Chapter 6

One week had passed since that night with Juliet. Neither of them spoke of it but she would look at him when she knew Sam wasn’t looking and smile, or whisper thank you to him. Every night since then Dean had been next to her instead of on the floor. To Dean’s surprise Sam hadn’t said anything about it. Dean never asked why Sam hadn’t said a word. Part of him wondered if Sam knew about what happened that night. The fear in Juliet’s eyes haunted Dean. Now they were working on a strange case. There were several murders happening in this town and they all had the same story, the murders all said an angel made them do it. Once again Dean and Juliet were told to stay in the hotel room as Sam went to the hospital to talk to one of the murderers. At least there was something of entertainment in this room, both Juliet and Dean thought so. A vibrating bed. “Jules,” Dean said with a smile as the woman walked out of the bathroom. Her brown hair was soaked and sticking to her face. Jules wore one of Dean’s black t-shirts and the same pair of flannel pants that she had been wearing since she left with the boys. All of Juliet’s clothes went up in flames when her house burned down months ago. “Hey, Jules get over here,” he said with a childish grin on his face.

Juliet rolled her eyes and walked over to him, still trying to dry her hair. “What Dean? Did you finally find your sanity?”

“Funny,” he said with a laugh. Dean stood behind her and she turned her head towards him when he spoke. “But no, you stole that remember. Lay down.”

“Dean,” she said with a questioning look. “Did you finally work up enough balls to admit that you want me?”

“I’ve admitted that,” he said looking at her with a hurt expression.

“But you haven’t acted on it,” she said with a smile, turning to face him.

“First time for everything,” Dean countered. He smirked then pushed her back on the bed and watched her fall. Dean smiled and climbed on top of her, looking down at her. He sat straddling her small frame with one hand on each side of her head. Dean leaned down and kissed her neck lightly, nipping at her skin. He knew she liked that. Dean quickly learned the things that Juliet liked. He’d been stuck in a hotel room with her alone for hours on end for the past three weeks. Dean smiled as her hands wrapped around his neck. He looked into her sightless eyes and laughed. “As much as I would love to rip the clothes off you right now, Sam could walk in any minute and I just don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“Sammy just left,” she whined. Jules gave him her patented puppy dog look that she knew Dean couldn’t resist and promptly felt his lips against hers.

Dean really couldn’t resist that look, and if she was giving him an invitation who was he to deny it. He let his lips travel down her neck onto her shoulder. “What if he comes back cause he forgot something,” Dean whispered. Jules just pushed him, telling him he needed to shut up. Dean laughed and kissed her neck once more. He had a point though, Sam had a tendency to walk in at exactly the wrong time. Dean rolled off of her and sighed. “Jules, you know we can’t. Anyways, that’s not what I wanted to show you. Close your eyes.”

“Why? I can’t see anything anyway.”

“For affect, now just do it,” he said with a laugh. Dean watched as she closed her eyes and he dug around in his pockets for several quarters. Dean slid them into the machine and watched for her reaction as the bed started vibrating. He couldn’t hold back his smile as he watched her giggle. She reached over and grabbed Dean’s MP3 player and his earphones and put them in. “Hey, those are mine,” Dean protested trying to grab them, only to have his hand swatted away.

“Not anymore,” she said with a laugh. Dean watched Jules get comfortable and he smiled, laying down next to her and staring at the ceiling.

Dean looked over at her with her eyes closed and smiled. She looked happy, relaxed. He reached his hand over and laced his fingers with hers, getting her attention. Jules turned her head towards him and smiled then she rested her head on his shoulder and Dean closed his eyes. After a while he looked over at Juliet and saw she had fallen asleep. Dean laughed to himself and stole the earphones from her, putting them in his ears and closing his eyes once more. Now this was relaxing. A couple hours later Sam walked in. He looked at the two of them and raised an eyebrow. “Yes,” Dean asked with a smile.

“You two look cozy.” Sam rolled his eyes and threw Dean’s keys at him. “You are enjoying that way too much. I don’t know which you’re getting more from, the vibrating bed, or Juliet practically laying on top of you, or both.”

“Shoulda been here earlier Sammy it was the other way around,” Dean said with a smirk. “Seriously, Sammy this girl’s a real pistol. I mean she’s crazy, I love it.” Sam just rolled his eyes. He spent the next few minutes explaining everything to Dean.

Juliet woke up a few hours later with a start. The quarters had run out on the bed and the music wasn’t playing anymore. Dean wasn’t next to her either. No, he promised her he’d be there if the demon spoke to her again. He promised, where was he? Juliet stood and walked around the room. “Dean,” she called. She found her voice recorder, something Dean had gotten so he could leave her with messages when they had to leave if she was asleep or something. She pressed play and listened to Dean explain where they were going. Juliet sighed and sat down on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Juliet closed her eyes and let a few tears roll down her cheek. He said he would be there. Jules couldn’t really blame him, their job was more important than her dreams but still, it hurt that he wasn’t there when she woke up. Juliet felt like she was losing her mind, like she was slipping away, falling with nothing to hold on to. It was all getting so confusing. Juliet wasn’t sure which thoughts were hers and which ones were the Demon’s. Where was Dean when she needed him?

Sam and Dean pulled into the hotel parking lot a couple rooms over from their room. “Dean, check it out,” Sam said pointing to their door. There was a man standing outside their door. Sam and Dean exchanged glances and slowly got out of the Impala. The man knocked on the door and Sam and Dean watched, hoping this wasn’t a cop or something. Juliet answered the door and everything seemed to move in slow motion.

The minute Jules opened the door Dean realized it wasn’t a cop. “JULES!” He took off for the door but was too late. He stopped dead only a yard or so from the door as the man took a knife and thrust it into Juliet’s chest. Everything stopped. Dean didn’t even see Sam run passed him to catch her. When everything finally caught up with Dean he saw the man run off, surely he was headed to a police station to confess to a murder but Dean wouldn’t let that happen. He ran to Sam’s side and tore the girl’s lifeless body from Sam’s arms. Juliet wouldn’t die, it was just that simple. He wouldn’t let her. “Jules,” he whispered looking down at her. Dean looked down, the wound in her chest was pouring out blood. He pressed his hand over it firmly to try and stop the bleeding. “Don’t just sit there Sam, do something damn it!” He looked down at her. Juliet’s skin was pale and growing cold. “Don’t you dare die,” he muttered through gritted teeth. He looked at Sam and looked down at Juliet. It was too dangerous for Dean to go walking into a hospital. “Sam, take her. Don’t you dare let her die Sammy,” he said handing the girl to his brother. “You call me, you call me when you get there and tell me if she’s all right.” There were tears in Dean’s eyes as he handed Juliet over to Sam. Sam nodded and carried the girl over to the Impala, placing her in the backseat before climbing in and tearing out of the parking lot. Dean knelt there on the ground outside there room, covered in Juliet’s blood. He looked down at his shaking hands and then back up towards where his car had been.

Dean walked into the hotel room and slammed the door behind him. He leaned against it for a moment before sinking down to the ground and burying his face in his hands. No one was there; no one could see him cry so it was all right. How could he have been so stupid? He should have gotten out of that car and to the door the minute he saw that guy. He never should have given him the chance to hurt Jules. Dean slammed his head against the door. Dean stood and paced around the room. Hours passed like an eternity before his phone rang. “Sammy? Sammy tell me she’s gonna be okay. You gotta tell me that man.” There was a long silence and Dean knew it was bad. He sat down on the edge of the bed. “Sammy!”

“She umm… she lost a lot of blood Dean,” Sam said softly. His voice was choked back as if he were trying not to cry. “They’re umm… they’re doing all they can but… the knife didn’t hit her heart, so that’s good, but it punctured a lung. They umm… they said it didn’t look good Dean. They told me they were trying their best but she’s already flat-lined twice. They said it’s not looking good.”

Dean sat there in silence, his hands shaking violently as Sam spoke. She couldn’t leave him. He told her why; he told her why he needed her. He loved her. “Oh God,” Dean whispered. “Oh God, Sammy she can’t die, she can’t. Sammy… Sammy you can’t let her die. Sammy don’t let her die please, Sam.” For once it was Dean pleading with his brother. Dean dropped the phone, he didn’t hang up he simply dropped the phone covering his face in his hands, trying to stifle the loud sobs escaping his body. “GONNA TAKE SAMMY NEXT,” he shouted. First his mother, then his father, now Juliet. “Is that the plan? Have I done that much evil?! Don’t you take her away from me you son of a bitch!!”

The week passed like an eternity. They cracked their case; it was the only thing keeping Dean from thinking impatiently about Juliet. It was a spirit, not an angel like Sam had said. Sam was upset, Dean was changed. Not changed enough to believe though. Juliet was lying in a hospital that night, dying slowly and there wasn’t a damn thing that Dean could do about it. He paced in the hotel room. It was becoming unbearable. He couldn’t take it anymore. Dean wouldn’t let anyone take Juliet from him. He needed her. If she wasn’t there who was going to hold Dean together. He was losing his mind looking after Sam; Dean didn’t think he could handle it without her. She had held him together so well since his dad died. Dean was torn from his thoughts when Sam’s cell phone rang. He looked over at his brother who looked down at the phone. “It’s the hospital,” he said quietly. There was fear in both their eyes. “He… hello,” he said softly. There was a small pause and Sam just nodded. He still looked terrified. “All right, th… thank you.” Sam hung up the phone and looked over at his brother. Dean stood there terrified; there were tears in Sam’s eyes, that couldn’t be good. “Jules woke up.”

Dean’s heart stopped. He stared at Sam in disbelief before a small smile formed on his face. He still couldn’t see her, it was too dangerous but she was closer to being released. “Go… go see her, tell her I’m all right and we’ll get her out of there and she’s gonna be fine. She’s gonna be fine right?”

Sam laughed a little, more of a small chuckle really and smiled at his brother. “Yeah. It’s not quite the miraculous awakening you had where you were instantly in perfect health, but they said she’d be okay. They said she could go home in a couple days.”

A couple days? So soon? Dean couldn’t believe it. He wanted to see her so bad, to make sure she was fine, to make sure she was safe. Those next two and a half days were some of the slowest of Dean’s life. Finally, Sam opened the door to the hotel room. “Got our stuff,” he said looking at his brother.

Dean nodded and grabbed their bags then rushed out of the room. He put everything in the trunk before opening the back door, where Juliet was sitting. She turned when Dean opened the door and all he could do was smile. She was safe, alive, breathing and smiling. Dean ran his fingers through her hair and rested his forehead against hers. Dean kissed her forehead. Neither of them had spoken a word up until that point. “You’re shaking,” she whispered. Her voice was so soft, yet still held its strength.

Dean laughed and climbed into the front seat of the car. “It’s cold,” he said absently, not willing to admit how terrified he was. He turned the car on and glanced back at her through the mirror with a smile on his face. Nothing could ruin this now. Nothing.

Three weeks have passed since they got Juliet out of the hospital. Most of that time was spent without Juliet. Right after getting her out of the hospital they took her to Bobby’s and had him keep an eye on her. Juliet was still very weak and would remain that way for the next month. Two weeks into her recuperation, Dean called. His voice was shaking, he was scared, and Sam was missing. Missing? About a week later Dean called her, letting her know he found Sam. He didn’t tell her the extent of it though. That night, the night that would change all of them forever, Juliet was laying on Bobby’s couch. She had just started walking around again. Bobby left her there for a couple days to get something from Ellen. He figured Juliet could walk it meant that she was strong enough to be left on her own. Bobby would quickly realize that was mistake. Juliet was curled up on the couch with the music playing, drifting in and out of consciousness. She was shaken from her sleep by the sound of footsteps and movement on the side of the couch as if someone were sitting there. Juliet sat up quickly. “Dean,” she asked.

Juliet reached her hand out to find who was with her only to have Sam take her hand gently and place it along his face. She breathed a sigh of relief and Sam smiled. “Hey, you,” he said softly. Sam ran his fingers through her hair.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his chest. Sam was safe. Dean had said he found Sam but Juliet hadn’t heard anything else about it from Dean and she was still worried about Sam. Here he was though, and he was alive and safe. That was all that mattered to Juliet. “You’re all right,” she whispered with a smile.

Sam kissed the top of her head and smiled. “Yeah, I’m fine. How are you feeling? Gettin’ any stronger?” He watched her as she nodded. “You look better.” She smiled and curled up next to him, desperate for some warmth. The room was cold and she was still weak. Sam wrapped his arms around her in a protective manor and looked down at her. He could see now why Dean found this girl so irresistible. As she sat there curled up with her blanket in Sam’s arms on the couch he smiled. Sam leaned down and pressed his lips just lightly to Juliet’s neck. “God, you’re beautiful, you know that,” he whispered in her ear. “Jules, I know how you feel about Dean, but… but you need to be careful with him. Dean… Dean doesn’t think before he acts and… I’m just, I’m afraid he’ll hurt you,” he said softly.

“Hurt me,” she asked quietly without moving. She was a little worried with the kiss but thought maybe she was just imagining things.

“Yeah,” he said with a sigh. Sam pulled Juliet’s hair back and tucked it behind her left ear. “Jules, I don’t want to see you hurt. I know, I know you feel attached to Dean because you could see him. I just, I can’t stand to see you hurt,” he whispered. “Jules, Dean doesn’t care about you. I mean he does, but… but he thinks more about having sex with you than actually what you need. He’s like that with every girl.”

“Sam,” she said sitting up and turning towards him. “Are you jealous of Dean?”

“What? No, Jules, I’m not jealous. I’m trying to be serious. Dean’s never had a lasting relationship and I don’t want to see you get hurt. I saw you outside our hotel room and, and I broke down. I mean, I saw you there bleeding and you were dying and I couldn’t breathe Juliet,” he whispered cupping her face in his shaking hands. “My heart stopped, it was like losing Jessica all over again. I love you.”

“What,” she said leaning back. “Sam, what are you talking about?” Sam had always been affectionate towards Juliet. He had always shown that he cares about her, but loved her? He had never hinted to that. Of course neither did Dean so it wasn’t completely unbelievable.

“I love you,” he whispered again, resting his forehead against hers. Sam let his hands rest on her hips as she knelt in front of him on the couch. “I love you Juliet, you have to know that. I was so scared to say anything but now, after almost losing you. You have to know that,” he whispered in her ear. Sam pressed his lips against her, in one of the tenderest kisses Juliet had ever felt. It felt as though there was love there. She couldn’t help but lean forward for just a moment.

She regained her composure though and leaned back, breaking the kiss. “Sam, that’s sweet, really. But… but, I’m not in love with you,” she said softly. “I’ve never thought of you like that Sam.”

Sam sat there for a moment before a smile formed on his face, a maniacal smile that she couldn’t see. He leaned forward, so much so that Juliet was forced onto her back on the bed and Sam was leaning over her. He kissed her neck lightly once more, moving slowly down over her collarbone. “You will,” he whispered softly in her ear. He smiled as Juliet struggled against him but she was weak still. There was nothing she could do. Sam looked down at her and smiled. “Jules, stop. Your struggling is really unbecoming.” He smiled and picked her up. Juliet was still struggling against him, trying to get free, but it was no use. She was quickly losing energy. Sam carried her into her room and threw her down on the bed before slamming the door shut.

“SAM,” she screamed as he climbed on top of her, pinning her arms above her head.

“Juliet,” he whispered in her ear, biting at it playfully. “Shut up.” Sam smiled and pulled out wire that he had in his pocket. He took her arms and tied both her wrists to the headboard. Sam smiled and kissed her neck. “I’m gonna make you scream Jules,” he whispered in her ear. She continued to struggle against him but the wire cut into her wrists. He smiled and looked down at her, he slid her tank top up slowly, pressing his lips against her stomach as he did. “Dean’s not even gonna know what happened when he sees you,” Sam said with a smile. “There’ll be so much blood, you’ll be unrecognizable.”

“Sammy, stop,” she pleaded. “Sam please.”

Sam just smiled as he took a knife and cut up the center of her shirt, tearing it from her body. “Scream for me Jules,” he whispered in her ear. Sam looked down at her his lips barely touching her ear. He watched her eyes as he took the knife and pulled it down the center of her chest, cutting into her skin. Sam smiled as he watched her bite her lip to keep from screaming. He looked down at her and the blood that flowed from the wound. “I’m waiting Jules,” he whispered. That was only the beginning. It wasn’t long before Juliet’s voice echoed through the night.

Chapter 5

It was early in the morning when Dean sat down on the edge of Juliet’s bed, jarring her from her light sleep. By now six months had passed since Juliet met the Winchesters. The most recent chaotic hunt they were on was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. None of them had talked much about those events. Dean was banned from leaving his hotel rooms now and he seemed to be taking it out on Juliet, constantly waking her up every the morning when it was obvious that she didn’t want to wake up so early. It was like he was torturing her. Sam told her she wasn’t allowed to leave either, mostly because when she did leave before she went with Dean so he could keep track of her. Now Dean couldn’t leave and Sam didn’t want to have to worry about her getting lost, so they were both stuck in the hotel room. This morning was no different than the last few since Milwaukee. Dean sat on the edge of Juliet’s bed, poking her in the side to wake her up. She let out a moan of protest before she felt a hand on her shoulder. She was lying on her side with her arms curled up under her head. Juliet let out another protesting whine before opening her eyes, not that it helped her see anything.

“Wake up sexy,” he said with a smile. He called her that from time to time when Sam was either asleep or not around. It made Juliet laugh, Dean liked to make her laugh. She was reluctant to get up; her sleep hadn’t exactly been peaceful, Dean had noticed. He understood but if she wanted any chance at getting any hot water for a shower she had to wake up before Sam. A smile formed on Dean’s face when he thought about Sam who was sitting, once again, with his face glued to the keyboard. He’d have marks on his face from the keys. Dean couldn’t wait until he woke up. She let out another moan and covered her face with the pillow, pulling the blanket over her head and Dean laughed. Both Dean and Juliet were going stir crazy, trapped in their hotel room. Dean couldn’t believe his brother, trapping him in a room with a beautiful girl and expecting Dean not to act on his natural urges. Sam knew nothing of what went on in the hotel room when he was gone, those things stayed between Dean and Juliet, but they had definitely grown closer in the past month or so, since Sam ran off on Dean. It was nothing sexual, no not anything like that. He remembered when it started.

It was the third day they had been stuck in a hotel room unable to go anywhere. Juliet was sitting staring out the window, even though she couldn’t see anything. Dean had just gotten out of his shower to find that half his clothes were missing, Juliet had taken them. She heard the door open and turned towards the bathroom with a smile on her face. “Where’d ya put my shirt?”

“What shirt,” she asked with an innocent smile on her face.

Dean looked and saw it in her hands behind her. She heard him move and jumped out of her chair, backing away from him. Dean followed and before long Juliet had her back against the wall. She was holding the shirt, moving it around so Dean couldn’t get to it. Finally he grabbed both her arms and pressed against her so she couldn’t move. Without even thinking he leaned forward and kissed her. She dropped the t-shirt instantly and smiled into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. It was as if that was what she was hoping for the whole time.

Shortly after that Dean discovered her true weakness. “Don’t make me climb in there and make you get up,” Dean said with a laugh. That was what made Dean and Juliet different from Dean and any other woman he had ever known. Sure he had been affectionate with other women, but that was all sexual. There was a touch of that with him and Juliet but he was more playfully affectionate with Juliet, mostly just joking around. It had happened more than once though that Sam has woken him up after Dean had fallen asleep with Juliet. Dean wasn’t sure why Sam always woke him up? Did Sam have a problem with it? It’s not like they were having sex. They just fell asleep. If they were to have sex they’d send Sammy somewhere else. Dean wouldn’t do that though. Juliet was one of the only beautiful women that Dean hadn’t tried to get in bed. That’s not to say he wouldn’t if the opportunity arose, because he would. He would take that opportunity in a heartbeat. He looked down at the girl who hadn’t moved and sighed, standing up slowly. “Fine, you brought this on yourself,” he said with a smile.

Dean walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed in next to her. Juliet was quite possibly the most ticklish person on the planet; Dean found that out quickly being locked in a room with her for a week with Sam gone for hours at a time. He learned a lot of things about Juliet locked in the room with her. He didn’t make his move, no not just yet. He wanted to give her a false sense of security so Dean simply lay on his side next to her and waited for her to lean back against him, which she always did. Didn’t she get what Dean was going to do by now? Finally the moment was right. Her small body pressed up against his. For a moment Dean’s eyes rolled back. That’s why she always did it. It was Dean’s weakness, feeling her body pressed up against his. He loved it when she did that. With one fatal moved and a poke to her side he got her squirming to get away, only making Dean latch onto her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back to him. She let out a yelp that was mixed with loud laughter and Dean swore he heard Sam move. He covered her mouth with his hand and leaned forward, he was right by her ear. “Shh,” he whispered. “You’ll wake it up.” He laughed and looked down at her. Without even realizing it or realizing it too late Dean wasn’t sure, he had kissed her neck lightly, nipping at it playfully. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Juliet always managed to smell so good. She didn’t say anything, she simply smiled. It was their little secret, and it was all Sam’s fault. She laughed and shook her head. Dean loved that smile. Juliet had this smile that was contagious. That day at Bobby’s after he’d taken the tire iron to his car, all she had to do was smile and it told him everything would be all right. He hated it when she didn’t smile. She stood by Dean’s side in the hospital when his father died, tears falling down her face. Dean remembered the look in her eyes. Then when they burned his body, she stood between both Sam and Dean holding each of their hands. Every once in a while she would squeeze Dean’s to let him know she was there. He wondered if she did the same for Sam. Now, he hated to see her sad, but that didn’t actually mean he hated to see her angry. He loved to see her angry. See when she was angry she’d yell and she’d get right in your face. Simply put, she was hot when she was pissed. He would sometimes piss her off intentionally, just to see her angry. Now though she was smiling, therefore so was Dean.

Finally she got out of bed and Dean moved over, climbing out of the bed as well. “Get goin’ hot stuff,” he said with a smile. As he walked passed her, he smacked her backside with a laugh.

“Do that again and you’ll lose that hand Dean Winchester,” she snapped with a smile. “Besides you’re brother sitting right there. We can’t,” she said with a teasing smile while looking through her bag for some clothes.

Dean simply rolled his eyes and fell back on his bed. “Yeah, yeah, promises. Now get that pretty little ass in there before Sammy beats you to it.” He heard her sigh and imagined she was rolling her eyes but he wasn’t really looking. She walked passed him and his eyes followed her, as they usually did though she never knew. She really did have a pretty little ass. Not that it was important, nor would he say that… well that wasn’t true, he just did. Once she was in the shower he heard Sam wake up and Dean just took in a sharp breath. “Damn,” he said with a sigh. “Why haven’t I gotten some of that yet? Oh yeah, Mr. Morality won’t let me,” he said looking at his brother who had finally sat up. Sure enough there were little red marks all over his face where the keys had been. Dean tried to hold back the laughing and bottle it up inside, but laughter was harder to bottle up than anger and he let it roar. “Nice.”

“Haha,” Sam said in his usual annoyed morning voice. Sam was less of a morning person than Dean. “Dean,” he sighed. “Seriously, the girl saved your life Dean. You could try to behave yourself a little bit.”

“Me,” Dean said sitting up and pointing towards the closed bathroom door. “Me? What about her, strutting around this hotel room with that beautiful body? I mean the way her hips shake when she… not the point. What about her? She’s the one teasing me. Walking into the bathroom while I’m in the shower, with the excuse that she can cause she’s blind. She doesn’t do that to you Sammy. She wants me I’m tellin’ ya.”

“Dean,” Sam said with a sigh. “You’re just saying that cause you’ve been stuck in the room this whole time with her. I mean she can’t be that irresistible, she wears your clothes half the time, it’s not like she’s walking about the room naked.”

“She could, I would have no issues with that Sam. Maybe we should suggest it to her. Hey Jules-” he began.

“DEAN!”

“What,” he said with his innocent smirk. “Seriously Sam, it doesn’t matter what she wears, she’s hot and she knows it and she knows I know she knows.” Dean paused for a moment, he had confused himself again. He shook his head and looked back at his brother. “So why haven’t I gotten some of that? That gorgeous beautiful… gah,” He said sounding rather frustrated. “Oh yeah, cause you say it wouldn’t be right. I’d be taking advantage of her. You can’t take advantage of someone who throws themselves at you, unless they’re drunk, but Jules doesn’t drink. So, where’s the problem? Huh?”

“Feel better now Dean?”

“No, not really. I’d feel better with her under-”

“DEAN!” Sam interrupted knowing where that was going and not wanting to hear it. Sam rolled his eyes and sighed. “Seriously, get over it.”

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Dean opened his eyes reluctantly; it was pitch black outside. He sighed and sat up only to find a heavy weight on his chest. Dean looked down, praying it wasn’t Sam. To his surprise it was Juliet, curled up next to him on the floor with her head on his chest. Why Juliet was laying on him? Didn’t Sam have a problem with that? Dean sighed and sat up slowly. He picked her up and put her on the bed, covering her up. Dean looked over at Sam then down at Juliet. If Sam had such a problem with them, he could just get over it. Dean felt safer the closer he was to this girl. Dean felt like he didn’t have the weight of the world on his shoulders when he was near her. When Sam ran off after Dean told him what John had said all Dean had was Jules. That was really when they got the closest. Juliet was by Dean’s side the whole time, except when Dean was kidnapped by Gordon. Dean had silently wondered if Gordon knew about Juliet and if he did, why he didn’t try and kill her. He sighed and looked down at the sleeping girl. She was so beautiful. Dean wondered if that’s what his father saw when he looked at their mother. That was diving into feelings he didn’t think he wanted to admit about Juliet though. He wasn’t ready for something like that.

Still, it was like she was calling to him, lying there silently like that. So he sighed and climbed in next to her and pulling her close to him, so she rested her head on his chest once more. There weren’t really words to what he was feeling at that moment. It just felt, right, like this was the way it was supposed to be; Juliet curled up in his protective arms. He looked down at her sleeping form and sighed. Dean ran his fingers through her hair as he closed his eyes. It was then that his father’s words rang in his head. Kill them? He might have to kill them, both of them? Dean wasn’t sure if he could do that. He liked to think he’d do anything for Sam, but he wasn’t sure if he could kill Jules, he also knew he couldn’t kill Sam. What was he supposed to do? Everything was getting way too out of hand. Why was it all so complicated? Why did he have to be burdened with this? How could his father have done that to his own son? It wasn’t right. No one should have that kind of weight thrown on their shoulders.

“Dean,” Juliet’s soft voice whispered. It was barely audible but Dean heard it, he always heard her.

He looked down when he saw her stir and smiled at her. After a moment he remembered that he couldn’t see it. Dean never really pitied Juliet’s lack of sight. She was so strong without sight, she didn’t need pity. He felt bad though that she had once been able to see him, clear as day, and now she couldn’t. There wasn’t much Dean could do about that, but it was true. He sat up slowly as she sat up and stretched. Juliet climbed out of bed and walked over to the small refrigerator that they had in the room. It was filled with soda and beer. She took a soda (she wasn’t conscious enough for beer yet) and sat down in the chair, pulling her legs up to her chest. Her wardrobe nowadays was a strange one. At night she wore some random t-shirt she had pulled out of Dean’s bag and a pair of flannel pajama pants that belonged to Sam, instead of her own clothes. . Needless to say the pants were about a foot too long for her, even rolled up at the waist about ten times. She had one pair of jeans for the day and wore Dean’s shirts most of the time. “Mornin’ sunshine,” Dean said with a laugh. He watched as she smiled and laughed as well. Dean got up and grabbed a beer before sitting across the table and glanced down at his cell phone to check the time. It was four thirty in the morning. “You okay?” She nodded, but Dean knew better than that. Why would anyone be up this early? Sam was on occasion but not tonight.

Juliet sighed and looked down. “Can’t sleep,” she whispered.

Dean looked over at her and was silent for a long time. Finally he got up and walked over to her, crouching down in front of her and brushing her brown hair out of her face. “Jules,” he whispered looking up into her beautiful sightless eyes. “Jules has he talked to you?” Dean didn’t want to bring it up but he had noticed Juliet’s increasing inability to sleep lately. He looked up at her and saw the fear in her eyes, the tears. Oh no, no tears. Dean hated her tears. He brushed them away and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her. She set the can of soda down and leaned into him, moving from the chair to the floor on her knees in his arms. Dean simply held her there, rocking her back and forth. He held her the way she had held him when their father died. It was his turn to be there for her. “Jules, what did he say?”

Juliet leaned back but didn’t look at Dean even though Dean knew she could look him straight in the eyes if she wanted to. “Lies,” she whispered. The way she said it though told Dean she wasn’t sure. “That I should leave. That I make it harder for you. He said that I should go home because I make it hard for you. You have enough of a burden with keeping an eye on Sam, Dean. I’m only making it worse. I’m distracting you from what you should be doing. I’m not meant to be a hunter like you Dean.”

“Juliet, don’t you ever listen to those lies. I would have been dead long ago if it weren’t for you,” he whispered resting his forehead against her, cupping her small face in his hands. “You… you hold me together Jules. I can’t even think of what I might have done to Sam by now if it weren’t for you.” He sighed and held her close. “Jules, you belong here, with me, with Sam. That is where you belong.” Dean wiped her tears away with his thumbs and smiled at her. “Listen to me, listen to me. This is where you belong, Juliet. You don’t have to worry about my burdens. They’re my burdens and I’ve learned to live with them. I will do anything for you and Sammy, you understand me. You’re included in that.” He sighed and shook his head. Dean looked back towards Sam to see if he was still asleep. His brother could not under any circumstances hear what Dean was about to say to this girl. “Look, Juliet, I would die for you.” He stopped; his mind racing. Did he really just tell her that? Did he say those words out loud, not only admitting them to himself but her as well? “I won’t ever let anything happen to you or Sam.” He held her close as she cried, rocking her back and forth. “Shh,” he whispered. He held her back for a moment and pushed her hair out of her face before pulling her close and pressing his lips against hers.

The kiss was unlike any Dean had given a woman. There was his usual charming, passionate kiss when he was with a woman. Then there was the angry heated one that he had with Cassie, but this with Juliet was something completely different. It was scared and desperate for something tangible, for something he could hold on to. It was desperate to know that Juliet was real and what he was feeling was real and not something he was imagining. He could feel the fear and desperation in Juliet’s kiss when she leaned forward, practically knocking him over. He could taste her tears in their kiss. His hands were shaking as they rested on her shoulders, slowly moving down to rest on her waist. When they parted it was almost as if neither of them wanted to for fear they’d wake from a dream. Dean just sat there on the floor staring at her. His heart was racing, pounding beneath his chest. “Don’t you listen to that bastard you hear me,” he whispered. “He talks to you again, you wake me up. You wake me up and I’ll be right there with you Jules, I promise.” He watched as her hand reached forward to touch his face. Only then did he realize there were tears of his own on his cheeks. She wiped them away and kissed him lightly, lingering for a moment.

“Don’t let me go,” she whispered, curling up close to him with her head against his chest. Dean wrapped his arms around her tightly as if she was slipping away and this was the only way to possibly save her. “Don’t let me go,” she pleaded with him.

“I won’t,” he whispered to her. Dean stared at the floor unsure of what had just happened between them. Did he just fall for this girl? No, he didn’t fall, he crashed… hard. Dean looked down at Juliet, trembling in his arms. She was always so strong and now she was trembling and Dean didn’t know how to fix it, but he knew that it was killing him inside to see her like this. “Don’t worry,” he whispered to her. “I got ya. You’re safe now.” Dean sighed and held her there until she had cried herself to sleep. He then picked her up and carried her over to her bed. Dean set her down and covered her up before returning to the table with his beer and staring out the window. What he didn’t know is that Sam lay in his bed staring at his brother. Sam had seen most of it. He saw the kiss; he heard his brother’s desperate voice. Dean was too lost in his thoughts to notice his brother sit up. What would things be like in the morning? This changed everything. Dean didn’t know if he could act the same around Juliet anymore, at least not with Sam around. Juliet was unlike anyone Dean knew. She was strong, fierce, and a fighter at heart, but she was also soft, and caring, and her touch was soothing. Her smile lit up a room and made Dean’s heart jump. No one, not even Cassie, had ever done that. Dean reluctantly tore his gaze from the stars to look over at Juliet asleep in her bed. She looked so peaceful. Why couldn’t she always look like that? Why couldn’t she always smile and laugh? Didn’t she deserve that as much as the next person? Dean wanted her to have that, but he didn’t know how to give it to her. He didn’t know how to be the type of person that he thought she deserved. If she left though, if she listened to that demon, Dean wasn’t sure what he would do. He wasn’t even sure if he could breathe without her anymore. Still, if it came down to it he would chose his brother over Juliet. He knew that’s what Juliet would want as well, he knew she understood. Dean just hoped it would never come down to that.

Chapter 4

She sat on the edge of the bed in a hotel room in the middle of nowhere. Two months ago if you said this would be her life she’d tell you that you were crazy. If you had said to her two months ago she would be running across the country in the backseat of a black Impala hunting the unimaginable with two men she just met she would have you locked up. This was her life though, and oddly enough, she loved it. Juliet Marcus had always felt out of place in her little country town outside of Jefferson City, MO. She had no idea what would happen when she stumbled upon the wreck of a ’67 Chevy Impala entombing the Winchester family. She had no idea the things she would see, literally. Being blind since early childhood, Juliet had gotten used to making her own images of things. Her sight was through touch and sound and she was used to that. Then Dean Winchester crashed into her life and threw everything for a loop. She saw him, really saw him. It was then she learned of her abilities and that there were others like her, Dean’s brother Sam for instance. The fire that her father would never speak of, that killed her mother was the work of a demon. When her father died at this thing’s hands as well she made a decision. She wanted to stay with Sam, and Dean, she wanted to help their fight.

That’s what she’s been doing for two months. Her home was now the backseat of the Impala, listening to Sam and Dean bicker, it’s the most normal she’s ever felt in her life. Now, sitting on the edge of the bed, with Sam tapping away at the keyboard and Dean in the shower she felt at home. Dean had changed her world when she saw him. There was a connection there, something between them. Then when he woke up she had to start over. He didn’t remember anything, which meant he didn’t remember her. That wasn’t the most painful part of it though. Part of her hoped Dean would never wake up; a very small part of her mind you. Dean was the first person she had ever actually seen. When he woke up she lost that ability and her world was black once more. That shred of light was gone. Still, he took to her quickly, probably because it was his father’s wishes shortly before he died. Oh yes, John’s death. Juliet didn’t really understand the dynamics of the Winchester family until after John’s death. Though it may not seem to outsiders, the Winchesters were incredibly close, bound by more than blood. Dean was still hurting, though he hadn’t said anything. There was something bothering him, and it was more than just the circumstances of their father’s death. Juliet wasn’t going to push it though. She had learned a lot about the boys over the past few months. If Dean didn’t want to say something he wouldn’t, no matter how hard he was pushed.

The life of a hunter, Jules was quickly learning, was not an easy one. Though she had the disadvantage of being blind she had incredible hearing and intuition, in dealings with spirits Juliet was incredibly useful, since she could see them when others couldn’t. She was easily able to hide her blindness; most couldn’t even tell she was blind. When she spoke to the boys in public she was able to look them in the eye as if she could see them. Still, the job wasn’t without its dangers and Juliet wasn’t used to the incredible physical demands of hunting, though she was slowly getting there. She sat on the edge of the bed with cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Nothing was as bad as the sore muscles though. She looked up from her thoughts when she heard the door open. Dean was done with his shower. The room was silent. See, Dean learned something about his father that destroyed him. Juliet wasn’t even sure what to say to Dean at this point to make it better. How could she make it better? So she decided to let him be. It scared her though because she wondered if Dean would really sell his soul to bring his father back. Her thoughts and worries were interrupted when Dean finally broke the silence.

“Jules,” he called to her sitting on the other side of the bed she was on. “Come here.”

Juliet stood, she had gotten pretty used to this routine. She took her shirt off and sat in front of him. Dean was usually the one to clean up her wounds when she’d get hurt. Dean stopped making jokes about it a while ago. Sometimes Jules wished he would. She heard him sigh and felt the sting of the peroxide on her back. After a few moments she put her shirt back on and sighed. “How do you do it,” she asked quietly, falling back on the bed.

“Do what,” he asked just as quietly, almost as if he were trying not to wake someone up. That’s when Jules realized she didn’t hear the keyboard anymore. She hadn’t heard Sam walk across the room. He must have fallen asleep at the computer. Juliet felt the bed move, indicating that Dean had lain down next to her.

“One of you isn’t a chiropractor by chance,” she asked with a laugh. She turned toward him as if to look at him, though she couldn’t see him. She still had the image in her mind from when she could. It was something she didn’t have with Sam.

Dean laughed and shook his head with a loud sigh. “As a matter of fact,” he said with a laugh. “Sit up,” he told her and watched as she sat up silently. There was an incredible grace about her that Dean couldn’t help but notice. Ever since he first woke up in the hospital and saw her standing by his bed. Who was this girl and what was she doing with Sam and his dad? His father told him she took care of him and that he had to take care of her. So he would. He would protect her like he’d protect Sam. His father told him to take care of the two of them, to keep them together because they’ll keep each other in check. What that meant, Dean wasn’t really sure. All he knew is that somehow in that short amount of time Jules, as he called her, had worked her way into the Winchester family almost as if she had been there all their lives. He wasn’t quite sure how to explain that, she just did. With that affection also came constant bickering. The two were always at odds with each other. Dean couldn’t help but notice how much like him she was at times. He always pictured her as a quiet girl, but when they got in situations, such as spending time at a bar or something, she was incredibly social. Men just seemed to swarm her. To be honest, Dean was almost jealous. Not of the other guys that surrounded Juliet, no of course not jealous of them, but of her ability to make them surround her. He wished he could be half that successful with women. Of course she never went home with any of those guys, even if she wanted to. Sam and Dean wouldn’t let her. They’re reckless, not crazy. Dean would never let her leave with some stranger, not after what his father told him.

That may not be the only reason but Dean was far from ever admitting there was any other. Juliet and Dean had a very different relationship that her and Sam. Their relationship seemed more complicated because there were aspects of it that Dean felt, but couldn’t remember. They had a history, however short it was, that impacted the both of them even if Dean couldn’t remember it. Sam and Juliet had the connection of their abilities and their pasts. Dean and Juliet had something else. She knew what he looked like, and more than just through touch. She could still see his green eyes, the freckles on his face, the cut along his head. He gave her sight, if only for that short amount of time. It added a whole new layer to their relationship. Then there was the bond of hunting that joined the three of them. All three of them have lost both parents to the same thing. It was what brought them together essentially. If the Winchesters were never hunters they never would have been in that accident and Juliet never would have found them. However that means that her father could very easily still be alive and she’d be living a somewhat happy life. Jules didn’t want that though. She didn’t want average, she wanted what she had on the road with these boys. Dean could see it in her eyes and he called her on it every time she tried to deny it. All those thoughts ran through Dean’s head as he sat behind Juliet, kneading his knuckles into her back trying to work out the knots in her back. “Holy crap Jules,” he said with a laugh. “Could you possibly be any more tense?” He smiled and laughed. It was almost normal. They weren’t worrying about the Demon, his father, Sam’s abilities, the danger that lay ahead of them. It was just Juliet and Dean and for once he was happy. He’d never, ever let on though. Dean just didn’t do relationships and he wasn’t about to start now, no matter what kind of affect this girl was having on him. He sat there, looking down at her small, fragile form and smiled to himself. He wondered if she had any idea how strong she really was. The things she had put up with and adjusted to in the last two months were things that no one would believe, yet she took to the hunting lifestyle as it had been her whole life.

So he sat there with his fingertips grazing her heated skin, she probably didn’t even realize it. This wasn’t the first time he had taken it upon himself to help her relax. His massages were legendary, at least to him anyway. Every time he got close, whether it was with the back rubs or cleaning the small cuts she might get he had to fight it. She was almost like a magnet, so hard to resist sometimes. Even now, sitting behind her with his hands on her shoulders he could feel his lips press lightly against her neck, even though they didn’t. He wanted to. He wanted to so badly but he knew better than that. This was not right environment for relationship. It’s exactly why things could never work out with Cassie. Still Juliet seemed to call to him. He fought it well though. She didn’t mean to do any of this and Dean was sure of it. It just happened. He couldn’t help it. There was something about Juliet that was incredibly attractive to Dean. Of course she was beautiful, and it was an almost innocent beauty too. She didn’t know how gorgeous she truly was so there was no way she could go around flaunting it. Then there was her personality. Dean thought he was a charmer; he had nothing on what Juliet was capable of. She’d talk to you and look you straight in the eyes and it was almost as if she could see you. It was almost frightening what she was able to do with people. Dean was almost proud of it. It made the many illegal activities they did much easier when he didn’t have to worry if she could lie or not. Juliet was strong, incredibly strong.

He remembered the day shortly after his father’s death when he and Sam had been fighting. Sam walked off and Dean was left with a lot of pent up anger. That added with the tire iron in his hand meant for something destructive. He took one swing at the car next to his but that didn’t seem good enough. When he looked at the Impala, almost finished all he could think was if he hadn’t been in that car maybe his dad would still be alive. He almost blamed the car for the whole thing. With one swing at the backend he took off, swing after swing until he couldn’t do it anymore and there was a whole in the trunk.

“I sure hope that wasn’t the car your brother says you have an unhealthy attachment to,” Juliet said with a faint smile, standing a few yards from Dean. She had her arms crossed over her chest, wearing a black tank top and a pair of old blue jeans. She looked very much a Winchester.

“It’s not unhealthy,” Dean answered with a small laugh. He still felt it inside though, that rage, that hatred, the pain. He almost jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. “I’m fine.”

“I didn’t ask,” she said simply. Dean looked up at her with a baffled expression. Sam asked, Sam asked incessantly. Didn’t Juliet wonder if Dean was all right? “All I wanna know is were those blows meant for Sam? Cause, that could be deadly,” she said with a laugh. Juliet leaned against the back of the battered car and smiled at him. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, and I don’t blame you because I don’t want to talk about my father’s death either, but,” she paused and sighed. “Dean if you don’t say something eventually you’ll explode, probably literally,” she said with a slight laugh. “And if… if for some reason you can’t talk to Sam about it you know I’m here right? I mean seriously where else am I gonna go… I have no idea where we are.”

Dean smiled and wrapped his arms around her, not out of affection or for her sake, but his. Juliet could feel it, it was the same trembling feeling she felt with Sam in the hospital. If he didn’t hold on to Juliet, Dean felt as though he might fall apart. Then it was silent, he couldn’t talk about it but that was okay. He was content to just stand there and let Juliet hold him up, the way she had with Sam when Dean flat lined in the hospital.

She’s held the boys together the past few months and for that Dean could not be more thankful. With that though comes the double burden. He’s responsible for two lives now, not just one. If it were just Sam that would be a different story, but now it’s Juliet. She hadn’t said anything yet about nightmares or conversations with the Demon. Dean wondered if she was hiding them or if she just hadn’t had any yet. He sighed softly and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and she was leaning back against Dean. At some point he had stopped and just sat there with her. Dean didn’t even realize it until he looked down and saw that she appeared to be asleep. He smiled and got up, laying her down on the bed. “Finally, I get a bed for the night,” Dean whispered with a smile. He had every intention on leaving Sam in the chair at the table with his face planted on the laptop’s keyboard.

“You know I can sleep on the floor,” Juliet said quietly without opening her eyes. “We can alternate. You don’t have to sleep on the floor every night.”

“Me and Sammy alternate,” Dean said with a smug smile. Though it was more like Dean slept on the floor most of the time to avoid arguing with his brother. “Besides, I have a moral code… or something… that says that I can’t make a woman do that.”

“I know Sam doesn’t like to let me sleep on the floor, don’t even try your moral code on me. You’d kick me out of bed in two seconds if it meant you got a mattress.”

“Not true,” he said with a smirk. He heard a sigh coming from Juliet and smiled. She obviously heard the smirk and recognized the vague innuendo in what he had said. “Sam I would kick out of bed, you…,” his voice trailed off and he laughed along with Juliet. “Get some sleep Jules we gotta wake up early tomorrow.”

“Why,” she asked turning to face Dean.

“Cause Sammy went to bed early which means he’ll be up at the crack of dawn and make us all suffer,” he said with a laugh. “Besides you gotta get up and get in the shower before Sammy takes all the hot water.” Juliet laughed and smiled closing her eyes and trying to drift off to sleep.

It didn’t take long, she was exhausted. The last few months were certainly taking their toll on her mentally and physically. Juliet wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take, but she would try, for Dean, for Sam. She’d do anything for those boys.

“Don’t you wish they’d do the same for you,” a faint but somewhat familiar voice whispered in her head, in her dreams. Juliet saw nothing in the darkness though she knew exactly who it was.

“They would,” she answered simply, her voice unwavering. Juliet understood Dean’s dedication to protecting Sammy and she also saw it in protecting her. “You can’t scare me.”

“My dear child, I’m not trying to scare you,” the voice said softly. “I’m merely telling you the truth. Dean would do anything for Sam, and if that meant killing you he would, in a heart beat. See Juliet, I know you like to pretend you’re a hunter but you’re simply not and you never will be. You’re too much a liability and if that puts Sam in danger you know Dean will stop at nothing to protect Sam. It would be best just to leave them to their job. You can protect Sam and Dean better that way. Just leave, go back home to the farm where you belong.”