Vrskaandrea: I'm so glad you got the deeper meaning of this chapter. I will admit that beyond trying to give Dean something that she could control I didn't really think about the deeper meaning of what I was writing until I had finished the chapter.

Guest: thank you for your review, and thank you for reading. x

VegasGranny: He is, isn't he? Bobby did and knew exactly what she needed. He's kind of like Kenny Rogers, he knows when to hold them and knows when to fold them! ;)

Arsemandi1: Bobby has know the boys for a long time and knows each of their personalities quite well so knows what approach to take for different situations. He's older and wiser and a bit more removed from the situation than Sam so can see past the initial reactions. Dean will adapt and they all will keep looking but she's not doing as well as she wants everyone to think.

Makanie: thank yiu for your review, I'm glad you enjoyed it. x

Blondie 20000: He sure does. :) His is an absolute rock throughout the whole ordeal.

CHAPTER 27

Now Sam didn't want to say that he didn't believe just fixing a few old chairs had given Dean a new focus, acceptance and clarity over the whole situation but, Sam didn't believe just fixing a few old chairs had given Dean a new focus, acceptance and clarity over the situation. Yet there he was sitting at Bobby's table for the third day running researching. Everyone had thrown themselves into the research hoping to at least pin down the origins of the curse. Sam had sent a text message to Caleb, around the time Dean was negotiating for the new chairs, to let him know about the witches demise and Caleb had arrived the next day armed with more lore and spell books. Now they were all sitting around Bobby's house delving into whichever text they thought might lead somewhere, living off coffee, whatever they could get delivered and the meagre contents of Bobby's pantry.

•

Sam had had a lifetime with Dean and he could see what the whole situation was doing to her. He could see the pain and agony behind the carefully constructed facade and wondered if the others saw it too or if they were blinded by Deans false smile and fake assurances that she believed the answer was out there somewhere. Several times over the last couple of days she had excused herself from the room only to return a period of time later with red, slightly puffy eyes. No one mentioned it. Sam, himself had left the house under the pretence of a food run and sat in the Impala on the side of the road for thirty minutes crying himself hoarse with despair. He returned to the salvage yard with food and beer and pretended nothing was wrong.

•

The research was slow going but Bobby finally was convinced they had at least narrowed it down to three different sources, Celtic, Nordic or African. This was good news to everyone, they had all worked hard and the stress was beginning to show, especially on Dean. She had quietly slipped from the room to take a moment of peace and solitude and Bobby found her later on the ninth step from the bottom, nursing a beer.

"How you holding up?" The older hunter asked.

"Barely." Dean replied honestly. "I want to thank you for everything you've done, Bobby. I really don't know what we would have done if it wasn't for you." Dean said staring straight ahead.

"Anyone would have done the same."

"Hm, not dad." She replied sipping her beer.

"You honestly think your old man would have left you like this? He sold his soul for you remember." Bobby said.

"Yeah he did, to keep me on the playing board. Like this, I can still hunt so he wouldn't want to waste the time or resources to fix me." Dean looked at her surrogate father.

"You really believe that?" Bobby asked.

Dean just shrugged and looked away. Discussion over. Bobby decided to changed tack, he wasn't blind. He could see the stress on his boys face.

"You boys have worked really hard these last couple of days. Why don't you take the night off and hit the town? You know, blow of some steam."

Dean ran a hand over her face then drained her beer.

"You know what? That sounds like the best idea I've heard in days." She said slapping Bobby on the knee. She stood and left the stairs in search of her brother and friend.

•

Not being the party animal his brother was, Sam decline the offer saying he would stay there and keep looking but promised that when they had lifted the curse he would personally drive them both to Vegas, visit every strip club with his brother and match him drink for drink. Dean made him shake on it. Caleb drained his coffee and dashed up the stairs to shower and change.

"You know what? Sioux Falls doesn't really have much of a night life, maybe you should go a town over." Bobby suggested, suddenly nervous about letting those two loose in the town.

"Don't worry about it Bobby. We don't want to cause any trouble for you, we will go somewhere at least an hour away." Caleb reassured the old man as he waited for Dean to come down stairs.

When Dean finally made it down stairs she was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, a fitted check shirt half buttoned over an even tighter black tank top and her 'hustling' underwear. Bobby was a little uncomfortable but had to agree with Sams opinion of her cleavage. She'd applied a small amount of make up and styled her hair.

"Okay! Let's go howl at the moon!" She said, grinning and rubbing her hands together.

She grabbed her jacket, told Sam and Bobby not to wait up and followed Caleb to his truck.

•

Caleb drove them to a town at least an hour away as promised. They entered a bar and Caleb made a beeline for the booze while Dean snagged a table. When Caleb set a tray of beers and shots on the table Dean immediately snagged a beer and took a large gulp.

"Oh my God, I needed that!" She said leaning back in her chair and letting her head fall back so she was looking at the ceiling.

"There was beer at Bobby's, you know, that amber stuff you've been drinking all week."

"Yes, but this beer doesn't have a Sammy watching my every move and..." She sat back up and picked up a shot. "It comes with a tequila chaser."

She clinked her glass against Caleb's and downed it, only slightly grimacing at the burn.

"You really think Sams doing that?" Caleb asked.

"I think that's what you're all doing." Dean said spinning her shot glass.

"We're just worried. Finding out the witch is dead is a big thing. Just want to make sure you're doing okay."

"I'm fine." Dean replied placing her shot glass upside down on the table. "And having everyone walking around on eggshells isn't going to make me any finer. So can we please just have a good night tonight?"

Caleb looked at his friend across the table but decided to do as she asked and not make a big deal out of it.

"So the night is young. What do you wanna do?" Caleb asked.

"Well first, I'm going to drink both of these." Dean said pointing to the two remaining shots on the tray. "Then I say we hit the tables for a bit."

She quickly picked up one of the drinks and finished it off before she reached out for the other.

"Hey!" Caleb grabbed Deans wrist to stop her drinking the last shot. "One of those was mine!"

"Nice theory but you are designated driver." She pointed out.

"Maybe, but I can have that one and the nurse some beers for the rest of the night." Caleb pointed out.

"Fine, you want it, come get it." She carefully twisted out of Caleb's grip and placed the small glass between her breasts.

Caleb looked at the clear liquid balanced precariously in Deans cleavage.

"You feeling okay?" He asked, suddenly worried about his friends state of mind.

"What you don't want it?" Dean teased.

"Oh, don't think that taking a glass from between your boobs is going to stop me, just checking on who I'm out with tonight."

"You're out with whoever you want." Dean replied huskily.

Caleb quirked an eyebrow then reached across and removed the glass with his hand and swallowed the tequila.

"That's cheating." Dean pouted.

"Yeah, but you're so cute when you pout!"

•

The takings were good at the first bar but the friends moved on when no one would take up their challenge anymore. The second bar proved to be a goldmine.

"You need to aim here." Caleb instructed, placing his finger on the cushion.

"I have played this before you know." Dean said complete with eye roll. She drew the cue back and struck the ball sending shooting towards the yellow ball which rolled toward the pocket only to bounce off the cushion just to the left.

"Good try."

"Shut up, you're only beating me by three."

Dean stepped away from the table to allow Caleb to take his shot. She drank from her beer bottle and casually scanned the bar looking for potential targets. Her eyes lingered on a group of guys sitting close by. She meet the eye of one of the occupants and gave a small smile before moving back to the table for her turn.

•

The hunters pantomime, and Deans flirty smile, had convinced Barry to step up and challenge the pair to a game or two. If he was lucky he might make a couple of bucks and maybe even score a companion for the night. He tapped his friend on the chest and pointed to the table were Dean and Caleb were playing.

"Keen?" He asked.

"Sure, why not."

Dean had been tracking the pair from the table and smirked to herself when she saw them take the bait and move in their direction.

"Takers." She whispered to Caleb who sank the winning shot.

She giggled and shook his hand, sinking straight back into the role.

"I'll get a couple of beers, you reel them in." He said.

Dean leaned over the table, deliberately sticking her arse out to give the marks some extra incentive.

"That's too bad, you almost had him." Barry said, sidling up next to her.

Dean mentally rolled her eyes and tried not to gag on his cheap cologne. She plastered on a smile and turned.

"Yeah, maybe next time." She said, rolling a ball around on the table.

Caleb returned and handed Dean beer.

"'Sup cuz. Who's your new friend?"

"Barry." The mark said holding out his hand. Caleb looked at it for a moment the shook it. "This is my friend, Grant."

"Hey." Grant nodded.

"So you two up for a game or two?" Barry asked.

"What are you offering?" Dean asked.

•

Narrowly winning the first game Dean and Caleb offered a rematch, double or nothing.

"How about an even five?" Barry said dropping another $300 on top of the two that was already sitting on the edge of the table. Dean and Caleb both quirked an eyebrow, each silently celebrating the size of their catch that evening.

"Five sounds good. You can break." Caleb said.

The problem with playing with partners is you have to wait for three other people to take their shots before you can take yours, and that leaves a lot of time to think. Thinking was bad according to Dean and it turns out she was able to multitask, despite what Sam thought, managing to keep up the subtle flirting with Barry while her mind kept running over the fact that the witch was gone and now she was stuck unless Bobby or Sam could figure this out. The more she thought, the more she drank. The more she drank, the easier it was to flirt, even with the overpowering scent of his cologne choking her lungs.

•

Just as she thought she was going to lose her shit she felt that slip/slide/click in her brain and suddenly everything was better. She looked up from her drink just in time to see Grant sink the black ball.

"Sorry guys, better luck next time." Barry said, reaching for the cash.

"Leaving so soon?" Dean said walking slowly up to Barry and poking out her bottom lip. "How about you give us one more chance to win back some of our hard earned money?"

She walked her fingers up his chest and looked up through her lashes. Barry swallowed and smiled.

"Sure baby." He said withdrawing his hand.

"How about we up the ante just a little?" She wrinkled her nose and smiled.

"How much?"

"An even thou."

"A thousand bucks. That's a lot." Barry remarked.

"I'm a pretty girl, I like pretty things."

"Sure. I'd hate to see a beautiful woman like you be denied." Barry reached back to his wallet and withdrew some more cash, approaching for his friends make up the difference.

"Dude!" Grant protested.

"Come on, I'm on a sure thing here." He whispered back. "I might even share."

Grant rolled his eyes and pulled out as much cash as he had, their friends following suit bolstered by Barrys promise 'to share'.

"You're paying me back!" Grant hissed and slammed the cash down into his hand.

"Don't worry, we got this."

•

Dean walked back to Caleb's side.

"Nice moves." Caleb said pulling out their portion of the bet.

"Wouldn't you know it?" Dean said with a wink before racking up the balls.

Caleb watched his friend. Watched the way she moved, the looks she threw at Barry. He's seen it before, Dean had left the building and Dana was now in residence.