The next two weeks were devastatingly normal. Dean was back and Riley slept in his room every night, soaking in his presence. Sam knew this, of course, because he'd passed by her room every night on the way to his and her bedroom door was open and her bed empty and made.
During the day, they looked for hunts and passed along the potential ones onto Garth and he assigned them away. Movies were watched and the old journals from the Men of Letters were paged through and read, the old record player playing in the background. At night, Riley made all Dean's favorites for dinner; spaghetti and her homemade meatballs, meatloaf, barbecue pork and slaw, steaks and baked potatoes, chicken and mushroom gravy and shrimp scampi. It felt good for the three of them to relax into an ordinary, comfortable routine.
Sam had teased Riley that she was spoiling his brother and she'd just giggled and shrugged. "I don't care. I'm so glad he's home." She'd even baked him one of her pies like Bobby had told her in his letter to do. Dean had eaten the whole damn thing right out of the pan over the course of three days, never sharing a single bite with Sam. His brother hadn't minded, of course, but teased him about it anyways.
It made Sam shake his head as he watched his brother sat at the war room table that morning. His fork was scraping against the ceramic pie dish as he finished the blueberry dessert, his jade eyes focused on the laptop screen in front of him. It was routine for him to shovel in some form of junk food while they researched and Riley sat there across from Dean, a smile playing over her features as she watched him. Normal was something none of them could ever get enough of.
In fact, it was a little too normal for Sam's taste. Riley and Dean were back to their old selves and maybe it was the overprotective part of him, but something nagged at Sam, making him question their happiness. Maybe it was the nature of the beast, but he tried to brush off that feeling. Dean put the fork in the pan and pushed it back from him a few inches and Sam reached across the table. Riley watched him pick up the ceramic piece and head for the kitchen and she rose to follow him.
"You look worried." Riley's cold hand on his forearm made him jump. He looked down at the woman standing behind him in the kitchen. Sam placed Dean's pie pan he'd retrieved from the war room table in the sink and rinsed it. "Sam?"
"I'm fine." He dried his hands on the dishtowel, keeping his gaze from hers.
Her chocolate gaze studied him closely and her eyebrow quirked slightly. "Do I look convinced?"
Sam smirked. "Not really."
"I'm fine. Dean's back-,"
"We still have a problem." He was referring to the Mark of Cain still adorning his brother's arm and she nodded, silently acknowledging his concerns. She hugged his torso before moving to the coffee pot. Sam watched her put on a fresh pot of coffee and turn on the warmer under the pot.
"We'll figure it out." The confidence in her voice was refreshing. "I promise you, Sam, we'll get that damn thing off your brother." Her dark eyes moved to his and she gave a single nod of her promise, making the left corner of Sam's mouth turn up in a tiny smile. The shuffle of slippers behind them made the pair turn to the doorway where Dean stood in his pajamas.
"You guys makin' breakfast?" He moved down the steps and towards them. Sam watched his brother hug Riley to his side as she grinned, her eyes sparkling as he dd so.
"Didn't you just eat the rest of that pie, or did I imagine that?" They smiled at one another before Dean looked up to Sam, who had a smirk on his face. "How are you still hungry?"
"I'm a growing boy." Dean stifled a yawn. "I'll make breakfast today, hm?"
"Sounds good to me." The younger man moved to the table and sat down. "It's about damn time... you haven't made us breakfast in what... like four months?" That struck Riley and she giggled and the playful bitchface Dean sported was enough to make Sam crack up laughing. Dean picked up the spatula and pointed it at his brother playfully as Riley headed towards the table to sit with Sam.
"Shut up or you don't get any bacon." That only made the pair laugh harder as Dean turned around to turn on the burner under the cast iron skillet, a smile lighting up his own features at their happiness.
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Riley had showered and blown her hair dry after getting her pajamas on that evening. She sat down on the edge of her bed and sighed softly. Dean had been home for just over two weeks and the trio hadn't been on a single hunt. They weren't taking any chances of him getting killed and turning back into a knight of hell. Dean was kinda pissed, but he understood Sam and Riley's reservations.
Riley leaned forward and pulled open her nightstand drawer to look over the contents. She pulled the shoebox carefully onto her lap and opened the notebook on top to study the angel banishing symbols Sam had shown her months ago as well as the warding symbols. She spent quite a bit of time studying them and would be using those very soon.
Riley lifted the lid of the shoebox and set it and the notebook aside and her gaze raked over the items carefully placed inside. A permanent black marker, sage, one black candle, matches, mugwort, black onyx, a silver pocket knife, some oils Castiel had procured for her, much to his dismay, and finally, driving directions she'd printed out at the Lebanon public library.
Under her bed sat her backpack. Her cell phone charger was in the side pocket as it was crammed with clothing, a pair of shoes, granola bars and some cash. Her hairbrush and deodorant were placed inside after her shower. Tears stung her eyes and she looked over at her dresser.
The beautiful reddish brown bowl Bobby had given her years before sat next to her bible. It would be the mixing place for all the ingredients for the spell.
The spell that would save Dean's life.
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"Hey..." Dean's sleepy voice made her smile a bit when she slipped into his room a few minutes later. She closed the door behind her and he lifted up the comforter, a silent invitation that she gladly accepted. Riley snuggled into him and sniffled quietly and he froze. "You okay?" His concern was evident and she felt his fingers in hers. "Ry?"
"I'm just... glad you're home."
He hugged her close to his torso and felt her relax some. "You know I'm not buying that."
"I just... don't want to lose you again." Riley whispered, her fingers gripping his tshirt. "Please promise me we won't lose you again."
"I promise." His whisper gave her some assurance.
His cell phone sat on his nightstand next to his friendship lamp, playing the soft sounds of a thunderstorm through the tiny speaker, coaxing both of them into relaxation. Several minutes passed before Riley whispered his name.
"Mm?"
"Why did you take me that night?"
"Why are you doing this to yourself?"
"I wanna know."
Dean sighed deeply. "I don't know... I came for Sam and I knew you were there and I just... needed to see you."
"Why?"
"I don't know." He sounded slightly frustrated. "I swear, it almost felt like... the Mark was calling out to you, leading me to you once I got inside here." Dean felt her suck in a breath. "You made me feel calm... quieted the darkness I had inside me for a little while."
"What was it like? When the Mark really took ahold of you?" The darkness in his bedroom was making her braver, asking questions she secretly wished to know but never could bring herself to ask.
"It was like... all the stuff that made me worry, made me care, just kinda melted away. It was kind of a freeing feeling, not to care about anyone but yourself." Dean paused. "My whole life, I've worried about and taken care of Sam. Not that I minded, but it was a lot to ask of a kid, a teenager. I had responsibility on me since I was four. I love Sam, don't get me wrong and I would do it all over again..."
"I know..."
"It would be like having all your anxiety and panic attacks taken from you." Dean spoke again, gentler this time. "And you would be free of that. but the cost is much greater... you wouldn't care about anyone but yourself and your own selfish needs and everyone around you that you would die for, your family, suddenly doesn't matter that much."
Riley felt tears stinging her eyes and she sniffled quietly. "I'm so sorry."
"Neither one of us got dealt a great hand."
She smiled a little in the darkness. "I know."
"I'm sorry for hurting you, Ry. You now I'd never-,"
"You don't need to say you're sorry anymore."
Dean stifled a yawn. "I know." He felt Riley kiss the stubbled underside of his jaw. "But-,"
"Goodnight Dean." She whispered, silencing him for the night. He settled down then and felt her breathing deepen a moment later. It felt incredible to have her close to him again and he never wanted to let her go.
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"Dean?" Riley squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. "When you have a minute, can you come down to my room?" She had showered and checked her bag for the millionth time. She was pacing and she knew it was now or never. God had given her a second chance to save Dean and she wasn't going to waste it because she was scared. The world needed saving and Dean Winchester was the man to do it.
"Give me a minute." His voice floated out into the hallway from his bedroom. He just taken a shower and she knew he was getting dressed. Sam had just taken off to grab pizza and beer for dinner and Riley knew she had roughly forty five minutes until he returned to the bunker. That was enough time to do the spell and leave before he came back. By the time he'd arrive, Riley would be gone in the wind.
Down the hall, Dean yanked his tshirt over his head and tugged it down over his torso, ruffling his damp hair a bit. He slipped on his red flannel before shutting off his light and moved down to Riley's room. "Ry?" He waited for her to reply.
"Come in." Her voice sounded funny to him and he reached out to turn the knob, pushing open her door. She was standing at the end of her bed and to his surprise, Castiel was standing there also. Riley waved him inside and he moved towards them, frowning slightly when he realized her friendship lamp wasn't on her nightstand anymore.
There was palpable tension in the room and his brow wrinkled. "What's up guys?" The angel reached out and touched his forehead, putting Dean out immediately. Riley held her breath as she watched Castiel effortlessly pick him up from the floor and place him on her bed.
"I still do not understand why you wanted me to do that." He straightened and turned to see the brunette standing there, a sigil painted with her blood on the bedroom wall. "Riley?" He sounded confused and she had tears in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Cas." She slammed her hand in the middle of the sigil and Castiel disappeared from her bedroom. Riley wiped her bloody palm off on her jeans, ignoring the stinging of her wound.
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A/N:
Jennhopp12, SaphyraBlu13, EmilyAnnMcGarrett-Winchester, ButterflyAlley and jloh217- thank you all for your reviews on the last chapter!
Yeah, like a true Winchester, Riley did something stupid for the greater good.
But at what cost?
CitrineMama