The police wait all of five seconds before kicking in the door and entering, weapons drawn. "It's empty," one of them shouts to the Sergeant standing outside. "They're already gone."
Sam and Dean had heard the sirens as they pulled out of the motel parking lot; they were aware they didn't have much of a head start but it would have to do.
"We gotta get out of town, there aren't many '67 impalas around here and if they know your car we'll be easy to spot." Sam says, looking back to check on Isabel again.
"I'm heading for the highway..." Dean says, looking in the rearview mirror to see if any of the cops were on their tail. So far so good.
---
A few hours later, they judge they're far enough away to be able to risk stopping for a bit, so Dean starts looking around for a fairly decent looking motel. They had to up their standards now that Isabel was around. After a few minutes of looking, Dean pulls to a stop in front of a somewhat well kept, cheap motel. He goes in, booking a room for the night. They grab their bags, get Isabel from the backseat, and head into the room, getting settled.
While they'd been driving, Sam had found an article in a newspaper that sounded fairly normal at surface level, but had just enough elements to qualify it for a preliminary investigation. Whether Dean liked it or not, they might have just found a case, and he knew no matter how much he wanted to delay things, if he knew there was a case to be dealt with, he was going to deal with it. For now he was trying not to think about it though.
Dean picks Isabel up as she starts crying. "What does she need Sam?"
"Like I know? Listen to the cry; it's either diaper, food, or attention."
"Well, thanks, I couldn't have figured that one out on my own." Dean says sarcastically, rocking her in his arm to try and stop her crying. "Shh...Dad's here." Dean says gently, looking down at her and smiling.
Sam turns away so that Dean doesn't see the huge grin spread across his face. Dean was going a bit soft, and Sam thought it was about time. He listens as Isabel quickly quiets down, and is soon giggling at her fathers antics.
Dean can't help the smile the spreads across his face as he hears Isabel giggling. He holds her in one arm as he play with her fingers, letting her wrap her hand around his index finger.
Sam finishes cleaning his gun and snaps a clip back in. "Guess it was the attention then, huh?"
"Yeah, guess so," Dean smiles up at Sam. "Somehow I just kinda knew. I don't know, it's hard to explain, but when I picked her up, I just kinda knew that all she wanted was a little bounce and she'd be okay."
Sam smiles and sets his gun down. "Must be a dad thing."
Dean grins and looks down at Isabel, still letting her play with his fingers. "Yeah, I guess so..."
After a long pause that doesn't quite reach the level of awkward silence, but comes damn close, Dean finally speaks up. "So, uhh, this case. How is it going to work?"
"Well, I was kinda thinking that research is never hard or dangerous, if you wanted she could come with is for that, but Dean, I know you already know there's no way she's ever coming on the actual hunting part."
Dean walks over to one of the beds and sits down. "No way in hell, I am not putting her into that."
Sam looks at Isabel. "So one of us will have to stay with her...unless you want to trust some stranger to watch her why we're gone."
"No way, that is so far from being an option here. No, you'll stay with here while I go out and finish this thing off."
Sam looks up at Dean "No, I think I should go out and do it. You can stay here with Isabel."
"No, Sammy...I'll go out. I trust you, she'll be okay if you're here" Dean says, knowing that he could never let Sam go out on a hunt on his own.
"Dean...you're her dad. If something ever, ya know...happened to you..." Sam stops, Isabel wouldn't be the only one who'd be lost if something happened to Dean. "She, uh she needs her dad so just let me do this, okay?"
"Nothing's gonna happen to me Sammy…" and his voice holds the slightest shake when he speaks. He knows that Sam's right, he had to think of Isabel now, but there was just no way. Just like he'd absolutely never take Isabel into a hunt, there was no way in hell he was sending his kid brother off all alone to face god knows what. No. This would be his job; he'd just have to find a way to make sure he always came home. Always.
"You don't know that! Dean, you aren't invincible...you could get hurt!" Sam says, wishing he didn't have to have this conversation because in all honesty Dean had always seemed indestructible to him.
"Well so could you Sam! And I'm not having that on my record, I'm done having lives on my conscience!" And well, shit, he really hadn't meant to admit that out loud. Sam didn't know about that hunt. Sam had been at college, and the important thing had been that he and John had made it out alive, so Dean hadn't ever bothered Sam with it.
Sam opens his mouth to shout back, but his words catch in his throat when he realizes exactly what Dean had just said. All he can force out is a simple "What?"
Dean freezes like a deer caught in headlights, working his throat, trying to force out words. "End of discussion Sam. You stay. I go. That's final."
"No!" Sam yells, pushing away what Dean said about lives on his conscience and just tries to talk him out of going on the hunt alone. "What makes my life more valuable than yours? I can do this!"
"Sam you have a shot at normal. Me? I know I'll never be there. Hell, I'm not sure I'd want to be. I never wanted this life for you. You had Stanford, you had Jess, hell Sam, you even had friends. You were happy. You had a life. And someday you're going to have that again. So no, you're not doing this."
Sam sighs and briefly wonders why the hell Stanford always came up when they got into an argument. "Dean, I am not the one with a four month old daughter! I could never do for her what you do...she needs you!"
And Dean realizes they're at a draw. No Winchester ever gives up on a fight, so this could very well drag on for hours. He pauses, pretending to consider everything Sam's saying, but really he already knows the only way to end this and still have it his way in the end is to agree. He lets out a heavy sigh and glances from Sam to Isabel. "You're right. I…I have to think of her too now…"
Sam looks down at Isabel and smiles. "Yeah Dean, for Isabel."
Dean nods and walks over to them, taking Isabel from Sam's arms and holding her close to his chest. He looks over at Sam and nods, whether he likes this or not he knows what has to be done.
Sam turns away from Dean to search for the laptop, and to hide his smile of satisfaction at having won their little debate.
"So I figure we should start off normal, like with every other case. The basic research and digging won't hurt her, and then after we figure out if something's really going on, we'll figure out where to go from there." Sam says nonchalantly to Dean.
Dean nods "Sounds like a good plan, any idea what we're looking for?"
"Not really, the usual...anything weird, out of the ordinary…ya know…" Sam says as he walks over to the table, pulling out the laptop and opening it.
"No really? You mean we're not looking for bunny rabbits and fluffy clouds?"
Sam just levels a slightly bemused glance at Dean and starts doing a few internet searches to see if they could learn anything more about the case before heading out into the field.
---
After a few hours of research, Sam looks over at Dean who is lying awake beside the now sleeping Isabel, gently running his fingers against her baby smooth skin. "I think I need a coffee break."
Dean lifts his head off the bed and looks at Sam. "Sounds good. We'll come along. Just give me a minute to get her ready," Dean says as he sits up and gently picks up Isabel, trying not to wake her.
Sam nods and shuts the laptop before standing up and walking over to his bed. He picks up his shoes and slips them on, looking over at Dean to see him putting Isabel in her carrier as he tries not to wake her.
Dean snaps the buckle closed on her carrier and picks it up. "Let's go. I think I saw a place on the way into town." Dean says as he opens the motel door and walks out to the Impala.
Sam follows him out and helps him get the carrier situated in the backseat before they both get in.
The drive to the coffee shop isn't long and once they're all out of the Impala Dean takes a seat at one of the outside tables, sitting Isabel's carrier in the seat beside him.
"Hmm...I think she wants to come with me" Sam says with a smile as he notices Isabel is slowly starting to wake up.
Dean looks down at a bleary eyed Isabel and can't help but grin. "D'you wanna go with Uncle Sammy? Huh? Alright, but don't let him talk you into getting any of that frilly coffee he likes. You're going to be raised properly." He laughs a little and looks up at Sam, nodding slightly.
Sam laughs and picks up Isabel's carrier mumbling to her quietly as he walks into the coffee shop.
Dean smiles as he watches Sam walk away carrying Isabel. He still can't believe how fast things have changed.
Dean looks around at the people at other tables while he waits for Sam to get back from placing their order. He returns the smile of a waitress who's clearing the table next to him, but keeps looking around waiting for Sam to get back with Isabel.
Dean doesn't take any further notice of the waitress until she is at his table, leaning over and looking at him.
"You new in town? Haven't seen you around before..." The young brunette says with a flirtatious smile as she brushes some hair behind her ear.
Dean turns and focuses in on her. Tall and slim, with a low cut shirt, she leans down toward him. He looks up into her eyes. "Yeah, just here for a few days. Me and my brother figured we'd see how the coffee was here." He ventures another look past her, toward the door, trying to see if Sam was coming back.
She nods and leans closer to him, making sure he can see her ample cleavage. "I could show you around town if you want...could make sure you have some fun while you're here."
Deans just responding when Sam returns with Isabel. "No, that's alright. Seems pretty easy to navigate." Then he's ignoring her and taking Isabel back from Sam. "Did you have fun with Uncle Sammy?" he says as he smiles down at her.
Sam glances at the waitress and smiles a little, noticing how Dean is completely uninterested.
The waitress sighs a little as she notices the same and walks over to the next table, cleaning it off but turning every few minutes to glance back at Dean.
Sam sits down and gives Dean a curious look, but doesn't say anything. If Dean was starting to pass on the flirty waitresses that were always after him, then things really must be changing.
Dean can feel Sam's eyes on him and he looks up. "What?"
Sam laughs and shrugs a little, taking a sip of his coffee. He looks over at Isabel and smiles, reaching over to play with her. "Hey Izzie..."
Dean smiles proudly as Isabel look up at Sam, smiling and giggling. He knew Sam thought it was weird of him not to go after that desperate waitress, but after seeing Isabel, after having her for his very own, he knew his life had changed, and had to change. Sure, maybe when she was a little older, maybe when he could stand to be away from her for any good length of time. But not now. Right now all he wanted was to hold Isabel in his arms and be there for her always, and let her know that no matter what he'd always love her.
Sam can practically hear Dean's thoughts; he can see his brother looking down at Isabel with love in his eyes and knows that now Dean's first priority is Isabel. He can see that the rest doesn't matter to Dean, not as long as he has Isabel with him.
Dean picks up his coffee and takes a sip of it before grimacing. "Dude, tell me you didn't seriously get me a peppermint coffee?!" And he glares as Sam chokes on his laughter.
"It's called 'Candy Cane Lane'." Sam gasps out around his laughter. "They're testing it out for the end of the year when the holidays come around."
"You, you're dead Sammy. So fu-…freaking dead you can't even imagine." But despite the fact that Sam had messed with his life support, he couldn't help but grin when he saw the odd look Isabel was giving him for having yelled at Sam.
Sam is still laughing, the look on Dean's face having been priceless. The bad thing was he would most likely regret this at least once in the next forty-eight hours 'cause payback was a bitch...especially when it involved any of the Winchesters.
Dean just shakes his head at Sam and sips the imitation coffee. It really wasn't totally awful, though he'd never admit it to Sam.
When they'd had a decent break, full of talk and laughter and empty coffee cups, they knew it was time to get back to the research. They had already found a good bit of information beforehand. Now they really just needed to sort through it, sort out truth from myth, and start the legwork part of the investigation.
"So..." Dean says, looking up at Sam "What do we know about the case so far?" he puts Isabel in her carrier and hands her a small baby toy to play with while he and Sam talk.
"Well, we're pretty certain that these deaths are revenge killings. They only started up about six weeks ago, so it's probably someone who died recently, or whose burial ground has recently been disturbed. When we get back, I'll hack the local records; see if there's anyone who died violently about six or seven weeks ago."
"Is there any connection between the victims?" Dean asks, taking another sip of the coffee, because girly or not he still needed his caffeine.
"I'm not sure yet, I'm still working on it...I don't see anything right now, but I mean there has to be something." Sam says, looking up at Dean. "Any chance you could drop me off at the library on the way back to the motel? I wanna look at some old newspapers."
"Not a problem, but when you get back, can you hack the local police and courthouse records? I think I remember reading somewhere that one of the victims was a prosecutor. It's a long shot, but maybe someone wasn't too happy with the way their trial turned out?"
"Sure. I shouldn't be too long at the library, so we'll check that out when I get back."
"Okay, are you ready to go then?" Dean asks, glancing down at Isabel to make sure she is okay.
Sam nods and stands up, picking up his coffee cup and tossing it into the trash can. "Yeah, let's get out of here..."
Dean tosses his cup in the trash too before picking up Isabel's carrier and walking back over to the Impala to get her tucked safely away.
Dean and Sam climb in and Dean starts up the engine, pulling out and driving back into town in search of the library.
It doesn't take long to find the library and Dean is soon parking in front of the building. "You'll call me when you're ready?"
"Yeah, of course..." Sam says, smiling as he gets out of the car and shuts the door. He peaks back in the open window "Talk to you later Dean"
Dean gives a slight nod as he shifts into drive. "Later." He watches Sam walk into the building before he pulls away from the curb and heads back to the motel.
---
Dean's phone goes off and he reaches over, grabbing it and flipping it open. "Hey."
"Hey, so I think I found something..." Sam says from the other end of the phone as he walks out of the front doors to the library. "I would say it is pretty likely that the deaths were for revenge."
Dean nods even though Sam can't see him. "Yeah, we were pretty certain of that before, but what did you find?"
Sam rolls his eyes. "All of the victims have been related to someone who was on a jury on the same day...March tenth of last year...looks like a pretty simple case...that is if it turns out like I think it will."
"Well is this just gonna be Sammy's little secret? Or do I get to know too?" Dean asks as he holds the phone between his shoulder and ear, placing Isabel back in her carrier and heading out to the car so that they can go pick up Sam.
Sam sighs. "I was going to tell you when you got here."
Dean buckles the carrier into the backseat and gets in the front as he talks. "Or you could tell me now, and I can start thinking of ways to finish off this sucker."
"Dean...we said I was gonna do the hunting, you're staying with Isabel, remember?" Sam asks, taking a seat on one of the bottom steps outside.
Dean takes a deep breath. He needs to stay patient with Sam so he could know what was going on, and carry out his plan without Sam ever suspecting. "I know that Sam. But I still need to know everything so that I can come up with, or I can help you come up with, a way to stop this. You can't keep me out of the loop on this Sam. What if something happens to you out there, huh? I need to know what I'm dealing with if it comes down to that."
Sam sits his bag down beside him. "Dean, nothing is gonna happen to me. I know how to hunt...you know that, you're the one that made sure I could handle it."
Dean starts up the engine and grips the steering wheel tight. Sam was going to be difficult about this. "Nothing's going to happen? Just like nothing should have happened before you got kidnapped by those hillbilly freaks? Or like when that house tried to kill us and I almost lost you because of a freaking lamp?! Or what about when that Shtriga attacked you? Sam, nothing's ever supposed to happen, but that doesn't mean it won't. And . . . And I can't risk that happening this time okay? So just, tell me. Just in case…"
Sam sighs as he notices some people walk past him. "I can't tell you right now man...we can talk about it when you get here in a few, okay?"
Dean suppresses another sigh, "Yeah, sure. I'm on my way." He snaps his phone shut, tosses it onto the seat beside him, and pulls out of the motel parking lot. Occasionally he focuses in on the rearview mirror, checking on Isabel. "Your Uncle Sammy is a pretty stubborn bas- … little brother you know. But even if he never listens to me, you're gonna have to listen to him while I'm gone alright? I promise I'll be back as soon as possible." Promise. Shit, he really hopes he can keep that promise. He doesn't want to be like their dad. He doesn't want to turn out like John…
Sam sits on the stairs waiting to hear the familiar roar of the Impala pulling up. When Dean arrives only minutes later Sam stands and walks over to the car, quickly opening the door and getting in. "Hey."
"Hey," Dean says as he pulls back away from the curb and starts driving again. "Alright, spill it. What are we dealing with, who is it, and do we know where it is?"
"I'm not sure who it is yet, it'll be really easy to find out but the library was closing so I had to go. Once we know who it is then we'll just have to find out where that person is buried and hopefully just burn the bones." Sam says, turning and looking back at Isabel, already an instinct.
Dean nods a little. Figure out who it is, and really everything should be pretty easy from there. "Sounds good. So, back to the motel?"
"Yeah, I'll get on the laptop and look this up real quick, and then it should be a simple salt and burn after that."
"Should be…" Dean echoes. But what if it wasn't? It wasn't unheard of to find a spirit or ghost haunting its gravesite. And the angry ones didn't like it when you tried to banish them back to where they came from. No, even a salt and burn wasn't a sure thing. He was going to have to start thinking about how he was going to do this.
Isabel is already asleep in her carrier when they get back to the motel, both Sam and Dean getting out quietly so they don't wake her.
Dean takes the carrier, smiling down at how peaceful she looks, and he knows he would do anything to keep that look on her face forever.
He follows Sam into their room and very carefully gets her out of the carrier and walks over to her crib. He smiles down at her again, laying a gently whisper of a kiss to her forehead before bending down and laying her in the crib, and tugging her blanket over her.
Sam watches his brother tuck Isabel in before sitting down at the table and opening the laptop. "I don't think the research will take me long..." He says quietly, pulling out the papers he printed out at the library.
Dean nods and sits down on his bed, Izzie's crib is right beside the bed; he'd pulled it closer this afternoon, wanting to be close in case she needed him.
Dean watches in silence as Sam punches away at the keys of the laptop, clicking here, saving there. He's actually starting to doze off a little when he hears a triumphant outcry from Sam.
"Bingo. We got it."
Dean stands up and quietly walks over to read the screen over Sam's shoulder. "Who is it?"
"Seriously?" Sam asks "You came over here, looked at the same thing I did but instead of reading you just ask me to tell you what it says?"
Dean grins. "Pretty much. Unless college boy is trying to tell me he can't read?" Dean jokes. He'd read the name on the screen, but sometimes Sam had a strange way of putting things together, and when Dean tried to follow his path, he got lost. Like when they were little, and Dean would take Sam for the grocery shopping, and he'd let Sam pick out any one thing he wanted, just as a special treat. One day Sam had been trying to decide between cookies, or snack cakes. Then he'd seen a box of Capri-Sun juice drinks, and suddenly yelled at Dean that he wanted a Lunchable. Yeah. Sam's thought processes could sometimes be a little off the beaten path.
Sam laughs and looks back to the screen "Linda Shepard here gets accused of murdering her husband and what seems to be his mistress, Carrie Parnell. It makes sense right, I mean she catches them, is of course angry so she kills them both. The day after she is killed for the deaths of both her husband and Carrie, it is found that she is innocent...apparently Carrie's boyfriend found them, not Linda."
"Dude, that is one messed up group. Okay, so, Linda dies for the boyfriend's crime…why isn't the boyfriend dead? That'd be who I'd go after. I mean, he didn't step up, didn't confess…not that anyone probably would, but still. I'd go after the real reason I was charged."
"I don't know, maybe I'll ask her before I burn her bones..." Sam laughs. "Maybe she's saving him for last, wanting to make him afraid before she finally goes after him."
"Well either way, let's figure out where she's buried at and then get some rest. We're out of rock salt, and the stores are closed. You'll have to go after her tomorrow night."
"I thought you just bought some more rock salt?" Sam questions, as he reads further into the article, trying to find where she was buried.
"Oh, right, I uhh, I did. But it…spilt. I accidentally dropped it packing up the other day and it busted open. Forgot about it till just now. Don't worry. We'll pick some more up at the store tomorrow. Let's just sleep for tonight."
"I'm just gonna find out where she's buried before I catch some sleep..." Sam says but after fifteen minutes of looking for a burial site and finding nothing he decides he'll try again in the morning. He's exhausted and just wants to lay back and let sleep consume him.
"Come on Sam, just shut it down for the night. We'll find it tomorrow." Dean says as he checks on Isabel one more time before crawling into his own bed.
"Yeah, yeah alright," comes the exhausted reply.
Dean lays awake, watching Sam shut everything down, turn off the lights, and crawl into his own bed.
"Goodnight Sam. G'night Izzie." Dean whispers.
"Night Dean." Sam replies, followed quickly by a yawn as he rolls over, his back facing Dean.
Dean lies back, looking up at the ceiling, unable or maybe just unwilling to sleep right now. He hears Sam's breathing even out and he knows the second Sam is asleep. When they were younger he used to make sure Sam could go to sleep before he even thought about closing his eyes.
Dean still can't sleep however. He's starting to second guess himself, something he's never done before, and something that's dangerous for a hunter to do. But never the less, that's what he was doing. Maybe he should just let Sam go? What if something did go wrong and Isabel lost her father too? But no, if something went wrong, he'd rather it be him than Sam. No way could he send Sam out into something without anyone there to back him up. He had always known he would do anything for Sam, even die for him…but now that secret promise would affect the life of another. Dean found himself torn between the two most important people in his life, and he wasn't sure there was a solution that would leave them both unharmed.
