Title: Complications
Fandom: Supernatural
Author: DJ Sparkles
Rating: FRAO (language, mostly, so far)
Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue. I'll put them back when I'm done.
Spoiler Warning: Um, possible spoilers for all seasons so far… don't want spoiled, don't read. BIG spoilers for All Hell Breaks Loose, Parts 1&2, and season 3.
Timeline: Diverges from Canon after episode 3x03, Bad Day at Black Rock.
Beta: Ithil-valon, River, and Joe. You ladies just ROCK, you know that? And of course, any remaining mistakes are mine.
Pairings: None so far.

Part Three

Bobby Singer pulled up behind the Impala and shut off his car before getting out carefully. He was carrying a shotgun loaded with silver rounds; if the thing came at him, he'd be ready. He couldn't bring himself to think of it as Dean. Dean was gone the minute the transformation happened. This was just a wolf, a werewolf, a monster to be put down.

He was shocked, then, when he found the two of them together on the grass, fast asleep. Sam's arm was curled protectively around the wolf, and Dean's head was pillowed on Sam's chest. A touching sight, really. If you ignored the fact that Dean was a werewolf. For the first time, he considered that there might be another option.

He didn't get too close to them, anyway. Might be a bad idea if Dean woke up ugly. He should have known, though; Dean would never hurt Sam, not in a thousand years. Not if he had any part of him left in there.

He reached out with a toe and gently nudged Sam, trying to wake him carefully. He didn't want Dean to wake up first, because that could only end one way, with Dean on the wrong end of the shotgun.

Sam opened one eye and looked up, then scrambled off the ground as Dean also stirred, and then came to his feet with a growl. "Whoa, whoa, Dean, hold on," he said firmly as he got between his brother and Bobby. "He's okay, Dean, he won't hurt you. Us. Won't hurt us. Calm down."

Bobby heard the growl step up a notch and fought to hold his ground. He didn't want to appear scared, although he guessed the wolf could smell it on him. That snarl was getting a bit ugly and he tightened his grip on the shotgun.

"Dean! Cut it out!" Sam got between them again quickly and knelt down, taking hold of the wolf's head and turning the eyes toward him. "I know you're in there, Dean, stop being a jerk. You know Bobby. You know he won't hurt us. So knock it off."

Dean shook his head free and then did something Bobby would never have believed if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. He stepped back a couple of paces and lay down, covering his muzzle with one paw, and so help him, Bobby thought he looked embarrassed.

"Better. Y'know, dude, I think I like you better this way. Quieter." Sam stood up again and turned to Bobby. "Dawn's about what, half an hour? I'm not leaving him here."

"Did I ask you to? No. We'll wait it out." Bobby was still watching Dean out of the corner of his eye, still not trusting the wolf completely. He hadn't quite reconciled that Dean was in there somewhere, regardless of that display. And apparently the wolf could smell the distrust; he huffed a bit and went to the cars, looking around the Impala carefully and then raising a leg on Bobby's Camaro. And looking like he was laughing while he did it.

"Dean, you are so dead when you change back, you idjit." Bobby was less than amused, but in a matter of minutes he was rubbing the back of his neck and smiling, if not widely. "Kinda gives new meaning to the words 'Piss on you,' don't it?"

Sam was in turn glaring at his older brother. "Not nice, Dean. Are you ever going to get civilized?" He threw up his hands. "Probably not. So, Bobby, what do we do now? We need to get out of here before a cop comes along. We're still too close to the scene."

"Too late." Bobby indicated the cruiser pulling up behind the Camaro. "You get him in the car. I don't care what you have to do, but get him in the car before dawn. Head back into town, find a motel. I'll be right behind you as soon as I deal with Smokey here." He raised a hand and hailed the trooper as he stepped out of his car. "Evenin, Officer," he said easily.

"Okay, you heard the man, Dean, get in the car." Sam could hear Bobby talking to the trooper, something about how they were headed to the same place and had to stop to let the dog out. "Look, I already put a trashbag on the seat, you won't get anything on your precious car. Just get in already before that cop gets an eyeful, okay?" He waited until Dean finally took the hint and jumped in, then closed the door and went around to the driver's side. He remembered he'd have to drive circumspectly; if the cop ran the plate they might still end up in trouble.

They got lucky. Seemingly, the guy had accepted Bobby's explanation – long drive, let the dog out, whatever else he'd said out there. Sam raised a hand to wave as the cruiser swept past, headed into town, and then Bobby flashed his headlights behind. They made it to the motel with a few minutes to spare, even.

Getting the room was simple. The desk clerk didn't seem to mind that there would be three people in the room; he didn't even look up when Sam peeled off some of their hoarded cash to pay for it for a week. Just took the money, counted it, and handed over a key, all without glancing up from the novel he was engrossed in. Just as well. He wouldn't be able to give a description if he was asked.

They had barely gotten Dean into the room when the sun touched the horizon. The door thudded closed and Dean gave a strangled growl/snarl/moan as the change started to take him. It was swift, but looked incredibly painful, and he was gasping for air by the time it was finished.

Sam handed him a pair of jeans without a word and nodded toward the shower. He knew Dean would want to clean up; there was slime all over and he wanted to clean what there was on the floor. He and Bobby methodically scrubbed and mopped until it was gone, and waited for Dean.

"I'll say it again, Dean, that's part of you I never wanted to see," Sam remarked idly as Dean came out, toweling his hair. "Okay, time to get things moving. There's one more night of full moon and I really don't want to go through that again. Watching you shift is not high on my list of priorities."

"You? Who spent the last few hours on all fours, Sammy? And without a girl, I might add." Dean was trying to lighten the mood.

Bobby reached over and bipped Dean in the back of the head. "That's for my car, you moron," he said affectionately. "Let's get busy. Werewolves. Sam, punch them up on that thing of yours and let's see what we can find."

TBC…