Kingpin Motel (Supernatural G/T)

Chapter Sixteen

Dean sat on his knees, worried thoughts running through his mind. Every sound outside near the door made him jump. He could hear almost everything and it drove him crazy. Doors opening and closing, voices through the wall to the left, and cars whizzing down the road to the right.

"It's different isn't it?" Starla's voice caught his attention and he looked over at the teen as she took a seat next to him. "Everything must feel so foreign to you now."

The Winchester only hummed in agreement, casting a quick glance at the short haired Borrower. 

"Dean. What...what were you and Sam talking about outside? When you hit each other?" Starla questioned in a soft tone, her blue eyes again locking on the purple barb sticking out of her friend's chest. 

Dean was silent, pursing his lips. His callused hands fiddled with his fed suit shirt, as it was the only clothes he had. They were now blood soaked and torn. They would definitely need to replace it later. He was just lucky they shrunk with him. Taking a breath through his nose he finally spoke. "I don't think you want to know."

"No, I do want to know. That's why I asked." Starla now met Dean's green eyes, amazed that she could look into them both at the same time. She used to have to just pick one to focus on. Even under his gaze, she didn't feel so small and helpless as she did when he was his normal height.

Taking a few moments to figure out how to word everything, Dean was still hesitant to speak. "Sam at first pulled me outside to tell me off about the way I was treating you. Forcing you to be in a pocket, etc. But then I changed the topic to...something else. Something I still mean to talk with him about, because it may be for the best." 

A sinking feeling grew in the pit of Starla's stomach. Despite how much part of her told her not to press him for more information, the other part of her needed to know. "And that would be?"

Dean licked his lips, his mouth feeling suddenly very dry. He visibly swallowed and averted his gaze from the girl he considers his younger sister. "I mentioned how we might have to leave you here."

Starla opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. Her heart grew heavy. She could feel a sense of betrayal welling in her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, unsure how to even respond to him.

He felt guilty for even thinking it, but he had his reasons. "We are constantly hunting monsters, demons. Keeping you with us, taking you to all these places would put you on any creatures hit list. Anyone around us dies, Starla. Sam and I both wouldn't want to watch that happen to you."

"You're not going to leave me here," Starla's hands clenched into fists, her head hanging low as she struggled to keep herself from shouting. "I refuse to stay here alone any longer. You'll have to kill me before I let you leave without me. And if you somehow manage to, know this. I-I won't hide. I'll let whoever comes into this run down place next see me."

"That's suicide." Dean scowled at the Borrower. 

"And leaving me here is no better than killing me yourself!" Starla couldn't hold back the anger in her voice, the tears that brimmed in her blue eyes. The idea of being left alone again terrified her. The only way she survived before was believing one day she'd see Sam and Dean again. It wouldn't be the same if they left her behind purposefully. It'd kill her.

"Starla, this isn't up for debate. It's best if you stay here, it really is." Dean started to reach his arm over, flinching in surprise when she smacked it away.

"D-Don't touch me. I-I'm not staying, S-Sam wouldn't leave me behind, h-he actually cares about me. I-I knew it. Y-You don't. That's why you f-forgot a lot about me, th-that's why you were so ignorant of the way I didn't want to be just shoved in a pocket." Tears continued to drip down her cheeks as the dark thoughts swam through her mind, making her see everything differently. 

"Don't talk like that, of course I care about you. Starla, you-" Dean buttoned his lips when loud footsteps made their way right to the door of the motel room. he could tell Starla heard them too, for she visibly tensed, her eyes widening in worry and fear. 

Dean wasn't entirely sure what to do in a situation like this. His first instinct was to hide. He looked to Starla for any sign, but the brown haired Borrower was no longer sitting near him and was instead sprinting towards the edge of the bed. "Star-"

"Hurry up!" Her voice came out in a hushed, harsh whisper, her eyes narrowed fiercely as they darted back and forth from Dean to the door. "If it isn't Sam, do you want to get caught?!"

He didn't need to be asked twice. He pushed himself to his feet and ran across the unsteady surface, struggling to keep his balance and follow her. The barb sticking out of his chest made it painful to move certain ways, but he couldn't worry about that now.

Starla never even had a chance to begin explaining to Dean how to climb down the side of the bed. The door to the motel room flung open. Silently she cursed Sam. Hadn't he locked it?

Dean grabbed Starla's arm even though the look on her face protested it. The older Winchester started to drag her toward the pillow, hoping that it could provide any cover from the stranger. He had yet to notice why she was practically frozen in place. 

Starla's tiny blue eyes were locked on the stranger. Short black hair, almost the Sam hazel colored eyes Sam had, worn out clothes. To her, he almost looked like some sort of drug dealer. His eyes were boring into her and Dean. Everything told her to run, to flee and hide. But she was frozen. 

The next thing she knew, Dean had stepped in front of her. His right arm was out to his side, protectively shielding her from the black haired man. He then turned his head, looking at the Borrower with probably the firmest gaze she's seen from him and spoke only one word.

"Run."