𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 || 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Chapter 22 ~ Trapped in The Swing Era

Episode: Season 7 - Time After Time Pt. 2 

I must have knocked myself out from the fall once I slipped through the portal because I woke up on the cold, hard ground. At least Dean didn't witness that, I thought to myself drowsily. Wait, Dean! Quickly, I tried to sit up and I felt a head-rush at the sudden action. Putting a hand to my forehead briefly, a groan escaped my lips. After the initial feeling of a splitting headache had finally subsided, I picked myself up off the ground, dusting my ripped jeans off.

Where did Dean go? He was just here a minute ago...unless the man took him, that is. A feeling of dread shot through me and I began to make my way down the alley. One thing was for sure: Dean needed me. But as I rounded the corner, my feet froze on the pavement. This...didn't look like Ohio anymore.

In fact, it didn't look like anywhere I'd been before. I frowned, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Where in the world had I been teleported to?! Suddenly, I heard a low whistle from beside me. Spinning to the sound, my eyes locked on those of a dark-haired man to my right. He was dressed surprisingly impeccable for a man on the street -brown-tweed suit with matching fedora, unnaturally high-waisted pants, and black suspenders to hold them up. I arched an eyebrow at the suspenders.

"Who are you supposed to be? Jack Dawson?" I mocked the man, crossing my arms over my chest.

He smirked, cocoa-brown eyes twinkling in the streetlights overhead, "I don't know who you're talking about, doll-face. But I tend to think of myself as more of a...Cary Grant type, myself,"

Thank goodness I'd grown up watching so many old movies or I'd have no clue who he was talking about. I rolled my eyes nevertheless, sensing his cockiness already. His dark eyes roamed up and down my body and I squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Bit of a kooky-looking broad, aren't ya?" he questioned, eyeing my jeans.

I scoffed, feeling offended by his strange words.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I glanced down at my clothes then and gestured to my t-shirt, "You mean 'cause I wear Star Wars shirts? I'll have you know just as many girls watch it as boys, thank you very much!"

It was his turn to be confused now - I could see it on his face as he just shook his head at me, frowning at my words.

"You just don't see too many dames wearing men's clothes around here..." he shrugged, choosing to ignore my remarks as he circled me before hooking a thumb towards my pants once more, "...hides your gams,"

"My what now?!" I spluttered, feeling most certainly violated by both his words and actions now.

I took an indignant step back away from him, glaring daggers at the stranger before me. His eyes met mine then, finally stopping again to meet my gaze. My glare didn't seem to deter him though, only made his smirk reappear on his face as he began to step closer to me. I glanced around, frantically searching for a weapon of some kind just as my back hit the wall of one of the buildings. His face was so close to mine now that I could feel his breath on my skin, his hand traveling to my hip. Making a noise in my throat suddenly, I hocked up a spit wad and aimed it at his face.

A growl of anger left his lips as I smiled back at him, head lifted high with pride at what I'd done. Unfortunately, I didn't see his next move coming. Quickly, he lifted up a fist then, about to connect it to my jaw when suddenly, he was ripped away from my body and being thrown into the street. My mouth formed an 'O', eyebrows arching in surprise as the man quickly regained his bearings before scrambling off. I almost laughed at the sight as I prepared to thank my savior. But when my rescuer turned around, I was met with familiar candy-apple green eyes.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips and in seconds, I was colliding into Dean. Instantly, I inhaled the soothing scent of apple pie and motor oil, burying my face into his chest, strong arms wrapping around me protectively.

"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner, Ark," he told me softly before a sigh escaped his mouth, pulling me even closer if that were possible, cheek pressed against the top of my black hair, "Why did you follow me, huh? Why would you do something so stupid?"

I untangled myself from him slightly then, just enough so that I could meet his gaze. My hand came up to cradle his cheek and he leaned in to my touch as tears pricked behind my eyes.

"When I saw you go through that portal, I-" I started, choking up once before I tried again, "...I just couldn't bear to be separated from you. Not again,"

His green eyes softened and he brought me into another hug. Our reunion didn't last long though before we were being dragged off by the police for "disturbance of the peace", of which I only assumed we'd been accused of by the stranger from earlier. Dean and I were hauled into a small, dark green room then before sitting down at a tiny wooden table. My cuffed hand found his across the smooth surface, the calloused skin of his fingertips soothing me.

"Okay, can I just-" Dean began to protest to the policeman sitting across from us when the man cut him off abruptly.

"Don't," he warned my boyfriend.

But of course, Dean being Dean, he never could heed the first warning.

"Listen to me-"

"Hey, if you tell me you're from the Bureau one more time, I'm gonna air you out myself. Got it?" the man sneered at him before snatching up Dean's phone from the table, "'No signal'. What are you - some kind of Jerry spy?"

"Jerry who?" Dean asked in confusion.

The man only sighed, shaking his head before picking up Dean's fake ID, "And a terrible one at that. This badge was issued 68 years from now. Ace work, kraut-muncher,"

My eyes widened, sharing a glance with Dean after we'd counted it up in our heads.

"'44? I'm stuck in 1944?!" Dean blew up at the man.

I sat back in my chair, stunned completely. That explains so much.

"We're all stuck in 1944, ya bunny." the man blew him off.

"Wait, wait, wait!" I said, interrupting the conversation abruptly, "Does that mean Meet Me In St. Louis was released this year?! Or Arsenic and Old Lace?!"

"Parker-" Dean started, frowning but I just kept going, on a roll now.

"-gosh, I loved that one especially! Even though it was kind of dark-"

"Parker-"

"-and morbid but you know, I found it funny-"

"PARKER!" Dean finally shouted, effectively cutting me off.

"WHAT?! I erupted, spinning to face him.

"NO ONE CARES!" he yelled back before rolling his eyes.

Pouting, I finally fell silent as Dean began to speak once more with the policemen, getting lost in my daydreams of meeting Judy Garland, Lucille Ball, and of course, Fred and Ginger.