It was a struggle to keep myself awake behind the steering wheel, as I travelled down endless dark country roads and although I had my music blaring and windows open, I could feel my eyes slipping closed via long blinks. I jolted in the driver's seat and cursed under my breath. My attention was drawn to a sign for a nearby diner and without deliberating any further, I turned into their parking with a bitter defeat. As I glanced into the rearview mirror, I was shocked by the exhaustion in my eyes and quickly attempted to neaten myself up before I stepped out of the vehicle.
I slumped into one of the sticky diner booths in relief and dropped a comic book onto the table out of habit. A cheerful older woman rushed over to take my order almost immediately and I was thankful for the teabags that I carried in my bag at all times when she provided a mug of hot water to tide me over until the food arrived. It had been weeks since I visited Bobby and I'd been on the road working cases almost consistently since. I felt so refreshed by making peace with him that I'd thrown myself into work and only now that I had stopped did I begin to realise that I'd likely overworked myself in my enthusiasm.
The sound of movement at the edge of the booth caused me to startle so hard that I crashed my knees on the underside of the table, but I was unable to leave as the hulking figures of Sam and Dean Winchester blocked me in. Sam slid into the seat beside me whilst Dean dropped into place across the table, and I peered between them in disbelief.
"You know, we've really gotta stop bumping into each other like this." Dean crooned as he met my eyes with a playful smirk and it was obvious from the excited glitter in his eyes that he was thrilled to have found me. I could hardly believe what I was seeing and after a few blinks to check that I wasn't hallucinating, I sighed at him.
"Are you guys stalking me now?" I blurted, shifting nervously to add some distance between Sam and I, much to the brothers offence. "I managed to avoid you for a literal decade and now I'm seeing you everywhere." I questioned with a lilt of amusement in my voice as I flicked my attention between them and waited for an explanation that would stop me feeling as if I were about to be kidnapped at any moment.
"Saw your Jeep outside." Sam confirmed gently, his demeanour as if he were managing a startled animal that might scarper at any moment and I nodded my head at him with a smile to indicate that I was messing with him. His shoulders visibly relaxed at this and I quickly noticed that he was the more compassionate of the two.
"I'd recognise that beat up old piece of crap anywhere." Dean added tauntingly, only further confirming my theory and I squinted at him with a brow raised in interest. "I helped Bobby to work on that antique one summer. We spent months taking the entire thing apart. Always wondered where it went." He revealed, his gaze becoming misty as he lost himself to memories and I hummed thoughtfully. It hadn't ever crossed my mind that there would be times where we almost crossed paths at Bobby's and I was curious how many times we had barely missed each other in that cramped little house.
"Well. Now you know." I commented as I fidgeted with my hands nervously and tried to concentrate on keeping my bitter attitude from rearing its ugly head again. Since my heart to heart with Bobby, my emotions were far better controlled but I still anticipated the occasional rogue comment slipping out and after my previous interactions with the Winchesters I was keen to keep things civil this time. "Don't worry. I keep her in very well maintained condition." I winked at Dean as I spoke and his eyes widened slightly in alarm, as if the very concept of me working on the old Jeep made him uncomfortable.
"Really?" He breathed and I quickly realised that it wasn't concern, but rather riveted interest that filled his face. "You know your way around a car?" He questioned in a deep voice that made a subtle shiver run down my back and from the corner of my eye, I noticed Sam observing us with a smug smile on his lips.
"You weren't the only one who spent their summers at Singer Autos." I taunted as his brows shot up and he viewed me with fascination. Even without looking at him, I could sense the subtle excitement in Sam's body language and I suspected that this small fact about me was significant to Dean, even if I couldn't be sure of the reason. A deep sigh escaped my lips as I considered my next words carefully and the niggling feeling in my stomach urged me to clear the air.
"Look, guys. I know that the last few times we've met I was kinda a bitch and it really wasn't deserved on your part. I'm well practiced at scaring people off and it can be hard to shut that off, especially with some of the shit in my past that I…" I stumbled over my thoughts, struggling to balance the delicate line between explanation myself and divulging more information than I was comfortable with. "I don't really wanna get into all that. What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry and I know you don't ever get a second chance at a first impression, but if we could just start over, that would be great." I spoke with my gaze set on my hands to avoid their reactions and held my breath as I awaited their judgement. Instead, we were interrupted by the arrival of the waitress as she clattered plates down in front of the boys.
"I assume y'all want your food together with little Miss here?" She chirped as they both smiled at her gratefully. "I'll just be right out with your plate, Sugar." She smiled at me as she rushed off, bustling away with an enthusiasm that eased the tension between us. Dean glanced over to me as he grabbed a fry from Sam's plate with a mischievous look and I was glad to find that he seemed strangely relaxed despite the heavy topic of conversation.
"What'd you order, a salad?" He teased as he glanced down at my petite figure with a significant look and I scoffed at him in disapproval, insulted by his assumption.
"Pfft. Bitch, please." I scoffed as the waitress returned to drop a large burger with multiple sides in front of me and Dean furrowed his brow in confusion, seeming as if he expected there to have been a mix up. Sam quickly passed some cutlery from the pot beside him, which I promptly ignored as I lifted the burger to take a heart bite with an evident satisfaction.
"Well, shit. I love a girl that can eat." Dean praised with his brows raised in shock, whilst Sam chuckled in an impressed manner beside me.
"What are you doing here anyway? Got a job in town or you just passing through?" Sam asked casually as I practically attacked the food in front of me and Dean snorted in laughter at my lack of table manners. I'd been surviving the past few weeks on mostly road snacks and the occasional trashy take out, and this was the first proper meal that I'd had in a while. Although I wasn't the most feminine woman, I was at least well mannered enough to not speak with my mouth full and chewed quickly on my overstuffed cheeks as the boys viewed me with amusement.
"I was actually looking for somewhere to crash for the night whilst I look for new leads. Just finished a job in Missouri, so I'm actually on some free time right now." I replied as I fell into light conversation that felt strangely natural with them and I was intrigued by how easy the atmosphere felt. "What about you?" I investigated as I returned to eating and noticed that Dean still had a hint of admiration in his eyes at the revelation that I did not, in fact, order a salad.
"We're on our way to Nebraska for a case. We got some info passed on by a hunter friend." Sam confirmed in an even tone and I shrugged at his wording. Of course, I knew other hunters. It was impossible to have spent as long doing the job as I had without bumping into anyone, but I considered them contacts rather than friends. The very concept of hunter friends was bizarre to me and just another minor detail that demonstrated how different our methods were. "We're staying at a motel just a few minutes away, if you want us to lead you there? You look like you could use some sleep." He added, his voice revealing a hint of concern as he examined me and I sighed.
"You know what, that would be great." I conceded, finally admitting to myself that I didn't have the energy to trawl the area for somewhere at least reasonably decent and Sam smiled in relief. We finished the rest of the meal between casual conversation and I covered the cost as an apology, despite their protests. I felt refreshed by their company as I stepped out into the cool night air and although I was more awake than I had been when I arrived, I still felt a sense of apprehension as I gazed over at my car.
"Hey. If you're as beat as you look, you can catch a ride with us. We'll bring you back in the morning to pick up your car." Dean offered with a considerate smile and I was too exhausted to fight him.
Instead, I simply grabbed my holdall from the boot of the Jeep and followed them to their signature Impala with a slight lurch in my stomach. I was sure that it would have felt substantially more strange to get into their car if I wasn't so desperate to reach a bed, but for the time being I could feel little other than the relief that I didn't have to drive in my current state. My blinks became long and indulgent as I relaxed in the back seats and there was a safe atmosphere in the small space of the car that I didn't recognise.
There was an unusual comfort in knowing that I wasn't alone and I acknowledged that despite my previously ill held opinions of them, I felt able to rely on the Winchester's. I couldn't put my finger on the cause of this, whether it was their protective attitude, easy humour or the concern in their eyes that I'd noticed that they tried to disguise. They had an easily trustworthy nature about them and this discovery had caught me completely off guard.
The car slowed to a gentle stop and I felt a hand shake my knee as I stirred. I jolted awake to find Sam smiling warmly at me from the passenger seat and realised that I had drifted off in their car.
"It's a good job that you didn't try to drive, Faye. You barely made it a few minutes into the journey." Sam muttered in a kind manner and I shuffled awkwardly as I gathered myself, feeling embarrassed that I'd fallen asleep as easily as a baby in a car seat. I stepped out of the vehicle to find Dean glancing over his shoulder at me with amusement.
"Hope you didn't drool on the seats." He commented with a smirk and I pouted at him bitterly, unprepared to weather his humour when I was this drained of energy.
"Nah, I just licked your headrest." I teased, unable to produce a better response in my current state and he raised a brow at me suggestively.
"Kinky." He breathed as I rolled my eyes at him and shook off his constant innuendos. I hadn't even noticed Sam's absence until he jogged back over to us with a hand outstretched to me.
"Room opposite ours was free." He stated casually as he dropped a key into my waiting hand and I examined him suspiciously. "We're in the area to investigate a monster, remember? It's probably a good idea to stay close." He shrugged innocently and I nodded in defeat as he started toward the motel entrance. Though his explanation was sound, it felt surreal to have them behaving as if I required their constant attention and I was unsure if they were truly acting strangely, or I'd become so accustomed to being alone that I'd forgotten how people would usually behave around friends.
"Yeah, we're right across the hall. So, just scream if you need...anything." Dean drawled, placing a particular emphasis on the final word as he pouted slightly and I gasped, before punching him on the arm with considerably more force this time.
"Knock it off, Casanova." I groaned as he huffed in disappointment and left me unsure how to interpret his intense behaviour.
I was incredibly relieved to reach my room and said a rushed goodnight to the boys, as I was keen to close the door before Dean could invite himself inside. I had never prepared for bed at such a speed in my life and practically crashed into the pillows face first to plummet straight to sleep.
I didn't stir or even dream throughout the night and the next thing that I heard was a repetitive, insistent banging on the door. I leapt up to find daylight peeking in through the moth-eaten curtains and could easily tell that it was too early for me to be awake.
The pounding continued as I stumbled my way out of bed, almost knocking my glasses from the bedside table in my strain to put them on and snatched up my gun as I padded over in my pajamas. I held the pistol up as I unlocked the door and it swung open to reveal Dean, who held his hands up in mock surrender.
"Jesus, Dean. I almost shot you!" I gasped as I placed the weapon back on the nearest surface shakily and ran my fingers through my morning hair in an effort to calm down. "What time is it?" I asked as I struggled to suppress a yawn and noticed that the sun still seemed insultingly low in the sky behind him.
"8'o'clock." He replied in a frustratingly chirpy tone and I caught his eyes exploring my half dressed state in a barely contained exhilaration.
"Something had better be on fire, or the world best be ending for you to be at my door at 8am." I groaned as he chuckled lightly and rubbed at my eyes in an attempt to remove the sleep from them. I shuffled slightly on the spot as I realised just how little I was wearing, but was determined not to allow my discomfort to show and held my ground even in the face of Dean's blatant surveying of my figure.
"I was gonna ask if you wanted a lift to pick up your car, but clearly you're not an early bird." He commented with a smirk and I crossed my arms at him as I noticed his gaze drifting downward again. "Sammy and I are heading out to chase a lead. We'll swing by to pick you up later. I'd appreciate it if you could not shoot me again then." He crooned with a final glance up and down at me before he strode off.
I closed the door and immediately covered my face in embarrassment. When I first woke, I'd been so disorientated that I forgot the boys were even here, otherwise I'd definitely have taken the time to cover myself before answering the door. As I removed my hands from my hot cheeks, my attention landed on a full length mirror where I stared back at my reflection in horror.
My old, oversized band shirt had bunched up on one side in my sleep, giving a clear view to my lacy black panties and plenty of my stomach was also exposed. My legs were bare and I'd accidentally revealed the large tattoo on my thigh that I realised had probably been the detail that had drawn Dean's attention lower. The fuzzy bedhead and glasses were an interesting combination and it was obvious that I'd slept in my makeup. I audibly groaned at the state of myself before I crawled into bed to hide.
By the time that Dean knocked on my door again, I had ensured that I was as flawless as possible and packed to leave. He stood just outside of the threshold with a brown paper bag held up in front of him and a dazzling smile on his face.
"Peace offering, for your rude awakening." He commented as he handed the bag to me and I took it from him with a deep suspicion in my face. I noticed that he seized the chance to check me out again and was clearly pleased with the outfit that I'd carefully chosen to seem as if it were careless, but I secretly knew that it flaunted my figure. If I was going to be caught off guard like I had been earlier, I needed to feel in control of how I presented myself after and I always felt more powerful when I felt that I looked good. I unrolled the top of the bag and gasped involuntarily.
"Oh, dude...donuts?" I breathed with a keen appreciation as I stared at him with awe and he chuckled heartily at my blatant adoration.
"They're breakfast. We should make a move." He stated with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he moved away from the door and I followed him to the car. I paused as he neared the vehicle and glanced over my shoulder at reception, realising that I had missed a key step. "I already settled your bill this morning when we checked out. Toss your stuff in the car and I'll take the key back." He offered as he held out his hand and I threw the key to him in disbelief, knowing well that arguing with him would be a waste of both our time. I loaded my holdall on the backseats as instructed and slid into the passenger seat.
Dean was still out of sight once I had gotten comfortable, so I took a moment to hide a small wedge of cash in the glovebox to cover the cost of my room. As I opened the bag containing my all time favourite snack, he dropped into the driver's seat and peaked over just in time to catch me taking a large bite of the donut with intense satisfaction. I made an involuntary moan of enjoyment and Dean sniggered at me in delight.
"So, it's true. The key to your heart is donuts." He smirked as I swallowed my food and turned to face him with an expression of distrust. For a moment, I couldn't imagine how he could possibly have known such a personal detail about me, before understanding dawned on me and I kicked myself for my idiocy.
"Bobby told you!" I accused in a frustrated gasp and he nodded confidently in confirmation. "Betrayed by my own kin! Now you know my kryptonite." I exclaimed dramatically whilst he started the car's engine and seemed to be thrilled by our shared sense of humour.
"It's a solid choice, but I've gotta know something." He began as we drifted out of the motel car park and onto the road smoothly. I cocked a brow at him suspiciously, which was far less intimidating with cheeks full of pastry and hoped that he was not about to burden me with an invasive question now that he'd started weaning details out of Bobby somehow. "How do you have that sneaky rockin' body and a soft spot for donuts?" He drawled with a momentary glance at me and I had to cover my mouth to suppress a laugh.
"So you were looking. You're every bit as bad as your reputation, Dean." I teased as I thinned my eyes at him and he visibly cringed at my words. "Before you ask, I'm not one of those people who jogs, or swears by green tea, or any shit like that. I'm just a hunter. I work out the same way as you, fighting for my life. You do that enough and you can burn off any amount of junk food." I elaborated with a flourish and he shrugged in acceptance, before seeming to remember something.
"Every now and then, Sam has these health kicks. He gets up obnoxiously early and goes jogging." Dean stated with a clear look of disgust that matched mine and I couldn't think of a worse way to spend my time.
"Ew. Why haven't you killed him yet? Put him out of his misery?" I hissed, earning a gruff laugh from him and I realised that the softer of the duo was absent. "Where is Sam, anyway? Pretty sure I stole his spot." I enquired as I continued to eat my breakfast with childish delight.
"He wants to investigate a lead. I'm taking the other once I drop you off." He explained with a clear disinterest and I nodded in understanding. "Unless you wanted to hang around? We could always use an extra hunter on the case." He suggested, glancing over at me hopefully and I cleared my throat as I avoided meeting his eyes.
"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll pass." I stated calmly and I noticed that he sighed in disappointment. "Honestly, I think I've kinda overdone recently. Think I'm gonna take a few weeks to recoup. Maybe even head to the coast." I added thoughtfully and he hummed quietly.
"Sounds nice." He muttered, a far off expression filling his chiseled, handsome features and I could tell that he was considering this idea.
"You boys ever take time off?" I grilled, sensing that this comment had intrigued him and he simply shook his head at me. "Hunting is a hardcore job. It takes everything you have and more. If there's one thing that I've learned since I've been out here on my own, it's that you owe yourself the chance to take a break." I expressed, trying my best not to sound like I was delivering a lecture and he fixed me with a look of disbelief.
"I can't just take a break, Faye. There's bad shit out there waiting for me to kill it." He stated firmly and I examined him closely. I recognised a familiar state of tension that I had been ruled by myself years ago and wondered if we were more alike than I had first realised.
"You know, there was a time when I thought I had to save the entire world too." I divulged calmly and I could sense his displeasure at this conversation. "But sometimes, you need to think about yourself. You have needs too, Dean." I advised with a light smile and he sighed deeply at my words.
The car rolled to a halt and I recognised the familiar car park of the diner from the night before. I was pleased to see that my Jeep was safely parked still and turned back to Dean with a warm smile.
"Thanks for everything. I really do appreciate you boys taking the time to help me out, again." I remarked earnestly and he nodded silently in return. "And hey. Think about what I said. If you ever fancy a break, you have my number. I know the best places to cut loose." I added with a wink, before I stood to exit the car and left him to his thoughts.