S15 sometime

[weirddreams]

His first red flag should have been a few days ago (48 hours eariler) when Ruby texted him to say that she was on a case in Detriot and would be gone a little while. Normally by now they would have had at least one phone call or video chat to check in on each other. The strangest thing of it all came when he decided to follow her last known location by tracking her phone and almost the second he set foot in town Ruby texted him again to meet her somewhere. In said text message, babe and other such words or mannerisms struck him as suspect as Ruby leaned heavily to calling him Puppy and generally was more teasing in her speech or writing. He tested his theory by playing along with sexting her to discover that his intuition was on to something. It couldn't be Ruby. She often would describe things in a way that almost painted a real picture of their sex life. All the prose on her end read as if someone else entered the picture.

On the flip side, if it was a trap...his only clue to finding Ruby was to agree to meet her and do his do dilegence in surveying the place beforehand. If he was wrong, which he was sure he wasn't, then he would be open to new possibilities and tease her about what calling him babe was about. He brings coffee for the two of them to the location.

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[weirddreams]

New scars would never change how he looked at her. Of course he cares enough to want to avoid them where possible. They've talked about what the scars they currently have mean to them and her scar beneath her sternum represents how they found a way to work together with time. Sam was probably the only one that saw it this way but the fact Ruby approached Bobby all those years ago and gave him the colt proved to him how she wanted to play ball.

She's worthy of every single one. Chances are when they get out of this dilemma, he will deliver on the bubble bath and a moment to read to her. He could never pressure her to do anything that makes her feel sick unless it's for her well-being. Truth is, he is still a little on edge about the manner to which she lacks clothing in the first place. He knows they should talk about it but he has no idea how to start. For the moment, it isn't the ideal time to ask her.

Sam is rightfully angry at Astaroth touching Ruby in the first place, but that anger translates to the patience he needs to have that conversation with Ruby later. He's always been sincere about his feelings about Ruby too. Family is important. It's been on his list for some time to help Ruby find out what happened to her family to heal her human side. He loves her a great deal.

There's a certain amount of relief Sam feels to see Dean, but he doesn't let his guard down yet. There isn't much to gather thankfully, just a bag from Ruby's car that had her clothes mixed with some borrowed from his closet and the medical-magic kit. He handles the heavier stuff in his better hand or over his shoulder. He makes a suggestion about using some of the back roads when he catches the stress in Dean's eyes. He can't change that he made the mistake that Ruby's absence was a big 'what if' or that he probably should have communicated better with Dean after the fact.

Sam returns to Ruby's side once he's gathered the important things. He lets the two of them finish before he interjects. "We don't have time for this." Looking down to Ruby, he adds. "We'll still come back for your car. I'm just not sure when."

They have everything they need so he acknowledges Dean with a silent 'got it', helping Ruby towards the Impala. The front was usually where the three of them sat but he opened the back door. With Ruby's injuries especially, they needed the extra space. Once Ruby was in, he shut the door carefully behind her. He rounded the Impala to pack himself on the other side, scooting closer to Ruby and dropping their bags off to the side. Without saying a word, he quietly encouraged her to lean against him.

Dean wouldn't likely find much left in Ruby's vehicle but a few magical things and a photo of Ruby and Sam together that could assist with a tracking spell.

[peaceonearth]

Ruby is still a little cranky at Bobby shooting her. She not only gave him the colt but fixed it so that they didn't have to mess with magic bullets anymore; she fixed it so that like her knife, the gun is the magic. That being said, it's worked in their favor that her body is dead more than once.

While Ruby has difficulty saying thank you, Sam rarely has any problem understanding her gratitude. She'll be very grateful for all of those things. Does he really want to know the details? She'll be honest if he asks, but she doesn't need to reiterate those details to him for herself. If it makes him feel better, it's nothing that Astaroth hasn't done to her before. The lack of clothing gave Astaroth easy access to all the ways she wanted to hurt Ruby. It was also a way to humiliate Ruby and rob her of any armor she might feel like she had. Eventually, Astaroth would have done the same to Sam had they not escaped.

He made a huge fucking mistake, but he's paying the consequences of that so Dean doesn't feel the need to rub his nose in it. The banter between Dean and Ruby is a good thing; it's a normal thing, but so is Sam stepping between them. Ruby is still barefoot, but she's got an extra pair of boots at the bunker. She nods a little at Sam's promise. "We can figure it out." She can steal another car.

The backseat is the most comfortable place for them considering both of their injuries. Dean goes to retrieve the few things in Ruby's car.

Ruby curls up into Sam, eyes closing as she does. Dean starts the car and they get on the road. It's a long time before Dean speaks, glancing up in the review mirror to see Sam awake, but Ruby appears to be asleep. "Next time, tell me what's going on even if I am on a date with Jo. She's not going to mind." It's not like Sam regularly interrupts them for frivolous reasons.

[weirddreams]

Bobby isn't one for apologies for things after the fact. The best Ruby is ever going to get is that Bobby accepted the colt from her. Sam might have told her "baby steps" when it comes to his friends and family. If not, he will.

Sam can't fathom what Astaroth has done to her or encouraged Ruby to do. He might suggest that Ruby herself wouldn't know what details would weigh less on her until she actually does share them with someone. He would say that she doesn't have to open up to him if she's concerned he will treat her differently. He definitely only has vague notions of what Astaroth might have put them through had they not escaped. Some of those things Astaroth could have done could likely paint Sam as innocent as his wildest imagination is not malicious.

The safest option would be to get Ruby another car. She and Sam can talk about the method of how she acquires one later. He can't do much about her bare feet but help her adjust to put her feet up once in the backseat. He runs his hand through her hair quietly so she can rest from there.

Sam appreciates the silence until they've made enough distance between the motel and the road. He doesn't look up from Ruby even though he can feel Dean's eyes on him. He could reiterate that he hadn't thought it would have turned badly himself but he agreed he messed up. He had a gut feeling. Turns out, it wasn't wrong. "Yeah, uh, I realize that could have ended up much worse. Thanks for picking us up." He isn't making light of it, only keeping the conversation calm.

[peaceonearth]

Neither of them are much for apologies. She didn't really expect one. He'd accepted the colt and then shot her with it. Thankfully, Ruby hadn't fixed the Colt yet nor had Bobby made magic bullets. It's water under the bridge, but that doesn't mean she's forgiven or forgotten. Alt World Bobby still holds the whole 'demon' thing against her. In any case, she doesn't need Bobby to like her.

Bits and pieces of it will come out as Ruby feels the need to talk about them. However, despite the crimes being recent, the trauma is old. Ruby won't tell him the things that Astaroth might have had planned; there's no reason for it and she prefers a Sam who can't imagine those things.

She won't balk at the idea of another car. As she pointed out to Dean, she doesn't get attached to them. They're machines that make life more convenient.

"Anytime," Dean says, dropping the topic. As long as Sam realizes that he should tell Dean beforehand next time, that's what's important. The only stops along the ride are for refueling, both humans and the Impala. Once they're back at the bunker, Dean refreshes all their wards and safeguards. He makes certain the security cameras are working as well.

[weirddreams]

At the very least Alt World Bobby isn't their Bobby and Sam will never ask Ruby to consider him family. Sometimes though Sam still sees pieces of his deceased father figure in Alt Bobby that catch him off guard.

It's all he could ever ask of her to open up in bits and pieces. He'll worry she's bottling the experience up otherwise. They can talk about what Eileen has to do with what Astaroth put in her head as well. They should talk about it as he's fairly clueless certain he already set Eileen straight.

Car shopping would be exactly the kind of excuse the two of them need to have a breather and make it a date.

The rest of the ride is fairly silent. Sam makes a faint effort to smile when Dean drops it and focuses on Ruby the rest of the time. He drifts sleep for minutes at a time and when they stop to gas up, he doesn't exactly feel hungry to ask for anything when Dean heads inside to pay. He looks mildly surprised but accepts the food Dean brings back with a thank you. Dean knows exactly what he would have asked for with the Greek Yogurt and the mixed nuts. Back at the bunker, Sam helps Ruby to their room, aware Dean has the rest handled. He shuts the door so the demon ward going back up might be felt by Ruby a little less. He stays with Ruby a while and slips out for food again when his stomach starts to feel hunger pangs.

The first place he looks is in the kitchen for Dean. Before he can even consider making himself food, he realizes he should get his hand better tended to and in working order again. "Hey, did Cas call back yet?" Apparently, as neither of them are aware, Castiel is having that much of a hot date.

[peaceonearth]

They are very much alike in many ways. After all, most of alt world Bobby's life was normal. Regardless, Ruby will treat him as civilly as possible as long as he returns the favor.

Oh she is. She will and she does it well. However, she's also pretty experienced with the whole bottling coping strategy. She'll work through it in her own time both with his help and on her own. Sam is deeply clueless about Eileen, but her motivations will show themselves in time. Ruby won't object to car shopping. She'll take time with Sam doing something normal. Though, she can't be held responsible for scaring the car salesman if he's annoying.

It's just further proof that Dean is worried about Sam. He gets Ruby a bottle of chocolate milk as well. Throughout the rest of the drive, Ruby dozes on and off. Once she's settled in their room, she opts for a very long, very hot bubble bath.

Predictibly Dean is in the kitchen making chili. He glances up when Sam steps inside. "No. I'm beginning to wonder if he lost his phone." There's an edge of concern to his voice that says he's also beginning to wonder if something happened to the angel. When Cas does resurface, they're going to have to have a talk about communication and staying in touch, not so much because he's needed here as because Dean is a worrywart. "How's Ruby?" Implied is how are you doing.

[weirddreams]

Something normal for a change would do the two of them a lot of good. When was the last time they had a break? They need it. When they're done car shopping, he can suggest they go on a long test drive.

It's considerate of Dean to get Ruby something to drink also and that doesn't go unnoticed by Sam. Why? Because Chocolate milk is a good source of protein for recovery. Sam is more concerned about Ruby than himself the whole drive and is only able to relax when she's settled in. Back at the bunker, he draws the bath for her before slipping out.

The smell of chili brings back fonder memories for Sam, such as when they were younger and camping in the mountains. Days that had been particularly unfriendly to them in the winter had been made more tolerable, in his opinion, by chili filling their stomachs. Sam haphazardly pours himself coffee before leaning on the counter. "That is strange." Sam finally speaks up after a moment to acknowledge how troubled Dean looks about it. "Knowing Cas, he swiped over your text or forgot his passcode for his inbox or something." The angel wasn't fond of technology at all, including spam calls and incorrect weather updates. He could also remind Dean that praying is still picked up by his frequency. That's between Cas and Dean though.

Sam understands what Dean really wants to ask and shakes his head, uncertain there is a good enough answer he can give right then. "I wasn't there for the extent of it so all I can say is that it'll take some time for Ruby. Some time to recover first will do some good. But we need a plan to track down Astaroth before she comes after us, as well." For the moment, he's just so damn glad Ruby is home. Still favoring his good hand, he holds up his coffee as a silent I'm fine.

[peaceonearth]

Taking a long drive is one of Ruby's favorite 'dates' with Sam.

Dean wasn't thinking about recovery or protein; he just knows Ruby likes chocolate milk and there aren't many things she does seem to enjoy eating or drinking. Though neither of them would admit it to save their own lives, they do love each other. Once the bath is drawn, Ruby sinks all the way down into the water and lays her head back. She'll be good here for a long while.

Dean figured chili would hit the spot. Besides, he makes very good chili. Dean nods a little. "If he doesn't show up soon, I'll start pray-nagging his ass." Dean likes to give Cas some space, especially now that he's beginning to put together his own life.

"Yeah. I've been thinking about that. We could bait her, but I figure she'd see it as a trap right away. It's better if we catch up with her and take her by surprise. Any idea what she's doing here besides catching up with Ruby?"

[weirddreams]

Point in fact to Sam's thought is that Dean cares enough to bring something that has benefits to Ruby's recovery. The one thing that is guaranteed is that Sam won't ask them to admit they love each other. The only thing he does need from time to time is them to get along or admit to themselves they have some respect for the other. If Sam gets any indication from Ruby's quiet descent into the tub it's that she will be alright alone-- in fact, she might prefer it so she can wash her blood soaked injuries clean before he returns. Maybe part of him recognizes that she has the desire to think by herself for a while and decompress.

One thing Sam can't complain about is Dean's ability to make a decent chili. It's a reasonable answer, and rather than linger on it, Sam moves to have a seat and enjoy his coffee. He's already popped a pain killer or three back in his bedroom and convinced he will be comfortable for some time yet to patiently wait. "Thanks. It won't kill us to wait until he resurfaces though. Honestly, I'm just glad to be back here. The wards are all back up?"

Sam had been thinking the same thing about baiting Astaroth out in the open and he pinched his nose as reasonably only Ruby could be the bait. "Yeah, no. She would see it coming. I also don't like the idea of putting Ruby through more of that, even for a second. She shouldn't even be alive. My best guess is that she's not done torturing and enslaving souls." They don't have much to go on even with what Sam knows of Ruby's connection to Astaroth. "I don't know if it helps any, but she's not working alone either. She has demons who are following her." He tells Dean how many he counted while he was caught off guard. He reasons that there could be more following her orders as well.

[peaceonearth]

Oh good. Neither of them would admit that verbally. Much like Ruby's declarations of affection, Sam will have to settle for actions over words with those two. Ruby assures Sam that she will be okay alone and adds something like 'You'll be back' to assure herself and remind him she wants him to stay in her orbit. The semi-solitude will give her a chance to process and let down some of her walls without worrying about being vulnerable.

"Yeah, we'll have to put them down when Ruby wants to leave, but I figured better safe than sorry for now." Since they have a demon hunting them. They can be adjusted to the normal 'every demon but Ruby' status after Astaroth has been taken down.

"Standard demon shit." Dean listens as Sam opens up about what happened with Astaroth. "SO...it had to be Chuck that brought her back, right? Or have we got another asshole that can bring monsters and souls back from the beyond?"

[weirddreams]

He'll be close if she needs him as they have that unbreakable connection. He understands she might want privacy for the time being and rubs the nape of her neck just before going. Sam isn't too hard to reach; there's many ways she can call him back.

He bobs his head a few times too many. "I'll defrost some things to be on the safe side." As it sounds like they're camping indoors for a while until Ruby has a chance to breathe. At the very least Sam is unwilling to leave the bunker and is thinking probably three steps ahead.

He nods when Dean addresses the quiet assumption out loud. "If it is another asshole,-" Dean's words, not his, for the lack of a better idea- "All I know is that we're in trouble if they can bring back anyone they like. Chuck hasn't been warm to Ruby from the start so chances are high that he would bring back someone that could hurt her.

"Also we...have to assume there's more of them out there."

[peaceonearth]

She knows, but after his talk with Dean, he'll find her sitting in bed wrapped in a robe combing through wet hair. She knows he needs time to process everything as well and often, spending time with Dean is how he does that.

Dean will let them decide when Sam and Ruby leave. He'll probably keep up a fairly normal schedule with trip to the liquor store and the grocery store. He won't stay gone for long and Jo will spend more time there until all of this is resolved, but he figures he can keep an eye on things in town until then.

"Always be prepared," Dean nods in agreement. He sits down at the table across from Sam with his own cup of coffee. "I'll stock up on groceries and beer later. Check out what's going on in town and ask for some of the regulars in town to let me know if there's anything weird going on in town."

[weirddreams]

Sam is fortunate that Ruby knows him all too well. If her hair is still wet when he returns, he'll offer to dry it and sit next to her. They don't need to talk about it right away, but eventually Sam would speak up.

Sam will be more at ease if Dean is keeping tabs on the town. Jo's presence is always a welcome one. He can't describe it, but he is acutely aware that Astaroth will stop at nothing to hurt them. Chances are they bruised her ego by escaping and like most narcissists she was likely out to prove that wasn't the case. Dean will come to find that a young girl in town will have gone missing. An M.O. belonging to Asaroth's boss, Lilith.

Sam grows quiet with his thoughts going back to the scene he walked in on when he was first un-blindfolded. Something he couldn't couldn't put his finger on nagged at him. He snaps back when Deans sits. "Yeah. I'll leave it to you. Any housewives that started a book club recently would be a red flag. Uh, I'll write a list of some things I need before you go."

[peaceonearth]

Most likely her hair will still be wet just because she doesn't feel like drying it. He'll find her curled up in blankets, wearing a soft tee shirt of his, trying to read a book.

Oh, Dean certainly suspects that. Chuck wouldn't have brought her back if he hadn't thought so and Astaroth doesn't seem the sort of demon to 'let something go'. Once Dean finds the missing poster, he'll bring it back to the bunker and they'll start working on a plan to save her. Even if that weren't Astaroth, they'd want to look into it.

Dean nods a little. "When everyone feels a little more settled, I'll head into town. Pick up groceries, talk to a few people, and see what I find. I'll keep you in the loop."

[weirddreams]

Sam doesn't feel he needs to say it as Dean already seems to understand that he will get back to him when things settle. With no more than a nod, he stands up to excuse himself from the room. "I'll leave the list on the fridge. "

He returns to the bedroom with a clean towel. Call it an educated guess but some part of him knew Ruby wouldn't have had all the energy to dry herself off completely. He sits opposite of the side she chooses and ruffles her hair in the towel to dry it out properly. "Don't think we can take the chance on finding out if you can get a cold too." He wraps her hair into a bundle with the material.

[peaceonearth]

Dean nods and promises that dinner will be ready in about an hour. Sam can decide then if he and Ruby want to eat at the table or in their room.

Ruby looks up when Sam comes in, sitting a bit straighter and pulling the blankets around herself tighter. “Unless it’s some specific cold that affects demon, I think that’s a no,” she tells him, but leans back into him anyway, eyes closing. “That feels good,” she murmurs.

[weirddreams]

It depends on Ruby. She might need his company more than Dean or she even knows. And even if she told him to have dinner without her, he'd come back to the room. But he will at least come by to talk for a moment and thank Dean for making dinner for everyone.

He sits closer to her while still careful where his hands touch her. It seems like she's withdrawing inward while all he wants to do is let her know he's there. "Good. I was afraid the other world affected you more than physically." Feeling her relax against him, he continues to massage her hair until he reaches the end of her strands. He drops the towel and hiis fingers continue to massage her shoulders. "And now?" He leans closer to her ear.

[peaceonearth]

Most likely, she will rally and have dinner with everyone. She needs to thank Dean properly for coming to their aid anyway.


Her eyes close as he continues to massage her shoulders. She hums a little at his question, at his breath on her ear. "Much, much better."