Stand in the Rain (Dean Winchester story)

Chapter 8

Lizzy

I finish packing everything I felt I needed and zip up the duffel bag. Following Dean down the stairs I don't think I'll walk down again, I remember feeling the crash in the kitchen that started the spiral of events that lead me to the Winchesters, specifically, Dean. We reach the front door, Dean pauses like he's trying to give me a minute. 

"I guess I'm not coming back for a while." I weakly try to lighten the mood. 

"What's you trinket?" Dean tilts his head closer. I look down at my necklace and realize my hand has gone up to hold my charm.

"My dad gave it to me when I was, like, six." I look down, but my eyes trail back to the office. I feel a small smile rise from the memory of his laugh. "It's a family thing, and he told me to take care of it. So now it's kind of just a safety net. If I know it's there, I know everything'll be alright." I don't detect how cheesy it sounds until I say it aloud. But it was true, when I could feel something from home, I felt better.

Suddenly Dean grabs my wrist and swings me behind him so I'm trapped between him and the door. 

"Who's there?" He says to the dark hall. Who is he talking to? Did I not hear something again?

"An old friend." I hear a low voice utter smoothly. Okay I can believe I didn't hear that voice without paying attention.

"Crowley." Dean snarls. 

"Someone get the boy a prize." Crowley smiles as he comes into the light. Well, the less dark. The dim light reveals a man that seems a little less than six foot. He wears a black suit, and a grin that reminds me of the magic cat in Alice and Wonderland.  "Now, just give me the girl and we'll call it truce until the next wonderful encounter we share." He commands. Excuse me? I'm right here, I don't know who the hell you are, I'm not going anywhere with you.  I want to lash out at him.

"No." Dean's hand tightens on my wrist. Ow! Loosen up, dude!

"Dean? You're hurting me." I wince. Thank you for wanting to protect me, but I'm going to quote the classics and say the love hurts.

"Just stay where you are." He says under his breath. I expect him to let go after saying that, but he only eases his grip and moves his hand to my forearm. 

"Oh, Dean, you're hurting her. If you just hand her over, no one gets hurt, not even her, I promise. You know I keep my promises."  Crowley grins. I want to yell at him to back off, that I'm not going anywhere, but for some reason, I can't speak to him.

"And you know that I said no." Dean raises his voice.

"Then I guess we're going to do this the hard way." Crowley moans. A moment later, everything goes black. 

*~~~~~~~~~~~~*

I hear ringing in my right ear. Stupid Tinnitus. I moan and tilt my head to the right to cover that ear. A sharp pain shoots thru my head starting just behind my temple. 

"Lizzy?" I hear my dad's voice say. "Lizzy?" 

"Dad?" I murmur. Slowly I try to open my eyes. Instead of my father, I see Dean standing over me. The jacket he was wearing before is gone, and I think I smell blood. "Dean?"

"Thank God you're awake. How's your head feel?" He relaxes visibly.

"It hurts like a mother." I groan and try to sit up. Dean's arm shoots out and gently pushes my left shoulder back down. "Where are we? My vision's a little blurry."

"Back in the bunker, we're in your room. You were out for about an hour, so once I got you patched up, I put some of your stuff away." He reports.

"My stuff?" 

"Yeah, your duffel from your house." He looks down.

"What's with that look?" I ask. A realization hits me, my journal. "Did you read my journal or something?"

"No! No, nothing like that." He snaps back up. " I just saw the pictures you packed, you look a lot like your mom." 

"Thanks."  I feel my heart break a little from the mention of my mother. I look down, or I guess to my feet because I'm laying down. I see Sling's bunny ears poking out from under the blanket along with the top of Bao Bao the panda's head. "I get that a lot. Um, why are my stuffed animals under the covers with me?" I glance back to Dean.

"Oh, uh." Dean softly bites his bottom lip. "I, uh, unpacked them, and thought that you might like them close. I don't know. I just kinda did it."  I smile and laugh at how he hesitates to explain. 

"You think I'm childish, don't you?" I wince, ready to feel shamed for being a grown adult with stuffed animals. 

"No, I figured there was a reason you picked 'em up." He shakes his head. I smile and nod as best I can. Pain zings up into my head, my face scrunches up discomfort. Dean leans in once I wince. "You okay? You want some water or something?"

"No, I- how did my head get hurt exactly? I've never been knocked unconscious before. I don't know if I should remember what happened. Should I remember?" I breathe heavily. "Shit, is something wrong? Do I have a concussion?"

"No, you're fine. That guy, Crowley," Dean groans with distaste. He obviously doesn't like the guy. "Crowley's a demon, he knocked you out with a vase when I wouldn't hand you over to him."

"Why didn't you give me to him?" I ask confused. "I'm nobody to you. I'm just a random person that's been with you for a few days."

"Liz, you aren't nobody. And you aren't a random person, okay?" He squeezes my shoulder lightly. "You are incredibly important, and I'm not just saying that. Sure I've only known you for a little while, but I think you're smart, you're beautiful, you're nice. And, I mean, I don't know about you but, I love you, okay? And I get it if you like me back, that's fine, but don't you dare say that you aren't important, you understand me?"

"You-you love me?" I ask a little shell-shocked.

"Yeah, Lizzy- Liz, I love you." Dean leans in and kisses my forehead. Warmth takes over my body as I think tears start to come from happiness. He pulls back just enough to look into my eyes. "Why-why are you about to cry? Did I- what's wrong?"

"No one's ever said that to me like that." I choke on the first few words. 

"There's no way you haven't had a guy." He scoffs lightly.

"No, I really haven't. I didn't have friends growing up, they thought I was ignoring them. That's why I have so many stuffed animals, they were my friends." I try to explain, I want to tell him I don't understand why someone would love me if I've never been liked enough to have a friend other than a family member.

"Then those people didn't deserve to know you, because you're amazing." Dean leans back down and softly kisses my again. This time his lip touch mine, his hand cups my cheek as he gently avoids my injury by my temple. "You're amazing." He murmurs against my lips. And after he says that, I start to feel like I am.