Six
Sam sat at the motel room table and sipped his coffee, sighing occasionally. He'd woken up to Dean gone and a nervous feeling in his stomach. He knew Dean had a better advantage than the other children who had gone off, but he couldn't help but worry about his brother. Dean had just come back from Hell. He wasn't used to civilian life yet per se. Sam didn't mean to treat Dean like a soldier back from war, but in a way he was. He'd get this look in his eyes sometimes and Sam couldn't tell if Dean was confusing reality with the past again.
"So," Bobby walked into the room, a greasy bag in his hand filled with some breakfast creation from the diner down the road. He plopped down on the chair across from Sam and dug out the food from the bag. He threw Sam a ham and cheese breakfast burrito and the older hunter pulled out plain wheat toast and butter for himself. "Dean actually went."
"I guess so," Sam un-wrapped the burrito and dug in. He chewed and then swallowed. "I woke up to an empty bed next to me and the knife missing."
"Very poetic," Bobby laughed in a way that Sam heard air escape from his nose only. "You make it sound like Dean was your one night stand. You're mourning like that too. Your brother's gonna be fine."
"You're just saying that," Sam replied. "I hate to call you out Bobby, but you are. You want Dean to be okay, but what do we do if he's not? Which one of us will go in there after him? I doubt too many of us can without drawing too much attention. All I know is if we don't get everyone back soon it's gonna be worse than Bloody Sunday."
"We play it by ear," Bobby explained. "It's Monday now. If Dean's not back by the end of Thursday we'll go in after him. What we won't do is we will not assume the worst. Why I'm sure your brother's ganking that bitch right about now."
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
"No," Dean stood, trying to explain why he was really there, but the shouts were too deafening for anyone to hear him. "You don't understand I'm not here to—"
"Oh," Lily stood next to her brother at this point and her face flushed red at the thought of Dean being the fairies future king. She hadn't realized the importance of him until now. Beside her, her brother Puck simply rolled his eyes and scoffed.
"Of course," Puck muttered. "We had to find the damn prodigal son."
"Child," the fairy king stood from his throne and came closer to Dean. Dean was unsure of whether or not he should continue to bow or not. "Your soul does not radiate as much youth as you wish it would. Methinks you have come here not by accident and I do hope you do not have any ill intentions?"
"No," Dean swallowed past the nervous lump forming in his throat. "The exact opposite actually, I'm coming from this little town called Newburg. Human kids have been going missing there for years now, many years. Now that I know where they're going and why I've come to take them back home."
"By defeating the ogress I hope?" The king inquired.
"Well yeah," Dean shrugged. "That was kind of my goal here."
"Your goal," the king reiterated. "Besides being our future king of course?"
"Dude," Dean laughed. "You've got the wrong guy. Look I can't be your king ok? I've got a job to do."
Silence had befallen the fairy kingdom after Dean said that. He felt all of their eyes on him and his heart begun to beat faster. He had told the truth, had he not? He wasn't there to lead a bunch of winged sprites. He was in Somewhere to kill that basket bitch and rescue those kids. But as he looked around him and he saw the disappointed and distraught faces of all of the fairies he felt guilty. He looked back at Puck and Lily. Puck was looking about ready to kill him and Lily gave him a look like he'd offended the Queen of England on her birthday. Dean gulped and turned back to the king and queen who looked as though they were expecting a proper answer and hoping what he'd said was a joke. Dean hung his head for a moment before sighing loudly and then breaking into a big forced grin.
"You do know I'm just kidding right," Dean chuckled nervously, he felt bad for even doing this. "Just a joke Mr...King sir. Of course I'm here for the prophecy! Pssh I've known about that since...I existed."
"Excellent," the king broke into a big smile, but it was aged and filled with glee. "My loyal subjects prepare a feast in our guest's honor! Make it as lavish and wonderful as possible! I expect all to attend!"
"Yes my lord!" the fairies collectively exclaimed, which honestly Dean found to be a bit creepy and dispersed just as he had ordered. The queen gave Dean a smile and a nod before walking behind a curtain behind the thrones and disappearing into the unknown. The king gave one last look at Dean before turning away himself.
"Lily," he ordered. "Puck. Please show Dean to his room."
"Yes father," Lily bowed her head and the king walked behind the curtain as well, following his wife. "Come now Dean, I will take you to your quarters."
Dean smiled goofily from nerves and raging thoughts about what he'd just done and nodded at her. He walked in the direction of the little cabins on the trees. Lily smiled and followed him from behind until Puck grabbed her by the arm, abruptly yanking her towards him.
"If he tries anything," Puck hissed. "I mean anything on you..."
"Would you relax," Lily jerked her arm away from him and glared. "I'm going to be fine. Dean is a gentleman."
"Yeah," Puck muttered. "Sure..."
Lily rolled her eyes and ran up to Dean like a puppy detached from its master. Puck sneered, secretly wishing he had power over elements like some of the other warrior fairies. If he did he'd surely make Dean's hair catch on fire then douse him with water from the Arctic. He didn't like him. Not one bit. He turned his head to look back at the thrones sitting besides one another like pillars of strength. They were the unbreakable symbol of his people. Their loyalty, their trust, and everything to them. Puck didn't feel as though a human should be sitting there and taking over all of that.
"Take my rightful throne will you Dean," Puck said to himself. "Fine. But I'll be watching you. You can make sure of that."
Puck turned his attention back to his sister and Dean walking off in the distance and how close they were to each other for his comfort. He then begun to walk off to his room to change clothes for the feast.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
Dean, after getting over the initial moaning and groaning about heights, liked his room at the fairy kingdom. It was small and quaint, but had a homely feeling to it. There was a four poster double bed with a green comforter and matching pillowcases and drapery. The curtains on the window were purple and printed with stags holding their heads high like warriors. There was a dresser and mirror combo across from the bed and an old wooden bookcase filled to the brim with yellowing pages upon pages in a language Dean could not read or understand. There was a small bathroom around the corner on the left side of the little house.
"Do you like it?" Lily asked.
"Dude," Dean whistled upon entering. "Nice digs."
"Thank you," Lily entered too, shutting the door behind them. "Father ensures that every house is fit for royalty even though they are not. If there is anything you require I assure you father can make it happen."
"I suppose I should change," Dean replied. "What with your daddy's little feast and all that tonight?"
"There are clothes already laid out for you on the bed," Lily explained. "Fairies take great responsibility in their guest's wellbeing. But I suppose you've already figured that out."
"Yeah," Dean smiled at her. "But thanks for the memo princess."
"Anytime Dean." Lily nodded.
Dean looked down at the clothes on the bed. They were simple. The shirt was made of earthy fibers and was white. It was a button down and had buttons with smooth blue stones on them. The pants were a bit on the tighter side, but not enough so that Dean felt like a girl or the newest cast member of the Nutcracker. They were dark green like grass, but lacked pockets which unsettled Dean because he didn't want to set down the knife the shop owner had given him for a mere moment, but he could easily remedy that. There were a pair of black flat shoes at the foot of the bed and Dean was thankful that he wouldn't have to go barefoot through the whole thing.
Dean took off his shirt forgetting that Lily was still with him and threw it aside on the bed. Lily watched as Dean pulled the other shirt over his head. Her breath had hitched a bit when she caught sight of what she considered to be the beauty of Dean's body. He was chiseled there was doubt in her mind about that. The other fairies were thin and some lanky like her brother, rarely did any fairy but the warriors bulk up like Dean the human. She felt this warmth spread from her head to her toes and she swallowed hard before quickly composing herself and clearing her throat. Dean unbuckled his belt before looking over.
"Do yah mind?" Dean asked.
"No," she said, still kind of in a daze. "Oh! Yes, I will...I will leave."
Lily quickly exited to the bathroom where Dean was safely out of view. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and asked herself silently what had happened. She couldn't believe the composure she'd lost in front of Dean and how she'd had to force herself to leave his sight. She'd never felt this way about any other fae in the kingdom. Why was Dean, a mere human, making her feel this way?
"I'm done," Dean called out to her and she returned. Dean was inspecting himself in the other mirror and grimacing. "Although I feel like I just dropped head first into a Pirate's of the Caribbean movie."
"I do not know what that is," Lily replied. "But I believe you look quite nice. Handsome even."
"Oh," Dean felt his heart beat a bit faster. "Uh thanks I guess."
"You are welcome," Lily smiled. "Now most of the fairies even the men will be wearing makeup of some kind. It is tradition.
"Oh no way," Dean exclaimed. "Look girly, I can deal with the frilly dress, but there is no way I can cake all that on my face and still feel manly!"
"Very well then," Lily sighed for she would have loved to see him in her kingdom's full attire. "Since you are a guest I highly doubt father will pitch a fit."
"Good," Dean let out a sigh of relief. "So when does this dinner thing start cuz honestly I'm kind of starving?"
"Half an hour," Lily replied. "I hate to leave but I really must go now Dean, to get ready. I shall see you at the feast."
Lily rushed out and Dean chuckled. She certainly was a character that much he did know about this place. He also knew that he was royally, no pun intended, screwed. He walked over to the window in the little house and peered out of it. Down below he saw fairies frantically preparing the grounds for an elaborate meal and the reality of it all was beginning to hit Dean. He'd agreed to a job he couldn't fulfill. He couldn't be a king, much less the king of some magical fantasy Dungeons and Dragons style land. He had a real job to do and he couldn't just let that go, but something else dwelled in him. A place that was welcoming him and allowing him to stay and rest awhile. He'd longed for that his whole life. If he weighed all of his options this one was honestly the most enjoyable.
All Dean knew was that he was expected downstairs in half an hour, he was dressed in a monkey suit, Puck had been giving him a death glare since they'd met, and somewhere out there in Somewhere there was a hungry ogress just waiting for her next meal.
Reviews are appreciated and welcomed! I'd love to hear your feedback guys! :)
More to come soon! Any predictions on how this will all go down?