Top of Form
All you need's a strong heart and a nerve of steelDecember 15th 2004 Maine
Shrieks of feminine laughter came from the SUV parked outside the strip of stores. Passersby in the quiet country street turned their heads. A group of four young shrieking women ran to the town's one beauty parlor at incredible speed.
Dean came out of the Town Pharmacy with his brown paper bag, hoping the medication inside would take effect immediately once applied. He wasn't watching, as the group of young women came ploughing into him.
The helpless victim of their Amazon charge was knocked over on the icy sidewalk and lay on his back dazed for a moment.
"Christ, Dean Winchester!" cried an astonished husky female voice, above his head. Strong arms pulled him up to his feet.
Dean looked down into laughing brown eyes, fringed with black lashes and dark eyeliner.
"Faith!" Dean's tone of voice, expressed his deep surprise at meeting her. If only their reunion was happening ten day from now, he cursed to himself.
"What no hug for your ex wife?" Faith laughed up at him. "Did we injure you?"
Dean kissed her quickly on the cheek, giving her a bear hug, then stepped back.
"Just my pride sweetheart," Dean brushed himself down. "I've got a wet ass thanks to you and your girlfriends." He glanced at the three women looking out the beauty parlor window at them. He recognized Sam Finn, and Vi, the other teenager an African American he had never seen before.
Faith patted his behind. "Feels as fine as always to me. So what are you doing here, hunting a wendigo?"
Dean started, and then realized she was kidding. "No, uh just fishing." He looked desperately round for his paper bag.
"In winter?" Faith said amazed. City girl that she was, she didn't question it. Faith had other things on her mind. There was a stressed and worried vibe coming off Dean, she decided.
She spotted the brown paper bag lying on the ground and gave it to him. It was damp and the bottle inside was almost falling out.
"Yeah, best time for the Maine catfish." Dean said airily, shoving the bottle in his coat. "So what are you up to?"
"I'm on vacation." Faith informed him. "I've booked a cabin for me and my friends, it's my birthday in two days and I've never celebrated it properly before."
"Hey I remember you mentioning it in Wichita." Dean clicked. "That's great Faith. You should celebrate your birthday."
"So are you in town alone here?" Faith asked him eagerly. "Cause, come hang out with us if you are. It would be wicked great to see you."
"I'm 'motel alone'." Dean told her. "I'm waiting for my Dad, he's turning up sometime this week."
"Awesome!" Faith said happily. She scrawled her address down on a receipt from her pocket.
Dean took the address knowing wild horses couldn't prevent him showing up at her doorstep. "So what was the chick stampede for?"
"We're getting our nails and stuff done, being all girly." Faith looked self conscious.
"You are all girly." Dean smirked admiringly. "You're looking great Faith." She was all wrapped up in her winter gear, resembling a cute Eskimo. Dean wanted to cuddle her.
"Come and see us this afternoon. There are three other guys there at the cabin, Finn and his friend Graham and a guy called Andrew. He's Vi's friend. We're playing cards this evening. So it'll be great, come?" she pleaded.
"Yeah sure." Dean said to her. "I'll swing by at six."
"Bring your sleeping bag, crash over. We'll let you join the slumber party." Faith invited him, as she walked away, blowing him a friendly kiss.
Sweet Baby Jesus don't let her want to have sex with me, Dean prayed to himself. I'm being punished enough.
Faith was greeted in the Beauty Parlor by a chorus of cat calls from her companions. Vi gave a shrill rebel yell, which freaked the other occupants of the salon out.
"Sorry ladies." Vi apologized to the locals. "So spill, what's the deal with you and Mr Completely Lickable?"
"Vi!" squealed Sam in mock horror. She added her two cents worth. "Yeah Faith, what's the story, he spent the night with you in Wichita right?"
"Maybe…" Faith said mysteriously.
"I saw him come out of her room the next morning!" Vi crowed in a sing song voice, she added to Sam and Rona. "And she was k, i, s, s, i, n, g him goodbye in a very French way."
Faith covered her face in her hands, pretending to be mortified. "Stop it youse."
"And they met in Vegas apparently." Sam said to the girls significantly. "So is it serious?"
"Look this is only the third time we've met. It's just casual okay?" Faith told them emphatically.
"So is he up for grabs then?" said Vi.drooling.
"Hands off Miss Barely Legal," Faith claimed Dean quickly. "He's totally all casually mine."
Part Two
Dean arrived at the small seaside cabin in the late afternoon. The log cabin was brightly lit, with a curl of smoke coming out of the chimney. It did have a homelike atmosphere.
Riley and another military looking guy judging from his buzz cut and demeanor were outside on the porch wrapped in blankets, smoking cigars.
"Hey Dean what's up?" Reilly said in a good natured, half tanked way.
"Hey Reilly." Dean greeted him.
Finns companion stood up and shook his hand firmly. "Graham Miller." He introduced himself.
"Dean Winchester."
"The girls are inside, making over their friend Andrew." Reilly said drinking from his beer bottle. "It's not pretty, be prepared."
Dean walked in to the smell of hot hair. A slight blonde man in his mid twenties was having a manicure and his hair done by the females in the room.
Faith looked up from where she was restocking the fire. "Hi Dean, glad you decided to come. This is Rona and Andrew, you remember Vi and Sam."
"Howdy." Dean said to everyone, he went over to where Faith was kneeling and squatted down beside her.
He reached out and brushed a smudge of soot off her face with his thumb. "How come you're not wearing your glasses any more?"
"Laser Eye surgery," Faith lied, she curled up by the fire. Putting her hands over her knees. "So…"
"Yeah…"Dean replied, he knew they had both been really sad to say good bye to each other in Wichita that morning. And yet they were virtual strangers in many ways. They didn't know that much about each other still.
If he spent the evening and proceeding days with her and her friends, it would be even harder saying good bye to her this time round.
Of course once she heard what was his problem was at the moment, it might not be hard to say for her to say good bye to him.
"I'm sleeping in there with Rona and Vi," Faith indicated an open door, which seemed to have female clutter spilling out into the open hallway. "But like I said, you can stay the night. That couch folds out."
"Thanks I'll bear it in mind. Do you want to show me the beach?" Dean suggested, he just wanted to get it out now. Then he could relax or leave her.
Faith and Dean walked along the pebbly beach, hands in pockets. Faith was aware that Dean desperately needed to tell her something and he didn't want to.
"Have you got a girlfriend Winchester?" Faith said lightly to him. Selfishly hoping he hadn't. "Is that what's bugging you? It doesn't matter your virtue's safe."
They stopped walking and stared out at the grey ocean together, side by side.
"No. I take it you don't have a boyfriend either." Dean confirmed with her.
Faith shook her head puzzled. What the hell was eating the guy?
"I can't have sex with you this time, sorry Faith." Dean bluntly told her.
"Okay, found God or something?" Faith asked starkly, kicking a pebble with her boot.
"Don't be like that." Dean couldn't believe how embarrassing he was finding this. "Look I slept with this really skanky girl in Chicago two weeks ago okay? I got crabs."
Faith burst out laughing uncontrollably.
"So I can't sleep with anyone for a week till I'm sure I'm clean." Dean went on, beginning to smile himself. "Quit laughing Faith, it's not funny."
Faith tried to stop and burst out laughing again.
Dean drew her close and kissed her, to shut her up the best way he knew. Both of them felt as if they had come home to somewhere warm and safe, after a long hard day in the cold.
Part Three
Sam and Vi peered out the window. "Oh they're walking back holding hands!" Vi said drinking her wine. "That's so sweet."
"Why are you getting so excited about Lehane's sexual plaything?" Miller asked jadedly, flicking through an old Time magazine.
"He's a total hottie." Vi explained, pulling the curtains against the cold. "I know she likes him. He real into her as well, you can tell."
"No I can't." Miller said abruptly. "So are we playing poker or what?"
"Relax Graham." Sam soothed. "We're still on for poker. Dean thinks we are all in pest extermination. It will be okay."
"The guy's a moron, if he still believes that after staying with us at close quarters for awhile," Miller threw the magazine back. "But I noticed Faith tends to screw retards."
Dean and Faith came in carrying beer from Dean's car and his sleeping gear.
"You can sleep with us guys." Andrew told Dean kindly, "Because if you're okay with Faith you're okay with us, right Miller?"
"Because we all know Faith has the best judgment in men." Miller said coolly.
Dean stiffened. Okay, he obviously didn't have a fan in Miller.
"Relax Winchester" Miller said throwing him a beer which Dean was able fortunately to catch one handed. "Sling your gear in with us. If I can room with Tucker I can room with you pal."
Part four
The card games were played for dimes, and Andrew won most hands.
"Okay," said Rona. "Let's play truth or dare."
"Let's not and say we did," Quipped Miller reshuffling the deck.
"I'm sick of poker," Vi wailed. "How about charades?"
"Just because we don't have TV is no reason to sink that low." Faith stomped on her idea, "Yeah, truth or dare Rona."
"Alright," agreed Sam easily. "Seeing Riley's passed out I'm safe."
"How neat!" Said Andrew. "I'm really into all this."
"That alone should put you all off." Miller warned them, drinking his beer slowly.
Dean frowned. "There are better drinking games."
"What are you both hiding?" Rona teased. "Okay my go first. Vi truth or dare?"
"Truth," said Vi.
"Did you or not girlfriend, take my Nelly CD without asking me and scratch it?"
"Yeah sorry," Vi confessed. "Okay Miller."
"Dare." Said Miller quickly.
"I dare you to roll naked in the snow." Vi squeaked.
"It always comes down to clothes removal, sooner or later." Miller said disgustedly. "Can I pass and drink in penalty?"
"No!" Vi, Rona, and Andrew chorused.
"Oh Christ." Miller stood up and stripped off his clothes casually. Vi caterwauled her rebel yell again. Dean watched Faith deliberately not check Miller out. But for whose benefit was that? His or Millers, Dean wondered.
Miller stood by the door bracing himself against the cold and the others crowded round.
Miller gave his own rebel yell. (Dean had thought he was from Texas too.) The soldier dashed out the door. He rolled in the snow twice and dashed back inside to everyone's cheers.
"Holy Shit I'm freezing, you assholes." Miller shivered, grabbing his clothes and going into the bathroom for a shower.
"We'll have to wait till he comes back now." Andrew complained, reaching for his wine. "That was dumb Vi."
'Well I wanted charades." Vi slurred. "But y'all crapped on that idea, yesiree."
Dean realized everyone in the house was off their faces, except for him, Faith and Miller. Faith hadn't been drinking much tonight he'd noticed. She'd kept refilling her rum and coke with coke.
"I might go to bed." Sam yawned.
"No we hafta to finish the game." Rona insisted. "I got a doozy for you."
"Okay what?" Sam said.
"Did you ever have an eating disorder in High School?"
"Where the heck did that come from? Sorry Rona no. Um oh okay Dean."
Dean racked his brains. He didn't want to take his clothes off under the pubic lice treated circumstances. Hell, Dean didn't normally want to take his clothes off in front of a bunch of strangers. He didn't want to tell the truth about anything to do with his life, or merciful god his whatever he had with Faith. They couldn't make yet another guy take his clothes off. Sam seemed classy.
"Dare." Dean replied.
Sam giggled. "Walk round the room without touching the floor."
Dean sighed well naturedly and carefully went round the room, without causing anymore havoc than knocking a lamp shade over. But Rona deftly caught that before it hit the floor, the girl's reflexes were amazing.
By the time he had finished Miller had come back out, and people said Miller should have his turn next.
"Truth or Dare Rona." Miller began. Every one had several turns at being truth or dared. Highlights being Vi showing how she preformed fellatio on a banana, Andrew confessing he couldn't speak conversational Italian after a year living in Rome and Faith being dared to kiss everyone in the room.
Faith had pecked Rona and Vi on the cheeks, Andrew on the forehead, Dean and Miller she kissed on their mouths with her lips closed but somehow her and Sam ended up with their tongues down each others mouths. (Dean could never have seen that one coming, but it was frickin entertaining.)
Rona and Andrew went to bed. Vi fell asleep on the couch. Sam covered her with a blanket and went to bed as well.
Faith, Dean and Miller stayed up for while, talking about the state of homeland security and then Miller went to bed too.
Faith looked at Dean sleepily. "It's wicked you're here."
Dean kissed her slowly and felt her come alive in his arms. They pulled reluctantly apart. "I know I keep saying this but I really like you Faith."
"I'm glad you do." Faith smiled. "This might for once turn out to be a decent birthday for me. My Mom held a couple of parties for me when I was a kid see…"
Dean pulled her on his lap and let her put her arms around him. "You don't like balloon animals?"
"No, Mom would always get drunk at them, or forget she was holding them because she was hung over. It kinda put me off the whole birthday thing."
"Well nothing is gonna go wrong here sweetheart." Dean assured her, stroking her long dark hair comfortingly. "Turning twenty four is gonna be a walk in the park for you."
Part Five
Kate Lockley gripped her steering wheel with clenched knuckles. At last she had managed to track Faith down. She had broken several laws to do achieve it, but she had found out that Faith had paid by Credit Card to book a seaside cottage in Maine. Now Kate just had to find a motel to stay the night in, before she crashed her car with driver fatigue.
Kate checked into a roadside hotel and waited for two men who looked like Feds to check in before her.
Agents Firn and Green were feeling pretty damn good at the moment. Dean Winchester had booked a room in a small town in Maine, using a fraudulent credit card they had a trace on. They had only to go to Maine and wait for his father to join him. The two FBI agents then had them both.
