Bulls and Blood (Dean)

[ZZZ - Dean - RETIRED]

Dean had tuned out Sully’s presence once he’d started pacing back and forth, giving himself more focus for his runaway thoughts of supernatural horse myths and legends. Unfortunately, most of the ones that sprang to mind were definitely not what he was dealing with here. In fact, most of the ones he was thinking of, he’d probably seen in films rather than in any research but he couldn’t help but keep coming back to the same dread inducing thought. What if the last seal had broken and he didn’t know about it? What if the Horsemen were now on the loose and one had decided to swing by here?

C’mon Dean, that’s ridiculous. Even if the apocalypse has begun, why on earth would a horseman be bothering to scare people to death in a small town rodeo in the middle of no-where? It’s not exactly a grand entrance to the end of the world is it. Besides, this seems to be a female demon, not a Horseman. Quit being so paranoid…

He turned to pace back towards the table and found it unexpectedly blocked, his head snapping up in surprise that Sully had stepped into his path.

“Look, it’s been a long day, and an even longer night. Let’s take a break and get a beer.”

It soon became apparent that she was leaving to get a drink, with or without him but Dean was slow to chose what he wanted to do. A drink sounded like a fantastic idea, he hadn’t realised until now how thirsty he was, but his gaze drifted back to the image on the laptop and his inbuilt need to finish the hunt started nagging at the back of his mind. He knew though that there was nothing he could do right now though. If they had gone back to the rodeo arena, all they would find would be a bunch of cops and some awkward questions. The demon they were looking for wouldn’t be so stupid as to hang around there now, not after putting so much effort into hiding in plain sight and avoiding detection. So what other options did he have?

If he wasn’t lacking the concentration needed to read up on the lore, then research would have been a better idea along with resting up and giving himself a chance to heal before he went toe to toe with another demon. It was times like this he envied Sam’s ability to sit up all night and become immersed in his books. Dean’s attention span had never been all that and whenever he tried it, invariably he always ended up falling asleep halfway though, so that probably wasn't going to be very worthwhile right now either.

The motel room door closed with a click, catching Dean’s attention. It was strange to find that Sully was actually trusting him to be in her room when she wasn’t and maybe that earned her a little bit of respect from him. Perhaps he would take her up on the offer of a drink after all. Before he left the room to follow her over to the bar, he purposefully snapped the laptop shut so that the frozen picture on the screen wouldn’t be there, staring at him when they got back again. He didn’t need to see it anymore, it was seared into his brain like so many other nightmares from Hell.

A few minutes later he’d made it across to the Cowboy Casanova Inn where a cold beer was like the oasis in a vast desert. He found Sully sitting at one end of the bar in the very place he would have chosen to sit. Back to the wall, eyes on both exits. Where any hunter watching their back would pick. He caught her eye at the door and then wandered over to the middle of the bar to ask for a beer and a shot of whiskey. The whiskey was downed straight away but he slid the beer down the counter as he went to join her at the far end of the room.

“I’ve been on some hunts in my time, but this one…” He shook his head and smiled bitterly as he eased himself up onto the bar stool next to hers.

“This one’s friggin weird.”

[Deleted]

If Sully thought the motel room was bad, the bar was worse. The waitresses had on skimpy cowgirl uniforms, complete with boots and hats. The walls were lined with the normal pictures and alcohol related neon lights. There were also neon cowboys, bronco’s, bulls, and all sorts of other rodeo related décor. There were a few pool table on the far side of the bar and a mechanical bull in the center of the place. Drunken patrons were hooting and hollering at each other as they took turns and the man behind the controls whipped the bull around this way and that.

Sully sighed and went to the bar ordering a beer and heading over to the table in the far corner. It was the best view in the place. She could see everything, and that was the way she preferred it. You couldn’t be too careful.

Especially with a demonic horse on the loose.

That was still something Sully was trying to wrap her mind around as she sat on the stool. She didn’t know if Dean was really seeing something, or if he was just insane. Then again she could heal people with a touch, so she really wasn’t in any place to judge. She’d probably be less likely too if he didn’t have such a cocky attitude and if he weren’t recovering from a head injury.

The beer froze halfway to her mouth as she realized she left Dean in the motel room by himself. With her things. There wasn’t much to take unless he was prone to wearing womens underwear, but she knew better than to leave anyone alone with her stuff. This was not good.

Dean may have been a hunter, but he was still a stranger. Worry began to creep up about him being alone with her personal effects and Sully wondered for a moment if she’d hit her head too hard. It was a dumb mistake, one she shouldn't have made.

For all I know he is prone to wearing womens underwear and will take off with my entire stash of thongs. I really don’t want to have to go shopping.

Sully was about to get up and head back to the motel room when she noticed Dean come through the door. The tension in her shoulders relaxed a bit. He walked over to the bar ordered a beer and a shot, which he quickly downed before making his way over to her. Setting his beer on the table Dean pulled out the stool next to her and sat down.

Sully was positioned in the corner, but there was enough room between them and the wall that she could shimmy out if need be, so she wasn’t too worried about it. She realized she was probably being paranoid, but that was the life of a hunter. If you got comfortable you usually got killed. Sully wasn’t ready to die just yet.

Well at least my underwear should be safe.

“I’ve been on some hunts in my time, but this one…” She looked over at him, noticing the sour look on his face. “This one’s friggin weird.”

Sully nodded. She couldn’t really deny that. Looking across the bar she watched as a good sized fellow in a flannel shirt twisted and swayed on the mechanical bull as he tried to keep his grip. The control man whipped the bull around and the big guy went flying into the mats that were laid on the floor to keep people from breaking an arm. He got up and threw his arms in the air, getting cheers from the drunken crowd.

For a moment Sully wondered what it was like for someone’s biggest worry in life to be making sure their kids got into college or making a mortgage payment on time. She knew they mostly took those things for granted, but really they were luxuries. People like Sully and Dean knew what was out there, and Sully at least knew, that a family and a mortgage was not something she’d ever have to worry about.

“I find it amazing that demons always seem to do the most off the
wall things to carry out their plans. I once tracked down a demon that turned an entire family into his own marionette puppets just because he was bored.” Shaking her head she sipped beer. “It was a pleasure to send that bastard back to hell.”

That reminded her…. “The demon tonight seemed awfully intent on making sure you wound up dead. Why is that exactly?” She raised a brow at him. “And how exactly does that nifty little knife of yours work?”

[ZZZ - Dean - RETIRED]

“I find it amazing that demons always seem to do the most off the wall things to carry out their plans. I once tracked down a demon that turned an entire family into his own marionette puppets just because he was bored. It was a pleasure to send that bastard back to hell.”

Dean idly wondered if he hadn’t come across that particular demon down in the pit. So many had made a point to see him strung up on the rack, as if he were some kind of celebrity side show, it wouldn’t have surprised him to know that the vast majority had been redirected to Hell because of hunters just like Dean. Getting their pound of flesh from him - quite literally - well they probably imagined it was some kind of justice.

“The demon tonight seemed awfully intent on making sure you wound up dead. Why is that exactly?”

“I’m gonna hazard a guess that it was because it was a demon, and that’s sort of what they do.” He offered, none too helpfully, taking a sip of his beer to avoid having to explain further. Already he could sense that she was going to be like a dog with a bone. One of those really yappy ones that looked cute but were so annoying.

“And how exactly does that nifty little knife of yours work?”

A short laugh escaped Dean’s lips and he subtly shook his head and glanced down at the beer in his hand. There was no denying that this woman was going to be a pain in his ass.

“Straight in there with the big questions huh? Alright…” He pursed his lips together and set the bottle on the table, then gave her his full, undivided attention as though he was about to reveal a huge secret.

“My knife? Well you see, it’s sharp and pointy and when you stab someone with it, I’d imagine it kinda hurts a little bit. Maybe I should also explain how guns go bang too?” He said sarcastically, unwilling to give away the fact that his brother had gotten very friendly with a demon and that she had been the one to give it to them.

[Deleted]

“Straight in there with the big questions huh? Alright…” He pursed his lips together and set the bottle on the table, then gave her his full, undivided attention as though he was about to reveal a huge secret.

Sully sipped her beer and looked at Dean. That seemed easy. Idly she wondered if the pain meds the hospital had given him earlier were still swimming through his veins. Combine that with the alcohol he was consuming, and she figured maybe it had loosened his tongue a bit.

“My knife? Well you see, it’s sharp and pointy and when you stab someone with it, I’d imagine it kinda hurts a little bit. Maybe I should also explain how guns go bang too?”

Sarcasm dripped from his words and Sully rolled her eyes. Shaking her head she took another swig of beer. Dean was a regular smart ass. Not that she hadn’t learned that by now.

Well so much for that theory.

“Last time I checked knives didn’t…” She trailed off. “Well, I’m not sure what the knife did to the demon, but it takes more than just stabbing them to exorcise them out of a host. Oh, yeah and they usually don’t glow all those pretty colors either. That ain’t no regular knife, Cowboy. I may not know much, but I know that’s a fact.”

Sully swigged her beer. “Besides that demon only had eyes for you. It knew who you were. I was just an irritating fly that it was swatting out of the way. On top of that you clearly saw something I didn’t on that disc.” She raised an eyebrow. “But I don’t suppose you want to tell me how or why on any of the above.”

Leaning forward, Sully rested her elbows on the table. Her skin dipped into various nicks that had scarred the wood over time. The entire place had been seasoned by rough and tumble cowboys, floozies, and people just out looking to have a good time. It was Sully’s kind of place all around.

Obviously getting a straight answer from Dean wasn’t going to be easy. In fact it was probably going to be more like trying to pull teeth from a feral mountain lion while it’s awake and extremely pissed off. Dean seemed to be the stubborn sort, so she figured that unless she got him smashed, she probably wasn’t going to get a damn bit of information out of him otherwise.

Tomorrow was going to suck. Sully had a feeling that no matter what she’d be barrel racing. She was already sore, though the alcohol was blocking the pain a bit. She figured that adding a hangover into the mix wouldn’t really change things much. Besides tomorrow’s show was in the late afternoon. That gave her plenty of time to hit up the closest Wally World and get some Pedialyte.

In the mean time she was determined to get some answers out of Dean, one way or the other.

“I need another beer,” She stood up and walked past Dean. “You want anything from the bar?”

[ZZZ - Dean - RETIRED]

“Last time I checked knives didn’t…Well, I’m not sure what the knife did to the demon, but it takes more than just stabbing them to exorcise them out of a host. Oh, yeah and they usually don’t glow all those pretty colors either. That ain’t no regular knife, Cowboy. I may not know much, but I know that’s a fact.”

John Winchester had never raised his sons to be rude and Dean knew that avoiding telling Sully anything about Ruby’s knife meant he was doing just that. She was a fellow hunter and she had proved she was on his side when it came to wanting to kill demons, so he supposed he owed her some kind of explanation. That said, he wasn’t about to blab everything, just enough to shut her up on the subject.

“Okay, you’re right. It’s not a regular knife.” He conceded, lowering his voice a little so that the civilians in the bar wouldn’t be able to accidentally overhear their conversation about killing things.

“You stab a demon with it and it doesn’t just go back to Hell. It’s dead. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred bucks.” He took a swig of his beer and glanced over at another guy lining up for a ride on the mechanical bull in the middle of the room. Something about him reminded Dean of Ash. Probably the guy’s mullet hair cut.

“You could say I aquired it a while back from someone with a few skills in the magic department.”

Who just so happens to be a demon who may or may not be on our side and who I think might have a little bit of a thing for my brother, which is all kinds of messed up but that's my life in a nutshell…

“It comes in handy in our line of work.”

It crossed his mind to bring up the Colt that could kill anything just so he could impress her with his super unique set of hunting weapons, only he hadn’t seen that since Bela had stolen it from him a couple of years ago. Considering how she had been involuntarily working for Lilith at the time, he figured that particular item had probably been long since smelted down into a useless lump of metal by now. No demon would want to keep a gun around that could kill them, even one as arrogant as Lilith.

“Besides that demon only had eyes for you. It knew who you were. I was just an irritating fly that it was swatting out of the way.

“What can I say, maybe my reputation proceeds me. I’ve kicked some ass in my time. Maybe I made it to the demon’s most wanted top ten.” He shrugged, an air of pride at the possibility showing through.

No maybe about it…I think I’m at number one…

“On top of that you clearly saw something I didn’t on that disc. But I don’t suppose you want to tell me how or why on any of the above.”

“Hey, look. I’m as in the dark about why I keep seeing demonic horses everywhere as you-” Abruptly he cut himself off, already realising that if she was actually listening, she might have picked up on his mistake and would ask where else he had been seeing them. She didn’t need to know about what he’d been through the last couple of weeks and he really didn’t want to rehash the whole story to her just so that she wouldn’t think he was nuts.

“I need another beer. You want anything from the bar?”

Phew…I think I got away with that one…

“Uh, yeah.” He said automatically, noting how much was left in his bottle after she’d already gone back to the bar.

[Deleted]

Sully walked over to the bar, her mind still processing all of what Dean said. She had been rambling so fast, she only realized what he actually said a few seconds after she walked away from the table. She blinked a few times as she reached the bar and absently ordered two beers and two shots of whiskey and thought about what Dean said.

“Okay, you’re right. It’s not a regular knife.” He conceded, lowering his voice a little so that the civilians in the bar wouldn’t be able to accidentally overhear their conversation about killing things.

“You stab a demon with it and it doesn’t just go back to Hell. It’s dead. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred bucks.”

Well that was... That would be something to have around if he was telling the truth about how it worked. What hunter wouldn’t want one of those? Of course, seeing as how this was the first time she’d ever heard of one, let alone saw it, she figured it was rare. Though maybe Dean would be able to direct her towards the person who made it. She filed that thought away for after Dean was drunk.

He seemed secretive, and Sully couldn’t blame him. Hell she hadn’t told him her real name yet. She wasn’t the most forth coming person either. Generally though it was because you had to be careful who you told what. A hunter isn’t a hunter isn’t a hunter. They were all different, all in this for different reasons, and some were much, much darker about this life than others. Some went completely off the deep end, never to find their way back to level ground. It was the way of the life, and not everyone is kind.

Of course Dean had slipped.

“Hey, look. I’m as in the dark about why I keep seeing demonic horses everywhere as you-”

Sully had gone over to the bar, pretending not to have caught it. Not yet anyways. Dean has a magic demon killing knife, and apparently see’s demonic horses everywhere, not to mention the fact that demons are actually gunning for him, despite what Dean says about that. Either Dean was a really good hunter with a reputation, or there was some other reason all of these things were happening to him.

It’s none of your business, Sully. Just get the job done and move on.

Accept if they actually did have a demonic horse on their hands and Dean was the only one who could see them, it may be something she has to ask him about. Sully had heard of psychics, witches, necromancers, seers, and all the other mystical things that people could be. Hell, Sully herself could heal people, even if it came with a price to herself, and occasionally take spirit walks. She wasn’t one to judge. Well not unless any of the above use their powers to hurt people. Then yeah, she judged and usually killed.

Dean though almost seemed confused about his ability to see these horses.

Demonic horses though? That’s new.

She was going to have to do some research before the rodeo tomorrow. If there was a demonic horse, well it could be different from regular demons.

The bartender placed the drinks in front of her and she paid him, giving him a generous tip. Sully went to grab the drinks, when she felt someone walk up behind her.

“Hey there pretty lady,” Someone said in a drunken slur. “Are one of those drinks for me?”

Sully glanced over her shoulder. He was built like a quarter back. Broad shoulders, blonde spiked hair, and a cocky smile that pointed to dimples in his cheeks. He wore loose fitted jeans, and a black button down shirt. His blue eyes leered at her with approval.

Sully could already tell this was the kind of guy who was used to having women swoon over him. If there weren’t more important things going on at the moment, she may have considered taking him back to the motel for a night of fun, but she didn’t have the time. Besides most guys who think they’re that highly of themselves are usually the worst in bed.

“Nope, sorry.” Grabbing the drinks she wiggled from between him and the bar and started back towards the table.

“Aww come on,” He said following her. “How are you gonna treat me that way?”

Sully rolled her eyes at Dean and set the drinks on the table and turned to face blondie. “As you can see I’ve already got company. So scamper off and find someone else to fall for your swoons.”

Blondie glanced at Dean before turning back to Sully. “Come on sweet heart,” He grabbed Sully’s wrist. “You can do better than the guy who almost got killed at the rodeo today.”

Sully looked down at her hand and back up to blondie. The first tendrils of anger washed through her blood. She was getting sick of being manhandled. “I’ll tell you what. You let go of my wrist and walk away and I won’t break your nose.” She smiled up at him. “Okay?”

Blondie laughed and jerked against him. She pressed a hand against his chest to keep a bit of space between them. “Fiesty! I like that.”

She tilted her head, still smiling at him. “Really? Then you’re gonna love this.” Sully brought her knee up into Blondie’s groin. His face tightened with pain as he released his grip on her and fell to his knees. Sully lifted his chin so he could look at her. “I did give you fair warning.” Balling her fist she punched him in the nose, and heard the satisfying crunch of cartilage breaking beneath her fingers. Blondie yelled in pain and suddenly all eyes were on them.

“You should have taken the warning let me go,” She shoved him and Blondie fell on his side, one hand cradling his now broken nose, the other holding his groin.

“You bitch!”

Sully shrugged and grabbed her beer. “Go, scamper off back to your friends.” She waved him off. “And maybe think twice before you grabbing women that don’t want to be grabbed.”

Ignoring everyone looking at her, Sully reclaimed her stool next to Dean. She knocked back her shot of whiskey and looked over at him. “So where were we?”

[ZZZ - Dean - RETIRED]

Seeing the blonde haired guy sauntering up behind Sully with his ‘I’m gonna get me a slice of that sweet pie’ expression on his face, knowing what Dean did about the kind of woman Sully was, it was like watching a car crash waiting to happen.

“Hey there pretty lady. Are one of those drinks for me?”

Dean inwardly cringed. Not only because he could sense what was about to happen, but because he had actually used that opening line in the past. Granted, he was often as drunk as this guy was, but still. Now he could see what it sounded like, he made a mental note never to use it again.

Mind you…I do have more charm that that dude. Maybe I’ll keep it in reserve….

“Nope, sorry.” Sully said, brushing the guy off with ease.

Ha ha…shot down dude.

“Aww come on. How are you gonna treat me that way?”

Just turn around and walk away man, trust me. You don’t want to piss this chick off.

Now there was a part of Dean that wanted to warn the guy before he made an ass out of himself, you could call it solidarity for his gender or unity against the common man-hating enemy but there was a larger part of him that kinda wanted to see what would happen when the jerk poked the bear. If he was really that drunk and lecherous, he probably deserved what he was about to get.

The guy foolishly followed Sully over to their table and Dean smiled politely, but falsely, when Sully pointed him out as her company for the evening. He didn’t really want to get involved but if things turned nasty, then he’d weigh in. For now, he was content to quietly drink his beer until the loser went away and they could return to talking about business.

“Come on sweet heart. You can do better than the guy who almost got killed at the rodeo today.”

Dean nearly spat out his beer at that, frowning at the insult as he squared up behind Sully. Now things were getting serious. Forget the sexual harassment against a woman, his manly pride had been dented.

“Hey!”

As much as he would have liked to set the guy straight on how difficult it was to actually stay on a broncho when it was hallucinating its worse fears, especially since it had been years since you even sat on a horse, this argument was clearly Sully’s to battle over and Dean was forced to be her back up should she need it.

She gave him a warning, you couldn’t deny that she wasn’t playing fair, but Blondie seemed to hear it as a challenge instead. If the pained look on his face after she kneed him in the balls was anything to go by, then it was a bad mistake to make.

Dean winced in sympathy.

Sully took her seat again, nonchalantly acting as though nothing had just happened while Dean waved the bartender away, conveying that the fight was over and they weren’t trying to cause trouble. Blondie’s friends, after howling with laughter over his smack down by a girl, came to pick him up and dragged him off to the bathroom to fix up his bloodied nose leaving the room in relative peace.

“So where were we?”

“Uh…I honestly don’t remember. You lost me when you broke that guy’s jewels.” Dean said, unable to hide the smirk on his face. Truth be told, he was fairly impressed with how she’d handled herself but boy, did he feel sorry for Blondie. A blow to the groin was not the kind of thing you’d wish on your worst enemy.

“Something tells me you’ve done that before.”

[Deleted]

“Uh…I honestly don’t remember. You lost me when you broke that guy’s jewels. Something tells me you’ve done that before.”

Dean had a grin on his face, and Sully felt her own smile start to form. She shrugged and took a swig of beer before answering.
“Well there ain’t exactly a shortage of assholes in the world, but sometimes it’s nice to put ones like him in their place.” She swigged more beer and then set it on the table and picked at the label.

Blondie came out of the bathroom, his friends still snickering at him. The guys nose was red and swollen and at an odd angle. If he didn’t get it set soon it was going to be permanently crooked. His eyes were already turning black from the break, but his glare shot daggers straight Sully’s way. Smiling she raised her beer in salute to him.

He turned his stride as if to head back towards her. She didn’t think he was going to try to smooth things over. In fact Sully was pretty sure that Blondie didn’t see her as a piece of ass anymore. More like the bitch who had wounded his pride in the middle of a packed bar. He wanted retaliation. It was clear in trembling of his muscles and the angry set of his jaw.

Sully really didn’t want to kick his ass again, but she would if she had to. His friends seemed to realize what Blondie was about to do though, because they grabbed him and started pulling him from the bar. He struggled against them, once again gaining attention from the patrons and staff. One of his buddies whispered something in Blondie’s ear. He nodded and stopped struggling against his friends. He shot one last glare her way and then let his friends lead him out of the bar.

Shrugging it off Sully turned back to her companion. “So Dean Winchester,” She said putting emphasis on his name. “We know you can’t ride a broncho for shit. At least not when you’re seeing demonic horses.” She leaned towards him. “And don’t think I missed that bit about you seeing them more often than not.”

It seemed like the right time to bring it up. Sully watched Dean trying to gage his reaction from what she just said. The fact was, she didn’t trust anyone easily. She had Dean had already been through one battle together, but it wasn’t over, and she wanted to know who she was fighting beside. Would he stand beside her or run if things went south? These were the things she needed to find out.

Asking people straight up if they were going to be there wouldn’t get you an honest answer. More often than not they made the promise, but were quick enough to break it. Sully learned that the best way to find out about a person was to catch them off guard with awkward questions or secrets you knew about them. How person acts and reacts in a supernatural situation is critical. It can mean life or death and Sully had no intention of dying. Not anytime soon anyways.

Sully sipped her beer and kept a critical eye on Dean. His responses would let her know if she was going after this demonic horse by herself or not. Dean, while egotistical, stubborn, and the fact that he had tried to manhandle her twice really didn’t sit well in her gut. He didn’t come off as the type of guy who would randomly beat up on a chick. It was just a personal thing for Sully. In the end though, none of that mattered. What Sully needed to know, is if Dean would have her back in a fight.

[ZZZ - Dean - RETIRED]

“So Dean Winchester.“

I guess you get points for being observant…

”We know you can’t ride a broncho for shit.

Dean laughed, her sudden bluntness catching him off guard. He had to admit that she had a point. His natural steed was made of steel and chrome, had four wheels and it smelt a lot nicer than Satan’s Revenge. The Impala never tried to kill him either which was always a plus in his book. Sam’s off key voice singing ‘Dead or Alive’ drifted though his mind and he smiled at the memory.

“At least not when you’re seeing demonic horses.“

The smile faded.

“And don’t think I missed that bit about you seeing them more often than not.”

Crap…

“That was a slip of the tongue.” Which was true, but there was some honesty behind the slip.

“What I meant was…” He struggled for a way out of it, failed and sighed into his beer.

“It’s complicated. Things are…hard to explain.” In a rare moment of vulnerability, Dean felt he needed to open up a little so she wouldn‘t think he was completely insane.

“A couple of weeks ago I was…sick. Like, really sick. Seeing things sick. It wasn’t pretty.” Even now, when he closed his eyes he could still see the ectoplasm surging through his body, turning his blood black in his veins.

“Y’know what it’s like when you have a fever, you get delirious, and when you’ve got a head full of the kind of stuff we see on a daily basis, well it makes things a little more intense. A little more random and strange. And that’s when I started seeing the horses.”

[Deleted]

“That was a slip of the tongue.”

Sully raised a brow and sipped on her beer. Somehow she didn’t see Dean as being the type who had a slip of the tongue. Well at least not very often. He was quick to try to brush off the demon knife. Which she still had to pry about more later.

“What I meant was…”

“Yeah?” Sully encouraged. She was truly curious about Dean. She knew everyone had their secrets, but Dean seemed to more than others. Of course she wasn’t really one to talk, having a healing ability and being able to take spirit walks. She rarely did the ladder. It had been something she’d done to escape her father as a child.

Sully had her own secrets, but right now, they weren’t talking about her, and she was more interested in what Dean had to say anyways.

“It’s complicated. Things are…hard to explain.”

Sully could see that Dean was having a hard time with something, though she wasn’t sure what it was. She didn’t dare say anything else lest it feel like she was pressuring him to talk. That might have the opposite effect, and Dean seemed like he was close to telling her something.

Honestly she didn’t know if this hunt had something to do with Dean or not. She still found it odd that the demon had known his name, which apparently Winchester was his last name. She had to admit it was better than Wayne. Either way, she wondered why Dean was known by the demon. One step at a time though. First, demonic horses.

“A couple of weeks ago I was…sick. Like, really sick. Seeing things sick. It wasn’t pretty,” He said. “Y’know what it’s like when you have a fever, you get delirious, and when you’ve got a head full of the kind of stuff we see on a daily basis, well it makes things a little more intense. A little more random and strange. And that’s when I started seeing the horses.”

Taking another swig of her beer as an excuse, Sully mulled that over for a minute. She kept her gaze straight ahead. She knew people could have hallucinations from being sick, massive ones in fact.
However, Dean didn’t seem sick anymore. Maybe a little bumped and bruised, but Sully didn’t see a reason for him to continue having hallucinations. Unless there was some sort of neurological disorder, which she wasn’t discarding that thought just yet.

“If you’re still seeing them, maybe you’re seeing them for a reason,” Sully told him in a neutral tone. She didn’t want him to feel like she was passing judgment. Sully was in no place to do that. “Either way, it’s given us an edge. We unfortunately have to go back to that damn rodeo tomorrow.”

Sipping her beer, Sully noticed Dean didn’t seem comfortable saying this to her, so she shared a story of her own.

“If it makes you feel better one time when I was in the hospital after…” She paused for half a second choosing her next words carefully. “I had an accident, they doped me up on morphine, which apparently isn’t a good drug for me. I had a room with a view of a lower story of the hospital and it had all those giant AC units.” She sipped her beer and smirked. “I swear I saw it flinging pink bunnies out of the vent with giant fangs and they were trying to get in my window to attack me.”

Chuckling, Sully shook her head. She gestured to the waitress and ordered another round of shots. “Look Cowboy,” She put emphasis on his new nickname. She figured if he was going to try to Mimic John Wayne so badly, he should have a constant reminder of it. “It’s been a long day. We kicked some demon ass, and we’ve got the bruises to prove it. What do you say for the reminder of the night, we kill the shop talk and have some fun?”

The waitress brought their shots and Sully knocked back the whiskey. “Care to relive your embarrassment from earlier?” She nodded smiled and nodded towards the mechanical bull.

[ZZZ - Dean - RETIRED]

It was weird, telling a complete stranger some of the most private stuff that was on Dean’s mind. He hadn’t even confessed all of the hallucinations to Sam because that's not how things worked. He was older and therefore the one who was supposed to look out for Sam. His own problems didn't count.

But talking to Sully, it was different. She didn’t know who he was, not really, and that meant she didn’t have any expectations of him to be strong and dependable. The protector. He could show his weakness to her, in much the same was he had confessed to Gordon Walker about how badly he was coping with his father’s death, because she was unbiased and unconnected. It was simply someone to listen to him. Nothing more, nothing less. A way to unburden himself for one night without having to deal with the repercussions the morning after. She wouldn’t have the patented ‘we need to talk about this’ face that Sam tended to give him when this kind of situation arose.

“If you’re still seeing them, maybe you’re seeing them for a reason,”

Maybe the Horsemen like a joke?

“I don’t think there’s any reason behind it. There might have been when I was sick but not now. It’s probably just some residual crap in my head that’s not quite been erased yet.” He said, waving his hand vaguely beside his temple as he talked.

“Like I say, it was only recent. This is my first job since that all happened in fact. Stumbling onto this case where seeing freaky crap turns out to be useful? That’s probably just co-incidental timing.”

“Either way, it’s given us an edge. We unfortunately have to go back to that damn rodeo tomorrow.”

Dean groaned a little at the thought of showing his face at the arena again after his not so thrilling performance, but she was right. The hunt wasn’t done and his embarrassment would have to take a back seat. It wasn’t just that though, getting out of bed was going to be a challenge in itself if his bruises were anything to go by, even if he had qualified for a second chance on a broncho, there was no way he was riding anything anytime soon with busted ribs and bruises head to toe.

Yeah…I’m gonna be sore in the morning…

Sully attempted to cheer him up with an embarrassing story of her own and he had to admit, the mental image of pink bunnies banging on a window was amusing. It had him chuckling as he finished off his first beer, but he was also wondering if her ‘accident’ was in anyway related to the faded claw marks on her shoulder. Maybe he’d ask about it later, after they’d emptied a few bottles of whiskey.

“It’s been a long day. We kicked some demon ass, and we’ve got the bruises to prove it. What do you say for the reminder of the night, we kill the shop talk and have some fun?”

“I never turn down the offer of gratuitous alcohol, especially when used as a painkiller, so I’m in.” To mark the decision, he raised his beer and clinked it against hers, smiling when she ordered in a round of shots. In unison, they picked up the measured glasses and knocked them back at the same time, feeling the liquor soothe away aches and pains as it slid down to warm their stomachs. Dean put his empty glass back down, ready to be re-filled again next time the waitress passed by, and followed Sully’s line of sight to the mechanical bull that was sitting in the middle of the bar. Unmanned.

“Care to relive your embarrassment from earlier?”

“Heh, not really, no.” He admitted, shaking his head a little. “I think I’ve done enough damage for one day. But if you think it’s that easy, you be my guest.” With one hand he gestured for her to try her luck, assuming that she’d not last five seconds on the thing.

“Shame I don’t have my phone, ‘cause the pictures of you eating your words would never get old.”

[Deleted]

The slow burn of whiskey in Sully’s got dulled the pain in her side and considerably improved her mood. She figured she could go back to not liking Dean tomorrow. Right now they both needed some fun and relaxation. A bitch she was, petty not so much. Okay well not often. Well maybe more often than not, but right now was one of those not times. Killing a demon was a good day, even if they were bumped and bruised and she didn’t want to spoil the mood. The smile still played on her lips as she waited for Dean’s answer.

“Heh, not really, no.” He admitted, shaking his head a little. “I think I’ve done enough damage for one day. But if you think it’s that easy, you be my guest.” With one hand he gestured.

Sully sipped her beer and thought about her side. The pain was considerably dulled thanks to the ace bandage and the whiskey. She knew she probably shouldn’t, especially if she got flung off the damn thing. She had to barrel race tomorrow, and she was going to be sore as it was. Still she wasn’t one to refuse a challenge.
A grin broke out as an idea came to mind and she nodded. “All right, Cowboy. I’ll show you how it’s done.”

“Shame I don’t have my phone, ‘cause the pictures of you eating your words would never get old.”

The waitress dropped off another round of shots. Sully raised her eyebrows at Dean and lifted the shot in salute. “We’ll see.” She knocked back the shot and went over to the operator of the mechanical bull. She handed him twice the amount it cost to ride the bull and whispered something in his ear.

A broad smile broke out across the operators face and he nodded. Sully traced a finger across his jaw in thanks and then went over, straddled the mechanical bull. The music changed from Brad Paisley to Rodeo by Garth Brooks. Sully thought it was appropriate. Making sure she was seated properly and grabbed the horn of the fake saddle. She winked and Dean and then turned to the operator, nodding to let him know she was ready.

The bull began to move, rocking back and forth slowly. It wasn’t violent or jerking. Sully moved her body with the bull, arching her back and slowly rolling her hips in tune with the movements. Taking one hand off the horn, Sully caressed it up the length of her torso before raising it in the air, giving a slower, sexier version of a bull ride.

There were screams and cat calls from the crowd that had gathered as Sully continued giving the show. Her side protested in pain if she moved the wrong way, but for the most part she was enjoying herself. She let a knowing smile spread across her lips. Leaning back as far as she could go, Sully rolled her stomach with the movements of the bull again. The movements were sexy, sensual, and the crowd was eating up.

When the song ended the crowd erupted with applause and whistling. Sully hopped off the bull and made her way through the crowd. A few of the men gave her praise and she smiled back at them in thanks. She was trying to make her way back to the table so she could see the look on Dean’s face. Besides, he hadn’t put an stipulations on how to ride the bull.

When she got back to the table Dean was waiting with another round of shots. She quickly knocked it back and smiled at him. “Now that’s how you ride a bull, Cowboy.”

[ZZZ - Dean - RETIRED]

“This should be funny.” Dean muttered to himself, feeling just a tiny bit smug that Sully was about to find out just how difficult his job had been that afternoon. She needed taking down a notch or two with her superior attitude towards him, now was his chance to watch it happen.

He leaned back in his seat, made sure he had a good view of the show before calling over the waitress to ask her to leave the whiskey bottle on their table. He had a feeling Sully was going to need a drink after she got humiliated in front of a bar full of guys. He slipped the waitress a few bills, giving her quick wink when she flirtatiously smiled at him now that he was on his own at the table. She didn’t stay and Dean didn’t encourage her too, preferring to make sure he didn’t miss a thing in the bull ring.

The ‘show’ he got, wasn’t quite what he’d expected though. In fact, it was nothing at all like he had expected. Where in the rules did it say you could turn bull riding into porn? Mouth hanging open in stunned surprise, Dean watched as Sully rode the mechanical beast on probably it’s slowest setting ever, gyrating and swinging her hips against it as though it was a long time lover. Dean’s eyebrows had never risen so high.

He was mesmerised but had no idea why. He didn’t find her attractive, in fact she was more annoying than anything else, but something about her performance was hypnotic. Or maybe it was just a bad idea to mix alcohol with painkillers. Either way, he needed to scrub his hand over his face and sink a shot of whiskey to clear away the glazed look before she returned.

“Now that’s how you ride a bull, Cowboy.”

“That wasn’t bull riding. That was bull humping. It doesn’t count.” He insisted, impressed by her ability to cut loose and enjoy herself, but at the same time, feeling cheated that he hadn’t seen her face-plant onto the mats at high speed.

[Deleted]

“That wasn’t bull riding. That was bull humping. It doesn’t count.”

Sully laughed, she couldn’t help it. “Aww don’t be mad just cause I can ride better than you.” She wiggled her eyebrows and poured a shot for them. “Besides you didn’t specify how I had to ride the bull.”

It had been fun if nothing else, plus the few glances she’d been able to see of Dean’s face had been worth it. So maybe she had played a little dirty. “On top of that, since we’ve got to head back to the rodeo tomorrow anyways, I’m not quite dumb enough to get splayed across a matt with the way my side is.”

Ignoring the shot glass Sully took the bottle and tipped it to her lips. There was a warm buzz already flowing over her, and to be honest, riding the bull had taken her mind off the hunt for a bit. It had been fun, and she didn’t mind some of the looks the guys were giving her either. Well except Dean. He wasn’t her type. Not that she really had a type, having not been in a relationship, but if she had a type, it definitely wouldn’t Dean. He was irritating, annoying, and had way too much ego for his own good. No, Dean was the kind of guy she usually punched.

Right now though, with liquor coursing through her blood, Sully was feeling nicer than usual so she refrained from using any violence for the moment. If he manhandled her again though, all bets were off. Sully didn’t like being touched unless it was on her terms. With Dean that was never gonna happen. So it was better if he just kept his hands to himself.

The place was getting more crowded as the night went on. People were dancing, drinking and having a good time. A few of the women took their cues from Sully had did a slow ride on the mechanical bull. Sully swigged more whiskey and smirked.

“See, Cowboy, if nothing else I made it so you’d have some entertainment for the night,” She gestured to the blonde woman who was currently riding the bull. She was wearing a red halter top, and skin tight black jeans. She was gorgeous, in a Barbie doll sort of way. Her body was curvaceous in all the right places, and she had pouty lips with bright blue eyes. “You should go talk to her. Maybe have a little fun tonight.” She wiggled her eyebrows again. “The motel is right next door.”

[ZZZ - Dean - RETIRED]

“I didn’t specify, because I thought there was only one way to ride a bull.” Dean grumbled, letting the subject drop in favour of downing another shot of cheap whiskey. Only, his glass was empty and Sully had snagged the bottle from him and was drinking straight from it. Dean raised an eyebrow and wondered if he should have gotten them a bottle each. Clearly this one was not going to last.

“You better not have cooties.” He joked when she passed the bottle back, taking his own hit from the neck of it in much the same fashion Sully had. No-one could mistake her for being a delicate lady with moves like that, assuming that you hadn’t been witness to her flooring a quarterback with a knee to the groin earlier. Or the x-rated rodeo show she’d just given half the guys in the room.

In some ways, her tomboyish nature reminded him of Jo. Now there was a woman who could hold her liquor, have a good time and kick ass with the best of them. Idly he wondered if Sully had also had a bar room education from an early age too. He wouldn’t be surprised. Not that it mattered either way, but Dean did like a woman who could keep up when it came to drinking. Especially when he was in the mood to numb himself into a coma with copious quantities of alcohol.

“See, Cowboy, if nothing else I made it so you’d have some entertainment for the night,”

Returning the rapidly emptying whiskey bottle back to the table, Dean leaned over a little to get a good look at what Sully was talking about, an appreciative smile on his face when he caught sight of Barbie on the bull.

“Okay, I take it back, there is more than one way to ride a bull.” It was hard not to enjoy the view. She was curves all over, in just the places Dean liked, and if this had been a year or two ago, then he’d have been all over her like a horny rash, but things were different now he had Annali in his life. He was different. More mature, if you could believe that. Less eager to sow his wild oats than he was when he was younger. There was no harm in looking when fine goods were jiggling around on display, but he wouldn’t ever cross the line by hitting on another woman, not anymore.

“You should go talk to her. Maybe have a little fun tonight. The motel is right next door.”

“Nah.” Dean tore his eyes away, having gotten his fill of bouncing Barbie boobs for the time being. He didn’t want to seem like a total pervert in front of Sully. Especially after seeing how she dealt with those types of guys.

“I already got a woman in my life who’s worth more than a couple of hours fun in a cheap motel.” He said, staring into his beer with the kind of hopelessly in love smile on his face that he envied of Sam back when he was living with Jessica.