AN: After writing this chapter, all I can think about is going out partying this weekend! It's made it really hard for me to focus on work and, infinitely more important, this story, but I'll try my best to get the next chapter finished soon. Promise. AT

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They went for a proper dinner that night. Isabel had begged for a dining experience that did not involve the words 'all you can eat' or 'supersize'. Sam suggested Chinese, and everyone was pleased with the choice. Afterwards Sam grudgingly agreed to go to the bar around the corner form the motel for a few celebratory drinks. The bar was noisy, crowded and smelled of cigarette smoke and stale beer. Isabel and Dean immediately liked it. Sam nodded in approval, they would easily blend in.

The layout was pretty standard; there was a large area to the right of the entrance which accommodated a few leatherette booths on the edge of the wall but mostly consisted of small round wooden tables and chairs. To the left was a small stage and dance floor. There was a band playing an appealing blend of country/rock music and the crowd cheered them on enthusiastically. Conveniently in front of the entrance, and in between the entertainment and sitting area, was the large and apparently well-stocked bar.

They walked in and Sam and Isabel instantly noticed Dean was scouting the place for chicks, none too subtly either. They headed off to the right and sat at one of the few empty tables near the back, away from the band and small dance floor. A waitress came around and Dean ordered a pitcher of beer and a coke, shamelessly checking her out as she walked away. He turned back to find Isabel looking at him with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

"Doesn't your penis have an off switch?" She asked.

"Give me a break! I'm a 26 year old guy and she was pretty!" His expression one of exasperation "Besides, you didn't hear me say anything when you were hankering for that Lorenzo Lamas look-alike yesterday"

"For your information, his name was Robert" She scoffed haughtily "and I was not looking at him like he was a Krispy Kreme at a Weight Watchers meeting"

Dean turned to look at the waitress again "She does look good enough to eat" he said

She chuckled and shook her head as the waitress came back to their table with their drinks. She eyed Isabel carefully, obviously trying to figure out which of the two young men she was with. Isabel noticed and she shifted slightly towards Sam, smiling at him as she asked him if he was having a good time.

The waitress got the subtle message and the smile returned to her pretty face as she looked towards Dean, satisfied that he was there unattached.

"My name's Katie" She said perkily as she flicked her shoulder-length honey-colored curls with her free hand "Let me know if there's anything else I can get you"

"Will do Katie" Dean replied seductively, giving her his patented 'I'm God's gift to women' smile.

Katie smiled again before she turned and headed off towards the bar, swaying her hips exaggeratedly. Isabel smiled, knowing she was doing it because she knew damn well Dean would be watching as she walked away. Isabel herself, had used that particular tactic on men countless times in the past. She wasn't sure if she should be annoyed with the whole male sex for being so easily distracted and weak in situations like these, or her own, for being so acquiescent and manipulative.

"Thanks" Dean said to Isabel as he turned back to face her and Sam.

"Anything to get you laid" Isabel said sweetly "What about you Sammy? See anything you like?" She raised her arm, gesturing around the bar as if they were in a showroom in a quiz show and she wanted to help him pick out a top-of-the-line refrigerator, or perhaps the set of professional golf clubs?

"I came here to celebrate my birthday with you guys, not to pick up some random chick" Sam said, irritation scratching the surface.

"Wanna dance with me?" Isabel asked, noticing he wasn't comfortable with the conversation.

"I don't dance" He said plainly.

"Oh come on. It's a slow song" She begged, grabbing his arm and resting her head on his shoulder as she looked up at him with her best puppy dog face "Please? All you have to do is sway from one foot to the other. Please?"

"Want me to dance with you?" Dean offered halfheartedly, noticing his brother was not yielding.

"No" She said to Dean "You're going to go and put the moves on Katie"

She stood and grabbed Sam's arm. Sam let out a loud sigh and stood with her, allowing Isabel to drag him onto the small but crowded dance floor. It was true, he realized when they got there, all he had to do, and all he could do in that confined space was move from side to side as he looked down at Isabel. She was watching him closely.

"You're going to have to move on Sam" She said finally.

He closed his eyes and averted her gaze once he opened them again "I can't just do that Isabel. I'm not like you; I can't just…bounce back so quickly. It's not that easy for me"

"You think it's easy?" She asked frowning "Let me tell you, it's not. It's scary Sam…It's scary as hell, but you have to get on with your life because it's not going to wait for you. I know you loved Jessica, but she's not coming back...and you can't spend the rest of your life alone. I'm sure she wouldn't want that for you. Don't you want to meet someone?"

"I can't do it yet" He said looking at her pleadingly, knowing all her words were true and she meant them in the best possible way. It wasn't the first time that he'd had to address this particular issue, although Isabel seemed to be the only one who would not beat around it "It's too soon. Besides, I wouldn't want to bring anyone into this. Not until we find dad and finish…this" He said.

"I'm not saying you have to bring her along Sam"

"I don't do one-night stands, Isabel" He said, shaking his head and looking down at her. Even in her high heels she was a good foot shorter than him "I can't"

She smiled and tilted her head to the side as she studied him.

"Me neither" She said in contemplation "It takes all the excitement out of the build up. There's no anticipation, no romance, no real connection, you know?"

"Never pictured you for a romantic, Bel" He said joking.

"Oh I am" She admitted frankly "And so are you"

"Me?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, don't even try to deny it!" She said laughing.

He smiled and nodded, looking at her in interest "You know, in some ways, you and I are more alike than we realize"

"Well, I'm not as uptight as you, but I'm not as horny as Dean" She said frowning.

"That's sweet. I guess you're a healthy in-between then?" He asked mockingly.

"No, seriously Sam. I may not be a hopeless romantic, but I know you've got to savor all that stuff. The first date, the first kiss, the first touch"

He looked at her with a smirk on his face "So there's a sequence now, is there?"

She laughed "Damn right there is! Anyone can do that" She said glancing towards the bar where Dean, who apparently hadn't needed that much convincing from Isabel, was now chatting up the pretty waitress "But that's not how you get the keepers"

"He's unbelievable" Sam said shaking his head as he looked towards his brother. He had Katie eating out of his palm.

"Yeah" Isabel agreed "He's a bit of a man-whore alright" Sam laughed loudly and a couple of the people around them turned to look their way "He'll grow out of it though, you'll see"

"Yeah, but when? There's only so many women in America"

"Eventually he's going to meet a girl that's gonna knock him flat on his ass. He's not gonna know what hit him" Isabel said with a wicked smile of anticipation "I'd give anything to see that"

The song finished and the band started playing a much faster song. Sam looked at Isabel unsurely and she took it as a cue that their dancing was over.

"Wanna go back?" she asked, knowing that answer would be a big fat yes.

"Oh God, yes" He said already turning and walking off.

She walked behind him, circumnavigating her way through the throng of people, before realizing Sam was no longer in front of her. She felt a man grab her arm and step in front of her and she looked up curiously.

"Hey pretty lady" The man said.

He was large, sweaty and, as she caught a whiff of his breath, beyond hammered. She tried to walk past him but he held on to her arm.

"Yes?" She asked impatiently, looking around for Sam who had disappeared ahead of her.

"Name's Dave. I've got my truck outside" He said, practically licking his lips as he leered down her body and tilted his white Stetson in what he surely must have thought was a polite and charming gesture "You wanna ride?" He asked her suggestively.

She shivered in repulsion as she felt his hand let go of her arm to rest at her hip. She knew exactly what kind of ride he had in mind. She was now not only disgusted but pissed.

"Sorry cowboy, but in my corral, eight seconds ain't no ride" She responded dryly.

His smile disappeared as he looked down at her darkly and she suddenly regretted her poor choice of words.

"What did you just say darling?" He asked threateningly.

"There you are!" She turned to find Sam now standing next to her "I thought I lost you" He said grabbing her hand and pulling her away with a nod to the man who'd been accosting her.

She chanced a glance back towards him as Sam pulled her away. The wannabe cowboy was still glaring angrily at her.

She turned to Sam again "Thanks"

"What the hell was that?" He asked angrily as they made it out of the dance floor and he turned to face her "Couldn't you just have said no thanks and walked away?"

"He was being disgusting!" She said offended.

"Maybe, but you can't pick a fight with a 300 pound drunk redneck Isabel! You're not going to win"

"It's my fault?"

"Of course not, but please pick your battles a little more carefully!" He said "My God, it's like you're fly paper for freaks!"

She walked away in a huff, offended that he appeared to not be taking her side. They sat back down at the table in silence and she watched him as he sculled the rest of his beer and poured himself another glass from the pitcher.

"Maybe you should pace yourself" She suggested.

"In case it's slipped your mind, it's my birthday"

"Fine, inhale your beer, chug on" She said rolling her eyes "Go ahead, get wasted!"

Dean came back a few minutes later with a fresh pitcher of beer and looked at the quiet pair questioningly.

"What's up?" He asked setting the pitcher down on the table and sitting down.

"Nothing" Sam said.

"Saw you talking to Katie" Isabel said with a raised eyebrow "So?"

"She's getting off in a couple of hours" Dean said with a smile raising his beer glass to his lips.

"And when does she finish work?" Isabel asked with a smirk.

Dean choked on his beer as he laughed and even Sam couldn't help but chuckle.

"That was good" Dean said with an acknowledging nod in her direction "Crude, but good"

"I thought so" Isabel said before nudging Sam with her elbow "Hey, Sam, ten o clock"

He raised his wrist and stared at his watch in confusion "What?"

"Oh my God, are you socially retarded?" She asked jokingly as she shook her head "I meant, check out that red head at the bar in the purple halter neck top"

Sam looked up at the girl then back at Isabel "What about her?"

"She is totally checking you out" Isabel said "You should go over and talk to her"

Sam rolled his eyes "Isabel" he started tiredly.

"No, I'm serious Sam" Isabel insisted "It's just talking"

"Do you need a pick up line, bro?" Dean asked amused.

Isabel shot Dean a warning look "He does not need a pick up line. He just needs to be himself, she's already interested"

"I'm not just going to walk over and start a conversation" Sam said before looking at his cousin unsurely "I mean, what do I say?"

"Just walk up to her, introduce yourself and let her take it from there" Isabel said encouragingly "Maybe buy her a drink or ask her to dance. Hey, I know! Pretend it's your birthday and you're having fun"

"I am having fun Isabel" Sam said defensively "Sitting here, with you guys!"

"That's really sweet Sam and I'm having fun too" Isabel said "but if anyone asks me to dance, I'm so ditching you"

Sam looked at her slightly wounded whilst Dean raised an unbelieving eyebrow at her "Anyone?" he asked skeptically.

"Fine, anyone cute" Isabel admitted.

"And you say I'm shallow" Dean said.

With perfect timing Isabel felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to the owner hesitantly, half expecting Dave the horny cowboy armed with either a comeback to her insult or yet another vomit-inducing pick up line. What she didn't expect was a gorgeous young blond with the bluest eyes and the cutest smile she'd ever seen.

"Excuse me" He said bending down slightly as he spoke to her "My friends over there made a bet that I couldn't get the prettiest girl here to dance with me" He looked at her for a few seconds "Wanna split a hundred bucks?"

After a moment of stunned silence, in which she clearly heard Dean snort, she couldn't help but giggle like a teenage schoolgirl.

"See ya" She said to her cousins as she stood and quickly walked off to the dance floor, cute boy in tow.

Dean and Sam were left staring agape after her.

"That was a good line" Sam said nodding in approval at the pretty boy's approach.

"Yeah" Dean said turning back to his brother "You should use it on the red head"

That was it! Sam downed the rest of his beer, and loudly set the empty glass back on the table. He stood up and looked at Dean.

"Keep an eye on her" He said nodding towards the dance floor where Isabel was dancing with her new 'friend', before walking off towards the bar.

Two hours later found Isabel heading back to the table with 50 bucks in her pocket. She momentarily regretted wearing her black stiletto high heels as the soles of her feet complained at the effort to walk, then quickly dismissed it, with her black hipster slacks and pink silk top, they looked pretty spectacular. They were worth a little pain.

She sat at the table, Sam the only occupant. He had empty pitcher of beer and was making quick work of a second. Well, she assumed it was a second; it could have been a third, fourth, even fifth for all she knew.

"How did it go with red?" She asked.

"I choked" He admitted pouring himself another glass "Where's the pretty boy?" He asked derisively.

"Josh" She corrected him "Probably trying his luck with someone drunker, sluttier and not under surveillance by two male cousins"

"Hey, I'm not stopping you" He said weakly.

"Yeah, right!" She said in disbelief. Hell would freeze over before Sam or Dean let her leave that bar with a strange man "I don't want to anyway. He's really cute, but I don't think he can add two and two"

"You want someone good looking and smart?" Sam asked smirking. His speech had now started to slur "Someone's a little picky"

"Are you drunk?" She asked, wondering how many of those beers he'd had in the time she'd been dancing.

"Getting there" He said.

"Where's Dean?" She looked around but couldn't find her older cousin. She thought it weird that he would have left without saying anything.

Sam snorted humorlessly "Where do you think?"

She watched him as he continued to drink.

"Hey guys"

Sam and Isabel looked up to see Dean and Katie standing by the table.

"Dean" Isabel said. She noticed Katie was wearing a jacket and had her handbag with her. Similarly, Dean had his car keys in his hands "You leaving?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna give Katie a ride home" He said putting an arm around the girl.

"I bet you are" Sam muttered before bursting into a fit of giggles causing Dean to look down at him with an amused smirk.

"Dude, are you drunk?" Dean asked.

"I think it's pretty obvious that I am" Sam replied slurring "I'm gonna get more beer" He stood up, making a none-too-straight beeline for the bar.

Isabel laughed as she watched her younger cousin stumble away "He's gonna pay for this tomorrow" She mused.

"Do you want a lift back to the motel?" Dean asked, looking towards his brother then back to his cousin, unsure of whether to leave the two alone.

"Nah, I think the walk back will do him good" Isabel said "It's only around the corner"

"OK then, keep your phone on and call if anything happens. I'm taking the spare key" Dean said "Make sure you take him back soon, otherwise you'll have to carry him"

"OK, go on now you two" She said waving them off "Get out of here. Have fun"

"Bye Isabel, it was nice to meet you" Katie said as Dean led her away.

"You too" Isabel shouted to her back.

She waited quietly until Sam came back. He slumped down on the table and stared blankly at the ground.

"I think I need to go to bed" He said finally.

"No kidding" She said, noticing he was looking a little green "We better call it a night and head back, kiddo"

They stood up and headed towards the bar exit. Sam stumbled as they walked down the steps off the front door and Isabel grabbed for his arm to steady him.

"I don't feel so good" He said.

"Are you going to puke?" Isabel asked alarmed as they headed off towards their motel "Because if you are, I'm not holding your hair back"