On the Road again...

When I started to wake up, my first notion was to turn sideways, as I always do in the morning. I soon realized that this was a bad idea, since my whole body went tense with pain. My eyes opened as my whole system was flooded with adrenaline and my breath got more rapid. I was laying in a bed in what I guessed to be a motel room. I tried to prop myself up on one elbow to get a better look at the room itself but sank back into the pillow with a grunt of pain as a stab shot through my muscles. I tried to calm down again, so the pain would go away, as the door on the opposite wall flew open and I saw him getting out of the bathroom, wiping his hand on his jeans. "Morning sunshine! Welcome in the world of the living!", Dean exclaimed happily as he saw me. I managed a smile and replied with a croak: "Thanks... where are we?" "Denver..." He walked over to a table, grabbed a bottle filled with water and came over, sitting down on the bed, right next to me. "Here, drink.", he said, as he offered me the already opened bottle. I took it with a weak hand and downed the whole content in one go. After that my hand throbbed and my muscles were on fire, but it was worth it. Dean took the bottle out of my hand again and threw it into the bin next to his foot. "Do you have anything to eat here?", I blurted out, "I'm starving!" "Sam is out getting something for us...", he said. His forehead showed deep wrinkles of a frown. A look I've seen far too often lately. "Don't look at me like this!" "Like what?" I swallowed in hopes my voice would sound more confident this time: "Like I'm a wounded kitten that lost its mommy. I'm doing this job quite a while now, Dean!" "I know that, but look at you! I'm away for two days, settling business with Sam and when I want to pick you up you're nowhere to be found. Didn't answer any of your phones, not even Bobby knew where you were! And now I find you half-alive in some monster's cave. What were you thinking?" His voice was full of anger by now. "I was on a hunt, if you don't mind!", I snapped back. "I admit, it would have been my last, but if John had been more specific than I wouldn't have gotten into this mess in the first place!" That seemed to take him aback. "Dad sent you? Did you talk to him?" I shook my head: "He left me some coordinates on my voicemail, about a week ago. I was hoping to find him there..." Dean nodded and his gaze dropped. "Yeah, as did we. He didn't call you in the meantime either?" The anger had gone as fast as it had come, his voice was a lot softer now. "No... the last time I saw him was together with you, when he left about 2 weeks ago.". After a short pause Dean looked up. "Wait a minute... 14 days ago... then with our...." He seemed to calculate something before asking: "How long have you been in that cave?" "Depending on how long I was knocked out... at least 4 days." Before he could respond a throught struck me: "How are the other kids doing? Did you get them all out?" "Yeah, they're back home, safe and sound. Sam lit that ugly bitch up like a Christmas tree! I just wanted to hit the road before the cops came round to ask any stupid questions!" "I see..." My stomach made some funny noises as I laid my hand on top of it. I felt nauseous and had a hard time keeping it together, cause my head was throbbing violently now. I softly touched Dean's arm: "Could you get me some more water?", I asked. "Sure!", he responded and got another bottle from the table. With 2 long strodes he was back, opened the cap and gave it to me. I downed that one in a matter of seconds too and thanked him, as he sat down next to me again. 

"So...", I finally began, "You managed to get Sam back on board!" Dean smiled a bit and replied: "Yes... when I had finished the last job I got Sam to help me. But then...." He paused. "What? What happened?", I asked as I saw the deep frown on his face. "You should have seen him, Em. He lived in an appartment, with his girlfriend Jess, just like... a normal guy, you know?" He had an absent look on his face, his eyes staring blank into the distance. "He was going to have an interview for law school. Like a proper lawyer!" A faint smile played around his lips. "I brought him back in time, but then...", he licked his lower lip and swallowed, "Jess died... the same way Mum died - pinned to the ceiling and then bursting into flames. I barely got him out of the house in time." "What?", I asked, not quite able to take all that information in, as I sat up a bit higher to take his hand or comfort him in any way, as a spasm got hold of my body and I went stiff with pain. "Damn!", I hissed, as Dean grabbed my shoulder and held me down. "Hey, hey, you ok?" "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine!", I grunted as my hands curled into fists and I clenched my teeth. After a few moments my muscles relaxed again and I let out a small sigh. In that moment the front door opened and Sam entered, holding 2 big bags in his hands. "I'm back!", he called and as he turned around and spotted me, a smile formed on his lips. "Hey Emily... glad to have you back with us! How are you feeling?" "Hey Sam... Well, actually quite good, taken the circumstances!" Now that I saw him in a better light, I examined Sam more closely. His brown hair had grown quite long, the bangs hanging over his eyes. But apart from that, nothing had changed: He still had these bright, curious eyes, the colour of a dirty blue with a ring of green around his Iris, and a crooked smile, that could melt many girls' hearts. The day he left, a bit over two years ago, was still imprinted into my memories... I shook the thought off and looked first at Sam, then at Dean: "Listen boys, can I just say that I'm really glad to see you both? I didn't really thank you for saving me back there." "I heard that's what we're here for!", Sam grinned. "So, what were you doing there anyway?" Dean answered that question for me, as he let go of my shoulder, got up and walked over to his brother, opening the first bag he had brought. "Dad sent her... left her the same coordinates that we found in his journal." He grabbed 2 burgers wrapped in thin paper and came back to me, handing me one of them. I tore the paper off with clumsy fingers and took a huge bite. "Which means that she hasn't seen Dad either..." "Yep." The burger probably wasn't even that good, but after several days without any food whatsoever, it tasted divine to me. I let out a content sigh as I took a second, even bigger bite. Dean turned to me and smirked: "Oh, if only all women would make these noises when eating a burger!" Since I had a hard time even lifting my arms to eat, boxing him was out of the question. Instead I kicked my heel into his back, as he took his first bite, causing Sam to chuckle. "Wait...", I said, my mouth still full, "John left his journal behind? I don't know about you, but that sounds just wrong to me! He never lets it out of his sight!" "I know... which is why we have to find him, and fast!", Sam said, his face growing stern. "First of all we'll get you somewhere safe so you can recover.", Dean shot me a glance. "No!" He turned to me and raised his eyebrows: "No?" I swallowed and answered: "I'm in with you guys! You won't just dump me somewhere and take off like that, I've had enough of it. And don't say you didn't mean it that way: I know the game, Dean! I'm coming with you, and that's that!" Dean looked over to Sam, who just shrugged and then looked back at me. "Alright... we hit the road as soon as we can." With that he got up and finished his burger, already reaching for another. As I finished mine as well I was wondering why it had been that easy to convince them, but then I decided that it didn't matter: John was my father as well as theirs and I wanted to be a part of their search for him. I owed him that much.

After a more than satisfying meal (Sam had brought donuts as well!) the boys had determined our next job: A girl drowned in a lake in Wisconsin and the whole thing seemed crooked. After checking out of the Motel, Sam helped me into the car, a black '67 Chevrolet Impala. The familiar smell of leather, mixed with the scent of both John and his sons lingering in the fabric soothed me immediately. If this combination triggered anything in my mind, it was one word: Home. I was lying on my back on the whole length of the backseat, as Dean backed out of the parking space. Sam picked a new cassett for our drive and I slowly closed my eyes, my mouth curling into a content smile. I slept most of the 17 hour drive to Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin, whilst Metallica blasted from the radio.