A/N: This chapter contains some episode content from Fresh Blood. The chapter's song is called Country Song by Seether.
Chapter 26: Tryin' to Get Through
Well I can't stand to look at you now
This revelation's out of my hands
Still I can't bear the thought of you now
This complication is leaving me scared
Stay when you think you want me
Pray when you need advice
Hey keep your sickness off me tryin to get through
Blame all your weakness on me
Shame that I'm so contrite
Hey keep your fingers off me, why can't I get through?
You think you have the best of intentions
I cannot shake the taste of blood in my mouth
I keep on thinking that it's
All done and all over now
You keep on thinking you can save me, save me
My ship is sinking but it's
All good and I can go down
You've got me thinking that the party's all over
Well I can't stand to be with myself
This liberation's seemingly rare
And I can't stand the taste of your mouth
This sublimation is out of my hands
You stay 'cause you think you want me
Pray when you need advice
Hey keep your sickness off me I'm tryin' to get through
Shame you could take this from me
Bane on an empty mind
Hey keep your fingers off me, why can't I get through?
I keep on thinking that it's
All done and all over now
You keep on thinking you can save me, save me
My ship is sinking but it's
All good and I can go down
You've got me thinking that the party's all over
Lay down
Just stay down
Lay down because I'm trying to get through
Say what you want but you're not gonna win this time
Take what you want, but just leave me alive
Say what you want but you're not gonna win this time
Take what you want, but just leave me alive
I keep on thinking that it's
All done and all over now
You keep on thinking you can save me, save me
My ship is sinking but it's
All good and I can go down
Still you believe that we can start it all over
Lay down
Just stay down
Lay down because the party's all over
Lay down
Just stay down
Lay down because I'm trying to get through
Over the next week, things seemed to be almost unnaturally quiet. If there was demon activity going on, they were keeping it hush-hush enough that the hunters didn't pick up on it. There were no angelic visitations. It was almost like the apocalypse was on pause. Bobby got to work on trying to pin down Lilith's location, but kept running into dead-ends. Either Lilith was shielded, much like they were, or the spells just weren't right. Bobby's mood had gone from bad to worse with each failed attempt and he had finally banished everyone from his house, declaring he wasn't running a hotel for hunters and he would let them know when he had something.
The trio hadn't gone too far, but had found a motel room in a town about an hour away. Sam waited until his brother and Ty were asleep before sneaking out to summon Ruby.
"We need to talk." Sam said as soon as she appeared.
"Gee, Sam, are you breaking up with me?" Ruby asked with one eyebrow raised.
Sam shifted uncomfortably, but nodded, "I can't do this anymore."
Ruby frowned and stepped closer to him, "Do what?"
Sam took a step back from her, glancing away almost guiltily, "I told Dean and…I'm not going to use these powers anymore. It's…it's not right."
"Sam, look at me." Ruby ordered. When Sam didn't comply, she snapped, "Look at me!"
Reluctantly, Sam looked up and met her gaze. Ruby's eyes were flashing with anger.
"If you've decided you're too much of a pansy-ass bitch to do what it takes to save that dumbass brother of yours, then let me kill him now. I promise it will be more merciful than what Lilith or her goons will do to him." she snarled, "I told you this was the only way you have any hope in hell of taking her on. If you won't fight her, then give me my goddamn knife and I'll find someone else who will."
"Ruby…" Sam began.
"Save it, Sam." Ruby interrupted, "You know what really pisses me off? I really thought we were gonna do it, take down Lilith. I thought you had what it takes."
The muscles in Sam's jaw twitched and his hands clenched at his sides. It seemed like no matter what choice he made, someone was yelling at him, telling him he was doing the wrong thing. He wasn't going to take it anymore, especially not from a demon.
"I will take down Lilith." Sam growled, his voice uncharacteristically low and angry, "And I don't need you to do it."
Ruby crossed her arms over her chest, "Oh, is that what this is? Now that you've started getting a handle on that power of yours, you think you're too good to work with a demon? News flash, Sammy. You're not nearly ready for Lilith yet and you need me if you're going to get there."
"Shut up."
"Whatever. Give me back my knife and I'll leave until you get your head out of your ass enough to realize I'm right. If Dean's dead before then, tell him I said tootles." Ruby said snarkily, holding her hand out expectantly for her blade.
"I'm not giving you the knife." Sam replied.
Ruby took another step forward, leaning in towards Sam, "Give me my knife, Sam."
This time, Sam held his ground, glaring back at her, "No."
Ruby moved quickly and unexpectedly, hooking her leg around Sam's and yanking it forward while she launched herself into his chest, knocking him off balance. Sam fell backwards, hitting the ground hard, with Ruby on top of him. Sam struggled to throw her off of him, but Ruby socked him hard in the face, the force of the blow enough to make him momentarily see stars. Ruby took advantage of his disorientation to search inside his coat and her hands soon closed around a familiar hilt. Grinning, she sat up, straddling Sam's waist, and twirled her blade in her hand. As Sam's vision cleared, the glint of light on the blade immediately drew his attention and he froze, not trusting Ruby enough to believe she wouldn't use the blade against him. He wasn't a demon, but the sharp edge could still kill him.
Ruby noticed Sam's eyes on her knife and she leaned forward again, bringing the blade up to rest against Sam's throat. Sam's eyes met hers as she held the blade against him. They were dark with anger, but Ruby felt she could see more in the depths of those brown orbs. She could see the hunger and she knew…it wasn't over yet.
Ruby moved quickly again, smashing her lips against Sam's. She didn't wait for him to respond, but kissed him the way she fought, furious and brutal. When she pulled away, Sam's lip was bleeding and his blood stained her mouth. Licking her lips, she smiled cruelly down at him.
"Bye, Sam." she said, moving off him and regaining her feet, "I'm sure I'll be seeing you around."
Before Sam could recover, she was gone.
The following afternoon, Ty found herself alone in their motel room, unable to focus on anything but the secret she was still keeping. It felt like it was eating her up inside the longer she kept it and she must have tried to bring up her meeting with Melchiresa at least a dozen times. She'd told herself she would come clean once things were resolved between the brothers, but there always seemed to be a reason not to say anything every time she considered broaching the subject. Mostly, she kept telling herself that she was only stalling because she was still trying to figure out what the demon had meant when she'd said that Ty already knew the answers to her questions about why Lilith was after Dean and how to protect him. Once she had that figured out, then she'd tell them. But if she was honest with herself, she knew that was a cop-out. She was already fairly certain that Melchiresa meant that making a deal with her was the way to protect Dean.
It was just the part about Lilith's interest in him that was still a mystery. She'd replayed their conversation over and over in her mind, parsing it for clues. Mostly they'd talked about possession, the compatibility of hosts, but what did that have to do with Dean? Surely Lilith didn't want to possess Dean. If that was the case, she wouldn't be trying so hard to kill him, would she? No, somehow it had to have something to do with her freeing Lucifer. And she was sure after her brief conversation with Castiel that he knew something about it, too. Frankly, it was starting to piss her off how it seemed like everyone but them seemed to be clued into this.
Ty sighed and took a bite of the pizza she'd been ignoring for the past twenty minutes. It was cold and unappetizing now and she dropped it back in the box. She was getting nowhere and she had other things she was supposed to be focusing on. She glanced at the stack of newspapers sitting next to her on the motel room bed. She'd said she would look through them while the boys were out spending some quality time together or whatever and see if anything looked like a case, but she just couldn't focus. Instead, she picked up her phone and found herself impulsively dialing the number that she'd called so often before whenever she was feeling lost.
"Hey, tiger. You alright?" Alex asked immediately.
Ty smiled briefly at the sound of his voice and the familiar greeting, "Yeah, I'm good. You?"
"I…I'm fine." Alex answered, "Just finished up a job in El Paso."
"You still with Ellen and Jo?"
"Nah, they're taking a break for a bit. This was nothing big, figured I could handle it solo." Alex paused for a moment before he added, tone a little lighter, "Plus, I know how much you hate Texas."
Ty smiled, "I don't hate Texas. I just don't usually take my steak with a side of steak. At breakfast."
She could almost hear the smile in Alex's voice, hear him relaxing into their usual banter, "I seem to recall a few other complaints when we tracked those ghouls to that town outside of Lubbock."
"The man was building a machine gun tower for the, and I quote, 'inevitable water wars.'" Ty protested, "And excuse me if I don't love a place where everyone is strapped and more than willing to draw on someone trying to save them from becoming a ghoul snack."
Alex chuckled softly on the other end of the line, "Yeah, we did almost get shot quite a few times on that one."
Ty's smile slowly faded and there was a heavy moment of silence before she finally said, "Look, Alex, about what happened…what your dad…"
"Ty," Alex interrupted her, "stop."
Ty closed her eyes, feeling her emotions starting to overwhelm her, "But…"
"No." Alex interrupted again, "I don't want to talk about it, okay? Not yet."
Ty nodded slowly while she pulled herself together. When she felt able to speak again, she finally said, "Okay. I just…are we good? I mean, I get it if you need some time."
Alex took a while to answer and Ty tried not to let that make her crazy.
"Some time might be good." Alex finally said and Ty felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She understood, she didn't blame him, but she'd still been hoping that maybe somehow Alex and her partnership could go back to normal. She should have known that the ghost of his father appearing and accusing her of being the only reason Alex's parents weren't at rest and their son's life was in danger wasn't something you could just forget. Especially when those accusations were true, "I…I'll call you when I'm ready, okay? Just…stay safe, okay, tiger?"
"Yeah." Ty nodded, "Yeah, you too."
The line disconnected and Ty slowly lowered her phone. She tried to tell herself that everything was fine. Alex was okay. It wasn't the end of the world that he needed some space from her for a while to figure things out. It might even be for the best given all the craziness circling around the Winchesters right now. She even tried to tell herself that she had enough to worry about and that she didn't have time to worry about her relationship with Alex right now. But none of that helped. She felt terrible. She'd become accustomed to Alex being there for her, taking it for granted. Even when Dean had disappeared on her, Alex had always been just a call away, ready to provide her with a distraction or a friendly ear.
Ty sniffed and clenched her fists. Pushing herself off the bed, she went into the bathroom and splashed some water on her face. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at her reflection in the mirror.
"That's it. No more feeling sorry for yourself or dodging the problem." she ordered herself, "Get your shit together."
Ty nodded firmly. She'd suck it up and spill about Melchiresa when the boys got back. If she ended up driving them away too for going behind their backs and keeping secrets, well…maybe that's what she deserved.
Meanwhile, Dean was under the hood of the Impala, poking around the engine. It was nice to just have a quiet moment with his brother and his car. He could almost forget about everything else. Almost.
Sam opened the cooler next to him, pulled out two beers, then shut the lid and took a seat on it. He opened one bottle and passed it over to his brother, "Here you go."
"Thanks." Dean said absently as he accepted it.
"Figure out what's making that rattle?" Sam asked.
Dean shook his head, "Not yet. Give me a box wrench, would you?"
Sam reached over to pull the wrench out of the toolbox and passed it to him, "Yeah. There you go."
"Thanks." Dean said, taking the wrench. He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment before he made a decision, "Sam."
"Wrong one?"
"No, no, no. Come here for a second."
Sam got up and came over to lean over the hood next to his brother curiously, "Yeah?"
Dean gestured at the engine, "This rattle could be a couple of things. I'm thinking it's an out-of-tune carb."
"Okay." Sam said, confused.
"Alright, see this thing? It's a valve cover. Inside are all the parts that are on the head. Hand me that socket wrench." Dean instructed, pausing for Sam to grab the tool, "Alright, you with me so far?"
Sam nodded, "Yeah, uh, valve cover covers the heads."
"Very good. Now this is your intake manifold, okay, and on top of it…?" Dean asked, pausing for Sam to insert the correct answer.
Sam smiled a little uncertainly as he tried to remember, "It's…uh…a carburetor."
"Carburetor." Dean confirmed.
"Yeah."
"Very good."
"What's with the auto shop?" Sam asked. Dean just held the socket wrench out to him, "What…you don't mean you want…"
"Yeah, I do. You fix it."
"Dean, you barely let me drive this thing." Sam protested.
"Well, it's time. You should know how to fix it. You're gonna need to know these things for the future." Sam shot him a look and Dean knew that if he gave him a chance, Sam would start in on him again about saving him from the bounty. Rather than go through that again, he quickly added, "And besides, that's my job, right? Show my little brother the ropes?"
Sam nodded and took the wrench. He wasn't fooled in the least. He knew what this was really about. It was about his brother not believing he was going to survive Lilith. But he was tired of fighting, so he swallowed down his emotions and leaned over the engine. Dean took his spot on the cooler and watched him work.
"Put your shoulder into it." Dean instructed before taking a swig of his beer to cover his own feelings. There were quite a few of them tumbling through him, but he focused on the feeling of pride he felt watching his little brother working on the car that his father had handed down to him. It reminded him of when he was young and he was the one leaning over the engine while his father watched and sipped on a beer. He remembered how good he'd felt when he'd gotten the car purring like a kitten again and his father had smiled and told him 'Good work, son.'
Dean felt his good mood fade as he thought about his father. There'd been so much going on lately that he'd been able to avoid thinking much about the fact that his father was in Hell, either torturing or being tortured for months now. Bobby said his research indicated that only an angel could pull someone out of Hell and now he had an angel dogging him.
"Hey, keep it up. I'll be right back." Dean said quickly, getting up and heading off into the trees.
Sam nodded, figuring Dean just had to take a leak. Dean waited until he was a good distance away before he stopped. This felt stupid, but he didn't know what else to do.
"Uh…Ground Control to Major Cas? Come in, Castiel." he called, turning around slowly, "Look, if you can hear me, I need to talk to you."
"Yes, Dean?"
Dean frowned in annoyance that somehow supernatural creatures always seemed to be able to appear behind him. He turned around to face the angel. He looked the same as always, wearing his trenchcoat and serious expression.
"Any news on Lilith?" Dean asked, figuring as long as he had the angel there he might as well see if he had any intel.
Castiel shook his head, "She is well hidden from us and she does not seem to have moved on any other Seals since Samhain."
Dean nodded slowly. He realized he was still holding his beer and he took a sip before he continued, "So…it seems like you guys are counting on us to stop this bitch."
Castiel frowned uncertainly, "You have an important role in God's plan."
"Right, right." Dean said, nodding again, "Thing is…I need something from you."
"What are you talking about?" Castiel asked, eyes narrowing.
Dean started to circle slowly around the angel while he spoke and Castiel turned slowly to face him as he did.
"Well, you mentioned something about being able to save me from the pit. I figured you meant you'd help keep Lilith from sending me downstairs, but Bobby did some digging and it turns out an angel can pull somebody out of Hell." Dean stopped and faced Castiel directly, "That's what I want. I want you to pull my dad out."
Castiel's eyes widened and he shook his head, "Dean, what you're asking is not possible."
"Bullshit." Dean snapped, "You can do it and if you want our help keeping the devil from heading down to Georgia, then you'll pull him out."
"Dean, you don't understand. Freeing a soul from Hell…it would require a full-on assault. We are already fighting a war on multiple fronts. This is just not feasible."
"Make it feasible." Dean insisted stubbornly.
"Are you really willing to allow Lucifer to go free, to condemn everyone on this planet, over this?" Castiel finally asked in frustration, "Do you believe that is what your father would want?"
That made Dean pause. He could almost hear his father now, yelling at him, calling him a damn fool. But his dad was also the one who'd taught him that family was everything.
"I sympathize with your position, Dean." Castiel continued, "You are a good man, but this is not the path and I believe you know that."
Dean scowled at the ground. Castiel was right. He knew it and Cas knew he knew it. But damn it, why did his family always have to get the short end of the stick? Why couldn't they ever get anything back after everything they'd given? It wasn't fair. Dean took another long pull from his beer, wishing momentarily that it was something stronger.
"Fine." he said finally. He shifted his gaze back up to meet Castiel's eyes, "But promise me something else? I know you've got plans for me or whatever, but…if something happens…watch out for Sam and Ty, keep them safe for me?"
Castiel held his gaze, then nodded solemnly, "You have my word. I will watch over them."
"Well…that'll have to do, I guess." Dean said, but before he'd even finished speaking he heard the sound of wings that he knew meant the angel had already disappeared. Shaking his head, he finished off his beer and headed back to Sam.
When Sam and Dean returned to the motel, they looked happier than Ty had seen them in a long time. Sam was smiling and Dean was clapping a hand on his back, looking proud. Ty hated to bring their mood down again and almost talked herself out of spilling her secret once again, but she gritted her teeth and told herself there was no backing out this time.
"It's not that big a deal, Dean." Sam was saying, but he still looked pleased as he walked in and took a seat by the small desk.
"Hey, you did a good job. She's running perfect." Dean replied, moving over to Ty's forgotten pizza box and flipping up the lid to look at the contents. He eyed the old pizza for a moment before he shrugged slightly, grabbed a slice, and took a bite. Talking around the mouthful, he added teasingly, "I mean, I had my doubts that we're really brothers given your taste in food, music…hell, most things, but I guess you really are a Winchester, Sammy."
Sam rolled his eyes at his brother, but then noticed Ty's stiff posture and the tense look on her face. His smile faltered, turning into a look of concern, "Something wrong, Ty?"
At his brother's question, Dean quickly looked over at Ty. He could tell just by looking that the answer was yes, something was wrong. He dropped the rest of the pizza back in the box and shoved the box out of the way so he could sit next to her, "What's up?"
"So I sort of have something I've needed to tell you guys, but I didn't know how to bring it up." she admitted, her eyes shifting nervously around the room, "I'm sorry it took me this long. It's just we had so much going on and…it just never seemed like the right time so…"
"Whatever it is, just spit it out." Dean interrupted before her rambling really got out of hand, ignoring the disapproving look his brother gave him at his words.
"I summoned Melchiresa." Ty blurted out.
Silence filled the room and Ty risked a glance over at Dean. His jaw was clenched tightly and his eyes were furious. When he caught her looking at him, he practically growled, "I'm sorry. I thought I just heard you say you did the same freaking thing that you chewed my ass out for."
"After what happened to Pamela, I figured you were right. She was our only lead and I didn't want to let her near you again. I was trying to protect you!" Ty protested weakly, knowing as soon as she said it that Dean wasn't going to appreciate it.
"I don't need your protection, sweetheart!" Dean snapped angrily, climbing back to his feet, "In fact, I'm sick and tired of everyone trying to protect me like I'm some defenseless rube. I can take care of myself."
"Dean…" Sam protested, knowing that last part was directed towards him, as well.
"No, I've had it with both of you keeping secrets from me and doing stupid, reckless shit because you think you can save me. If you two can't be straight with me, I'm leaving both your asses here." Dean threatened, glaring from Sam to Ty and back again.
"Because you're always so honest." Ty snapped back. Dean's threat to cut her out of his life again was a cheap blow and it had her feeling angry and defensive. She'd meant to do this calmly, to avoid another fight, but she couldn't stop herself, "Where were you when I was summoning Melchiresa? Oh, that's right. You were off summoning the angel that had just burned Pamela's eyes out of her skull and almost deafened you. I don't remember you being up front with me about that!"
"Because you never listen! I knew you'd put yourself in harm's way and hey, looks like I was right!"
"Okay, hold on." Sam tried again, standing up himself, "This isn't helping."
"Damn right it's not." Dean agreed, "The two people closest to me are both going behind my back with demons."
Ty and Sam both started talking at the same time, protesting and defending themselves, but Dean wasn't hearing it. He was just too pissed off. With a sharp wave of his arm, he turned his back on both of them. He felt like storming out, jumping in his car, and making good on his threat to leave them both. He even took a step towards the door, but then the memory of Sam working on the car flashed through his mind. And then he recalled the look on Ty's face when he'd finally woken up after that blow to the head. He couldn't leave them. That realization almost frustrated him more than anything, but he forced himself to take a deep breath. He reasoned as he calmed himself down that even if he could bring himself to ditch them, they'd probably just steal a car and track him down anyway.
Ty and Sam both trailed off into silence when Dean froze with his back to them. They glanced at each other, then back at Dean, waiting to see what he'd do.
"So what happened?" he finally asked, his voice quiet and deliberately even.
Ty's eyes widened a bit in surprise at this turn-around and she wondered briefly what had just gone through Dean's head, but quickly shook it off. She didn't want to blow this chance, regardless of what had inspired it, "Well, I got some of the same stuff from her that you got from Castiel: 66 Seals, Lilith breaking them to free Lucifer, angels back in town. But mostly she talked about something else. She talked about things that need a human host and how some humans are more compatible with certain demons, angels, whatever, than others."
Dean turned around, brow furrowed in confusion. Sam was also looking at her with interest. Evidently, this was the first the brothers had heard about this, as well.
"Yeah, and apparently…I'm her perfect host or something." Ty said, shifting uncomfortably, "So she's not just after you, Dean. What she really wants is both of us. Package deal, she said."
"That fucking bitch." Dean swore, although he was once again mostly mad at himself for ever even considering that the demon might have kept her word about leaving Ty out of their dealings.
Sam was frowning thoughtfully, "Wait, so she wants you, Ty, because you're perfectly compatible with her, a perfect host, but that still doesn't explain why she's interested in Dean. Or why Lilith put the bounty on him."
"Or why I've got angels on my ass." Dean added.
"I know." Ty agreed, frustration clear on her face, "That's what I've been trying to figure out. She said I already knew the answer, but I don't know what the hell she was talking about."
All three hunters paused to consider that, but no immediate answers seemed to be forthcoming.
"One other thing," Ty continued after a moment, "she also let slip that Lilith is trying to break half the Seals by the end of the year."
Dean swore again while Sam immediately asked, "Did she say how many have been broken?"
Ty shook her head, "Wouldn't say more until I made a deal."
"Freaking angels haven't given us the score either." Dean grumbled, "I love working blind. Maybe they'll tie our hands behind our backs next."
Ty shared his frustration, but at the moment she had a more pressing concern. She took a hesitant step towards him, almost reaching a hand out to him but forcing herself to keep it at her side, "So…that's everything. I know I should have told you sooner and I get that you're pissed, but…do you think maybe…I don't know…maybe you can forgive me?"
She glanced up at Dean's face through her eyelashes, not wanting to meet his gaze directly but needing to get a read on his feelings. She could still see some anger, hurt, and betrayal in his eyes. It wasn't surprising given how this had come on the heels of his confrontation with Sam and she hated that she'd made him feel that way again. She'd been confident that he could repair things with Sam. Sam was his brother, after all. She was not at all confident that her own relationship with Dean could survive this.
Dean sighed and dragged a hand through his hair, "You and Sam…so much drama."
The corners of Ty's lips turned upwards a little, uncertain but hopeful, "Is that a yes?"
Dean opened his arms and Ty immediately threw herself into them, feeling like her heart was soaring when they closed around her.
"Yeah." Dean confirmed. He glanced over her head at Sam, "But no more secrets, okay? We're a team, right?"
Ty nodded emphatically against his chest, "Yeah. I promise."
Dean tried not to read too much into the fact that Sam didn't say anything.
That night, Sam, Dean, and Ty went to a local bar, partly to blow off a little steam and partly to score some extra cash while they waited for word from Bobby. Sam was hustling some drunk idiots playing darts while Ty and Dean were both playing poker. A few hands in, Dean was already losing his patience. He didn't know why he kept getting such shitty cards, but it was annoying as hell. He tossed his latest pair back on the table in disgust, folding. Ty called from her spot next to him. He leaned back in his chair, eyes roaming over her face, looking for a tell about her hand but his mind soon wandered from her cards to her, specifically.
He was sort of surprised to find that he really had forgiven her about summoning Melchiresa. Once he'd let go of his hurt and anger, he'd realized that she'd been doing what she thought was best to help everyone, just like he had. He couldn't really hold that against her. Besides, he believed her when she said she wouldn't keep secrets from him again. Which was honestly more than he could say for Sam, who he knew in his gut was still hiding things from him.
Dean resisted the urge to glance across the bar at his brother and instead kept his focus on the woman next to him, allowing his mind to distract him with more shallow thoughts. She was dressed the way she usually was, which some people might think was not terribly sexy bar attire, but it suited her and it was what had attracted him to her in the first place. Besides, even if Ty wasn't one for skimpy tops and miniskirts, the deep V of her t-shirt still showed off her cleavage. Dean found his lips quirking in a grin as she leaned forward to toss in a few more chips and he was able to look down her top.
Ty felt Dean's eyes on her. At first she tried to ignore him and focus on the game, but his staring was distracting. While she waited to see if the other two players still in on the hand would call or raise, she leaned towards him and hissed, "Stop it. You're distracting me."
Amused and far more interested in teasing her now than in the poker game, Dean scooted his chair closer to hers so he could whisper in her ear.
"Hey, no cheating!" the paranoid idiot across the table protested.
"I'm out." Dean shrugged and tossed his remaining chips into the pot, "I've only got twenty left anyway. Take it."
That problem solved, he was now free to move as far into Ty's space as he wanted. And suddenly, all he wanted was to be invading her space, losing himself in the familiar comfort she provided. She was just the diversion from all the other crap in his life that he needed right now and he decided that driving her to distraction was way more important than any cash they might be able to scrounge up.
"Hey," he whispered huskily in her ear, "if these guys weren't here, I'd bend you over this table right now."
Ty shivered at his words and his warm breath on her ear, but shot him a glare, "Shut up."
"Hey, in or out?" her final opponent snapped impatiently.
"In." Ty said, tossing her chips in, "Let's see it."
Ty flipped her cards up, revealing a jack and a king. With the jack on the table that gave her a high pair, but she also had a shot at a flush if another club showed up. The dealer flipped the final card and Ty grinned. It was another jack. Reaching forward, she collected her winnings, "Another hand, boys?"
Grumbling, one man called it quits, but the other three nodded, so the dealer started shuffling.
Dean leaned towards her again, "Nice hand. Not as nice as mine can be, though. Mine would have you begging me for more."
"What is the matter with you?" Ty snapped in a whisper out of the corner of her mouth.
Dean smirked, clearly enjoying himself, "Nothing. Just having a little fun."
"Not now." Ty protested, keeping her eyes on the cards she was being dealt.
"Why not? Will you spank me?" Dean teased, a sinful look in his eyes.
Ty decided to try just ignoring him. As hot as Dean was, there was a time and a place and this was clearly not it. So whatever had gotten into him to make him act like such a horn-dog, she wasn't going to let him ruin her game. Hmm, maybe that was it. Maybe he was just mad that she was doing better at poker than him and wanted to sabotage her. Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she glanced at her cards, then waited for her turn.
Dean could tell that Ty had decided to try and ignore him and grinned to himself.
'Challenge accepted, babe.' he thought as he leaned in to whisper something dirty in her ear.
Ty shifted in her seat as Dean whispered in her ear again. She found she couldn't remember what her cards were and had to double-check before she called.
"I'm not distracting you, am I, babe?" Dean asked teasingly when he saw her checking her cards again.
Ty refused to look at him so Dean slid his hand across her lower back to rest on her hip and whispered another couple of filthy suggestions in her ear. He grinned when she shifted again and he knew he was getting to her. And, if he was being honest, he was getting a bit worked up himself.
Despite her best efforts, Ty found it was impossible to ignore him. His voice was a deep, sexy growl and his words were definitely having an effect. Stupid, traitorous body. Stupid, sexy Dean.
"How do you want it tonight, babe, fast or slow? Either way you're not going to be able to walk in the morning." he promised and Ty shivered again.
This was nuts. She was trying to win some money here, but now all she could think about was finding a private spot with Dean ASAP.
"I can't wait to taste you." he growled in her ear, his grip on her hip tightening, and Ty couldn't take it anymore. She recklessly went all-in on her next turn, not even caring whether she won or lost, just desperate to finish the game and get out of there.
"You win this and I'll have you screaming my name all night." Dean said, then leaned back in his chair, still smirking, eyebrows raised at her challengingly.
Ty forced her eyes off him and back to the table. They were waiting on her again. Embarrassed, she quickly flipped over her cards. She'd forgotten what they were again. Oh, that was right. A six and a seven. A crap hand.
Well, there was a six, an eight, and a queen on the table already. She had a pair. But she glanced across the table and saw her opponent had a pair of eights. She was screwed (and not in the way she wanted at the moment, by Dean anyway he wanted as long as it was now). The next card dealt was a nine. No real help unless by some stroke of luck the next card was… The final card slid into the center of the table: a five. She'd made a straight!
Dean whistled, "Lucky draw."
Ty stood up immediately, "Sorry, guys, got to run. Cash me out?"
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other impatiently while she waited. Then, she nearly jumped with a yelp when Dean pinched her ass. She would normally have slugged him for that, but as it was she just snatched her winnings off the table and nearly bolted for the door.
"Sam! Find your own way home!" Dean called across the room, not waiting for a response as he hurried after her.
Dean had automatically parked in the far corner of the lot, away from the rest of the patrons to prevent some drunk idiot from dinging the Impala. He was hot on Ty's heels as she moved quickly towards the car and when she reached it, he trapped her between his arms and the car door before she could turn around, leaning his body into hers and kissing her neck, below her ear. Just that much contact had Ty feeling weak in the knees and she leaned heavily against the car.
"Dean…" she gasped, "keys?"
Dean didn't answer her request for keys but pressed his body more firmly against hers before lifting one hand off the car to slide it down over her jeans to cup her round behind, "Have I told you how much I like you in these jeans?"
Ty shook her head and moaned through clenched teeth. God, she wanted him so bad.
"You make the sexiest sounds." Dean whispered before slipping his tongue in her ear.
"Please, Dean…" she finally whispered back.
She felt him grin as he took her earlobe in his teeth and tugged it gently. Then she heard a jingle and shifted her gaze down to see he had his keys in his hand. Snatching them from him, Ty hurriedly unlocked the door and climbed in. She was surprised when Dean followed, forcing her to shift over into the driver's seat, but when she looked at him questioningly, the hungry look in his eyes when they met hers made her gulp.
"What…what are you doing?" she managed to ask.
"You drive." Dean said before resuming his kissing along her jaw.
Ty was surprised, but she wasn't about to question it. She would never pass up a chance to drive the Impala and not just because it was the coolest car she'd ever been in, but also because driving it felt like a symbol of Dean's trust and commitment to her. When he gave her the keys, it almost felt like he was telling her in his own way that he wanted to be with her. So it was really no surprise that a wide smile spread across her face as she settled in behind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition. Although his lips on her neck also had her pressing her foot down on the gas to peel out of the lot, not wanting to waste any time getting them back to their motel room.
"Easy on the gas, speed demon." Dean remarked, lifting his face from his teasing exploration of her skin in surprise at the sound.
"You're one to talk." Ty snorted.
Dean just grinned in reply, the look on his face seeming to say that she had him there. He slid a hand over her knee and slowly trailed it up her thigh as she drove and he didn't miss that her grip on the wheel became so tight that her knuckles were white.
Ty's breath hitched involuntarily and she swore under her breath. He'd barely touched her, but if he kept this up, they'd be lucky if they didn't crash.
"D...Dean…" she tried to protest, but her voice sounded breathy and desperate even to her own ears.
The tires squealed a little as Ty yanked on the wheel to steer them into the motel parking lot, thankful that it was such a short drive. She quickly parked the car in front of their door and jumped out. Dean managed to catch her before she could go far, pulling her back to him, then pushing her back against the car again. He kissed her deeply and she kissed him back, her hands sliding up his back to circle his neck. She shifted her weight to the side and flipped their positions so she had him pressed against the car instead, but after a few moments, her hands ran up into his hair, tugging gently to get him to pull back a bit.
Ty nodded towards their room, "You're hot and I want you, but we need to get in there."
"So no sex in public, huh?" Dean teased.
Ty rolled her eyes and moved away from him, heading for their room. Dean took a second to enjoy the sight of her walking away before he followed.
Ty left the door open behind her for him, but he was right on her heels. He kicked the door closed and snagged her waist, pulling her back into him. She turned her head to kiss him over her shoulder. He shifted his hands to slide across her stomach, lifting her shirt. She found herself shifting her weight slightly against him, almost like they were dancing slowly to music no one else could hear. Dean pulled her shirt off and dropped it on the floor, then returned his hands to her now bare skin. He dropped his lips back to her neck and shoulder.
"Mmm, I love when you do that." Ty sighed, tilting her head to expose more of her neck to him.
Dean grinned against her skin and continued, slowly sliding the straps of her bra off of her shoulders. Suddenly, Ty's phone rang loudly from her pocket. They both froze for a moment at the sound.
"Ignore it." Dean said, kissing her shoulder again.
Ty wanted to. God, how she wanted to, but her brain immediately began supplying various emergency situations that might be unfolding. It could be Alex, needing her help after all. It could be Sam, in trouble at the bar, cornered by locals pissed about being swindled. It could be anything.
Ty sighed in defeat and fished her phone from the pocket of her jeans. Glancing down at the display she saw that it was Bobby.
"Dean, it's Bobby."
Dean shrugged, "So definitely ignore it."
"I can't." Ty said, slipping out of his arms. Turning back to him, she sent him an apologetic look as she answered, "Bobby, what's up?"
"I got her." Bobby answered, "I found the bitch."
