Chapter 24

The first couple dozen miles or so were interesting, to say the least. They were still very much within the city when they got onto the interstate. It was pretty heavy traffic as both Sam and Dean realized it was barely 8 AM during a normal 9-5 workday.

For more than an hour, they kept along with the steady flow of morning commuters. Soon the traffic started to clear. Now, they were passing through the suburbs, so they were mostly through battling rush-hour traffic.

Dean had lost sight of Sam in J's care miles ago.

Now was the time that Sam gave Dean a reason to be jealous of another car. The traffic had almost no effect on Sam in J's little Toyota. It was, however, a huge problem for Dean and the Impala. Sam always managed to just barely squeak by other cars and get into spaces Dean knew the Impala would simply not fit or be able to maneuver into.

Dean was glad J was asleep in the back and did not know how much he was losing by. He was thoroughly embarrassed and disappointed with himself. He had to hand it to her, her car was very zippy and maneuverable. It did have an advantage on him, especially at the moment. He hated to admit it. He couldn't even see Sam anymore, then again, the silver Corolla blended in with all the other cars on the road, unlike the stand-out classic car that was Baby.

"Dude you are, like, WAY the fuck back there. I can barely see you. Having that much trouble keeping up?" Sam's voice echoed to life in the passenger seat mockingly where the handset lay. Dean reached over for it without letting his eyes drift from the road in front of him.

"It's fucking rush-hour, dude. It's almost bumper to bumper traffic. You have the unfair advantages of having a smaller car, as well as being that asshole that cuts people off left and right." Dean said gruffly into his handset. He sighed and continued. "I couldn't get into that one space you took like a dozen cars back, and I've been fucked ever since."

"That's what she said." Was all Sam had to say.

Dean rolled his eyes. He was even more determined now. Traffic was slowly getting thinner, and so were the spaces between the exits. He was getting more and more opportunities to overtake other cars.

They were almost out of town completely now. Dean shifted Baby into the next gear and overtook the car next to him as he pulled over to pull ahead even further. A smirk growing on his face.

Now that there was a significantly smaller number of cars on the road, Dean easily caught up to Sam. Caught up to him and passed him. Now it was Dean's turn to show off. He floored it and Baby's engine roared as she leaped forward at his encouragement.

Dean then hesitated for a split second. His breath catching in his throat.

He had not quite forgotten about J, still asleep in the back. He looked in the rearview mirror, adjusting it slightly so he could still see out the back window, but could also see her sleeping at the same time if he adjusted the right way.

She had not been disturbed by the force of the acceleration, nor by the sound of the engine. Dean was relieved. He did not want to wake her; even if that meant him losing.

"Wait… WHAT?!"

He had thought for sure the jolt into the next highest gear would have had an effect on her. Made her move at least. It had not, thank God.

It did not take long for Dean and Baby to leave Sam and J's Corolla behind. Dean was just focused on getting ahead. He did not know how far ahead he had gotten exactly until the handset in the passenger seat crackled to life.

"Dean…. I can't… you. How… up there are…... exactly?" Sam's voice faded in and out, barely even audible. Dean remembered that they were limited in how far they could be and still stay in contact. He let off the gas and checked around him.

Not a car in sight. Not even Sam.

"I'm letting up, Sammy. Give me a minute to slow down and for you to catch up." Dean said into his handset. He wasn't sure how much had gotten through as Sam did not attempt to reach him again.

Dean looked in his rearview mirror again. This time his eyes were on J. She was still on her back; her legs were resting against the back of the seat now, limp in sleep. Her head was to her left. She was facing towards Dean. He could see a cascade of hair around her face and around her shoulders. He could also see the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed deeply and evenly.

The longer Dean looked, the more ethereal she became. And the more of a creeper he began to feel like. Here he was, watching a woman sleep. She was in the back of his moving vehicle, and he did want to make sure she was still doing ok. So it wasn't that disturbing. Was it?

Dean was going to have a hard time waking her up. One, she was deeply asleep, and two, he was just going to have a hard time waking her up. Period. He was not about to go screaming her name, though. And he did not feel like poking her, either.

Why was the thought of waking someone up this hard?

Dean's thoughts trailed off for a moment. Thinking of himself screaming her name. There were more than a few ways and more than a few scenarios running through his head. He jumped slightly after losing himself in the thought when J sighed and rolled onto her stomach, a clear smile on her face. She flicked her hair so it was away from her neck and face.

Dean tried the radio again. Trying to ignore the fact that J's shirt was riding up a little bit and the curve of her back as she half hung off the seat. The sun shown brightly in her tousled hair that now fell to the floor up and around her. One arm was holding on to the edge of the seat while she used the other as a pillow.

She looked like Dean's idea of a Sleeping Beauty Centerfold. He averted his eyes and took the radio in his hand again, pressing the 'Talk' button.

"Come in, Sam. Can you read me? Over."

"There you are. I still can't see you, but I can hear you fine. You must not be that much further ahead now which is good because that rest stop is coming up here in the next 20 miles or so. Did you wake J up with you show of machoism back there?" Sam inquired, surprising Dean.

He looked in the backseat again. He could have sworn he saw a little smile on J's lips again.

"Nah, I don't think so. That wasn't machoism, Sammy. That was simply me letting Baby's horses run free. All that traffic stifled her back there. She needed space. And J seems to be still out like a light. I am half tempted to let her be. But I know I'd be pissed if someone didn't wake me up for a rest stop. I'll see you when we get there. I'm gonna let her ride. Over and out."

Dean set the walkie talkie onto the seat next to him and put his foot to the floor.

When Dean arrived at the truck stop, he had to wait a full 10 minutes for Sam to show up. He was waiting, leaning back against the bumper of the Impala when Sam pulled the silver car up next to him and got out.

"Were you under criminal speeding at any point since you sped off?" Sam said sarcastically as he stretched. No matter what car it was, he was still huge and needed more room than any car could provide; outside of limos and party buses.

"Nope." Dean said with a grin.

"Aren't you going to wake J up?" Sam asked as he looked into the back of the Impala, reaching for the handle. Dean jumped up. Trying to get between his brother and the back door, while smacking his hand away.

"Woah there, easy tiger." Sam said as he withdrew his hand and threw his arms up at Dean's unexpected move to get between Sam and the car. "Did you seriously just smack my hand away?" Sam just looked at Dean with raised eyebrows and a stupid grin on his face. At least Dean thought it was stupid.

Before Dean could think of a proper response to Sam about his knee-jerk reaction just then, he walked off in the direction of the convivence store on the other side of the parking lot by the gas pumps. Dean looked after him and wondered to himself. He had been questioning himself a lot recently and it was not a comforting thought now that he took the moment to reflect.

Before he could chicken out, he banged his knuckles against the glass by J's head. "Wake up sleepy head. Pit stop! I said I would wake you up. Here's me trying."

Dean took a step back. J was awake and staring right at him. Honey-covered emeralds were bright. Alert and analytical, as always.

She straightened up in the seat and stretched quietly before getting out, continuing to stretch. Dean just watched her do so. Eyes quickly raking over her now exposed skin along her abdomen as she reached up, above her head.

"Thanks for waking me up. Give me the keys. I'll go freshen up and lock myself back. Just knock again and I'll unlock it for you. I won't put in my headphones until we are on the road again." J said groggily. She had her hand out already, waiting for the keys.

Dean just watched her rub her eyes of sleep for a second absentmindedly.

Without a word, and before J could notice him staring, Dean dropped the keys into her hand. J then walked off in the same direction as Sam.

Dean stood there for a minute or two longer, watching her go. Watching the sway of her hips, the swing and bounce of her hair. Contemplating a few of the many things that had been on his mind since he met J.

Things were indeed a lot more complicated than they really needed to be, Dean finally surmised. J was enigmatic, yes. But he was also just plain screwing it up with the way he had been handling everything. There needed to be some break, some kind of change. He was done sitting idly by and being just an observer in this situation.

He had a lot to think about. Dean was looking forward to the long drive ahead. Thankful that J was so tired and would be asleep for most of it, if not the whole trip. He had no real idea how long she was planning on crashing for. He was going to take the time he was given and use it wisely.

When everyone had done their thing and gotten back to the cars with bags of road snacks and drinks and such, J let Dean back into the Impala. She smiled sleepily at him before putting her headphones back in and laying back down in the backseat.

Sam and Dean agreed they would leave radio communications to a minimum for the next bout of their journey. If anything was needed, cellphones would be used. Dean wanted to insure he was left alone, so he turned his phone to silent in his pocket.

As Dean slid into the driver's seat of the Impala, he looked into the backseat one last time. J seemed to be already asleep. She was laying on her stomach facing him with earphones securely in place. Her features were expressionless, relaxed.

He could hear the heavy bass drum of her music again, now that the door was closed. Dean looked up into his rearview as he settled into his seat. The tightness in his chest that he had not realized was there, throbbed. It was suddenly hard for him to breathe.

Dean wrenched his eyes away from the mirror and took a deep breath. He looked straight ahead as he heard Sam start J's car up.

He put his key into the ignition and turned it. Baby roared to life.

Both brothers reversed out of their spaces and headed back towards the entrance to the interstate. This time there was no race, no set meeting point. Just another long drive like they were both so accustomed to now.