Part 1
"Alice?" Dean looked around him and saw no one beside him, no gargantuan little brother, no small brunette, only doors, closed doors, closed seemingly shaking doors. Or was the shaking from the floors? He could hear the uproar of partygoers downstairs but there was something else, a pounding and, was that someone calling his name?
EARLIER THAT DAY...
"Dean! Deeeean, wake up Dean-o," Alice shook his shoulder as he slept, or pretended to. He let out a groan before opening his eyes. Alice was too awake for him right then.
"What," he said more than asked. Alice leaned down a kissed his cheek quickly.
"Happy Halloween," she said before hopping off of the bed, "now get up, it's fucking 2 in the afternoon and there are parties all around the world tonight.
"I hate Halloween," Dean said as he sat up.
Alice was already out of the room, Dean could hear the Misfits playing from the living room. He walked out of his room and down the hall just in time to see his brother doing the same thing opposite him.
"She get you up too?" Sam asked. Dean just glared at him.
"What should we do tonight, guys?" Alice asked, "I'm thinking big cities, there's always too much shit going on in New York, LA, Chicago, probably something great in New Orleans. Oh! There's fantasy fest in Key West!"
"You wake us up without breakfast?" Dean asked, "what kind of a monster are you?"
Sam grabbed the carton of orange juice from the fridge and set it down before turning to get a mug. While his back was turned, Dean finished it all in a swig.
"Oh guys, come on, I'm sick of this brooding routine you two have perfected," Alice said.
"Halloween is always the busiest day of the year," Sam explained turning around.
"And somehow," Dean said, "people get stupider." Sam picked up the carton, mug in hand, and shook it, finding it empty. He glared at Dean, who just smiled in return.
"So be it. People are stupid. Monsters are out there. But there are also a lot of exciting people and alcohol and debauchery happening too!"
"Don't we get enough of that?" Dean asked.
"Well I'm sick of being stuck in this bunker so if you guys won't go out on the greatest day of the year, then I'll go out myself," Alice said sauntering into the living room.
"Now you're being stupid," Dean said, turning in his stool to look at her, "you go out without us, you'll come across something or other and you'll be screwed."
"I'm sorry, I'm pretty sure I kicked the hell out of you the other day. Ya know, I can still see the bruise underneath that concealer."
"It's not concealer!"
"Ya know, your skin tone is little lighter than mine," Alice said sitting back smug.
"Hey, Dean's got a point," Sam spoke up, "things get weird out there around this time. I don't know, Dean, maybe we should just-"
"What, Sammy? Get dressed as Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum and hunt down the local vampires?" Dean fought.
"Well, I don't know about Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum…"Alice mused. She leaned forward to stand.
"What'd you have in mind, princess?" Dean asked sarcastically.
"Well, I originally thought we could do a KISS thing, all leather and face paint, but we're missing a person," Alice paused to look over at the boys, both with a hint of disgust on their face, "And then I thought, no, I should think simpler. And dressing as something we hunt would be in bad taste," she trailed off as she walked to the closet by the door. She pulled out three outfit bags and handed the two larger ones to Sam and Dean. Sam started to unzip his while Dean just started at Alice, unamused. "Flappers," Alice finished.
"Flappers?" Dean asked.
"Well, a flapper, and her gentlemen. Think: Great Gatsby."
Sam tilted his head looking at the brown blazer and suspenders that hung from the hanger. "It's actually not bad," Sam said finally.
"There's a paper boy hat and a some leather shoes in the deal for ya, too," Alice said.
Dean sighed, still not budging.
"Go try them on," Alice said. She walked up to Dean and leaned down to make eye contact with him still on the stool, "That means you, Dean. If you really hate it, we won't go out. But you have to hate it."
Dean had done a lot of groaning that morning, but he went into his room to change nonetheless. Alice had waited on the couch and, when she heard the distinct tap-tap off dress shoes on the hardwood she turned backwards on the couch, her elbows rested on the back. She smiled instantly. Both Sam and Dean moved comfortable, the suits didn't even look like costumes. She had found their perfect measurements, and she knew that the darker pinstriped suit would look better on Dean, and the bow tie.
"Well, well," Alice hummed, looking them both up and down, "What do you think?"
Sam was the first to speak up, "I gotta say, you did good." Dean caught a glimpse of himself in the hall mirror and adjusting the tuck of his button up.
"Dean?"
He scrunched up his face before saying, "I clean up pretty well."
"You're welcome," Alice said standing up and walking between both of them.
"Well, I don't know how much this has to do with you but.."
"So is that a yes? From both of you?"
Dean and Sam exchanged a look before Sam nodded for both of them.
"Yes!" Alice said excitably, "good because I found a great party at the Roosevelt in LA and I was real excited about my cos-"
"The Roosevelt," Dean asked, isn't that…" Sam cut him off with a whack to the chest.
Alice swallowed and looked at the floor for just a second before saying: "It's cool."
"Well," Sam cleared his throat, "you should get ready, we gotta leave soon if we're going to LA."
Alice nodded and went into her room to pin curl her hair and put her little black dress on. It had a very low-cut back and flattering v-neckline. Rather than fringe, her dress was covered in black and gold beadwork and she had great T-strap heels to match. She came out under half an hour later ready to go.
When the three of them showed up at the Roosevelt, the party was well under way. The bar was packed and there were people in every room and moving between.
"Now listen," Dean started while his brother and Alice were still in earshot, "we stick together. My guess is there are a lot of guest here who haven't left for a while."
"You researched cases here?" Alice asked exasperated.
"Well you took so damn long," Dean retorted.
"It's just typical haunting stuff, Al," Sam said in their defense, "we may as well."
"On that note, I'm going to get a drink," Alice said as she headed towards the bar. She was small but she fought her way to a stool from a couple dressed as Katy Perry and Left Shark. She ordered a gin and tonic with a lime, "and do you have blackberries?" she asked the bartender, "some of those too!" Gin snagged the seat next to her before a vampire snagged it, well, someone dressed up as one.
"Make that two, for my lady friend, here, "Alice said nodding at Dean, who laughed for the first time that day.
"Don't drink too much, babe, we've got work to do."
"Will you just let go of the job for a minute? Is that possible?" She expected a snarky retort but Dean just took a sip of his drink before making a disgusted face.
"How do you drink these?" Dean asked, signalling the bartender for a beer.
"Quickly," she said, pulling Dean's discarded drink closer to her. "Seriously Dean, you're allowed some fun."
"Yeah," he said somberly.
"Where did Sammy get off to?"
"Still somewhere by the door," he said, nodding back to where they walked in. "There was some sexy fairy or angel that was making eyes at him. Figured if I stuck around, she'd just turn on to me instead.
"Yeah," Alice laughed, "definitely Sam's type though."
"Blonde?"
"Well, yes, but I meant and angel."
They sat there for a while before some Sid Vicious look-a-like asked Alice to dance. She raised her eyebrows at Dean before heading out with the guy, but Dean kept an eye out for her. The guy couldn't keep up with Alice, too tall and awkward in his movements. It was when he leaned down near her neck that Dean jumped without meaning too. Alice was oblivious. Dean kept his eye on her as he made a beeline to the two of them until he was close enough to push him off of her.
"What the hell, man?" the guy asked angrily.
"Dean, what are you doing?" Alice asked. Dean was surprised to see the guy had no fangs, real or fake. Alice apologized to the stranger as he walked away and pulled Dean out of the crowd. "Hey, what was that?"
Dean blinked a couple times before apologizing, "stupid costumes, can't tell the monsters from the shitty people." Alice put her hand on his upper arm and laughed a little. She saw Sam pop up behind them. He must have seen the scuffle and fled to action; he looked worried.
"Sam, it's fine," Alice said, "Dean just got a little jealous."
"Not jealous, just would really not want you to be eaten by a vamp," Dean said, finally letting a breath out.
"Wait, there was a vamp?" Sam asked.
"No," Alice said calmly, "don't worry about it. Get back to your girl over there."
Sam looked over his shoulder to where he left the angel girl.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Dean said with a nudge. Sam flipped him off before heading back over to her.
"Wanna dance? Ttry to protect me at closer range?" Alice teased.
"I'm gonna need more to drink to do that," Dean said. Alice ran back to the bar and ordered: "Shots!"