Some country music that Finn didn't recognize was wafting through the air softly in between thin wisps of cigarette smoke just below the chatter of the bar's Thursday evening patrons when the heavy wooden door at the front opened a bit, allowing the trio entry into the local watering hole just outside Lebanon.
Finn could feel eyes on her and she suddenly felt the soothing warmth of Dean's hand on her lower back calmed her immediately as they approached a couple barstools. Sam slid onto the cheap imitation leather covered stool and she frowned down at the silver duct tape that sloppily covered a tear in her barstool. "Three beers," Dean ordered from behind them, his eyes moving around the room for potential danger.
The barkeep only nodded and busied himself with the task. Beside Finn, a man in his forties was eyeballing her and she only glanced over at Sam, whose eyes were twinkling with amusement at the man's obvious drunken interest. "Shut up." Finn hissed at him.
Three amber glass bottles were set down on the sticky bar top and Dean thanked the man, who gave another wordless nod. He set a couple napkins down and Dean reached in between Sam and Finn for his beer. "Thanks," Dean gave him a nod.
"I didn't say anything." Sam defended himself to Finn, a smile threatening to reveal itself at the inebriated, glassy eyed patron to the right of their new bunker mate. He leaned forward a tiny bit to eyeball the man on the barstool two over from the brunette. Finn's eyes never left Sam's face as he did so and she reached for her own beer and brought it to her lips before taking a long pull. "I think you got a friend, Finn..."
"Why me?" She sounded beyond irritated and Dean hid a grin of his own before he leaned forward and spoke into her hair softly.
"Because you're cute." He straightened and she gave him a mock glare over her left shoulder. The older brother gave her a dazzling smile and she quirked a brow at him, unamused.
"I'm gonna use that one next time a guy hits on you, Dean." Finn shot back, making Sam laugh out loud.
The older man considered that. "I am cute, though, so can't really blame 'em."
"Hey." The guy on the barstool leaned forward, his elbows on the counter, his gaze boring a hole in the back of Finn's head as she shook her head at Dean. Sam saw her close her eyes briefly. "Hey, gorgeous. How ya doin'?"
"Hi." Her tone was curt and the fact that she was clearly with two men didn't seem to faze him.
"Can I buy you a drink?" He turned on his stool, completely focused on the brunette now, seemingly ignorant of the size and stature of the two men in her company.
"Got one." She held up her beer, distaste on her lips, looking straight ahead, not making eye contact with the drunken man.
"You looking for some good sex?" His drunken question made Dean shift behind her, ready to knock this guy into next week. Shocked, Finn glanced over at the inebriated patron.
"No."
"Then you're talking to the right guy." He laughed out loud at his own joke and Finn felt Sam's warm hand on her left knee, letting her know they wouldn't let anything happen to her. She shot him a grateful smile.
"Alright Jack," The barkeep finally spoke, his baritone voice gruff. "You've had enough." He placed a slip of paper in front of the man, who was still chuckling at his own pickup line.
"I'm fine, Tony." His glassy eyes moved to Finn again. "Whaddya say, beautiful?"
"I say," The barkeep was more firm this time. "I'm gonna call your wife and have her come get you."
"You're no damn fun." He groaned. "I was jus' talkin' to her... I was jus' lookin' to-,"
"You're lookin' to get your ass handed to ya." The barkeep shot Finn a sympathetic look and she knew he'd probably done this before. "I'm calling ya a cab." The man groaned out loud again and handed a few bills to the man.
Dean and Sam were trying and failing to hide their laughter and Finn just shook her head, downing some of her beer. "So what's the occasion, you guys? Why'd we go out tonight?" She set her bottle on the bar top and shifted to look at the both of them. Their laughter subsided and Dean and Sam exchanged thoughtful looks. "Gosh, how on earth do you guys manage to have a conversation right in front of me without a word?"
"We were just wondering..." Sam began carefully.
Dean finished his brother's thought. "How do you feel about going hunting?"
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It was like riding a bike, Finn supposed. Research, the best kind of bad-for-you food, friends around the dated wooden table behind their laptops and the soft patter of rain on the motel's thin metal roofing that desperately needed replacing.
"Just like ridin' a bike, hm?" Dean spoke up around a mouthful of chicken lo mein, his eyes leaving his screen for a moment to study her expression. They'd left the bar, gone back to the bunker and packed their bags for Lincoln, Nebraska. It was less than three hours from the bunker, so they'd left that evening.
"I was just thinking that, actually." She murmured, her eyes scanning the article thoughtfully. "Sam, look at this..." Finn scrolled down a bit further. "Ten miscarriages reported so far." Pause. "All local-ish women."
There was only a few clicks from Sam, followed by twenty seconds of silence, before he spoke. "Sounds like an aswang."
"A what?" Dean took a drink of his soda and looked at his brother expectantly.
"It's a shapeshifter that feeds on babies and small children." Finn turned Sam's laptop towards her to read a bit more. She felt her stomach turn at the thought.
Next to her, the younger man leaned in to read the remainder of the paragraph out loud to his brother. "So they often suck children right out of the womb at night to avoid detection. Salt repels them, among other things."
Finn made a face and set down her white paper box that housed her sweet and sour chicken, Sam's murmur souring her appetite almost immediately. "So I guess that would explain all the seemingly coincidental miscarriages the local paper, hm?"
"The local reporter thought so. Said they're all on the outskirts of town. They cited contaminated water as a possible source, but come on, right? This is right up our alley." Dean set down his empty white container.
Sam scanned another paragraph before he spoke again. "The aswang are said to control the population. They feed exclusively at night and have normal human strength during the day."
Dean closed his laptop. "Fine by me. How do we find 'em and kill 'em?"
"Beheading does the trick." She took a sip from her water bottle as Sam turned his laptop back towards him. "And they have the retinal flare, just like normal shapeshifters."
"So we need to find out what these women have in common and how they were targeted besides where they lived." His emerald eyes moved over Finn's remaining food somewhat longingly. She pushed it towards him without a word and Sam smiled to himself as his brother took out her chopsticks and used his own fork to finish her dinner. Finn got up from the table to flop down on the bed nearest the door and page through the local newspaper that lay there.
"The hospital won't exactly just hand out records of miscarriages like that." Sam frowned, his eyes on his brother as Dean shoveled in a mouthful of chicken and water chestnuts. "Doctor's offices maybe, but not hospitals."
"Midwives? Is that a thing?" Was the older man's question.
"Guys?" Finn was laying on her stomach now, staring at the wanted ads. "When did you say all these miscarriages started?"
"About a month ago." Sam watched her shift to sit on the edge of the bed. "Why?"
"So get this..." She tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear. "A month ago, they opened the new labor and delivery wing at the east campus of the hospital." Dean quirked a brow when she looked up.
"That's not a coincidence." He murmured.
"Yeah, no kidding."
Sam grinned at Finn, who gave him a confused look at his sudden change of emotion. "We need to call and get you in there."
"But I'm not pregnant."
"You will be." Dean winked at her.
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Finn was straightening her hair in the tiny motel bathroom the next morning when she heard the motel door open and close and Sam greeted Dean. "I got breakfast." He called in to her. "Get it while its greasy."
"Thanks. Just a sec." She unplugged her flat iron and set it down on the sink before shutting off the light. Finn stepped out and was startled by a flying object.
"Catch." Dean had tossed a foam half sphere at her and she caught it.
"The hell is this?"
"Your baby." Sam was rummaging around in the bag. "I just wanted an egg white sandwich, Dean." His tone was slightly whiny.
"So pick the bacon off and I'll eat it." He sat on the bed and took the grease spotted paper bag from his brother. Sam rolled his eyes and looked over at Finn, who was examining the foam. "You gonna try that on?"
"Where did you even get this at eight in the morning?" She was studying the belt that latched in the back.
"Boutique up the road. Took it off the mannequin." Pause. "Got you a dress too. Paid for that, though." Dean's eyes sparkled, amused at his own cleverness.
"Thanks, I guess." She sat down at the table in front of the window and the trio ate quietly. "So what's the plan? Most maternity wards are locked down now. This belly alone isn't going to get me in there, you guys."
Dean crumpled up his sandwich wrapper and tossed it in the garage can nearby. "We got a plan."
"Well, while you were in the shower, I called the hospital and made an appointment for a tour of the birthing unit. Told them you were new to the area and wanted to know what the unit offered and they were happy to have someone walk you through." Sam spoke.
"You're kidding me." She took another bite of her sandwich and pulled one of the paper cups filled with coffee out of the holder.
"Nope." Sam was grinning. "You and Mr. Abernathy have a ten am walk through." Finn stopped chewing for a moment.
"Me and Mr. Abernathy?"
"Better get ready." Dean winked at her. "Gotta get some nice duds on for my wife." That made her blush and Sam chuckled. "We leave in twenty." Finn reached for the yellow paper bag with tissue paper sticking out the top that he held out to her.
A few moments later, Finn was in the bathroom with the door closed, clad in the black dress that fit her nicely, even with the foam belly strapped around her middle. She turned to the side in the mirror, shocked on how she looked. She smoothed the cotton over her bump and took a deep breath. Three taps on the cheap wooden door startled her. "Ya comin', Mrs. Abernathy?" Dean called through the door.
"Yeah." She opened the door and his bright smile faltered just a tiny bit, but she saw it anyway. "Oh God, it looks awful, doesn't it? I-,"
"No, you look great." He closed his eyes for a few seconds. "It just kinda threw me... seeing you looking like that."
And damn, Finn was not prepared to see him in dark denim paired with a tan long sleeved sweater, a button down blue dress shirt peeking out at his neck and wrists.
"Yeah, no kidding." He nodded and she stepped out of the bathroom and Sam was sitting at the table in front of his laptop. His eyes moved to the young woman in maternity clothing and the fake baby bump.
"Wow, you guys look great." Sam cleared his throat. "So keep your eyes open for anyone who seems over eager about you guys and the baby."
"This is officially the weirdest part I've ever played for a case." Finn murmured.
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Hi guys!
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sam and Dean are getting her back in the saddle. *grins*
I always kinda loved the we have to pretend we're a couple for the case trope and thought this would be a cute spin on that and I'd never seen it done before.
Leaving for a much needed vacation for two weeks, so I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter. SaphyraBlu13, EmilyAnnMcGarrett-Winchester and Bren Gail, thank you for your reviews on the last chapter! You guys keep me motivated!
Have a wonderful couple of weeks!
CitrineMama