AN: Another chappie for you all. I hope people are still reading this. Please R & R. Thanks for all your reviews so far, you guys are really sweet. Toodles, AT
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The first thing Isabel heard when she woke up the next morning was thunderous snoring, which momentarily baffled her because she was sure that Dean hadn't come back yet. She stretched out on the bed and sighed contentedly, having one to herself for the first time in over two weeks.
She looked to the bed across from her. Sam was sprawled unceremoniously on the bed, his bare feet dangling over the edge, and she laughed quietly as she remembered dragging him back to the motel last night, pushing him into the room, Sam protesting that he wasn't ready to go to sleep before collapsing back onto the bed and passing out in less than a microsecond. Being too heavy for Isabel to even move him to take his jacket off and failing miserably, though not for lack of trying, she had ended up just taking off his shoes and pulling a blanket over him.
She looked at the alarm clock on the table between their beds. It was almost eight o' clock and they'd only been asleep for about five hours. Knowing how much alcohol Sam had consumed and how deep in sleep he looked and sounded, Isabel figured he'd be out for a while yet. A thought suddenly materialized in her mind. With Dean still 'out' and Sam down for the count, she had time to herself. She could probably go for a run and be back within the hour. She did just that, struggling to run for an entire hour after almost two weeks of no exercise.
She got back to the motel and her theory proved to be true. Dean was still not back and Sam was dead to the world. She quietly showered and changed into jeans and a baby blue t-shirt, and still it was only half past nine. She was hungry. She grabbed her wallet, cell phone and wrote Sam a note, in case she wasn't back when he woke up. She gave him one last look before opening the door and walking down to the motel diner.
It was an hour later that Dean arrived, parking the Impala in front of the room he was sharing with his brother and cousin. He smiled to himself as he stepped out of the car and walked up to the door. He hadn't slept much last night, yet felt more relaxed than he had in ages.
He'd taken the spare key with him, so he unlocked the door and walked straight into the room. He stopped mid step as he looked down at his brother sleeping form. Isabel's bed was empty, but before he could wake Sam up and ask where the hell she was, he saw a piece of paper lying across her pillow. He walked over and picked it up, reading it aloud.
Sam, don't freak out, I'm at the diner. Isabel. PS: I've left aspirin out for you
He looked at the small bedside table between Sam and Isabel's bed and smiled. Yes, she'd left the aspirin and a glass of water out for him. He put the note back on the pillow and took a shower. Noticing his brother was still out when he finished, he decided to join Isabel. Not surprisingly, he was hungry too.
He walked into the bright sunny diner and looked around for his cousin. The scent of cooking and freshly brewed coffee hit him and his mouth immediately began to water, his growling stomach agreeing loudly. He spotted her sitting on a window booth, her back to him. She wasn't by herself, he noticed, and across from her sat a young man. They were chatting casually, almost like they knew each other.
She had a plate full of French toast in front of her, a glass of orange juice and a steaming mug of coffee. The guy looked like he was just sipping on coffee as he sat there, clearly smitten with the young pretty girl in front of him and hanging on her every word. In fact, he was so captivated by whatever she was animatedly talking about, that he didn't even notice Dean had walked up to them and was standing at the end of the table. He cleared his throat loudly and Isabel and the man looked up at him. She smiled brightly at him.
"Hey, you're back!" She said, moving over on the seat to make room for him "Hungry, stud?"
"Starving" He said eyeing the man warily as he sat next to his cousin. He was sure it wasn't the guy she'd danced with the night before, yet he still looked somewhat familiar.
"Oh, Dean this is Mark" Isabel said, finally noticing her cousin's inquiring expression "He's in the band from last night. The drummer" She turned to Mark again "This is Dean, my cousin"
Dean nodded in acknowledgement towards the man before turning to Isabel slowly.
"You're having breakfast together?" He asked suspiciously.
"Mark was having breakfast when I got here" Isabel explained, knowing what Dean was really trying to ask "He asked me if I wanted to join him"
"Oh" Dean said nodding.
"We didn't have sex" She said bluntly, taking a sip of her juice.
At her candid, if not lewd comment, Mark choked on his coffee and looked at Dean stunned. He shook his head, agreeing with Isabel.
"No" He said quickly "We didn't"
"Good" Dean said smiling at Mark.
He didn't take his eyes off of him and Mark got Dean's message loud and clear; He was no longer welcome.
"Well, I better get going" Mark said, taking the hint and standing up "You in town for long?" He asked Isabel hopefully.
"Actually Mark, we're leaving today" Dean said.
"Oh" Mark's face showed disappointment though he tried to hide it. He held his hand out to Isabel "It was a pleasure to meet you Isabel"
"Likewise" She said, flashing him a warm smile as she shook his hand "Bye Mark"
Mark turned to Dean "Mark" Dean said with a nod.
"Catch you later" Mark said.
Dean watched Mark leave the diner, then stood and took the seat he'd been occupying, across from Isabel.
"Mark the drummer?" He smirked at Isabel.
"Drummers are good" She said casually, flexing her biceps "Strong arms"
"I thought I was going to have to physically drag him away from you" He said.
"He wasn't bothering me Dean, we were just talking" She said, but her voice lacked heat as her attention was brought back to her breakfast "You could have been a little more polite"
"Is it always like this with you?" He asked curiously.
"I have that effect on men" She said in mock arrogance as she dramatically fluttered her eyelashes "What can I say? They find me quite mesmerizing"
He laughed at her theatrics "You're like a female version of me"
"You wish" She snapped back with a smile.
He chuckled "Saw Sam sleeping"
"Passed out, you mean" She said, biting into her toast.
The waitress came and took Dean's order, pouring him a cup of coffee which he wasted no time in drinking.
"He was wasted!" Dean said smiling at the memory of his little brother stumbling to the bar for another beer.
"You have no idea" Isabel said shaking her head "He was out like a light before his head even touched the pillow. He's going to wake up with the mother of all hangovers"
"I hope so" Dean said wickedly with an evil smile.
"How did it go with Katie?" Isabel asked with a smirk of her own.
"Do you want the family friendly version or the adult version?" He asked.
"Eww, I don't want either version" She said, slightly frightened at what in Dean's predictably dirty mind the adult version would entail.
He raised an incredulous eyebrow at her "Since when are you the blushing virgin?"
"I'm not" She said offended. True, she was no delicate flower, but some things didn't need to be shared. Even between family "I was just being polite Dean, and really, I only need a one word answer"
"It went well" He said.
"Good" She said "Gonna see her again?"
"We're leaving today" Dean said plainly.
She was about to say that they didn't have to, that they could stay a few more days. Graceland wasn't going anywhere. But for some reason, she figured that the thought of staying in Harrison just so that he could spend some time with Katie had never even crossed Dean's mind.
"I'll take that as a no then" Isabel said, deciding not to push it.
"Look out" Dean said pointing out the window "Sleeping beauty's up"
Isabel followed his gaze and watched as Sam slowly made his way to the diner. His head was slumped and it looked like it even hurt him to put one foot in front of the other. He was squinting as the sun hit his eyes and when the door to the diner shut behind him with a thud, he cringed and groaned in pain, rubbing his temple with his fingertips.
He looked around and spotted Dean waving him over. He walked over and sat next to Isabel without a word. The waitress arrived at the same time with what Isabel, in her opinion would not have called 'the complete start to the day' as the menu so temptingly suggested, but rather a 'heart attack on a plate', and placed it in front of Dean. She turned to Sam and asked him if he wanted anything. He shook his head as he stared at Dean's obscene serving of bacon, eggs and toast in disgust, groaning again.
"Coffee, please" He croaked out without even looking up at the waitress "Black"
The waitress filled a cup for him and Dean then walked away. Dean was smiling at him, openly enjoying the fact his brother was in such physical self-induced suffering. Isabel on the other hand was looking at him sympathetically.
"How are you feeling honey?" She asked rubbing his back gently.
"Like I drank too much" He said turning his bloodshot eyes to her "I take it we got back alright last night?"
"Yeah" She said unsuccessfully repressing a laugh at the memory of him stumbling down the street "I dragged you back before you went comatose"
"You managed to tear yourself from the frat boy?" Sam asked.
"Lava lamp? Yeah" Isabel said "I left him with his friends"
"Lava lamp?" Dean asked confused.
"Josh, the guy I was dancing with" She explained "You know, lava lamp? Pretty to look at but not very bright"
"Oh" Dean nodded in understanding "Have a good birthday, buddy?" Dean asked.
Sam smiled "Yeah, actually I did. Although I'm slightly regretting it now"
Isabel finished eating and grabbed the paper that was on the table, flipping through it. Sam grabbed a section from her and started reading it too. Dean continued to wolf down his atherosclerotic feast.
"Hmm, that's weird" Sam said, his attention drawn to a small article.
"What is?" Isabel asked sliding over and resting her chin on his shoulder as she quickly skimmed through the article Sam was talking about. It was about a construction worker, suspected of dying of Mad Cow Disease "Yeah, it's a little weird, I guess" She said noncommittally as she slid back to her place on the seat.
"He died suddenly" Sam continued "I mean, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease usually takes years to kill" He stopped for a second, looking at his brother and cousin. Neither looked particularly interested. Isabel's eyes went back to the crossword she'd found.
"Huh?" Dean asked frowning.
"Mad Cow Disease" Isabel and Sam said together.
"Mad Cow…wasn't that on Oprah? " Dean asked.
Isabel and Sam looked at him blankly
"You watch Oprah?" Isabel asked, stifling a laugh.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sam asked aloud, too interested in the article to make fun of Dean's revelation. Later, maybe.
"What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?" Isabel asked him in mock dread.
Dean snorted as he continued to shovel fried eggs and bacon into his mouth, without any evident regard for his cardiovascular system and glad the focus had shifted from his embarrassing admission. Sam looked at Isabel in irritation.
"I see you've had your big fat cup of crazy for the day" He said sarcastically.
"Sarcasm doesn't become you, Sam" She said in disdain "I know what you're trying to do. You want to get out of going to Graceland"
"No I'm not, Bel" Sam said "I really think we should look into it. Oklahoma is not that far away"
"How is this your problem? I thought you just wanted to go on a road trip and maybe, maybe find your dad? What do you think you're going to get out of going to Oklahoma?" Isabel said.
"Well, we still haven't heard squat from dad and it's not about getting anything out of it" Sam protested "It's about trying to make the world a better place"
"Oh please. Make the world a better place?" Isabel said rolling her eyes "Save it for the pageant Miss Kansas"
"Dean, will you please back me up here?" He cut in, appealing to his brother.
Dean looked at Isabel "We're going to Oklahoma" He said with his mouth full.
She huffed in annoyance and returned her attention to the crossword, sulking for a few moments as silence settled on the table.
"Seven down...three letter word for jerk...Mmm" She frowned in concentration and looked at Sam, gasping in realization "Oh, I know!" She said looking back down at the paper as she scribbled her answer, spelling it aloud "S-A-M"