Chapter 28
Amy heard the key turn in the door and rushed forward as it opened. She stopped short, her hand flying to her mouth in dismay as she took in the disheartening appearance of the three that entered the apartment. Leah appeared upset, Dean had a small welt below his left eye and looked tense and Sam, her poor Sam had a split lip and guilt written all over his handsome face.
The small group filed past her and dropped down onto the couch in near perfect unison. Amy stared at them briefly, then hands on hips, went to stand before them. She eyed Sam first, who looked up at her apologetically. Obviously he was feeling bad about getting drawn into one of Dean's foolish escapades. Next Leah, who gazed up with big brown eyes. She seemed so innocent and unassuming, especially with the larger men flanking her, but Amy knew better. And then there was Dean. Dean, with his arrogant expression as his eyes fixed brazenly on hers.
Amy knew exactly who to deal with first - the elder Winchester. Shaking her head in abject disgust, she asked, "Okay. Who started the fight?" She already knew, of course, but allowing the remote possibility that it had been someone in the bar, she caved in and asked anyway.
Dean smiled. It was a wide flash of white teeth that Amy would so dearly have loved to wipe right off his face. She noted that Sam and Leah had simultaneously pointed at him as well. Eager to place the blame, were they? She'd see about that.
"Don't look so pleased with yourself, Dean. A bar fight? Honestly, everyone is entitled to be stupid, but you're abusing the privilege."
The grin fell away as Sam guffawed. "Don't laugh, mister." Amy reprimanded as she turned on a suddenly silent Sam. "You let him sucker you right into it, didn't you? Or maybe you were more than happy to help these two by throwing punches? And by the looks of it, getting some. You need to go take care of that cut on your lip. It doesn't look good."
Sam nodded and jumped up. "Yes ma'am." He winked down at Leah who was next to be scolded and then headed for the bathroom, pleased with his early dismissal. Knowing Amy the way he did, it was clear that she was just getting warmed up. He wasn't off the hook. She'd lecture him later for getting into that brawl, but it appeared Leah or Dean was going to get the brunt of it.
"And you, Ms. Chandler," Amy crooked her finger. "Come on, let's go in the kitchen. We need to talk and get some coffee in you."
"Can I skip the talk and get the coffee to go?" Leah was not in the mood to have the sort of detailed, lengthy and most likely emotionally deep conversation her sister had planned.
"No." Then to Dean she said, "I don't know what happened after you two left yesterday, but it led to this. And this, well, it could have ended up much worse. After she sobers up, you need to get it worked out with her. I already told you what I'd do to you if you hurt her again."
"Listen, damn it, I don't need to hear this from you!" Dean snapped.
Amy held up her hand. "No? Well, guess again. She's my sister, Dean, and I love her. I don't like when things like this happen so you can bet that you will hear about it. Believe me, I know it's not all your fault. You may have started the fight, but Leah and Sam jumped right in. And Leah shouldn't have been at that bar in the first place. Still, you're the oldest one here, and though you're definitely not the most mature, you should have known better. You could have just walked out of there, but instead you started something and Sam ended up getting hurt! And did you even think about what could have happened to Leah in the middle of all you fighting men?"
Dean stood up, prepared to have it out with Amy. Sure, she was right, but that didn't mean he wanted to sit there and get his ass chewed out. And he sure as hell didn't like her making it sound as though he didn't care if Sammy or Leah got hurt! He'd lay down his life in a second for either one of them. "You know I'd never want either of them to get hurt. I wasn't thinking..."
She wagged her finger in his face, "Exactly! The question is, do you ever think, Dean? You need to make better choices when you're with them." She threw her hands up in the air. "Hell, make better choices when you're not with them! Think about how much worse it could have been."
Leah stepped in between them, something she'd done so many times before in the past. "Okay, guys! That's enough. Amy, let's get that coffee now."
Amy looked as though she was going to say something more to Dean, but decided against it and headed for the kitchen instead, leaving Leah alone with Dean. Leah cast a wary look his way, wishing things that morning had turned out differently. They could have been enjoying each other's company in bed instead of arguing and being left with this aching need. He gave her a weak smile, but she wasn't up to returning it. With a sigh, she made her way to the kitchen.
Flopping onto a chair, Leah rubbed at her temples while Amy filled a couple of mugs. With her head a bit cloudy and her body still flushed from all that close contact with Dean, the best thing for her was some time alone to cool down, but that wasn't likely to happen until she dealt with her sister. She was better off to have the coffee and get the lecture out of the way. And pray Amy kept it short.
Amy set a mug in front of Leah and lovingly brushed her hand down the length of her sister's chestnut hair. Her eyes grew wide and she wrenched her hand away, vigorously shaking the tingling extremity as it dropped to her side. She'd only wanted to offer comfort, knowing Leah was dealing with a lot at the moment, but unfortunately the strongest vibe she picked up wasn't anger or sorrow or even confusion. What Leah was emitting was a very profound amount of sexual tension.
"Ew, sorry." she apologized as she sat down across from her sister. Propping her arms on the small kitchen table, Amy made a fist with her hand, then began to open and close it repeatedly, trying to rid it of the remaining pins and needles.
"For what?" Leah asked. She picked up the cup and held it to her lips, the delicious aroma wafting upward causing her to pause and inhale deeply before taking a sip.
"For picking up on your, you know," She had hoped Leah would get the point without her having to say it but her sister's eyebrows shot up as she stared at Amy over the top of the coffee cup. "Your need to have sex with Dean." she blurted out.
Leah began to choke on the hot liquid she'd just consumed. She was so wrapped up in her own problems that she'd completely forgotten about Amy's talent, which at times like this was more of a curse. Sex was one topic she hadn't yet gotten comfortable discussing with Amy. Especially when the sex involved Dean.
"Are you okay?" Amy jumped up, prepared to run around the table and pat her sister on the back, but Leah leaned away, shaking her head.
When the coughing subsided, Leah tried to smile, hoping her rejection hadn't hurt Amy's feelings. "I'm good. Look, it's not that I don't want you to touch me but I know how you are where Dean is concerned. And for reasons I'd rather not get into, though I'm sure you've already guessed, you might want to avoid it right now. Agreed?"
"Agreed." Amy said with a firm nod. She'd never understand how her sister tolerated the man, let alone desire him.
Blocking that particular aspect of the couple's relationship from her mind, Amy tried to find out what led her sister to disappear for a few hours. "So." she began, using the most matronly tone she could muster. "Drinking, a lot I'm assuming, in the early afternoon? And no phone call to let me or Sam know you're okay and where you're at until almost two hours later? Come on, Leah. You don't do things like that. You're rational, responsible. What's going on?"
"No Amy, really. Don't hold anything back. Just let me know what's really on your mind." Leah said drolly. She gulped down more of the strong brew, needing it in her system to help offset the alcohol. Plus a clear head was necessary if she was going to have this discussion.
"Hey, you know I don't pull any punches, kiddo. So what drove you into a bar in the first place? What did Dean do to make you want to get wasted?"
Leah could have taken offense, but she let it roll off her. Instead she tried to explain her actions and alleviate some of her sister's concerns. "You know me better than that, Amy. Hell, I didn't try to drown my sorrows when Dean left me and that was one of the hardest things I've had to face. Believe it or not, I didn't plan to go to a bar, I just sort of fell into one. Literally. Then I met some nice people and it felt good to put everything else aside and talk and laugh for awhile. I guess I lost track of how much I was drinking. Sure, I have a pretty good buzz going, but I'm not wasted."
Amy studied Leah's face for a long moment, as if trying to decide if she believed her older sister or not. Her expression softened, evidently convinced that Leah was indeed being honest with her. "Still, that doesn't excuse you for what you did. Or rather, didn't do. I expect a little more from you, of all people. Call me right away next time."
At Leah's affirmation, she moved onto her next point. "The other day I actually supported this idiotic relationship of yours and Deans." Amy got a lovely roll of the eyes for that remark, but she kept going. "The question is, should I regret it? I mean, does Dean truly make you happy, hon? Granted you two have always had more than your fair share of arguments. Sometimes I think you guys enjoy the fights almost as much as the making up afterwards. But I don't know, Leah. Since he walked out of your life you've changed. Maybe you've always wanted him in the physical sense, but is he what you need emotionally?"
Leah closed her eyes, absorbing Amy's observations. She supposed she had changed some over the past year, but everyone had to make adjustments when their lives were turned upside down, didn't they? She'd lost Dean, her job and her belief that the world was actually a fairly safe place, devoid of things such as monsters and demons. And all in a short period of time. Wouldn't that have a big impact on anyone? Besides, she didn't think all of the changes were negative. Some good had to have come out of it or she wasn't the person she believed herself to be.
As for Dean, well, nothing had changed there. Her love for him was just as strong and Amy had to know that. And enjoying the fights almost as much as the making up? Leah had to admit, it was an interesting point. They'd always argued, even as kids, and it seemed so natural for them. They were both passionate people. The two of them together created sparks. Some ignited passion and others anger, but they'd always worked through the latter. Even if it took awhile, like a year or so.
Was he what she needed emotionally? Who could be certain about something like that? Was any man going to be 'right' for her emotionally? She hadn't the first clue. She wanted Dean's heart, just as he owned hers, but she already knew that was off limits. Could she be satisfied with just his body? That's what she was trying to find out this time around.
Leah began to feel a bit lightheaded. It was all too much for her to sort through at the moment. What she needed was a hot shower, a couple of aspirins and some sleep. When she woke up, she'd try to take on the meaning of life and whether or not hers was moving in the right direction.
"You have given me much to consider, grasshopper." she said, hoping to lighten the mood. She knew Amy would get a kick out of her reference to the old martial arts tv show that had been a favorite of their father's.
"Ha! Grasshopper. That would make you the master and I'm not so thrilled with that idea." Amy gave back.
Leah snorted. "I'm the master of something. Just have to figure out what. I'll add that to my list of things to ponder. But for now, I'm going to take this coffee and head to the bathroom, where I will get some aspirin and then a shower." She stood up and pushed in her chair. "We'll have this enlightening discussion at a later date. I promise."
Amy let out a deep sigh of concern as she watched Leah leave the kitchen. She had such a bad feeling lately, as if something were terribly wrong in her sister's life but she just couldn't put a finger on what it was.
At first she thought it was Dean. That maybe he was going to hurt her again. But even though the two were fighting, she was sure that wasn't it. Deep down she believed they were right for each other and would get past this mess. After all, they'd only been back together a week. It would take some time to get beyond the pain and the mistakes they'd made the year before, but she had a feeling they would, given a little more time. There was a deep connection between the couple that went all the way back to when they were kids and something that strong could only be denied for so long. Even by the stubborn, emotionally-repressed Dean.
No, this was something else. Something darker. She didn't know what to make of it, and it wasn't a very clear impression. She supposed it was similar to when she was drawn to that necklace she'd picked up for Leah in Mexico. There was no cut and dry reason why she should get it, she just knew she had to. That someone's life could depend on it. And look how that turned out. The feeling was just as powerful now, if not more so, only there was no little bauble this time. There was nothing to go on at all but a sense of dread.
Leah was so busy trying to remove the childproof cap on the aspirin bottle, that she didn't notice Dean ease open the bathroom door and lean casually against the frame. She struggled with the crafty piece of plastic, making several attempts to twist it free, but it refused to cooperate. Her face became a mask of frustration and she was about to place the antagonist under her bare foot and stomp on it until it acquiesced when Dean stepped in beside her, making her jump. He took the bottle from her hands and quickly removed the cap.
"Here." he said, holding the bottle out to her.
He's too close, Leah thought as they stood side by side in the tiny bathroom. And he looks far too good. The gray t-shirt he had on beneath the button down clung to his muscular chest and the jeans he wore, with the tear just below his right knee, were her favorites. The way they fit him, showcasing his very, very nice assets, left her weak and that wasn't what she needed in her decidedly amorous state. Especially when she'd already made it perfectly clear to Dean that she'd be denying him, and regrettably herself, any physical pleasure.
"I don't need your help, Winchester. I can do it myself." Her tone was flat, the words spoken without malice. She simply wanted to keep Dean at a distance until she could chase him out and lock the door, because it wouldn't take much convincing on his part to get her out of her clothes.
"Fine." Dean started to put the cap back on.
"Wait! What are you doing?" Her eyes went wide with disbelief and she tried to steal the bottle away from him.
"You said you didn't need my help so I'm gonna close it back up." And he did.
"You are such a jerk!" Leah tried again to retrieve the aspirins, but he raised his right arm, putting the bottle high above his head and out of her reach. "You're kidding, right?" She stood on her toes and took a swipe at his arm. "Dean, just give me it and get out of here, okay?"
He shook his head and rattled the bottle. "You want me to give you the aspirins, Little Bit, you gotta give me something."
She inhaled deeply, held her breath for a second and then slowly released it. His words brought a flash of the past to mind and a bit of her irritation melted away. Dean was actually playing that silly, annoying game he had played when they were kids! He'd tormented her with it so often...funny how that memory had tucked itself away until now.
A door to the past swung open and Leah walked through it, momentarily taken back to that simpler time in her life.
Visits from John Winchester and his two sons. A young Dean, capturing her heart with his big green eyes, sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of his nose and that amazing inner strength that she didn't think he was even aware he possessed. He was a bit more reserved and blindly obedient around John, which she never quite understood, but was bold, daring, and fearless when he was with her. And he would tease her mercilessly. There was one stunt he pulled often - he would sneak up behind her, pluck whatever particular item she held right out of her hands and hold it high above his head, grinning devilishly. "You want it, Little Bit, you gotta give me somethin' for it." he would say. Leah would jump up over and over again, swinging at his arm, trying to knock the stolen treasure loose, but was never able to. She could have simply punched him in his stomach, which would have ended the game quickly, but she always chose to play it out. Only when she would agree to his demands, such as playing a game of catch with him or sneaking off to explore the nearby woods despite it being off limits, did he return the item.
Leah blinked away the bittersweet recollection. They weren't kids anymore, she told herself. Words of rebuff formed on her lips, yet wouldn't spill forth. The memories tugged at her heart and as she stared up at Dean, she heard herself saying those all too familiar words of surrender. "What do you want for it?"
"Hmmm..." Dean pulled at his chin with his left hand as he contemplated the price to be paid. When he finally looked down at her, he had the cunning look of a fox in a henhouse. "Give me a kiss and I'll give you an aspirin."
A kiss! To place a kiss upon that honeysweet mouth of his was scarcely a hardship, but it might be enough to snap her restraint, which she was hanging onto by a thread. Her entire body had been thrumming with sexual tensity since Dean carried her out of the bar.
Leah leaned her hip against the sink and tilted her head upward, as if trying to decide if his offer was worthwhile. What she was really doing was assuring herself that she was strong willed; capable of stopping at one kiss, getting the medication and getting Dean out of the room. What she wasn't doing was admitting the truth - she was yielding to his stipulations just as she always had and always would because she loved giving him what he wanted.
After a moment, she lifted her shoulder and then let it drop as if in defeat. "Oh okay. But I need two aspirins."
"You get one aspirin for the kiss." Dean told her. "We renegotiate for the second. Take it or leave it."
There was just the hint of a pause. "Fine."
Dean smirked and Leah felt he was being a bit too smug considering all that had transpired earlier. It was enough to set her back on edge. Maybe her willpower wouldn't be a problem after all. The man was in need of a little lesson in humility and she was just the person to give it to him. He would get his one kiss. One to remember. And absolutely nothing else.
Pushing away from the sink, she stood before him and draped an arm over his left shoulder. Her other hand slid beneath the collar of his moss-green button down, finding the smooth skin of his neck. She let her hand rest there, absorbing his heat and allowing the rapid beat of his pulse to flow through her fingertips.
Time slowed to a crawl. Green eyes, darkened with passion. The most sensual lips, softly parted and awaiting hers. Long lean fingers clutching her side. Breathing labored, heavy with anticipation.
Leah was in trouble. Big, big trouble.
The lesson she was going to dish out was quickly forgotten as she inched closer, yearning for more. Every nerve ending was a live wire. Wanting to live this moment to the fullest, she submersed herself in each sensation, burning them into her memory. His muscular thighs pressed firmly to hers. His solid chest against her breasts. The hard bulge of his desire nestled against her belly.
Her hand eased up the back of his neck and into his short brown locks. With the slightest pressure of her fingers, his head lowered down until their warm breath mingled, forming one single sigh. There was only Dean. His scent. His heat. His touch. And when their lips met, her world went perfectly still. She was blanketed in the softness and the sweet taste of his mouth.
Their kiss was unhurried. Tongues touched. Teased. Sliding sensuously over each other. Deeper. Hungrier.
Dean's arms wrapped around her, holding her so tightly to him it was almost painful. They couldn't get any closer, yet they tried. Somewhere in the distance was the clatter of the aspirin bottle hitting the tiled floor. The sound of the door being shoved closed. The feel of a cool wall as her back was pushed against it.
As Leah's body quaked with desire, the questions Amy had asked flitted through the back of her mind and she could answer both with one word.
Yes.
Yes. Dean truly made her happy. Yes. She needed whatever this man was capable of giving her emotionally.
And to hell with whatever price there was to pay.
TBC