Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else? This story follows Sam, Dean, and Applemy original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?
Author's Note - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.
There's Always Another Day
Chapter Three
"Heat of the moment. It was the heat of the moment."
Sam and Apple shot out of bed at the same time.
"Rise and shine Sammy, Apple! Asia," he said as he grinned at both of them.
"Dean." They had both managed to breathe out. What the hell? They exchanged a confused type of look.
"Oh come on. You two love this song and you know it." Dean said over to turn the volume up. They stared as he rose from the bed and danced his way to the bathroom.
Apple dressed while Sam once again met Dean in the bathroom. What the hell was going on?
- - - - -
Sam stood next to his brother and watched as he yet again gurgled water for a longer time than necessary. He couldn't do anything but stare at Dean. How was Dean still alive? Both him and Apple had watched Dean die, held him as he let out his final breath. What was going on?
"What?"
"I dunno." Sam admitted. He stared at the ground, a confused expression on his face.
"You alright?"
"No, I think I... man, I had a weird dream."
"Yeah? Clowns or midgets?" Dean asked, he looked at Sam innocently.
Sam turned and left Dean to finish using the restroom. He found Apple seated on the bed she shared with Dean, her fingers ran nervously through her hair.
"What's going on Sam?"She asked. She didn't even need to look up to know he was there; she could just feel him.
"I don't know."
"You saw what I saw yester...er..today? Right?"
"Yeah." Sam admitted as he sat beside Apple. She rested her head on Sam's shoulder and took a deep breath. "Maybe it was just a weird dream... that we both had." He suggested.
Apple lifted her head to look at Sam clearly. "I don't know Sam, can that happen?"
Sam just shrugged his shoulder. He was sure it was bound to happen, but this was too real to be a dream. It had all felt just... too real.
- - - - -
As the three of them walked into the diner, the same scene played out as the day before. There was the cashier who told Mr. Pickett to drive safe and handed him his keys. Then there was the young man and the coffee. What the hell? Deja vu.
Apple slid into the booth with Dean next to her, and Sam in front of them. "Hey, Tuesday. Pig n'a Poke." Dean said as he grinned at the brunettes. Sam and Apple couldn't help but stare at each other, confused. Confusion seemed to be the feeling of the day, for them at least. Dean seemed to have no idea what was going on. Lucky him.
"Tuesday?" She asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Yeah."
The waitress came over to the three of them and asked for their orders. "Yeah, I'll have the special, side of bacon, and coffee."
"Nothing for me."
"Or me, actually." Apple added. She nodded and told them if they changed their minds to let her know. Apple seriously wasn't hungry right then, she was too confused to even think about food.
"Man, I'm telling you this job is small fry. We should be spending our time hunting down Bela."
That sounded so familiar, like she'd heard it before. Yeah, Dean had definitely said that before.
"Hey, you with me?" Dean asked as he snapped his fingers in Sam's face.
"What?" Sam asked. He looked at Apple first, then at Dean.
"You sure you feel okay?" He gave Sam a weird kind of look before he looked at Apple.
"You don't remember any of this?" She asked. She gave Sam a quick glance before she looked back at Dean.
"Remember what?"
"This. Today, like it's... happened before?" Sam tried. If he could just break through to Dean and make him realize that all of this had already played out.
"You mean like deja vu?"
"No, like it's really happened before," she replied. She played with the silverware before her. It sounded completely absurd when said out loud. She knew what Dean must have thought, they were crazy, truly crazy.
"Yeah, like deja vu." Dean said again. As if to say, 'what part of deja vu do you two not understand?'
"No, forget about deja vu! I mean it feels like we're living yesterday all over again." Sam tried again, the look on his face showed he was completely exasperated with the situation. Even Apple had started to get annoyed.
"Okay, how is that not..."
But Sam had cut him off before those two words could leave his mouth again. "Don't say it. Just don't..." Sam said. Irritated with the whole situation, he turned to glare out the window at the few passerby.
"Coffee, black..." the waitress said as she finally arrived. Just as she went to grab the hot sauce, just like yesterday, if fell off the tray; only this time, Sam had caught it before it had hit the ground.
"Nice reflexes." Dean commented as the waitress walked away. Sam looked at Apple and she sighed, what were they supposed to say?
- - - - -
They walked down the street, Sam and Apple continued to figure out what was going on. She looked over to the right again. The stupid dog had started to bark at them again.
"I'm sorry guys, but I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Dean said. He had begun to get annoyed with the situation. Hell, all three of them were starting to get pretty ticked off about it, for different reasons of course.
"Okay, look. Yesterday was Tuesday, right? But today is Tuesday too!" Sam tried to explain. Apple definitely understood what he was tried to explain, but she didn't think Dean quite got it yet. Sam and Apple exchanged glances as they waited for Dean's response.
"Yeah, okay you're totally balanced."
"So you don't believe us?" Apple asked as she gaped at Dean. Why in God's name was this so hard to explain? Oh, right, because it didn't make any sense in the first place.
"Excuse me." Not that girl again! She bumped into Dean and Apple, and Dean once again looked back at her.
"Focus Dean. Upstairs brain time." Apple told him. She glared slightly.
"Look I'm just saying it's crazy. Even for us crazy. Dingo ate my baby crazy. Hey maybe it was one of your psychic premonitions." Everyone had stopped at this point. Apple raised an eyebrow in confusion, psychic premonition? "Son of a bitch." Dean muttered before he shot Sam an apologetic look.
"Say what now?"
"Dean."
"I'm sorry Sammy."
Sam turned to look at Apple. "I have these...visions. Of things that are going to happen." He explained. "I know it sounds crazy but..."
"Okay, sure it sounds a little crazy, but I know how you feel. I get these feelings, and they tell me when something bad or good is going to happen. The catch is, the feelings are random, and I don't know the things they're referring to. They're pretty useless." She shrugged.
Dean and Sam turned to face Apple, the looks on their faces slightly confused. After a few minutes of silence Sam looked at the petite girl. "It's alright, you know. After we figure out what's going on here, we'll help you figure out what's going on with you." Sam offered and gave her a slight hug. Dean just gave her a weird kind of look before lhe looked over at Sam again. "And no, Dean. This is all too vivid."
"Okay look, we were at the Mystery Spot, and then..."
"And then what?"
"And then Sam and I woke up." Sam and Apple looked toward the direction of the two men as they tried to fit the desk through the door. She wondered if this Tuesday hadn't repeated itself, if those two men would've got the desk through the door. Probably not, they didn't look to be the smartest guys in the world.
"Wait a minute! The Mystery Spot. You think maybe it..." Sam began. He tried to work his idea out in his head before he explained it to the group.
"Maybe what?" Dean asked, he cockd his head to the side. What was Sam trying to say? He couldn't possibly think a place called 'The Mystery Spot' really had anything to do with what was going on.
"We gotta check that place out." Sam said firmly. He nodded his head to show emphasis that the subject was closed and the trio was going whether they liked it or not. "Look, just go with us on this one, alright?" He went on after having recieved yet another strange look from Dean.
"Alright, alright, we'll go tonight after it closes, and get ourselves a nice long look." Dean suggested.
"Wait, what? No." Apple said as she shook her head 'no'. There was no way they were doing that again. Having to watch Dean die was once enough for her, thanks. She couldn't imagine Sam wanted to take that risk either.
"Why not?" Dean asked. He looked from Apple to Sam, thoroughly confused. What the hell?
"Let's go now! Business hours, nice and crowded."
"My God, you guys are freaks."
"Dean!" Apple says as let out a frustrated sigh. God, why couldn't he just go along with them? He didn't have to watch one of them die, the least he could do was give them a break.
"Okay! Whatever, we'll go now." Dean said right before he turned away from the two and continued the walk down the pavement. They stayed stopped a crosswalk for a second, before Dean walked in front of them and out on the street.
"Oh my God!" Apple cried as she and Sam watched a car slam right into Dean. Both boy and girl ran over to Dean. Apple watched Sam once again lift Dean up and hold him. He called his name again and again. She lifted her gaze and saw Mr. Pickett from the diner as looked out of his car window.
- - - - -
"Heat of the moment! It was the heat of the moment!'
"Rise and shine Sammy, Apple!" Dean said as he grinned at the brunette boy and girl.
Apple let out groan before she laid back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. What the hell was going on? She propped herself up on her elbows and watched as Sam watched Dean gargle. She threw off the covers and quickly got dressed before she waited for the two boys. This was going to be yet another eventful day.
- - - - -
"Hey, Tuesday! Pig n'a Poke!" Dean said cheerfully as he looked away from the menu and back at Sam and Apple.
"Okay, Dean, will you listen to me? Cause Apple and I are flipping out." Sam tried, he was so tired of having to explain this day after day. Maybe he should just get a tape recorder and record the explanation.
Like the days before, the waitress came to take their order. Apple was almost ready to just punch the waitress in the face and tell her to get lost.
"He'll take the special, side of bacon, coffee; black, nothing for us, thanks," Apple said quickly as she offered the waitress a small irritated type of smile.
"Apple, I get all tingly when you take control like that." Dean teased and grinned at her.
God, that grin. She could almost feel her heart melting. Apple slapped her head mentally, she needed to focus, not think about how attractive Dean's little quirks were. "Funny." She said to him before she looked over at Sam again.
"Quit screwing around Dean!" Sam said.
"Okay." Why was everyone in such a crappy mood? The day had just started and he was already getting his head bitten off. "Okay, I'm listening. So wait, you think you guys are in some sort of... what?"
"Time loop." Apple said as she turned her head back toward the window once more.
"Like Groundhog Day?"
"Yes, exactly! Like Groundhog Day." Sam said and nodded his head.
"Uh huh," Dean said, he still looked confused.
"So you don't believe us!" Sam nearly yelled. This made Apple turn her head to face the brothers and zone back in on the conversation.
"It's just a little crazy, you know, even for us crazy... like..."
"Dingo at my baby crazy?" Sam offered. He turned to look at Apple with a slight smile.
"How did you know I was gonna say that?" Dean asked. How the hell did Sam know he was going to say that? He hadn't even really planned to say it till just then, so how did Sammy know?
"Because you said it before, Dean, that's our whole point." Apple tried to explain. She wanted to give Sam a bit of a break. She was sure she could handle it at this point.
Just like the two days before, the waitress came to their table with Dean's food. And also like the two days before, the hot sauce nearly fell to the floor until Sam caught it mid air and handed it back to the waitress. She muttered a surprised 'thanks' and placed the hot sauce on the table.
"Nice reflexes." Dean once again acknowledged.
"No. He knew that was going to happen."
"Okay look. I'm sure there's some sort of explanation." Dean began.
"You're just going to have to go with us on this, Dean, you owe us that much." Apple said, her voice rose slightly. It was the first time the boys had witnessed Apple show any sign of anger, they both looked at each other surprised.
"Calm down." Dean tried, he offered her a small smile.
"Don't tell her to calm down, neither of us can calm down! We just can't! Because..." Sam trailed off as he looked away from Dean, to Apple, then back to Dean. He really didn't want to have to tell Dean what he and Apple had witnessed the past two days. It would probably freak Dean out, though he'd never admit it.
"Because what?"
"Because you die today, Dean." Apple said quietly, a sadness showed in her eyes. Dean felt bad, he didn't like Apple that way. She was usually happy and kind of carefree. To see that sadness in her eyes hurt him. He turned his attention to his coffee cup, and back at Apple.
"I'm not gonna die! Not today." Dean said with a grin. He wasn't, there was no way. It just wasn't an option.
"Dean, twice now, we've watched you die."
"And we won't do it again. We can't. You're just going to have to believe us. Please." Sam said as he looked at Apple once more. The sadness was still in her eyes, he could sense it, even as her head was turned toward the window again.
Dean looked at the Sam and Apple. He thought it through. Both of them seemed pretty serious about what they had said. "Alright. I still think you're both nuts... but, whatever this is, we'll figure it out."
- - - - -
Just like the days before, they heard the dog bark, the girl bumped into Dean, and the two men tried to fit the desk through the door. Nothing had changed, nothing at all.
"And you think this cheesy-ass tourist trap has something to do with it." Dean asked as he quirked a brown colored eyebrow at his brother.
"Yeah." Sam nodded.
"Seems a little X-files." Dean replied. Once again, Apple couldn't help but laugh, it was true. It definitely seemed like something that would appear on an episode of the X-files, she could just see Mulder and Scully working on the case, trying to figure out just what was going on. Dean and Sam looked over at her as she laughed, she simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, I don't know how else to explain it, Dean!" Sam told him.
"Alright! Alright. We'll go tonight after it closes, get ourselves a nice long look," Dean suggested. He thought it sounded like a good, normal plan for the trio.
"No, no. We can't."
"Why not?"
"Because you... you..." Sam looked over at Apple for help, he didn't think he could utter the rest of the sentence to his brother. He could still see the images in his head, as vivid as ever.
"I what? I die there?" Dean asked.
"Blown away, actually." Apple said quietly as she loked at the pavement below their feet.
"Huh. Alright, let's go now." Dean said. He turned to walk out into the road. Apple remembered yesterday as it replayed in her head, she grabbed Dean's arm and quickly pulled him back just as Mr. Pickett drove by. "Whoa!" Dean looked down at Apple. "Wait, did he...?"
"Yeah, yesterday." Sam replied.
"And?"
"And what?" Apple asked. She cocked her head to the side and waited for Dean to go on. What could he possibly be wanting to know?
"Did it look cool, like in the movies?" Dean asked as he smiled. He seemed excited, like it was some awesome way to die.
Sam looked at Dean with a disgusted, 'are you serious' type of look. "You peed yourself."
Apple couldn't help but grin at Dean's next actions. He seemed to be truly upset that it didn't look as cool as it did in the movies. He was like a little kid who's favorite toy had just gotten run over by something.
"Of course I peed myself. A man gets hit by a car, you think he has full control over his bladder? Come on!"
- - - - -
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," the man that shot Dean said. He smiled at the trio. "We can use all the good ink we can get."
"How long have you owned the place?" Apple asked.
"My family's been guarding the secrets here since you don't want to know when."
"So you'd know if anything strange happened?" Sam then asked. He hoped the guy would give them something to go off of, but he didn't think that was going to happen. The guy was far too interested in getting good press than anything else.
"Strange? Strange happens here all the time." The man replied with a grin. Apple really wanted to wipe that grin off the guy's face. He creeped her out, she was already ready to get out. "It's a mystery spot."
Now it was Apple's turn to get some information out of the guy, but she sensed it wasn't going to happen either. "What exactly does that mean?" She asked, a polite smile on her face.
"Well... uh, it's where the law of physics, have no meaning."
"Like how?" She tried again.
"Take the tour."
"Guy went missing, Dexter Hasselback. He take the tour?" Dean finally cut in.
"Uh, hang on a minute. What kind of article is this?"
"Just answer the question." Sam said tightly. He was beginning to get extremely annoyed, this 'interview' had gotten them no where.
"The police scoured every inch of this place, they couldn't find him, I've never seen him before." The owner replied and shook his head.
"Listen to me. There's something weird going on here. Do you know anything about it, or not?" Sam asked dangerously. It was weird to hear him use that tone of voice. Dean had never heard it before, neither had Apple. They exchanged a quick 'what the hell' look before they looked at Sam and the owner of the Mystery Spot.
"Okay. Guys, give me a break. I bought the place a foreclosure auction last month."
"Alright big guy, let's get some air." Dean said to Sam. He pushed him toward the exit.
Apple turned to face the owner, she offered her small hand for him to shake. "Thank you for your time."
- - - - -
"Well I hate to say it, but that place is exactly what I thought. It's full of crap." Dean said as he, Apple, and Sam made their way down the sidewalk. It was dark now, they seemed to have made it a little longer than they had before.
"Well then what is it, Dean? What the hell is happening to us?" Sam asked, desperation colored his voice. He was so tired of having to watch his only brother die, especially before his time was actually up.
"Okay, let me just..." Dean started. Sam and Apple stopped as Dead and looked toward him. Maybe he had some sort of amazing plan to make all this end. "Okay, so every day I die, right?"
"Yeah." Apple confirmed.
"And that's when the two of you wake up again, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well then let's just make sure I don't die. I make it to tomorrow, maybe the loop stops, and we can figure all this out." Dean suggested as he shrugged his shoulders. It seemed like a simple enough solution to him. They keep him alive, everything would stop and he would stay alive. Sounded pretty good.
"You think?" Sam asked. Apple noticed he seemed a bit more hopeful then he had the last couple of days.
"It's worth a shot. I say we grab some take-out, head back to the motel, and lay low till midnight." He nodded as he finished his sentence. "Okay. Who wants Chinese?"
"Sounds good to me." Apple said. Things had started to look up. Sam and Apple watched as Dean began to walk ahead of them again, they exchanged small smiles. Maybe it really was going to be over soon. A loud crash made those happy thoughts come to an end. "That is seriously the last time that man walks in front of us."
Sam lets out a strangled laugh.
- - - - -
Sam and Apple both propped themselves up on their elbows as 'Heat of the Moment' invaded their ears.
"Rise and shine, Sammy, Apple." Dean said. He grinned at Apple, then Sam.
"Not again." Sam groaned before he fell back down.
- - - - -
"I still think you're both nuts, but whatever this is, we'll figure it out." Dean said to Sam and Apple, just as he had all the days before this one.
"Thanks." Sam replied wearily.
"Okay. So if you two are stuck in Groundhog Day, then why? What's behind it?" Dean asked.
"Well at first we thought it was the Mystery Spot, but now we're not so sure." Apple explained as she Sam a tired smile.
"What do we do?"
"Well, keep you breathing, try to make it to tomorrow. That's the only thing we can think of."
"Shouldn't be too hard."
"Yeah, right. Dean we've watched you die a few times, and we can never seem to stop it." Sam replied with a sigh. He looked so helpless. Dean was a lot harder to keep alive him or Apple had thought. It was as if some evil force was out to just kill Dean for sport and watch Apple and Sam try to defy the inevitable.
"Well, nothings set in stone." Then Dean did something he hadn't done in all the Tuesdays Apple and Sam had been through, he ordered sausage instead of bacon. "See, it's a different day already. I'm not gonna die." They watched as Dean took a bite of his sausage, he smiled at the two while he chewed.
Sam and Apple exchanged small smiles once again, so maybe it was going to be a different day. They looked over at Dean as they noticed the noises that came from him. He wasn't supposed to make those noises.
"Dean?" Sam questioned. "Dean!"
"Spoke too soon." Apple sighed softly.
+chapter title: another day - paramore