Knowing that Dean and Lizzy would most likely be preoccupied with each other for the night, Sam sees the perfect opportunity to get back on track with his hidden life. He's been traveling for three days, missing in the past for three more, and the entire Las Vegas disaster took nearly a week including drive time. After being under heavy watch for so long and out of his supply for a while, he's hurting pretty badly by now. It's been too long since he's juiced up and if the several angry voicemails and text messages he's received from Ruby are any indication, she knows it's been too long for him also.
Pulling out his phone as he lies on his back sprawled across the couch, he stares at his phone while he waits for her reply. It's too quiet for it to be good, meaning Dean and Lizzy are done for the night, and it'll be harder to slip out unnoticed now. He prays their sleeping by now.
It's been over an hour since he sent a text to Ruby:
In Mass. Need to meet up. Now.
Sam looks over to the clock and counts the seconds as they tick by. He's starting to fall apart. Lizzy was spot on. He's been sick for days; nauseous, shaky, and running a constant fever, and he's been doing everything he can to act normal. Lizzy and Dean still can't find out, they wouldn't understand, at least not yet.
His phone finally beeps and he jolts with excitement. Opening the message immediately, he reads:
About damn time. Where?
He's lucky she's available and he doesn't have to wait any longer. Listening intently for any form of noise coming from the room across the hall that previously had been filled with music and God knows what else, he's reassured by utter the silence and he sets up a place and time.
Church we met at a few months ago. 10 mins.
Standing up from the couch, Sam slowly makes his way down the wooden floored hallway, cautious to not let his boots make a sound. He never undressed from his clothes from the day as he knew he was going to try and leave tonight. He just can't hold out any longer.
Once at the bottom of the stairs, he stops and checks Dean's leather jacket that's hung on the wall for the keys to the car. Closing a hand tightly around them so that they don't knock together and make noise, Sam slowly creeps to the door. He opens it with severe caution, steps out into the cold night air, and closes it behind him with just the faintest of clicks as the door locks in place.
After he hears that click, it's on. He sprints out the porch door, runs around to the back of the apartment and pushes the key hastily into the car lock. Yanking the door open as fast as he can, Sam folds himself quickly into the driver's seat. He turns the key in the ignition and is greeted by whatever local classic rock station Lizzy last put on blasting loudly. He flinches with a start and his hand flies to the volume knob, turning it down all the way. He sits still for a quick second, a hand to his chest as he breathes hard with the sudden moment. Music is now scaring the shit out of him… he needs to get to Ruby now!
Once he calms enough, Sam turns on the headlights and gets ready to drive. When he looks out of the windshield his heart jumps practically out his throat once more.
"Where you off to, Sam?" Lizzy asks loud enough for him to hear in the cab of the car as she stands in front of the Impala, arms crossed over her chest and face angry. She clearly pulled on a t-shirt and shorts hastily in her attempt to get to him before he left and she looks like she should be freezing in the cold winter night. However, she doesn't shiver and her teeth don't chatter. Instead she just looks straight mad.
"Shit," Sam whispers to himself before slowly getting out of the car, taking his time in order to come up with something believable to tell her. He stands tall and plasters on a fake grin that he hopes tells her all is well. "Sorry if I woke you up, Lizzy."
"You didn't," she explains, face still showing her suspicious anger. "My bladder just picked a hell of a time to be full. What's going on?"
"Couldn't sleep," Sam simply says and leaves it at that.
"We haven't had any solid sleep in over a week," Lizzy challenges with a furrowed brow. "You should be sleeping like a little baby by now."
"I wish," Sam huffs a forced laugh and shifts on his feet a bit.
"Where you off to at three in the morning?" Lizzy asks once again as she takes steps around toward the driver's side of the car and stands a few feet from him. She looks up at him and waits for his answer.
"Just going for a drive," Sam shrugs off. "Getting out for a quick second. Maybe grab some food."
"We drove all day for three days straight and you want to go for a drive?" Lizzy incredulously asks. "I just went shopping. Come in, I'll make you something to eat so you don't have to go out." Lizzy holds out her hand to lead him back inside and waits for him to take it while looking up at him with a suspicious smile.
"I, ah, I think I just need…" Sam starts to make an excuse when Lizzy cuts him off.
"You think I don't know something's up?" Lizzy finally admits. "I'm not stupid, Sam. I've been around you for months now. And as much as I know Dean is doing his best to turn a blind eye and pretend all is fine and dandy between you two, I know better. Whatever you're leaving to do… don't." She keeps her hand extended in his direction and waits once again. Sam stands there, staring at her hand and being torn completely. The shape he'll be in could be awful by tomorrow if he doesn't go meet Ruby, but if he leaves Lizzy will be so disappointed and highly suspicious. Shit, shit, shit!
"If you love me," Lizzy starts, looking into his eyes deeply as she pleads with him from the depths of her heart. "If you do in fact look at me like family, you won't leave right now. I honestly don't know what's up with you and where you go when you sneak out, but Sam-I-Am, please, if you care about me at all… stay here."
Sam sighs heavily before taking off his jacket. He takes the few steps to close the distance between the two of them and wraps Lizzy up in it.
"You're gonna get sick out here," he says to her quietly and with defeat.
"I'll still look better than you," Lizzy remarks about his own sick looking state as she hugs her arms around herself once she can feel the warmth from his oversized jacket.
"Looks like a dress on you," Sam flatly comments while reaching into the open car door and turning off the Impala.
"Not my fault you're a fucking gigantor," Lizzy says back quickly and a small smile creeps across her face once she's sure he's staying. "Let's go. It's wicked cold out and my feet are starting to freeze to the pavement."
"You're barefoot!?" Sam asks with shock as he looks down to her feet, toes wiggling against the freezing winter chill. "You're fucking crazy you know that?"
Sam walks to stand next to her and before he could protest Lizzy jumps onto his back. Her arms wrap around his neck and she leans into him, finally shivering against the cold. Something about the contact with her makes Sam warm up from the inside.
"It's been said," Lizzy admits, echoing Dean's words to her from just a few short hours ago as Sam starts walking back inside. "I'm glad you're staying."
Sam tightens his grip on her legs and takes in the weight of her on his back with happiness. "Just trying to appease the nag."
"Don't make me hurt you," Lizzy warns while kissing his cheek sweetly. His cheek tingling from the display of affection, he gets them inside quickly to keep her from freezing to death.
"I feel better already," Sam sighs as he leans back in the recliner, in his 'spot', in her living room.
"Best medicine I know of," Lizzy remarks while putting out the last of the joint. "It's a cure-all. Seriously."
"Mm," Sam agrees while closing his eyes. The comfortable chair, the smell of cooking frozen pizza wafting in from the kitchen, the relaxing effects of some good weed, hearing her voice… maybe it was worth sticking around after all. He does honestly feel better. His nausea is practically gone, he's hungry for once, and he's relaxed instead of on edge for once. The only problem is that his phone won't stop vibrating in his pocket now. He knows Ruby's pissed at him for not showing up. Good thing that in his haze he couldn't care less. He's enjoying Lizzy's company enough to not give a shit about the demon. Maybe when they next meet up he'll get Ruby off his back if he puts her on hers… that usually works.
Lizzy lies back on the couch wrapped in the comforter she took out for Sam and tries to get the chill out of her system. She really shouldn't have gone outside in so little clothing in February but it was a dire situation. If she stopped to properly bundle up he would have been gone before she reached the door.
"I talked to John," Lizzy starts.
"About what?" Sam wonders to her.
"Dean." Lizzy looks to Sam and starts confessing like weed always makes her do. "I asked him to go easier on him."
"Yeah right," Sam brushes off, knowing his father never went easy on anyone. His expectations were higher than reasonable for every person he'd ever met, especially his kids. Especially Dean.
"He listened though," Lizzy informs him. "I told him that Dean has no idea how awesome he is as an adult and that he shouldn't just be thought of as only your babysitter and keeper as a kid."
"You said that to dad!?" Sam asks with bug eyes. "And you're still alive!?"
"I said it in different words, but yeah," Lizzy explains. "I had to try, didn't I?"
"I guess," Sam answers, agreeing with her logic. Opportunities like that don't come along very often, if at all.
"And he listened to me. I think he took what I said to heart. I think me kicking his ass got enough of his attention to let him know he should take me seriously."
"Probably," Sam says with a smile. "I would've given anything to have been able to watch that fight." Very rarely did anyone get the drop on his dad.
"I got him good until he pulled out his gun," Lizzy smiles with pride. "It's a fucking shame he remembers none of that convo though. Now your brother will never believe me."
"Believe you about what?"
"About him being the great person that he is," Lizzy explains while lying back again to look up at the ceiling. "Dean has no idea how good a dude he is. I'm starting to think he never will."
"He won't," Sam returns, knowing how true her words are. Dean may be narcissistic in some aspects of his life, but it's a mask. He doesn't view himself as a good person. Never has and it's a shame.
As both get lost in thought temporarily, the room grown silent.
"You know, I was thinking…"
"That's never good," Sam remarks quickly.
"Shut it. I was thinking that we're perfect opposites," Lizzy comments quietly while still staring at the white ceiling above her and letting her mind continue to wander.
"How do you figure, Cheech?" Sam asks, eyes closed and forehead wrinkled. She always comes up with the most rambling thoughts while stoned.
"Easy. Everything about me is the opposite with you, Chong," Lizzy explains.
"No way," Sam brushes off, thinking she's just being a pothead.
"Everything, I swear," she reiterates. "Go ahead, pick something about me."
"Huh?" Sam asks as he doesn't understand the question.
"Pick, like, a detail about me that makes me… uh, me," Lizzy requests.
"Um, ok," Sam agrees with hesitation. "You eat a lot."
"And you don't," Lizzy responds quickly. "In fact, I eat tons of shitty food while you eat like a bird and only eat food for rabbits. You're a brabbit… or a rird."
"A rird?" Sam incredulously asks with an involuntary grin.
"Yeah, a rird," she echoes.
"Wow," Sam huffs with her ridiculous statement. "You are ripped."
"So are you so you totally understand what I'm saying."
"Yeah, sadly I do," he admits. "Ok, how about this? I like research stuff and you'd rather rip throats."
"Exactly what I'm talking about," Lizzy says with excitement.
"You might be onto something there."
"Oh, I know I am," Lizzy declares. "You never watch TV and I worship the damn thing."
"And I don't like loud music so much while you'd rather blast your eardrums until they rupture."
"It's the only way to really enjoy a good song."
"Sure it is," Sam answer back sarcastically. "Alright, how about this; I'm not a whorebag and you are."
"Whoa!" Lizzy calls out with shock as she snaps her focus onto him. "Did you really just call me a whorebag?"
"Yep," Sam smiles while nudging her with his sock-covered foot.
"I bang one person exclusively, dude," Lizzy argues. "A whorebag that does not make."
"Ok, you have a point there," Sam admits to her.
"That's another opposite!" Lizzy loudly exclaims. "I enjoy all the wonderful and amazing aspects of having an active and healthy sex life…"
"A little too much…." Sam quickly interjects quietly.
"And you are terrified of getting your dick wet," Lizzy finishes her statement with a smirk.
"I'm not scared of sex, Lizzy," Sam rebuts quickly.
"You don't make a good argument for yourself then. When was the last time you got laid, dude? And no lying. I've lived with you for months and all's been quiet on the Sammy front from what I've seen."
Sam pauses. He hadn't gotten laid that she knows of. Ruby was a secret after all.
"At least I've never banged anyone in a dirty ally by a dumpster before," Sam argues, recalling a specific incident a few months back when the three of them decided to take a night off and she and Dean mysteriously disappeared out the side door for a while.
"That's low," Lizzy informs him quickly, pointing accusingly at Sam. This was not exactly a high point in Lizzy's recent history.
"It's the truth," Sam fights right back.
"Oh, come on! I was so hammered that night," Lizzy explains away. "I drank waaaaay too much."
"Can you even do that anymore?" Sam laughs at her, knowing her history with booze and how high her tolerance can be.
"Yes I can smart ass," Lizzy says right back. "And it's not my fault your brother is so fucking hot that I need to do such things to him when I do find myself wasted."
"Gross," Sam says, hating the turn the conversation has taken.
"You know, it was actually pretty fun," Lizzy admits to him with the aim of making him uncomfortable for calling her out. "And naughty."
"Enough," Sam waves his hand in the air to stop her, a flush coming across his skin.
"Seriously," Lizzy keeps going, ignoring him completely. "Dean pushed me against the wall of the bar and then he took my…"
"Alright!" Sam loudly gives in, afraid of getting a mental picture. "Alright, new topic."
"Be my guest," Lizzy giggles at his reaction.
"Ok. You'd rather drink your face off…"
"And you'd prefer have a few beers and then bitch out like a little bitch," Lizzy finishes while throwing a pillow at him.
"I am not a bitch!" Sam rebuts incredulously.
"Maybe just a little one," Lizzy smiles back at him.
"Fine. I got another one for you. I'm really, really, ridiculously good looking and you need to wear a bag over your head just to go out in public," Sam jokes while throwing the pillow right back at her.
"Hey! I think we both know who the real good looking one in this room is, jackass!" Lizzy laughs right back while pointing in a circle to her own face with a joking smirk.
"Ok, you got me there," Sam admits, cheeks a little rosy with his admittance of his thinking that she's good looking. He wasn't afraid to recognize that she was beautiful… even if it felt wrong of him to do so for some reason.
"Ooh, I have a really good one. I'm rocking the angel blood and you've got the whole demon blood thing going on," Lizzy adds lightly before realizing how hefty an observation it is. They both go silent as they consider the statement.
"Jesus," Sam huffs after some contemplation, the mood in the room going from playful to serious in a split second. "That is fucked up."
"Yeah it is," Lizzy agrees completely once the idea settles in. "Never really thought of it that way before now."
"Shit," Sam sighs. "We really are opposites." Sam pauses for a moment before adding to the conversation in a way that will surely bring up a sore subject. "Maybe that's why we kissed."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Lizzy says with levity but really she's nervous. This was something she was definitely looking to avoid.
"The saying," Sam explains. "Opposites attract."
"But we're not attracted to each other," Lizzy rebuts.
"Well, no…" Sam trails off, not needing to be completely honest here. He really shouldn't have watched that video with the shifters in Vegas... "But I'm saying maybe that's why what happened, happened… twice."
Lizzy props herself up on an elbow and looks over to Sam with annoyance. "Dude, that was an accident both times. I was shitfaced and mourning, then you were shitfaced and mourning. It meant nothing."
"I know that," Sam tells her. "But if it was nothing then why didn't you tell Dean the truth when he asked?"
"Because I know him, Sam," Lizzy explains. "And so do you. You know he'd never understand. He'd react first and cope in a really shitty way later."
"But we lied," Sam rebuts. He doesn't want to drop anymore lies onto the untruthful pile he's already created.
"And we always will," Lizzy says. "He'll be jealous and blow it way out of proportion and be suspicious of us all the time over nothing. It isn't worth the unnecessary pain it'd put him through… we've all be through enough." Lizzy sighs loudly. "Sam, he thinks I'm gonna leave him."
"I know." Sam could see the worry clear as day all over his brother for days now.
"We let him in on this right now, he'll never believe me when I tell him I'm not gonna drop him, ever. Sam, please, can't we just shut up about this one and let it go?"
Reluctantly, Sam agrees. "Yeah, sure." For his brother's sake he decides to go along with her. She makes some great points and Dean has been through enough mental torture with all the new discoveries as of late. And his and Lizzy's 'legal' marriage. And their sex tape…
"Thank you," Lizzy tells him with all honesty. "I really appreciate that."
"Anything for you dear," Sam jokes with an eye roll before sitting back again and closing his eyes.
"Aw, you're so sweet, honeybun."
"Hey," a groggy voice calls over to the two in the living room from the doorway. Sam and Lizzy whip their heads in the direction of the voice with anxiety. How much did he hear?"
"Hey baby," Lizzy says happily, looking to appear innocent.
"S'that pizza I smell?" Dean wonders in his rough, sleep addled tone as he rubs his eyes and attempts to adjust to the light in the room. Lizzy laughs, over what she isn't sure. Could be the fact that he looked downright adorable with his bed head sticking out every which way as he asks about food in the middle of the night in a t-shirt and boxer briefs. Could be the relief she feels over her after he clearly missed Sam and her very involved conversation. It's probably both.
"Yes Hungry Man, it is," Lizzy answers with a grin.
"Sweet," Dean answers back while she gets out from under her blanket and stands up. She walks to him in the doorway and drops a hand on his chest while pushing up on the tiptoes.
"Take a load off while I go get it for us." She kisses him on the cheek before walking past him and disappearing down the hall.
Dean smirks as he takes a seat on one end of the couch, pressing his hair down as he settles in.
"She's something, ain't she Sammy?" Dean squints over to his brother with absolute pride, not being able to hold back his fondness in the moment.
Sam stops a beat before answering with complete honesty and an unstoppable smile. "Yeah. She's something all right." He really does think so.