On Your Side

Sam stirred. His brother was sitting in bed with Sam's laptop.

"What are you doing?" He noted the empty whiskey and beer bottles on the side table and bed around him. He briefly wondered where four bottles of whiskey came from.

"I found something. It's the least we've ever gone on, but I bet Bayleigh won't be there."

Sam sighed and leaned back against the pillows, then lifted his head back up. "What is it?" he asked slowly.

"Two suicides. A mom and a daughter within two weeks of eachother. Girl bit it, then mom followed."

"It couldn't have had anything to do with a grieving mother." Sam rolled over.

"But-"

"Goodnight, Dean."

<><><><><>

When Sam woke up a few hours later, Dean was packing his things. He sat up, confused.

"Dude that wasn't a case."

"I'm not going there. Benny needs me for something." 

Sam climbed out of bed. "Okay? I thought you dropped him."

"I'll be back in a couple weeks." He ignored the question and zipped up the duffel bag, heading for the door.

"What am I supposed to do for 'a couple weeks'?"

Dean turned back to him and shrugged thoughtfully, then said, "I think Casa Erotica is on pay per view." Then he slammed the door behind him. Sam swore loudly when the Impala rumbled sensually to life.

<><><><><>

Bayleigh's phone vibrated against her thigh. She ignored it. Bayleigh wasn't the type of person to answer calls, not even from Garth; she only returned them.

She listened to the voicemail later that night.

'Bayleigh? It's Sam Winchester. Hey, I, uh, got your number from Garth, who told me you were up in the Dakotas-' last time she ever told Garth anything '-and well I'm pretty sure there's something along the lines of a lamia up there if you're interested. So call me back. Thanks. Bye.'

Bayleigh sighed and debated before reluctantly hitting the redial button.

"Yeah?"

"Winchester. It's Bayleigh Thomas."

"Oh, hey you got my message?"

'Obviously.' "Mmhmm."

"So... You wanna team up?"

"If you talked to Garth then he told you I work alone. I've turned him down hundreds of times."

"He mentioned it."

She paused. "What does your brother think about this?"

"Well I wouldn't know," Sam said bitterly. "He pretty much left me stranded in Wyoming with no mode of transportation and no way to reach him."

"So this is to get back at him."

"What? Uh, no."

"Sam. I know a lie when I hear one. Dean doesn't like me and it's painfully obvious you don't like whoever he ran off with. So... I'll go with you."

"Really?"

"Yes. Just tell me where it is and I'll meet you there."

"Hey, um, how about a ride? Like I said, no mode of-"

"Text me your hotel and I'll be there in two days." the phone clicked off.

"Fucking Winchesters," she said stripping naked for a shower. "Even their dad was a pain in the ass." Coby, watching carefully, whined sympathetically.

<><><><><>

A hulking grey Dodge pickup rumbled down the road and slowed to the stop in the parking lot of a motel somewhere two hours south of Cheyenne. There it idled for about five minutes before Sam got into it, much to the dismay of Coby, who had to give up his seat for this giant stranger. Not to mention, he probably wouldn't have Bayleigh to himself for a week now. The shorthair didn't like it at all.

"Hi," Sam said. Bayleigh just looked at him and spun the volume dial on her iPod. He took the hint and sat back into his seat, listening to her music. It wasn't what he expected from her at all. Besides the classics like Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles, there was a mixture of what he could only describe as alternative, indie, and some modern southern and even folkish rock. It was exactly the opposite of what he'd imagined her listening to, and he found himself enjoying it.

Besides the music, the ride was pretty much silent. Bayleigh didn't say a word until around ten when they needed to pull over to find a place to sleep.

<><><><><>

Bayleigh was the first one awake. She shook Sam awake. Her hair was wet and smelled like coconut shampoo.

"I'm going out to get coffee and food. What do you want?"

"Coffee black," he groaned, sitting up. "I'll eat anything."

She nodded. "Be ready in twenty minutes." She left without another word.

Sam rolled out of bed and went to shower. The bathroom was still steamy from Bayleigh's shower. He washed and got out.

Coby was sitting by Bayleigh's duffel bag, staring at him with a look that could set ice on fire.

There was something weird about this dog. Something off that Sam couldn't quite put his finger on. Maybe it was the way he was so protective of Bayleigh, almost humanly so. Sam frowned and went back to getting dressed , still unable to fight this eery feeling he got from the dog.