Welcome to the Club

Take me to the edge of madness
Let me feel your secret passion

Freud have mercy on my soul
I can't fight this anymore

Still Burning, Blue Oyster Cult

The three men walked back to Sal's diner next door. The instrumental music, now playing 'Witchcraft', seemed louder than it had before. Most likely because the restaurant was now empty, everyone having left to see what the ruckus next door was about. Leila ran to embrace Sal as soon as the man walked through the door.

"What happened?" she asked, holding onto Sal tightly. "Everyone just left and went to 'Emily's Attic'. I didn't know what to do."

"Why didn't you come over and find out?" Dean asked lightly.

"Well," Leila finally loosened her grip on Sal and looked over at Dean, "I didn't think I should just leave the place unattended." She eyed Dean defensively.

"No," Sal said, "that's OK sweetie. Everything's fine now thanks to these young men." Sal smiled at Dean and Sam. Leila took her eyes from Dean and looked at Sam, smiling pleasantly.

Dean was surprised to see his brother return with a warm, if a little shy, smile of his own. He hadn't seen Sam's eyes sparkle like that since the night he came to Stanford to ask his brother for help to find Dad.

"Hey Sammy," Dean said uncomfortably. "Can you pay the bill, man? I'm going to get my jacket, then we can leave."

"Yeah," Sam murmured absently, still grinning at Leila.

"You look sleepy," Leila said, turning to Sal. "We're not busy and I think I can handle things here. Why don't you go and take a little nap, Grandpa?" She gave him a kiss on the cheek and the old man complied. She turned her attention to Sam and the two of them walked to the cash register.

Dean walked back to the booth where they had been sitting. He grabbed his jacket that had been hanging on a little hook on the edge of the seat and turned toward the front of the restaurant. He stopped mid-turn when something caught his eye. On the opposite bench sat Kole's notebook and pen. Dean felt a pang of guilt at having completely forgotten about her in the commotion.

"Hey," he called as he leaned in to grab the notebook, "where's Kole?"

"Who?" Leila asked without looking at him. She and Sam were too busy flirting to give Dean much attention.

"The girl who was with us," Dean said, getting annoyed. "Where did she go?"

"Oh," Leila said simply. "She followed you all out."

By this time, Dean was at the front of the diner. He glanced at Leila and then walked out the door, looking up and down the street. Kole wouldn't have left them again, would she? Dean felt like he was missing something right in front of him, but couldn't put his finger on it.

Inside the diner, Sam was staring into Leila's big bronze eyes. They were warm, as was her hand on his. Her skin was soft and smooth, and the perfect shade between pale and tan. Sam looked at her full pink lips and yearned to see if they were as soft as her skin.

"Sam," she purred.

"Say that again," Sam said breathlessly before he could stop himself. Her voice was music, and saying his name had sent tremors through his veins.

"Sssaaammmmm," she practically sung as she leaned across the counter between them and gently brushed his lips with her own on the last 'mmm'.

Sam closed his eyes for fear that the overload of his senses would surely cause him to explode. Yet, he managed to lean forward and his lips, then tongue, met Leila's until another familiar and completely discordant voice reached his ears.

"Sam!" Dean shouted as he walked back into the diner. Sam and Leila flinched as Dean entered and drew back from one another. "You coming?" Dean asked before Sam could say anything.

"See you tonight, Sssam," Leila smiled and sat back on her stool behind the cash register.

"Tonight?" Dean asked once they were outside and walking to the car.

"Yeah," Sam said with a sleepy smile, "I have a date."

"A date?"

Something in Sam snapped a little. His smile became a scowl and he turned to face Dean and glared at him.

"What are you, an echo?" he asked his older brother, taking another step forward and looking down at him. "Yeah, a date. I have a date tonight. Is that a problem for you?"

"What? No, I just…" Dean stammered, unprepared for his brother's outburst.

"You just what? Thought you always got the girl?" Sam demanded as he shoved Dean backward into the Impala. "Well, maybe it's time I started to catch up. It's my turn to get the girl."

"Speaking of girls," Dean said, trying to keep his anger in check, "do you know where Kole could have gone?" He stood upright again and looked at Sam. Was his brother right? No, this has nothing to do with Leila. In fact, if anything, he was happy to see Sam re-entered the land of the living. But, this was awfully quick. Something was going on.

And then something in Dean's brain clicked. Sam had somehow fallen asleep. Somehow, some time between stopping the father-son battle next door and paying the tab at the diner, Sam had actually fallen asleep. That's why he was acting unusual, right?

"I'm not her keeper," Sam's hateful voice broke through Dean's thoughts. "But, you know what they say: where there's smoke, there's fire. And, since we know how much Kole likes fire…"

Sam was unable to finish the sentence since his mouth was otherwise occupied by a sharp slap from Dean. Taken completely by surprise, Sam stood with his body half-turned away, his left hand cupping his reddening cheek.

Dean stared at him for a long moment, waiting for Sam to shake his head and ask what was happening.

"What's going on out here?" Leila's voice came from behind them, causing Dean to turn around. Sam took advantage of the distraction and belted his big brother across the face with regained strength. Dean faltered, and again Sam took the opportunity to sweep his legs out from under him. In a flash, Sam had Dean pinned to the ground.

"You wanna find Kole? Be my guest," Sam said, his eyes feral. "I'm going to get on with my own life. Now that you've got yourself a new partner, I'm free." He smiled viciously, grabbed Dean's hair, and smacked his head back against the pavement.

Though he did see light flashes in front of his eyes, the move was not meant to knock Dean unconscious. It was only meant to give Sam the chance to release his hold and leave without making himself vulnerable, which he did, leaving Dean laying next to his car in the near-empty parking lot.