Oblivion || Closed

To say that Dean had been put through the wringer in the last 2 or 3 hours was the understatement of a century.

One second, he'd been strung up in Hell, enduring what had seemed to be perpetual torture, soundtracked by the myriad of screams of pain around him, and then it was gone. He didn't know what he was supposed to expect next, but it certainly hadn't been waking up in a pine box, six feet under. When he finally dug himself out, the area around him looked like a bomb had gone off, only adding to his confusion toward the whole situation. Granted, he was probably more in tune with weird goings-on, but this was taking the cake. He supposed he was alive, but he wasn't counting that he was a part of the living dead either. He thought he had a pulse, so maybe that theory was a bust.

To top it all off, he'd found himself in a gas station, with the burn of a handprint on his shoulder and not a single scar on his body other than that. He was just about to leave when this piercing noise filled his head and every bit of glass in the gas station shattered around him. And then that was gone too. He'd decided not to linger too long, tried to phone both Sam and Bobby from a payphone in the parking lot(Sam didn't answer and Bobby hung up on him) and hot-wired himself a car to drive to Bobby's to at least let someone know that he was back.

The sun was setting behind him on the lone stretch of road the rattly old car was making it's way down. It wasn't his Impala-God how he missed his Baby-but it'd do for now. He could only hope that Sam had taken good care of it in the time that Dean had been in Hell. Then, as if life was putting the cherry on top of what had become one of the weirdest, most aggravating days of Dean's life, his car died on him. With an aggravated sigh as he thrust his fist against the steering wheel, he maneuvered himself from the vehicle after popping the hood, to see if he couldn't fix this issue himself or flag down whoever the next person was to dry by--he wasn't going to hold his breath for the second option, he hadn't seen a single car in at least thirty minutes. If he couldn't fix the car, he was walking to the nearest town. Without a cellphone, cash, or even a credit card on him, Dean was officially screwed until further notice.

---

The crumpled piece of paper in Adelaide's fingers read, in messily scrawled handwriting, 'Room 213. Pinewood Inn. The woman breathed out a heavy sigh, tipping her hat further down to cover what skin she could in the setting sun. The uncomfortable tingle on her skin as the sunlight splashed across it helped remind her of what she was and, if she was honest with herself, she was a bit of a glutton for pain. The pain helped ground her, remind her that she had her weaknesses and flaws when they weren't always present. Being a vampire did have it's perks; immortality, charm, strength, sharpened senses, and agility. But for everyone of those, Adelaide had seen the negatives personally; the hunger, the bloodlust, the stalwart hunters, and watching everyone you've ever loved grow old and die. That was irony in it of itself; she was meant to be a harbinger of death, but the one who made her never said death would hurt as much as it did.

The leggy brunette stepped quickly into the hotel and made her way toward the stairs, knowing she only had one floor to climb anyway until she reached the floor that was her destination. Word had gotten out about the only Winchester brother left being a blood fiend of a different sort than she was. For as unnatural as she was, he was ten times worse. She didn't know why she felt so compelled to intervene, maybe it was how convincing Lenore had been. The brother had helped her out and she implored Adelaide to return the favor. As she reached the second floor, she crumpled up the piece of paper in her hand and shoved it into her back pocket. Striding up to the door labeled '213', she rapped her knuckles against it softly, leaning against the wall beside the door so she wouldn't immediately be spotted through the peephole. "House-keeping," she called through the barrier, head bowed slightly as she listened in for movement on the other side of the door.

Nora tapped her fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the music coming from her radio as she drove to her destination. Everything was fine and seemed normal, or at least until she drove through this one town that by the looks of it was deserted. "This is totally weird," she muttered to herself silently hoping she could make it through this town without a hitch because she did have somewhere to be. And Nora was in no mood to deal with something supernatural right now.

"Of course there would be someone who needed help," she said to herself as she rolled her eyes when she spotted a car up the road just stopped in the middle of the road. And even though she knew that people like her got a bad rep because witches were all evil and shit she liked to believe she had a chance to show them they were wrong. Nora wouldn't say she was perfect, but she wouldn't say she was evil either. She didn't practice the dark stuff, and she'd never used her powers to kill or curse anyone. When people knew what she was though they always freaked out and assumed she was evil. So of course because she did try her hardest to be nice, even to people she didn't know, she stopped when she'd gotten close enough to the broken down car, rolled down her window, and asked the guy if he needed any help.

"Do you need a lift anywhere? Or is there something I can do to help?"

---

Sam sighed to himself as he laid in the hotel bed staring at the celing, "come in," he called not moving an inch. He laif there wishing that he could've brought his brother back to life, he wished he knew more about the things that were going on, and why his weird abilities seemed to be growning more and more each day. Sam also laid there not exactly sure what was going on with his life. It had been weird lately with Dean not around, and him not actually sure what to do about his abilites, and then there was well all the different people he'd had run in's with. He wished he could say it was going to get better, but honestly he wasn't sure that was true. He didn't know when things would be normal again. And maybe eventually he wouldn't care.

[ I'm super sorry that my reply for Sam sucks! I wasn't exactly sure how to start with him! ]

Dean rolled up his sleeves and leaned over the engine block, brow furrowed as he braced the heels of his palms against the frame of the car. It seemed like it was forever since he'd stared down at the intricate workings of the inside of a engine and wasn't exactly sure where to start. He knew his Impala like the back of his hand, but just like every person was a little different, so were cars. He reached out to touch the carburetor, but immediately pulled back as he knew it was far too hot for him to touch with his bare hand. With a sigh and shook his head slowly, knowing that this overheated car wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

He took a step back from the car and ran a hand over his hair. This was just fantastic. He kept the hood up as he rounded the car to check for any sign of a forgotten cell phone or something he could use to get to where he needed to go. Just as he was sticking his head in, he heard the rumble of a car in the distance and he breathed out a sigh of relief. Hopefully, this would mean that he wouldn't be stranded for much longer. Pulling his head out of the car, he watched as the other car slowed to a stop just beside him. He leaned down to peek into the car, brows lifting slightly when he noticed the woman behind the wheel. His first thought was that she was a bit insane to be driving by herself and willing to stop for someone who was broken down on the desolate stretch of road.

"My car's shot and I don't have a cellphone to call out," he spoke, brow furrowing slightly as the sun bore down on him. "You wouldn't happen to be heading in the direction of Sioux Falls, would you? I'd definitely appreciate the lift." He offered her a small thankful smile as he squinted against the sunlight.

---

Adelaide's brows lifted slightly as she was welcomed into the room without a second thought. A short hum left her as she turned toward the door and turned the doorknob. Just to be safe, she pushed it open and continued to stand just beside it, in case the younger Winchester decided to get smart and try to fight her. When she heard no movement from the room, she rounded the doorframe and closed the door behind her, sliding the chain into place and locking it. "You should be a bit more careful, Sam. You shouldn't be just letting anyone into your hotel room," she told him gently, turning to face him. Her bright, crystalline eyes locked onto him as he laid on the bed, wondering just what kind of state he was in to at least not verify she was housekeeping before letting her in.

Pulling off her hat, she tossed it into a chair to the side of the room before she took long strides to stand at the end of the bed. Adelaide crossed her arms over her chest, eyes never leaving Sam for a moment before she glanced around the room to be sure they were the only ones there. "Do you have some sort of death wish or something?" She asked, shaking her head slightly. She breathed out through her nose sharply. "Of course, you must. What am I saying? You're guzzling demon blood like its water with no idea of the repercussions on your body or wellbeing."

[That's alright! It's fine. ]

Nora tucker her hair behind her ear and nodded her head towards the guy standing outside her car. It sucked that he was having car issues, though by the look of his car she could understand why he was having issue with it. The thing looked a little old and ratty and not like something that was good at getting someone from point a to point b. Nevertheless she was good Samaritan and did happen to be going in the direction he was also headed apparently, and the least she could do to help him out would be give him a lift.

"That happens to be direction I was headed yes, so you can hop in and we'll get going," She told him not caring how strange it looked for her to be picking someone she didn't know up off the side of the road, or how weird it might seem for a single young woman to be letting a stranger into her car. But the thing was that Nora could take care of herself. If worse came to worse then she'd do what she had to in order to protect herself. After all, she did have magic and she knew very well how to use it.

---

Sam laughed at the comment made when Adelaide as she walked into his room. "I'm not really sure there's a reason for me to be careful anymore," he told her still not moving. "I mean I haven't died yet even though I don't really have much to live for anymore," he added sighing.

He knew it sounded a bit strange for him to be reacting the way that he was, but it was the truth. He'd lost his brother who was the only person who kept him going 9 times out of 10. He was addicted to drinking demon blood and had no idea how to stop, and honestly right now his life was in shambles and he felt like he'd probably be better off dead. Of course, he wasn't dead and he didn't plan on killing himself so unless he was attacked soon it wasn't likely that he'd die. But who really knew. Clearly someone wanted to look out for him because they'd send Adelaide to baby sit him.

"Why are you here anyways?" He finally asked. "Or maybe I should ask why do you care? I mean I'm pretty sure everyone else has given up on me and with good reason."

Dean carded a hand through his hair as he shifted his weight a bit. He surely hoped he was doing his best at disarming the woman from thinking he was going to try and take advantage of her. After what he'd been through, he was hoping that life would throw him some sort of reprieve and allow him a moment or two to catch his breath. It was then he thought that maybe this was some sort of trick and that he was walking right back into the clutches of some demon. He immediately pushed that negative thought from his brain, willing himself to focus on trying to get to Bobby's place.

A charming, albeit tired grin curled Dean's features as the woman said she'd allow him to ride with her to Sioux Falls and he nodded a bit. Rounding the car, he slipped into the passenger seat and leaned back into the chair before pulling on his seatbelt. "I really appreciate this. I've been through one hell of a past few days," he told her with a crooked grin. That was an understatement, he thought to himself. "I'm Dean, by the way," he told her, figuring it would be the polite thing to do to at least tell the woman his name.

---

Adelaide lifted a brow as she listened to Sam, shaking her head slowly as she realized just how far gone he was. He was nothing like Lenore had said he would be, but she was sure the loss of his brother hadn't aided him in any way. "You say that knowing there are people out there who would give anything to have another day of life," she told him gently, lips twisting to the side slightly as she regarded him.

She tucked her hair behind her ear as she rounded the bed, sitting just beside him as she watched him carefully. This was not how any sibling would want their little brother or sister to react after their death. "You've lost someone dear to you. I understand that. But this defeated attitude is doing you no favors...and is most certainly how Dean would not want you to behave," she said, her voice soft and gentle. She didn't want him to feel like she was judging him or telling him what he needed to do. "I'm here because, believe it or not, Sam, you've got people out there who are willing to help you. The lives you've saved aren't for nothing." She sighed heavily, shaking her head a bit. "You've saved quite a few of us monsters too, from what I've heard."

In the back of Nora's mind, she did find it a little odd that there she was driving through a town that was apparently deserted, aside from Dean. And it seemed a bit odd as well that he looked semi put together yet was driving one of the most beat up cars she'd ever seen. She was looking past all of that though. Nora felt like she was pretty good at reading people, that and well-being supernatural gave her a bit of an advantage as she could sense other supernatural beings. And this guy well she couldn't tell. Which she didn't know what that meant exactly, and she really just hoped she wouldn't have to use her magic on him.

"Sorry to hear you've had a rough week," she said not sure what he'd been through but she wasn't going to pry into it either because he probably didn't want to tell her. "And I'm Nora," she said smiling and waiting for him to load into the car before she took the car out of park and started to head in the direction of Sioux Falls. "So you wouldn't happen to know what happened back there would you? I mean in the town? Because you're honestly the only person I saw in the entire town which is a little weird." She did wonder if though if his awful week had had anything to do with whatever made the town deserted.

---

Sam sighed, "and I'm sure those people have something to keep them going. Oh, I don't know like their family, maybe their friends. I'd bet they also aren't craving demon blood 24/7. And maybe they just really want to live and don't have anything keeping them going, I don't know, but really I'm not them. I don't really have a lot going for me right now." Sam told her. He knew that he used to be different than this. He uses to believe that he'd get out of the life of being a hunter. He uses to believe that he'd graduate college, marry his girlfriend, and start a family. They'd be happy. He also uses to believe that if anything did happen to Dean he'd be fine. He'd just pick up and move on after he grieved of course. Clearly, that wasn't what was planned for him though.

He was quiet for a moment as he listened to what she had to say to him, but it honestly just made him question everything. "How do you know what Dean would've wanted for me?" He asked a little curious as to how a supernatural being would know what his hunter of a brother would want. "If my brother were here he'd probably be pissed off that I was associating with supernatural beings. Then he'd most likely tell me I needed to suck it up because I have a job to do. And yea okay I used to like to see the best in people regardless of if they were supernatural or not and I've saved people. But I'm not sure what good I'd be to anyone right now," he told her knowing he wasn't even good for himself, so he really wasn't much good for others.

As Dean settled down into his seat, he shot one last look at the car that had almost gotten him to Bobby's. Would the older hunter welcome him in easily or would he have to go through strenuous lengths to prove that he was who he said he was? A dark thought then crossed Dean's mind; what if he'd brought a bit of Hell back with him? Would that explain why he'd not seen another living soul until he just so happened to be picked up by the woman who was now leading him back to Sioux Falls? A heavy sigh left him and he shut his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to banish that thought for the moment and just relax--if only just a little.

"It's looking up...believe it or not," he told her with a slight grin as he glanced over at her, carding a hand through his hair. He could still feel some of the dirt left there from where he crawled from his grave. That was another thing: why hadn't he been salted and burned like a normal hunter burial? Did Sam really think he could get Dean back from Hell? Was Sam the reason he was back to begin with? All these thoughts were making Dean's head start hurting. It was begging to be too much for him to even begin to comprehend. "Nice to meet you, Nora. And I really do appreciate the ride," he told her, returning her smile as much as he could. "I'll have to make it up to you whenever we get to where we're going." He listened to her question, eyes narrowing slightly with thought as he tried to think of the most disarming thing he could say to her. "No clue. All I knew was that I had to get out," he said honestly, shooting a glance over to her. "It was...strange, inexplicable how quiet it was."

---

Adelaide crossed her arms over her chest as she continued to listen to Sam, keeping her almost inhumanly bright eyes on him as he spoke. His attitude was really starting to test her patience, something she thought she had plenty of after her long years. Perhaps he was just trying her to see who she was. She couldn't blame him there; she was a complete stranger to him. "You act like you're the first being to ever crave something they know they shouldn't," she told him with a bit more edge and bite to her tone. "Half the battle is wanting to change and forcing yourself to do it." She paused for a few long moments, staring at rug beneath her feet. "This is partially about the demon blood, isn't it?" She questioned, shooting Sam a look over her shoulder.

When he questioned her, she drew in a deep breath of air, running her tongue over her teeth as she clasped her hands in her lap. "Because I was an older sibling once...and I know how protective I was over my little brother--the sacrifices I would have made to keep him safe from harm," she told him, her eyes slipping back to the carpet in front of her. Her lips pursed for a moment, pushing back the unwanted feelings those dark memories had brought up. Her brow furrowed at his next comment, even more of her patience slipping away. "If you think you're so useless, Sam," she started, jaw tight and bright gaze focused on him once more, "I could end it all for you. Is that what you want?"

"I've got some water and some Advil if you need it," Nora told Dean knowing that she'd be stressed out if she'd been trying to leave this deserted town and her car broke down. She also knew that his car breaking down was clearly the cherry on top of an already rough week, or so she'd gathered from what he'd told her, so it only made sense that he probably had a headache. And while the drive to Sioux Falls wasn't that bad from where they were currently, it was going to seem awful if he didn't feel well. "There are snacks in the back seat too if you need anything to munch on,"

If there was one thing Nora knew how to do well aside from magic it was going on long trips. She was always prepared for the worst. There were two pillows and a couple of blankets stuck in her trunk, she had candles, extra socks, and of course, her go bag with clothes and such. She always had snacks and water in her back seat. She had a stash of cash hidden as well just in case she needed it. All things she knew she'd need if she were ever to break down given she pretty much lived from her car with how much she moved around. It was just nice to know she always had what she needed even though she didn't have roots anywhere with a home she could just go back to.

---

Sam sighed. He would give anything to go back just a couple of months. Then he wouldn't have to deal with this because he'd be fine, plus Dean would be alive. And maybe if they could change things they could prevent Dean from ever dying in the first place. "I didn't give him a proper hunters burial, do you think he'd be mad about it?" Sam asked knowing it was probably stupid, and not even something he should be worried about. But it was also the truth. Sam hadn't properly gotten rid of his brother's body the way you were supposed to get rid of a hunter. Partly because he'd had hopes that Dean wasn't really gone and partly because it was hard enough just to bury him.

"No I don't want you to end it all," Sam told her finally moving around on the bed so he was sitting up and could who he was talking to rather than just talking to her. "I'm not sure you can give me the answers I'm looking for, but I'm going to ask," he told her hoping she actually would be helpful. "Do you know what's wrong with me? Because I have no idea why I all I want to do is drink demon blood. Do you know how to help me? Because I also don't know that I will ever be able to stop if I have to figure it out alone,"

Dean shot a glance over to Nora as she spoke, nodding a bit. "Water and Advil sounds fantastic right now," he told her, not realizing that he had a pretty rough headache after the piercing noise he'd encountered at the gas station. He brushed a hand through his hair again, knowing that, depending on how long he'd been in that grave, he probably needed a decent shower or two. "I don't...uh...I don't smell, do I?" He questioned awkwardly, shooting Nora a sidelong look. She was doing him an immense favor by driving him to Bobby's, so it was the least he could do to not stink up her car.

His eyes lit up as she mentioned snacks, knowing that what few things he could get from the gas station hadn't really held him over. "I would love a snack or two," he told her with a bright grin. He turned to pluck through the backseat for some snacks, trying not to be invasive at all. He didn't know if she had anything private tucked away in the backseat that she didn't want him to look at. He found a back of chips and a candy bar for himself, setting the items in his lap. "Could I get you anything while I'm back here?" He asked, grabbing the two of them waters. How long had this chick been on a road trip? Judging from the snacks alone, it looked like she expected she was going to be on the road for a while. It piqued his interest more than anything, especially since she was the one to have picked him up.

---

Adelaide swallowed back anything she could have said to Sam that would have given away too much about her past. She kept her gaze on him, brow furrowed slightly and a slightly pained expression curled her features. When he questioned her, her heart went out to him. It wasn't easy for her when the time came for her to bury her sibling; it took everything for her to not slip into her true nature and rip into every human in a 50 mile radius, but she knew that wasn't what Joseph would have wanted her to do. "No, Sam," she told him, shaking her head a bit as she replied, "I don't think he'd be mad at all." She ran her tongue over her lips as she drew in a deep breath of air.

The tension left her shoulders and a sigh escaped her as he said that he didn't want it to end. She shifted a bit on the bed to face him more fully as he sat up on the bed, studying him closely for a few moments as he spoke. A small smile curled her lips as she tilted her head to the side slightly. "We started off on the wrong foot," she said, extending her hand to him for him to shake. "I'm Adelaide. I'm a 376 year old vampire who only drinks animal blood and I'm going to do everything I can to help you and help you find the answers you seek." She pulled her lips in for a moment, exposed the deep dimples in her cheeks before smiling warmly. "My question for you is do you truly want to be helped?"

Nora wasn't sure what this guy had been through over the last week but whatever it was had clearly taken a toll on him. He did after all seem extremely happy about snacks, and she wasn't sure why he thought he would stink but she didn't think he did. Yea he looked a little rough and like he could use a nice warm shower, but she also felt like that was to be expected if you were in a car that broke down in the middle of nowhere on a not so cold day where you were also under the hood trying to fix it. "I don't think you do," she told him, though she did suppose too that if he did she might not even be able to tell because of her wonderful air freshener.

"Take as many snacks as you want, there's plenty," she told him since she didn't want him to starve or anything. "And I'm good thanks, I had something to eat earlier," Nora said knowing that when she needed a snack she'd let him know, but it would be awhile before she needed one. And if by chance she got really hungry before they made it to their destination she'd just see if he was okay stopping for something at like a diner or something. Though she didn't know many people who wouldn't be okay with it. After all diner food was amazing, especially if there was pie.

---

Sam wanted to believe her, he really did. And maybe she was right and Dean wouldn't be mad at him for not getting rid of the body the proper way but he wasn't sure. Dean was one to get upset about things that Sam felt he shouldn't really be upset about. Of course, Sam supposed it didn't really matter anyways because well Dean was dead and it wasn't every day that people just came back to life. And if there was one thing Sam knew for sure it was that if Dean did happen to come back as a vampire or some other death cheating supernatural being he'd probably kill himself. Simply because they had spent their entire lives hunting and killing supernatural beings, so coming back to life as something you've spent your life getting rid of wouldn't sit well with most people. Even if they had saved a handful.

Sam pushed his fingers through his hair, then ran his hands over his face, then he pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a sigh. "I do want to get help," he told her biting his lip. "Do you really think you can help me?" He asked her wondering if this was some kind of hoax or not. He, after all, couldn't really see any reason for a 376-year-old vampire to help him with anything. Especially since he and his brother had killed plenty of vampires. But he supposed he didn't really have many options either, it was either trust her and hopefully get better, or push her away and probably get a lot worse.

Dean ran his tongue over his bottom lip as he concentrated on opening the bag of chips he had without tearing the bag completely open and having them fly everywhere or gobble down the chips like some sort of wild beast. Once the smell hit his senses, he really realized just how hungry he was. Instead, he forced himself to each the chips a couple at a time, instead of cramming them in his mouth like he really wanted to do. He wasn't sure when he started caring so much about manners, but Nora was already giving him enough weird looks as it was, he didn't want to merit any more. When she told him she didn't think he smelled, he lifted his green gaze from the chips for a moment, nodding a bit. "Oh...good..." he murmured past a mouthful of chips. Maybe his manners still needed working on...

He cracked open the water bottle once he swallowed the chips and took a few sips of it before putting it to the side. "So, Nora," he started, taking his mind off of eating for the moment to glance over at the woman beside him, "where are you headed to in Sioux Falls?" He knew this could have been a point where she could lie or tell him something crazy, but he didn't care at this point. He had snacks and he had a ride to Bobby's. Honestly, the worst thing that could happen was that she knew who he was and was in the act of kidnapping him. Right now he wasn't even going to entertain that thought though. He'd been through enough without having to worry about that.

---

Adelaide studied Sam for a few long moments, her bright blue eyes drifting over his features as she tried to figure out exactly what he was thinking. She, by no means, thought he was a hopeless case that couldn't be helped, but she knew that this wasn't going to be an ease feat. She'd never heard a case of a human becoming addicted to demon blood, but she knew that addictions could always be controlled and ever reversed. He was lucky, in her opinion. He could get to a point where he would never crave demon blood, but she would always be driven by her need from blood.

"You've won the hardest part of the battle right there, Sam," she told him, pulling her hand back after he failed to shake it. She looked a bit crestfallen by the fact he didn't think she could cure him, but knew that his doubt wasn't unmerited. When he actually questioned her capability, she remained quiet for a while, her lips curled slightly to the side before she figured out her answer. "If there's anyone that knows better how to abstain from drinking blood even though every fiber of your being is telling you to do it, you're looking at her," she told him. "If I can't help you," she added, "I don't know who can." She paused for a moment, running her tongue over her bottom lip. "So...will you accept my help or no?"

Nora wasn't entirely sure what to think of Dean. There were some things that didn't quite add up in her mind. Why was he so hungry, where had he gotten that car from because it should've been obvious that the thing wasn't going to make it to Sioux Falls, why did he think he'd smell funny, and what exactly had he been through over the last week? Because she didn't have the answers to anything. And maybe they were all straight forward answers like his wife had left him and took everything or something else that was semi-normal, but maybe they weren't. Honestly, she had no idea, but she kind of wanted to get to the bottom of things.

"I'm going to meet up with this sheriff named Jody Mills. I think she may have some information I've been looking for for quite some time now," She told him knowing that getting the information from Jody wouldn't bring her family back but she had high hopes that it could at least help bring her a little bit of peace of mind. Something she'd been hoping for since the day she'd found out she'd never see her family again. Sure over the years she'd had a few witchy friends here and there who'd helped her out some but never a real constant in her life. "Why are you headed there?" She asked figuring they could get to know one another a little bit better given they were going to be on the road together for a while.

---

Sam still wasn't quite sure why a 376-year-old vampire wanted to help him of all people, but he also supposed if he did truly want to get better he didn't really have many options unless he planned on doing it himself, and he really had no idea how that would go. "Yes I'll accept your help," he told her hoping silently to himself that he was making the right choice. He got a feeling deep in his gut that he was, that he could actually trust her and that unlike other vampires he'd run into she wasn't going to double cross him. But he supposed he'd never really be sure about that until he gave her a try.

"So then where do we start?" He asked knowing that apparently asking for help was the hardest battle and he'd done that, however, he wanted to actually move on to the steps that would help him get better. Not focus on the one(s) he'd already done. And he was telling himself that if she could survive on animal blood when it was a known fact that vampires fed on humans she could teach him how to not drink demon blood.

Dean shot a side-long glance or two over to Nora, knowing he wasn't exactly acting as inconspicuous as he should have been. Maybe his excuse of going through one hell of a week wasn't enough and now she was wondering why he was acting the way he was. Again, despite himself, his mind wondered to the fact that maybe this had been some sort of trap and she was going to drive him right back into the clutches of some crossroads demon. Hell, she could have been a crossroads demon for all he knew. They couldn't have been tied to some backroads point in two roads all the time, could they?

He watched her closely as she spoke, head nodding slowly as he took in what she was saying. Bobby could have mentioned a Jody Mills at some point, but the name wasn't ringing any bells with him. He scratched the back of his neck as he finished the bag of chips off, looking around for something to put it in so he didn't litter up her car. "You have some place you'd prefer me to put my trash?" He questioned, lifting a brow as he glanced over to her. He was secretly thinking of some way to test to be sure she wasn't a demon. He didn't have any holy water on him, nor any crucifixes to make holy water with. The idea struck him and he couldn't help but to be proud of himself. "And I'm on my way to see a friend I haven't seen in a long time, Bobby Christo," he told her, watching her closely for a sign of a flinch or black eyes.

---

Adelaide pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, ruffling a hand through her hair as she expectantly watched Sam with her silvery-blue eyes. A bright smile curled her features as he said he'd accept her help and she reached out, taking his hand in one of her much daintier ones and clasping her other hand over top of his. While her hands may have been inhumanly cold, the gesture was meant to have been a warm one. "Alright," she spoke softly, eyes slipping between both of his as she studied him, "we can either approach this the cold-turkey way or slowly try weaning yourself off of it." She drew in a deep breath of air, staring at him with a no nonsense sort of expression. "When was the last time you had demon blood?" She asked brusquely, but gently, knowing that while now was not the time to beat around the bush, he was an addict who may not take kindly to outright being confronted with his problem.

Just then, there was a knocking at the door and Adelaide's gaze swung from Sam to the door then back to Sam as her hands slid from his. "Expecting company?" She questioned softly as the muffled sound of a woman's voice resounded from beyond the barrier calling his name. "A female demon?" She added, lifting a brow as she stood from the bed and took a few steps back. "Please tell me she's not the reason you're in this mess," she continued, shaking her head slowly.

Nora was almost tempted to use magic on Dean to get the answers that she wanted. However, she didn't plan on going down that road unless she absolutely had to. She kind of hated using magic on people, because it usually got ugly real fast, and it was almost always very messy. So she ignored her inner voice that would tell her it would be fine. "There should be a garbage bag somewhere you can throw it into," she told him appreciating that he wasn't planning to leave her car in more of a mess than it probably already was.

"That sounds fun. Reunions with old friends are nice," she told him knowing she'd be so willing to give up so much so she could have a reunion of her own. "Make the most of the time you have with your friend while you can. Because once they're gone all you have is memories and sometimes those are hard to live with," she added doubtful that he really wanted to hear her sad life story or even listen to some silly girl give him advice about life, but it was already out there now.

---

Sam sent her the best smile he could because she was trying to help him. He had no idea what she had in store for him, but he was going to stick with the idea that she could help him. She was a vegetarian vampire after all, and while it wasn't the exact same thing he was going through it was surely similar. "I think it's been like twelve hours maybe," he told trying to think about how long it had been since Ruby had left, and twelve hours seemed about right.

Sam ran his fingers through his hair. "Well I would tell you she's not the reason I'm in this mess," he said biting his lip, "but I'd be lying," he told her knowing that he was an idiot. And he was sure Adelaide thought he was an idiot now if she hadn't already too. After all, he'd gotten himself into quite a sticky situation since Dean had died thanks to a girl. And a demon. "Do you think I should let her in?" He finally asked softly suddenly not sure what he should do about anything in fear of making more bad choices.

Dean leaned back in the chair as he crumpled up the empty bag of chips up and found a trash bag in the back of the car to put the trash in. He shot Nora a grin, proud of himself for keeping a car other than his Impala tidy. He righted himself back in his chair, sighing softly as he glanced out the window at the passing scenery for a moment. The sun was just about to set completely and the world around them was slowly darkening with each passing second.

Now knowing that she wasn't a demon(at least, he thought to himself), he felt a bit more at ease with traveling with this woman until he got to Bobby's house. He listened to her speak, wondering where her thoughts were coming from, but knowing that they were very true. He only knew it because he'd spent what felt like decades down in hell and he missed Sam and Bobby every second of it. "Thanks for the advice," he told her, not really knowing what else to say. "And I'm sorry," he added, shooting her a look before his gaze dropped to the floor board beneath his feet.

---

Adelaide knew that Sam was forcing the smile; she'd had to wear one similar to it for a long time until she found something worth genuinely smiling about. He'd lost someone dear to him and was an addict to demon blood--of course, he'd find it difficult to laugh and smile. A soft sigh left her as he admitted when he'd last had blood and she nodded slowly. Her eyes darted over to the door as another knock resounded through the room.

"Oh," was all the vampire could say to Sam's admission that the demon on the other side of the door was the reason he was a demon-blood addict in the first place. Her bright slivery-blue eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the door for a moment or two. "You do whatever you think you need to do Sam. At least you're admitting she's the reason you are the way you are," she told him honestly, her eyes slipping back over to him. This would prove just how bad he wanted to change. He could either shoo the demon away and let her stay or kick her out and ruin all chances he had of seeking help.

Nora loved driving, especially early when the sun was rising and the evening when it was setting. Because there weren't many things more beautiful than seeing the sun rise or set and it didn't matter what season it was because it was always beautiful. It was peaceful as well. Nora didn't know exactly what was so peaceful about it, but there was just something about seeing the sun rise or set that just put her mind at ease always.

"No problem," she replied knowing that it wasn't her job to tell other people how to live their lives, but sometimes she just liked to give advice in hopes that someone would listen. "And it's okay, you don't really have anything to be sorry about," she added. There were things that she wished someone would apologize for, however, Dean wasn't one of the people she wanted an apology from. "So I was thinking of stopping for the night in a little bit, just because it's been a long day and I think a good nights sleep tonight would be good. Then we can start fresh in the morning if you're okay with that," she said not wanting him to wonder what was going on when she did stop.

---

Sam sighed again, he hated how down hill things had gone since Dean had died. He felt helpless and stupid. But he also knew that he did want to get better so he could eventually move on with his life. After all Dean was gone and Sam laying around drinking deamon blood wasn't going to bring him back, nor was it what Dean would have wanted. Though Sam wasn't entirely sure what Dean would want him to do. Well right now he knew Dean would want him to get the help he needed so things didn't get any worse, but after that Sam wasn't sure. They'd never actually gotten into the details of what to do next. Did they keep hunting alone and pray they didn't also die, or did the pack up the hunting life and do whatver it took to get out of this life and try to have a normal one. With maybe a house, a wife, and some kids.

"How do I tell her to leave?" He asked finally sitting up all the way on the bed and biting his lip as he looked towards the door. "I mean I don't know that's she'll be very happy with me if I tell her to leave. I'm also not exactly sure how she'll react. But I have a feeling it won't be a good reaction," he said pretty sure that Ruby would do whatever she could to try and pull him back in and honestly right now his mind was pretty weak so whatever she did might even work. He hoped that it wouldn't, because he did want to try and be strong.

Dean rested his hands on his legs, drumming his fingertips against his thighs as he took in the scenery around them. It was a welcome sight in comparison to how hell had been. There was a lot he’d be willing to withstand in comparison to hell. Before he’d died, he would have taken scenery like this for granted, not taken the time to appreciate it. And for a moment, he could forget about what he’d been through and where he needed to get to.

His eyes slipped back over to Nora as she spoke, brow furrowed slightly as he studied her. It was clear that she’d been through something that’d changed her, but he wasn’t exactly sure what. Maybe he’d never find out. He brushed a hand along his jaw, feeling the stubble that lay there. He kind of wanted to just barrel towards Bobby’s house, but a good night’s sleep also sounded amazing. “Yeah,” he said, offering Nora a smile, “I think stopping somewhere soon is a good idea.”

---

Adelaide shot a look over to Sam, lifting a brow as she studied him. A short hum left her and she shook her head, sweeping her hair over on shoulder as she stood from the bed and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re going to have to man up to her, Sam,” she told him sternly. “If she’s been the enabler behind your addiction, I’d advise cutting all connections with her.” She drew in a deep breath of air and sighed heavily. “I’ll scare her off…for now,” she murmured before turning and striding over toward the door.

The vampire pulled open the door and was met with a medium height brunette that was staring darkly up at her. Adelaide shot her a look in return, jaw set and eyes harsh. It was clear that neither of them were going to back down easily. “Sam is busy right now,” Adelaide said tightly, muscles tense and ready for a fight if if came to it. “And you’re not welcome back later,” the vampire continued.

“Who the hell are you?” The demon asked roughly.

“Right now, I’m his best friend and your worst nightmare,” Adelaide shot back and realization dawned on the demon’s features.

Nora drove for a while longer before finally finding an exit to pull off on, there was still a bit of drive before they arrived at Sioux Falls and she knew that she wasn't going to be making it tonight. But it wouldn't be as hard to make tomorrow once she'd had a good nights sleep, and filled up her stomach with actual food rather than the snacks and whatnot she'd been pretty much living on this entire trip. Plus she wanted to be well rested and in at least a decent mood when they arrived so she would be less likely to lose her temper when she spoke to the sheriff if things didn't go how she wanted them. And Nora knew it was possible that she wouldn't get the answers that she wanted.

"How do you feel about grabbing a bite to eat at the diner across the street?" Nora asked Dean once she'd pulled into the parking lot of the first hotel she'd seen. Honestly, she'd rather eat then check into the hotel because the food was a little bit more important than sleep at the moment.

---

All Sam had done since Adelaide had arrived in his room pretty much was let out a sigh. Probably because he knew that everything she was telling him was the truth. He knew that he needed to get his life together again. He knew that he needed to be strong and pull himself out of whatever funk he was in and be better. Dean wouldn't want him like this, and if Dean could see him now it would no be a very pretty sight. He also knew that this was going to be a long and probably painful journey, but he was going to find a way to push through this all and get better.

Sam finally got up out of the bed he hadn't moved from in well he couldn't remember how long and first he agreed with Adelaide, telling Ruby that he couldn't see her anymore, then before he could see things go south he went into the bathroom to try and freshen himself up a little. He wasn't doing it to impress anyone, but because if he was going to be serious about this, fixing himself, then he had to start somewhere. And it might as well be by trying to feel normal again by taking a shower or something simple.