The Devil You Know - SPN

Chapter Twenty

The One In Which All The Car Jargon Is Probably Wrong

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"The hell is wrong with this car?" Dean demanded, slowing the car down slightly.

"Nothing, it just doesn't like you," I replied, poking my tongue out at him and keep a hand pressed hard against my nearly healed wound.

He scoffed and turned to me to reply but was cut off by the engine's violent spluttering, he raised an eyebrow at me before pulling the car off the road.

I twisted in my seat, only wincing slightly when pain shot up my spine. I opened the door and slid out of the warm car, the cool night air engulfing me as my bare feet landed on the asphalt.

"Car, I swear to god," Dean groaned from behind me. I spun around to see him with the hood of my car propped open and looking in disappointment at its engine.

I walked over beside him and sucked my lips into my mouth once the duct tape covered horror that was my poorly repaired engine came into view, "I tried."

Dean moved his hand forward toward the engine cooler.

"What are you doing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Fixing the car."

"No... It's the carburetor that needs fixing," I replied, wrapping my fingers around his wrist and pulling it away from the engine cooler.

"Car, it's clearly the engine cooler," he replied, a hard expression on his face as if daring me to test him.

I would've scoffed if I hadn't known not to provoke him, "Dean, it's the carburetor."

He sucked his lips into his mouth, moving his hand away from the engine and leaning back from me, "Car, just leave this to me."

"Not if your gonna ruin my car," I replied, furrowing my eyebrows and gesturing at the engine with the hand that wasn't desperately clutching my stomach.

"Your car's already ruined!" He shouted suddenly, running a tired hand down his face.

"Are you kidding me?!" I shouted in reply despite knowing that I shouldn't provoke him, his anger fuelled my own.

"What? It's being held together by friggin' duct tape, Car!" He barked, gesturing at the excessive duct tape wrapped around various parts of the engine.

"Better than your piece of crap!" I screamed in reply, clenching my fist and burying my nails into the flesh of my palm.

He straightened, his eyes widening infinitesimally and his chest heaving. I could practically feel the anger radiating off of him in waves, his entire body pulsing as if charged, he opened his mouth to scream a reply but was cut off by Sam walking out and slamming the door behind him.

"What's going on?" He asked softly, despite his angry demeanor.

"The carburetor needs to be fixed but Dean thinks it's the engine cooler," I replied, gesturing wildly at Dean.

Dean scoffed, "A blind man could tell it's the engine cooler."

I shook my head at him but kept my mouth shut, a small but smarter part of me convincing me not to aggravate him further. Sam moved past me and placed his hands on the car, leaning over the motor.

He cleared his throat, "It's in a hell of a state, Car," he commented with a light chuckle, Dean smirked at me triumphantly as I narrowed my eyes at him.

"But she's right, it's definitely the carburetor," Sam added, straightening up and facing Dean.Dean's hard eyes met my own smug ones and despite his obvious anger, I could see the corners of his mouth tilting upward ever-so-slightly. I gave him one last smirk and squeezed Sam's shoulder happily, before spinning around and bouncing back to the car, as much as a person nursing a stab wound could bounce.

I slid into the passenger seat, its familiar leather molding to my tired body and let my eyes flutter shut. I was snapped from my reverie by Dean slamming the hood shut and he and Sam sliding into the car.

Dean didn't so much as look at me as he turned the keys in the ignition, his features hard."Oh no, don't worry," I began, my voice laced with sarcasm, "It's fine, Dean."He scoffed, "I'm not apologizing."

"Even though you were one-hundred percent wrong?" I asked, raising my eyebrows a smug smile painted across my features.

His eyes narrowed and his mouth pressed into a tight line. I twisted in my seat so that I was leaning against the door with my feet beside him, my eyes trained on his hard features.

I wanted to stay staring him down until he finally caved and apologised like I knew he would but sleep's cold hands wrapped around my tired limbs, weighing down my eyelids and slowly I succumbed to cold bliss of unconscious.

-

I awoke with two strong arms underneath me, I let my eyes flutter open and winced as my eyes were exposed to the bright light. I heard a chuckle that reverberated through the chest of whomever was holding me but in my sleepy haze I couldn't make out who it was.

I finally wrenched open my eyes and once they'd adjusted to the light I made out Sam holding me tight to his toned chest.

I sighed heavily and wriggled out of his iron grip, he lowered me gently and when he pulled away a chill shot up my spine causing my entire body to shudder involuntarily.

I finally took in my surroundings, letting my eyes drift over the empty town. This had to be one of the smallest towns I'd ever visited, the empty houses and shops that dotted the single lane road seemed old and decrepit. I spun around to see a large warehouse and beside it Dean smiling giddily at his black Chevy Impala.

I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face when I saw the excitement dancing in his green eyes as he turned to face me.

"Feels good to be back," Dean murmured contentedly, as he slid into the car, a grin painted across his worn features.

I chuckled and marched over toward him, instantly regretting it when I noticed the way the gravel dug into the soles of my bare feet. I winced in pain, lifting my foot and inspecting the sole, and the new wound that decorated its center, dripping crimson blood onto the gravel below.

Sam let out a low whistle as he approached me and noticed, I raised my eyes to meet his as I lowered my foot placing it back against the burning ground and continued my walk to Dean's car.

Once I reached the car I yanked open the door and collapsed into the seat, clutching desperately at the glove box. I ignored Dean's worried look as I fished through the contents of the compartment, which was mostly old albums, unsurprisingly. I let out a relieved sigh when my fingers finally connected with the familiar fabric of the first aid kit.

I sifted through the kit until I found a bandage suitable for stifling the flow of blood from the underside of my foot. I twisted the bandage around my foot until I'd successfully wrapped it and then pulled it into the car, sighing contentedly as I rested it against the cool plastic on the floor of the car.

Dean raised an eyebrow, "The hell'd you do?"

I rested my head against the back of the seat and let my tired eyes flutter shut, "I walked too hard on the gravel."

I could picture Dean's expression, the image dancing on the backs of my eyelids. His raised eyebrows and a grin playing on his lips.

After a moment I was almost asleep again, the only indicator that I was awake was that I noticed when Dean started the engine, the familiar hum dissolving any of my remaining will to stay awake.