheeks. She was gripping the sheets in her hands, and the most brokenhearted sounds were coming from her lips. Dean walked to the bed, laying a hand on her face.
"Mel? Baby, open your eyes. Shit. Wake up, honey."
She moaned, and Dean ran his fingers through her hair.
"Come on, baby. Wake up."
"Dean?"
"Yeah, Mel. It's me. Come on."
Blue eyes slowly blinked open, and Dean smiled as he let out a breath of relief. He ran his hand over her face, and Melinda gasped.
"What? Mel, what's wrong?"
"I can see. Dean, I can see!"
He moved back as she sat up, looking down as she ran her hand across the bedspread. She looked out the window, tears slipping down her cheeks as she watched a bird fly by. She looked back to her husband, reaching her hands up to his face, gently laying her hands on his cheeks as she let out a laugh.
"I can see you."
"Mel."
"You're so handsome."
Dean smiled, shaking his head as he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. Melinda kept her eyes open, watching him as their lips danced together. She started to laugh, and Dean pulled back. She kept her hands on his face, laughing as she watched him, as she ran her eyes over him, her hands following the path of her eyes. Dean's head fell back as she unloosened the towel from around his hips. He slid his hands under his t-shirt that she wore, and she shook out her hair as he pulled it off. She lay back on the bed, pulling him with her, keeping her eyes open as he kissed her again and again.
Peyton rocked back and forth, holding Sam close to her, running her fingers through his hair. She shook her head.
"I—I don't … I don't understand."
Sam sighed, squeezing his hands on her hips before he let her go. He stood up, moving out of her arms, pushing his hands through his hair.
"He was here."
"No. No one was here, honey."
"Then he was in my dream."
Sam walked over to the window, gripping the counter of the little kitchenette as he stared up at the moon.
"I'm Lucifer's vessel. I'm the one he's supposed to …"
Sam hung his head, and Peyton climbed off the bed, coming up behind him. She went to wrap her arms around him, but Sam shook his head, moving out of her reach.
"Don't touch me. I don't want to—"
"Stop that right now."
She took hold of his arm, forcing him to turn around and face her.
"You are not going to corrupt me. Sam, you … You are incredible. You are not dirty or tainted."
"Then why else would Satan want me as a vessel?"
Peyton sighed as Sam turned away from her, walking by the bed and turning back to her.
"I've got demon blood in me. It's been there since I was a baby. It's the reason my mother died. Why Jess was killed. It's the reason Dean went to Hell, and now we know why. So I could be the goddamn vessel."
Peyton flinched as Sam picked a glass up from the table by the window, hurling it across the room, at the front door. She watched as the shattered glass sparkled from the floor, bringing her eyes back to Sam as he was breathing hard. He walked over, kneeling down and gathering the glass shards in his big hands. He dropped them in the trash can before walking back over, leaning over the table, putting his hands on it, speaking softly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't … I'm just sorry."
Sam turned his head, looking at Peyton. She took in a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh as she made her way across the hotel room, stopping in front of him. She reached her hands up, ignoring the way Sam shook his head and whispered her name in weak protest, and pulled his face down to hers, pressing her lips to his. Sam tried to fight it, but she wouldn't let him. He finally gave in, letting his hands rest on her hips as he kissed her. Finally, she pulled back, forcing him to look at her as she kept hold of his face.
"I am not going to let him have you. Do you understand? You want to fight, we'll fight. But I am going to be right here, and I am not going anywhere."
"We can't fight the devil, Peyton."
"Why the hell not? We've fought everything else."
"Not him."
Peyton leaned up, kissing him again, effectively shutting him up. Sam smiled, feeling Peyton's hands drift into his hair. He murmured against her mouth, making her smile.
"You going to keep doing this until I agree with you?"
"Well, so far, so good."
They both laughed, and Sam leaned back just enough to rest his forehead against Peyton's. Her hands came up, gently stroking his face, the stubble on his cheeks.
"We're going to get through this, Sam. I promise."
He sighed, pulling her closer, wrapping his arms around her. He wanted to agree with her, tell her she was right. But he couldn't. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was no way out of this one. Lucifer had Sam in his crosshairs, and he wasn't going to stop until Sam was his vessel.
Sam lifted his head from Peyton's, tugging her closer as she rested her head on his shoulder. He stared straight ahead, setting his jaw. He wasn't going to give in. He wasn't going to lie down and let Satan take control of him. He wasn't going to say yes, and he'd make sure it wouldn't even be the last word leaving his cold, dead lips. He was going to do whatever it took to beat this, even though he knew he didn't have a chance of beating Lucifer. And he knew the exact reason why.
Peyton shifted in his arms, and Sam glanced down at her. She had her head on his shoulder, forehead pressed to his neck, eyes closed. Sam smiled as he lifted a hand, running his fingers through her curls.
"Peyt?"
"Hmm?"
Sam's smile grew as he ran his hand down her arm.
"Let's go back to bed, okay?"
She yawned as she nodded, and Sam led her back to the bed. She climbed in, with him right behind her, and Sam smiled as, when he had barely laid down, Peyton rolled to him, putting her head on his chest, wrapping an arm around his torso. Sam pressed a kiss to the top of her head, wrapping one arm around her, letting the other rest behind his head.
"Don't worry, Peyton. Everything's going to be fine. I'll make sure of it."
Dean smiled as he felt Melinda's fingers gently tracing the tattoo on his chest. He lifted his head to see her with her cheek on one of her hands, a smile on her face as she watched her fingers trace. Dean lifted a hand to run through her hair and she smiled, lifting her head.
"Hi."
Dean's smile grew.
"Hey."
Melinda moved up, pressing her lips to his, keeping her eyes open as Dean's drifted closed. He blinked them open when the kiss was over, smiling when he saw Melinda just above him, gently running her fingers through his hair.
"Talk to me."
Melinda smiled, looking to Dean's lips, then back to his eyes.
"I don't know what to say. I can see you again, and I … God, I missed you. I know how weird that sounds, but—"
"No, no. I get it. I missed you, too."
She leaned to kiss him again, and Dean smiled.
"You gonna keep your eyes open every time we kiss?"
Melinda smiled, shrugging her shoulders, and Dean let out a laugh. His breath caught in his throat as Melinda bent down, pressing her lips to his chest, right over his heart. She laid her head there, letting out a sigh as she heard the steady thrum of his heartbeat. Dean began running his fingers through her hair as she looked out the window, as the morning sun was shining.
"Everything is so beautiful."
Dean smiled, moving to kiss her hair. They lay there in silence for a while, until a thought came into Dean's mind.
"Hey, Mel?"
"Hmm?"
"Did you have a bad dream or something?"
"What do you mean?"
Dean glanced at his chest, but Melinda continued to look out the window.
"When I came in here earlier, you were sleeping. You were crying, and making these just horrible sounds, like someone was breaking your heart."
Melinda propped herself up on an elbow, shaking her head.
"I … I don't know. I don't remember."
She let out a sigh, and Dean leaned over, kissing her forehead.
"It's okay. You'll remember if it was important."
She gave him a smile, leaning to kiss his lips again. There was a quiet knock at the door, and Melinda smiled.
"Kate comes and helps me downstairs every morning."
"She's amazing."
"And she's four. Get dressed."
Dean let out a laugh as Melinda crawled out of bed and walked to the closet.
"Not many times in my life has a woman said those words to me."
"Oh, shut up and get your pants on. Not a word."
Dean laughed again, closing his mouth and pulling his jeans up. Melinda walked out of the closet in a red sundress, brushing her hair up into a ponytail. Dean pulled a grey t-shirt on, nodding, and Melinda waved a hand at the door, unlocking it and letting it slowly open.
"Aunt Melinda? Breakfast should be … Uncle Dean!"
Dean smiled as Kate ran into his arms.
"Hey, pretty girl."
"How was your trip?"
"It was all right. Cas said to tell you hello."
Kate beamed. She adored Castiel, and it was easy to tell that the awkward angel cared for the child. Kate glanced back at Melinda, who gave her a smile.
"Hey, beautiful. That's a pretty nightgown."
"Thank you. Nana got it for me."
Kate looked down at her nightgown for a moment before her little head snapped up. Her blue eyes were wide as she stared at Melinda.
"How did you know? Can you see me?"
Melinda smiled and nodded. Kate's mouth dropped open, and she slid from Dean's lap, walking over to Melinda.
"You can see me?"
Melinda knelt down, running a hand over Kate's long, brown ponytail before cupping her little face in her hands.
"I can. My sweet girl. So beautiful."
Kate's mouth fell open before a smile lit up her face. She fell into Melinda's arms, and Melinda smiled as tears filled her eyes. She ran her hand down Kate's ponytail, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Kate leaned back, blinking at Melinda.
"What happened? How can you see now?"
Melinda shook her head.
"I don't … I don't know, honey."
Kate's forehead wrinkled up, and Melinda laughed.
"This is a good thing, sweetheart."
"Is it magic?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
Kate nodded slowly, and Dean stood up, gently ruffling Kate's hair. He offered a hand to Melinda, helping her to her feet and kissing her cheek.
"Let's go spread the good news, shall we?"
Kate nodded, reaching up for Dean. He smiled, lifting the little girl into his arms. They started out of the room, and Dean's phone began to ring. He looked to Melinda, and she brought the phone to him. Her face went serious, and she looked up at him.
"It's Sam."
Dean sighed, nodding his head. He handed Kate to Melinda, taking his phone from her. He smiled as he watched them leave, watching Kate's little hand twirl Melinda's ponytail around her little fingers. When they had gone downstairs, Dean sighed and answered his phone.
"Hello?"
"Dean, hey."
"Hey, Sammy."
Dean shut the door as he walked back inside.
"Everything okay?"
Sam let out a sigh.
"Not exactly."
Dean pushed his fingers through his hair as he sat on the bed.
"So Lucifer's going to wear you to the prom, huh?"
"Seems that way."
Dean let out a breath, shaking his head.
"Fucking angels."
He heard Sam's quiet laugh on the other end of the phone.
"Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in, huh, Sammy?"
After a few seconds of silence, Sam spoke.
"That's it? That's all you have to say?"
"What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know. I thought you'd maybe panic a little more at the news that I am the vessel for the fucking Devil."
"Well, sorry Sammy, but I'm a little numb to the earth-shattering revelations at this point in my life."
Sam blew out his breath, and Dean finally spoke through the silence.
"I can hear you thinking, Sam."
"Well, what are we going to do?"
"What do you want to do?"
"For starters, I want back in."
Dean let out a long sigh.
"Sam—"
"I'm serious, Dean. I am sick of being just a puppet to those sons of bitches. I want to hunt him down, and I know you do, too."
"So we're back to revenge then?"
"Not revenge. Redemption."
Dean stood up from the bed, nodding his head.
"So, what? We meet up and have a moment, then we're back in as the Dynamic Duo? Just like that?"
"I know I've got a lot to prove to you, but I'm going to do it."
"Sam, I want you to listen to me, all right?"
Dean glanced up, seeing his reflection in the mirror above Melinda's dresser. He turned away, taking a deep breath.
"I, uh … I don't think us rejoining forces would be such a great idea. I mean, look at our track record. We're sort of like the fire and gasoline of Armageddon, you know? That's reason enough to pick a hemisphere, keep our distance."
After a moment of silence, Sam spoke.
"Dean, you … you're not serious. You can't … We can fight this!"
Dean sighed.
"You're right. We can fight it. Just not together. We … We aren't stronger when we're together, Sam. If anything, I think we're weaker. Whatever we have between us, good or bad, family, love, loyalty, whatever the hell it is, they're going to find some way to use it against us. You know that as well as I do. I'm not telling you anything new here. We … Sammy, we're better off apart. Plus, being apart stacks the chips in our favor when it comes to dodging Lucifer and Michael and the rest of the damn thing."
Dean could hear Sam's breathing speed up.
"Dean, don't … Don't do this."
Dean closed his eyes.
"Goodbye, Sam."
He could hear his brother's protests as he pulled the phone away from his ear. He let out a long sigh as he tossed the phone onto the bed behind him, and he scrubbed his hands over his face. He looked up, letting out a sigh when he saw Melinda standing at the door.
"How long have you been there?"
"Long enough. Not to mention the whole 'I can hear your thoughts' thing."
She walked into the room, taking a seat beside him when he sat on the bed. She reached over and took his hand, and Dean sighed.
"Am I doing the right thing here?"
"I think you know the answer to that."
Dean sighed again.
"I just …"
"I know that you think this is better, but honey… You and Sam are better when you're together. Yes, you're each other's greatest weaknesses, but Dean… You're also each other's strengths. Your driving force for nearly thirty years has been your brother. Protecting him, keeping him safe."
"He's Satan's vessel, Melinda. I can't keep him safe from that."
Dean stood up, walking away from the bed, pacing in front of the window. Melinda watched him, and he finally turned back to face her. She gave him a small smile, and Dean came back to the bed, taking her hands and pulling her to her feet, then wrapping her up in his arms. She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.
"I get that you need some space. Sam gets that too, I think. Just … Just don't write him off completely, okay? He's still your little brother, and he still needs you, no matter what you think."
Melinda leaned back, just far enough to press her lips to his.
"I love you."
Dean smiled.
"Back at you, baby."
Melinda smiled, moving to kiss his lips again. She stepped out of his embrace, going to walk away, and Dean grabbed her hand.
"Will you … Will you just stay with me for a while? Just lay here with me?"
Melinda smiled again. Even though it was painful, she loved the moments where Dean let his walls down, where the vulnerability showed through the way it was doing right then. She took her time, moving back to where she was pressed right up against his chest.
"There's nowhere else I'd want to be."
She waved a hand, shutting the door and locking it. She closed the curtains after that, and Dean slipped his shirt off, dropping it on the floor beside the bed. He laid down on top of the covers, and Melinda laid beside him, pulling a soft blanket over her legs as she rolled to him, laying her head on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat, counted the breaths he took, until he finally relaxed. She let out a long sigh, turning over to be closer to him.
She sat up with a start, eyes wide and mouth open as she watched him disappear.
"Mom! Dad!"
Melinda threw out her hands, and the door swung open. She scrambled off the bed, looking all around, kneeling beside the bed and picking Dean's shirt up. Piper and Leo hurried into the room, Kate being quiet in Leo's arms. Melinda looked to Piper, shaking her head.
"He's gone."
"Gone? Where did he go?"
Melinda shook her head again, taking Leo's hand and getting to her feet.
"I don't … I don't know. We were on the bed, and he fell asleep and I just—I watched while he just disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
Melinda nodded, looking wide eyes to her parents. Leo shook his head.
"Where did he go?"
Dean let out a groan as he rolled over, picking his head up as he felt a scratch against his cheek. He opened his eyes, sitting up as he looked around. The room was an absolute wreck. The lamp that used to be beside the bed was gone, and the nightstand and dresser were weathered and scarred to hell. The closet doors were gone, and sheetrock was visible through the holes in the walls. Dean rubbed his eyes with his hands as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, realizing then that there was no mattress. He'd been laying on springs.
"What the hell?"
Dean blew out his breath as he stood to his feet, picking a dirty shirt up off the floor. He made a face at the stains, not even wanting to know where they came from. He walked to the dresser, opening a drawer and catching the knob as it fell off. He sighed, but slipped on a semi-clean shirt he found. He walked to the door of the room, opening it and feeling his blood run cold.
He'd thought he'd been at the Manor. He'd fallen asleep at the Manor, with Melinda in his arms, and now … Now, he had no idea where he was. It was dark, gloomy even in the sunlight. Rundown buildings surrounded him, trash and graffiti was everywhere. The ground was stained with things he didn't even want to think about. Dean swallowed and walked, shaking his head at the complete devastation he saw. When he came upon an alley, he stopped. He looked behind him, then forwards, stopping in his tracks when he saw the graffiti on the wall.
CROATOAN
"Oh, hell."