Disclaimer: I still don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm still just having fun!
THE CUPID EFFECT
Chapter 5 – Back to Status Quo
Bobby rushed forward, grabbing the girl's gun arm just as the sound of the gun echoed through the room. It was almost like time had stood still, no one moved the only sound was the loud ticking of the clock on the wall. For a moment, he thought he might have been too late, but a quick review showed no blood, no gaping wound on the distraught woman's head.
"Girl, I swear if you don't settle down I'm gonna hog tie you!" Bobby quickly placed the gun out of Bella's reach. His eyes noticed she still hadn't moved her body still as a statue. "Come on Bella, you need to sit down before you fall down. I don't have anymore time to waste on your foolishness—I've got to look after Sam."
The old hunter grabbed the reticent girl and pushed her down onto the sofa, his eyes hard and unforgiving as he once more ordered her to stay put. Bella swallowed nervously, but appeared to be willing to obey for the moment. Keeping her in his line of sight, Bobby moved towards the two Winchester brothers. Dean seemed to be lost in the moment, his eyes vacant and unseeing as he rocked the unmoving body of his brother in his arms.
"No…" Bobby whispered, almost afraid to move closer. It couldn't end this way, not after Dean had given so much. He had watched the boy disintegrate when Sam died once before. This time he knew there would be nothing left to put back together. Giving Bella one more hard glare he knelt next to Sam and reached forward, fingers searching for the pulse that would give life to both men.
"Thank God—Dean? Boy, you need to snap out of it! Your brother needs you!" Bobby ordered, waiting for the boy to respond. A moment later the vacant stare was replaced with hope, hands moved to where Bobby's had been moments before, finding the same answer.
"He's alive?" Dean spoke softly, almost as if he was afraid to say it out loud.
"Of course he is boy--now move aside so I can see the damage." Bobby gently laid Sam on his back, shaking his head at the amount of blood already pooling on the carpet. The boy was alive for now, but if they didn't stop the bleeding, it wouldn't last long.
Dean seemed to have come to himself as he too saw the amount of blood. Rising from his position he moved towards the kitchen, returning a moment later with a hand full of towels. Without a word, both men worked as a team. The bloodied shirt was removed, showing the innocuous looking hole in Sam's shoulder. Dean used a towel to clear the blood away, fingers gently probing to determine the damage.
"There's too much blood for this size wound Bobby, help me pull him up." Dean bit his lower lip between his teeth as his eyes searched for the exit wound.
"Well there's your answer Dean. The good news is we won't need to search for the damn bullet…." Bobby glanced at Bella again, making sure she hadn't moved before looking back to Dean.
"Yeah, but it left a large hole in his back and who knows how much internal damage; Damn it Bobby I can't even take him to a hospital to get it checked out!" Bobby watched as Dean's eyes traveled to the woman sitting on the sofa. Before he could stop him, the oldest Winchester had the woman by the arms and was shaking her like a dog with a bone.
"Dean! Dean…boy! I need you here, not is some damn jail cell for killing the likes of her. She's not worth your time!" Bobby continued to cradle the unconscious boy in his arms, unwilling for the moment to lose the connection. He needed to keep control, get Dean refocused before they all suffered. "I mean it Dean, get your behind over here and help me with your brother. Bella can wait!"
He watched as Dean backed up, cold green eyes staring at the cowering woman in front of him. "I told you what would happen if my brother died—you better start praying, assuming you know how—that my brother makes it or I will be coming back to finish this. Do you understand me?"
Bobby watched as Bella began to pull herself back together, her shoulders straightening as she pushed Dean's hands away from her. "I understand that you and your friend are trespassing—you have exactly ten minutes to get out before I call the police."
"Unbelievable!" Dean huffed.
"Dean you come here and take care of Sam—I'll handle Bella!" Bobby ordered as he gently laid his charge back onto the expensive carpet. He moved quickly towards the woman who once more began to back away from the two men. Before she could escape, he grabbed her around the elbow and marched her towards the stairs. "You and me are going to have a little chat about priorities—and you best pay attention 'cause I don't repeat myself and I don't make threats!"
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Dean watched as Bobby practically dragged the bitch out of the room. The rage he had felt a moment before forgotten as his eyes landed on the too still form of his brother. "Sammy!" Dean once again knelt on the floor, grabbing the towels.
His mind thought back to the moment he'd heard the shot and saw his brother fall. He was once again in an old abandoned building, his brother lying on a stained mattress devoid of life. He wasn't sure how many more times he would be able to go through this. The reality of the situation had finally hit him. The deal had saved Sam yes, but in the end it had not guaranteed his brother would be able to survive.
How could he protect his brother if he was gone? Even with him still here, his brother was a target for too many things—some even human. Sam was right, he had been selfish. He never thought it through. Sam would be left behind to fend for himself in a world turned against him. Bobby would try to look out for Sam, but in the end he knew it wouldn't end well for his brother.
Sighing, he continued to put pressure on the wound staunching the flow of his brother's life force while he waited for Bobby to return. He hoped the old hunter did more than talk to the bitch. This was the second time she'd shot his brother. A small chuckle escaped as he checked the bleeding. "Well Sammy, at least she hit the other shoulder this time. You now have a matched set…"
A soft groan alerted Dean to his brother's coming awareness. "Sammy?"
"Dea…" Hazel eyes blinked, unfocused and filled with pain. But to Dean they were the best thing he'd ever seen.
"I'm right here Sam, you've been shot—again." Dean smiled as he saw his brother's eyes roll.
"Shoulder?" Sam ground out, his head turning to look before he closed his eyes once more; a soft moan escaping bloodless lips as Dean continued to press down on the wound.
"Yeah, no big deal right? A few stitches and maybe a pint of some Dean Winchester special and you'll be good to go." Dean watched closely as a soft grin tugged at his brother's lips. "How about we get you up off the floor and onto the nice soft sofa over there—come on Sasquach!"
Dean grunted as he helped his brother over to the sofa, wincing in sympathy as Sam moaned softly again. He knew it had to hurt like a mother, but right now it was music to his ears. It meant his brother was back with him and he was going to make sure he didn't go anywhere soon.
"Can you hold this Sam? I need to run out to the Impala and get the med kit…" Dean watched as Sam nodded; his eyes glassy with pain and probably the beginning of a fever. "Good, stay awake—I'll be right back."
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Bobby grabbed the telephone chord from the phone as he pushed the woman onto the bed. "Don't move!" he ordered as he quickly tied her hands and feet. He smiled as he watched her struggling on the bed.
"I told you I'd hog tie you if you didn't behave. Remember I don't threaten. Now listen to me and listen close girl. There is a war going on here, one that if we lose will mean none of this…" Bobby waved his hands around the room, "will mount to a hill 'o beans."
"You're crazy old man; money can buy me anything—keep me safe while the rest of you are fighting a battle that can't be won." Bella ground out, glaring at the hunter as she continued to struggle against the chords holding her fast.
"You so sure about that Bella? You willing to become a meat suit for one of the demons—'cause that's all you'll be, a piece of meat to be used and discarded. Maybe Dean's right, maybe I should end this now before you do something else stupid." Bobby moved closer, pulling his knife from his belt.
"Wait! Wait…now Bobby, you know I can help you. Why you'd still be trapped in your dream world if I hadn't brought that plant to the boys. How was I to know the gun was so valuable to your 'cause. I mean the buyer just wants it for her collection…" Bella tried to move away, but the old hunter grabbed her by the hair and placed the tip of the knife to her throat.
"You best choose a side now girl. I'm through messin' with you. You will stay away from the hunting world; go back to Tibet or where ever it is you've been hiding these past years. If I see or even hear of you taking one more artifact or cause any grief to those who are fighting so you can remain free—I'll finish what I started. Do we understand each other?" Bobby, smiled as a small amount of blood ran down her throat from the shallow cut he'd made. He could feel her trembling and knew from the way her shoulders sagged, he'd gotten his message across.
"Oh and I will need two more things from you…" Bobby removed the knife and patted the woman on the shoulder before standing up.
"What?" Bella croaked.
"First, you're going to give me the name and address of the buyer for the Colt…" Bobby held up his hand as Bella started to object. "And then, you're going to do something to make up for the trouble you've caused those boys."
"What could you possible want?" Bella asked quietly, a slight twinge of guilt in her voice as she looked up at the irate hunter.
"You're going to use your other world contacts to help identify who is holding Dean's contract. I'll expect you to call me with the information as soon as you have it, understand?" Bobby leaned in, letting her see the seriousness in his eyes.
"Then we'll be even right?" Bella asked, moving back from the man in front of her.
"No—you'll never be even after what you pulled this time, but at least you'll be on your way to making it right." Bobby sighed as he stepped back. He headed for the doorway before pausing briefly. "I'll call someone to let you loose once me and the boys are gone—that is unless you manage to get yourself free before then. But let me warn you, if I see you downstairs or if you attempt to call anyone…" Bobby nodded at the look of acceptance on the woman's face.
"Remember, I'll be expectin' a call with that info real soon…"
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Sam hissed as he felt white hot pain running down his shoulder. "Take it easy Dean!"
Dean continued to pour the antiseptic into the open wound, blotting it with a clean towel until he thought it was cleaned. "We don't need you getting an infection Sammy, so suck it up."
Closing his eyes, Sam wondered what the hell had happened. The last thing he remembered was waking up with…"Oh God…" Sam muttered, his face turning crimson as he realized who he'd been with and worse yet, his big brother knew it.
"So, you still want Bella to be a member of the family there Sammy? Maybe I should have her come down here and kiss your boo boo…" Dean asked as he packed the wound and began to bandage it. Sam knew his brother would wait until they were safe before he'd stitch his wound, something he definitely wasn't looking forward to at the moment.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sam asked, confused as the first part of Dean's sentence hit him. His eyes fell on the small box on the floor before looking up at his brother's face. "I didn't…did I?" He asked quietly, trying to figure out how on earth he'd ended up with her in the first place. Sam groaned, not only from the pain in his shoulder, but the knowledge he'd been sleeping with the 'enemy'. Dean was never going to let him live this down.
A soft chuckle caused him to open his eyes. Dean was putting things away in the med kit. "You know Sam, if you want to spend some more quality time with your woman upstairs, I'm sure Bobby and I can find something to do…"
"Give it a rest Dean!" Sam winced as he tried to sit up. A gentle hand braced him, helping him to sit. His eyes closed as a wave of vertigo assaulted him. All he wanted to do was go to sleep and hopefully wake up to find it was all just some weird nightmare. He began to list sideways, but was stopped by his brother's hand once again.
"No sleeping just yet Sam. I'm going to immobilize that shoulder and then get you dressed. I'm thinking we will head out as soon as Bobby gets done talking to Bella." Sam sighed as he tried to stay awake.
"Ah…Dean? What about the hunt—did you find out what was killing those other couples?" Sam asked, trying to keep his mind off the waves of pain in his shoulder as Dean worked to immobilize his arm.
"In a way, you solved the puzzle for us Sammy. Seem like you were hit by Cupid's arrow…" Dean chuckled again as he pulled Sam's button down shirt over him, buttoning the first couple of buttons to keep in on.
Sam's eyes popped open. "Dean, what the hell are you talking about?" His brother had to be pulling his chain. Cupid isn't real—is he?
Dean sighed. "I wish it wasn't—seems another pagan god decided to pay us a visit. Bobby figured it out actually. Luckily the love potion wore off at midnight on Valentines' Day. At least I hope it did…" His brother's gaze suddenly was uncertain and worried.
"I'm fine Dean—at least as fine as I can be with a bullet wound." Sam sighed, wondering why the damn thing had targeted him instead of Dean. He was the Romeo in the outfit. Of course, maybe that's why…
"Appears the god enjoys targeting those who are least likely to fall in love—he must get his jollies watching the fall out from the trysts. But what I don't understand is why it became deadly this time. I mean, I read back and there was no hint of this type of thing happening in the recent past. Sure the guy liked to play pranks and cause a little mischief…" Dean shook his head, obviously just grateful Sam had managed to come through unscathed.
"I don't know Dean, maybe it has something to do with the devil's gate being opened. You don't suppose Cupid is really a demon do you?" Sam asked, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to keep the room from spinning.
"Who knows Sammy, lots of freaky shit is happening now—maybe Cupid was possessed. Hey, I wonder if you can do an exorcism on a god?" Dean sat next to Sam as they waited for Bobby to appear.
"You two ready to get out of here?" Bobby called as he came down the stairs. "I for one have had enough of this area for a while. I'm headin' home—you two comin' with?"
Dean shook his head. "No, I think we're going to keep moving Bobby. I'll hole up for a few days to let Romeo here rest up."
Bobby stood on the other side of Sam, helping Dean hold him up as the room started to spin again. "Ah…guys, can we get somewhere soon—I think I'm going to…" He never got to finish the sentence as the world around him turned dark. For the second time that day, he fell into his brother's arms.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
Dean watched Sam closely as they traveled further away from the town. He knew his brother was weak from blood loss and probably would spike a fever, but the last time the fever had started a soon as they left the house. He sighed with relief as his hand told him Sam was a little warm, but nothing like last time. "Well it looks like the old man was right after all…" Dean muttered as he turned on the music low. He didn't want to wake his slumbering sibling.
He pulled the blanket up further, tucking it around his brother. They had grabbed a pillow and the throw from the sofa to help keep Sam warm. Even with the blanket and the heater his brother was still shivering slightly. Once again, he was hoping it was from the blood loss and nothing more serious. Who would have thought going to the hospital would be considered a luxury—and one they could rarely use. However, if his brother got worse, he'd figure out a way to make it work, losing Sam was not an option even if it meant jail time for him. Besides, with less than a year—how bad could it be?
The older Winchester decided he was going to drive for a few hours. The bleeding in Sam's shoulder had stopped and with the pain pills they had managed to get down his brother's throat before they left, he should sleep comfortably until they could get a hotel. He still wondered what Bobby had done to Bella. There had been no sign of her before they left, not even a snide comment to send them on their way. He only hoped it was the last time he'd set eyes on the woman.
After driving for a few hours, he heard a soft groan beside him. "Ok Sammy, time to find a place to stay for a few days—and thanks to Uncle Bobby, we can upgrade to get you a nice comfy bed." Dean hadn't wanted to take the money, but the old man had insisted—either that or he threatened to toss Sam in his truck and take him home with him. He smiled; sometimes it was almost like having his father back—almost.
Dean saw the perfect motel as he exited the freeway; it advertised weekend getaways and large rooms. Glancing at Sam, he smiled as his brother curled further into the blankets. Reaching over, he gently tapped his brother on the shoulder. He didn't want him waking up to find him gone. "Hey there sleepyhead…"
"Wha—where—Dean?" Sam mumbled, hazel eyes looking at him tiredly.
"I'm going to get us a room and then we'll get you taken care of. Just sit tight; I'll be right back…" Before Dean finished the sentence Sam's eyes had already closed and the blanket had been pulled up tighter.
An hour later and Dean was ready for a break. Sam had been barely aware of the room as he had practically carried his little brother into the room. At least it made stitching his wound easier and so far he was only running a low grade fever. The biggest problem was getting Sam to stay awake long enough to take some medicine and to get fluids into him. With the blood loss, Dean knew it was important to get as much into Sam as he could. Unfortunately, Sam had other ideas as he fell unconscious before drinking all of the sports drink.
Dean grinned as he looked at his brother, he had been a little disappointed when Sam didn't register anything about the room. But when he'd asked for their biggest room---this was it. He was glad now he'd booked it for a whole week. It was even worth the strange looks he received from the hotel staff. He couldn't wait until Sam became fully aware; it was going to be priceless.
Chuckling, he sat in the oversized chair in the room and grabbed the TV remote. "Yes, it was going to be an interesting awakening that's for sure," Dean thought to himself as he started to watch the latest episode of Ghost Hunters. Shaking his head, he sometimes wondered where the writers got this stuff.
oooooooooooooooooooooo
The older man servant stood off to the side in the large room. The house was old and had seen better days, but it suited its current owner. The air shimmered for a brief moment before a young man appeared. He was well built with blonde hair and sky blue eyes. As the stranger approached the child sitting in the chair near the fireplace, he paused before clearing his throat.
"You wanted to speak to me?"
"I thought you said you could handle the Winchester boy—did the bait not draw him in?" a soft childlike voice answered.
"No, they took the bait—it should have worked. The woman was perfect for the job, and the young hunter was fully enamored. But you know the rules; I cannot influence the humans beyond midnight on Valentines' Day. Psyche made me promise and I have never broken that promise in all the millennia. I don't understand why this one human is so important to you—he didn't seem that special to me." The god named Cupid moved to stand in front of the being he'd befriended during one of his trips to Hades.
"It is enough that I wanted him destroyed, you don't need to understand the why. You disappoint me Eros; I would have thought the blood of your father would have made you a stronger warrior." The child looked at the god, her eyes turning opaque before a blinding light filled the room.
When the servant could finally see again, the god known as Cupid was no longer present. "Lilith, where has he gone?"
"I've sent him home to his precious wife, we don't need him. I'll get to the youngest Winchester another way…"
"But the gun, it was also lost to us…" The man continued, sweating now as he was to procure the weapon for his master. He had seen her angry and it scared him.
"No matter, by the time I finish with the Winchesters—they'll be dead and I'll be ruling this new world. But mark me—one more failure and you will get to hell ahead of them." The child rose and left the room, leaving the man servant shaking in her wake.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Sam groaned, his shoulder ached enough to make the thought of moving unpleasant. Unfortunately, his bladder had other ideas. He didn't remember much about the past couple of days except for his brother forcing him to drink gallons of sport drink, soup and take the pain pills. As he sat up, he wondered for a moment where his brother had disappeared to. It was unusual for him not to be hovering around Sam.
"Dean?" Sam called out, surprised at how weak his voice sounded. He heard the bathroom door open, followed by a cloud of steam.
"Hey Sammy, where do you think you're going?" Dean said as he walked quickly into the room. He changed into some clean clothes before sitting beside Sam on the bed.
"Bathroom…I think I can…" Before Sam could finish the thought his brother was helping him stand and guiding him to the room he'd just vacated. Normally he would have just shrugged his brother's offer of assistance off, but the room was swaying alarmingly around him.
"Do you need some help Sam or can you manage?" Dean watched him closely, making sure he was steady before stepping back.
"I think I've got it Dean…" Sam whispered as he prayed he could. The alternative was too embarrassing to contemplate. As he finished up, his eyes took in the large bathroom. He could see the shower big enough for two people along with an oversized Jacuzzi tub. "Hey Dean?"
"You ready to get back to bed Sammy?" Dean asked as he came back into the bathroom.
"Ah…did you win the lottery or something?" Sam glanced back at the luxurious bathroom with a raised eyebrow.
"Naw, Uncle Bobby threatened to take you back to his place unless I put you up somewhere nice for a few days. So I got us the largest room this place had—wait until you try the steam shower, it's awesome Dude!" Dean grinned as he placed Sam's good arm over his shoulders and gently nudged Sam towards the door. "But you'll have to wait a day or two for that--wouldn't want you falling and denting that enormous head of yours lover boy!"
Sam groaned, he wondered how long it would be before Dean started in on him. Maybe if he was really quiet and went back to sleep—by the time he would wake up again; maybe his brother will have forgotten the past few days. But as Sam felt himself being lowered to the bed, he realized hell would probably have to freeze over first.
"As long as you're up Sammy, I'm going to make you something to eat. You haven't had much the past few days…how about a nice grilled cheese sandwich and some soup?" Dean helped Sam sit up, fluffing the pillows behind him and placing another pillow under his injured arm. He kept giving Sam a funny look, but before he could ask about it, his big brother looked way.
"What?" Sam asked irritably, he was tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep.
"Nothing…I'll be right back Romeo!" Dean chuckled as he walked towards the small kitchenette in the room.
Sam sighed, wondering how long it would be before his brother got tired—or ran out of nicknames. He let his head fall back onto the satin pillows, realizing for the first time that the sheets were also satin—red satin to be exact. As he began to close his eyes, he suddenly sat up straight on the bed…"DEAN!"
"What is it Sammy?" Dean walked back out, the gin on his face reminded Sam of the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland.
"What the hell is this?" Sam spread his good arm out from his body.
"It's a bed Sam, now I think I'll get back to making your lunch—after all it takes a little longer to cut the bread into those nice little heart shapes you love." Dean giggled as he watched the crimson flush spread up his brother's neck to his face.
"Dean, this is not a bed—this is—this is shaped like a freakin' heart!" Sam's eyes traveled upwards once more, noticing for the first time the mirror centered over the bed. Suddenly his arm didn't hurt so much anymore. He started to move towards the edge of the bed to get up. "I'm leaving…"
Dean laughed out loud before moving to gently push Sam back onto the bed. "Come on Sammy, it was the biggest room they had—can I help it if it's the honeymoon suite?"
The eye roll said it all…
The End!
Raven524: As promised, just a short story---hope you all enjoyed my little Valentine's Gift to you all. Thanks again for all the support!