𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎

❝ misery loves company ❞

𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘦 9𝘵𝘩, 2001

wichita, kansas

*ੈ ✩ . ‧ ˚  Dean promised himself he wouldn't fall asleep in order to keep a close eye on their new companion, determined to prevent anything else from going wrong that night.

    Sitting on a chair facing their motel room door, he tapped his fingers mindlessly against the laminate top before he glanced towards the greasy fast food wrappers that were still spread across the table. Feeling his salvia building in his mouth when he saw a few scattered french fries laying across a paper bag, he attentively glanced up to see both Sam and the girl sleeping on different beds, making sure neither would see him finishing up their food. Surely they weren't gonna miss it.

    Tossing a fry carelessly into his mouth, he started munching mindlessly on the cold and somewhat gritty substance, not even seeming to care that it had been sitting out in the open for the past four hours. Dean wasn't about to let the food go to waste, having spent many of his early adolescent years with an aching stomach from being neglected. So to him, you eat what you can, when you can.

    Yet as the hour ticked past in the early morning hours, it had gotten harder for the older Winchester to keep his eyes open as he decided to find a more comfortable spot to sit, reasoning within himself that if he could get five minutes to "rest his eyes" he would be good as new.

    After weighing his options between the floor or one of the beds, he nimbly made his way towards the queen sized bed Jenny was laying on and glanced at the clock on the nightstand, reading 3:48am. No wonder he was feeling exhausted. He had been at it for the past 20 hours, driving across state lines, ganking a witch and saving Jenny- who turned out to save him at the same time.

    After running a hand down his face, he cautiously started to let his weight sink into the opposite side of the bed from her, hoping she wouldn't feel the shift in the mattress and luckily she didn't and after about fifteen seconds of sitting there, Dean could feel himself fighting to stay awake, his head feeling like it weighed a hundred pounds and he couldn't keep it up anymore.

    Just five minutes.

    Those five minutes drifted into five hours as Dean fell into a deep slumber, his cheek smooshed up against a pillow while facing the door with his boots still on the floor, a light snore slipping past his lips as he caught up on the much needed rest.

    Sam was the first to wake up, his hazel eyes adjusting to the morning light shining in from the window while sitting up to spot Dean sleeping peacefully on the other bed. From the sound of it, he needed it in the worst way. Then he glanced at Jenny, a gentle frown crossing his features as he saw the way she still had a lot of grime and dried blood scattered across her neck and face.

    The girl had been through a lot and Dean decided to let her to sleep instead of treating her wounds, putting it off til the morning after seeing the way she had practically collapsed on the bed after only eating half her sandwich. Probably not the smartest idea but it felt right at the time.

    By the time Jenny woke up laying on her back, Sam was already sitting by the table with a newspaper in his hand. Blinking slowly, she tilted her head to the side to see the back of Dean, hearing his steady breathing and wondered how he was even comfortable laying in that position as only half his body was on the bed.

    The more she awoke, the more she became aware of the way her whole body ached. Feeling a stinging sensation where the cuts and gashes were scattered across her body, the muscles on her arms and upper back burning from being strung up for so long. Vivid flashbacks revealing the vile things she had been put through coming back to her as she could feel involuntary tears start to prick at the corner of her eyes.

    Having dwelled on the pain she endured for too long, she felt a wave of nausea wash over her and she forced herself into a sitting position, a hand pressed against her mouth as she tried to repress the lurch in her throat, feeling the saliva in her mouth thickening. Her head pounded, she felt dirty, sticky and her body was profusely sweating. She didn't notice that her roommates had started to move around her until a firm hand was pressed to her shoulder, sending her over the edge at the foreign feeling.

    Overcome by her sudden sickness and having a new surge of strength, Jenny pushed past Dean and rushed to the bathroom where she couldn't hold back anymore, kneeling in front of the toilet with her fingers gripping the seat as she let the contents of her stomach spill out.

    "Somebody partied a little too hard last night." Dean's voice rang through the tension, smirking to himself as a way to avoid the awkwardness and make light of the situation which only earned a small glare from Sam who stood behind him in the doorway.

    Jenny's body shivered, the wounds she had acquired the days before throbbing from her quick movements as she could feel tears pricking at her eyes. She didn't acknowledge Dean's little quip, rather flushed the toilet and leaned back to sit on her rear, scooting back enough to lean against the bathtub and have a full view of the brothers.

    "Alright... who are you guys?" She asked finally, her voice a little hoarse as she could feel the rawness in her throat from throwing up, placing a hand beside her to steady her dizziness while the other rested on her stomach, applying pressure where she felt a sticky warmth starting to pool.

    "Heh, I guess we did kinda skip class introductions yesterday, didn't we?" Dean passed a smooth grin as he looked over at Sammy who had walked to the mini fridge to grab some water and then turning his attention back on the girl, his amused look faltering when he saw she clearly wasn't impressed. "Okay, chill. I'm Dean, that's my brother Sam. Our dad's worked together in the early nineties but that's about all I know." he explained and crossed his arms over his chest, his smugness dissipating.

    The dark haired woman kept her intense gaze on Dean as she studied his face, looking for any sign of deception. "And so you dropped everything to help out a man only your father knew?"

    "Our dad's selective with who he works with and so if he worked with yours, that's good enough for us." Sam said, stepping forward with a bottle of water, making his movements slow in a non threatening way as he knelt in front of her, handing the bottle over. "We don't have any ginger-ale but the water should help dilute whatever is left in your stomach and wash down the bitter taste in your throat." He said in a soft tone meant to comfort her.

    Jenny didn't understand their kindness, the gentle nature that both had already shown in the little time they spent together. Most hunters they crossed paths with were gruff, fix it yourself type people who hardened their hearts as a way to protect themselves from feeling too much. But not them... and it scared her a little because she didn't know what to expect.

    "Thanks." She barely said over a whisper, her eyes studying Sam's sympathetic expression as she reached out to take the bottle, cracking it open and taking a sip, washing down the bile in her system and shut her eyes as she felt a moment of relief. But then she started to remember the questions that had plagued her mind in her delirious state during the night. "What about my dad. Where's he at?" she asked suddenly, eyes wider as she searched their faces.

    The brothers glanced at each other hesitantly which Jenny caught onto, causing her heart to drop in her chest. "Hey, talk to me. Where is he?!" She asked again in a slightly more panicked voice, desperate to know where her father was.

    Dean finally stepped up, bending down next to Sam to be eye level with the girl, clearing his throat as he rocked a little on the balls of his foot. "We've tried to get a hold of him a few times but he's not picking up."

    "Damnit." Jenny muttered, a mixture of frustration and distress crossing her expression. "Why wasn't he with you yesterday?"

    Dean looked slightly confused as he shrugged in a genuinely unsure way. "He said there were two locations you could've been held at so we split up."

    "Of course he did."

    "What's that supposed to mean..." The older one started before Jenny quickly cut him off.

    "Later... I'll explain it all later." Jenny said as she felt another wave of nausea as the fear of what could have happened to her father flooded back, raising her hand to place it on her face, trying to focus on regaining her strength.

    Sam was desperate for answers, wanting to help her reunite with her dad but he knew better than to push someone when they were feeling ill. A moment passed before Dean spoke up. "You're still bleeding." He said, his eyes on the red tinted plaid that stuck to her stomach, starting to reach out to lift the shirt to look at the wound.

    Jenny panicked slightly as she snapped her hand to grab Dean's wrist, stopping him before he could touch the flannel, her eyes showing her slight fright. "I'll be fine." She said, her grip firm in a warning way as she met the elder brothers gaze, showing that she wasn't going to back down on this.

    There was something about her that made Dean know better than to push her on the matter, recognizing the look as one an animal trapped in a cage would have, reluctantly pulling his hand back. "Look, you wanna play tough girl, that's fine. But we're here to help you, okay?" He said while giving her a look that showed his honesty.

    "Just... let me get cleaned up to feel somewhat human." She said, feeling a little remorse for her snippy tone from before.

    Dean nodded for Sam to leave the room, taking in a deep breath himself. "Alright. If you need us, we'll be right outside..." He said before standing up himself, nodding towards the door. "Oh and uh, one sec."

    Dean left the room for a moment, walking towards one of their duffel bags and rummaging through its contents, pulling out a pair of his boxers and raising it to his nose to take a whiff and made a little face, deciding that they hadn't been worn yet. Turning to find one of Sam's long sleeve plaids laying on top of a duffel bag, he snatched that too on his way back to the bathroom, returning to find Jenny standing up and already found the towels.

    "They're clean, I promise." He said eagerly while raising his eyebrows as if it would help him convince her, holding out the clothes for her to take.

    Jennifer cautiously took the clothes from him, a skeptical frown on her face as she tried to grasp what was even going on. "Thanks..." she said simply, watching him closely.

    "Don't mention it." Dean said smoothly, giving her a wink as he turned to lock the door and shut it behind him, leaving her in the bathroom alone.

    Jenny clutched the bundle of clothes close to her chest, still staring at the white door long after Dean had shut it. She wasn't used to being around people her age, let alone boys in general. It wasn't uncommon for her to be stuck with her father for weeks at a time while on a case, far away from civilization. She had always followed the hunters rule of trusting nobody... so why was she so willing to trust them?

*ੈ✩‧₊˚

    The air was thick with humidity as Jennifer shut off the shower, water droplets cascading off her shoulders as she reached for her towel to wrap it around her slender body. She had been successful in cleaning her wounds, the blood and grime that had once stained her skin washed away under the steady stream. Moving to stand in front of the foggy mirror, she reached out to wipe the condensation away but froze when she saw her own reflection.

    Her skin was paler than it usually was, dark circles shadowed under her eyes with chapped lips that all served as a haunting reminder of the agony she had been through. Flashbacks ran through her mind; the interrogation followed by the spells that felt like they had torn her insides apart as they searched for answers regarding information on her family's safehouse that held generations worth of knowledge that could be used against the covens of witches they had fought against for centuries.

    Hot tears pricked at her eyes as thoughts of self doubt crept in, remembering how she had been so delirious with pain she didn't have much control over her tongue. She had tried to remain resilient, to keep things that were meant to remain secrets, a secret. But they had chipped away at her determination and now she was left with the haunting thoughts of what she may have let slip out to make it all stop.

    What if she had given them the location of her father and they ambushed him?

    A knock on the door interrupted her dark thoughts, causing her to quickly wipe away the moisture from under her eyes before clearing her throat. "Just a moment." She spoke in a rushed tone as she reached for the clothes that had been given to her and slipped on the boxers that hung loosely off her slim hips. Buttoning up the flannel, she unlocked the door and opened it enough to see Dean giving her a goofy grin.

    God, what was with this guy with his stupid grin all the time?

    "I uh- you got quiet in there. Thought I'd check in, see if you needed anything." He offered, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his worn out jeans, rocking on his heels and she could almost consider it adorable. Almost. 

     Jenny nervously glanced away for a moment, ready to tell him she was fine and shut the door back on his face so she could deal with her dark thoughts alone but when her dark eyes met his again, she found herself not being able to turn him away. "How good are you at stitching wounds?" She asked hesitantly, her gaze softening when she saw the way his face almost lit up.

    "Practically a surgeon at this point." He said with a facade of arrogance that Jenny rewarded with an eye roll but opened the door wider for him to enter anyway, allowing him to follow her inside the room where he grabbed a smaller bag that sat on the counter and pulled out a needle and floss, casting an attentive glance up at her. "I'm gonna grab something to sanitize the wound, go ahead and get comfortable." He spoke in a gentle yet firm tone as before he set his items down by the sink and walked out.

    Jenny let out an exaggerated breath through pursed lips, raising the shirt up enough to reveal the two inch gash on her stomach, tying the ends of the flannel into a knot on her upper belly. There had been so much tension building inside the dark haired female that her hands had started to shake as soon as she sat on the countertop, a shiver rolling through her battered body as she clenched her hand into a tight fist.

    Dean walked in a few moments later, taking notice of her rigid posture and held out a bottle of whiskey for her. "You look like you could use a swig."

    Jenny didn't hesitate to reach out and grab the bottle from him, her eyes flashing with vulnerability."Don't tell my dad." She spoke before raising it to her lips and taking a larger gulp, one could tell it wasn't her first time either.

    Dean watched her keenly, trying to unravel the mystery of the woman in front of him, noticing the way she winced from the burn of the liquor. "You know I'm hoping I don't get a slap across the face for this cause I know there's two things you don't ask a woman and one of them is her weight... but how old are you?" He asked, mostly trying to make conversation and ease the tension between them as he took the bottle back after she took a second drink and set it beside her and started to thread the needle.

    "I was born in '81 so I guess that makes me nineteen." She said as if it was the most mundane thing, her hand gripping the edge of the counter beside her to keep steady.

    "So you're sandwiched between me and Sam... he's a '83 baby and I'm a '79." He spoke with a sigh, using his teeth to bite off the excess floss and then tying it off before he glanced back up at her with a seriousness. "You ready for this? Can't have you going all crazy bitch on me if the pain gets bad." Dean searched her eyes as he took a few steps until he was just in front of her.

     "Good thing you brought Jim." She nodded towards the whiskey bottle but then shook her head. "I'll be fine... I'm tougher than I look." There had been a waver in her voice but the look in her eye showed that she had the determination to get it done.

    The corners of Dean's lips curved into a small smirk, slowly understanding the determination and grit the girl had. "Alright lean back, try not to squirm." He said in a gentle yet firm tone as he took a step closer until he was set between her knees and then splashed her wound with the alcohol, earning a pained groan from Jenny before he planted one hand on her stomach to keep the skin from moving while the other held the needle.

    The next few minutes passed by agonizing slow for Jenny, having to grip the corner of the counter and gritting her teeth together tightly as Dean effectively stitched her wound shut, clipping the excess off as he finished.

    "Good as new." He admired his work for a second before he glanced up at her to see she was sweating profusely and looking a little pale, placing his hand on her face to try keeping her conscious. "Hey, hey, it's over. Come on, let's get you back in bed." With a swell of uncertainty in his stomach, he effortlessly picked her back up and carried her back to the bed, concern crossing his expression as he tucked her back in, making sure she was comfortable before taking a step back to stand with Sam who crossed his arms.

    "We should stop by a store. Get her some real clothes." He said softly, watching as Jenny's breathing started to steady, signaling she was falling asleep.

    "What are you talking about? I thought she looked pretty sexy in my boxers and your shirt- which you stole from me by the way." Dean muttered with a pointed look, trying to mask the way he may have been caring too much for the girl.

    "I didn't steal it from you." Sam scoffed. "I found it in my bag. It's mine."

    "That doesn't make it yours." Dean countered, rolling his eyes before he reached for the keys that laid on the nightstand between the two beds. "Come on, I bet we can get her something before she wakes back up." 

𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝: may 14th, 2024

𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝: n/a