Chapter Text
Kenosha, Wisconsin- Fall 2002
It was a regular Thursday night; "Thirsty Thursday" specials glowed on the light-up board behind the bartenders' heads. College coeds were all over the place, playing beer pong and pool and darts, 'sneaking' drunk, sloppy kisses. The students of the two local universities mingled here, at this dingy, dive bar, before heading off for the night to do things that no one would speak of in the daylight.
The place wasn't as skeevy as Dean had predicted from the parking lot. The building looked rather old and run down, the sign for The Somers House had paint peeling off and was in need of some serious TLC. He figured it was as good a place as any to pull in and get a drink; there was a vampire terrorizing the local college girls and he and his father had come to hunt down the son of a bitch that was leaving pretty faces mutilated and exsanguinated in ditches around the shores of Lake Michigan. John had gone off on his own earlier, undoubtedly to a different dive bar on another side of town, leaving Dean to his own devices.
Like father, like son, Dean mentally chuckled at himself as he finished his beer. A simple hand gesture alerted the flirty blonde behind the bar that he wanted another. Every chance she got, she'd twirl her hair around her finger and smile brightly at him, trying so hard to get his attention. Any other night, Dean would flirt back, and more than likely get her to invite him home for a night of fun. But right now he was on reconnaissance. All of the victims of the vampire he was hunting were either 21 or 22 years old, female, and they all disappeared from either downtown Kenosha or a bar like this one, closer to the university campuses. He was hoping to spot his prey in the crowd, but he knew without more research it was futile at best. At least this way, if John asked what his night consisted of, it wouldn't be a total lie if Dean said he was working.
Taking a pull from his ice cold beer, Dean turned his focus back to the crowd around the bar, abandoning the throngs of bodies out dancing and partying to the loud music. His eyes landed on a girl at the very edge of the bar, glass of something dark beside her, books spread out on the counter. Her dark hair was tied up in a messy bun, and thick, black, square framed glasses were perched at the end of her nose. Every so often, she'd take a sip from her drink, then tap her pen against her lips. She then gently nibbled her lower lip as she paged through her books, almost frantically, before settling on a new set of pages and furiously taking down information into her notebook.
Dean was perplexed by her; he'd never seen a woman do her homework in a public place like a bar, let alone one full of college kids trying to ditch their studies for a night full of drinking and bad decisions. He'd assumed she was doing her homework at the very least. In a place like this, there wasn't much else she would be doing. Minutes flew by as he watched her, slowly morphing to almost a whole hour before he watched her close her books with a content smile, removing her glasses from her face and tugging the rubber band from her hair. Dean wasn't sure what exactly compelled him to move, but he found himself walking towards her, uncertain of his own intentions. He quickly noted that her glass was empty, deciding to use that as his opening line.
"Mind if I buy you another?" He flashed his most dazzling smile as he eased next to her, motioning to her glass. She looked at him, puzzled for a moment, before nodding.
"Liv, lemme get another!" She hollered to the blonde that had been flirting with Dean. He watched Liv pour a strong Jack and Coke, swapping out the full glass for her empty. "Thank you…." She left her statement open, giving him the opportunity to begin a conversation.
"Dean," He finished her sentence, smiling bright.
"Well, thank you for the drink Dean," She beamed back. " 'Preciate it." It was then that he noticed her southern drawl.
"You're not from around here, are you?" He asked.
"Very astute," She commented. "I'm from Georgia, a little town called Savannah. I'm a nursing student at the University of Wisconsin."
"That's quite a ways away from Georgia…." He commented much like she had earlier, hoping to get the brunette's name.
"Lorelai, but you can call me Rory." She responded, catching up on his subtle hint. "And you're right, but my Meemaw was here so that's why I chose to attend college here. Not much left for me back home." By now, Rory had downed her entire drink, setting her glass on the counter, whereas Dean was only half finished with his beer. "Well, Dean, thanks for the drink, but I really need to be off. I've got an exam early in the morning. Maybe I'll see you around?" She smiled bright as she gathered her books into her arms. Dean downed the rest of his beer quickly, his arm darting out to catch her elbow before she could walk away.
"Do you want a ride home?" He offered. The words left his lips before he could even think. Something about this girl- Lorelai- was pulling him in, like he was just naturally drawn to her. She smiled politely at him before shaking her head.
"Sorry, sugar, but I'm not that kind of girl," Rory responded. Her accent punctuated her words, adding to the air of mystery surrounding the studious young woman before him. "Maybe tomorrow you can buy me another drink before one am and we can talk," She chuckled, placing her hand on his shoulder as she walked past. "Goodnight, Dean." She patted his shoulder before walking away, her hips swaying as she left the bar. Dean's head began to spin, he took a seat on the stool she'd previously occupied. Most nights all he had to do was smile at a woman to get her into bed with him. This one actually turned him down, surprising him even further after watching her study at the bar. He fished his keys out of his leather jacket, threw a couple bills on the counter, and headed back for the motel.
As Dean returned to the room he was sharing with his father, Lorelai was the only thing consuming his thoughts. The vampire was the last thing on his mind. He'd just hoped that John would let them split up to keep an eye out tomorrow night. He really wanted to buy Rory that drink.