Vrskaandrea: Thanks for the review, 'faithful reader' ;) and don't worry, Stanley is exposed for the monster he is and I sure he will be dealt with.

CHAPTER 44

***there is procedural stuff in the next couple of chapters which I know nothing about about so I mostly just made shit up. Sorry to any law enforcement officers that may read this and roll their eyes at any inaccuracies, you do a great job! Thanks!

Dean was sitting handcuffed at a table being questioned by a detective while officers took the statements of Stanley and a few witnesses.

"She's a fucking psycho!" Stanley screamed. "She broke my nose!"

"It's not broken sir." The paramedic said. "Just badly bruised."

"Okay sir, please just tell me what happened." The officer said.

"I just went to piss and that bitch attacked me!"

The detective turned back to Dean, having grown bored with Stanley's show.

"Okay, Miss?"

"Graul." Dean said.

"Graul, right. Wanna tell me what made you go all Lorena Bobbitt on that guy?"

"Lorena Bobbitt cut her husbands dick off." Dean corrected the detective.

"Look, Miss, you're facing some heavy charges here. If you want to tell me anything, now would be the time."

Dean just sat silently. The detective drew up a chair and sat down in front of her.

"Okay, let's start again. My name is Detective Pete Rasmussen. I'm not the bad guy, I just want to get to the bottom of why a woman like you would attack one of our most prominent businessmen."

"It was self defence." Dean said staring detective in the eye.

"You're telling me he attacked you first?"

"Pretty sure that's what 'self defence' means."

"Okay, well if he hit first, can you explain why all 6 foot, 200 pounds of him is sitting over there with a face that looks like a jack-o-lantern three weeks past Halloween and you're here with a few bruises and ripped up knuckles?"

"That would be because he's a wanna-be rapist and bully who thinks he can use his size to intimidate women into taking whatever he wants." Dean said staring at Stanley. "And me..." She said looking back to the detective. "Well I have trained my whole life to come up against things bigger and uglier than him...and win."

•

"I just want to see my sister!" Sam said to the officer. "Look at her! She's injured and you have a duty of care to look after her!"

"After your statement sir."

"She needs me!" Sam yelled.

"The sooner you give me your statement the sooner you get to see your sister." The office gave him a bored look.

"Fine. We were having dinner and some drinks. The guy approached her at the bar and she brushed him off. We had a few more drinks and then she went to the bathroom. Next thing I know they're crashing through the door and then y'all arrived."

"Does your sister have a history of violent behaviour?"

"No." Sam said watching Dean with the detective. Stanley was still yelling about assault but Sam was too focused on Dean to care. He could see by her posture, the way she held herself that something was off and if this stupid cop didn't let him go to her soon then Dean wouldn't be the only one facing charges tonight.

•

"Did Mr. Cooper do this?" He asked using his pen to point to the large tear in her shirt.

Dean nodded.

"At the moment it's your word against his and the evidence is stacked against you, I mean he's the one beaten to a pulp. You're facing charges of assault, grievous bodily harm, destruction of property. I'm going to have to take you down to the station and book you. Do you understand that?"

"Yes." Dean said..

"Hey Pete?" The bar manager called.

"Yeah Sandy?"

She walked over to the pair.

"You might want to come and see this." She said. She led the detective to the office.

•

"I came in as soon as Tom called me. I just entered the pass code for the footage and saw this." She woke the computer back up and pressed play on the cctv.

They stood in silence as they watched Dean enter the hall then the ladies room. A minute later Stanley stepped through the door also. A few minutes passed and Dean exited the bathroom looking at her phone. Stanley walked up behind her and grabbed her. They watched as she struggled and then Stanley pushed her to the wall, talking briefly then began dragging her to the back exit. He almost had her to the door when Dean began fighting back. They both grimaced when she threw her head back into Stanley's face then elbowed him in the sternum. They watched as she forced her way from Stanley's grip and began punching him. Despite the obvious size difference she definitely had the advantage. Sandy paused the vision when the pair crashed through the door.

"Well that backs up Miss Grauls version of events."

•

Sam took advantage of the detectives absence to go to Dean. He draped her jacket over her shoulders to cover her torn shirt.

"Thanks."

"You okay?" Sam asked taking the chair the Detective has just vacated.

"Yeah." Dean replied.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"That sack of shit thought he could just take what he wanted. Guess I showed him." Dean snarled.

"It's okay. We'll get this sorted then blow this place."

Dean nodded. Sam noticed her shiver and reached out to rub her arms.

"You are?"

Sam jumped at the sudden voice behind him.

"I'm her brother." He said standing protectively between Dean and Detective Rasmussen. "Has she been seen by the paramedic?"

"Not as far as I'm aware."

"Why not?" Sam demanded.

"Because she beat the crap out of someone and he needed to be seen first." Pete replied, every bit as intimidating as Sam had been. "Any way, new evidence has just come to light and you're free to go, Miss Graul."

He walked around behind Dean and uncuffed her.

"What new evidence?" Sam asked.

"CCTV footage. The bar just had it installed last week, it shows Stanley Cooper attacking your sister first. As you said, it was self defence." He turned to Dean and handed her his card. "I'm going to need you to come down to the station tomorrow and give me another statement if that's okay."

"We'll be there." Sam said.

•

"What? Are you letting her go?" Stanley yelled from across the room. He stormed across to confront the Detective. "She attacked me!"

"Stanley Cooper?" Detective Rasmussen asked.

"What? Yes you know who I am!" He shouted. "Why are you letting her go?"

"Stanley Cooper, you're under arrest for assault, attempted sexual assault and attempted kidnapping."

The detective put his hand on Stanley's shoulder spinning him and cuffing his hands behind his back. He waved over a pair of uniformed officers and instructed them to put him in a cruiser and take home to the station.

"Do you need to be seen by a paramedic Miss Graul?"

"No, I'm fine thank you. I'd just like to go now." Dean said, still rubbing her wrists and leaning slightly against Sam who had wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You're free to go, I'll have an officer drive you, but don't forget to come by the station tomorrow."

"Okay." Dean said.

The detective shook their hands and they were finally able to leave.

•

A storm had rolled in during the night. Dean watched the light playing across the sky as she sat silently in the back of the cruiser all the way back to the motel. Once in the room she closed the door and locked it. She placed the salt lines the went back to the door and put the chain in place. She stood chewing her thumb nail, staring at the door. She walked over and checked the locks again.

"Dean, the police have him. He's locked in a cell, he's not coming here." Sam said.

"I know." Dean said, touching the chain.

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

"I think I'm gonna take a shower." Dean said absently.

"I need to check your hands." Sam said.

"Okay." She replied picking up her pyjamas and walking into the bathroom.

•

Sam felt a moment of panic when Dean left the room but relief set in when she left the door ajar. Steam soon began to drift out of the bathroom as Sam found the first aid kit they always kept in one of their bags and set it in the table. He filled the kettle and put it on. He had just sat down with his crappy motel coffee when Dean emerged.

"You want one?" Sam asked lifting his mug up.

"No." Dean answered as she walked across the room to check the door locks and windows again.

"Dean?" Sam said softly.

"Yeah?" She turned to face her brother.

"Come here so I can check your knuckles."

"They're fine Sammy." Dean said. Sam was slightly relieved that Dean seemed to be returning to her normal self.

"Please? For me?" Sam put on the most saddest attempt at puppy eyes he could.

Dean finally smiled and shook her head.

"Okay, for you." She sat at the table and put her hand out, palm down.

"Wow, you did a good job on these." Sam said looking at the torn flesh across his brothers knuckles. He took her hand in his and could feel the small tremors running through her.

"It was worth it."

"So, you want to tell me what happened?" Sam asked, not looking up as he gently felt the bones for breaks.

"Not particularly." Dean said.

"Please, for my peace of mind. I need to know that sack of crap didn't do anything to you." Sam said, this time pulling out an authentic worried brother face.

"He didn't."

"Please Dean."

"I froze." Dean said looking down.

"What?"

"When he grabbed me, I froze. He said all this stuff about always getting what he wants then he began dragging me to the door."

"That happens in situations like that." Sam said reassuringly, as he cleaned the wounds.

"Not to me!" Dean snapped. "I'm a god damn hunter! I don't freeze!"

"It's okay Dean. You snapped out of it. You took him down."

Dean gave a self depreciating laugh.

"What?" Sam asked.

"If my shirt didn't rip he probably would've got me out the door."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard my shirt rip and I thought 'damnit! I love this shirt.' And then I...snapped. I head butted him in the face to get away and then the rest is a blur."

Sam applied some adhesive bandages to Deans knuckles and looked at his brother. He could see her shivering.

"You did good, Dean. The cops have him now." A particularly large shudder wracked Deans body. "Are you cold?" Sam asked.

Dean shook her head then her face crumpled as tears began to run down her cheeks. She buried her face in her hands as sobs shook her. Sam quickly moved around the table and pulled her to her feet and against his chest. Her wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"It's okay Dean. I got you. You're safe." He lay his cheek against the top of her head and rocked them gently.

They stayed that way for a few minutes until Dean began to get herself under control. She pushed away and Sam reluctantly let her go. Stepping back she wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

"Jesus Christ the sooner this thing is over the better." She said trying for a cocky smile but falling short. "I think I'm gonna hit the sack. Been a long night."

Sam nodded as Dean walked over and climbed under her covers. He grabbed a T-shirt and sweats and quickly changed in the bathroom before brushing his teeth and walking back into the main room.

"What do you think you're doing?" Dean asked as Sam climbed in beside her.

"What's it look like?"

"Sam, we haven't shared a bed in 15 years, aren't you a little old for this?" Her brave front was shattered when she flinched as thunder sounded over head.

"No, I'm not." Sam replied. "Besides you're freezing and the heater in here sucks and...and I need this." Sam mumbled the last part. "So shut up, jerk, and come here."

He reached out and dragged Dean close enough that she would benefit from his own body heat and that their contact might actually calm his own heart that hadn't stopped racing since he saw Dean burst through the door earlier.

"Fine." Dean said as she, not so reluctantly, pressed in close to her larger, little brother. "Night bitch!"

"Night sis." Sam whispered back only to cop a light elbow to his ribs.

Sam held Dean until her breathing evened out and the trembling that shook her body, which he wasn't entirely convinced was caused by the cold change, slowed and then disappeared. His own heartbeat had finally returned to its natural rhythm and he eventually closed his eyes and slipped into sleep, sure in the knowledge that his smaller, big brother was safe. Yes, it was weird to be sharing a bed with his grown brother but, for all the times growing up he'd sought the safety of Dean, just this once he was going to return the favour.