Bar

Chicago, Illinois

May 31st, 2006

Sam and Rory strolled easily into the bar together where she made plans to meet him and his brother after their investigation.

In her opinion it was best for their group that she stayed back and waited for them to send any info her way should they have found any, which they did. It was just easier for both her and Dean to give each other as much space as possible for the time being.

That, and she hated dressing up for gigs. She'd avoid that as best as she could.

He had no problem leaving her behind, feeling that the air had grown thicker when she was within his vicinity.

She wasn't surprised when she followed Sam inside once he came and got her and found Dean in the bar flirting shamelessly with some attractive bartender.

Sam looked around for his brother until Rory tapped him and pointed in a random direction. His shoulders slumped and he sighed.

"He wasn't doing this before I came and got you." He told her.

Dean, feeling eyes on him met Rory's and faltered for just a moment before he resumed his actions, taking one last drink and smiling goodbye to the cute bartender and leaving her to join them.

"See ya." She read on his lips as she followed Sam to the other side of the bar to find a seat. Shaking her head she pulled her eyes off of him, defusing the anger that threatened to bubble in her chest. She trained her eyes on the journal belonging to John instead, and found that the father would be a great distraction for the moment. Sam leafed through the pages of his father's booklet, and shortly after starting, Dean sat down across from him and next to Rory.

"I talked to the bartender." He revealed purposely.

She could faintly smell the liquor on his breath.

"Did you get anything? Besides her number?" Sam rolled his eyes displeased with his brothers actions. He knew it was probably killing Aurora to have to witness that.

"Dude, I'm a professional. I'm offended that you would think that." Sam offered him a knowing look, unimpressed.

"All right, yeah." Dean chuckled, holding up a napkin with the bartender's phone number on it causing Rory to avert her eyes quickly, looking anywhere but at her company. Dean smirked at her reaction triumphantly while Sam squinted his eyes at his brother with a questionable glare.

Dean frowned feeling chastised.

Rory wanted to shoot him in the leg for being so blunt.

"You mind doin' a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean?" Sam complained, nervous for what Rory's reaction might've been. He knew the two of them together, and knew just how unnerving things could get between them during off times. He would avoid it at any cost.

"Huh? Look, there's nothing to find out. I mean, Meredith worked here, she waited tables, everyone here was her friend. Everybody said she was normal. She didn't do or say anything weird before she died, so—what about that symbol, you find anything?" Dean snapped his fingers gaining slightly unwanted attention from Rory, who kept an expressionless look on her face. Her piercing grey eyes slightly darkened with annoyance.

"No." She answered flatly, earning a look from Dean in return. He knew he'd put her in an awkward situation, and couldn't be more pleased with himself. Sure his attitude towards her had been petty and passive aggressive, but he felt he had every right to act out.

She hurt him deeply. Case closed.

"Serious?" Dean asked with a tipped brow, looking to Sam for a better answer, thinking she was holding out just because she was annoyed with him.

"Nope, nothing. It wasn't in Dad's journal or in any of the usual books. Just have to dig a little deeper, I guess." Sam continued.

"Well, there was a first victim, right? Before Meredith?" Dean spoke.

"Right. Yeah." Answered Sam, pulling out a newspaper clipping concerning the first death. Rory tried to keep ears on the situation while she looked elsewhere, already having seen the paperwork. She's gathered it after all.

"His name was, uh—his name was Ben Swardstrom." Sam informed before handing the clipping to Dean.

Rory could see a few decent, handsome men in the vicinity, and couldn't help but think back to the last time she'd been on a date with one. Her lips pulled down in the corners in thought just before a tiny wave of nausea passed through her. She took in a sharp breath and turned her eyes onto the other end of the room where she spotted the bathroom.

What the hell? She thought with confused eyes.

Her eyes danced over every head in the room, knowing the feelings coming over her weren't by chance.

Something was off.

"Last month he was found mutilated in his town house. Same deal—the door was locked, the alarm was on." Sam continued to explain to his brother, knowing Rory was paying attention in some way or another. She was a great multi tasker.

"Is there any connection between the two of them?" She heard Dean, who's eyes flickered from the clipping to her side profile when he noticed she was barely paying attention. He mentally rolled his eyes, but held his gaze on her for a moment when he witnessed the look of discomfort on her face that she'd so obviously been trying to downplay.

"Not that I can tell—I mean, not yet, at least. Ben was a banker, Meredith was a waitress." Sam yapped gaining back Deans attention, just as Rory's eyes fell on the familiar face in the room.

"No fucking way.." She gaped just under her breath, thinking of the chances she'd ever see that person again. They were impossibly thin, so to seem them now could only mean that something here wasn't right. Her hand slowly reached up to tap Sam at the pace of a snail.

"They never met, never knew anyone in common—they were practically from different worlds." Answered Sam.

"Sammy..." Rory whispered. Dean tipped his brow at his ex in question of her odd behavior.

"So, to recap, the only successful intel we've scored so far is the bartender's phone number." He smirked smartly, earning a smack on the shoulder from Rory. He turned his eyes onto her about to apologize for possibly pressing a button but saw that she was fixed on something else.

Someone else.

He followed her eyes to the other side of the room.

"Dude. It's Strange Woman From The Side of the Road.." She uttered in mild shock, just loud enough for them to hear. Dean looked around, not sure who the hell she spoke of.

"What?" He asked as Sam hopped up and began walking away towards the woman.

"Sam be careful." Rory warned wanting to follow, but thought maybe it was best that she stayed put, the cloud of nausea still wavering over her head.

"Sam? Where's he going? Who's that?" Dean called after him looking between his brother and the short blonde haired woman with her back to them he made his way over to, but he only continued to walk away.

"Strange Woman From the Side of the Road.." Rory spike, voice unsure. Dean took note of her tone and looked back to the woman.

"I can't see her face, her backs facing us." He wined earning a squint from Rory as she zoned in on the Strange Woman's table and company.

"Her back's always facing us..." She uttered.

Sam finally reached the table, and put his hand on her shoulder causing her to turn around.

"Meg." He called her by name, unsure of what to make by this whole moment.

"Sam!" Meg beamed, way too happily for Rory's liking.

"This isn't weird at all." She voiced from her table with Dean who only gawked on with curiosity.

Soundtrack:

1. "Lonely Boy" - The Black Keys

Okay Soooooo we're off to a rocky start with the reunion of Dean and Rory it seems. I know you probably hate it as much as I do! What do you guys think so far? Do you think Rory deserves the treatment she's getting from him? Should she speak up? Share your thoughts! I'd love to hear em!

Like always, LOVE TO ALL THOSE WHOVE BEEN REVIEWING AND READING! I APPRECIATE YOU ALL!

COMMENT! REVIEW! COMMENT! REVIEW!

Next chapter should be up by the end of the day!

Hope you all enjoyed this one :)

xo