Day 17-Tall Tales
A couple weeks passed before anyone called needing any serious help with their hunts. And surprisingly the one who called was Sam. They were baffled on a case and needed Bobby's expertise.
It was quickly decided that I would stay back in Sioux Falls while Bobby travelled to aid the boys on their hunt.
"And he didn't give you any information about anything?"
"Nope, just that they were having trouble. Those two idjits bicker like an old married couple. Probably can't agree on what to do," his analogy makes me giggle. "I'll be back about 3 days, 4 tops."
"Okay, Bobby. Be careful,"I tell him, watching as he grabs his duffel and swing it over his shoulder. "Hey Bobby, keep my boyfriend and his brother safe, ok?"
"Of course, darlin!'" He says before he takes off out the door.
I was beyond surprised when , two days later, Bobby returns. I was secretly hoping the guys would be with him, but unfortunately they had gotten wind of another case and took off to deal with it.
"So, what was the problem?" I asked Bobby once he got settled. "Or was it just sibling rivalry?"
"A bit of both actually.," Bobby huffs out a laugh when I look at him puzzled. "A trickster caught on that they were there investigating the case and used his skills to pit the boys against one another. All the cases dealt with stories out of those stupid checkout line gossip rags."
"What? You mean like aliens and u.f.o.'s?"
"That was one. Also, an alligator in the sewer. The philandering professor who was visited by a dead girl turns up dead himself. All just weird circumstances. The bad guys got their dues, so to speak."
I am amazed at the stories Bobby is telling me he helped the boys with. "So what exactly is a, what'd you call it, a trickster?"
"Sort of like demigods. There's dozens of them. They're immortal, and they can create things out of thin air. They create chaos and mischief as easy as breathing. Things as real as you and me. Make them vanish just as quick."
"So how'd you figure it out?"
Those two idjits were the biggest clue. The trickster had them so turned around and at each other's throats, they couldn't even think straight. Sam thought Dean hid his laptop and Dean swore Sam had let the air out of the tires on the Impala. It played them like fiddles."
"Oh man! Well, I'm glad you sorted it out before Dean killed Sam for messing with Baby."
"Yea, that boy has a crazy weird obsession with that car," Bobby chuckled.
So, who was the trickster? I asked him, highly curious.
"The janitor. We ganked him."
Day 32: Roadkill
"Hey sweetheart."
I smile at first, happy to hear his voice then I catch the somber tone. "Hey Dean. What's wrong?"
"Nothing Nic. Just needed to hear your voice," he tried chuckling but the somberness in his voice lingered.
"Don't lie to me Dean Winchester. This boyfriend/girlfriend thing, it means we talk to each other, help one another. So I'll ask again, what's wrong?"
"Just a tough case, sweetheart."
"So, tell me about it," I urged. I loved listening to the deep timbre of his voice. And something told me that he needed to talk the case out, that something was bothering him.
"This woman, Molly. She and her husband were in an accident and for the past 15 years she's been haunting this one stretch of road where it happened.. She didn't realize she was dead. Spent all this time, looking for her husband and running from a crazed ghost, trying to kill her."
"That's terrible," I say, feeling sympathetic for the poor woman.
"We had to break the news to her. She thought it was still 1992. She died on the night of their five year anniversary." I hear Dean take a breath so I just waited for him to continue. "It got me to thinking, Nic. She spent all this time out here, searching for her husband while still being hunted and chased by a bloodied man carrying a chainsaw. What if no one gets happy endings."
"What are you talking about?" I ask, concerned with his mind-set.
"Look at everyone we know. My mom, my dad. Even Sam. None of them got happy endings. Shit, even Bobby. You know his wife got possessed and he had to take her out. You-your dad was taken out by demons, leaving you noone. What if a hunter's life means we have to give up what we want. To be happy."
"Dean, what are you saying? Are you wanting to end this, end us?" I ask, try not to falter over my words. I needed to know what he was thinking, where this conversation was going.
"No, Nic! Nothing like that," he quickly answers. "God no, baby. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. Nic, you're my best friend. My companion. You've seen me at my worst and my best. I'm just saying," he pauses and I can imagine him running a hand over his face. "I don't want to lose you. To this life or any other way."
"Dean, quit it right now. You hear me?" I speak into the phone. "I'm not going anywhere. We are in this together."
"Yea babe. I hear ya. Okay, thanks for telling me. I guess I just got in a weird state of mind after this case. It was just so sad. Like she loved him so much that she couldn't move on until she found him."
"I can understand, Dean. It is depressing. But now she is at peace, right?"
"Yea," he answers. "Ahem, I'm gonna get some shut eye. Talk to you soon?"
"You better!" I chuckle and he duplicates it. "Bye Dean."
Good night sweetheart."
Day 45: Heart
Since I had been downgraded to having to only use one crutch to get around and doctor's approval to actually move, I was really beginning to get cabin fever so I begged Bobby to take me with him on his monthly supply run. He agreed after making me promise not to overdo it and to sit down if I got too winded. So, after almost a month and a half, I was perched on the passenger side of a 1970's Ford pickup headed downtown to shop. I watched as the scenery passed by, trees were beginning to get the little green buds on them that would bloom into leaves and the fields held miles and miles of dandelions and yellow colt's foots. For being the end of March it was a balmy day and the air coming through the rolled down windows combatted the heat.
I am limping through the store when my phone dings, notifying me of a message.
D: Where are you? There's no answer at Bobby's
N: Talked the old man into bringing me on a supply run
N: What's up?
D: Heartless victims and lunar cycles line up. Werewolf
D: Haven't seen a case like this since I was a kid
I text back and forth with Dean a few more minutes and then get back to shopping, sliding my phone into my pocket.
The house phone rings while I'm working on putting up the last of the groceries. It has taken longer than usual since I can only carry two or three small items at a time while navigating around with my crutch. I grab the phone turn it on and lodge it between my ear and shoulder.
"Hello?"
"Heya sweetheart." I hear the sweet sound of my boyfriend's voice.
"Dean," I say with a smile on my face.
"Have a nice trip?"
"It was supply run dude. But yes, it felt good to get out. What are you doing?"
"Stalking the crazy ex of our witness," Dean says, sounding completely bored.
"Sounds boring," I tell him.
"Yea, well it was either this or sit back there and watch Sam make googly eyes at her," Dean says, chuckling.
"Go Sammy," I laugh but seriously I am happy that he is getting back out there.
"Oh god Nic, don't cheer on my little brother's escapades."
I laugh so hard that I accidently drop the jar of peanut butter. It rolls across the floor and stops at the stove. "Fuck!"
"You okay Nic?"
"Yea, clumsy me dropped the peanut butter. Good thing it's plastic."
Ironically as soon as I say that, there is a distinct sound of glass shattering over the phone.
"Shit! Gotta go," Dean exclaims.
Before I can remind him to be careful, the line goes dead.
After a night of pacing and continuously checking my phone and the landline, I give in and call Dean. He answers after the third ring.
"I'm okay," Dean tells me. "I got knocked out but I'm alive."
"Oh thank God! Wait, what!? You got knocked out?!"
"I'm okay, Nic. I gotta get to Sam though. Madison's the werewolf."
"The witness Sam's crushing on is the fucking werewolf? God dammit."
"Yea, I got her on the arm with a silver knife. I told him to check her for a cut but he hung up on me. I'm going to her apartment now."
"Okay, God, I hope Sam is okay. Let me know ok?"
"Yea, I will. I'm walking up to the door now. I'll call you back."
I don't hear from Dean again until that night when he calls back.
"Madison's neighbor, Glen was the one who turned her. I just watched him die. I took him out."
"So it's over?"
"Should be. I killed the one who bit her."
"Good. Maybe you could come by?" I hint. I'm missing him. I haven't seen him in over a month.
"Sweetheart, I'm going to try my damnedest to be there when you go to get the cast removed."
"Just 11 more days," I tell, excited. "I'll be so happy to get rid of it. I might dance all the way to the car."
Dean chuckles. "Oh I'm definitely going to be there for that." I smile, god, I can't wait to see him, hold him, kiss him.
"You can dance with me, then."
"Oh no sweetheart. I don't dance. Ever."
"Boo!" I say, pouting with my bottom lip out, even though I know he can't see it.
"Sorry, sweetheart. Dean Winchester does not and will not ever dance."
We chat for a few more minutes until Sam interrupts by calling Dean.
I go back to limping and hobbling around to finish putting away the groceries and then make me something to eat.
DEAN'S P.O.V.
Sam and I sit in Baby outside Madison's apartment, just ot be on the safe side. I don't think she will turn but stranger things have happened, right?
"It was sort of sad, actually. Glen had no clue what was going on. Hey, why do you think he turned Madison instead of just killing her in the first place?"
"I don't know. I mean, he kind of seemed to have a thing for her," Sam tells me.
"Maybe his primal instinct did, too. Maybe he was looking for a little, uh, hot breeding action."
"Yeah. Something like that.
"So?" I ask him. I know that Sam is attracted to her and hey, if she doesn't turn then maybe he can end his dry spell. It's been since Jess and that was almost three years ago. How the boy has combusted yet is beyond me. It's only been a month since I've seen Nic and I'm about to combust myself.
So what?
"Speaking of Madison ...?" I say. I can't help but put it out there.
"Oh, whatever.
Don't "whatever" me, man, you liked her. Maybe, uh—
"Dean, she thought I was a stark-raving lunatic," he argues.
"You saved her life," I tell him.
"Yeah, but she doesn't know that."
Suddenly someone knocks on his window and we both look. It's Madison
"You know, for a stake-out, your car's a bit conspicuous. What are you still doing here?" she says.
"Honestly? Uh, we're pretty sure you're not gonna turn tonight, but we've gotta be a hundred percent, so... you know, we're ... lurking," I say and grin at her.
"I know this sounds crazy," Sam tells apologizing.
"Sure does," she says. "Well, if we're gonna wait it out... we might as well do it together.
We get out of Baby and follow her back into her apartment.
"You were telling the truth, weren't you? About everything. What you did – it was to help me," she says after we explain to her the truth about her mugging and break it to her about neighbor Glen.
"Yeah," Sam answers her, giving her his signature puppy dog eyes.
"I did all of those horrible things ... when I turned.
"You didn't know," Sam speaks softly to her.
She pauses, thinking. "So, when will we know for sure? Moonrise?
"No, I don't think so. You turned middle of the night last night," Sam reveals to her. "I think we've gotta hang in until sun-up."
"Well, it looks like we've got ourselves a few hours to kill. Poker, anyone?" I say, trying to lighten the mood. Instead we stand there awkwardly looking at each other. I finally sit on the couch and grab the remote. If I'm going to be stuck while they try to ignore the sexual tension between them, I'm going to watch t.v.
It's almost dawn and Sam and Madison are sitting at the table talking in hushed voices and I've just finished a movie about the wild west. I stand up, stretching and walk to the window. The horizon is a myriad of orange, yellow, pink and red. It really is beautiful when you just take the time to pay attention. I hear The other two walk up behind me and the three of us watch as the sun comes into view.
"Does – does this mean it worked?" Madison asks, looking up at Sam.
"Yeah. I think so," Sam answers her, relief evident in his voice.
She sighs. "Oh, God, thank you. Thank you so much." She gives Sam a hug. I enjoy seeing my brother somewhat happy but I have to be the annoying big brother anyways so I clear my throat and they pull away. Madison looks over at me laughing, "You, too, Dean. Thank you."
"Aw, don't mention it," I say as I meet Sam's eyes over her head. I know that look. "So, I'm just gonna head back to the hotel. And probably call Nic, or something. I head out the door, pumping my fist in the air. 'You go Sammy boy' I think to myself.
END DEAN'S P.O.V.
I stayed up late talking to Dean on the phone so at 11 a.m. when my phone starts buzzing I groan and silently threaten whoever is calling. I see Sam's name on the screen.
"Sam Winchester, if you are calling to gloat about getting laid, just know I have a gun and I know how to use it. My aim is on point too."
Sam gives me a sad laugh. "No, Nic. I'm not calling to tell you I got laid."
"What's wrong?"
"She turned," he sighs.
"Oh god! Sam, I'm so sorry. What are you going to do?"
"I took care of it."
My gasp is audible. This man, this sweet man who has never done anything amiss, has had to kill the woman he just spent the night with. It was beyond unbelievable! My heart was aching for him.
"I'm so sorry Sammy."
"Thanks," he huffs out a half-laugh. "So, I think we're heading your way. Dean says another week or so and you lose the plaster leg." I allow him to change the subject. If he didn't want to discuss it, I wasn't going to push him.
"Yes," I tell him, thrilled. Not only would I be as good as new but they were coming home!