The next day I dressed in jeans and a dark shirt, packed my stuff and left the motel room with a sigh.
I got into the crappy Chevy I'd been driving for a few weeks. The friend I was going to visit had a few spare cars and had promised me one.
Trying to ignore the sudden feeling of...emptiness I'd had ever since Dean Winchester had walked out of my life last night I drove the hour or so it took me to get to my destination.
Pulling up in front of the ramshackle house, I got out of the car and gave it a kick with a booted foot. The gear stick stuck and it smelled like unwashed hair. Bobby could burn it.
There was another car in the drive, an amazing car. Impala, '69 maybe. Obviously well loved.
I'd just stepped onto the porch when the door opened and Bobby stepped out.
'C'mere little girl' he said with one of his gruff smiles, holding his arms out. I ran into them and hugged them tight. Bobby and I spoke on the phone regularly for work and he checked up on me often but I hadn't seen him for a few months. I didn't have many friends, but Bobby was one of my closest and was like an uncle.
'You have company' I said when we parted, inclining my head at the impala. He nodded, ushering me inside. 'Good friends' he said 'Hunters. You'll like them.'
I let out an internal sigh. The car definitely belonged to a man and male hunters were...more often than not irritating. Cocky, arrogant, condescending, sexist.
As I entered the kitchen I saw a man standing with his back to us and I gave him the once over as he turned. Tall, longish dark hair. Nice face, seemed...nice.
'Orla, Sam. Sam, Orla'
He stepped forward with a smile extending a hand that I shook with one of my own. Oddly I got good vibes off him.
'Pleasure' he said, still smiling. 'Bobby was just telling me about you'.
At that moment a voice shouted from another room.
'Sam! Bobby! Where's that beer?'
I froze.
I knew that voice. I'd been thinking about it for two days.
Sam rolled his eyes. 'My brother'
'Dean, get your own damn beer. And get in here, there's someone you need to meet.'
I heard an exaggerated sigh come from the next room and after a minute no one other than the man I'd not been able to stop thinking about since I'd laid eyes on him two nights ago entered the room, dressed in jeans, a black open shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a grey t shirt underneath.
I stood there silently, unable to move, as he came into the kitchen.
'Why are you such a -' he started, looking at Sam in annoyance before his eyes fell on me and widened. He stopped in his tracks, staring at me.
'Irish...'
I stood there, having no idea what to say until Sam interrupted, looking from me to his brother and back again.
'You two know each other?'
I shook my head, tearing my eyes away from Dean who was making me feel like I was on a boat.
'Um...yeah, we've met'
Dean was still staring at me.
'You're...one of us?' he asked quietly, staring at me like I had five heads. I nodded slowly and he let out a breath.
Sam and Bobby continued to stare at us.
'How do you know - oh' Sam finished, obviously understanding how we knew each other now.
I could feel the blush creeping over my face. Dean looked up at Sam and Bobby, tearing his eyes away from me.
'Can we get a minute?'
Neither of them moved for a second before both cleared their throats awkwardly and left the room. Dean went back to staring at me.
'You said you worked for a medical supply company' he said quietly.
I shrugged, feeling bad. 'You said you were a long distance driver.'
He let out a breath of air, now looking concerned. 'How long you been doing this? You alone?'
I shrugged again. 'Five years. And yes.'
He sighed again and came closer, standing in front of me.
'I hate this job' he said quietly 'And its no job for...someone like you, Irish'
He looked... sad all of a sudden and I bit my lip, that feeling of emptiness suddenly fading.
He continued to stare at me and then so suddenly he made me start he reached down and cupped my face with his hands, as though studying my me, letting go when Sam and Bobby called us from outside.