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Chapter 7: Protection

Dean thought he was the first one up. But he glanced to the other bed and Kalley was the only one sleeping in it. Dean looked around confused. Where the hell was Sam? He got up and quietly looked around and looked in the bathroom. But it was a small room and it wasn't like Sam, some six feet tall, could hide anywhere. Suddenly the door opened, surprising him.

"Dude, where have you been?" Dean asked. "You scared the hell out of me."

Sam shrugged and shut the door. He lifted up a 'to-go' bag in his hand like it was obvious. He handed Dean a coffee.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" Dean asked slipping on a dark grey t-shirt.

"Why?"

Dean took a sip from his coffee. "Cause you look like crap."

"Wow thanks." Sam added setting the bag down on the table.

"Something you wanna share there pal?" Dean asked.

Sam shook his head and sat down at the table. He kind of hated Dean's inability to mind his own business but maybe he was just tired and that's why Dean was suddenly getting on his nerves.

"I didn't sleep much because I kept having nightmares."

Dean looked concerned. "The ones that tend to come true?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know man. It was just Lucy and she was kept saying, promises, promises, don't make them if you can't keep them."

"Great, I'm glad Lucy has a smart mouth even in your nightmares." Dean said wryly, slipping on his leather jacket. "But what does it mean?"

"I don't know. I did promise Kalley that we'd help her sister."

"And why would you do that?" Dean asked.

Sam paused for a moment. "Because that's what we do."

"I know that but we're interested in sending this thing back to hell. If we can't save her sister in the process there's nothing we can do about that."

That just showed how different Dean and him were. They were both in this job for different things. The thought that the girl needed saved probably hadn't even occurred to Dean yet. He was all business and interested in killing the evil responsible but Sam had to remind him sometimes that there was more to this job.

"She's an innocent girl Dean."

Dean shook is head. "She's not that innocent. She was the one practicing black magic long enough to get herself possessed."

"We're not having this conversation now." Sam stressed trying to lower his voice. Kalley was still sleeping.

Dean nodded when he saw Sam motion to Kalley. "Alright. But just because you're changing to topic doesn't mean we won't finish this later. Why don't you wake her up and we can figure out what we need to do about this book."

Sam nodded as Dean started taking weapons to put back into the trunk. When he was gone Sam sat on the bed and nudged Kalley's shoulder gently.

"Hey Kalley." Sam whispered. "Come on, wake up."

Kalley shifted and opened her eyes, smiling when she saw Sam.

"Hey." She said groggily.

She made him smile. "Hi. Sleep well?"

She nodded. "Better than I have most nights."

"Well Dean wants to talk about what were going to do so; I'll let you get dressed."

Kalley grabbed his hand before he could get up. "Sam…is there…"

He looked at her confused. "What?"

"Is there something here? Or am I just wishful thinking."

He squeezed her hand. "No you're not imagining it or anything. I just…"

He trailed off and thought of Jess. Every time he looked at other girl he felt like he was betraying her or somehow berating her memory. Which he knew wasn't true because Jess loved him and all she would want was for him to be happy.

"I can't right now." He said softly and Kalley nodded.

"I'm sorry." She said pulling her hand away. "I'll get dressed."

She left him alone on the bed and went into the bathroom. Sam shook his head angry with himself and looked around the room. If he kept making excuses for himself and acting like a damn coward he really would end up alone.

0o0o0o0

"Hey…what's wrong?" Dean asked looking at Sam as he came back into the room.

"Nothing." Sam said slipping a dark blue polo over his head.

Dean nodded unconvinced. "Hmm-mm. You can say whatever you want Sammy but I could practically hear the emo tears down the hallway."

Sam looked up defensively. "I wasn't crying."

"Figure of speech but you knew what I meant."

"I just told Kalley I had no feelings for her."

"And you don't?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged but he knew what the answer was.

Dean sat on the bed across from where Sam was getting dressed. "Dude, come on. I'm not stupid, I have eyes. I see the way you two look at another."

Before he could say anything Dean spoke up again.

"This about Jessica?" he asked softly.

Sam looked up at his brother immediately, like her name shouldn't have been said out loud.

Dean nodded. "Yeah that's what I thought."

Sam was glad he could Kalley get into the shower. "I can't help but feel like I'm still with her."

Dean sighed. "Well to her, you always will be. But she's gone Sammy and she's never coming back. You said that once to me remember?"

Sam nodded. It'd had been on the bridge when they were looking for dad. He told Dean that mom was dead, and he made it a point. Dean got so angry he pushed him against a bridge railing.

Sam understood that now. He could practically feel anger swelling within him when Dean spoke Jess's name. He was too afraid to let anyone into his life now. He couldn't save Jess so what made him think he could save anyone else close to him? All he could ever think about sometimes is that he could lose Dean too. When they were together they always had each others backs but when they separated it could be the last time they ever saw each other.

It shouldn't be someone's responsibility; to protect someone else's life all the time.

"I think we both know that Jess loved you. She would want you to be happy. And with this job that doesn't happen very often. Don't let her get away, don't put your happiness on hold." Dean said and Sam nodded smiling.

"Thanks Dean." He replied softly.

"And since we're bonding…you do know where babies come from right?"

Sam smiled and smacked the side of Dean's head lightly. Dean laughed pushing his hand away. "I'm just saying since were having this conversation and everything."

His brother had a one track mind, but Sam wouldn't trade him for happiness in a million years.

0o0o0o

Kalley got out of the shower and dressed herself. She slipped on her dark blue jeans and a gray tank top. She dried her hair with her towel before putting on a thick white sweater and emerged from the bathroom.

"Where's Sam?" she asked looking around the room and only seeing Dean.

Dean looked up from the laptop. "He's getting some books at the library. That book of Lucy's is in another language and none of us can read cryptic dead witch."

"Is Sam…mad at me?" she asked looking at Dean.

Dean sighed and stood, waking closer to her. He shook his head. "Sam is….Sam." Dean said not knowing how to put it. "Don't tell him this but his girlfriend died recently and he couldn't have done anything to save her."

"Now he thinks that anyone who he gets close to him will die too." Kalley said understanding.

Dean nodded. "Yeah he's the glass half empty all the time. But he likes you; more than I've seem him like anybody in a while. Just give him time and have patience he'll come around."

Kalley nodded and smiled at Dean. He made Sam sound like he was a new puppy or a four month old baby but she would be patient nonetheless. She hadn't met anyone like Sam in her entire life, why give up now?

A knock on the door came then and Dean opened it up for Sam. He was carrying at least ten books.

"Geez Sam, what the hell language do you think it is?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, that's why I got so many. It could be something that might not even be printed in books. We have to try every angle Dean."

Dean nodded and lifted one of the books flipping through it. In all honestly he didn't hate reading. He loved it. Although he'd never admit that to Sam. He loved libraries too, he liked the idea of being able to pick up any book and be emerged right into the story. Books and their story lines made life more bearable sometimes. That you could be in any life or story line you wanted and leave responsibilities and duties behind.

His dad hadn't thought that way though. He remembered when he was ten and he had gotten a book from the library. He would never admit it to anyone but it was a book titled, Peter Pan. He'd heard of it before but never really knew what it was about. So he started reading it. But his dad had found it and he now remembered why he never picked up a book at the library again.

His father had torn it up letting the pieces of pictures and fantasy fly across the room. He remembered his father's words. If it had nothing to do with hunting, if it had nothing to do with his job or how to save a life or how to protect Sammy, he wasn't allowed to read it. His dad replaced the book with a weapon manual and told him to memorize the weapons and their parts.

He was ten years old and he never picked up a book that didn't relate to his job ever again.

Dean shook his head clearing the memory from his thoughts. He handed a book to Kalley and a book to Sam.

"Let's get to work."

0o0o0o0

After three hours only five of the books had been gone through.

"Ok, it's not French or Spanish or any other language I tried matching it with." Dean said rubbing his eyes.

Sam handed him another book. "Keep looking." He glanced over at Kalley. She was on the other side of the room with a stack full of books for herself. She hadn't said anything in a while so Sam went over to see how she was doing.

"Find anything?" he asked sitting next to her.

She shook her head and placed the book down. "It's not German or Latin. I don't know what it is. What if it's not a human language? What if it's a demon one?"

Sam pondered it. "That would explain how we can't find it. But you'd have to be advanced to read demon language and understand it."

"Because you have to understand the language to summon something right?"

"And it's a bitch to study let me tell you." A voice said suddenly.

All three stood up and eyed Lucy on the other side of the room. Sam put an arm up in front of Kalley as a protective gesture and Lucy's face softened.

"Aw and me without me camera."

"Funny I was going to say and me without my battering ram." Dean said moving slowly to where Sam and Kalley were standing.

"Careful Dean." Lucy said slowly. "Any more remarks and you may end up biting your own tongue off."

Kalley stared at Lucy. "Don't do this."

"Is that an order?" Lucy smirked. "I asked you nicely for the book and you wouldn't give it to me. I told you I was getting it one way or the other. This is the other way."

She moved foreword and Sam and Dean did the same. But before they could do anything they were thrown aside. Dean landed into the table, while Sam landed into the wall above the beds. They both landed with sickening thuds and Kalley stood there not knowing which one to go help or if she should stand still.

Lucy made the decision for her, pushing her against the wall.

"Feel that?" Lucy asked. "All that anger? That's how it starts, that's how the demon lets you know its there. All you have to do is embrace it."

Kalley shook her head angrily, trying to push Lucy off. But she was stronger. "I'm not like you; I'm not going to become a killer."

"Don't you understand?" she asked. "You were born to be a killer. Just like me. Just like you were born to practice magic."

"I don't want anything to do with it!" she spat.

"Too bad really, you don't have a choice." Lucy took the blade from her waistband and cut a long slit above wear Kalley's tank top began. The cut went from one shoulder blade to the other and Kalley screamed in agony as the blade dug into her skin. As Lucy went to cut her own hand she was pulled back by Dean and thrown aside as Sam came to her aid. She slid down the wall and Sam pulled off a pillow cover and pressed it to her wound.

Before Lucy could attack Dean, he kicked her in her abdomen making her fly backwards into the bathroom. She staggered but caught her feet and stood to walk towards him. Although when she got to the door she couldn't move. She looked to the ceiling. There was a pentagram in a circle with words surrounding it.

"Funny how you wanted that book so bad." Dean said leaning against the doorframe. "There's a spell to trap a witch in it."

And with that he slammed the door shut.

0o0o0o0o

"She okay?" Dean asked kneeling next to Sam. Sam pulled the cloth back from Kalley's wound and nodded.

"It wasn't deep enough to need stitches, she'll be okay."

Tears were falling from her face as Sam pressed the cloth back onto her wound. He needed to press hard to stop the bleeding. Dean squeezed her shoulder once and stood heading over to the table and kicking a book that was on the floor.

"Damn motel must think we hosted a ring fight in here."

Sam looked over to Dean but didn't take his hands off Kalley. "You should tell the motel manager something. If you don't he might come in here after we leave and inspect the damn place. Or he could be calling the cops for the disturbance."

Dean nodded and pointed to the door. "She's trapped in there put keep her ears and eyes open. I don't know how long it'll hold her."

"Alright." Sam said and Dean left.

"Has the bleeding stopped?" Kalley asked her voice catching.

Sam pulled back the cloth. It seemed to have slowed down but he needed to bandage it to keep it from getting infected.

He helped her stand and guided her over to the bed.

"I need to grab a warm cloth. I'll clean it and put bandages on it okay?" He asked her gently and she nodded.

Sam opened the bathroom door, putting a gun in the waistband of his jeans.

Lucy moaned slightly. "Really know how to turn a girl on don't you Sam?"

"Shut your mouth alright?" Sam snapped turning on the sink and putting a cloth under it.

"I can see what my sister sees in you."

Sam nodded turning around. "Keep talking, I'll move up your expiration date."

She smiled. "Poor Winchesters, I told you, you have no idea who you're dealing with."

Sam turned the water off. "So go head, enlighten me."

"Sammy, you know that'd be cheating. It'd be taking all the fun. Wouldn't be fair if it wasn't fun."

Sam nodded. "Right, I forgot killing innocent people was fun." He replied shutting the door angrily. Kalley jumped at the sound and Sam looked at her sympathetically.

"Sorry." He said kneeling in front of her. He pulled the cloth back she was holding to her chest and winced as some parts of the cloth stuck to her wound with dry blood.

"I have to stop getting injured all the time."

She was trying to make him smile and he did. But it was small. This was exactly what he was afraid that was going to happen to her. Except next time, it wouldn't be just cuts and bruises.

"I'm okay Sam. Really." She said as he was cleaning her wound. He placed the warm cloth on her skin. She remembered what Dean had said to her. She knew this wasn't helping Sam and the situation he was worrying about happening.

Sam shook his head suddenly and it looked like he was angry. Kalley put a hand on his forearm, squeezing it gently.

"Hey, take it easy."

He looked at her. "I can't just take it easy. Alright? I can never take it easy. The minute I do that someone gets hurt."

She shook her head. "You can't protect everyone Sam."

"But I want to protect you." He said looking into her eyes.

She bent her head down slowly as he looked up and their lips connected. It was soft at first but became more passionate as Sam lifted her up into the bed.

Kalley had never felt safer.

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:D i hope everyone enjoyed it! please tell me how you think its going!