***Just because I'm awake and bored, heres an extra chapter! x***

Vrskaandrea: While Sam has been no slouch supporting Dean through this whole curse ordeal, he certainly steps up and into the protective/supportive role with this new challenge.

CHAPTER 45

Dean woke early the next morning to a strong pair of arms around her and was about to fight her way out when the scent cheap motel soap hit her nose and the sleep fog left her brain. Remembering she was safe with Sam she relaxed back into the bed and let her eyes drift closed again.

"Hey Sammy?" She said a few minutes later.

"Mmmm?" Sam answered as he tightened his grip on his brother.

"Sam!"

"Whaa?"

"Dude, you're poking me."

"What?" Sam asked, finally waking up.

"You're poking me!"

"No I'm n...oh shit! Sorry Dean!" Sam pulled away from his brother as soon as the meaning behind Deans words hit him.

Dean laughed, and it felt good to, at his brothers embarrassment.

"Don't worry man. It happens. I'm a dude too remember. Morning wood is all part of the game."

Sam flushed bright red but didn't get a chance to respond to Dean, not that he even knew what to say, when his cell began ringing.

"You wanna get that? And deal with that?" Dean giggled as she snuggled back down into the blankets.

Sam crossed the room and pulled the phone from his jacket pocket before entering the bathroom.

"What's up Caleb?" He asked as he closed the door.

"Where's Dean?" Caleb snapped.

"Well, 'hello' to you too."

"Can it squirt. Where's Dean? I've been trying to reach him all night and he's not answering."

"He's right here."

"Then why isn't he answering?"

"Because his phone hasn't rang once...crap!" Sam suddenly realised why they hadn't heard Deans phone.

"What, 'crap'?"

"There was an incident last night. Dean must have dropped the phone during the fight."

"Dean was in a fight?" Caleb suddenly sounded interested. "Was it with a hot blonde?"

"Blonde-ish yes, hot? No."

"Oh well, don't suppose you got any pictures?"

"No I didn't!" It was Sams turn to snap back. He sighed then opened the bathroom door slightly to check on Dean. "I guess it's not going to matter if I tell you." He said pulling the door closed again.

"Tell me what?" Caleb asked serious again.

"Dean was attacked last night. Some guy at the bar didn't like being told 'no' so he took matters into his own hands. He tried to kidnap Dean."

"Fuck! Is he okay? Where are you?" Caleb asked.

"We're in Illinois and he's fine. Just a couple of scraped up knuckles and his favourite shirt got ripped. The fucker that tried to hurt him though...well he looks like he's been dragged backwards through a grinder. Dean really did a number on him."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We gotta go to the station to give a statement and then we are gonna blow this place. The sooner this shit hole is in our rear-view mirror the better I'll feel."

"That's my boy." Caleb said with pride. "So where you off to next? I'll meet you."

"Dunno. Probably back to Bobby's." Sam shrugged.

"Cool. I guess I'll see you there."

"Yep. I guess."

•

"So did Caleb say anything else?" Dean asked over breakfast at the diner.

"No not really. Oh, we've gotta go back to the bar to look for your phone." Sam said wiping his hands. "You done here? Ready to go to the station?"

"Yep!" Dean wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Let's go pin this fucker to the wall."

They paid their bill then Sam drove them to the police station for Deans appointment with Detective Rasmussen. They entered through the front and approached the desk and asked for the detective. After a short wait Rasmussen appeared and led the Winchester's, no wait, sorry 'Grauls', through to a comfortable looking room, complete with armchairs and coffee table.

"Huh." Dean said as she entered and looked around. "This is the nicest interrogation room I've ever seen."

"You've been in a lot of them have you?" The Detective asked, pulling out a chair.

"Um, what? No! None..." Dean said shaking her head.

"Okay, well you're not here to be interrogated, just to give a statement and we have found that using this room is more soothing for our witnesses. Now, if Sandy didn't show me the footage, you would have seen the inside of one of our rooms."

Dean gave a shrug.

"Well then it's lucky for me that she did."

They all sat and Rasmussen began by asking Dean her name, date of birth, address...blah, blah, blah, then Dean recounted her version of the previous nights events. Sam sat beside her occasionally tensing at some of the details.

"Thank you Dana for coming in today. Now, while I get this typed up would you mind if we take a few pictures of your injuries?"

"Yeah, I guess." Dean said.

"Great. Just follow me." Pete walked to the door and noticed Sam just hovering, not sure what to do. "Sam? You can come too. We've found that it's comforting for the victim to have someone they trust with them when they are being examined."

"Oh, okay thanks." Sam looked at Dean who smiled and nodded.

They followed Pete down the hall and into a room where a female officer waited with a camera, then her left them to type up Deans statement.

"Hi Miss Graul, I'm Officer Carmichael. Today I'm just going to be taking some photos of the injuries you sustained in the attack last night. Other than the bruising on your face are there any other injuries any where else on your body?"

"Um, some on my ribs, and there's the cuts on my knuckles, which I guess I did. Otherwise, none that really came from him."

"Alright. I'm going to photograph your face and neck them I'm going to ask you to remove your shirt so I might be able to document any injuries on your torso." Officer Carmichael looked over at Sam. "Are you comfortable doing this with your..."

"Brother, I'm her brother." Sam said.

"Thank you." The Officer smiled at Sam. "Are you comfortable doing this with your brother in the room?"

"Yep. I want him to stay."

"Very well. I'll just get you to stand over here and we'll get started shall we?"

When the officer had taken as many pictures as she needed she led them back to the 'comfortable room' and it was only a short wait until the detective came back in.

"Firstly, this was found in the hallway last night. We assumed it was yours." He said holding out an evidence bag containing Deans phone.

"Thank you, I was wondering where that got to." Dean took it an removed it from the bag. She unlocked it and saw dozens of missed calls and messages, mostly from Caleb.

"So now I'll just get you to read through this and make sure it corresponds with every thing you told me, then if you are happy with it just sign it and you can be in your way." He said handing Dean a sheaf of papers.

Dean read through the statement then signed the bottom, handing them back.

"This copy is yours and I think that's everything." Rasmussen said walking them to the door. "Thank you for your cooperation Miss Graul."

"Thank you Detective."

"Please, Pete." He said holding out his hand.

"Well, in that case, Dana." She shook his hand.

"Thank you for coming by as well Sam."

"No worries, I'm kinda protective of my sibling." Sam said shaking the other mans hand.

"I can see that."

"Will you be needing us again? It's just our uncle is sick and we want to go visit him." Sam asked just wanting to get Dean away from this cursed place.

"No, I think we have everything covered. I have your number so I can call you if I need anything further." Dean had supplied the number for one of their burner phones.

"Awesome thanks." Sam placed his hand on Deans shoulder and began to usher her out the door before she suddenly stopped and turned back to the detective.

"Just one more thing Pete."

"Yeah?" He said turning back.

"He's done this before." Dean said.

"What makes you say that?"

"The things he said to me, I'd guarantee it. Maybe not here but, does he travel a lot?"

"Yeah, for his business."

"You've got his DNA, his picture, put it out there and see what bounces back."

"We're already on it."

"Awesome. Well, see ya Pete." Dean turned and walked out of the station, and if she happened to walk a few steps closer to Sam when she did, no one mentioned it.

•

It was a nine hour solid drive straight through to Bobby's, 11 if they stopped for a late lunch, which they did. Dean was surprised when the phone, they had given Rasmussen the number for, began to ring later that evening.

"Hello?" Dean answered.

"Hello, Miss Graul, Ah, Dana? This is Pete, um, Detective Rasmussen."

"Yeah, hi. What can I do for you." She asked looking over at Sam, shrugging.

"I just wanted to let you know that we put Coopers DNA out onto the system and we've already had seven hits dating back over the mast few years." Pete said.

"Really? Seven?" Dean said.

"Yeah, two in California. Two in Montana, and one each in Nevada, Ohio and Maine."

"Wow, he got around."

"He travelled a lot so I'm actually expecting more. What you did last night, taking him down like that, you potentially saved a lot of women. Men like him don't stop, they escalate."

"I guess he just picked on the wrong person." Dean said.

"Yeah, He sure did." Pete huffed out a laugh. "So anyway, I was thinking, if you're still around, maybe I could take you out for a drink? You know, to say thank you?"

"Oh, um," Dean scratched her neck then threw a glance at Sam who was frowning in her direction. "That's very nice of you to offer but we're already on the road to go see our uncle." She said as she picked at a loose thread on her jeans.

"I see." Pete said disappointed. "Maybe next time if you're ever in this area again?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, well, I've got to go. I think there is going to be a bit of a tug-o-war over this guy. All the states will want their piece of him."

"Alright, well, thanks for calling. See ya." Dean said.

"Yeah, bye."

"That was Rasmussen?" Sam asked when Dean disconnected the call.

"Yeah." He answered, staring at her phone.

"What did he want?"

"They have had hits on unsolved assaults in five different states already."

Dean said.

"Jesus! Five states?" Sam was shocked.

"Seven cases all up." Dean said.

"Fuck Dean. He was an animal!" Sam said shaking his head. He felt sick at the thought of what could have happened to Dean if she hadn't fought back.

"Not all Monsters are supernatural Sammy." Dean said looking out the window.

They drove in silence for a while.

"Guess what else." Dean said trying to suppress a smile.

"I dunno, what?"

"He asked me on a date." Dean said smiling at her brother.

"What, really?"

"Yeah. Drinks, to say 'thank you'." Dean said complete with finger quotation marks.

"That's crazy!" Sam laughed.

"Why is it crazy?"

"Just because..." Sam shook his head. "He seemed like a very nice guy, I'm sure you two would have been very happy."

"Shut up!" Dean laughed as she flung her arm out to hit Sam.

Sam tried to duck away while keeping the car on the road. Laughter filled Baby and for a brief second in time the Winchester's could just be happy.