A Chance Meeting

Chapter 2

A Connection

Hazel squeezed her eyes and gripped both the tree and Sam tighter. She was starting to lose feeling in her arms and Sam still hadn't come to. Too much longer and they would both be in the rapids, and Hazel didn't think she had the strength to save them both. She heard a small moan and saw Sam stir a little bit in her arms. Damn, she thought, he's kind of cute. She took a moment she really couldn't afford to admire his face. Even out cold she could tell a lot about him. He looked like one of those collage boys she and her friends would swoon over.

"HAZEL!"

Max's shout brought her out of her fantasy, and she saw that Max and the other guy a little ways up river toss the rope in. As it was floating towards her she realized she would have to let go of the tree, not only reach it but also slip it around the two of them. That was risky considering if she missed the two of them were done for. The rope stopped about two feet behind of her.

"Hazel you're going to have to let go of the tree."She wanted to yell back, "No shit, Sherlock," but thought better of it. She took a deep breath, bunched up her legs and let go of the tree. They both went under for a second. Hazel's feet hit the bottom and she pushed up, breaking the surface. She looked for the rope and saw that it was inches from her. She grabbed for it and missed. She pushed with her feet again, saw her hand go though the loop Max had made and pulled her arm in the opposite direction. The loop tightened and she felt of if her wrist snapped as the slack came out. Pain blinded her for a moment and she nearly lost her grip on Sam.

She felt the rope being tugged as she and Sam were dragged towards the bank. A few seconds later Sam's brother beside her dragging Sam and Max was helping her stand. Sam's brother was laying him on the bank, lightly slapping his face, "Come on Sammy. Wake up."

Sam's eyes started to open slowly. "Dean?" Sam sat up and looked around, "What happened?"

Max set Hazel down beside him, "My sister just saved your ass, is what happened."

Hazel smiled as Sam, "Hi, I'm Hazel. I would shake your hand but I believe mine is broken."

Hazel stood and Max put his arm around her waist. She brushed him away but slipped on the wet slope and had to grab her brother's arm to keep her balance. "Thanks."

She looked down and saw that the guy, Dean, was helping Sam to stand as well. She would have whistled but chose not to. Sam was incredible tall, he towered over his brother, kind of how Max was with her. She jerked her head towards the bikes. "I believe we have a first aide kit on the bikes. We can look at the gash on your head and see if we can splint my wrist."

They made their way to the bikes, "Who rode mine?" She asked Max. He nodded towards Dean. "He may end up riding it to the house." Max opened her satchel and took out the kit. Sam sat on the ground and Hazel sat next to him, using her other hand to look at the gash.

"Well it's not very deep," she told them. She looked into his eyes and was a little stunned by how bright they were. She blinked and looked back to her brother. "We can just clean it out and use the liquid bandage."

He squatted beside them, "I do know how to do this Hazel." He looked up at Dean, "Could you find me two thick sticks, there should be some by the trees."

Dean looked at Max, "Why do you need sticks for a head wound?"

Max rolled his eyes, "Not for him," he jerked his head down at Sam. "They're for my sister. We have bandages to wrap her wrist but I need something to stabilize it." He pointed to the trees. "They are over there."

Max kneeled in front of Sam as Dean went to find something to brace Hazel's wrist with. He pulled out the alcohol swabs, "This is going to sting." dabbed the gash and Sam yelped, "A lot."

Hazel slugged her brother, "Stop being an ass. That's my job." She waved her good, hand fan like to make the sting go away, "Sorry Sam, this part is the worse." Dean returned with the sticks and handed them to Max.

Max looked at the sticks then back to what he was doing, "Care to strip the branches off?"

Hazel rolled her eyes, "Max knock it off. I swear busted wrist or not I will kick your ass."

Dean didn't seem to care and dropped the sticks on the ground, pulled out a knife, and started stripping the branches off. He handed the branches, once they were smooth, to Hazel. She took them, "Thanks." He nodded and grinned at her.

She stood and took the extra bandages out of the kit, "Dean could you help me, I need you to hold the sticks while I wrap them."

"Hazel, I'll do that." Max said, "I'm almost done here."

She gave her brother a sickly sweet smile, "That's alright, Dean can help." She saw Dean give Max a cheeky grin and held the sticks against Hazel's wrists as she wrapped them. Considering she was doing this one handed, she thought it was pretty good. Max finished Sam and Hazel finished wrapping her wrist. "So Sam can ride with Max and Dean," she turned to Dean and smiled at him, "I'm going to have to let you ride my bike."

"That's alright," Dean said before Max could object to the arrangement, "Sam and I have a car just up the road."

"Yea a busted car." Sam said as he stood up, "It just up and died."

Max smiled, a little to happy. "We can head back to the house and use our Dad's truck to tow it. Sam can ride with his brother on Hazel's bike and Hazel can ride with me."

That being settled, they got onto the bikes. Hazel was never comfortable letting someone else ride her bike. But not like she had a choice in this matter, she couldn't ride it with her wrist the way it was. She held onto her brother and looked behind her as he took off. Dean it seemed was a very good rider, nothing fancy but she was glad he at lest wouldn't crash it. But her eyes kept wondering to Sam. He clung to his brother. His still wet hair, getting wind blown. She saw him look over at her and quickly found Max's back very entertaining.

The house was a four bedroom, two bathroom, ranch style house. Their dad had built it as a tenth anniversary present for their mom. It sat on twelve acres and over look Crystal Lake. Once Max joined the football team, their dad had added a make shift gym. Nothing big and extravagant, just a few weight machines, treadmill, and after much begging from Hazel a dance bar. Over all it was home to Max and Hazel.

They parked the bikes and Hazel got off. She saw Sam doing the same; she lowered her eyes and looked up at the front door. It was wide opened. She tapped Max on the back, "Please tell me the monster is kenneled?"

Max followed her gaze, "Not unless you did it."

Hazel sighed; this was going to be fun. "Annie!" she called. Nothing, "Annie, come her Annie." It had worked. A white blur raced around the corner of the house and jumped up on Hazel knocking her on her ass. "Annie no! Down girl!"

The command fell on deaf ears as the white blur proceeded to lick and slobber on Hazel's face. It took Max dragging her back before Annie calmed down. That's when she saw Sam and Dean. She started barking and trying to get out of Max's grip.

"What the hell is that? Dean asked eyeing Annie's very sharp teeth. She had sat beside Max but her short nub of a tail was going a mile a minute.

Hazel knelt beside her dog, "This is Annie. She's mainly all bark, and only occasional bites." She grinned at Sam and Annie started her mauling of Hazel's face with her tongue.

Sam knelt in front of Annie and let her sniff his hand. She must have really liked what she smelt cause she went ballistic, jumping and whimpering.

Annie heard her name and brought her head up. The Boy had left the door opened when he and her Mistress had left. She knew she wasn't supposed to leave the house with out The Rope but it was to tempting. She had spent the day chasing the quails and a few of the toads. Now she heard her Mistress's voice again. She rounded the corner, saw her standing next to the Fast Dogs and bolted, your back, yea! Pet me, love on me, your all wet, I'll clean you off. She heard the Down command but her Mistress was still wet, I'm almost done. She felt The Boy pull her collar. That was when she saw the other two. YEA! More people to love on me, Let me at them.

She heard the Shorter One say something and Annie sat down hoping he would come close enough for her to lick. He didn't but the Tall One did. He held his hand to her and the smell on his hand was a mix between roast and turkey. You have food somewhere on you. Let me have some. Food, food, food.

Sam calmed the excited Annie down by scratching behind her ear, this had an amazing effect on her, and she rolled over. "What kind of dog is she? She looks like a boxer but…"

Hazel nodded and started scratching Annie's tummy, "She's a white boxer.

Annie sat on her hunches and watched as The Boy unwrapped her Mistress's paw, what happened? She cocked her head to the side. Let me see. She nuzzled her Mistress's hand then gave it a quick lick. It's not to bad. You'll be fine. She lost interest in them and returned to the Tall One. He started scratching behind her ear and she leaned into him, you are my new best friend. She thought, as she looked up at him. The Shorter One seemed a bit weary of her but as long as the Tall One kept up the ear scratching Annie didn't care.

Max rewrapped Hazel's hand, "It doesn't seem broken. I think you just pulled something, you'll be fine." He turned back to Sam and Dean. Sam sat petting Annie, Dean was leaning back in the recliner and Annie had her head in Sam's lap. "Well. Would you like to go get your car? I'm sure we can fix it up here. Unless you want to tow it to town?" Max said the last line a little bit too hopeful.

It looked as if Dean was about to suggest town but Sam beat him to it, "Oh I'm sure Dean can fix it here. You have the tools to fix it right?"

Max grimaced, he had been hoping to get them on their way quickly, "Yea we do."

Hazel stood up, "So you and Dean and go get the car, Sam can get dried off and I'll start making dinner. Sam if you follow me, I'll show you where you can dry off." She looked at Max and Dean who hadn't moved, "Well you two better be off. You're going to be late for dinner." She walked out of the room and down the hall. Sam followed, much to the dismay of Annie.

She opened the door at the far end of the hall and stepped aside so Sam could walk in. He look in and saw a king size bed, two desks and another door, "That door at the back goes to the master bathroom. You can shower if you like. It'll give your cloths time to dry."

Sam looked down at Hazel as they both heard the front door slam shut, "What about you? Your still wet."

Hazel pointed to the second door one the right, "I'll be using that one.