Chapter 25
Jessie was sitting at the table while Bobby was still on his phone. He had begun the call by speaking loudly, but as the call went on, his voice had quieted considerably.
Sam had flitted around the room trying to make himself feel useful, although he felt out of place. He knew how Jessie felt about him, and he knew how he felt about her, but he realized he hadn't really told her, not in so many words. He was unsure whether he should make the words come out of his mouth, or if he should just continue to show her in more indirect ways.
He finally decided to sit at the table beside her, but he didn't force his attention on her. He wanted her to make the first move.
Jessie felt her heart skip a beat when Sam sat next to her. There were so many things she wanted to do, but she just didn't have the courage to. She laughed inwardly at the thought of being afraid of something so silly, when she'd gone up against some of the most truly terrifying creatures around.
He opened up his laptop, which had been left on to his favorite news and information site. He was clicking through some random stories, when Jessie grabbed his hand.
He looked at her with surprise, which made her laugh.
"You were clicking too fast," she said with a grin. "Didn't you see that mention about the animal shelter."
"No."
She released her grip on his hand, then pulled his laptop closer to her. She found the link and clicked on it, then positioned the computer so both of them could read the article at the same time.
When they were done reading, she turned to Sam and began to laugh.
"So they believe that there was some kind of theft ring involving the dogs, but they have no idea how it was orchestrated or who was involved," he said.
"Crack police work as usual," she said with a chuckle. "I just think it's hilarious they think there was one mastermind who was so multi-talented they killed all of the witnesses and was able to erase any and all proof so easily."
"You just like being called a mastermind," he teased with a grin. "Just admit it."
She chuckled. "No, that's not the funny part, Sam. I just think it's funny they weren't able to find anyone who could salvage the information on those hard drives."
"Now you're bragging again."
"Me, brag? No way," she replied with a laugh.
He laughed, then took on a more serious look. "How good are you, really?"
She raised her eyebrow, wondering what exactly he was asking. "I've hacked into some government computers and stuff like that, Sam. But I doubt I could get into something like the pentagon. Why do you ask?"
"No reason, really. I was just curious."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but she was still smiling. She thought there was more to his question, but she had no idea what it could be.
Dean came sweeping in while everything had been quiet. He placed a cup of coffee in front of both Jessie and his brother, then took a spot at the table beside his brother, drinking his own coffee.
"Has Bobby been on the phone all this time?" Dean asked.
"Yeah," his brother replied. "I have no idea who he's talking to."
As if he'd known they were speaking about him, Bobby walked up to the table, phone in hand.
"I gotta go out for a couple of hours to deal with something." He turned to Sam and Dean. "I want you boys to keep an eye on her." He pointed to Jessie, then his eyes fell on her. "And when I get back, I'll be bringing someone by to give you that tattoo."
"I don't need a babysitter, old man," she said crossing her arms in protest.
"Think of them as bodyguards then, I don't care," he said sternly. "But if they let you out of their sights, I'm gonna tear them a new one."
"She'll be fine, Bobby," Dean said confidently, before grinning at his brother teasingly. "I'm sure Sammy will keep more than an eye on her."
Everyone glared at Dean, but none as dangerously as Jessie.
Bobby stood in place for a moment, looking like he was going to say something, before he walked over to the bed and grabbed his dufflebag. He shuffled to the door, but turned to glance warningly at the brothers before walking out.
"I wonder what that's all about," Dean commented to no one in particular.
"I don't know, but I'll tell you what I don't need," Jessie said. "Bodyguards."
"You're right," Dean replied, causing shocked looks from both Jessie and his brother. "You don't need bodyguards. You need a bodyguard."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.
He chuckled as he got up from the table. "You heard Bobby, he said he'd be a few hours." He paused and looked at his brother." I'll be in my room, Sammy. Keep an eye on her." He grinned mirthlessly, then ran out the door while laughing.
Sam glanced nervously at Jessie, who seemed to be just as nervous. He knew he had to make the best of this situation, since he didn't have an idea when he would have a chance to be alone with her again.
He turned his body around in the chair so he was almost facing her and took her hand in his. She seemed hesitant at first, but she didn't pull away.
As her gaze caught his eyes, she felt her breath catch in her throat again, only this time she didn't feel herself blushing.
"I realize that I never told you how I feel," Sam said as he squeezed her hand.
"That's really not necessary, Sam," she replied shyly. "I think you've made it pretty clear."
"Well, it can't hurt to tell you," he said as he leaned closer to her.
She was still for a moment, before she became uncomfortable and nearly jumped out of her seat. She turned her back to him, feeling desperate for somewhere to hide.
He got up from the table and walked up behind her. He was going to set his hand on her back, then decided against it.
"I'm sorry, Jessie," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."
She was staring down at her feet trying to keep her composure, which was more difficult while he was standing so closely behind her.
"Jessie. Turn around, please," he pleaded gently.
She didn't want to, but she managed to turn around slowly, keeping her eyes on the floor.
He stepped closer to her, placing one hand on her hips, while he gently lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
She kept her eyes level with his, even after he removed his hand from her chin, placing it on her other hip.
"Is this what you and your brother do, Sam?" she asked shakily.
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, just the grin and the 'keep an eye on her' remark before he left," she replied. "It seems like you and your brother do this kind of thing often."
He tried to hold back his laugh, but he couldn't help himself.
She glared at him looking insulted. "I'm glad you find this so amusing, Sam."
"I don't find it amusing, except in maybe some completely ironic way."
She stared blankly looking confused.
"Look, Jessie. I don't have any alterior motives here, except maybe to spend some time alone with you."
"I don't know, Sam," she replied hesitantly.
"It's not like we haven't been alone before. What's so different about this time?"
She sighed. "That was before all of this demon crap, Sam. We're probably playing right into their hand."
He snorted. "You seriously think they want us together for some reason?"
"The demon wasn't in your head, was it?" she asked with annoyance. "That's exactly what they want."
"It makes no sense to me. I'm sorry, Jessie."
"Well, maybe they want to separate you and Dean," she suggested half-heartedly.
"There's gotta be more to it than that. It seems a little too passive-aggressive for demons. Even for someone as sneaky and underhanded as Crowley."
She suddenly looked at Sam with a strange smile, making him raise a curious eyebrow.
"I'm perfectly fine being here with you as long as we're talking about hunting or some other trivial topic, but as soon as we stop, that's when I begin to feel terrified."
He released his grip on her hips, grabbing her hands instead. "If we're being honest—this is just as terrifying for me."
She stared at him with disbelief. "You've been to hell and this terrifies you?"
He shrugged lightly. "You know my track record with women. How could I not be?"
She quietly contemplated things for a short time, while Sam kept silent watching her encouragingly, patiently hoping she'd come to the right decision.
She smiled as she began to speak. "Your brother said something to me yesterday that kind of stuck with me." She watched as a curious expression crossed his face. "Well, I can't quote him verbatim, but basically, he said, I shouldn't let the threat of demons or anything else stop me from at least trying."
"And what about fear?"
"What about it, Sam?"
"Are you ready to ignore the fear and panic?" he asked with a hopeful smile.
She smiled. "There's only one way to find out."
"Oh?"
She released her hold on his hands, stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. She gazed up into his eyes with a bright and loving smile.
After his initial shock wore off, he lifted his hands to her face, leaned close and began to kiss her softly. It wasn't long before their kiss began to become more passionate, but Sam couldn't let it go too far. Not yet.
He pulled back, but kept his hands on her face. He gazed into her eyes, seeing no hesitation, but he had to know for sure.
"Are you sure this is what you want, Jessie?" he asked with concern.
She lifted her hands, laying them on top of his and smiled. "Yes, Sam. I'm positive."
He stood still for a moment, giving her a chance to pull his hands from her face. As she grasped one hand tightly, she pulled him towards the couch. As she got to the couch, she sat down while holding his hand.
He held her hand tightly, wanting desperately to sit beside her. As he gazed into her eyes, he knew for certain this was what she wanted. But was it what he really wanted?
He wanted her, there was no doubt about that in his mind. He was also sure that he loved her. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't help the doubts that had begun to surface. He knew if this happened, there would be no going back for either of them. He wasn't even concerned about himself, he was worried about Jessie. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was to hurt her.
He allowed her to pull him down onto the couch, never once shifting his gaze. But as she leaned closer to him, he raised his hand up to stop her.
"Are you absolutely sure, Jessie?" he asked quietly. "There's no going back after this."
"This is why I feel the way I do about you, Sam," she said smiling brightly. "You're still worried about me. But you don't have to be. I don't think I've been so sure about anything in a very long time."
He studied her face for a moment, smiling. "Then say it."
She looked confused for a moment, before realization washed over her face. She smiled lovingly, lifted her hand to his face, brushing his face lightly with her fingertips.
"I love you, Sam."
He smiled as the words were spoken aloud. As they washed over him, he felt something he hadn't felt in many years. He knew from this moment on, she would forever be etched in his heart.
"I love you too, Jessie."
All negative thoughts left her mind as the two of them embraced and began to kiss passionately.
Their bodies became entangled, passionately exploring each other's bodies with the gentle touch of their hands and lips. And when they finally became uncomfortable in the confines of the couch, Sam lifted her up in his arms, carrying her to the bed, laying her down gently, then laid down beside her.
Jessie hesitated for a moment when Sam began to kiss her once again, but it was only her ingrained instinct, which she overcame quickly after looking into his gentle and loving eyes.
He took his shirt off, then proceeded to take her shirt and pants off, before removing his pants as well. They kissed much more passionately, exploring each other carefully, slowly, neither in a rush.
Except for the unfortunate drunken incident with Dean, it had been almost nine years since she'd made love to anyone, and her boyfriend had been her first. She'd neglected to tell this to Sam because she was embarrassed by it, but now she wish she had. She was incredibly nervous, and it wasn't because she didn't want to go through with it, it was because she was afraid she didn't have enough experience. She did her best to push this to the back of her mind.
It was more than an hour later that Jessie was lying naked under the covers in Sam's arms, her head resting on his chest. She felt happy and content for the first time in as long as she could remember.
She was enjoying the warmth of his bare skin against hers, listening to the beating of his heart and the rhythm of his breathing wishing she would never have to move again. She wanted to stay in his arms and forget everyone and everything else that existed, but that wasn't reality. She did wish she could bask in her contentment for awhile longer, but she knew Bobby was going to be back soon and she was positive she didn't want him to find her like this.
After a few more minutes, she tried to remove herself from Sam's grip, but he pulled her to him and began to kiss her slowly and deeply. She gave in for a few moments, then broke away with a grin.
"Bobby's gonna be back soon, Sam. I'd like to jump in the shower before he gets here."
He brushed a few stray hairs from her face, smiling happily. "Can I join you?"
She chuckled lightly. "And would I be able to get clean that way?"
He grinned seductively. "No, but it would be more fun."
She shook her head with a grin. "Only, if you promise to behave yourself."
"I can't make any promises, sorry," he said with a conspiratorial grin.
She rolled her eyes with a smile, then climbed out of the bed and began to pick up her clothes, heading into the bathroom before he could distract her again.
Sam climbed out of the bed and did the same, following her into the bathroom a minute later.
After hopping into the shower, he took hold of her, gently pushing her against the wall of the shower and began to kiss her passionately. Despite her earlier warning to him, she couldn't resist kissing him back, if only for a few moments. Eventually, she broke free, managing to clean herself and get out before he could tempt her again.
She was busily drying her hair when he finally stepped out of the shower. She had to avert her eyes in the mirror to keep from glimpsing his glistening, naked body. It was too distracting and she needed to stop being distracted, and he was being no help whatsoever.
He quickly got dressed and left the bathroom while she was still drying her hair. She was relieved, but at the same time disappointed. It had been so long since she'd really been with someone and she really missed it.
As she stopped to analyze things for a moment, she knew she shouldn't be rushing things so quickly. She wasn't even sure how things were gonna work between them. She had to tell herself to quit analyzing everything or she was going to miss out on life. It really shouldn't matter how it was going to work out, they had lots of time to figure things out, there wasn't really a rush, except for the threat of death on an almost daily basis. But that was nothing new for them, they were hunters and that was a hunter's life.
Once her hair was dry, she put it up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face, tidied up the mess she'd made, then left the bathroom. She was surprised—though she wasn't sure why—that Dean was sitting at the table with Sam, smirking. She had to avert her eyes to keep herself from blushing.
She felt like all eyes were on her while she was busily cleaning up the room and putting her stuff away in her duffelbag, but before she could turn around to see if she was right, there was a knock at the door.
Dean jumped up from the table and answered the door. It was only Bobby and the man he said he would be bringing back with him. Bobby immediately kicked the Winchesters out of the room, then salted the door.
It took her some time to decide where she wanted the tattoo, but she eventually decided on the same spot Sam and Dean had theirs. She hadn't wanted it anywhere that was normally visible, but that only left her back and her behind and neither of those spots appealed to her.
It took a lot less time to complete then she'd figured and hurt a little more than she had assumed it would have, not that she would ever admit it to anyone. She was able to deal with it by having a few drinks.
After the man left, Bobby watched her with a curious look, but kept silent. Jessie was unsure if she was imagining things or if she was just being paranoid, but she wasn't about to stick her foot in her mouth, so she decided to take a different approach.
"So, where did you go anyway, Bobby?"
He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I had to bail that idjit, Garth, out of a problem."
She laughed lightly. "I don't know how that man is still alive."
"When you figure it out let me know."
"Yeah, right."
He gazed at her pensively for a few moments, making her squirm inside like she'd done something wrong.
"I think we need to have a talk again, Jess."
"Bobby—"
He looked at her sternly, making her close her mouth quickly.
"I know you're not gonna talk about it, and I'm not sure I wanna talk about it," he began awkwardly," But I'm not clueless and I'm pretty damn sure I know what you were up to while I was gone." She felt her stomach churning nervously. "But, you're a big girl, Jess and I'm not your father. I just want you to promise me you'll be careful."
"This is about, Sam?"
He shook his head. "Not just him, but the demons too. I don't know what's going on yet, but it can't be good."
"I promise I'll be careful—on both fronts," she replied awkwardly. "And, Bobby—thank you."
He shook his head then stood up. "I'm heading out in a few. I trust you can find your way to my house."
She scoffed at him, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure I can."
"Make sure you travel with them boys," he warned while pointing a finger at her. "And no detours."
"I need to stop at home," she replied tersely.
"Then the boys go with you. No arguments."
She sighed with annoyance but didn't argue with him. She knew which battles she could win, and this wasn't going to be one of them. And although she had wanted to go home alone so she could have some space, she wasn't terribly disappointed that Sam would be with her. She only wished Dean didn't have to follow along as well.
She watched Bobby leave, then began to gather up her belongings. She was almost packed when Sam strolled in, smiling.
"Hey," he said with a smile as he walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
She turned around in his arms with a teasing smile. "What do you think you're doing, Sam?"
"What does it look like?" he said with a raise of his eyebrow.
She wrapped her arms around his back, smiling brightly. "It looks like you can't keep your hands off of me."
He leaned close to her ear and whispered. "I can't."
Her breathing quickened as he spoke. She turned her head slightly, placing her lips on his lightly, before kissing him deeply, her fingers digging into his back. He seemed as ready and eager, kissing her back with as much fervor as she had shown. They were so completely caught up in the moment, they didn't notice when Dean walked into the room until he cleared his throat very loudly.
"Enough with the PDA," he said mockingly.
Sam pulled away, glaring at his brother with irritation, while Jessie turned away looking embarrassed.
"Come on, Sammy. We got a car to load."
He rolled his eyes then walked out of the room, glaring at his brother as he walked past him.
"Bobby said you wanna stop at your house."
She wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement, but she could feel the awkwardness between them. She knew it was inevitable, but she had hoped it wouldn't have happened right away.
"Why? Is that a problem?"
He shrugged. "Not at all."
It seemed like he had something more he wanted to say, but she figured she didn't want to know what it could be. She decided to ignore him as she gathered the rest of her stuff in her arms and attempted to leave to pack up her car, but before she could leave, Dean grabbed her by the arm, looking at her seriously.
"I haven't seem Sam smile this much in a long time," he said quietly. "So, you need to do me a favor."
She sighed. "I'm not gonna hurt him, Dean."
He shook his head. "No, that's not what I was gonna say."
"Then what?" she asked impatiently.
"Promise not to get yourself killed, okay?"
It wasn't what she'd expected to hear and she was unsure what to say, so she only shook her head, then continued out to her car. She strolled to the back of the car to place her leftover bottle of whiskey in the trunk, when she noticed a large scratch on the paint.
"Sonofabitch!" she yelled angrily, kicking her bumper in frustration.
She noticed Dean standing at the doorway of the motel room glancing at her with concern. She only shook her head, rolled her eyes, then opened the trunk and set her whiskey inside, slamming it closed when she was done. She noticed him standing on the other side after it had closed.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
She pointed to the trunk with a sour look. "That damn demon must of done that!"
He tried keeping a serious look but he couldn't help but smile.
"It's not that big of a deal. I can help you fix it up if you'd like."
She narrowed her eyes looking dangerous. "I'm quite capable of looking after my girl all by myself, thank you."
"Dude, calm down. I was only offering to help."
She tried to keep a straight face, but she couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
She shook her head with a grin, then threw her dufflebag and laptop into the backseat. "Don't call me, dude. Not if you value your life."
He looked at her with surprise, which made her grin. She wanted to laugh, but Sam walked outside, instantly distracting her. She had to shift her gaze to keep herself from blushing.
"You finally ready, princess?" Dean asked his brother.
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, let's go."
Jessie jumped in her car and was backing out before they were even in the Impala. She laughed to herself then peeled out of the parking lot, her tires squealing, challenging Dean to keep up with her.
She was actually feeling happy for the first time in a very long time. And now that she was out of the motel room, she felt invigorated and free. She rolled the windows half way down to enjoy the fresh air of early May, cranked up the volume on the radio and began to sing along with it, losing herself in the music.
It was dark outside by the time she pulled up to her house. She didn't see any headlights behind her, which meant she'd beat Dean there as she imagined she would have. She grinned at the thought.
After retrieving her purse and dufflebag from the backseat, she was about to get out when she felt a cold shiver run down her back. She wasn't sure if it was paranoia or instinct, but that didn't matter. She reached for the gun she kept under the front seat, before realizing it was still loaded with silver bullets and would be useless if there was a demon around. Either way, she decided she felt better with it in her hands, silver bullets or not.
She grabbed a hold of her purse and bag in one hand, the gun in the other as she climbed out of her car, slamming the door quickly behind her. She listening carefully as she walked briskly to her front door, unlocking the door as quickly as she could. Once she was inside, she felt immediately better. She knew she was safe from demons inside the house, her grandfather had made sure of that when the house was built.
She threw her dufflebag down on the couch haphazardly, set her gun carefully down on the table beside the couch, then grabbed her phone from her purse. She texted Bobby, letting him know she intended on spending one night in her own bed and that she would be over the next day. His response wasn't a pleasant one, but he hadn't insisted on her heading straight to his house, so it didn't matter. She had won.
After kicking off her shoes, she went into her computer room to check on something she couldn't do with the Winchesters around. It only took a minute of her time, so she went into the kitchen a grabbed beer while she waited for them to show up.
She felt strange being in her home for the first time in many years. The silence and loneliness seemed much more apparent than it had in a long time. She headed back into the livingroom, turning the TV on just so she had some background noise.
She was about to sit down and wait, when her phone went off, letting her know she had a new text. She had to look around to remember where she'd placed it.
The text was from Sam. She smiled involuntarily as she read his name, making her face feel flush.
'Dean got pulled over for speeding. We're on our way again, but we're behind about 20 minutes. See ya soon. Sam.'
She laughed, knowing Dean would be pissed, then set her beer down and went up to her bedroom to get changed. She felt better now that she knew why they'd been detained.
It took her a few minutes to decide what to wear, but in the end she decided on something nice, but casual. She chose a gray dress that fell to her knees and a black belt. It was low cut and snug, so she could show off her breasts, while the skirt part was loose to hide the fact she had very little in the way of hips. She liked the simple look of it and it was comfortable, without looking like she was really dressing up, which is what she wanted. She didn't need to impress Sam, and honestly she didn't care what he thought of her look. She was who she was and she wouldn't change for anyone. Not even for him.
Once she was fully dressed, she went downstairs to sit on the couch and finish her beer while she waited for the boys to arrive. She watched the TV while waiting, but she wasn't really paying attention, she had too many thoughts and feelings running through her head.
Between how she was feeling about Sam, and the mysterious motivations behind the demon possession, she was struggling to keep anything straight in her head. She had to hope it was only momentary, because she was certain she wouldn't be able to hunt anything while her mind was all over the place.
She had drank the last of her beer when Sam, followed by Dean, walked into the house. She was amused by the sour look on Dean's face, but she couldn't keep her eyes off of Sam.
"You shouldn't leave your door unlocked like that," Sam said with concern. "Anyone could just walk in."
"Anyone just did," she replied teasingly.
He smiled, while his brother continued to wear a sour look.
"Why don't you grab a beer," she suggested. "Or do you wanna wait until later?"
Sam looked at her strangely. "Why? What's later?"
She stood up, walking around the couch to where he was standing.
"We're going out," she replied tersely.
"Oh."
"Where the hell do you wanna go?" Dean asked with irritation.
"Frank's bar, where else?"
"Oh, you wanna go see your friend, Mike, is that it?" he asked while shooting a teasing look at his brother.
She stared at him stone faced for a moment before replying.
"No. I just think you need to get laid, Dean. You've been awfully bitchy."
Sam started to howl with laughter. Jessie's straight face and Dean's look of utter susprise made it much more hilarious than it really was.
Dean had no idea how to respond, so he walked into the kitchen.
Once Sam had stopped laughing, he reached out for Jessie, pulling her close, kissing her softly.
"I missed you," he said quietly.
She smiled. "You'd think we'd been apart for weeks or something."
His brow began to furrow, unsure what to think of her response.
"What exactly does that mean?"
She sighed, rolling her eyes slightly as she said his name. "I'm sorry but this is all new to me."
"And it's not for me?" he asked feeling slightly hurt.
"I haven't spent a lot of time in the company of others for years. And now, there isn't just Sam and Jessie, there's an us. I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment."
"I'm sorry. I should have realized you might be feeling that way."
She sighed and shook her head, before smiling lightly. "You're not a mind reader, Sam. And I don't expect you to be. I just think we need to be as open and honest with each other as we can so we don't have any misunderstandings."
He smiled. "I think that's the best idea I've heard in awhile."
He leaned over to kiss her once again, but Dean walked in the room loudly startling both of them.
"When are we going out?" he asked sourly.
She stifled a snicker. "Whenever you wanna leave, Dean."
He raised an eyebrow in suspicion of her answer, but he wasn't in a bad enough mood to argue with her at the moment.
"I'm hungry."
"Nothing new there," she mumbled.
Sam smiled. "I guess we better go, huh?"
She nodded her head then grabbed his hand, leading him to the front door.
"Let's go, Dean. So I can lock the house up."
He fished his keys from his pocket then left the house quickly so he didn't have to watch his brother and Jessie any longer. He was beginning to regret giving his brother his blessing. Although he was pleased that Sam was happy, it made him realize how unhappy and lonely he was. All he could do was think of Lisa and what he had to give up to keep her safe. He could only hope that one day he could find a woman who could make him as happy as his brother seemed to be at that moment.
A/N: So Jessie and Sam finally had their moment, but do you think it will be easy for them to stay together? And what about Dean? Do you think he's really okay with all of it? And also, I'm sorry it was a longer chapter. I should have cut it short but I couldn't find the best spot to stop it lol.