Comfort Crowd Δ SPN [ 1 ]

123. RETURN OF GARTH

It's nighttime and Sam is driving while Dean sits in the passenger seat. The girls are in the back, Ophelia trying to fall asleep and Libby is leaning forward to mess with Sam's hair.

Ever since he got better, Libby has been practically glued to him. If she's able to be near him, she is.

"All right, well, call us if he wakes up or, you know, anything." "Yeah, fine." "Thanks for your help, Meg." Dean hangs his phone up. "What a bitch."

"So, Cas is the same, then?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, down to the drool." Dean says and Sam hums. "By the way, how is your custard?"

"It's all right. It's getting better." Sam answers. His words make Libby grin and she lightly pats him on the head. Sam slightly smiles, feeling her resume messing with his hair.

"Just wish it wasn't like the damn tape from The Ring. I mean, I feel like I'm okay cause I passed on the crazy." Sam says.

"No, you didn't. You heard what Cas said." Dean says. His phone rings and he answers it. "Hello."

"Hey, Dean. It's Garth." Garth says.

"Wait. W-Who is this?" Dean asks.

"Garth. Garth Fitzgerald the Fourth. We worked together on that demon thing? You owe me one?" He reminds.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, how you doing, Garth?" Dean asks.

"I'm ready to cash in that chip, bra. There's something brewing in Junction City, Kansas."

+++

They're in Garth's motel and Garth is working on an EMF reader. Dean is sitting on the couch and reading a journal with Ophelia sitting next to him, skimming over the journal occasionally. Sam is at the table and on his laptop, researching, and Libby is on his lap.

"There's a million things with claws that go bump in the night." Dean says. "Once you throw in invisible, the number goes down." He says, picking up a motel card on the side table. ""Afternoon Delights"? Really, Garth? Don't you think this place is a little, uh..."

"Uh, do you want a nice hot tub after a day at the office?" Garth asks.

"I do." Ophelia comments.

"You've never even been in a hot tub." Dean says.

"Exactly." Ophelia says.

"See? She gets it." Garth points. "It's the little things."

"Exactly." Ophelia smiles.

"I feel sad for those brewery dudes. Spend your life beautifying the world through beer. First a partner offs himself." Garth says. "Now two kids get ganked by unknown freakdeek."

"According to this, Dale wasn't just a partner." Sam says. "He was also a brewmaster."

"Brewmaster?" Dean asks.

"He was widely considered a genius." Sam says.

"All right, that's it." Dean says, getting up. "No microbrew is worth..." Dean puts his flask down near Garth's EMF reader. "...what was it, eight Food Magazine awards?" He asks, getting three beer bottles out of the fridge. "Beer's not food. It's... whatever water is." He says, putting a bottle next to Garth. He gives Sam a bottle.

"Hmm. Thighslapper." Dean says, taking a drink. "Wow, that's actually awesome. Damn it, I'm not even mad anymore."

The Winchesters watch as Garth downs the contents of his bottle within a few seconds. Garth shakes the last few drops into his mouth. Garth belches.