Chapter Text
The ride was quiet and bordering on uncomfortable with the build of tension in such a confined space.
Had it been a normal situation, you would have taken it upon yourself to perk up the boys with witty and humorous conversation, starting with Sam and letting Dean decide when he was ready to give in and join you both. It was one of your few talents, being able to lighten the mood after some particularly rough hunts, and you knew the brothers where more than grateful for your efforts.
This, however, was not a normal situation, and even with your desperate want to make the boys at least crack a smile of some sort, you couldn't.
For all you knew, this whole thing could have been your fault, and you didn't even know it. You couldn't exactly remember what had happened or why things had transpired the way they did, even before the museum. It was obvious, however, that the outcome was not being taken lightly, especially by Dean.
With that thought in mind, you leaned forward from the back seat and reached out a hand to shake Sam's shoulder. The light motion had the taller Winchester nearly jumping out of his seat, having been lost in thought. He turned to look you over as if expecting the worst. When he realized that all was well, he gave a small, relieved smile.
"Hey, you need something?"
You gave your own smile, just as small though more sad than relieved, and a shake of your head at his question, assuring that all was well. You then sent a long, concerned glance in Dean's direction before looking back to Sam in the same fashion. Even with your current lack of verbal skills, he seemed to understand what you were getting at.
"Don't worry, we're just...stumped at the moment. Things obviously didn't work out the way they should have back there. We're trying to figure it all out, where exactly things went wrong."
You gave a sigh at the news, already knowing the reason they were so quiet before it was confirmed. Of course they would assume it was something they did wrong. And if you knew Dean as well as you were sure you did, he was blaming himself big time for the disappearance of your voice, for breaking the glass without thinking of any consequences that could have occurred thereafter.
How could he have known? How could any of you have known?
"Why don't you get some sleep?" Dean spoke up suddenly, giving you the briefest of glances through the rearview mirror before his eyes were back on the road.
"Yeah, get some rest," Sam agreed, "we've still got a ways to go."
You were hesitant to leave the brothers in such a dismal silence, alone in their thoughts without reprieve. It was never a good thing, especially for the Winchesters.
Sam, ever the perceptive man, was all too aware of your way of thinking.
"We'll be fine, (Y/N). We've handled much worse. It won't do any good for you to worry about us worrying about you."
That had you cracking an amused smile, one Sam was easily able to mirror.
You gave a small nod and a gentle squeeze to his shoulder as affirmation that you would do as he and Dean asked. You then turned to Dean, his eyes still steadily glued to the road as he drove on, and leaned forward to plant a comforting kiss to his shoulder. It was a gesture you did often when you were alone, an act of comfort and love that often had the elder brother smiling at you affectionately. This time, there was no smile to be found, though Dean did seem to visibly relax in his seat.
"We'll let you know when we get there," Dean assured almost quietly with another quick look at you through the rearview mirror, his gaze catching the smile and quick nod you gave in turn.
It wasn't much, your actions to soothe their frayed nerves, but your efforts were enough to ease the tension from the air. It was with that knowledge that you were able to make yourself comfortable and slip into a dreamless sleep, Dean's leather coat shielding you from any cool drafts that found their way into the car.
It was still dark when the Impala pulled into a nearly empty lot on the farthest end of of a motel.
You were between the realms of sleep and wakefulness, aware of your surroundings but not quite able to react to them. You could feel the car roll to a stop, could hear and feel the steady thrum of the engine for a few seconds longer before it, too, came to a stop. For another minute after, all was still, and you nearly fell back into a restful sleep.
A light touch to your hair had you turning in that direction, eyes opening and adjusting. With the iridescent glow of the motel lights reaching outward, you were just able to see Dean's gentle smile and tired gaze.
"We're stopping for the night. Sam went to get a room; he thinks it'll be good to get some rest before we meet up with Bobby."
You nodded as you made to sit up, stretching as best you could in such a confined space. Dean helped you out of the car soon after, hands coming up to steady you as you tripped over the fabrics of your dress. That was definitely getting annoying....
"Did you guys happen to bring any of my clothes, or am I gonna have to wear this stupid thing until we get to Bobby's place?"
You gave a huff as Dean stared at your mouth in an attempt to catch what you were saying. When he gave no indication of understanding your question, you plucked at the material of your 16th Century gown before giving a tug to his shirt, pointing a few times between you to further hint at what you were getting at.
"Oh! Clothes, right. Well, I think I got something of yours in the back."
He moved to open the trunk, popping the lid and displaying the array of weaponry that was stashed within. In the far corner sat three duffle bags, one of which you instantly recognized as your own, albeit a bit on the dusty side. Dean pulled all three out and closed the trunk just as Sam was making his way back over to the car.
"We're good for the night. Check-out's normally at twelve, but I convinced them to give us until three, just in case."
"Awesome! You rock, Sammy," Dean praised with a tired smile, tossing one of the bags to Sam who then led the way into the room.
The layout was fairly simple, as most motel rooms were. There was a little nook that had a desk-like table and two chairs to the far left, and just to the right was the door to the bathroom. The beds, both queen-sized, were also on the left, though closer to the entrance, and it looked incredibly inviting.
Despite your need to change, you couldn't help but make a bee-line to the first bed and all but collapsed onto the comforter. It was much softer than you expected it to be, coming from a motel.
"I think I'll head for the shower first, if that's cool," Sam said aloud, watching as you gave a lazy, contented nod in acknowledgement, snuggling just a bit further into the mattress and letting out a relaxed sigh. God, it felt like it had been ages since you'd had the chance to lay on a bed.
You closed your eyes for a moment, just content with laying out as you were, unaware until Dean's gentle shake to your shoulder that you had actually fallen asleep in your relaxed state. He had even jumped in the shower beforehand, his hair still somewhat damp and his appearance overall a bit more refreshed, meaning you had been out for a good half-hour, at least.
"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty," he said quietly as you gave a sleepy smile, "the shower's still nice'n hot. Figured you might want to get in, at least get out of that monstrosity of a dress like you wanted."
You could feel your throat flex and contort into a small bout of laughter at his words, though no sound came through. You nodded all the same, and with a quick rummage through your bag still sitting beside you on the bed where Dean had placed it, you were off to the bathroom.
Getting out of the dress was a bit of a struggle, but once it was off, breathing became much easier than you thought was capable. You hadn't even realized the damn thing was so tight! The shower's hot water was even more of a relief, as were your t-shirt and sleep pants once you had dried off. For the first time in a while, you felt human, and it was a feeling you didn't even know could be lost in the way you had lost it.
When you finally made your way out, Sam had already passed out in the furthest bed from the door, his arm splayed out beside him a sure sign of a good sleep. Dean, however, was still awake, his arms tucked behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.
You made your way over to the bed, just catching his attention before slipping underneath the sheets beside him. He smiled then, and for a moment, you just studied him.
It was a wonder he was even awake at this point, as the bags under his eyes suggested he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in possibly days, maybe even weeks. The worry lines just above his brow seemed more predominant, more deeply etched than the last time you'd seen him, and it made you wonder just how long he'd had to look for you, to worry and fret over the danger your life could have been in.
So lost in your thoughts you were, you hadn't even realized Dean's light smile had turned into a frown.
"What's wrong?"
As a way of answering, you placed the palm of your hand against his slightly stubbled cheek, your thumb tracing carefully just under his eye. You couldn't voice your concerns, but Dean was at least able to pick up on them.
He reached up to take hold of your hand, placing a firm kiss to your palm as a way to ease your worries, and another against your wrist. When his eyes locked with yours, you knew what was coming next, and you welcomed the gentle caress of his lips against yours.
For several long minutes, he kissed you, his hands finding their way into your still damp hair as you clung to his arms. It was both an overwhelming and reassuring sensation, grounding you in a way that there was no doubt this was real. You were here, Dean was here, and that was that.
This, you realized as he finally pulled away and turned out the lamp, pulled you close to him and wrapped his arms around you as you both settled to sleep, felt like home.
Tomorrow, there would be many questions and few answers; there would be tons of confusion and anger, maybe even fear of what little any of you knew about what was going on and why. For now, however, you were safe in Dean's arms, and you thanked God he had not given up on finding you.