Chapter 5:

Roswell
New Mexico
Year 2000

The radio was on and the old sounds of AC/DC were bursting out from the speakers. Liz rolled down her window and moved her head closer, feeling the fresh air on her face. Dean smiled when he saw a little smile on Liz's face. The wind ruffled her hair, but she didn't seem to even notice. Dean didn't drive like he usually did: now his speedometer didn't point to a big number. He tried to be careful just because of Liz.

Liz pulled her head back and wiped the misplaced hair away from her face. She looked at Dean and smiled at him. Dean smiled back and turned the car onto the road that lead to the desert. Panic passed through Liz's face and even though it was gone really quickly, Dean managed to see it.

“You want to go somewhere else?” Dean asked and started to slow down. Panic came back on Liz's face.

“No! The desert is fine!” Liz said a little too quickly and added smiling: “I guess that anywhere with you is good.” Then she pushed her head out of the window and took in the clean night air of the desert. Dean couldn't help laughing at Liz. Liz pulled her head back in and looked at Dean.

“Why are you laughing at me?” Liz asked and smiled shyly. Dean looked at Liz and found her little shy smile very beautiful: it made her look like the queen of the mysterious.

“You just seem like you are here for the first time,” Dean said.

“Maybe I feel like it. Maybe I feel free for the first time in a of couple years. Maybe I feel like now there is nothing that would keep me down,” Liz explained and smiled at the darkened sky.

“What has kept you down?” Dean asked.

“Let's not worry about that tonight,” Liz said, and Dean kept glancing at her while he tried to keep his eyes on the road, too. She seemed to be somehow freer than before. Although she still had black mascara on her cheeks, she looked free and relived. When she started to shiver, Dean thought about suggesting closing her window, but he didn't have to do it: she rolled it up already.

“Don't you have anything else here?” Liz suddenly asked, when she turned away from the window and watched the radio.

“What's wrong with AC/DC?” Dean asked and Liz looked at him, like he would be the stupidest person in the world.

“Do I look like a girl who likes AC/DC?“ Liz asked and made Dean laugh.

“With that make up, yes,” Dean said and tried to keep a straight face, but he cracked when he saw Liz's reaction: she grabbed the rear mirror and turned it to her. Dean had so much fun while watching Liz's horrifying expressions, that he didn't even say anything about touching his baby's mirrors.

“There isn't any light in which I could see something. But better yet – neither can you,” Liz said after she had noticed that the mirror was useless because it was too dark. She settled for wiping her cheeks randomly with her hands. Dean just grinned and decided that it was better not to say that he had already seen her face.

AC/DC continued playing in the speakers and Dean nor Liz said anything. Dean glanced at Liz and then the desert next to him: suddenly he turned the car around and drove into the desert.

“What are you doing?” Liz asked, but didn't sound worried. Dean stopped the car, but let the radio stay on. He switched the AC/DC to a radio station which played a little softer music and turned the volume up. Then he rolled the window down and stepped out of the car.

“Dean?” Liz asked and watched him with a surprised look on her face.

“C'mon. The stars are amazing,” Dean said before he slammed the door shut. He walked to the Impala's hood and leaned on it. He looked up to the stars when he heard door open and close, and felt Liz coming next to him. Dean couldn't keep his eyes away, so he quickly glanced at Liz and saw her wrapping the big jacket tighter around her. Slowly she leaned on the hood too and while Liz turned her eyes down to the desert's sand, Dean turned his back to the sky.

“I don't have a lot of time just to enjoy of the sky anymore,” Dean said without lowering his eyes. Still he could feel the little glance that Liz gave him.

“Who enjoys, who doesn't,” she said quietly, but Dean heard it still. He couldn't just stare at the sky anymore when Liz said something like that – he turned his face to Liz.

“Who doesn't?” Dean wondered and Liz looked at him again, just smiling. Dean smiled quickly to Liz, before he hopped to sit on the hood and looked back at the sky. Silent music reached their ears from the radio, and Liz followed Dean’s example: she jumped on the hood and then, finally, she looked at the sky.

“What if there isn't anything good?”, Liz started in an insecure voice, “What if there's... Let's say there's another planet which has a war. Everything is messed up; royal family is dead, and they need help. And that war is affecting people and their lives down here too.” Dean was looking at Liz and looked surprised.

“So... Ever thought about becoming an author?” Dean asked, a grin on his lips(WO). He grinned, but inside of his head, he wondered what had the sky ever done to Liz that she had become so mad at it. Liz sighed and slid to lie on the hood. Dean couldn't resist, so slowly he lied down next to Liz and both of them were watching the dark sky with millions of stars, both of them thinking about something. Dean held his hands under his head, when he started to think about Liz's words. Aliens? Why not – there were a lot horrible things down here too. Liz's hands were placed on her stomach, but her whole arms were inside the big sleeves of the jacket.

“No, but seriously. I admit that those shining things are beautiful, but what if there is something really bad? Like in all those alien movies,” Liz asked.

“If you are scared of aliens, don't worry: just remember that I'm your...,” Dean started and Liz continued:

“My knight in shining armor. Yeah, I remember.” Her voice had little bit of pain in it and her hands slipped on both sides of her body. Every word Liz said, ever gesture she made, made Dean more and more interested in her.

“What really brings you here? To Roswell?” Liz asked. Dean stared at the sky and took his other hand from under his head. He replaced it on his chest. He looked at the stars hoping they would give him proof that he could tell Liz the truth. The stars and the sky remained silent, so Dean didn't go with the truth.

“Like I said, we are here on a job. Family business. Have you grown up here?” Dean asked turning the conversation to Liz. She was a small town girl, so Dean thought that she couldn't have anything to hide, but the nagging voice at the bottom of Dean's head argued. She was everything, but a normal small town girl.

“Yeah, I have grown up here – in the UFO center of the world,” Liz added sarcastically. Dean smiled and turned his head to Liz.

“Are you the same girl who just told me that she is afraid of aliens? I would have thought that you are use to them, because of course aliens are part of the normal day in Roswell,” Dean teased Liz and moved his hand from his chest next to Liz's.

Soft sounds flew out of the car when a slow song started to play. Dean and Liz were silent, listening to the song and watching the stars. Dean slowly moved his fingers against Liz's hand, which was inside the jacket's sleeve. The movement was small, hardly noticeable, but Liz suddenly reached her finger out from the sleeve and moved her finger closer to Dean's. Carefully he started to examine Liz's fingers with his own and Liz answered the movement. Slowly she stroked Dean's fingers carefully with her own.

Liz's hand looked so tiny compared to Dean's. In Dean's hands, it was obvious that he worked with them everyday, they were rough and Liz's hand was fully covered with his hand. Dean's hand had killed more than he liked to think – at least not in that moment. He didn't want to think that the blood in his hands would make Liz's hands dirty too.

Their hands played together, and Dean turned his head to Liz. He smiled when Liz turned to him and a little glitter could be seen in her eyes. Dean locked his hand around Liz's and a small, warm smile appeared to Liz's face.

“And where've you been? And how times goes? And though I don't even know how to fill in the spaces of the love you've erased in my life.”

For a moment they stared in each other’s eyes, until Dean pulled himself up to sit. He still held Liz's hand when he slid off from the hood. He had gotten one of the craziest and stupidest ideas ever and it would get him into a lot of trouble if someone saw him doing it – and if Sammy saw him doing it, it would be Dean’s death. Still he stepped in front of Liz, keeping his hand tightly around Liz's, and reached to her with his free hand. Liz took it without saying a word, and Dean pulled her off from the hood, straight in his arms. Dean felt shivers of scare and excitement running through his body. He took a deep breath and rolled his hand around Liz's waist, putting his hand under the jacket, and automatically Liz placed her hand behind Dean's neck.

“Are you where you wanted to be? Did you get there easily? Did I make you sacrifice? Did you make a sharp left when you should have turned right?”

Liz leaned against Dean's warm chest, and Dean leaned his cheek to Liz's hair, when he slowly started to move them in the rhythm of the song. He was glad that Liz couldn't see his face: he could no longer keep the overflowing feeling of happiness out of it. Dean tried to keep himself in line and took a deep breath, but he was too close to Liz, so his nose was filled by the intoxicating scent of Liz's hair; it smelled like vanilla and some flower. A goofy smile appeared on Dean's face and he just enjoyed the moment under the sky full of bright stars, in the darkness of the night in a silent desert. The only noise that could be heard was the radio and the song it played.

They hardly moved: it was just a swaying and sometimes a little movement of the feet. Dean fondled Liz's back, but kept his hands in the proper area: he didn't even try to touch Liz's butt. He respected Liz too much for that and he only wanted Liz to be happy, comfortable and safe.

A little sigh escaped from Liz's lips, and Dean pulled her petite body closer to his. He wanted to feel her, to touch her more and more every second. More than that he wanted to keep her safe. Nothing could ever touch her as long as Dean was there for her. In that very moment, Liz tightly inside his protective arms, he swore to the stars of the sky and to the sand of the desert, that nothing could ever harm Liz on his watch, and if something did he would hunt that son of a bitch down making it feel more pain than anyone ever had felt – even if it was human.

Dean never felt like that before.

The song ended, but Dean noticed that he didn't let go of Liz. Her body felt good against his and Dean hoped that the song would still go on. Both of them felt comfortable while dancing, totally forgetting the whole world around them, but now the reality came when a faster song started. Dean still held his arms around Liz's waist, because he was too scared to let go, because A) he would probably feel cold when he lost Liz's bodyheat and B) he was afraid to see Liz's face. This was not Dean's usual behavior, and he didn't know what Liz would think. Dean himself was surprised by the little romantic inside him.

Liz moved a little farther from Dean, but stayed inside his arms. She raised her eyes to meet Dean's and smiled a little.

“Thank you, Dean,” Liz just said. Dean moved his other hand from Liz's back to her hair and stroke it gently. He loved the silky feel it had to it. Liz stood there for a moment, and let Dean touch her hair, but then she pulled fully away from Dean.

“I think I should get home now. My parents will get worried if they notice I'm not there,” Liz said and she did look much better. Nothing could have made Dean happier at the moment than to see Liz happier.

“Yeah, of course. I understand,” Dean said and both of them left to the car, Liz went to sit first and Dean came in quickly after her. He rolled the window up, so the little heat that was still there stayed inside. Then he turned the volume down and started the car. He glanced at Liz and saw her trembling – one click and the heater was on. Dean didn't want to make Liz sick.

They drove back in silence: Liz's eyes were glued to the starts and she looked calmer, happier; Dean was looking at the road, but his mind wandered. He suspected that he might be coming down with something. That was the only logical explanation to his weird action and odd feelings.

They were silent the whole way to the Crashdown, but the silence wasn't awkward. Both felt nice and comfortable with each other. Dean stopped the car in front of the café, but let the engine run. Liz sighed and turned to Dean.

“Thanks. I feel a lot better now. Will we meet again?” Liz asked and sounded hopeful. Liz's voice made Dean smile a little – he felt that she really did want to see him again. Dean reached his hand to touch Liz's face. He gently just stroked Liz's soft cheek, because he simply didn't know what to answer. He wanted to see her again, but he wasn't sure – there was always a chance that they left that night.

Liz pressed her cheek against Dean’s hand, and Dean leaned forward, just a little, but it was enough to make his heart race faster. Liz moved a little closer to Dean and suddenly she realized that she was staring straight to Dean's eyes. There were only a few inches separating them. Dean slipped his hand into Liz's hair and slowly their lips met. It started carefully, but Dean just wanted to press Liz closer to him, so he could better taste those strawberry lips. Still he let the kiss be careful, playful. Dean's hand played with Liz's hair and he realized her lips were just as soft as her hair. When the kiss got deeper and more passionate, Liz pulled away. Dean opened his eyes and saw Liz struggling: she clearly wanted to continue, but she just couldn't.

“Dean, I can't. There is too much going on and I do not want you to be the rebound guy,” Liz said and sounded sad. First Dean felt mad for the rejection, and his automatic reaction was to raise his guard, but it changed fast to understanding. Dean pulled his hand away from Liz's hair, gently touching Liz's cheek on the way.

“It's okay,” Dean replied and tried to ignore the weird ache in his chest.

Liz gave Dean a light smile, opened the Impala's door and tried to leave. She started to hesitate and turned back to Dean.

“I hope you want to have your breakfast in the Crashdown tomorrow,” Liz said and left the car. On her way to the doors she glanced back to Dean and he was looking at her. He watched her every move, until she finally closed the doors and it was impossible to see her. Dean sighed and drove away.

It wasn't until back in his motel when Dean realized that Liz still had his jacket.

* * *

The nice memories of Liz weren't enough to keep Dean's good mood on: when he reached the motel, John and Sam were starving. John had gone ballistic, when he had realized that Dean hadn’t gotten any food. In fact, Dean hadn't even thought about the food after he had seen Max inside the café.

There was big fight, which wasn't pretty to see or hear. It had ended when Dean left the room. Dean wandered outside for hours. When he had returned to the room John had left back to his own room and Sam was sleeping. After getting into a bed Dean couldn't help thoughts of Liz coming back to him.

* * *

The morning after Sam woke him up by stare. Dean gave him an ugly look, but it didn't scare Sam – he just stared.

“What?” Dean growled.

“Dad wants you to take me to eat. He left to hunt that thing,” Sam said.

“He went alone??” Dean asked and was suddenly completely awake. For years now he and Sam were allowed to go with dad to hunt, but now he had left them behind.

“He said that if you couldn't be trusted with food, you couldn't be trusted with hunts,” Sam said and grinned. Dean threw a pillow at him as hard as he could. Sam didn't say anything to Dean, but he wasn't scared of bruising. Dean couldn't touch him now; he was under dad's protection.

But Dean wasn't even thinking about kicking Sammy's ass. He was thinking about dad. So this was dad's punishment – well he didn't know that Dean had someone he liked to see.

“Dean, let's go,” Sam said. Dean rolled off from the bed and got dressed.

“Let's go then,” Dean said and surprised Sam by not being angry. He was actually happy – he knew the perfect place.

* * *

Dean and Sam stepped into the café. Liz automatically glanced up and when her eyes met Dean's, they both melted into a smile.

“Hey, can't we go somewhere else? This is so.... alien,” Sam asked behind Dean.

“Shut up, bitch,” Dean growled.

“Jerk,” Sam mumbled. Dean led them to the same booth Dean sat in yesterday. Liz came to them and she was glowing. Dean's eyes followed her every move – he saw nothing but Liz.

“Hey,” Liz said and smiled.

“Hey,” Dean answered smiling as well. Sam looked at them and suddenly he realized why Dean had forgotten the food last night – he had a girl.

“Liz, meet my brother Sammy,” Dean said after they had just stared at each other for a while. Liz turned to Sam and gave him her hand.

“It's Sam,” Sam corrected when he grabbed Liz's hand.

“Nice to meet you Sam. I'm Liz,” Liz said and turned then back to Dean:

“Are you ready to order?” Liz had barely got the words out of her mouth when a blond girl rushed to her. She had long, curly, goldish hair and a big smile on her face.

“Liz! I just talked to Sean and he has lost his mind....,” the girl started to talk before she had even reached Liz. Liz turned to her.

“Maria, please. I'm working,” Liz said and tried to shut Maria up. Maria turned to Dean and Sam and smiled again.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Maria grinned and Dean could tell right away that he liked her. She was a girl with attitude.

“Maria!” Liz gasped, but Maria just laughed.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Dean asked and Liz turned to him. She looked a little bit shocked.

“Yeah, of course. Maria, this is Dean and his brother Sam. Dean, Sam, this is my best friend Maria,” Liz introduced them and Maria shook both of their hands.

“I'm hungry too. Move Sammy-boy, I'll join you,” Maria announced and poor Sam wasn't sure how to act near Maria. She was too effervescent to Sam. Maria didn't even ask: she just sat next to Sam and took her jacket off. Liz stared at Maria horrified, but Dean just laughed.

“I like her,” Dean said and Maria just smiled.

“So, what shall we eat?”
Chapter 6