~*****~
"With what started out as a mild gentle breezy wind, a severe weather front is heading in from the north west," The radio droned on as we drove through the town in silence. "Expect heavy lightning and thunder with sudden rainfall--"
Dean quickly shut the radio off. "You wanna say it, or should I?" Dean asked.
"What?" I inquire after sharing a confused look with Sam.
"You can't save everybody, guys." Dean stated.
Another confused look. "Yeah, right. So-- So, what? You feel better now or what?" Sam asked.
"No, not really." Dean shrugged.
"Yeah, me neither." Sam agreed.
"You gotta under--"
"It's just lately I feel like I can't save anybody." Sam immediately cuts off Dean.
We head to a known hunter pit stop and lay low. When morning arrived, a knock echoed through the house, causing me to shoot upright from my position on the couch. Dean held his hand out, urging me to stay put before strolling over to the door, and opening the hatch. His shoulders sagged in what looked like disappointment before opening the door.
"Dear god," Bela's voice rang out. "Are you actually squatting? Charming." I stretch upwards and stand from the couch. "So, how did things go last night with Peter?" No one answered her. "That well, huh?"
"If you say, I told you so..." Dean trails off. "I swear to God, I'll start swingin'."
"Look, I think the four of us should have a heart-to-heart." Bela hummed.
"That's assuming you have a heart." Dean commented.
"Dean, please," Bela chides. "I'm sorry about what I said before, okay? I come bearing gifts."
I gesture to her. "Anything is better than you, to be honest." I retort.
"I've ID'ed the ship." She shoots back. She opens up her small binder and pulls out photos from inside. "It's the Espirito Santo, a merchant sailing vessel. Quite a colorful history. In 1859, a sailor was accused of treason. He was tried aboard ship in a kangaroo court and hanged. He was thirty-seven."
"That would explain the thirty-seven year cycle." I hum.
"Aren't you a sharp tack?" Bela coos. "There's a photo of him somewhere. Here--" She holds out a picture of the man I saw last night in Peter's car.
"Isn't that the customer we saw last night?" Dean questions as he peers down at it.
"You saw him?" Bela quickly interjects.
"Yeah, that's him." I nod. "Except he was missing a hand."
"His right hand." Bela clarifies.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" I ask.
"The sailor's body was cremated, but not before they cut off his hand. They made a Hand of Glory." Bela explained.
"A hand of glory?" Dean echoed. "I think Lottie knows how to give those."
My hand whacks Dean upside the head. "The right hand of a hanged man is an occult object." I explain. "It's very powerful."
"So they say." Bela retorts.
"And officially counts as remains." Dean adds.
"But still, none of this explains why the ghost is choosing these victims." Sam mentions.
"I'll tell you why." Bela hums. "Who cares? Find the hand, burn it, and stop the bloody thing."
"Why you telling us all this?" I ask irritably.
"Because I know exactly where the hand is." Bela smirks.
"Where?"
"At the Sea Pines Museum." She states. "It's a macabre bit of maritime history. But I need help."
"What kind of help?" Sam asks.
~*****~
Dean grunted irritably as I furiously tied his tie. "You're choking me, baby," He commented with a chuckle. "Leave it for the bedroom."
"Sorry." I sigh and loosen my grip. "Just a little wound up."
"What's taking you two so long! Sam's already halfway there!" I hear Bela shout from downstairs. "With his date."
Dean huffed angrily and led me out of the room. "I'm so not okay with this." Dean called out.
"What are you? A woman?" Bela teased. "Come down, already!"
Bela looks star struck by the time Dean and I get downstairs. "All right, say it already-- I look ridiculous!" Dean barked.
"Not exactly the word I'd use." Bela hummed.
"What?" I ask irritably.
"You know, when this is over, the three of us should have really angry sex." Bela suggests.
I suddenly feel the urge to cover my body. I'd never really worn such a nice dress. I felt like one of this prissy girls who sat in on operas. "Don't objectify us." Dean finally says as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Let's go."
I stride ahead of Dean and feel a light swat to my backside. I glance back at Dean's cocky grin. Of course he'd be happy about that.
"So, how hard are we gonna rag on Sam for, uh... his date?" I question as I get into the Impala.
"Oh, I am so not going to let him live it down." Dean laughs.
~*****~
"God, I feel so weird here." I complain quietly.
"Don't worry about it, baby," Dean hums as he loops his arm around my waist.
I glance up at him and groan. "Are you chewing gum?" I ask angrily.
"Oh, my god," Bela groans. "Will you try to behave as if you've lived this life before?" Bela asks angrily. "Yeah?"
Dean chewed his gum for a moment before gazing around, taking his gum out of his mouth, striding over to the fountain, and sticks it to the underside. "I'm..." I trail off as my cheeks flush. Bela is glaring at me. "I'm so sorry... Let's just... go to the bar."
I stalk into the room, and I can feel all sorts of gazes on me as I keep my head down.
"Can I get--"
"Champagne, please, whatever you have." Bela interrupts me. "Please do not tell me you were going to order whiskey-- this isn't a dive."
The bartender pushed over two champagne flutes, and left us to drink. I hated champagne. "How long do you expect me to entertain my date?" I hear Sam ask.
"As long as it takes." Bela chirps.
Sam is just glaring at her with a look of pure loathing. "Look, there's security all over this place, alright?" Dean reassured his brother. "This is an uncrashable party without Gert's invitation, so..."
"We can crash anything, Dean." Sam snaps.
"Yeah, we know," I hum. "But this is easier. And a hell of a lot more entertaining."
Sam sighed through his nose. "You know there are limits to what I'll do, right?"
"Oh," I coo as I pat at his arm. "Playing hard to get, huh?"
"That's cute." Dean chuckled before palming my back. "C'mon. I want all the details in the morning." Dean whispers to his brother.
"So, private security?" Bela questions softly as we move to the other room.
"No way," I shake my head.
"Yeah, look at the way they're standing. They're pros. Probably state troopers moonlighting." Dean explains.
"Posted at every door, too." Bela states.
"Yeah... I don't think we're gonna be able to just waltz upstairs."
"What do you suggest?" I ask.
Dean sucks in a breath and gives us a tight smile. "I'm thinking."
"Don't strain yourself." I huff irritably.
"Interesting, how the legend is so much more than the man." Bela comments.
"Well, you got any more ideas, I'm all ears." Dean huffs.
"Way ahead of you," I hum as I loop my arm around his neck, and feign distress. My whole body slumps against him as I nearly tumble to the ground.
Dean catches on way too easily. "Honey? Honey? Are you all right?" Dean asks urgently. Dean glances around quickly. "Waiter! Hi, uh, my wife has a severe shellfish allergy There's no crab in that is there?"
"No." I hear the waiter hum.
"Oh, great-- they're excellent." I fight the urge to groan.
"What seems to the be trouble?" Another man questions.
"My wife, she's quite the lightweight-- is there a place I can lay her down till she gets her sea legs back?" Dean asks.
It's silent for a moment before he speaks. "Follow me."
My legs are swept up from under me. I let my head dangle as Dean carries me upstairs. "Thank you." After a moment, I'm set down on a cushy couch. "Ah, the things we do for our partners, huh?" Dean comments as he walks away.
I sit up after I hear the door close and I give Dean a sly grin.
"Maybe give me a warning next time? I thought you were actually passin' out on me!" Dean snaps quickly.
"Got us upstairs, didn't it?" I inquire cutely. My cell chimes from my clutch. An unknown number flashes on the screen. "I have the room number." I hum as I hold out my cell. "Room 235. It's in a locked glass case wired for alarm."
"All right, I'll go grab it. You wanna stay here?" Dean asks.
I hum softly and lean against the couch, curling my legs up. "Quickie?" I ask cutely.
It's not often I get to see Dean flush like that. He quickly coughs and purses his lips. "Later. I'll give you as much as you want when we get out of here."
"Fine, fine," I roll my eyes. Dean gives me a wink before stepping out of the room.
I curl up on the couch and relax, waiting for him to return so we could leave. "Sir?" A voice calls out as the door rattles with a series of knocks. "Ma'am? Everything all right?" I pull my dress strap down and smear my lipstick quickly before hurrying to the door and pulling it open slightly.
"Hi--" I gasp lightly.
"Feeling better, I see?" The man grunts.
I feign a giggle. "Yes, much. Thank you."
The man hums. "So, if you're done with the room..."
"Well... not exactly..." I hum again. "Could we have a few more minutes?"
"Uh," The man stumbles a little. "Yes, ma'am." I close the door and start laughing softly, as if I were in the middle of banging.
Dean reenters the room a moment later, making me laugh again. "Any trouble?"
I shook my head. "No, but pretty sure that guard thinks I'm cheating on you. Got the hand?"
Dean tugs the wrinkled old item out of his jacket for a moment before stuffing it back inwards. "How much you wanna bet Bela's gonna ask for it?"
I purse my lips and hum. "I have forty with me."
"Deal." Dean nodded. We finally stepped out of the room and headed downstairs where Bela had been waiting.
"Got it?" Bela asks. Dean nodded swiftly. "Here, we can put it in my clutch." She suggested.
I fished out forty dollars and handed it over. "Yeah, that's not happening." Dean snorted with a wide grin over his face. "You did win me forty bucks, though."
Bela narrowed her eyes for a moment before she sighed. "Well, let's go gather your brother, then." She suggested and turned on her heel. We found Sam dancing very awkwardly with Gert. "Well, having a nice time?" Bela asks cutely.
Dean and I crowded Sam as Gert cooed. "He's delightful~" Gert gaze a swift kiss to Bela's cheek. "He wants me." She mentions.
Dean gazes up at Sam as I pat at his back. "I'm going to get Gert into a cold shower," Bela mentions softly as she leads the old horn dog away.
"Great idea," Sam clears his throat.
"See you at the cemetery," Bela chimed.
I let out a sigh and gazed up at Sam. "You stink like sex." Dean starts snorting, his mouth moving around as he tries to hold in his hysterical laughter.