BEHIND THE BADGE
Dean felt the bullet rip through his arm and he waited for more for his life to end at the hands of some punk ass kid just looking for his next high.
He heard Sam's booming voice joined by Misha's yelling. "Freeze." People screaming. Then the bullets flew when the other suspect aimed his gun at Dean again.
Dean hunched over Arandi trying to keep her safe even as his own wound throbbed painfully.
It had all happened in less than five minutes. Two young men dead for no good reason.
"Arandi come on sweetheart."
She remained unmoving.
Dean ran his fingers over her vest just to be sure that it was there. Then he felt the warmth of her blood covering his fingers and he realized that the blast had gotten her higher up in the vest and some of the pellets had hit her neck.
"Officers down!" Sam was yelling into his radio and then he knelt by Dean looking at him worriedly.
"Just my arm Sammy, Arandi help Arandi." Dean said through gritted teeth.
It was a whirlwind of activity when the paramedics came through and Dean kept his eyes on Arandi murmuring to whoever was out there to take care of her.
He watched as they cut her uniform off and unstrapped the vest. He barely noticed the paramedic working on him. She finally opened her eyes and Dean let out a breath he had no idea he was holding.
She started to fight the paramedics, panic in her eyes and Dean wanted to reach for her and help her.
It was Sam that settled her easily. "Dean's fine Arandi he only got hit in the arm."
"I'm right here sweetness." Dean rasped.
If Sam and Misha hadn't decided to get food from the same diner they would probably be dead.
Arandi blinked back tears in relief that's all she needed to know was that Dean was ok and she could endure whatever else came her way.
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They had both been kept in the hospital overnight for observation. Dean woke up more than once dreaming of Arandi hitting the glass but she never lived in his dreams.
She died in his arms. He sat up shaking wincing at the pull of pain in his arm. He needed to see her to make sure she was alright.
He stood up slowly and the room swayed so he stood still until it ended. Fucking pain meds. He was about to take the first step when a nurse walked in to the room.
"Officer Winchester, just what do you think you're doing?"
"I need to see my partner please." He laid his best puppy dog eyes and added the pout.
The nurse blushed. "Alright but just a few minutes." She led him a few doors down and into the room. "I'll be back in half an hour."
Dean shuffled to Arandi's side. She was sleeping soundly and he breathed in relief.
He reached to run his fingers over her cheek.
She stirred slightly and blinked up at him. Very obviously drugged. "You tucking me in Dean?" She slurred.
"I'll even tell you a story." He grinned.
Arandi reached for his arm in a sling. "You got shot. I can't lose you." A tear streaked down her face.
"No tears princess. You got shot too you know, a little higher and…." He breathed, the flash of the shotgun in his eyes and feeling nothing but hopelessness that he had failed his best friend.
"If I'm a princess where's my kiss Prince Charming?" She smiled dazedly.
"Well technically you are already awake but who am I to argue with Disney." Dean leaned and planted a soft kiss on her lips and Arandi responded aggressively all of five seconds before she was out again.
Dean ran his thumb over his lips as he watched her sleep. He filed it all away just like he did everything else when it came to his partner.
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"So we have two weeks off because the chief said so." Arandi groaned. They had just left the psychiatrist's office and she had deemed them good to go.
The captain had insisted though that they take the paid days off to recuperate.
"I'm good with that gives me time to move into my new apartment." Dean sighed yanking off the arm sling.
"You need to wear that." Arandi scolded.
"You're supposed to be wearing those bandages." Dean returned.
Arandi looked at him through squinted eyes.
"Let's get something to eat I'm starving." Dean rubbed his stomach.
"I don't think I can go in that place for a while."
"Let's go to Stan's and get those roast beef sandwiches you like." Dean offered.
"Sounds delicious." Arandi smiled.
Once they were settled in a booth and had ordered Arandi looked at Dean seriously. "I know we told the shrink everything but can we talk about this, what happened?"
"What's to say? We're good right?"
"Dean one of us is probably going to die doing our job."
"Don't say that don't fucking say that." Dean snapped standing up and getting on her side of the booth and pulling her into his arms. "I can't lose you when I saw that blood on my hands…"
"If something happens Dean I just want you to know how important you've always been to me." She looked up at him with glimmering blue eyes. "That I love you too."
"You heard me?" He said sheepishly tucking her head under his chin.
"Don't worry I haven't planned the wedding yet." She quipped entwining her fingers with his. "But yeah I heard you and if you ever let your guard down like that again I'll shoot you myself."
"Yes Officer Remington." Dean kissed her forehead.
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"Not bad." Arandi said as she surveyed Dean's new apartment. "But why a two bedroom?"
"It was all they had available and I took it. I can always get a roommate to split the costs with. Right now though I just want to enjoy it all to myself well after the house warming of course."
Arandi stared out the window over the city skyline. "Not a bad view."
Dean stared at her. "Nope not bad at all."
"Careful Winchester try that on some other hapless female." She plopped down on his couch.
"Can I enjoy being single for a while?" Dean rolled his eyes and sat down then laid his head on her lap.
She began to run her fingers soothingly through his short hair.
"Sure but if it's ok with you I'm bringing a date."
Dean felt a little stab of annoyance. "Sure I guess."
"Hey if you don't want people you don't know I understand."
"No it's fine really just make sure he brings alcohol." Dean said turning away.
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"Wow Dean thanks for inviting me." Rachel said looking around the apartment. He wasn't about to go through this night alone. So he had invited the girl who did his tattoos. He'd always wanted to hook up with her see all her ink up close and personal.
"No problem just be warned you're going to be around a lot of cops."
"I got you to watch me don't I?" She purred pulling Dean in for a kiss.
Dean pulled back running a thumb over his lips unsure what to think. Hell he would never admit that since Arandi had kissed him he couldn't not compare other kisses to hers.
"Hey slow down you know I'm still a virgin." Dean gave her a disarming grin.
"Really well then I'm really going to enjoy breaking you in."
Everyone arrived one by one and Arandi arrived with Teddy.
Sam and Misha exchanged glances obviously being the only ones to notice that Teddy bore a striking resemblance to Dean just like Rachel did to Arandi.
"Fucking idiots." They mumbled to each other.
It took Dean all of twenty minutes to figure out that inviting Rachel had been a mistake and that he didn't like Teddy.
Rachel wanted Dean that was for sure and she didn't seem to care that there were others around as she rubbed on him and touched him.
"Hey you know I'm not into orgies." He tried to make light.
"Don't know what you're missing." She said in his ear. "I really wouldn't mind if the tall one joined us."
Dean shuddered at the thought. "He's my brother."
"All the more interesting, a little Wincest might spice up your life." She licked his face.
Dean stood up fast making her fall over where he had been sitting. "Hey I'm all for trying new things but I'm not going to have a threesome with my brother." He whispered harshly.
Rachel stood up. "I never pegged you for a pussy." She said rather angrily.
"If not wanting to bang my brother or get banged by him makes me a pussy then so be it." He huffed. "Time for you to leave."
"I came to get something and I plan on getting it whether from you or one of these other douches."
Dean grabbed the nearest male. "Sebastian hey I'd like you to meet Rachel she's into orgies have fun." He passed her off and walked into the kitchen, right into Teddy having Arandi pinned to the wall.
He was going to march right back out until he saw that Arandi wasn't into it all and was trying to get loose.
"Teddy we barely know each other." She hissed.
"I want to get to know you, all of you." He pressed.
"I'm warning you Teddy."
"Oh yeah be the bad cop baby."
"Actually she's the good cop I'm the bad cop." Dean hissed into Teddy's ear.
Teddy jumped. "Hey a little privacy man."
"Just to let you know this is my apartment dick weed and another thing she fucking said to back off!"
Teddy pulled back looking at Dean as if he had lost his mind. "Stop cock blocking me dude."
"It's not blocking your Vienna sausage that I have in mind." Dean growled.
Teddy wasn't very bright either going at Dean.
Dean had him on the ground painfully pinned and Teddy started tapping out.
"Does it look like you fucking have a tap out option?" Dean barked.
Arandi only watched with wide eyes.
Dean lifted Teddy off the floor still having him in control he led him straight to the front door. "You forget you ever met her you hear me? Cooperate dude or it can and will get painfully ugly."
He shoved him out the door and turned to see everyone staring at him. Arandi stood at the kitchen entrance with her arms crossed.
"You're not honestly going to get mad at me are you?"
Arandi didn't say a word only turned back into the kitchen.
Dean looked at everyone else and they just looked at him as if they felt sorry for him. "What?" He asked rather loudly before going into the kitchen.
"Get mad me all you want that guy was a dick."
"Where is your arm candy?" Arandi asked not looking at him.
"I thinks she's banging Sebastian and Gabriel and the rest of this floor maybe the block."
Arandi wrinkled her nose. "You know how to pick them."
"Yeah it seems I'm trying to keep up with you."
"Sebastian naked, for the love of God get me some bleach." Arandi groaned.
"So our night isn't going to end how we had planned." Dean leaned onto his hip by the counter where Arandi was leaning back.
"Dude it didn't even start the way I had planned."
"We're not going to let that ruin the night right?"
"Honestly Dean if I can work past losing the man I planned my life with I think I can get over Teddy." Arandi huffed.
"Are you sure because he was a keeper." Dean looked at her seriously.
"Everyone I date have to pass your test?" Arandi asked with a smirk.
"Pretty much yeah." Dean answered immediately. "As if you don't test my prospects."
"Yeah well if you're sad I'm sad."
"And I'm glad when you're glad." He added.
"Is Barry Manilow going to come out of the pantry?"
Dean pulled her into a hug. "He can't have you either."
She looked up at him slowly slipping her hand under his shirt.
"Arandi…" He warned but didn't exactly move to get her hand out.
"What I thought I was going to get laid tonight, just want to feel a warm body." She mumbled. "We tell each other everything right?"
"We are the most honest couple that aren't a couple that I know." Dean confirmed.
"Fuck Dean it's hard when you have someone there for so long and then they're not. I swear I'm going to fuck the first guy that crosses his eyes at me."
Her honesty was such a fucking turn on. "You didn't look so desperate for Teddy."
"You were spot on about the Vienna thing." She shrugged.
"Ouch." Dean grinned.
Arandi lifted onto he toes to kiss him slowly. "So let's get this party started." She said and sauntered away.
Dean stared after her rubbing his neck. What if Misha had a point? What if Arandi was the one? He was just terrified that they wouldn't recover their friendship if things didn't go as planned.
He was attracted to her any man with pulse had to be and probably half the woman too.
"You coming?" She called.
"I would very much like that." He grinned.
"What did you and your right hand break up?"
"It caught me cheating with my left and hasn't spoken to me since." He sighed dramatically.
Arandi laughed and started out of the kitchen.
"Hey Arandi." Dean called after her unable to help himself.
She turned to look at him and he crossed his eyes.
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Arandi walked into the living room with the two beers and passed one to Dean. They were already buzzing but having a good time with friends.
Arandi looked around for a place to sit but every seat was taken.
Dean grabbed her hand and yanked her onto his lap where he was sitting on his recliner. "Best seat in the house."
"I don't know, you're kind of bulgy." Arandi giggled.
"I was talking about your seat sweetness." Dean murmured kissing her on the cheek.
"I resent that." Sam called out wiggling his ass for all see.
"I don't know Arandi, Sam might have you on this one." Dean chuckled.
Arandi stood up and bent with her ass toward Dean doing a little shimmy that made him gulp. "Are you sure?" She purred.
He stared hard licking his lips trying hard not to think about how he would love to be buried balls deep.
Sam made the save by bending over next to Arandi and everyone burst out laughing.
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Dean was hard in his jeans with Arandi sitting sideways on his lap squirming every now and then. The fucking way she drank her beer from the long neck bottles was absolutely sinful.
He never in his life thought that he would be jealous of a fucking bottle. Now who was squirming?
He sighed. It would have made sense by now that they would have stopped drinking around each other. He had a killer grip on her hip that she didn't seem to notice or she just didn't mind.
He knew the entire room was watching them and he couldn't tear his eyes away every time she took a drink. That beautiful neck as she swallowed.
It would have made more sense that he hadn't pulled her onto his lap or even that she would have moved away but she seemed perfectly comfortable.
"You ok? You got quiet all of a sudden."
"Hmm oh yeah just thinking."
Arandi made a face. "Does it hurt?"
"Very funny."
"And you're cute."
"I'm fucking adorable." Dean grinned.
"Conceited much?"
"Only on Tuesdays."
"It's Friday."
"Well damn."
"Need another beer?"
Needing another beer meant her getting up and suddenly he wasn't so sure he wanted that until he caught Misha and Sam watching intently. "Another beer sounds awesome."
"Don't miss me too much." She giggled.
"Well in that case I need something to tide me over." He motioned for her to see that they were being watched.
Arandi smiled knowingly and leaned in to kiss him running her hand up his thigh just short of his happy place but it was enough to set him on fire and he wondered if she knew that as she got up to go.
Misha and Sam stared and Dean dropped his head back in a moan.
She brought him the beer and then wondered off to the bathroom.
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Arandi didn't sit back on his lap and he was a bit sad but that was just the alcohol fueling horniness.
Sometime during the house warming a couple of Arandi and Jade's friends made an appearance and Veronica instantly took an interest in Dean.
Dean being a little on that side of drunk and still fighting the image of having Arandi bent over didn't mind the attention one bit.
So when Veronica pulled him into a corner and started to kiss him he was all for ending the night buried in some one preferably female and that she was.
He wasn't prepared for Arandi yanking Veronica off of him a tad bit violently.
"What the fuck Ronnie?" Arandi screamed in her face.
"What Arandi he's a fine piece of ass just waiting to get fucked and I don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Veronica made to grab Dean's hand which he moved out of reach. Drunk or not he was no idiot a pissed off drunk Arandi was a 'hide your cock and the blender' situation.
Veronica glared at him. "Oh now you're going to play the blushing virgin?"
"Get the fuck out Ronnie!" Arandi yelled and Jade came running getting in the middle.
Veronica made the worst mistake of her life when she shoved Jade and Arandi was on her like a rabid pit bull.
Dean froze because Arandi didn't fight like a girl, she fought like a UFC champion after drinking a dozen Red Bull's with her title on the line and getting your hair pulled was the least of your worries.
Blinking he came to life hearing Jade begging her sister to stop and everyone else coming on the run confused.
Dean wrapped his arms around Arandi's waist and yanked her up off her feet holding her tight as he moved backwards.
"Let me go Dean let me fucking go right the fuck now!" Arandi kicked and struggled.
Someone helped a bloodied Veronica to her feet. "Cop or not this ain't over bitch." She said heading for the door.
"Bring it you fucking skank!"
"Arandi calm the fuck down." Dean yelled his arms tiring fast. The phrase 'catch a tiger by the tail' flashed through his mind.
"Fuck you Dean!"
Fucking great now she was mad at him. He set her down and stepped back fast.
"What the fuck was that?" She hissed in his face in the next moment. "Do you think scoring with someone I thought was my friend was going to be ok? Would it be ok with you if I fucked Tom or Misha?"
"What?" Dean said rather stupidly. "I didn't fuck anyone." He looked down at himself just to verify that he still had his dick tucked away safely.
"Well Dean great times were had we'll be leaving now." Misha said hurriedly pushing everyone left out the door.
Dean faced Arandi alone and for being six foot two and two hundred pounds he was terrified.
"Am I supposed to apologize for wanting to get laid?" He said anyway since he knew hell was coming down on him no matter which route he took.
"Not her not any of my friends not that she's one anymore but still."
"Ok did you get the memo where I'm not a fucking mind reader?" Dean tossed.
"No but I got the one where you're an asshole."
"Tell me something I don't already know!" Dean hollered.
"I want to fuck you so badly right now I can't see straight!" She hollered back.
Dean made to retort but the words registered in his mind and his mouth stayed open. "Oh." Was all he managed.
"Yeah oh." She whispered.
"Was it the crossing my eyes thing because …" He had no idea what because was.
"Why do I want what I can't have? Why do I always want to fuck you when I'm drunk?"
"Are you seeing double because two of me can be rather sexy." He said with a drunken sway.
"Shut up just shut up." She said and shoved him into the wall.
His head banged against it sharply and he opened his mouth to protest but Arandi's tongue officially erased his ability to speak and breathe.
Vaguely in the back of his mind he realized he'd been mouth raped by three different women tonight. Oh yeah he was a stud oh fuck wait a minute Arandi. Dear god oh yeah Arandi and those lips that he was more than sure could suck start a Harley if the way she made that hickey was any proof.
The thought had him hard in seconds.
"I know you want me, I saw the way you looked at me when I wiggled my ass in your face." She kissed down his neck.
"Fuck Arandi please stop of course I want you, you are female with all the parts that make my parts stand up and pay attention literally." Dean moaned.
"Then do what you were thinking about." She licked into his ear.
His brain was already half drowned in drunkenness and now the other half was slowly shutting down to arousal.
He spun them around pinning her to the wall kissing her back hungrily as she wrapped her legs around him pressing perfectly against his erection.
The friction was so good and he was going to fuck her straight through the mattress, he needed a new one anyway one of those sleep number beauties and God Arandi, Arandi.
Fuck Arandi. Of course his brain would click online now of all times. He pushed away from her dropping her to stand against the wall and if looking into lust blown eyes and hearing her soft moans wasn't enough to kill him. That fucking pout that she had mastered was going to do him in one day.
"Arandi, us, drunk, sex, not a good combination, I thought we established that."
"Let me have regrets as long as it comes later and I mean I come three times at least later." She said breathlessly trying to pull him back.
"I don't want to be a regret Arandi I care about you too much."
"Dean?"
"Go lay down and sleep it off ok."
"Fuck you." She hissed tears of humiliation streaming down her face.
There were four things that Dean couldn't stand in life. One was anything happening to his little brother the only family he had left. Two anything happening to his close friends. Three was anyone that abused children, women, and animal respectively. Four seeing Arandi cry.
He brushed her tears away with his thumb and kissed her forehead gently. "It's never about not wanting you I want you Arandi fuck if you can't see that but if I lost your friendship I'd be lost and I won't risk that. I'm sorry."
Arandi pushed him back and headed for the door.
"You're not leaving Arandi you sure as hell are not walking all the way to your apartment." He got in front of her.
"Get out of my way." She said rather calmly.
"Not happen…" He crashed to his knees with a complete loss of ability to breathe as Arandi kneed his jewels and walked out the door.
He fell on his side trying to breathe. Ok he deserved that.
He pushed to his feet a few minutes later and walked it off, grabbing a bottle of water and guzzling it. He sighed wondering if he should follow her but he wasn't in much better condition. She lived ten city blocks away and it was the middle of the fucking night.
He knew she wasn't going to answer the phone and he wasn't going to get any sleep until he knew that she was ok.
A knock at his door and he answered to find Sam.
"I waited outside for a little while to see if you would be alright because I know how you are with Arandi. I saw her leaving rather upset."
"Yeah it didn't go so well. Can you drive me by her place I just want to make sure that's she's ok?" Dean asked.
"Sure you ready?"
Dean nodded and they went out to Sam's truck.
It didn't take long to get to her building and Dean looked up to her window and saw the lights on and someone moving around behind the curtains. Good she had made it home.
He debated on whether to face her or not and he thought better just to wait until she was sober again. He was about to tell Sam to head back when an explosion ripped through the night and he watched in horror as the very window he had just been looking at burst out with a fireball and all kinds of things blew out from the force.
"ARANDI!" Dean screamed as he jumped out of the truck and rushed into the building with Sam at his heels.
Sam pulled the fire alarm as they went and people were screaming trying to run out of the building.
Dean could only think of getting to Arandi taking the stairs three at a time. He still had the presence of mind to test the door handle before opening it but when he did he crashed to his knees for the second time that night.
People ran toward him coughing and trying to get out. Sam helped them get past and Dean pushed up trying to run towards where Arandi's apartment should be behind a wall of fire.
Sam dragged him back. "Dean you can't do anything. It's too late."
"No! No! No!" Dean cried staring at the flames struggling against Sam no one could survive that no one.
Sirens filled the night and soon firefighters appeared trying to get the blaze controlled before it destroyed the entire building.
Sam had to half carry, half drag a dazed Dean out of the building.
He sat on the curb with his head in hands and began to sob. She would be safe in his arms right now if he hadn't pushed her away. Right now they would be making sweet love and regrets be damned.
She was dead because of him, terrified to lose her friendship he had lost everything.
TBC
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Thanks for reading!