So here is my first Supernatural fanfic. It contains no spoilers. it was written well before the season 3 finale. its kind of about romance and a spirit so i decided to post it here. this first chapter is long. Actually, all of them are so far but I wasn't sure if I should break the chapter up or not. Cant wait to know what you think about it so far.

Just a warning though...there is some mild language. not too bad though.

Also, in this story, Dean will seem out of character. there is a good reason for it and it will be revealed throughout the story. just like some other stuf

enjoy! :)



Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of its original characters.

Chapter 1: First Sight

Dean shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat of the Impala. “Come on Sam.” Dean whined. “We’ve been on the road all God damned day. I’m sick of being in the damn car.” It wasn’t something Sam normally heard out of Dean’s mouth but understood completely why Dean was whining. Their last job had gone horribly wrong and as a result, Dean had been injured. They had just left the hospital that morning and been on the road since then.

“I know Dean.” Sam said without taking his eyes off the road. “Just relax. I’ll stop at the next motel I see.” Sam knew the phrase ‘relax’ wouldn’t sit well with him. He had spent half the week in the hospital and being cramped up in the Impala wasn’t helping at all.

“Relax!” Dean repeated in an elevated, irritated voice. Sam glanced over at Dean who had a serious expression on his face. “Sam…”

“I know…I know.” Sam said. “Bad choice of words.”

“Terrible choice of words.” Dean snapped back. “Sam….I’m tired….I’m sore….and I’m sick of being cramped up in this damn car.”

“I know that Dean.” Sam said in an understanding voice. “But there’s nothing I can do about that right now. If you see a motel anywhere please….point it out but until then, I don’t see any other choice but to keep driving.” He really wanted to help his brother but there really wasn’t any other choice but to keep driving. He knew that after the last job they had, all Dean wanted to do was sleep.

“Wait!” Dean yelled as he sat up from his slouched position that he had been in for about a half hour or so. “Sam…turn around.”

“What….why?” Sam asked as he glanced over to see Dean sat up strait and turned halfway around in his seat.

“Just turn around Sam.” Dean snapped again. “Trust me.” Even though Dean was in pain from the injuries he had sustained from their last job, he was moving almost as if nothing happened. Either that or he was just really distracted by what he had seen. One or the other.

“Okay.” Sam said and without further ado, he slammed on the brakes and spun the car around in the middle of the road.

“Sam….what the hell are you doing?!” Dean yelled, one hand clenched on the door, the other…the hand of his injured arm, holding his sore ribcage. Once the car was completely stopped, Sam took his hands off the wheel and gave Dean a worried look. That car had been through just as much as they had…if not more. Why was Dean all freaked out about him doing a u-turn?

“Dean…what’s going on with you?” Sam asked, worry lacing each and every one of his words. It wasn’t like Dean to act like this. On any normal day, Dean would have been tickled about him spinning the Impala around like that. Dean didn’t say a word. He just sat there pinned to the seat with his eyes closed tight and breathing heavy. Sam leaned a little closer and put a hand gently on his injured left shoulder. “Dean?”

“Just keep driving Sam…..there’s a bar up ahead on the left.” Dean answered without opening his eyes. He knew that Sam was worried about him but he just wasn’t in the caring and sharing mood at the moment. He was in pain, he was tired, and spinning the car around like that made his stomach churn. Even though Sam had seen him at his lowest points in the past…he still had trouble admitting weakness to him.

Sam took his hand off Dean’s shoulder and back on the wheel. He studies his brother for a few seconds, trying to read his features with no luck in the end. “Okay.” He said in the same worried tone. He hesitated for a few seconds and glanced at his brother again who wore the same expression on his face as he did before.

Dean took a deep breath when the car started moving again. Sam looking at him the way that he was made him uncomfortable. Not that he had his eyes open or anything but it was the same expression that Sam wore when he was worried about him. He hated having Sam worried about him. That wasn’t his job. His job was to just stay safe so Dean wouldn’t have to worry about him. And truthfully, it wasn’t Dean’s job to worry about Sam or protect him, he couldn’t help it. It was like it was in his DNA or something. Being born first…being the older brother…it wouldn’t matter what Sam did, he’d always be there when he needed help. Hell, that’s why he was injured to begin with.

Sam really needed to see why Dean was acting the way he was acting. Well, since he got out of his deal, he was more careful but when it came to Sam, it was like Dean didn’t care about himself anymore. He wished his older brother would stop with the ‘big brother over protective’ act. If he kept it up, he would never have anything or have a life of his own.

Sam knew what it was like to have a life of his own. That’s what he had with Jess. He had happiness with Jess….true happiness. That’s what he wanted for Dean. Yeah, Dean had felt happiness before but it was never anything that lasted for any length of time. He wanted his brother to have more than just his car.

Dean let out a sigh of relief when the car came to a stop in the parking lot in front of the bar he’d directed Sam to. “Okay Dean….we need to talk.” Sam said as he cut power to the engine of the Impala.

“Oh God…what now?” Dean asked in an irritated tone. He wasn’t in the caring and sharing mood but evidently…Sam was…like always.

“Look…just shut up for a minute and listen for once.” Sam snapped. He wasn’t going to let Dean interrupt him this time. Dean swallowed hard and kept his mouth shut so Sam could speak. “Dean….look at what you’re doing to yourself.”

“Wait…what are you talking about?” Dean cut in briefly.

“I’m talking about our last job Dean.” Sam shot back quickly. “I’m talking about you taking a bullet for me…” Dean closed his eyes. He knew this was going to get brought up. “I’m talking about you thinking that I need to be protected all the time…” Sam paused for a second time.

Dean rubbed his face with his right hand and flopped it down on his leg. “What was I supposed to do Sam….let you get shot?”

Sam gave him a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know Dean…I just wish you’d be more careful.”

“Wait a minute….I have been.” Dean snapped. “Ever since I got out of that damn deal, I’ve been more careful about everything.”

“Everything except me Dean.” Sam snapped back. “When it comes to me, you’re reckless.”

“Look……I don’t really know what to say. I mean…what do you want Sam?” Dean said in a much lower voice. Sam knew that Dean was the way he was and there were certain things that nobody could change about him.

“Dean…I want you to be happy.” Sam said. Dean had a shocked look on his face. “I want you to find a woman that you can love…I want you to have a family and the life you never had. I mean…don’t you want that? Aren’t you sick of hunting?”

“Hell yeah I’m sick if hunting.” Dean answered quickly. “You have no idea how much I’d like to just have a normal life. I mean…I’d love to have a wife and kids…I’d love to have a real meal once in a while and mow the lawn once a week…you know…coach tee ball or something. Sam…I’d love to have all that but all I have right now is you, my snot nosed…oversensitive little brother, and my forty-something year old car. I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let anything happen to either of you.”

Sam held up his hands in surrender. “Okay…point taken.” He glanced out the windshield of the Impala. There stood the bar that was there when they drove into the parking lot. He’d almost forgotten that they were there. “Well…there’s the bar. Wanna go in or do you want me to find the nearest motel?”

Dean didn’t say anything else. He just opened the door and got out. It took all of his concentration to bite back a painful moan. Every movement he made sent searing pain through his ribcage. He knew if he made any noise or sign that he was in pain, Sam would get all worried again. The truth was…he wanted a drink…hell, he deserved it after the way the week had gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Hell yeah…this is what I’m talking about.” Dean said with a grin on his face as he and Sam made their way through the thinned out crowd up to the bar to order drinks.

“Dean…are you sure it’s a good idea to be drinking?” Sam asked with a worried look on his face as the both walked up to the bar.

“What do you mean?” Dean asked with a confused look on his face.

“Well…I mean…with the pain killers the hospital put you on…do you really think it’s a good idea?” He really didn’t want to see anything serious happen to because of Dean mixing powerful painkillers with alcohol.

“What the hell are you talking about?…I haven’t taken anything yet.” Dean said. He turned to the bartender. “Two beers please.” Dean slowly and carefully sat down on the nearest bar stool. “Look Sam…I wish you wouldn’t worry about me….I’m fine.”

The bartender set the two beers down on the bar in front of them both. Dean reached up and grabbed his beer almost forgetting about how much it hurt to move his left arm and was instantly rewarded with a sharp pain shooting pain through his arm.

Sam couldn’t help but notice the grimace on his older brother’s face as he reached for his beer. “Yeah…looks like it.” He said as he sat down on the vacant barstool next to Dean.

“Sam…”

“I know….I know…you’re fine…stop asking…I’ve heard it all before.” Sam said just before taking a sip of his beer.

“Look…Sammy. I get that you’re worried….I do. But this isn’t helping matters at all. What’s done is done.” Dean had an understanding expression on his face. The truth was…Sam had heard it all before. They had had the same conversation so many times that Dean lost count. Hell, they had the conversation on a daily basis after he got out of his deal.

“I know what’s done is done Dean but…”

“Oh…my…god!” Dean interrupted, his back turned to Sam as if he wasn’t even paying attention to him.

“Dean.” Sam said trying to snap Dean out of it. He got no answer. “Dean…” Dean looked like a deer stuck in headlights. Why was Dean in awe? What had him so distracted? Sam was completely dumbfounded until he finally saw what had Dean’s full and undivided attention. Sam couldn’t help the smirk that broke across his face. It was so typical of Dean to easily get distracted by a woman. On any normal day, Dean would be all over her….hitting on her…and not thinking twice about it. But something was different this time.

Dean could barely believe what he was seeing. This woman…this woman heading towards the bar was the most beautiful human being he had ever seen in his life. She was perfect. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail revealing a smooth, elegant complexion that it seems only an angel would have. And her eyes…her eyes were so beautiful that Dean couldn’t even think of words to describe them. Except that they were looking right at him.

“Yes?” She asked as she reached the bar. Dean was staring at her and didn’t even notice until she spoke up. He’d been studying her. He never studied women. If he liked what he saw…he usually just went after it. But something was different this time. After getting no answer out of him, she turned to the bartender. “Shot of tequila please.” The bartender nodded and left to make her drink. She turned back to Dean who was still staring at her and raised her eyebrows in invitation, hoping that he might say something.

Dean opened his mouth, about to say something but nothing came out. Nothing at all. Dean wanted to say something…anything. But it was as if he was paralyzed. Like he couldn’t move his mouth at all. Must be the painkillers. Dean thought. Yeah…that had to be it. It had to be the reason he was acting like a twelve year old trying to ask out a girl for the first time. Wait…I didn’t take anything today….Dammit…what the hell is wrong with me?

The beautiful angel standing in front of him turned back to the bartender. “On second thought…could you make that two?” The bartender walked off and poured a second shot of tequila. As the bartender walked back with both tequila shots, Dean couldn’t help but keep staring at her. He’d seen his fair share of beautiful women in his life but this one took the cake. She paid for the drinks and bid the bartender farewell with a warm smile on her face.

After paying for the drinks, she turned back to Dean and set one of the tequila shots down in front of him. “Drink up big boy.” She said with the same warm smile on her face. “Maybe after you won’t feel like such an idiot.” And without another word, she downed her shot of tequila in one gulp and slammed the shot glass, bottom side up, onto the bar. She flashed him another smile and walked off leaving him completely dumbfounded and confused. How could this happen? It was usually him working over women…what makes this woman so difficult?

Sam couldn’t help but grin after seeing his brother crash and burn. Normally Dean had no trouble at all when it came to women but this time was different. He didn’t really know how….but it was.

“Dude…stop looking at me like that.” Dean snapped. He still had his back turned to Sam but knew that if he turned around, Sam would be sitting there with a goofy grin on his face. Not that he really blamed him though. It wasn’t exactly every day that he was left speechless by a woman.

“I’m sorry Dean but did you see what just happened?” Sam asked before mentally slapping himself upside the head for asking such a stupid question. Of course Dean saw it…he lived it.

Dean slowly turned in his seat and looked at Sam. “Sam….” Sam held up both hands. He didn’t want to get in an argument with Dean. Dean closed his eyes with a scowling expression and shook his head. When he opened his eyes, the shot glass loomed in his vision. He grabbed the shot glass with his right hand. “Bottoms up dude,” and without another word, he downed the shot in one gulp. Maybe she was right. Maybe he would feel like less of an idiot after having the shot of tequila. Or maybe he would get sick but the first possibility was the one he was hoping for.

XXXXXXXXXX

The beautiful woman, the angel that had Dean stunned wasn’t an angel at all….or at least, the company that she kept wasn’t. As Dean sat there contemplating what went wrong, Sam watched her walk back to the table that she was at. Well, it was a pool table but a table nonetheless. It seems like she kept a pretty odd bunch for company. Instead of staring like an idiot, like Dean, he decided to just sip his beer and listen. Some people might call it eavesdropping but Sam liked to think of it as being a little over observant.

“So Nia, who was that guy at the bar anyway?” Another girl at the pool table asked her. So her name is Nia…interesting name. Sam thought to himself as he continued to listen.

“I don’t really know.” Nia answered. “He seems awfully shy though.” Huh…Dean…Shy? Yeah right. If she only knew how far Dean was to the contrary…if only she knew how much Dean loved to flirt with every good looking woman he saw…if she only knew how many one night stands he had had in the past, she wouldn’t be saying that.

“God Dammit!” Dean said in a low voice snapping Sam’s attention back to him. So much for observation.

Dean sat there, staring at the empty shot glass with a grimace on his face. Why was it that Sam was always right about this sort of thing? Sam warned him that drinking was a bad idea and now he was gonna pay the price for it.

“Hey man…you okay?” Sam asked with a concerned look on his face. It looked like Dean was going to hurl. He warned Dean about drinking. Yeah…Dean didn’t take any pain medication but he did however, have an empty stomach.

Dean held up one hand. “Don’t.” Sam knew that Dean was pissed off about him being right again. Dean always hated being proven wrong by his “snot nosed oversensitive little brother”. Without another word or letting Sam say anymore, Dean got up and walked away from the bar. Sam followed him with his eyes until he disappeared through the front doors.

XXXXXXXXXX

Dean barely made it out to the Impala when he hurled, spewing the entire contents of his stomach, what little contents there were, onto the ground in front of him, barely missing the passenger side front tire. Yeah…Sam was right and he hated that. Dean hated puking. It was one of the things he despised most of all. And it was even more so this time. After the heaving was finally over, the only thing he was left with was a really nasty aftertaste and pain, extreme pain. He braced himself on the Impala with his good arm as pain seared through his sore ribcage and pulsed through his entire body making it hard to breathe.

“Hey…are you okay?” That voice…that voice was so familiar. He wanted to say something but all he could manage to let out of his mouth was a low and painful moan. “Hey…maybe you should sit down.”

“I’m fine.” Dean answered in a low, raspy, barely there voice. The pain was robbing him of his voice as well…god he was so sick of being injured because of “the hunt”.

Nia let out a frustrated sigh and reached around him and popped the door open. “Come on…sit down for a few seconds and rest.” Dean didn’t want to give in to someone else’s orders but found himself sitting down anyway. Like he told Sam in the car…he was tired, he was sore, and all he really wanted to do was sleep. But of course he had to have the bright idea to go to the bar.

Dean, still trying to catch his breath, found himself clutching his sore ribcage. God…he had no idea that a few broken ribs would hurt quite so bad. It’s not like he hadn’t been injured before but with the bullet wound along with the broken ribs…it was impossible to get comfortable.

Nia knelt down in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder…his injured shoulder. He flinched when her hand made contact with him and soft, painful moan escaped his lips. “Hey…are you okay?” She asked him again hoping that maybe this time she would get an honest answer.

Dean slowly opened his eyes to see the same beautiful woman that he’d seen at the bar. Now he really felt like an idiot. Not only did he make an idiot out of himself at the bar, but she also saw him hurl.

Nia couldn’t help but smirk. “Hey…tequila.” She said. She wasn’t sure what to think. What were the odds that she would run into him again like that. He was someone she definitely didn’t expect to see again.

“It’s Dean.” He answered. That’s just what he needed, to get the nickname “tequila” after puking his guts out at a bar.

She gave him a warm and friendly smile. “My name is Nia.”

“Son of a bitch.” Dean said angrily. Not only was he pissed off at himself for embarrassing himself not once but twice, but he was in pain. He finally managed to get his breathing somewhat back to normal but his heart was still pounding.

Nia watched him closely as he struggled with his pain. She was known to be quite observant and she had noticed a few things since she first caught him staring at her in the bar. First thing…something was definitely wrong with his shoulder. All she did was gently touch it and he flinched away in pain. And the second thing…something had happened to his ribs. He’d been holding his ribs since she first saw him. Even now…he was holding his ribs…something must’ve happened to him. “So what happened to you?” She asked inquisitively.

“What do you mean? You saw what happened.” Dean answered quickly. How could she not see that? She must be blind if she missed him puking his guts out…and to top it all off, she had to have heard him. He was so loud that he thought even people in China could hear him.

“No…I’m not talking about you getting sick.” God…she just wanted to slap him upside the head. He may have been shy and whatnot but he was a typical man in one aspect. He knew that he was injured and in pain but he wasn’t willing to admit it. He knew exactly what she was talking about but avoided answering her question by giving her a lame answer. “I’m talking about your injuries.”

How the hell did she know I’m injured? Dean thought. How indeed? It’s not like he broadcasted his ailments. He usually kept them to himself. Mostly so Sam wouldn’t get worried and also because he needed to be strong for his younger brother. Despite how many times Sam told him the opposite. “How did you…”

“I’m observant.” Nia interrupted.

“You’ve been watching me?” Dean asked feeling his mood lift some.

“It’s not exactly that hard to tell that you’re injured.” Nia started. Before Dean could jump in and say anything, she continued. “You’ve been favoring your left arm all night and you’ve had your arm wrapped around your ribcage like you broke a rib or something.” She paused for a second and checked for a reaction out of him. “Not only that…but…you still have your hospital bracelet on.”

Dean sighed and looked down at the hospital bracelet still on his left wrist. He couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on his face. How could he be so stupid? The hospital bracelet was so simple and it was a dead giveaway.

“So what happened?” Nia asked again. She really was curious. He didn’t really look like the typical guy that would just pick a fight with anyone.

Dean looked back up at Nia. “A job gone wrong.” It was an honest answer but it lacked specificity. There was a hell of a lot more to it than just a “job gone wrong”. It was a complicated job to begin with and he almost lost Sam in the process.

“Job…Are you a cop or something?” She asked. Honestly, how many jobs could there be where you would get that injured? It was either some sort of law enforcement job or he was a soldier. It was one or the other.

Dean couldn’t help the sudden outburst of laughter that escaped his lips. Oh…that was rich. Him….a cop…that was probably one of the most insane things he had ever heard in his life. And for him and his family’s track record…that was saying something.

A smirk broke across Nia’s face. “Wha…what’s so funny?” She asked not quite understanding his humor on the subject. Indeed…what was so funny? She barely heard anything from him and no he was in hysterics. “Seriously…what’s so funny?” She asked after listening to him laugh for a few seconds.

“The irony.” Dean said as his smile quickly faded with the sudden return of pain in his ribcage.

“Irony?” Nia asked. Boy…was he throwing her for a loop. What the hell was he talking about?

“Yeah.” Dean said. He took a deep breath. Well, as deep a breath as he could without causing more pain. “It’s a really….really long and complicated story.” Yeah, like Dean would ever have the time to tell her the whole story.

Nia shrugged her shoulders. “I have plenty of free time.” She really was curious what happened to him and him telling her that it was a “really, really long and…complicated story” only heightened her curiosity more.

Dean chuckled. “Even if I did tell you…you wouldn’t believe a single word out of my mouth. Hell…sometimes I still have trouble wrapping my head around it.”

“You’d be surprised what I’ll believe.” Nia answered as she let her mind wander to her experiences with the unbelievable. He had no idea what she would or wouldn’t believe.

Dean looked up at her to see a smile on her face…such a beautiful smile. The type of smile he hadn’t seen in what seemed like a lifetime. The smile didn’t last long though. “Hold on a minute…I’ll be right back.” Nia said and before Dean could stop her, she left.

XXXXXXXXXX

Nia didn’t really want to stop talking to Dean but at the moment, she had more pressing matters to deal with, her ex-boyfriend. She told him one too many times to leave her alone. And he did leave her alone for quite a while but from time to time, he would go looking for her.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Nia asked with a serious expression on her face as she approached a man that was walking towards the bar. The man, having heard her question, turned around quickly to face her.

“Nia…Oh God…I’ve been looking all over for you.” The man said. He was almost hysterical.

“Look Rob…” She started. “When I said that we were over…I meant it. I’ve had it…with you trying to weasel your way back into my…”

“It’s open.” He interrupted, quickly snapping her to attention.

“Excuse me?” Nia asked in sock.

“The box…somebody opened it up.” He said. “When I finally found it…the seal was broken and it was empty.

Nia closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try and suppress the anger that was building inside her. How could this happen? How could the box get opened up? Rob reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. She shrugged away. “Just leave me alone Rob…and I mean it this time.” Without another word, she walked away.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Everything okay?” Dean asked as Nia walked back to the Impala. She wasn’t the only one who was observant. She was happily badgering him about his past a few minutes ago…now she was upset and…well…it seemed like she was actually a little scared.

“Yeah…everything’s fine.” Nia said. “But unfortunately…I have to get going.” She really didn’t want to leave but she had to go back to her apartment to take some necessary precautions. “So are you just passing through or are you sticking around for a while?”

Dean looked up at her and gave her a trademark ‘Dean smirk’. “I don’t know.” He started. “It’s kinda up to my geek brother. He has the keys.” He paused for a second. “And it depends on if he can actually find a motel.”

“There’s actually one a few miles up the road called Johnston’s Motor Lodge.” Nia explained. “It’s not the best place in the world but I’ve seen far worse.”

“Okay…thanks.” Dean said. “I’ll definitely have to keep that in mind.”

Nia looked at her watch. “Well, I have to get going.” She started to walk away but after walking about six feet away, she stopped and turned around to face him. “See you around…tequila.” Dean couldn’t help but smile as she walked off.

Who was this girl? How was it that she could completely throw Dean off his game with a single look or smile? She wasn’t like any woman he had ever met before. She held her own against him…in fact…she was actually the one who was telling him what to do. It was definitely something he wasn’t used to…but he liked it.

“Hey man…you okay?” Dean looked up to see Sam standing there with a concerned look on his face. He must’ve seen the vomit on the ground…that and he already knew it was going to happen.

“Yeah…I’m fine.” Dean said as Sam opened the driver’s side door and sat down. “Hey…there’s a motel a few miles up the road and I don’t know about you…but I’m tired.” Dean said as he slowly and carefully swung his legs into the car and shut the door.

Sam started the car and shut his door. “Okay…let’s go.” He put the car in drive and they sped out of the parking lot and off down the road to find the motel that Nia had told Dean about. Off to find Johnston’s Motor Lodge.

love it! aww Dean shy haha :rolfl more plz

So here is the second chapter. Sorry that it's so late. Been busy with college and all that. I am really looking forward to hearing what you think of it. Please tell me what you think.

XXXXXXXXXX


Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of its original characters.

Chapter 2: Inner Torment

“Sam!” Dean yelled as he rounded the corner into the hallway. They had gone to the house just to investigate a simple haunting but once they got there, things went sour really quick. “Come on Sam…where are you?” There was nothing. Not a sound anywhere. Sam had disappeared almost two hours ago and Dean had searched the entire house from top to bottom already.

Well, maybe Dean hadn’t searched the housed from top to bottom but that’s what it seemed like. He had been walking up and down hall after hall without any luck. “Come on Dude…work with me here.” Dean yelled hoping that maybe he might get an answer this time. He was getting frustrated. Nothing like going in circles in a big ass house to piss someone off.

Suddenly, a faint sound in the distance snapped Dean to attention making him stop dead in his tracks. He listened closely to find out where the sound was coming from and maybe what it was. It sounded like two people in a scuffle but he couldn’t figure out where.

“Come one Sam…say something.” Dean said in a normal voice as he walked down the hall, gun ready, towards the scuffling sound he was hearing. He passed room after room and it seemed like he wasn’t getting any closer.

Then suddenly, a loud gun shot rang out into the still air. “Sam!” Dean yelled as he took off in a dead run. He knew that his younger brother could take care of himself but he didn’t want to take chances. Dean kept running until something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He stopped dead in his tracks.

At that moment, Dean’s heart sank and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. It was like something out of his worst nightmare. “Sam.” Dean whispered to himself as he dropped his gun and made a mad dash into the room right beside him. The room that Sam was in.

“Sam!” Dean said a little louder as he knelt down and took his brother’s still form into his arms. “Oh God Sam…don’t do this to me.” He couldn’t hear Sam breathing and the blood…oh god…there was so much blood. Dean put his hands over the wound on Sam’s neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He couldn’t help the breaking in his voice as he spoke. “Come on Sam…this isn’t supposed to happen…it’s not your time…Sammy…Sam...” He couldn’t help the panic in his voice as the blood oozed out between his fingertips. The only explanation for it that Dean could think of was that the bullet hit the artery.

Dean, having realized that there was nothing he could do, let go of his younger brother’s lifeless body and took a few steps back. He stared at his blood-soaked hands in disbelief. “This isn’t happening.” Yeah…like the dead body of his younger brother could convince him that he was right. He shook his head. “No…not again…no.”

“Sam!” Dean bolted upright in bed and looked around the motel room with panic running through his veins. Dean took a deep breath when he saw Sam still sound asleep in the bed beside his. “It was only a dream.” He whispered as he ran a hand shakily through his hair.

Normally Dean could keep things to himself but this time, after having such a vivid dream about Sam again, he wasn’t sure how much he could hold in. His heart was pounding and it felt like he couldn’t breathe. Just like he felt in the dream. The dream….why would he dream about Sam dying again? Especially in the house their last job was in.

XXXXXXXXXX

Dean didn’t really know where he was going to go when he went outside. All he knew was that he needed to get away. He needed to get away from anything that reminded him of Sam. If he didn’t, he’d go crazy. The dream…the dream had freaked him out on more levels then he cared to admit. After he made sure the motel room door was closed tightly, he leaned against it and let the events of his dream wander back into his head. The sight of his brother lying still and lifeless on the floor, of Sam bleeding to death and not being able to do anything about it hit a nerve with him. Just the thought of it was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

Dean ran his a shaky hand through his hair again. “Son of a bitch.” He said as he felt his emotions started to take over. Why was he feeling this way? Why was it that a simple run of the mill nightmare was bothering him so much? Normally nightmares and other messed up dreams didn’t bother him but this one…this one was about Sam. Why did it have to be about Sam of all people? The dream was almost how things would’ve taken place if he hadn’t taken the bullet for Sam.

He stared at his blood-soaked hands in disbelief. “This isn’t happening.” Yeah…like the dead body of his younger brother could convince him that he was right. He shook his head. “No…not again…no.”

Dean swallowed hard and took a deep breath in an attempt to keep control of the emotional storm that was threatening to take control of him. “God dammit Sam.” He said in a depressed tone as he stepped away from the door.

Sam would be up soon and if Dean didn’t either get control over himself or leave, Sam would be asking him all kinds of questions. Like the night before, he really wasn’t in the caring and sharing mood. He didn’t want to talk to Sam about everything that was on his mind. Nor did he want talk about the nightmare he had. The only way to be alone would be to just leave and get some fresh air and cool off. Dean took a deep breath and set off through the parking lot towards the road. Maybe a nice, long walk would help him gain control over his emotions. Instead of having Sam pestering him…asking him what’s wrong…he would only have to deal with himself.

XXXXXXXXXX

“So…what did you think about that exam we had the other day?” Nia asked her friend Alyson who as driving her back homed after class.

“Which one?” Alyson asked which inadvertently pointed out to Nia that they had had three or four exams that week. After all, it was finals week and they did have most of the same courses.

“Good point.” Nia said with an un-surprised look on her face.

“What the hell is that?” Alyson asked pointing out a small figure on the side of the road. Nia squinted her eyes so she could see what Alyson was talking about.

“I have no idea.” Nia said as she kept her eyes on the figure up ahead on the side of the road. “Wait a minute…” She said to herself as they got closer. It was somebody sitting on a rock on the side of the road. The person looked so familiar. As they got closer, she started to recognize who it was sitting on the rock. She couldn’t help but smile when she realized who it was. “Tequila?” She whispered. “Alyson…pull over.”

“What…why?” Alyson asked. Why the hell would Nia want her to pull over? And more importantly, why the hell would she want to talk to some random guy found on the side of the road.

“Just pull over Allie.” Nia said using the nickname people rarely used when addressing Alyson. Everyone knew that she really didn’t like it but the only one she allowed to use it was Nia.

“Okay.” Alyson answered in a skeptical tone. Once she pulled the car over and put it in park, she gave Nia a concerned look.

“What?” Nia asked uncomfortably. She didn’t like it when people looked at her like that. It creeped her out a bit. But then again…people staring at her in any way creeped her out. After not getting a reply out of her friend, she decided to continue with an explanation. “Look…I know who that is. I’m gonna go talk to him. I’ll call later.” She popped the door open and started to get out.

“Wait a minute…you just want me to leave you here?” Alyson asked with a look of disbelief on her face.

Nia took a deep breath. “Look Allie…I’ll call you if I need anything.” Alyson gave her a disbelieving look.

“Are you sure?” Alyson asked. She had had one too many occasions where Nia made snap decisions and gotten herself into a jam. But instead of calling her like she said she would, she would end up making things worse by trying to fix it herself. Nia was far too independent for her own good. “Are you sure you just want me to leave you here?”

“Positive.” Nia answered as she got out of the car completely and closed the door behind her. She gave Alyson a quick wave before watching her drive off. Nia took a deep breath and jogged across the street. Dean wasn’t that far up the road so after jogging across the street, she decided to walk the rest of the way.

“Hey.” Nia said after finally reaching Dean who was sitting on a rather large rock. She didn’t get an answer at first. “Dean…” She was hoping that it would get his attention.

Dean slowly turned his head to see, again, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life. “You.” It was the only thing that he could think about saying. Truth be told, her presence actually surprised him. He really didn’t think he would see her again. He figured he and Sam would be on the road again already.

“Yeah.” She answered as she knelt down beside the rock. There was a silence that hung in the air for a few seconds. “So…where’s your car?”

“Back at the motel.” Dean answered in a calm tone. It seemed like he finally got a leash on his emotions. Well, it was a short and very fragile leash that could snap at any time but it was a leash nonetheless. “I left it in case Sammy needed it.”

“Sammy?” Nia questioned. “Your geek brother?”

“Yeah…but he only lets me call him Sammy.” Dean explained. “To everyone else…it’s Sam.” Nia smirked. It was so cute that Sam had a nickname that only Dean could use. It reminded her of her younger sister who called her NeeNee all the time instead of Nia.

Dean took a deep, shaky breath. He could feel his emotions bubbling back up. He could feel the leash he threw over his emotions tightening. Just the mere mention of Sam made his dream return to him. The sight of Sam laying on the floor…and the blood…The sight of Sam bleeding to death…and not being able to do anything about it…The thought that it could’ve happened if he didn’t take a bullet for him…It ate him up inside. It ate him up inside so much that the leash he had on his emotions finally snapped. He really didn’t want to become all emotional in front of her but honestly…what could he do? He tried holding it all in but it didn’t work. He took another shaky deep breath as he felt hot tears running down his cheeks. He didn’t normally cry in front of other people but at this point…he really didn’t care.

“So…” Nia started. She wanted to ask him something but when she looked over at him, her heart sank. “Hey…” She said in a caring tone. She didn’t understand the complete and sudden change in his mood. “Are you okay?” Duh…of course he wasn’t okay. She knew he wasn’t but she had to ask anyway.

Dean didn’t answer her. He just sat there, staring off into space, letting his emotions take over. He just didn’t have the strength to keep them at bay any longer.

Nia could feel sadness radiating off him. He didn’t have to tell her anything for her to know that there was something eating away at him inside. The expression on his face was a dead giveaway. “Hey.” She said in the same caring tone as she put a gentle hand on his back. She was about to say something else when she heard the sound of rock music. It sounded like a ringtone.

Dean reluctantly pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and opened it up. It was Sam. He knew it was Sam when he put the phone up to his ear. “Dean…Dean…where the hell are you?” He could hear Sam’s voice loud and clear. He knew Sam was worried about him by the tone of his voice but he just didn’t want to talk to him right now. He squeezed his eyes shut remembering the dream he had that night. Without a saying a single word to Sam, he closed his cell phone, hanging up on Sam in the process.

Nia looked at Dean, then at the phone which now sat lifeless in Dean’s hand, and then back at Dean again. “Was that your brother Sam?” Dean slowly nodded. He closed his eyes and let the tears run down his cheeks some more. Nia didn’t know what to think. She didn’t really picture him as being an emotional person…yet here he was…crying his eyes out in front of her…someone he didn’t even know.

His phone rang again. Dean opened it up and put it to his ear. He had a feeling it was Sam and when he heard the voice on the other end…he knew that he was right. “Dean…come on man. I know you’re there.” Dean didn’t want to talk to him or be around him right now. Everything about Sam reminded him of the dream he had. He was about to hang up the phone when Nia stopped him.

“Wait…don’t hang up.” She said. Dean gave her a strange look through his tear filled eyes and closed the phone anyway. “You should talk to him.” She couldn’t be any more direct with the statement. She knew that whatever had him so torn up had to do with Sam. The question was…what was it?

Dean wiped his face with the sleeve of the long sleeve shirt he was wearing and sighed in frustration. “I don’t wanna talk to him right now.” He explained in a low and irritated voice. Without another word, he stood up and started walking again.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sam paced the empty motel room frantically. What the hell was going on? It wasn’t like Dean to take off like that and it especially wasn’t like Dean to leave the Impala behind.

Suddenly his phone rang startling him a bit. He opened it up quickly and answered it. “Dean…it’s about friggin’ time. Where the hell are you?”

“Sam…what do you mean…what’s going on?” Sam raked his fingers through his hair angrily. It wasn’t Dean…it was Bobby.

“Hey Bobby.” He said in a much calmer tone, betraying what he actually felt.

“Sam…what’s going on?” Bobby asked, worry laced through his words.

“When I woke up…Dean was gone. The Impala was here but he wasn’t.” He knew that Bobby could tell that he was angry. Angry and upset but he didn’t really care. Something had to be wrong with Dean for him to just leave the Impala like that and keep hanging up on him like that. “I keep calling him and he keeps hanging up.”

“Let me try him on his phone.” Bobby said. “I’ll call you back after.” And without another word, he hung up.

XXXXXXXXXX

Dean’s phone rang again. “Come on Sammy…let it go.” He whispered as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He looked at the number and realized it wasn’t Sam at all. It was Bobby. He opened it and put it up to his ear.

“Dean…you stubborn son of a….” He held his tongue. He knew that when he talked to Sam, that Sam was frantic. He spent half the week worrying about Dean and this was just making matters worse. “Why the hell won’t you answer your brother when he calls?”

Dean could feel tears coming to his eyes again. “Bobby…I can’t.” Dean started, trying to keep his voice as even as possible. “I just…”

“What’s going on with you?” Bobby’s tone was instantly changed to concern. He knew the tone in Dean’s voice and knew that there was something wrong. It was the same tone Dean had after he confronted him about making the deal to bring Sam back.

“Bobby…things could’ve gone a lot different you know.” Dean blurted out. “Sam could’ve been the one shot instead of me.” He turned around and started walking back to the rock he was previously sitting on.

“Jesus Dean…Is that what this is about...your last job?” Bobby asked. He kind of figured before hand. Dean was probably the more emotional one out of the two brothers…he just didn’t show it very often. He usually bottled up all of his emotions, good and bad, until he exploded. He had only seen it happen a couple of times before and knew that it was due to happen again soon.

“Bobby…I can’t talk to Sam right now….I just can’t.” He knew his voice changed when he felt the tears run down his face once again. “I’ve got too much on my mind right now and I just need some time alone.”

“Okay.” Bobby said. He hadn’t seen Dean this messed up in a long time. Whatever he was bottling up was big and it had to do with Sam and their last job. Yeah…Dean did take a bullet for Sam but that was just the way Dean was. He wouldn’t just stand there and watch his brother get shot. He had already proven that he would do anything for Sam but Sam didn’t like it when Dean risked himself. Odds were that Sam starting giving him hell again for pushing him out of the way and getting sent to the hospital for half the week. He knew that Sam was worried about Dean and didn’t want anything to happen to Dean after he got out of his deal, but getting mad at him for protecting his younger brother would just upset him. Bobby let out a sigh. “Okay. I’ll let him know…but you’re gonna have to talk to him eventually.”

“I know Bobby.” Dean said. He knew that even though Sam wouldn’t understand, Bobby would. He thought that he would hear more from Bobby but Bobby hung up the phone.

Nia watched Dean as he stood there with a blank expression on his face and his cell phone closed in his hand. She wanted to say something to him but weren’t sure if anything out of her mouth would be of any help. He was too much of an emotional mess for anything out of her mouth to help.

Dean took a shaky deep breath and wiped the tears from his face with his shirt sleeve again. Who knows…maybe Bobby would be able to talk to Sam and get him to leave him alone for a little while so he could get his emotions back in check. It was a long shot but it was the only shred of hope that Dean could cling to at the moment. He pushed the thought out of his head as he continued walking back to the rock he was previously sitting on.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sam continued to pace the motel room the entire time he was waiting for Bobby to call back. He knew that if anyone could get through to Dean, it was Bobby. He was about to sit down on the bed when the phone rang startling him a little.

“Hey Bobby.” Sam said after he opened the phone up and held it to his ear.

“Sam…what the hell did you say to him?” Bobby’s tone was a little harsher then he intended.

“What?” He was confused. What was Bobby talking about? “What do you mean? I told you that he was gone when I woke up. He won’t talk to me. I already told you that he keeps hanging up on me.”

“Well, he’s upset about something Sam and it has to do with you.” Bobby explained. He knew that the boys were really close but there were times that they clashed. He knew that whatever was wrong with Dean was probably due to something that Sam said. Dean claimed that that stuff didn’t bother him but it did. Then it hit him. “You didn’t give him hell again for taking that bullet…did you?”

Sam’s eyes widened. He knew exactly what Bobby was talking about. He didn’t think what he said to Dean would have that kind of effect on him. “Bobby…all I told him was that he needs to be more careful.”

“Well, I think that has something to do with his mood.” Bobby explained.

“Bobby…I know I can help if he would just say something but he won’t talk to me.” Sam said.

“I know you can help him Sam.” Bobby said. “Just give him some time kid…give him some time to work things out.” Sam let out a sigh and hung up the phone.

XXXXXXXXXX

“So…do you think your brother will call again?” Nia asked noticing that Dean’s mood had lifted a little.

Dean took a deep breath. “I hope not.” He still didn’t want to talk to Sam. Even thought he felt a little better than he did before, he still didn’t want to talk to him. He knew that if he saw Sam or talked to Sam…it would just make him upset again. “I just hope that Bobby got through to him.”

“Bobby…Is he like a family member or something?” Nia asked in curiosity.

“He might as well be. He’s been close to me and Sammy since…” Before he could continue, he phone rang. He stood up and took a few steps and pulled his phone out of his pocket. At first, he thought it was Bobby but when he opened it and put it to his ear, he knew that it was Sam.

“Come on Dean….whatever is wrong…just tell me.” Sam said. At that moment, Dean’s mood started to revert back to what it was earlier. Why couldn’t Sam just give him some time alone? Why couldn’t he just let him sort out all the stuff that was on his mind? No…of course not. Sam had to call and bug him.

Dean could feel his heart start pounding as he pulled the phone away from his ear and closed it. All he wanted was some time alone to think and Sam just couldn’t take a hint. He thought about putting the phone back in his pocket or even turning it off but found a better way to blow some steam off. He took the phone and threw it as far as he could possible throw it. Yeah…that would make him feel better. Boy was he wrong. After throwing the phone, he was rewarded with sharp pain shooting through his shoulder and his ribcage. He let out a painful moan when he realized that he threw it with his left arm. The one he had been shot in.

Dean immediately cradled his ribcage with his left arm and staggered back a couple of steps until Nia stood up and put both of her hands out to stop him. “Hey…take it easy.” She said in a concerned tone. She kept her hands behind him until he sat down on the rock once again. She could tell by the expression on his face that he was in a lot of pain. His eyes were screwed up tight and it looked like all the color drained from his face. “You okay?”

Dean wanted to answer her…he really did. But at the moment, he was trying to breathe. The sudden movement from throwing his phone jarred his sore and busted ribs mercilessly and now he had to deal with the consequences.

Nia sat there and waited until Dean composed himself before she said anything. “So…were you heading anywhere in particular this morning when you left the motel?” She didn’t want to sound nosey but it came out that way anyway.

“The bar I guess. I didn’t really have anywhere in mind when I started walking.” Dean explained. “It was kind of a last minute decision.”

“Well…I was actually heading that way when I had my friend drop me off so if you want…I can walk with you.” She weren’t sure if he would accept her offer or turn her down flat. She was hoping that he would so she could talk to him more. He seemed so complex to her and she wanted to know more about him.

Dean nodded. “Okay.” He said and he got up, signaling that he was ready to go.

“Awesome.” Nia said with a smile on her face as she got up off the rock. Then, without another word, they started walking.


XXXXXXXXXX

Sorry if the chapter seems a little mushy but it's meant to be that way. Enjoy!! :D

poor Dean! :cry more plz love it!
hmm, i wonder if they will be any sparks?

Here is chapter 3. I know it has been a really long time since my last post. I figured that it's about time to post the next chapter. I have the next chapter all written so I will be posting that soon.

XXXXXXXXXX

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of their characters.

Chapter 3: Emotional Baggage

The long walk had lightened Dean’s mood considerably. By the time they got to the bar, he felt like normal again…like he hadn’t gotten upset at all. He knew that a long walk and some time away from Sam would do a world of good. There was also Nia. She was there when he actually needed someone but was too stubborn to ask for help. What was it about her? Why did she even want anything to do with him? Why did she want to help him? Why?

“Earth to Dean…you awake?” The sight of Nia’s hand waving in front of his face snapped him back to reality.

“Huh.” Dean said as he looked at her.

“Oh…so you are awake.” Nia said. There was a silence that hung in the air between them as they both sipped on their drinks. There was something really bugging her about him. What was going on with him and his brother? “Okay…can I ask you something?”

“Yeah…go ahead.” Dean said.

“What’s the deal with you and your brother?” She asked not knowing if it would upset him or anything. “Did he do or say something to piss you off?”

Dean sat there for a second. The question kind of caught him off guard. “Nah.”

“Well, you seem kind of angry with him.” Nia said. “I thought maybe it was something he said to you that had you so upset earlier.”

“No.” Dean said. He took a deep breath. “I didn’t sleep well.” He made sure to keep his explanation vague. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell her in full detail what his dream was about or what had happened on their last job. But odds are she was going to ask more questions so he would probably have to tell her anyway.

“How come?” She asked not intending to be nosey but it came out that way anyway. “Did you have a bad dream or something?”

“You could say that.” Dean said. The bartender set a couple bottles of beer in front of him and Nia.

“Well…what’s the deal with you?” Dean asked, referring to the night before when she left him for a few minutes to go talk to some guy who she seemed to despise.

“What do you mean?” Nia asked, trying to get him to specify what exactly he wanted to know. “You talking about the guy I was talking to last night?”

“Yeah.” Dean answered. “Is he like your boyfriend or something?”

“Ex-boyfriend.” Nia clarified. “Someone who just can’t seem to take a…” Her sentence trailed off as she started looking in a different direction completely. She sighed in frustration. “You know what…hold that thought. I’ll be right back.” Before Dean could say anything to keep her from leaving the bar, she was gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

“What the hell are you doing here?” Nia asked as she walked up to Rob, grabbed his arm and turned him around.

“Nia…I was hoping to find you here.” He said to her. “We need to talk.”

“No we don’t Rob.” Nia said. This had to be the millionth time telling him the same damn thing. She didn’t understand why he was so damn obsessed with her. He was like a mosquito that just wouldn’t die and kept biting until it drove you mad.

“Yes we do…this is important.” He answered.

At first, Nia actually thought that he was serious but she decided to continue trying to get rid of him. “It’s always important Rob and I don’t want to hear it.”

“Jenna’s dead.” Rob blurted out before Nia could continue berating him.

“Excuse me?” Nia almost didn’t believe what she was hearing. How could one of her friends…or former friends just be dead? “What do you mean Jenna’s dead?”

“Look.” Rob started and he held up a box in front of her. “I just found out a couple days ago that Jenna was the one who stole it. My guess is that it’s the reason why she is dead.”

Nia could feel her emotions bubble up but she pushed them back down and grabbed the box out of his hand. “She opened it up, didn’t she?”

“Yeah.” Rob answered. “And whatever the hell was in it is gone.”

Nia looked down at the floor and shook her head. How could this happen? How could Jenna not only steal the box but lose everything that was inside it? The box was closed and sealed for a good reason and now her worse nightmare was unleashed all over again. “Wonderful.” Nia said in almost a whisper and she turned around and walked away with the box firmly clutched in her hand.

XXXXXXXXXX

“So, what was that about?” Dean curiously said.

“It was about this.” She placed the box up on the bar so Dean could see it. “The cause of everything bad in my life.”

“…A box?” Dean said with uncertainty. Why the hell would a box be the cause of everything bad in her life? It just didn’t make sense.

“Well, it’s not the box that is the problem; it’s what was inside of it.” Nia really didn’t want to get into it with him right now on why a little box would cause so much trouble.

“Was?” Dean really wasn’t trying to be nosey but he was curious.

“Yeah.” She said just before picking up her beer and taking a sip of it.

Dean looked at her for a second and then glanced at the box. Was there something strange going on in the town or was it just a squabble between her and her ex boyfriend that seemed to be showing up everywhere? He had no way of knowing and to top it all off, it wasn’t really his business. He looked back up at her and raised his eyebrows for a second. “Long story?” She didn’t have a verbal reply to that but the look in her eyes told Dean that he hit it right on the nose.

XXXXXXXXXX

After leaving the motel, Sam almost knew where he’d find his older brother. There was only one other place in the town where they had been and it was right up Dean’s alley. When Sam pulled the Impala into the parking lot, there was almost nobody there just like the night before.

Sam knew that there was something wrong with Dean. Ever since he had been shot, something had been on his mind. Whatever it was, it must’ve been bad because Dean wasn’t acting like himself at all. He wasn’t sleeping well, he wasn’t eating much and he was way too jumpy and, in the line of work that they were in, it made Sam uncomfortable.

Sam sighed in frustration as he got out of the car. He didn’t really have a clue what he was going to say to Dean. He didn’t want to make him mad but he really wanted to know what was going on. It wasn’t like him to leave the Impala behind in order to take a long walk out in the middle of nowhere.

When he walked into the bar, he could spot Dean immediately. He thought about just walking up to him and saying something but then thought better of it because he knew that if he did that, it would get him nowhere.

“Hey, isn’t that your brother Sam?” Nia asked Dean as she glancing at the door to the bar.

Dean took a deep breath and glanced in the direction that she was indicating. Dean sighed and nodded before turning back around to face the bar. He still didn’t want to talk to him but he really didn’t have much choice now. He knew that when he turned around and looked in Sam’s direction that Sam had noticed him.

Okay, now Sam did have to talk to him. He wasn’t going to go up to the bar but now that Dean saw him, he didn’t see much point in standing there like an idiot waiting for Dean to approach him. Instead, he began walking towards the bar.

When Sam reached the bar, he glanced over at Dean who was sitting there with a half empty beer bottle sitting in front of him. Why wouldn’t Dean acknowledge him being there? What was going on and what did it possibly have to do with him? He knew that Dean didn’t want to talk to him after what had happened earlier with the cell phone but he had to find out what was going on. Sometimes Dean needed a nudge in the right direction to get him to talk.

“Hey.” Sam said in a quiet voice hoping that it wasn’t too quiet for Dean to hear.

Dean took a sip of his beer and glanced at Sam. “Hey.”

Well at least Dean was noticing him there. That was a start. “Hey Dean…we need to talk.” He didn’t know if it was too soon to start nudging but he had to give it a try.

Dean closed his eyes the moment he heard what Sam said. Somehow he knew that Sam would say something like that but he wasn’t really sure how to react. He didn’t want to start yelling at Sam for not leaving him alone when he obviously wanted to be left alone. He also didn’t want to talk about what was going on.

“No Sam…we don’t.” Dean decided to go with what came natural.

“Dean…”

Dean got up off his bar stool and looked Sam dead in the eye. “Sam…let it go!” His voice was a little harsher sounding than he planned but he figured it wasn’t such a bad thing after all. Maybe his tone was enough to get Sam to back off. He knew that Sam was only looking out for him in trying to find out what was wrong but he needed to back off and wait until he was ready to talk about it.

Dean downed the rest of his beer and walked away from the bar. He needed to get away from Sam before Sam started asking more questions. Sam sighed, frustrated and slightly angry as his brother walked out the door.

“Is he always like that?” Nia asked startling Sam a bit.

Sam quickly looked in Nia’s direction. “What?”

Nia smiled at him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I was just wondering if your brother was always like that.” Sam didn’t answer her but the look on his face told her that she was right. Dean was like this all the time. No wonder why he was such a mess earlier that morning.

They sat there in complete silence for a few minutes until finally Sam looked at her with a strange expression on his face. “Hey…Do I know you?”

“Not exactly.” She said with a smile on her face. “You have seen me before though. I was the one that made a complete fool of your brother last night.”

“Oh…you’re the one that bought him the shot of tequila.” Sam said with a smile on his face as he remembered Dean’s reaction after Nia had walked away.

“Yeah.” She said. “Honestly, I didn’t think he would react that way. He seemed like the confident type.”

“Well, he usually is.” Sam explained. “I don’t know what has been going with him lately but he hasn’t been acting like himself.”

“Yeah…I noticed that. I actually wanted to ask you about that.” Nia said remembering the way Dean had acted earlier that morning. She really wanted to know what was going on. She knew that it had something to do with Sam but she didn’t know what it was.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on in that twisted mind of his.” Sam answered. He really wished he could explain it to him but he didn’t know how.

“Well, whatever it is, I know it has something to do with you and whatever happened on your last job.” She stood up and picked up the box that she had set on the table. She really wanted to stay but she needed to get a lot of stuff done. With the box opened, she had to do a lot of stuff to do to keep her and her apartment safe. “I really wish I could stay and talk about this but I actually have a lot of stuff to do.” She didn’t give Sam a chance to say anything else, she just made her way to the door. She shot Sam one last sympathetic smile and walked out the door. She didn’t want to seem antisocial or rude but there was stuff that she needed to do and she really didn’t feel like engaging in an uncomfortable conversation with Sam about his brother. Whatever was wrong was between the two of them and she didn’t want Dean getting mad at her for talking to Sam about stuff that he obviously didn’t want to talk about.

XXXXXXXXXX

Dean knew that the minute that Sam walked into the bar that he would immediately try to get him to talk about what was bothering him. He just didn’t feel like talking about it. He just wanted to block it out of his mind so that he could move on. He just didn’t think that it would be so hard.

When Nia walked out of the bar, she could see Dean standing there leaning against the Impala with his arms resting on the roof. She knew that he wanted to be alone but she didn’t want to just leave without saying goodbye. She slowly walked up to him making sure not to startle him at all and gently put a hand on his shoulder.
Sharp pain shot through his shoulder and down his arm making him flinch and turn around quickly.

“Oh…I’m sorry.” Nia said as she pulled her hand back. She really didn’t want to hurt him. She just wanted to get his attention and she didn’t realize that she put her hand on his injured shoulder.

Dean squinted his eyes shut and kept his eyes screwed up shut until the pain finally dissipated. When he finally opened them, Nia was still standing there. “You okay?” She asked in a caring voice, much like the tone of voice that she used earlier that day when she was talking to him. Dean just nodded and waited for her to continue.

“So…do you know how long you will be in town?” Nia asked. Dean shrugged his shoulders. There was a silence the hung in the air between them for a few seconds. “Well, if you ever need to get a hold of me or want to, I uh…live above the bar.”

“Okay.” Dean said as he gave her one of his trademark smirks.

“Remember to talk to your brother.” Nia said and she received a depressed look. “He means well. He just wants to know what’s going on and how to help.”

“I know.” Dean said and he took a deep breath. “I’ll figure something out.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Nia said. She gave him a small smile. “I’ll catch you later.” Dean smiled and watched her walk off towards a set of steps on the right hand wall of the bar. Dean couldn’t help but smile after she walked away. She was the most beautiful and unique person he had ever met. She was there for him when he felt like he couldn’t talk to Sam. She was more understanding about stuff than anyone he had met that wasn’t connected to the family in some way. She didn’t need to know his background to understand that he was hurting. She wasn’t pushy or too nosey and she knew just the right thing to say. It was weird for Dean to be on the other side of charm but he didn’t mind it at all.

XXXXXXXXXX

Things between Sam and Dean had become quite awkward during the ride back to the motel. Neither of them seemed to know what to say to one another. After hearing what Nia had to say, Sam didn’t want to push things too much. He had a feeling that Nia was right, whatever was bothering Dean had something to do with the last job they did. Ever since that job, Dean had been acting different. He had been more jumpy and more jittery than normal and it worried Sam.

“Hey Sammy….can you pull over for a minute.” Dean’s sudden vocalization startled Sam and tore him from his thoughts. He immediately did as Dean asked and pulled the Impala over.

After the Impala had come to a complete stop, Sam shot a concerned look at his older brother who sat there for a second in complete silence. “Dean…you okay?” Sam said in almost a whisper. He knew the answer to the question but he had to hear it out of Dean first.

“Listen Sam…you were right. We do need to talk.” Dean said in a tone that made Sam think that he was going to start crying which was a rare occasion for Dean.

“It’s fine Dean…if you don’t want to talk about it, I’m fine with it.” Sam explained knowing that his brother really didn’t want to talk to him about what was bothering him.

“Yeah I do Sam.” Dean looked over at his younger brother with teary eyes. At that sight, Sam’s heart sank. What could be bothering Dean to the point that he would be tearing up? “Listen Sam…our last job…it…well it could have gone a lot worse.”

“I know that Dean.” Sam said in the same soft tone as before.

“Sammy…you could have died.” Dean said knowing that his voice was cracking. He just couldn’t help it. He knew that Nia was right when she told him that he had to talk to his brother but he didn’t know it would be so hard.

“But I didn’t Dean.” Sam started explaining in the same soft tone as before. “I’m here and I’m fine.”

Dean just sat there for a second as if not believing what his brother was telling him. Something was definitely eating him alive and Sam just couldn’t figure out what it was.

Dean didn’t really know how to explain to Sam what was going through his head. There was so much he wanted to explain to Sam. He wanted to explain why he wasn’t sleeping, why he was jumpy, everything that was wrong but he just didn’t know how.

“Dean…whatever is going on, we’ll get through it.” Sam had a sympathetic expression on his face. He knew that Dean was upset. It was obvious. It was written all over his face. He had a feeling that Dean didn’t know how obvious it was though.

“Sam…it’s not that easy.” Dean said with the same expression on his face that he had before.

“I know that Dean.” Sam answered quickly. “It never is.”

Dean raked his hands through his already messed up hair and sighed loudly. Sam knew that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Dean always had problems with emotional things. He always had trouble talking about things that were on their mind. Sam tried many times to help Dean with emotional things but sometimes there was just no way that to help the way he wanted to.

Sam put the Impala in drive and started driving again. He didn’t know how to help Dean. No matter how many times he ran everything through his head, he just didn’t know what was bothering Dean so much. Nia said that it had something to do with their last job. Their last job was bad but Sam didn’t think it was that bad…well…besides Dean getting injured. Sam ran the events of his last job through his head again as he drove back to the motel. Somehow he would find a way to help Dean and get him back to normal again.

Very interesting story! I like it! Nia is awsome! Looking forward to reading more!

hmm wonder what is botherinq dean.?
update soon