#suddenly dean says you're dead to him and you have no one

[bisaster-energy]

cas voice im not your father belphegor voice yeah sorry about that

[castiwls]

january 24th - s.w

Pairing; Sam & daughter (oc) kinda

Synopsis; January 24th is a quiet day in the Winchester house

Warnings; angst

Notes; Ok so. I meant to post this a few days back and forgot lmao but basically long story short I was lying in my bed when this idea hit me. It probs makes no sense but it's set post-final. I also listened to Marjorie while I wrote this so take from that what you will.

Masterlist

What died didn't stay dead What died didn't stay dead You're alive, you're alive in my head

The house was quiet. He rolled over and saw the clock flashing 10:15 am. She must have taken the kids to school before going to work he assumed as he closed his eyes again.

Sam loathed this day. Every year it would reach a new year and instead of being happy to bring the new year in it felt like a great weight on his chest. January 24th was the worst day of the year for Sam Winchester.

He lay in bed simply staring at the ceiling. He wasn’t surprised that no one had woken him up. It was common knowledge to anyone around him that he did not function on this day. It was almost like he regressed back to the person he was 20 years ago in that barn.

And damn had it really been 20 years. That realisation only made it hurt more. 2 full decades with his brother.

2 full decades of his life Dean had missed. 

He felt angry. Angry that just when life was looking good for once one last curve ball was thrown and suddenly Sam was doing this alone. He was angry for the life that his brother never got to live. Angry that he never got to meet his niece and nephew. Angry that he never got his own family.

He lay there stewing in his own guilt, anger, and grief before the sound of the bedroom door opening caught his attention. 

Sam turned his head to see a figure peeking out from behind the door. He felt a small smile grace his lips. “Shouldn’t you be at school?” He winced slightly at how raspy his voice sounded.

The door slowly opened more and in stepped his youngest Hailey. She was only 14 (recently 14) yet every day more and more she reminded him of his brother. Her own brother Dean didn’t resemble his uncle much and in a way Sam was grateful. Sometimes around this time of year saying his name could be too much, he didn’t know what he would do if his son also shared his brother's looks.

“Told mum I was sick. Didn’t wanna leave you alone.” She said quietly as she walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. Sam sat up and sent her a weak smile. He simply watched her for a moment. She didn’t look much like either of her parents. She didn’t have Sam’s brown eyes or her mother's nose and hair. No Hailey Winchester had Dean green eyes, she’d had his blonde hair which had naturally darkened to a light brown as she had aged. She had his nose and most hauntingly his smile.

Sam tried to push the comparisons away. He knew it wouldn’t do him any good. He lifted the cover beckoning her to get into the bed. She grinned and accepted his invitation.

Sam felt his heartbeat pick up at her grin. Yet again all he saw was his brother.

Hailey moved closer to her dad allowing him to wrap an arm around her. “I would ask if you're ok but it seems like a stupid question.” She joked trying to soften his mood.

Sam chuckled before nodding. He pressed a kiss to her head before sitting back. Hailey was quiet for a long moment but Sam could tell she was thinking about something.

“Whatcha thinking about?”

“Do you think he would have liked me? And Dean?” 

Sam stiffened slightly at her question. He thought for a moment before smiling. “He would have adored you both. Would have spoiled you both too.” Sam smiled softly.

She smiled up at him with that damn smile. She settled back down into his embrace. “I wish I could have met him.” She said quietly.

Sam looked down at her and ran a hand through her hair. He wanted nothing more than for Dean to meet his children. Hell, when he’d first found out he was gonna be a dad the first thing he had done was go to call his brother. Then he remembered and put the phone down with a heavy heart.

He was quiet for a moment. He’d never really told Hailey much about her uncle. Sure he’d told Dean but he was older and he didn’t wanna freak Hailey out. Taking a deep breath Sam turned to his daughter. “I never told you about what happened when I left Stanford did it?”

He knew he would have to tell her the truth sooner or later. Tell her about the life he had lived before she’d been born. He glanced over to the clock. They had a good few hours before anyone would be home.

I know better But I still feel you all around I know better But you're still around

[rustys-lodge]

Requested by anon : Hey could I request a spn fic? With Dean and Sam and a little sister reader, and it’s during one of their big fights (like one where they ended up parting ways for a while, like when they fight about John in season 1, or about how to kill Lilith later in the show, or whichever one you want), and they have to make her pick who she goes with? And she’s like super upset cuz she doesn’t want to pick between them.

Warnings : just angst

-----

After a lot of ear-deafening yelling, Dean and Sam decided to split ways. One could not stand the other anymore. But who could both of them stand ? You.

So there you were, in the dead of night, ONCE again, in the middle of a family breakup.

"Come on, baby. You know i'll--i'll take better care of you." Sam took a pleading step towards you, to which you responded with a step back.

You couldn't do this anymore. Each one of them using their "kindness" towards as leverage.

"I won't come home drunk to you, every night." He shot a deadly look to Dean. Ouch.

Overwehlmed. And devastated. You huffed.

Your brothers are fighting, again. And they're both trying to get you to come with them. You'd be flattered, but they're fighting over you. And it's getting somehow claustrophobic. And you're close to fuming.

"You know that i won't leave you...Come with me." Sam sounded more convincing than Dean, who...hasn't said a word in a while. That is until Sam spoke again, causing a scoff to break Dean's silence.

"You won't leave her, you mean like the first time...Oh wait ! the second too. And the th-"

"I'm here you ffuckers." A sudden shout erupted from your throat and your eyes furiously dart from one boy to the other.

"He-"

"Oh shut up, Dean. Now's not the time to play big brother, alright ?" You grimace and Dean drops his eyes to the floor, nodding to himself.

And before it fully quieted down, Dean spoke.

"You know what, kid ?"

Your heart skipped a beat at the sudden change in your brother's voice. Not that he yelled or anything. But a sudden seriousness laced his voice. A sudden acknowledgement of the situation, if you may say.

He sounded done.

"I got it ! We're both fuckups and you're not sure which fuckup to choose." Dean lifted his head slightly, heading for his pre-prepared bag. He "You want to go with me ? fine. You want him ? Fine as well. You want to go alone ? Might as well do that." He raised his chin in disappointment.

"I'll be at the bar, and if you're not there in an hour. I'm gone, Y/n." Dean looked you straight in the eyes. "Gone." Before marching towards the door, not one single peek back.

You staggered back until you plumped on the bed, bouncing on the latter as your back hit the covers.

you took a deep breath in, because there you were, suddenly drowning in a sea of thoughts. Because who would you choose ??

------

Short and angsty because we love short and angsty ! Who would you choose ? ❤️❤️❤️⚘️⚘️⚘️

[scoobydoodean]

Thinking about 4.11 “Family Remains” and how Dean keeps insisting to Brian (the dad) that he will save Brian’s family—that he will put himself at risk for them and he will find Danny.

Eventually, Brian asks Dean straight up why he cares so much—why he's willing to put himself at such risk for them. Dean doesn’t get to answer.

We know from the start of the episode that Dean has been hunting non-stop to cope with his trauma. That's made pretty obvious at the beginning of the episode:

SAM: What are you doing? DEAN: What's it look like I'm doing? SAM: Like you're looking for a job. DEAN: Yahtzee. SAM: We just finished a job like two hours ago. DEAN: Adrenaline's still pumping, I guess. So, what do you think... Cedar Rapids, Tulsa, or Chi-Town? SAM: I am all for working. I really am. But you got us chasing cases nonstop for like a month now. We need sleep. DEAN: Yeah, we can sleep when we're dead. SAM: You're exhausted, Dean. DEAN: I'm good. SAM: No, you're not. You're running on fumes, and you can't run forever. DEAN: And what am I running from? SAM: From what you told me. Or are we pretending that never happened?

We've seen this behavior from Sam before too—Sam pushing back to back hunts in 1.19-1.20 to cope with his anger, and in 2.11 (due to guilt over Ava) and in 2.19 to deal with Madison's death, and in 3.11 to deal with Dean's (temporary) death. We'll see it in the future too—the brothers displaying a need to work to get through something.

So it’s easy to say Dean is simply pushing himself to "be the hero" in 4.11 because of guilt about Hell and leave it at that. I do think Dean believes in atonement (we get hints about this in 4.05), but I think the reason Dean insists on being the person to jump down in the first hole they find instead of Ted, and then insists on going down the second compartment to find Danny when Brian is ready to do it, is also because Dean has a feeling they're going to have to kill this girl, and however scary she may be—however violent—she's also a victim of horrific abuse, and taking a life is always a serious thing. So Dean's trying to spare Brian from that trauma.

Dean doesn’t want Brian to have to take a life and (no matter how justified the kill) feel like a monster. Dean already does feel like a monster (no matter how justified his actions were, no matter how understandable it was because it was born from decades of torture... he still feels and deals with terrible guilt). So Dean takes on the highest risks and puts himself on the front line, upping the chance that if anyone has to do any killing tonight, it'll be him.

Dean does end up killing the boy in the walls in self defense, and the camera focuses on Dean staring at his body as Sam enters, while a sad theme plays in the background, and then we get this look from Dean:

This is the first time in the series that either brother kills a human (besides a demon meatsuit) and a teenager at that, so there's a special weight to it.

But Brian still ends up killing the girl in the walls immediately after this, and that scene is one of the more horrifying ones, because it's shot in a way that casts Brian as the monster lurking in the dark.

Earlier in the episode, we establish the horror of the anticipation of having ones legs grabbed.

DEAN finds a hole in the floor and looks through. TED: You're not going down there. DEAN: Well, do you want to? TED says nothing. DEAN starts down. DEAN: Please nobody grab my leg. Please nobody grab my leg.

And when Brian attacks the girl in the walls, from the perspective of his wife Susan and his daughter Kate, all we see is the girl suddenly get dragged out into the dark by the legs.

Then we focus on Susan and Kate as they listen in terror to the sound of her screaming as she's stabbed over and over and over.

When Brian knocks on the door they jump and scream.

After Susan opens the door for Brian, she backs away from him almost warily.

They see the knife—the blood on his hands and clothes.

Brian saved them, but he's shot as the monster who reaches out and grabs you by the legs. We cast the girl in the walls as a smaller monster (ultimately just a child who can easily be overpowered) snatched up in the jaws of a much bigger fish. All despite the fact that Brian did what he had to do.

SAM: You okay? DEAN: You know, I felt for those sons of bitches back there. Lifelong torture turns you into something like that. SAM: You were in hell, Dean. Look, maybe you did what you did there, but you're not them. They were barely human. DEAN: Yeah, you're right. I wasn't like them. I was worse.

[mackeydoodledoo]

Chapter 1: A Good Impression

Pairing: Lamina x (Fem!Mentor)Reader

Summary: Besides Sejanus, you had a heart among the 24 students to act as mentors. People made fun of you for getting paired with the girl who never stopped crying. But, you were going to do whatever it took to get her home.

Warnings: TBOSAS Spoilers, Injuries, Social Anxiety, Swearing

Key: Italics = Thoughts, +*+ = Time Skip

Theme: Softcore - The Neighborhood

A/n: Welcome to my first Lamina x Reader series! Idk how long I'm going to make this series :)

Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

-------------------------------------------------

"Seven. Boy, Vipsania Sickle. Girl. Y/n Y/l/n," Dean Highbottom reads off the list

You look up to your female tribute... She huffs her shoulder upward. She was crying... You heard a few snickers. You really wanted to punch them in the face. But your heart was broken when you watched her cry.

"Looks like Y/n got the crybaby," Arachne snickers to you

You dead stare at her: she had always made remarks towards you but then look back up at the screen, catching one last glimpse of your tribute before it switches to the next district.

After the assigning ceremony, you find a spot outside of the area to just have time to think.

How am I going to make her a victor?...

"Looks like Y/n is having second thoughts about being assigned the crybaby of the tributes," Arachne says, coming up to you

"Lamina is not a crybaby," You say, looking up at her

You too never got along. But, since the both of you were in the same class, you were forced to tolerate her.

"Then, what is she to you? Don't tell me you are actually growing fond of your tribute now," She continues to belittle you

"Me? Fond of her? Please..." You say, "Unlike you, I have a heart. I'm going to make my tribute the best one out of all of you."

"I'd like to see you try, Y/l/n," Arachne stares you down

+*+

Both you and Coriolanus Snow waited at the train station. You look up at him: white rose in his hand and an anxious look on his face.

"With the stunt your tribute pulled at her reaping, she's already captured the capital's eyes," You tell him

"I just don't know how to get her to trust me," He says

Before you could offer some kind of advice that most likely wouldn't help his case in the slightest, traincars came to a hazardous stop. Both you and Snow make yourselves presentable.

As the peacekeepers forcefully grab the tributes out of the cars, both you and Snow look for your respective tributes.

Going off from your photographic memory: Lamina donned shoulder length red hair being tied back with a hair bandana.

Suddenly you see a girl with a matching description pass you by.

"L-Lamina," You anxiously call out to her

The girl stops and turns to you. Putting on your best smile, you reach into your pocket and present a small gift box.

"I-I know everything must be very frightening for you. But, i just wanted to Welcome you to the capitol," You try to keep a smile on

Despite you probably already fucked up your self-introduction.

But, Lamina doesn't answer. She doesn't even meet your gaze.

"I-uhhh," You begin to scramble your sentences, figuring out how to make her talk, "Made this myself."

You frantically tug at the ribbon, and open the lid.

"I... I never made anything of the sort in my life and. And. And-" You attempt to find the right words to even just speak

You gently take her hand, placing the shitty-made gift into her hand. She turns away from you, still not meeting your gaze.

Both you and Snow wistfully hop into the car just before any peacekeeper noticed two Academy students were in it.

An awkward silence sits upon the 24 tributes, you and Snow.

"What's the matter Capitol?" The boy from 11: Reaper asks, "You're in the wrong car."

"We should just kill them," The girl from 4: Coral suggests

Your eyes widen as the boy who was hovering around Lamina comes walking up to you. He presses his arm along your collar bones, pinning you to the back of the wall.

"Treech don't... She's my mentor," Lamina speaks for the first time

Treech's arm eases away from your collar bone. You are really going to have an interesting time...

"I reckon anything happen to them, something would happen to our loved ones back home," Lucy Gray states

"Then how come none of our mentors showed up?" Coral asks, "Why do you and the little crybaby get special treatment?"

"Because they don't know how to make a good first impression," You immediately answer, cocking a half smile, "That and... Most of them don't... Care like we do."

You werent actually sure if Snow cared about Lucy Gray. But, you knew you cared. Unlike your capitol classmates, except Sejanus, you never grew fond of the games... Having to be a mentor to a tribute who could die...

That's the real kicker to the gut.

Your eyes drift to Lamina. A slight smile appears on her face before she looks down at the floor.

The car came to an abrupt stop. You hear the sounds of the backup noise on a vehicle. All of you begin to waver from the car tilting. All of you begin to fall out of the truck, entering an exhibit.

As you begin to become aware of your surroundings, you recognize the place...

The Capitol zoo.... The hell?

A lot of the citizens on the other sidenof the cage began to murmur. You look over to see Snow absolutely terrified out of his mind.

I'll show him how it's done...

You stand onto your feet and strife towards the camera.

"Ahhh, Y/n Y/l/n," Lucky Flickerman makes his way toward you, "Now tell me, Was it required for you two to be in here with the other tributes?"

"Not exactly. For starters, they didn's tell us not to. Second, Snow and I wanted to leave a good first impression on our tributes," You say, "Let me introduce you all.. To my girl, Lamina."

You outstretched your hand and turn to look at her. She nervously stands to her feet. You walk over to her and gently grab her hand.

"I got you," You whisper, reassuring her

She nods as her hand closes around yours and follows close behind you. For once, she finally gazes up and sees the camera in her face.

"Tell us Lamina, what finally got you to stop crying once you got here?" Lucky asks

She let's go of your hand and reaches into her pocket and shows the half-assed gift you made.

"My mentor made it for me," She looks at you, "Didn't know someone like her could be talented."

"Is that so?" Lucky looks at you

"Like I said, I wanted to leave a good first impression," You smile

You conclude your small interview with Lucky and watch him walk over to Snow. You sigh in relief as you falter in the slightest.

"Do you have any food?" She asks, hiding into your chest

You reach into your skirt pockets and pull out some cookies.

"This is all I have for now," You say

As you place it into her hands, you felt an arm curl under yours and begin to pull you away.

"W-wait hold on!" You tell the peacekeeper

"Please...." Lamina sighs into your arm

She looks up at you, "Handful of us haven't eaten since our reaping..."

"I'll do what I can," You answer

Lamina let's go of your arm as she watches you get dragged out of the cage.

+*+

"Sejanus, got a second?" You ask him

He gets up from the table and you pull him aside.

"I need you to do me a favor," You say

"Yeah, of course," He says

You and Sejanus were close, not as close as he is with Corio. But, since the both of you share the dislike of the hunger games, was how you two grew close. You pull out a few sandwiches and other snacks.

"I need you to bring these to Lamina," You say

"Why don't you?" He asks

"I have a different idea," You say, "But this should tide her over for now."

He nods as he places them in his backpack.

"Done," He says

"You're the best," You smile, patting him on the shoulder

You hastily walk into the kitchen.

"Y/n honey?" Your mother looks up from her work, "Shouldn't you be at lunch right now?"

Your family were cooks for the academy. Not the most glamorous job in the capitol since the dark days, but it got your family around since. Your family taught you, so the academy allowed you to enter the kitchen at anytime you want.

"Kindof, but I want to cook a meal for my tribute," You say, "Enough to last her until the games."

"I know the perfect meal," Your mother goes into the recipie archive

+*+

You take a step back from your creation. Your mom giving you a congratulatory pat on the back.

"I'll wrap it up for you," Your mom tells you

"Thanks mom," You say, continuing to gaze at your masterpiece

+*+

"Psst, Lamina," You quietly call her

The redhead sits up and rubs her eyes. But seemed to fully awaken once she realized it was you.

"Y/n," Lamina sighs, slightly smiling, "Wait how did you get in here?"

"Perks of having a decent amount of money to keep us on our feet," You say, "But enough of that, I brought you something."

You place your backpack down and carefully take out a wrapped meal.

"Y/n," She sighs

Before you even handed her your personal cooked meal, you noticed in her eyes of how shaken up she was.

"Hey, what happened?" You asked

"The girl from 10... She killed her mentor, in which the peacekeepers shot her..." She explains

"Holy shit...." You mutter

You saw that she could smell the food. As you hand it to her, she nearly tears right into the wrapping.

"It's enough to last you until the games," You say

*Lamina's POV* The smell of the food overwhelmed you. You look up at her, waiting for her. But, she nods. You immediately indulge yourself into the meal.

"Oh my- how did you?-"

"Perks of having cooks for parents," Y/n says, "They teach you everything you need to know about cooking."

"Ahh, that must really be nice," You say, "Back home my parents really just taught me how to chop wood for our essential use while they were working at our log factories."

"Do you... Have siblings back home?" She asks

"Got a younger brother," You answer, "But, he's a mere baby. He won't remember me when I die."

"Hey," She coos, reaching out for your hand, "Don't say that. He deserves to have an older sister to look up to."

"I can't guarantee that I'm going to win," You look down at your joined hands

"I'm going to get you home," She says, "I have to go but... Eat up."

She gives your hand a gentle, but firm squeeze as she stands. She takes one last look at you before she makes her leave.

*Y/n's POV* You honestly didn't really want to leave her. You would stay at her side all night if you could. But, you didn't want to upset your family as to why you hadn't returned home.

+*+

You walk into class the next morning...

"You and Snow made quite the impression on the viewers yesterday Y/l/n," Dean Highbottom says

"I only wanted to leave a good impression on my tribute," You say

"I wouldn't recommend getting too close," He suggests

"Trust me Dean, I won't," You say, taking a seat at your usual spot in the class

"I find that hard to believe," He says, "I'm very fond of you, because of your hard work Y/l/n. I only wish you the best."

Though you only try your best to be in the good graces of people. Though that often makes you a pushover to a lot of the capitol students who want to make it to the top. It was like you unintentionally try, and somehow you do the best.

+*+

A peacekeeper shackles Lamina's wrists to the table.

"You all have thirty minutes to discuss strategy for the interviews," Highbottom announces, "You may begin."

You sit down, Lamina doesn't look at you.

"Frankly it's so unnecessary to be shackling all of you like this," You say, "How are you holding up?"

Her lip begins to quiver...

Oh boy...

Immediately she brings her hands up to her face and begin to silently cry to herself.

"Hey," You coo to her

You gently grasp her shackled hands, and slowly bring them down onto the table.

"Lamina, look at me," You calmly tell her

*Lamina's POV* Trying to pull yourself together, and slowly raise your head to look at Y/n. Suddenly, you felt no fear... You no longer felt like crying. You nearly twitch back when you saw Y/n's hand being to rise towards your cheek.

"Sorry," She says, nearly drawing her hand back

However, still feeling calm in her presence, you allow her to gently wipe your face from any tears.

*Y/n's POV* "These interviews are important for you all," You begin to explain, "This will help you get donations from sponsors for the games. However, it'll help me too so that I can send you items that you may need while you're in the arena..."

Lamina begins to cry again...

"Hey hey shhhhh," You calm her, "Do you remember what you told me last night?"

She nods.

"We need to get people to empathize with you, make them feel like they can relate to you," You suggest

"You want them to pity me?" She asks, "Hell no..."

"Lamina," You sigh, clasping your hands over hers, "I don't care about winning for me. I care about winning for you. Winning for you would mean that you'd survive in that arena and you'd get to go home."

"I still don't want them to pity me," Lamina sighs

"Not pity, empathize with you," You say, "Make them feel like they are able to connect with you."

Your fingers brush against her cheek, brushing hair away from her head.

"I'll... I'll try," Lamina says

"Atta girl," You smile

"Time's up," Highbottom says

The peacekeepers begin to forcefully take the tributes back.

"H-hey! Easy with her!" You try to tell the peacekeepers handling her

You were about to reach up to them to escort her back yourself. However, Highbottom grabs your arm and shakes his head.

+*+

You decided to pay Lamina another visit.

"Hey Lamina," You whisper

She turns over; her face lighting up.

"How are you holding up?" You ask, "Those peacekeepers earlier were really man-handling you guys... I was about to sock one in the jaw and escort you back myself..."

"You're too kind," She smiles

"I only want to leave you with a good impression of me," You sigh

"You've already done that," She confesses

"Really? Since when?" You ask

"Since the day you were at the train station," She says

"Now you're too kind," You chuckle, "You know... Even though they taught us to think lowly of the districts, and that you all were monsters. But, getting to know you... It taught me that the capitol was wrong... You.. Proved them wrong."

Lamina doesn't answer you. It caused you to look at her, worrying that you said something wrong.

"I-uhh," You immediately bolt to your feet, "I have to go but- but I'll see you tomorrow for the tour of the arena."

You reluctantly turn your back to her and begin making your way to the entrance, where your mother awaited for your return.

+*+

You meet with Lamina for the tour of the arena. Lamina clung to your arm. From the corner of your eye, a peacekeeper was about to pull Lamina away from you.

"It's fine," You tell them, not allowing them to touch her

Enjoy the Show

Lamina jumps at the saying once the both of you pass the turnstile gate.

"Hey, camera on Coral," Festus Creed gets the camera crew to focus on her

You roll your eyes.

Try-hard...

The lights illuminate the concrete arena. To think people would actually sit in the arena and watch children murder each other was an outrageous concept to you.

"Mentors and Tributes, you have one hour to walk around the Arena and devise a strategy," An announcement echoes

Chapter 2

[girls-alias]

Basement - Dean Winchester

Title: Basement - Dean Winchester Words: 1,859 Relations: Dean Winchester X reader. TW: Violence.

Prompt:

Locking Dean in your basement.

I put the phone to my ear. 

"Yeah?" I spoke instantly knowing it was my partner. 

"They've split up so I'll follow the tall one, he seems the most suspicious," he commented before hanging up. I put the phone back on the table and continued to clean my gun. I played my music and was glad AC/DC was the first thing to come on. I turned the TV on and read the subtitles as the sound couldn't be heard over the music. I sighed seeing the small-town news only repeating itself. Not a lot happens here so when there are suddenly three deaths of a similar nature it's all anyone is talking about. 

"Still our police force is looking into the deaths. In other news, a girl has gone missing." Well, this is new. "Witness reports say that a girl! Lucy Bodaga was grabbed outside of her home, here is an interview with the witness," even off duty I find myself working. The flashing lite on the remote sprung me into action. I installed a little security in my house so I knew when the doors or windows were opened. I loaded my gun and approached the door. No one is supposed to be here but me. I slowly crept towards the door and saw a glimpse of a shape walking into a doorway. No clear shot as they were already out of view. I continued to creep as I followed the person into the dining room where I had just exited out of another door, the guns were still on the table. I walked over to see a guy with his back to me looking down at the guns and my handcuffs. 

"Into some kinky shit," the guy commented assuming no one would hear him.  

"No, I'm an officer," I announced from behind him with my gun aimed at his shoulder. He froze before sighing. "Turn around with your hands up," I instructed and he put his hands up showing he was holding a shotgun. I tightened my grip around my pistol. He turned around and now I couldn't clearly see that it was Dean Winchester, a guy my partner had been following. "Put the gun to the ground," I added which he did slowly. "Take three steps back." He once again did as he was instructed. I walked forward, still aiming my gun at him as he watched me intently. I grabbed my handcuffs and approached him. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back," he turned around, and I put my gun in my waistband slowly so he wouldn't hear that I was unarmed. I snapped one handcuff on his wrist before he quickly turned around and pushed me to the ground. My hand instantly landed on his shotgun. I cocked it as I aimed it at him. He groaned as he noticed I was armed again. "Considering the bruises on your face I assumed you would be a good fighter," I chuckled but he scoffed. 

"Wouldn't want to damage a beautiful face," he commented as I stood up. 

"Someone didn't think the same thing for you," I added making him chuckle. I didn't mean to say he had a beautiful face it just kind of came out. "Since you don't want me to handcuff you maybe you should do it yourself," I commented making him sigh. "Walk," I instructed gesturing with the gun to the basement door. He walked slowly. We started walking down the stairs before he stopped in the centre of the room. "Cuff yourself to the pipe," he groaned as he approached the pipe. "Shouldn't have broken into my house then," I commented with a chuckle. 

"I'm just trying to help solve the murders," he commented making me sigh. He snapped his handcuff to the pipe. 

"You know I thought that but once we did a search on you we saw that you were dead, twice actually," I explained and he groaned. 

"I hate cops," he sighed. 

"Well that's why you're here and not the precinct, my partner and I believe you have cops on the inside," I explained making him chuckle. 

"Of course, you'd think that," he commented with a chuckle. 

"How else would you explain getting away so often? Two cops have killed you off, they wouldn't just do that," I explained and he chuckled. 

"I saved their lives," he shrugged so I smiled. 

"Maybe, I don't want to take any chances," I commented. He was silent for a minute as I sat at the bottom of the steps watching him. 

"You're really going to watch me? Do you want me to dance or something?" He joked making me laugh. 

"I don't want you out of my sight," I commented making him smirk. 

"I knew you had the hots for me as soon as you said I had a beautiful face," he commented making me chuckle as I looked away, a little awkward that he noticed the accidental compliment. 

"I think the bruises make you look better actually, like a Frankenstein monster kind of way," I joked making him laugh. We were silent again. The song changing upstairs was the only sound that could be heard. 

"This your partner's music?" He asked in a small talk kind of way. 

"You think just because I'm a girl I can't like rock music?" I asked making him chuckle. 

"Favourite song?" He asked dodging the question. 

"Don't fear the reaper - blue oyster cult," I commented, indulging him in some conversation. He looked impressed. 

"So you're not afraid of death?" He asked looking at me with bored eyes. 

"Don't fear something that's inevitable," I shrugged and he nodded. 

"I've met death, he likes pizza," he commented making me chuckle. 

"I read somewhere that you're a Satanist," I shrugged making him laugh. 

"You're not scared I'll pray to him and kill you," he added in a questioning tone. 

"I believe the real devil is in everyone. No one is good, having a person or a fallen angel to blame is just something humans did to feel good about themselves," I shrugged and he smiled as he surveyed me. 

"So what's the plan? Are you going to keep me as your little pet? The handcuffs could come in handy," he charmed making me chuckle. 

"Well sooner or later your brother will turn up so we'll see how that goes," I shrugged and Dean smirked. 

"You're not scared at all," he commented making me chuckle. 

"As far as I see it, you can't do anything in handcuffs." I shrugged making him laugh.

"Well, that's not true. I've done a lot in handcuffs," He smirked, his eyebrows raised suggestively. I smirked knowing he was probably right. He can't be that hot without having experience in the bedroom.

"Good luck with that," I commented but he chuckled, Licking his lips and bringing his bottom lip between his teeth to bite it. I raised an eyebrow, using my best poker face to hide the fact that the move made me weak.

We were quiet again and I took this time to asses his gun. I noted that his shotgun shells were full of what appeared to be salt. 

"Salt makes ghosts disappear until we can find a way to get rid of them," he explained making me chuckle. 

"So now you're ghost hunters?" I asked putting his gun back to normal. 

"Have been since a child," the conversation fell as he looked a little disappointed or upset. I decided to let it slide. The door opening to the basement caught my attention and I saw my partner leading Sam down the stairs. "Sam don't shoot," Dean announced. 

"Okay," Sam replied as he came into view of Dean making Dean sigh. I chuckled. Dean's protecting me? Interesting development. My partner guided Sam to the pipe and handcuffed him to it as well. My partner approached me. 

"No fight?" He asked making me laugh. 

"He didn't want to ruin my beautiful face," I quoted making him laugh. 

"Wish Sam did the same courtesy," he commented making me laugh as I noticed his busted lip and slowly forming bruises.

"You want to go grab them some chairs?" I asked but really it was an instruction. He looked at me unimpressed making me chuckle. He walked up the stairs with a bit of a stomp. "Want any drinks?" I asked and Sam looked to Dean confused. 

"Beer?" Dean questioned so I nodded. I looked at Sam expectantly. 

"I'll have the same," he commented making me nod again. I walked up the stairs and grabbed 4 beers. My partner, Jackson, struggled to carry the chairs making me laugh as I walked past easily. I walked back into the basement to hear the brothers stopping their conversation. We can't take our eyes off of them. They've probably already made an escape plan. I opened the beers and handed them both one with their spare hand. The chairs were brought downstairs and put beside them. I adjusted the cuffs so they could sit comfortably without the blood from their arms going elsewhere. Jackson and I sat on the bottom steps watching them as we all drank our beers.

"We're just going to wait this out, if someone dies while you're both here we'll let you go," I explained.

"What?" The three of them asked in unison.

"As far as I see it you're not doing any harm," I shrugged and Dean smiled at me brightly. Sam and Jackson looked sceptical. I shrugged and sat comfortably while we waited. Hours passed and we just sat quietly listening to the music playing upstairs. 

"Jackson," a voice called through my police radio. I handed him the radio. He walked upstairs to talk to the operator. Once he was gone I turned to Sam and Dean.  

"So, you believe in ghosts, do you think they're killing people?" I asked unsure if I wanted to know the answer. 

"We think it's a vampire," Dean commented and Sam looked at him in disbelief. "She's real," Dean shrugged making me chuckle. 

"A vampire? Indulge me, how do you kill a vampire?" I asked and Sam looked confused. 

"Decapitation," Dean said simply making me chuckle. 

"So you're going to go around chopping heads off? You had me for a minute. I thought it could possibly be a vampire for the biting and the blood draining but now I'm lost." I explained and Dean shrugged. 

"You can also kill them with dead man's blood," Sam chirped making me nod. Just in case I'll remember that. I turned to Jackson who sighed. 

"Another death," he shrugged making me sigh. Looks like it's not them. I walked over with the key to the cuffs. 

"I'll give you an option, either leave town or let me hunt the killer with you," I explained undoing Sam's cuffs. Sam looked at Dean a little sceptically. Dean sighed. 

"Fine you can come with us," he groaned making me smile as I undid his cuffs. 

"We got some work to do then," I commented as I started hearing towards the basement door.

I had no idea what was about to happen.

Masterlist

Working On

[starpirateee]

please continue the chimera!curtwen au! I would love to see the full story, and the consequences of curt joining chimera (and how owen reacts). it's such an interesting premise!

Y'all are asking for it! You've got that vaguely corrupted Curt comin right at ya! In fairness, I'm... also asking for it. This has taken over my entire brain and I will be thinking about this au for a hot goddamn while now....

(part 1)

"This is…" Once upon a time, the Secret Service operative known as Curt Mega used to be a legend. Known among governments, feared among their enemies. His was a name to be known, to be respected.

All of that came to an end at the beginning of 1959. In the dead of winter, Mega had been sent to investigate one of the most covert operations in the world, and had never returned. Some say he was killed in a gunfight. The reports say he was declared missing in action, and then presumed dead a month later. No matter the case, Curt Mega- a man with a future. A man of only 34 years old- was dead to everyone that mattered.

Everyone, that was, except Owen Carvour.

Because, the truth of the matter was that Curt hadn't died in a gunfight, or through some tragic accident… In fact, he wasn't dead at all. He had, however, joined the ranks of the dead, so to speak. Most of the operatives of Chimera were men just like him. People who had been declared dead, or who's country would be more than happy to kill them if they ever showed face again.

Suddenly, it made a lot more sense why they were informally known as ghost corps…

Owen had been getting Curt acquainted with the system that they had been developing under the noses of the world's governments. To say the least, he wasn't expecting a lot. Curt and technological developments were not two things that tended to mix, so he had rather low expectations.

"This is incredible."

That wasn't one of the things he'd prepared himself to hear, and he had to briefly check to make sure he was even still talking to Curt.

"Incredible, you say?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Curt nodded. "It works, doesn't it? You've got it deployed already?"

"We do. Mind you, what we currently have deployed is a prototype, really… A first draft. But the system for data collection will be much the same."

That's what they were looking at now. Massive banks of data, the likes of which Curt had never seen before, let alone tried to think about. He hadn't imagined that an archival system made for nothing more than drives the size of his forearm would be so large, but Owen had told him of a compound in the Pacific that they'd been developing, and he realised only that this was something that the world's governments would never catch up to.

"I'm guessing the Pacific compound isn't the only one, huh?"

"No, not at all. There are backups for that data, and larger compounds in development, even as we speak. Quite enticing, right?"

"God, yeah." And Owen wasn't the only one surprised to hear him say that. He didn't think he'd ever find himself so interested in a world which he could never understand. A vast attention span was not something he was ever given, especially not the capacity needed to understand what was going on in the science and tech industries.

Granted, he still didn't understand it, but he had Owen's support again, somehow, so he was willing to believe that would change.

Owen closed the file they'd been delving through with one hand. "That's what we're trying to uphold now. And that's why I asked you here. Curt, how are you for acting?"

"Acting?"

"Yes. Acting. Pretending to be someone you're not."

"… I know what acting is."

"Are you any good?"

Curt had to genuinely think about that. He probably wouldn't find out why he'd been asked that until he gave an answer, so he tried to figure out some sort of a response. Had he acted before? What were they counting as experience, and did his former job give him any credit on the matter? "Well- uh- I'm no James Dean, but I'm not bad, I guess?"

"I suppose what I should be asking is: can you make it believable?"

"I suppose? I'm not really sure what you're asking me here."

Curt did make it so impossible to keep one's patience in check sometimes, and Owen supposed he knew that better than anyone. He sighed. "We are going to need you within the network, so I need to know that you're capable of swapping between roles and making flawless transitions. You're going to need it."

"That what they have you doing?"

"In part. But you know me, Curt. That's easy as far as I'm concerned. This isn't about my particular skills here, but about yours." He leaned forwards a little, quietly tapping a finger against the file.

"I probably haven't had the experience you have, but I did a bbit of something like that in the agency..? Y'know, case files, secret identities…"

"And your track record is nearly impeccable… I'd say you were fairly good at it."

"Thanks?"

Owen just smiled back at him. All too brief. All too professional. Not so much the warm, genuine smile that Curt's mind had attributed to Owen, but a show of something more than neutrality all the same.

"There's an event in a little over two weeks time. For all intents and purposes, this is your chance to prove yourself, and to prove that I didn't waste my time convincing them that you were worth it."

He'd said that so casually, as if he was admitting to having seen a movie, not something of that weight. It had managed to completely take Curt by surprise. He blinked. "Wait, run that by me again… You did this?"

"Well, I can't take all of the credit, but-"

"You convinced them to give me a chance? You?!"

"Why's that so hard to believe?"

"If you were alive at all, I'd have thought it'd only make sense if you… I dunno, completely hated me?"

"It wasn't personal."

Curt smirked. "You're a fuckin' awful liar, you know that?" There was something in the way his gaze averted for the smallest of seconds that was a blatant tell in curt's eyes. It was so brief that it was barely obvious, but he'd learned to spot it from a mile away. "What really happened?"

"I know you're someone they wouldn't want to miss out on, that's all."

"Owen..."

"... Because you're the best I've ever worked with and I knew I'd get another chance if they persuaded you..."

[beansmack2021]

Baby's First Demon

TW: threats, possession, blood, knife, demon purposely injuring a host body

"Aw! Baby's first demon!" Dean laughed from the driver's seat of his '67 Chevy Impala. He drummed on the wheel to the beat of the song playing on the radio.

"Hey! It's not my fault! You're the one who'd only let me go on a hunt if it was just gonna be a salt and burn." You pouted, crossing your arms, but that only made your brothers laugh more. "You're 14. Way too young to be hunting demons." Sam peered over his shoulder at you.

"Now hang on, Sammy. Don't go getting all hypocritical on the kid. You helped us with a couple of black-eyes when you were 9." Before you could even open your mouth to say something about what you'd just learned, Dean glanced at you in the rearview mirror. You could only see his eyes, but that told you enough about how the rest of his face would read. "You shouldn't be involved with the family business at all. Period. 'Course, you're stubborn as all hell, so it's not like we can stop you from going out and doing it on your own if we told you no."

You grinned sheepishly. You knew your brothers had your best interest at heart. You also knew that they would lose their minds if something happened to you. Even though you wanted to move on to bigger, badder things, you'd have to go the pace they'd set for you or Dean would drink away his dispair and Sammy would have an aneurysm.

"Should just be the one, but if things get sticky, get yourself out of there. Got it?" Sam asked the question, but Dean's eyes were the ones that seemed to bore into your own as he put the car in park.

"Don't try to play some sort of hero, Bug. Dean and I, we've been doing this a while. Even we don't always know what to expect." This was a plea and a warning. They couldn't guarantee that they'd be able to get you out if things went wrong. If someone was hurt (or worse), the others wouldn't be able to do much for them. If one thing could be said about the Winchesters, it'd be that they're all a bunch of self-sacrficing assholes.

You climbed out of the car, trying to close the door quietly enough so there wasn't a chance the demon would have heard you. Dean gave you one last look that said "If you die, I'll kill you" and handed you a gun and a flask of holy water.

The building was very, very old, the steps creaking as the three of you made your way to the door. Dean pushed it open slowly with his foot, both hands on his gun. You felt as though you were inhaling a cloud of dust as you followed behind him, reciting the Latin your brothers had made you memorize before you were allowed to come on this hunt to yourself.

After several minutes of searching and silence, Dean dropped his hands to his side. "I guess it's not here."

"Maybe it heard us coming and went out the back" you offered. You'd wished that was the case as something dripped onto your face from above. You slowly looked up and felt your heart plummet as you were met with a wide, toothy grin and a pair of pitch black eyes. You shrieked as it dropped, taking you to the floor and pinning you beneath itself. You struggled to keep the knife it was trying to plunge into your chest back, panicking as you tried to shout out the incantation to exorcize the demon.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus-" the demon moved one hand from the hilt of the knife it was holding and tried to cover your mouth. You heard gunshots and felt the cold and clammy host body go limp on top of you.

----------------------------------------------------------

"Hey! Hey, kiddo! You okay?" Dean helped you push the heavy, dead body off of yourself and was relieved that you seemed alright, at least physically. Your face crumpled and you started crying as Dean pulled you to your feet and into his arms. You shook for a moment, your sobs getting louder and louder, and then suddenly becoming wicked cackling.

Dean pulled away, confusion etched into every part of his face. You were looking down at the blade in your hand, pointed at your own stomach. "Y/N?" You slowly met his gaze, your eyes completely black and your grin sinister as you titled your head to one side. Dean pointed his gun at you, or rather, the demon possessing you, but the demon just tutted. "Dean, I think you and I both know you could never shoot Bug, here."

"Exorcizamus-" Sam could barely get the word out before the demon slowly started to push the tip of the blade into your abdomen. It hissed a bit in pain. "Ah ah, Sammy. You try to get rid of me, and I kill her." His jaw clenched as he closed his mouth. He looked at Dean, waiting to see what the next move would be.

"What do you want from us?" Dean had lowered his gun, slowly twisting the cap to his own flask of holy water. "Suffering" the demon hissed out. "You Winchesters have caused a lot of problems for us down in Hell. Now it's time to even the score." The demon slowly moved the blade up to your face, running it across your cheek. You grimaced, and then the demon smirked.

"She's awake, by the way. She can feel, hear, see and even smell everything. Including this" without warning, the demon plunged the knife into your thigh. You screamed. "Dean! It hurts!" The demon forced your face into another smile, forcing you back into the recesses of your own consciousness.

"You son of a bitch! Leave her alone or I swear to God-" Dean took a step forward and the demon held up the knife again. "You swear to God what? You'll kill me? Send me straight back to Hell? I've already accepted that I'll probably be gone when this is said and done, but at least I'll be taking one of the infamous Winchesters with me. The baby, no less!"

Dean pulled the flask from his back pocket, dousing the demon in holy water as Sam restarted the incantation. It hissed in pain, but just before Sam could finish chanting, the demon slammed the knife into your abdomen. "No!"

Black smoke poured from your mouth and was sent through the floor, charring the wood, and you collapsed. Dean scooped you up into his arms almost as quickly as you hit the ground, putting pressure on the stab wound. "De" you coughed out some blood. "De, I'm scared." Dean cursed. "I know, Baby. I know you're scared, but I need you to stay with me, okay?" He silently started praying to anyone or anything. He begged Castiel to show up, to help you. Nothing.

"Alright, we need to get you out of here. Find somewhere to patch you up." Before Dean could stand up with you, Sam put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "She's not gonna make it, Dean" he mumbled, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Don't say that. Don't fucking say that! She has to."

You coughed again, slowly raising a shaky hand. You put one hand on his cheek, the other on his chin, just as you did when you were a baby. You smiled weakly, blood dribbling down your chin. "I love you" you rasped out. Dean shook his head. "Quit acting like this is goodbye. You're gonna be fine, Squirt." You shook your head sadly, a tear dripping from his chin onto your face. "Not this time. I love you, Sammy." Sam inhaled sharply. "I love you, too, Honey." You smiled and looked Dean directly in the eyes. "I love you, Dean." Dean was silent for a three count before he let out a sob. "I love you, too, Baby." You sighed one last time, closing your eyes, and went limp in Dean's arms.

[layce2015]

Supernatural (Dean Winchester x Female!Reader)

Two Minutes To Midnight

Masterlist pt 1

Masterlist pt 2

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Dean asked Sam while I run my hand over my eyes, upset. "Dean..." Sam tried to say, but Dean talks over him. "...No, don't 'Dean' me. I mean, you... you have had some stupid ideas in the past, But this." He growls then I turn to Bobby. "Did you know about this?" I asked Bobby as he wheels himself up in the kitchen doorway. "What?" Bobby asked. "About Sam's genius plan to say 'yes' to the devil?" Dean elaborated, angrily.

Bobby stares at him for a moment, then nods. "Well, thanks for the heads up!" Dean exclaimed, angrily. "Hey, this ain't about me." Bobby said and I turn to Sam. "You can't do this." I told Sam. "That's the consensus." Sam said, shrugging. "All right. Awesome. Then, end of discussion." Dean said.

At that moment his phone starts ringing. He takes it out while pointing at Sam. "This isn't over." He told his brother, then he answers his phone. "Hello?" he said then he stops. "Ariel?" Dean said, glancing to me and Sam. "Wait, you found Cas?" He said and I raise my head up at him. "Is he okay?" I asked him. Dean holds up his hand to me, telling me to wait. "Wait, let me put you on speaker." He said then he pulls the phone away from his ear, presses a button and holds it up.

"Okay...Where the hell are you guys?" Dean asked them. "A hospital." Ariel's voice said. "Is he okay?" Dean asked, worried. "No." She replied, simply. Dean waits for her to say more but she doesn't. "You want to elaborate?" Dean asked.

"He just woke up here. The doctors were fairly surprised. They thought he was brain-dead." Ariel explained. "S-so, a hospital?" Dean asked then we hear Cas' voice in the background. "Apparently, after Van Nuys, I suddenly appeared, bloody and unconscious, on a shrimping boat off Delacroix. I'm told it upset the sailors." Castiel explained.

"Uh, well, I got to tell you guys...You're just in time. We figured out a way to pop Satan's box." Dean said. "How?" Castiel and Ariel asked, while Cas grunts in pain. "It's a long story, but, look...we're going after Pestilence now. So if you guys want to zap over here..." Dean said.

"I can't zap anywhere." Castiel said. "What do you mean?" Dean asked. "You could say my batteries are...are drained." Castiel said. "What do you mean? You're out of angel mojo?" Dean asked. "I'm saying that I am thirsty and my head aches. I have a bug bite that itches no matter how much I scratch it, and I'm saying that I'm just incredibly..." Castiel explained.

"Human. Wow. Sorry." Dean said. "I have enough power for both of us to get out of here but...I need to make sure Cas is well enough to travel." Ariel said. "You sure? Bobby can wire you guys the cash..." Dean said but Ariel talks over him. "No, we'll be fine. Like I said, if Cas is truly human, I need to make sure he gets properly checked over. Once we get cleared here, we'll come back." Ariel said. "Well, at least let Bobby send you some money to pay for the hospital stay." Dean said and Bobby narrows his eyes at him. "I will?" He asked as Dean was about to hang up his phone. 

"Dean, wait." Castiel said and Dean stopped. "Ariel told me you said no to Michael. I owe you an apology." Castiel said. "Cas...I-it's okay." Dean said, smiling a little. "You are not the burnt and broken shell of a man that I believed you to be." Castiel said and Dean pauses for a moment. "Thank you....I appreciate that." He said. "You're welcome." Castiel said and Ariel hangs up before Dean could say anything else.

Later, Sam, Dean, and I went outside and got into the Impala. "Be careful." Bobby tells us. We nodded and drive off to find Pestilence.

That night, the boys and I watch Serenity Valley Convalescent Home from the Impala. "So this is Dr. Evil's lair, huh?" Dean asked, lowering his binoculars. "It's kind of more depressing than evil." Sam said as we watch one of the nurses wheel an old man back into the building.

"It's like a four-color brochure for dying young. Of course, to Pestilence, it's probably Dollywood in there." I said. "Great. A whole building full of people. We don't know who's human, who's demon, and who's Pestilence. So what do we do?" Sam asked. "Hang on." Dean said and he looks through his binoculars again.

Minutes later, we enter the building and found the security room door, which Dean opens the door and poke his head in. "Hey. Hi. Uh, I'm looking for my Nana. Uh, her name is Eunice Kennedy." He said. "Go around front and see the nurse." The guard inside said. Dean glances back to us then goes inside shutting the door behind him. Sam and I glance at each other then away to see if anyone's coming.

Then we hear Dean knock on the door and we quickly slip into the room while Dean pulls the guard into a corner out of the way. "Eunice Kennedy?" Sam asked. "That's the beauty about improv, Sammy. You never know what's gonna come out of your mouth." Dean said. "Yeah, you would know." I grumbled, with a sneer, and Dean turns his head to me and I shrug a bit.

We sit down in front of the screen and spend what felt like hours watching them. "So, what are..." I started to asked but then I notice Dean had drifting off to sleep, leaning his head against my shoulder. I roll my eyes at this then I flick his forehead, waking him up. "Hey." I said and he sits up, quickly. "What are we even looking for?" I asked as he shakes his head to wake himself up. "Well, he's Pestilence, so he probably looks sick." Dean said as he runs his hand over his eyes. "Everybody looks sick." Sam remarked.

We spend hours watching the camera until a man leaves a room cause a distortion on the monitor. "Hey." I said, pointing to it. Dean, who's been pacing to keep himself awake, comes over to look at the screens. We watch as each monitor has a distortion when ever the man is caught by the camera. "Oh, now we're talking." Dean said, smirking.

We exit the security room and made our way through the halls to catch up to the man. Ducking behind a wall to avoid one of the nurses seeing Sam holding Ruby's knife and Dean and I holding shotguns. We continue down the hall, passing an open room where a nurse was checking in on one of the patiences.

Further along, I suddenly start to feel sick and we all started coughing, my vision became blurry with tears but we pressed on. We round the corner and found the bodies of a doctor and a nurse. I lean on the wall while the boys leaned on the opposite wall for support, Sam coughs up blood onto his hand. "Ugh...Must be getting close." He said. "You think?" Dean asked.

We keep going, getting sicker and sicker with every step. Finally, my body couldn't take it any more and I start to sink to the floor.

"(Y/n)?" Dean said, coming over to me. He tries to help me up and tries to get me to keep going, but we both stumble and I fall to the floor. Sam stumbles to his feet and slowly made his way to the room, while Dean crumbles to the floor unable to keep going as well. We all lay on the floor, coughing uncontrollably.

Sam makes it to the room and the door is open by a nurse. Sam raises the knife to her but the nurse was unfazed by it. "The doctor will see you now." She said, stepping aside showing Pestilence was sitting on the bed next to a dead old woman.

"Sam. Dean. (y/n)." Pestilence said, waving for us to come froward. Sam keels over and falls to the floor. "Come right in." Pestilence said. The nurse steps out into the hall and drags Dean and I into the room next to Sam.

"Hmm. You three don't look well. It might be the, uh, Scarlet fever." Pestilence said, getting up from the bed staring down at us as we continue coughing. "Or, uh, the meningitis. Oh! Or the syphilis." Pestilence said, then clicks his tongue as he shakes his head. "That's no fun." He said. 

Pestilence steps closer, grabbing Sam by his hair and lifting his head up to look at him. "However you feel right now? It's gonna get so very, very much worse. Questions?" He asked, dropping Sam and letting his face drop back down to the floor. "Disease gets a bad rap, don't you think? For being filthy. Chaotic. Uh, but, really, t-that just describes people who get sick. Disease itself...Very...Pure...Single-minded. Bacteria have one purpose...divide and conquer." Pestilence said as Dean reaches for the knife that Sam had dropped. 

But Pestilence steps on his hand, stopping him. "That's why, in the end...It always wins." Pestilence said, kicking the knife away before releasing Dean. "So, you've got to wonder why God pours all his love into something so MESSY...AND WEAK! It's ridiculous. All I can do is show him he's wrong, one epidemic at a time. Now...On a scale of 1 to 10, how's your pain?" Pestilence asked as he takes out glasses from his pocket and puts them on.

The door flies open and Castiel walks in. "Cas." Dean and I said, surprised and relieved. "How'd you get here?" Pestilence asked Castiel, taking off his glasses. "I took a bus. Don't worry, I..." Castiel said but then he falls to the floor, coughing. "Well, look at that. An occupied vessel, but powerless. Oh, that's fascinating. There's not a speck of angel in you, is there?" Pestilence asked as he leans over Castiel, grinning.

But then Pestilence was pulled backwards and slammed against the desk. "He's not alone." Ariel said as she appeared behind him. The demon nurse charges at Ariel but Ariel waves her hand and the nurse flies back. Then Ariel raises the knife, Sam dropped, grabs his arm and cuts off Pestilence's ring finger and pinky finger. Pestilence screams out in pain then pulls his bloody hand away.

The nurse gets up and goes after Ariel again but Castiel tackles her down and they fight. Ariel then goes over, grabs the demon and stabs her, killing her.

With the ring cut off, we were suddenly healthy again and we stand up then Dean picks up the finger to retrieve the ring. "It doesn't matter. It's too late." Pestilence said, before he disappears. I furrow my brow at this then look over at the others, who also had the same confused, concerned expression.

We return to Bobby's and Dean drops Pestilence's ring in the desk in front of Bobby. "Well, it's nice to actually score a home run for once, ain't it?" Bobby said, but no one says anything. "What?" He asked us. "Last thing Pestilence said. it's too late." Sam said. "He get specific?" Bobby asked. "No." I replied. "We're just a little freaked out that he might have left a bomb somewhere. So please tell us you have actual good news." Dean said and Bobby pauses for a moment.

"Chicago's about to be wiped off the map. Storm of the millennium. Sets off a daisy chain of natural disasters. Three million people are gonna die." He said. "Huh." Dean muttered, looking down.

"I don't understand your definition of good news." Castiel said while Ariel paces. "You and me both, Cas." I said. "I think what Bobby is saying is that...Death, the horseman...he's gonna be there." She said and Bobby nods. "Exactly! And if we can stop him before he kick-starts this storm, get his ring back." Bobby explained.

"Yeah, you make it sound so easy." Dean said. "Hell, I'm just trying to put a spin on it." Bobby said. "Well...Bobby, h-how'd you put all this together, anyways?" Sam asked. "I had, you know...Help." Bobby said, quietly, seeming unusually nervous all of a sudden.

We hear a glass clink and turn to see Crowley in the kitchen pouring himself a drink. "Don't be so modest. I barely helped at all." He said to Bobby as he picks up his glass and walks over to lean on the doorframe of the library and kitchen. "Hello, gang. Pleasure, et cetera." He said to us, taking a sip of his drink. "Go ahead. Tell them. There's no shame in it." He said to Bobby, setting his glass down.

We all turn to Bobby. "Bobby? Tell us what?" I asked, very worried. "World's gonna end. Seems stupid to get all precious over one little...Soul." Bobby said. "You sold your soul?" Dean asked, dumbfounded. "Oh, more like pawned it. I fully intend to give it back." Crowley said. "Well, then give it back!" I growled at him. "I will." Crowley said. "Now!" Dean and I yelled.

"Did you kiss him?" Sam asked Bobby. "Sam!" Dean said, exasperated. "Just wondering." Sam replied. We all look at Bobby, who looks between us. "No!" He exclaimed and Sam narrows his, suspicious. Crowley clears his throat and we look at him to see he was holding out his phone which has a picture of himself and Bobby kissing.

"Why'd you take a picture?" Bobby asked, ashamed, while Crowley glances at the photo. "Why do you have to use tongue?" He asked. We all turn to Bobby again, in shock, while Bobby glares at Crowley, who smiles back at him. 

"All right. You know what? I'm sick of this." Dean growled as her walks over to Crowley. "Give him his soul back now." He ordered. "I'm sorry. I can't." Crowley said. "Can't or won't?" Dean asked. "I won't, all right? It's insurance." Crowley said. "What are you talking about?" I asked. "You kill demons. Gigantor over there has a temper issue about it. But you won't kill me...As long as I have that soul in the deposit box." Crowley said, waving his phone before putting it away in his pocket.

"You son of a bitch." Bobby growled. "I'll return it. After all this is over, and I can walk safely away. Do we all understand each other?" Crowley asked and I glared at him.

I went outside with Dean to help him pack the trunk when Sam walks up. He sighs and he leans against the car. "Let me guess. We're about to have a talk." Dean said. "Look, guys, um...For the record...I agree with you. About me. You think I'm too weak to take on Lucifer. Well, so do I. Believe me, I know exactly how screwed up I am. You two, Bobby, Cas, Ariel...I'm the least of any of you." Sam explained.

"Oh, Sam..." Dean and I mutter as Dean leans on the car next to him. "No, it's true. It is. But...I'm also all we got. If there was another way..." He said then he paused for a moment, shrugging. "But I don't think there is. There's just me. So I don't know what else to do. Except just try t-to do what's got to be done." He explained. 

"Aaaand...Scene." Crowley's voice said and we turn to see him walking around the Impala to join us on the other side. "There's something you need to see." He said and he hands a newspaper to Sam. "Niveus pharmaceuticals is rushing delivery of its new swine-flu vaccine to 'stem the tide of the unprecedented outbreak. Uh, shipments leave Wednesday." Sam reads aloud. "Niveus pharmaceuticals. Get it?" Crowley asked, we stare at him blankly.

Crowley sighs. "You three are lucky you have your looks. Your demon lover, Brady? V.P. of distribution, Niveus." He said then the boys and I exchanged a look of realization. "Ah, yes, that the sound of the abacus clacking? We all caught up?" Crowley asked. "So, Pestilence was spreading swine flu." I said. "Yeah, but not just for giggles. That was step one. Step two is the vaccine. And you think..." Dean said, being interrupted by Crowley. "I know. I'll stake my reputation... That vaccine is chock-full of grade-a, farm-fresh croatoan virus." He said.

"Simultaneous, countrywide distribution. It's quite a plan." I said. "They don't get to be horsemen for nothing. So, you lot better stock up on...Well, everything. This time next Thursday, we'll all be living in zombieland." Crowley said, the boys and I exchange worried looks.

That night, I was helping Bobby pack his van while Castiel was standing around, depressed. "What's your problem?" Bobby asked the angel. "This is what they mean by 'the 11th hour,' right?" Castiel asked. "Pretty much." I replied, shrugging. "Well, it's the 11th hour, and I am useless. All I have is this." Castiel said, waving a shotgun. "What am I even supposed to do with it?" He asked. "Point it and shoot." Bobby said, like it was so obvious. "It's easy Cas. You'll get the hang of it." I said, patting him on shoulder.

Castiel shook his head. "What I used to be..." He started to say. "Are you really gonna bitch to me?" Bobby asked and Castiel glances at him then looks away. "Bobby, be nice." I said to him and Bobby scoffs then looks back at Cas. "Quit pining for the varsity years..." Bobby said, wheeling himself over and tossing his duffle bag to Castiel. "And load the damn truck." He said, wheeling away. 

Castiel sighs and tosses the bag in the van when Ariel appears. "You'll be fine, Cas. I'll have enough power for the both of us." Ariel said and she pats his shoulder as he looks down and I give Cas a sympathetic look. "Everything will be okay, Cas." I said and I pat his back then I go over to the boys. 

"All right, well...Good luck stopping the whole zombie apocalypse." Dean said to me and Sam. "Yeah. Good luck killing Death." Sam said to Dean. "Yeah." Dean said, nodding, and I scoff. "Remember when we used to just...hunt wendigos? How simple things were?" I asked them. "Not really." Dean replied and Sam sighs. "Well, um..." He said and he pulls out Ruby's knife. "...You might need this." He said to Dean.

"Keep it." Crowley said, suddenly appearing again, then he hands Dean a small scythe. "Dean's covered. Death's own. Kills, golly, demons and angels and reapers and, rumor has it, the very thing itself." He said. "How did you get those?" Castiel asked while Ariel eyes him with suspicion. "Hello...king of the crossroads. So, shall we?" Crowley said, then he looks to Bobby.

"Bobby, you just gonna sit there?" He asked. "No, I'm gonna riverdance." Bobby said, sarcastically. "I suppose if you want to impress the ladies. Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. Really wasted that crossroads deal. Fact...you get more if you phrase it properly. So, I took the liberty of adding a teeny little sub-a clause on your behalf." Crowley said, we stared at him confused.

"What can I say? I'm an altruist. Just gonna sit there?" Crowley asked. We all turn to Bobby, who looks down at his legs, shocked. He twitches his foot and looks up, astounded then Bobby gets out of his wheelchair, amazed. We all stared at him, equally amazed.

"Son of a bitch." Bobby whispered. "Yes, I know. Completely worth your soul. I'm a hell of a guy." Crowley said, waving his hands vaguely. "Thanks." Bobby said, sincerely. "This is getting maudlin. Can we go?" Crowley asked, gesturing to the Impala then turns away. "I'm coming with you, Dean. I don't really trust him." Ariel said to Dean. "You sure?" I asked her and she nods then follows Crowley.

Ariel and Crowley go to the Impala, while Bobby, Sam and Castiel go in the van, leaving me and Dean alone. “So…” Dean muttered, slightly looking away. “So.” I repeated, an awkward silence fell over us for a brief moment which Dean breaks by clearing his throat. “Be careful and uh…watch out for Sammy.” He said and I nod.

“I will. You and Ariel be careful too.” I said and Dean nods, turning to leave but stops. “Something else you want to say?” I asked as Dean turns back to me, opening his mouth looking hesitant. 

“You um….when this is over. Do you uh…want to do something? Maybe get a beer?” Dean asked, looking like a flustered teenager asking a girl out for the first time. I smile a little at how uncharacteristically nervous he is. “Maybe. Are you buying?” I asked and Dean smirks and nods. “Sure.” He said.

“Alright. Sounds good.” I said and Dean nodded. “Good, good. I’ll uh…see you when this is over.” He said, continuing to be nervous, and I couldn’t help but giggle at this. “Are you always this nervous when you ask a girl out for a drink?” I asked, raising my eyebrow. “Only the pretty ones.” Dean replied and I blushed at this.

Dean smirks a little. “See ya, weirdo.” He said, turning and heading towards the Impala. I smile as I watch him go. “See ya, jackass.” I said, feeling my heart flutter, as I go over to the van.

"Yes to Lucifer. Then jump in the hole. It's an interesting plan." Castiel said. "That's a word for it." Bobby said, sarcastically, and I scoff out a laugh. "So? Go ahead and tell me it's the worst plan you ever heard." Sam said to Cas, exasperated. "Of course. I am happy to say that if that's what you want to hear. But it's not what I think." Castiel said and we all turn our heads to him.

"Really?" Sam and I said, shocked. "You two and Dean have a habit of exceeding my expectations. Dean resisted Michael. Maybe you could resist Lucifer but there are things that you would need to know, Sam." Castiel said. "Like?" Sam asked. "Michael has found another vessel." Castiel said and I gasp.

"What?" Sam asked. "It's your brother Adam. You must have considered it." Castiel said, sounding like it was obvious. "We were trying not to." I said and Sam nods. "Sam....If you say yes to Lucifer and then fail...This fight will happen. And the collateral...It'll be immense. There's also the demon blood." Castiel said to Sam.

"What? What are you talking about?" Sam asked. "To take in Lucifer, it would be more than you've ever drunk." Castiel warns. "But...Why?" I asked him. "It strengthens the vessel. Keeps it from exploding." Castiel explains.

"But the guy he's in now --" Sam said then Castiel answers his unfinished question. "He's drinking gallons." he said. "And how is that not the worst plan you ever heard?" Bobby asked as Sam and I exchange looks. 

We make it to the Pharmaceuticals warehouse and parked then Bobby pulls out his binoculars. "Yup, they're loading up hotshots of Croatoan in the trucks. Okay. First truck don't leave for an hour. We get in, we plant the c-4 every 25 feet, then we pull the fire alarm." He said.

"That truck is leaving." Castiel said as he points out a truck leaving and I curse under my breath. "Balls! Okay, new plan." Bobby said and we start to rush out of his van.

"Help!" A voice calls out to us as we get up to the warehouse. "Side door!" Bobby yells and we go over to the side to see a door. "Help me, please! Help!" a panicked, fearful voice called out as we get to the door. "Get back!" Sam orders and he shoots through the door lock, opening the door.

"Go. Come on, boys. Go." I shout as we run inside and see a whole pack of Croatoan infected people attacking someone. We take aim and shoot down the Croatoan infected. "Help me! Please! Help!" another voice calls out, which told us there were more people.

"There's still people here." I shout and Sam and I start to move further into the warehouse. "Kids, no!" Bobby yells and Sam turns to him. "Wait here." he said as he hands Bobby his knife and he and I run.

We were able to make it to a different part of the warehouse and found more Croatoan infected attacking an employee. We immediately kill them then check on the employee. "You okay?" Sam asked him and he nods then we take the employee to Bobby, who is holding off other Croatoan infected.

"Go! Go! Go! Go!" Bobby shouts as we lead the employees out of the building and kill any Croatoan infected. "All clear." Sam said and I turn to him just as I see a Croatoan infected coming up behind him.

"Sam!" I shout as Sam is attacked by a Croatoan infected but, quickly, Castiel appears and shoots the infected with his shotgun. "Actually, these things can be useful." Castiel said as he looks at his gun.

"Can we commit our act of domestic terrorism already? Let's go." Bobby said and we nod and begin to plant the bomb.

*3rd Person POV*

"I'm still insulted that you came along." Crowley said to Ariel as they drive into Chicago, which seemed mostly deserted despite being a big city. "I don't trust you, Demon. Especially around my friend." Ariel said as she nods to Dean, who smiled to himself. "Aww, and the name calling? I'm heartbroken. Also, I didn't know Angels were so attached to humans?" Crowley said. "This Angel is." Ariel growls as she points to herself. 

They get out of the Impala and started walking. "Hey, let's stop for pizza." Crowley said. "Are you kidding?" Dean asked. "Just heard it was good. That's all." Crowley replied and Ariel scoffs.

Then Crowley catches their arms, stopping the duo. "Up ahead. Big, ugly building. Ground zero. Horseman's stable, if you will. He's in there." He said, nodding to the building ahead. "How do you know?" Dean asked. "Have you met me? 'cause I know. Also, the block is squirming with reapers. I'll be right back." Crowley said, disappearing. 

Dean turns to Ariel, who was looking towards the building. "Is he telling the truth?" He asked her. "Surprisingly, yes." She replied.

"Boy, is my face red." A voice said and they turn around to see Crowley has reappeared, not even a second later. "Death's not in there." He said. "You want to cut the cute and get to the part where you tell us where he is?" Dean growled. "Sorry. I don't know." Crowley replied, turning around and walking away.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. You don't know?" Ariel asked, hurrying in front of the demon to stop him. "Signs pointed. I-I'm just as shocked as you." Crowley said, brushing pass her.

"Bobby sold his soul for this!" Dean exclaimed, Crowley stops and turns around to look at them. "Relax. All deals are soul back or store credit. We'll catch Death in the next doomed city." He said. "Millions, Crowley. Millions of people are about to die any minute." Dean said. "True. So I strongly suggest we get out of here." Crowley said, walking back to the Impala.

"So, what? Call in a bomb threat? 1,000 bomb threats? I mean, how the hell are we supposed to get three million people out of Chicago in the next 10 minutes?" Dean asked Crowley and Ariel as they walk down the streets and to the Impala. But then Ariel stops and looks across the street and disappears.

Dean turns around and sees she's gone. "Where's Ariel?" He asked and Crowley turns and see she's gone too. "Maybe Miss Goody-two-shoes decided to bail out. Like we should be doing." Crowley said but then Dean noticed Ariel was across the street, looking in a window of a pizzeria.

"What is she doing?" Dean asked but then she disappeared and reappeared in front of him. "If you actually got your head out of your ass, Demon, you would see that Death is in that pizza parlor." Ariel said at Crowley as she points at the pizzeria. "Well, excuse me, princess." Crowley sneered and they glare daggers at each other. 

"Okay, then...good job, Ariel." Dean said and Ariel smiles and nods at him then they start to head to the pizza parlor. "You coming or..." Dean said as he turns around only see Crowley has disappeared. "...Not." Dean grumbled and Ariel scoffs. "Typical." She growls as they cross the street to the pizzeria.

"You sure you want to go in here? I mean, I know he's gotta terrify you..." Dean said and Ariel nods a bit. "He does but...." she said then she looks over at him. "I'm not leaving my friend behind." Ariel said and Dean gives her an appreciated smile then they get closer to the parlor and enter it, slowly and quietly.

Inside everyone was dead, except for a man who was seated at a table, eating. As Dean and Ariel approach Death, the scythe Dean was holding starts to heat up until it burned his hand. Dean drops his weapon and it reappears on the table Death is sitting at.

"Thanks for returning that. Join me, Dean and Ariel. The pizza's delicious." Death said, not turning around to look at them. Dean and Ariel exchange a look and slowly walk over to the table. "Sit down." Death said as he cuts off a piece of his pizza to eat it with a fork.

Dean takes a seat in front of Death and Ariel takes a seat on Dean's right. "Took you long enough to find me. I've been wanting to talk to both of you." Death said. "I got to say...I have mixed feelings about that." Dean said. "S-so is this the part where...where you kill us?" Dean asked and finally Death looks up from his food at them.

"You have an inflated sense of your importance. To a thing like me, a thing like you, well...Think how you'd feel if a bacterium sat at your table and started to get snarky. This is one little planet in one tiny solar system in a galaxy that's barely out of its diapers. I'm old. Very old. So I invite both of you to contemplate how insignificant I find the two of you." Death said then he places a couple of slices of pizza on the plates in front of Dean and Ariel.

"Eat." He ordered. Dean and Ariel look down at the pizza then glance at Death, who waits. Dean takes a bite his pizza while Ariel looked at it before taking a bite of her slice. She really didn't need to eat but she didn't want to anger Death. "Good, isn't it?" Death asked as he goes back to eating.

"Well, I got to ask. How old are you?" Dean asked. "As old as God. Maybe older. Neither of us can remember anymore. Life, death, chicken, egg. Regardless...at the end, I'll reap him, too." Death said. "God? You'll reap Father?" Ariel asked, stunned. "Oh, yes. Your Father will die, too, Ariel." Death replied as lighting flashes outside. "Well, this is way above my pay grade." Dean said. "Just a bit." Death said.

"So, then why are we still breathing, sitting here with you? What do you want?" Ariel asked. "The leash around my neck...off. Your brother, Lucifer, has me bound to him. Some unseemly little spell. He has me where he wants, when he wants. That's why I couldn't go to you. I had to wait for you to catch up. He made me his weapon. Hurricanes, floods, raising the dead. I'm more powerful than you can process, and I'm enslaved to a bratty child with a temper tantrum." Death explained and Ariel nods.

"And you think...we can unbind you?" Dean asked. "There's your ridiculous bravado again. Of course you can't. But you can help me take the bullets out of Lucifer's gun." Death said and he sets his fork and knife down. Then Death held up his hand that was wearing his ring.

"I understand you want this." He said. "Yeah." Dean said. "I'm inclined to give it to you." Death said. "To give it to us?" Ariel asked, suspicious. "That's what I said." Death said, simply.

"But what about..." Dean started to asked. "Chicago? I suppose it can stay. I like the pizza." Death said, taking his ring off. "There are conditions." He said. "Okay. Like?" Dean asked. "You have to do whatever it takes to put Lucifer in his cell." Death replied. "Of course." Dean and Ariel said. "Whatever it takes." Death said, firmly. "That's the plan." Dean said. "No. No plan. Not yet. Your brother. He's the one that can stop Lucifer. The only one." Death said. "What, you think..." Dean started to say but Death speaks over him.

"I know. So, I need a promise. Both of you are going to let Sam jump right into that fiery pit." Death said as Dean and Ariel stare at him, speechless. "Well, do I have your word?" He asked. Dean and Ariel exchange the look before they look back at Death in the eyes. "Okay, yeah. Yes." Dean said.

Death stares at him, then turns his head to look at Ariel, who nods. "That had better be yes, you two. You know you can't cheat death." Death said, before dropping his ring into Dean's hand. "Now, would you like the instruction manual?" Death asked.

Back at Bobby's, Dean sat outside in the scrapyard, looking at Death's ring. When he sets it down next to the other three rings lock together. Bobby kicks a box out of his way, getting Dean's attention. "Well, how'd it go at the Rockettes audition?" Dean asked him, smiling.

"Well, high kicks...fair. Boobs need work. I walked up and down stairs all night for no damn reason. I'm sore." Bobby said, laughing. "Feels so good, I'm scared it's a dream. But then I remember that the world's dying bloody, so, drink?" He said, handing Dean a beer.

"Check it out." Dean said and he shows Bobby how the rings link together, making the old man nearly spit up his beer. "Hmm. Oh. So Death told you and Ariel how to operate those? The whole deal?" He asked as he takes a seat across from Dean.

"Yeah. It's nuts. Of course, we got bigger problems now." Dean said. "Really? Like?" Bobby asked. "What do you think Death does to people who lie to his face?" Dean asked. "Nothing good." Bobby replied, shrugging. "Yeah." Dean muttered.

"What'd you say?" Bobby asked. "That we were cool with Sam driving the bus on the whole Lucifer plan." Dean said. "So Death thinks Sam ought to say yes, huh?" Bobby asked. "I don't know. Yeah." Dean replied and Bobby hums, thoughtful.

"But, I mean, of course he'd say that. He works for Lucifer." Dean said. "Against his will, I thought he said." Bobby said. "Well, I'd say, take his sob story with a fat grain of salt. I mean, he is Death." Dean said. "Exactly. He's Death. Think of the kind of bird's-eye view." Bobby argued.

"Seriously?" Dean asked. "I'm just saying." Bobby replied. "Well, don't. I mean, what happened to you being against this?" Dean asked. "Look, I'm not saying Sam ain't an ass-full of character defects. But..." Bobby started. "But what?" Dean asked.

"Back at Niveus? I watched that kid pull one civilian out after another. Must have saved 10 people. Never stopped. Never slowed down. (y/n) even helped him as much as she could. We're hard on him, Dean. We've always been. But in the meantime....He's been running into burning buildings since he was, what, twelve?" Bobby asked.

"Pretty much." Dean replied. "Look, Sam's got a...Darkness in him. I'm not saying he don't. But he's got a hell of a lot of good in him, too." Bobby said. "I know." Dean muttered, looking down slightly.

"Then you know Sam will beat the devil...Or die trying. That's the best we could ask for. So I got to ask, Dean." Bobby said, leaning forward. "What exactly are you afraid of? Losing? Or losing your brother?" He asked and Dean doesn't answer.

“How about losing (y/n)?” Bobby asked and Dean fidgets a little at hearing this question. “If Sam’s plan goes south, Ariel will probably ask (y/n) to be her vessel, so she can take on Lucifer herself.” He said.

“You think she’ll say yes?” Bobby asked. “I know she will.” Dean replied. “So, what you’re really afraid of is losing both of them.” Bobby said questionably and Dean once again doesn’t answer, but his silence was enough.

“We gotta make a move soon, you’d better use what time we have left to clear the air and not live with any regrets.” Bobby said and Dean gives him a look. “(Y/n).” Bobby said and Dean looks down slightly. “I’m taking her out later.” He said. 

“You know what you’re gonna say?” Bobby asked. “No, not really.” Dean replied and Bobby stares at him for a moment. “Before my wife…” He started to say, pausing in hesitation. Dean looks up at him, intrigued. “Before she was possessed, she and I…we got in a real nasty argument. I said somethings I wish I could take back and apologize for. But I never had that chance. You do. So don’t waste it.” Bobby said, sternly, and Dean nods.

[julieverne]

No body, no crime

---

The men Jane dated had a habit of disappearing.

Casey went missing in action, Agent Dean went undercover and no one knew where he was.

Jane didn't date that many men, actually. But then Maura's exes started going missing too. Ian was never really in the map but his last known whereabouts was Antarctica. Maura received an annulment from a marriage she hardly remembered. Jack moved to a different state. The rest were dead at Jane's (or someone else's) hand, or in jail. Jane was starting to get suspicious.

---

Paddy Doyle stood when Jane came in.

"How is she?" he asked, always his first question. Jane showed him her lock screen - Maura holding a plaque with an enormous smile. "Good," he said, sitting when Jane did.

"Do you know why I'm here?" Jane asked.

"Do I ever know why you're here?" Paddy countered and Jane grit her teeth.

"Agent Dean is missing. So is Casey."

"Are those names supposed to mean anything to me?"

"Agent Dean. You shot him. I.. may have been involved with him. Likewise with Casey."

"You're saying I shot two of your boyfriend's?" Paddy asked incredulously. Jane sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"I'm saying they're both missing, and I dated them both. Along with Ian Faulkner, Maura's former flame, and her current one moved multiple miles away suddenly. Don't act coy with me, Paddy. This is your machination. What are you playing at?"

"I didn't kill your precious boyfriends, Detective Rizzoli, if only because I know it would make Maura sad, and you get very angry when she's sad."

"Then where are they, and why are you doing this?"

Paddy leaned back in his chair and looked over at Jane.

"I knew who you were. Before we met, officially. Had Intel that Maura was sleeping over, and that you lived in a one bedroom. Heard you were staying over at hers too, that your mom moved in." Paddy paused, nodded. "I like your mother. She doesn't know who I am, of course, but I like how happy she makes Maura." He fixed his gaze on Jane again. "I like how happy you make her. I like the way you protect her. The men she dates are weak and insignificant, but you - you're a challenge, even to my men. She's in a lot of danger because of her connection to me, and I can't have her shacking up with someone I can't work with."

"I don't work for you, Paddy," Jane informed him, her jaw set.

"Work with. We have a common goal. It's for the health and happiness of one Doctor Maura Isles. You make her happy, and so far you've protected her adequately. Would have preferred you didn't shoot me to do it, but I'll take it." He met Jane's eyes, and she nodded. If Paddy had shot Jane to keep Maura safe, she'd have taken it too; he knew that somehow. Jane would never let her defenses down around Paddy, but he was right. They did have a common goal.

"Get to the point. Visiting hour's almost over." They both knew this was outside visiting hours, that Jane could come and go as she wished, but he nodded anyway.

"You didn't ask for it, but I give you my blessing." Paddy leaned back in his chair, watching Jane's face fill with confusion, then a deep blush at what he was implying.

"We're not like that," Jane said uselessly, her hard front finally dropping a little. "She doesn't - I don't..."

"She does," Paddy said, sliding a packet of photos from his jumpsuit and across the table. They were a series taken over months, years, of Maura smiling up at Jane, of Jane's hand touching Maura, of Jane opening doors and buttoning coats, of Jane at Maura's bedroom window. There was one from the precinct, Jane shielding Maura with her body in a hostage situation. Another from the prison infirmary, Jane's face feral as she lifted a scalpel, the image grainy from the security feed. It should have felt invasive, but in most of those photos Maura looked content and loved. Jane exhaled slowly.

"She's the most valuable thing in my life. The only good thing I ever did. I have my men on her, but I have to be able to trust the ones closest to her. And, for a given value of trust, as it pertains to Maura, I trust you. So, you have my blessing." Jane looked back at a photo of Maura laughing at something Jane had said, her thumb rubbing over Maura's smile. She'd kill for Maura; she had already, multiple times. She'd die for Maura if she had to. Her first instinct in any situation was to get Maura to safety. She sighed. She'd been kidding herself for too long. It was there in the photos, in the way Jane looked at Maura. It was obvious when it was captured like that, laid out in sequence. She looked up at Paddy, tearing her eyes away from the photos.

"Where are the bodies?" Jane asked. "You killed them because they were getting between us. Or had them killed. You just want to tighten your payroll by taking your men off Maura, and if she's with me you'd be satisfied she was protected, wouldn't you? So where are the bodies?"

"You think I did it but you just can't prove it," Paddy chuckled. "Well, no body, no crime."

Jane snorted out a laugh. Paddy rolled his eyes.

"They blast music an hour a day. They don't care what we listen to. You have my word, they're alive and well compensated for their distance."

Jane eyed Paddy. He wasn't always honourable, but when it came to Maura he always tried to do the right thing. Maura would be upset if he'd killed them, and he had enough money and reach to get them out of Jane's way. So that Jane could date Maura.

From a business - Paddy's business - point of view, it made sense. Get the strongest person from the dating pool to protect what he needed protecting.

"She can take care of herself," Jane said cautiously, not wanting to admit that dating Maura would have multiple merits.

"Not from the sort of people who come after her," Paddy reminded Jane, who hesitated before she nodded. "So, we have an accord?"

"She doesn't even..." Jane voice dropped. "I'm not... a candidate."

Paddy just gave Jane an irritating smile and got to his feet, ready to return to his cell. "Give her my regards, won't you?" he said, and Jane dropped her head in her hands at the table. He'd left the photos for her. He probably had more. Jane bundled them up and went home for the day.

---

"I have such bad luck with men," Maura said, fidgeting with a ring. She looked shyly over at Jane. "At least I have you," she added.

Jane thought back to the phone call a frantic she'd answered with "Anything you want, I'll get it," not even trying to bargain for Maura's life. She'd have sold her soul to the mob for Maura's safety; in some ways she already had.

"You'll always have me," Jane promised. "And if you wanted to see if you have better luck with women..." Jane shrugged and sipped her beer, turning back to the baseball as though what she'd said had been of no consequence.

"Did you... all the men in our lives are missing, did you...?"

"Clear the way so I had a shot? Not me."

Maura shot Jane a look, but Jane shrugged.

"You think I did it but you just can't prove it," she echoed Paddy, knowing the reference would go over Maura's head. Instead Maura's eyes lit up with understanding.

"No body, no crime," Maura said nodding. "Paddy?" she asked, and Jane shrugged.

"He says they're alive. He also says I'm the only person he trusts with you."

"I won't have my biological mob boss father dictate who I can and cannot date," Maura said indignantly, then looked over at Jane's deflated face. "But in this case, he might be right," Maura admitted. "Okay."

"Okay?" Jane asked, confused.

"Okay. I can't get luckier than you, if I were to date women."

"Oh, you're going to get lucky alright," Jane said, closing the minute gap between them on the couch in one quick pounce.

---

Paddy didn't exactly walk Maura down the aisle, but one of the songs at the wedding was, for no reason fathomable to anyone but Jane and Maura, No Body No Crime. It played for their first dance.

"We should send Paddy some wedding cake," Jane said.

"As long as it doesn't have a file in it," Maura joked as her wife spun her around on the dance floor.

[how-very-salty]

syndrome

tw: gore tw: corpse description tw: mental diseases (don't worry, there's happy end)

Jason JD Dean x Veronica Sawyer

summary: JD and Veronica meet at night at 7Eleven, in a ruined city under a red, fading sun.

J.D. pulled up his hood and pushed the door open, gritting his teeth. If he'd had a choice, he wouldn't have gone out for a few more days, but his food supplies were running low.  

The world greeted him with its usual bleak landscape: the huge red disk of the waning sun hovered over the ruined city, tinting everything around him in various shades of decay. The city was in flames, and clouds of dark smoke billowed into the sky. The air smelled of gasoline and death. He turned into a familiar alley and immediately recoiled in disgust: a rat ran nimbly beneath his feet, a human finger in its mouth. The rotting corpse lying against the wall of the house raised its head and waved a fingerless hand in greeting. J.D. nodded sullenly and walked quickly past him before he could talk about the old days again. 

It was deadly boring to listen to and for the first time. 

Before entering the shop, he took a medical mask from his pocket and pulled it over his face. He didn't want to frighten the occasional passerby with a half-worm eaten cheek; after all, sometimes there were living people in the neighborhood. Recently deceased, he corrected himself and stepped through the open doors. 

"Jay, same as usual? Couple glasses of slushie and a frozen pizza?" Teddy, putting the magazine aside, gave him a mocking nod from behind the counter. "I wouldn't be surprised if, with your love of ice, you'd chew on it without even warming it up."

"Ha ha," J.D. muttered back, expressionless, and walked past him to the back of the store without stopping. Too much social contact for such a short period of time.... 

"Okay, I get it, you're not in the mood today," he grinned understandingly and returned to his reading. "Just don't scare off the rest of the customers with your sour face."

With a silent middle finger, J.D. walked around the chip stand and froze like a dead man. The girl standing at the slushie machine turned and stared at him with hypnotic brown eyes. The cup in her hands slowly filled with bright blue ice, the same color as her dress. In the midst of the putrid red, this burst of color was like a breath of fresh air.

J.D. swallowed frantically. She was alive! Not recently dead, but really, truly, no joke, alive! 

He stepped back, careful not to make any sudden movements so as not to startle her.

"I didn't think anyone else would drink slushie at two in the morning," the girl smiled suddenly, tilting her head to her shoulder. Did she say that to him? He looked around, but there was no one else in the shop. "Just a minute, I'm almost done. Literally just a minute more, the machine here is awfully slow..."

J.D. swallowed and stopped obediently. 

"Hey," he replied offhandedly, pulling his hood deeper as he fell silent again. He didn't want her to run away when she saw his worm-ravaged face.  

"Hey to you too, midnighter," she chuckled softly, "will you keep me company? I'm terribly bored. Well, unless you're in a hurry to get somewhere, of course," she looked at him expectantly, and when he didn't answer, she looked away in embarrassment. "Uh... sorry to bother you. I just moved in, and..."

"Here? To this neighborhood?" not holding back, J.D. interrupted her in surprise. 

"What, it's not a good choice?" she stuck a straw in her glass and stepped away from the machine to sit on the windowsill, her feet dangling in the air. "Low rent here, walkable to work, and overall it seems like a good place to live."

"Yeah... Good joke," he sarcastically grinned, walked over to the machine and then suddenly hesitated: cherry or strawberry?

"Take a blue raspberry, we'll have blue tongues together," the girl giggled behind his back. He seemed to say it out loud. "Do you always take food advice from strangers?" 

"No, only the cute ones," J.D. replied thoughtlessly, and bit his tongue sharply. She was going to run away from him in disgust, and she'd be right... He pressed the lever sullenly and filled the glass with blue ice. 

"Wow, did we get to the compliments part yet?" a playful giggle sounded from behind him, and he turned around in confusion and stared at her. Why was she talking to him so calmly? Didn't she notice anything? 

Once again, without any response from him, the girl blushed in confusion:

"I'm in a bit of a hurry, aren't I? My mom always told me I was as crushable as a tabby cat...oops!" blushing even more, she grabbed the glass and took a big gulp of slushie. And then, writhing in pain, she pressed her hand to her forehead. 

"Brain freeze, huh?" smiled J.D. awkwardly, crushing his glass in his hands. "I do that a lot. Helps me stop thinking about...stuff."

"Well, it doesn't work for me. I still think about how stupid I'm acting," the girl muttered, rubbing her forehead. The corners of her lips turned down in frustration; he liked her smile better.  

"I think you're pretty damn nice," he objected hotly, taking a seat on the windowsill as far away from her as possible. "I'm J.D., by the way, and you are?"

"Veronica. Veronica Sawyer," she smiled softly, and held out her hand to him. He froze hesitantly, staring at her hand: pale, with skin that was soft even to the sight of it, and her knuckles delicately pink with embarrassment. Was he really allowed to touch them? 

He didn't answer again for too long, and Veronica's hand dropped, trembling. 

"Am I doing something wrong?" she asked in a stifled voice, and J.D. shook his head quickly. 

"No, you're not. It's just... aren't you disgusted?"

"What? Why should I be?" her eyes went wide. He silently rolled up his sleeves and showed her his hands: rotting, with yellowish bones sticking out and skin covered in livid corpse stains. 

"Uh... I still don't understand," Veronica bit her lip, shifting her lost gaze from his hands to him. "What am I supposed to be seeing here?"

"I'm just a corpse, Veronica," he said heavily, and after a moment's hesitation, he pulled the mask from his face, revealing a gaping hole where his cheek had been. "I don't know where you're from, or how many people like you there are left in the world..."

"Like me?" her voice quivered with fear, or perhaps disgust. He should probably go.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I mean," J.D. sighed, reluctantly rising from the windowsill. "Just get out of here. There's nobody to save in this town anymore... People like you, alive, don't belong here."

He turned and crouched down, heading for the exit.

"Wait!" Veronica flew out of her seat after him, grabbing his arm impulsively. "J.D., wait a minute...you're alive, too! You're not dead!"

"Are you kidding me?" he turned around; his eyebrows knitted together frowningly on the bridge of his nose. 

"No! You're not dead," she looked pleadingly into his eyes, gripping his arm tightly, "and nobody's dead! I... I know how you feel. I can help you!"

"How?" J.D. looked at her sullenly. "And more importantly, why would you do that?"

"Because I can help! Isn't that enough?" she swallowed and stepped closer, almost touching him. "Just let me..."

"I think you're out of your mind," he shook his head in disbelief and stepped back. But the heart in his chest suddenly clenched in a ridiculous, deceptive hope. What if...?

"I'm definitely out of my mind, since I'm asking you to trust me when we've only known each other for about ten minutes," Veronica laughed nervously and stopped abruptly, staring at him with her piercing brown eyes. "Are you crazy enough to believe me?"

It seemed so; or he just couldn't resist that pleading look. Who could?

"What do I have to do?" he sighed doomedly. 

***

J.D. pushed open the door and stepped out onto the porch, squinting in the bright sunlight. The world outside the hospital greeted him with the rustle of yellowing leaves and the smell of recent rain. The drops still glistened brightly on the iron railing, the steps, and the row of benches that lined the alley. A girl in a bright blue dress standing on the steps looked up and stared at him with her brown eyes wide open. A moment later, her lips curved into a warm smile. 

"Hey, how about we run in for a couple glasses of slushie to celebrate your recovery?"

"Hey," he smiled back broadly, heading down the stairs toward her. "Would that count as a first date?"

She laughed softly and tilted her head back. The dark brown cloud of hair flashed gold in the September sunlight. 

"No way!" Veronica shook her head, laughing, and stared at him with a playful squint. "I'd vote for at least a Wendy's on a first date, and that's only because I'm crazy about their French fries." 

"Wow, what a coincidence... I miss their burgers," J.D. grinned, making her laugh again, and held out his hand. "So, will you come with me? Just for the fries."

"Anywhere for fries! And by the way, you're buying," she grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the path covered in puddles with bright gasoline stains. A fallen maple leaf crunched beneath his foot. He lifted his head and looked up at the deep blue sky, where clouds floated lazily. September smelled of rain and fresh pastries from the neighborhood coffee shop. Veronica looked over her shoulder and smiled as she squeezed his hand. 

--------

if you wanna give kudos here it is <3<3<3

[fandom-hoarder]

hiii do you know any fics that are like season 6 aus where sam comes back With his soul ? i don’t hate those mid seasons but I think it also would’ve been nice to see what dean would’ve been like and taking care of his little brother coming back from lucifer’s cage and seeing their relationship keep going from where it was at the end of s5 ahaha

Ooh, this one was a bit tricky for finding a good combo of search parameters, but here are a few for you, nonnie!

(Anyone with recs to add, please do!)

* just a note here to please read and mind the additional tags and relevant warnings on ao3, as we're dealing with cage trauma here

_

In the Beginning, There Was Sam by brokenlittleboy

Rated: Teen+ | Words: 3091 | No Archive Warnings Apply

Summary: Dean is content to drink himself to death the in company of Ben and Lisa, but when Bobby calls, asking for help, he can’t let his friend down. Omens creep toward Sioux Falls, a trail of breadcrumbs leading right up to one very not-dead, very blind little brother. AU after season five.

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Vices and Virtues Make Whole the Shattered Soul by cyncitymojo

Rated: Teen+ | Words: 10021 | No Archive Warnings Apply

Summary: After spending time in the Cage with Lucifer, Sam comes back broken. His soul is shattered, and he's become several images of himself. He needs to find a way to piece himself back together and he cannot do it alone. The question is, can he do that and still be the brother and man he once was?

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Living on Flood Tides by cherie_morte

Rated: Explicit | Words: 19941 | Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con

Summary: AU after 5x22: Sam mysteriously returns from the cage and Dean thinks their problems are solved. Unfortunately, Sam is so shaken from his time in Hell that he can't—won't?—even talk to Dean, and when natural disasters begin to occur as frequently as they did when the Devil was walking the Earth, Dean realizes his brother may have acquired some of the angel's powers without picking up the ability to control them. In order to prevent Sam from hurting anyone, Dean finds a house as far from anything as he can manage and settles there to wait until the day Sam gets better—or until they both get killed by Sam's grace.

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Closer to where it is that you’re headed for by trinipedia

Rated: Teen+ | Words: 5130 | Creator Chose Not to Warn

Summary: It’s been a year since Sam has fallen in the cage, and Dean spent most of it trying to pretend he can move on. But when his estranged brother suddenly reappears, a few days before Christmas, Dean's world is shaken all over again. (a beginning of season 6 AU, with some extra soul and lots of extra snow on the side)

Note: 2nd person pov on Dean

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Honorable Mentions:

Hidden by AxeMeAboutAxinomancy

Rated: Explicit | Words: 79386 | No Archive Warnings Apply

Summary: When Sam comes back from Hell, he looks like a monster: his dæmon is missing. But she's only hidden inside him. Meanwhile, Dean struggles with his own uneasy dæmon and the fear that Sam will leave him again.

Note: Without giving too much away, I'll say this melds both the universe of SPN and His Dark Materials so well, and sort of lives in a blurry area with regards to the parameters of the original ask. But if you're familiar with the His Dark Materials-verse, I think this fic hits the notes desired from a He-Was-Never-Soulless AU.

Podfic by the author <3

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Entanglement by rivkat

Rated: Explicit | Words: 3350 | Creator Chose Not to Warn

Summary: For avidrosette: during 5.22, what if Dean had thrown himself into the pit with Sam? Extends through S6.

Note: this is kind of the entire opposite of what the ask called for, lol, but I also think it can scratch the itch in the right circumstances. 👀

I first experienced this fic through the podfic by Liannabob.

[gingersnap1620]

Make a Memory (Chp.5)

Summary: Lillian decides to stay with the Winchesters to help out with an enemy.

Warnings: Mild spoilers from seasons 8-15

Word Count: 1.3k

Song:

Hey kids

A/N: Chapter 5!!! I hope you enjoy this chapter!! @gingernut1314 beta read this for me!

Dean 

“I got something,” I told Sam, who was sitting across from me. “Two women are dead and they have a suspect. But get this, they found their suspect at the scene of the crime placing a little bag in the third woman's purse.” I turned my computer around for Sam to see.

“Witches.” Sam said as he read the article. 

“Yup, it's an in and out job. We just have to go down to the police station and gank the bitch and that's it.”

“Alright, let's go.” He started to stand up from his seat.

I started to get up as well but I heard footsteps come into the library. I turned my head to see who it was and I found Lillian walking toward us. 

“Where are you guys going?” She asked with a warm smile on her face. I love that smile. It makes me feel all nice inside.

Ew, that's such a chick thing to say.

“We're going to go kill this witch.” Sam flipped the computer around so she could see the picture of the suspect. 

Lillian froze in her tracks and her smile faded into what looked like fear. 

“What?” I asked her, her eyes never leaving the picture of the witch.

  Lillian

Shit. 

I stood there frozen for a minute trying to convince myself that I wasn't looking at a picture of her. 

I thought that she only stayed in Scotland. She used to do all her business from Scotland. She just sent out her followers to do her dirty work.

“What?” Dean asked me. My head snapped up to look at him. Dean and Sam were both standing on either side of the table. Dean had a red and black plaid shirt on with a black shirt underneath it, and he had a pair of jeans on. Sam had a blue plaid shirt on and also wearing a pair of jeans.

Something I will never understand about hunters is why they wear so many layers. Like doesn't it get hot when they're fighting? I don't understand the logic behind it. 

“Lillian? Are you ok?” Dean asked, inching closer to me.

  “Yes! Great! I just forgot to tell you guys that I'm actually just about to leave.” I informed them, turning around to walk away when suddenly I got pulled back by my wrists. 

“Hey! What are you doing?” I shouted at Dean who was putting those handcuffs back on my wrists. “Dean!” 

“I'm sorry, but if you're going to react to just a picture of a witch like that then we need to ask a few questions.” I looked at Dean and then to Sam and back again.

“Let me go!” I yelled at Dean, trying to get out of his hold. He yanked me down by my arms to make me sit down in one of the chairs. 

“What do you want?” I asked with a deep sigh. Sam walked around to the side of the table where me and Dean were. 

“Who is this? And why did you look so scared of her?” Sam placed the computer down in front of me. “Please Lillian.” Sam gently whispered. I looked down at the screen and sighed. 

“She's the leader of a very powerful coven. They disguise themselves as a church.” Sam and Dean glanced at each other. “I'm not part of it, don't worry. I used to be, a very long time ago, but I left once I learned what they were planning.”

Dean stepped forward taking the cuffs key out of his back pocket. “What were they planning?” He asked as he unlocked the cuffs on my wrists.

“That's not important. What is important is that they can't do it without me. That's why I haven't stayed in one spot for too long.”

“So what you're saying is that she knows we would see it, and you would see it?”  Dean folded his arms.

“I don't know. All I know is that if she's close then she can feel me here.” I stood up from the chair I was sitting on. “Now can I please go?” I begged.

“No, whatever they're planning, they need you? Correct?” Sam asked me looking down at the floor. He looked like he was thinking hard about something.

“Yes, Sam, so I have to go so she doesn't get me.”

“No, you don't. They can't see you here, so you'll stay here and help us get rid of them” Sam locked eyes with me. Something in them made me realize I had no choice in the matter. I'm not going to lie I like these boys so it wasn't really that hard of a decision. 

“What do you mean they can't see me?” I slowly sat back down in the chair.

“This is a Men of Letters bunker, there's markings all over the place so unless we let them in, they can't reach you here,” Dean answered me, taking a step closer. I looked up at Dean first, then over to Sam. 

I glanced back down at the floor and let out a big sigh before looking back at Dean who was already looking at me. “I guess I'll stay,” I said with a heavy amount of sass, but I couldn't help the little smile that appeared on my face. 

I've never felt this comfortable around anyone I've only known for three days. I should be worried, but I'm just…not.

Dean’s face lifted with a big goofy smile. “Great,” He turned to look at Sam. “Since we aren’t hunting this witch I think I should make us burgers.” He then turned back around to look at me, flashed me that smile again, and whipped around to the kitchen.

By the time he had left the room my smile was almost as big as his. I stood up from my chair and turned to Sam who was shutting his computer down.

“Is he really going to try to make burgers?” 

“I know it's weird but he actually makes the best burgers.” He chuckled with a soft smile on his face. 

“I guess I'm only going to believe that if I try them.” I laughed, giving him a warm smile back. 

“Yeah I didn't trust them at first either,” I started to walk out of the room to go join Dean in the kitchen when Sam turned around, his face more serious now, but still soft. 

“Lillian, I just want you to know that you can trust us. I know we just met, and you're a witch who did try to kill us, but you helped Jack. I mean none of us could get him out of his room but you did, and you put a smile on his face.”

“I do like that kid, he’s unique.” I gave him a half smile. 

“Yes, he is,” He shook his head while laughing gently before looking back at me. “It's not even just Jack, I don't remember the last time I've seen Dean this giddy.”

“Giddy?” I snorted at him.

“What? Why are you laughing at me?” I would think I hurt his feelings if he didn't have a big smile on his face.

“No, I just don’t remember the last time I heard someone use the word giddy in a serious sentence.” Sam shook his head with laughter as he headed for the door that leads to the kitchen. “Sam,” I called after him.

“Yeah?” He turned around so he was looking at me.

“I don’t think I could tell you why they need me in a way that you guys would fully understand.”

“What do you mean?” He tilted his head to the side just a little bit, furrowing his brows.

“I mean,” I paused and looked away from him. “I mean I think I’d have to show you guys.” 

[im-not-batman]

Tell me about the Dean/Benny fic 🤩

Oo I'm so excited about this one!! Thank you so much for the ask 💚💚

So it's an AU where Dean does the trials to close up the gates of Hell and goes to get Bobby. Sam finds Benny to ask him to go to purgatory to help Dran get back. When Benny says he's not going back, Dean just. Loses it.

"Come on Benny, your turn," Dean said rolling up his sleeve. He was about to let the knife pierce his skin, but was stopped by a hand grabbing hold his wrist, strong and unyielding. He looked up into Benny's face and found him frowning.

Dean mirrored the expression, though where Benny looked resolute, Dean was just confused, "What are you doing, man? We don't have time for this," he tried to pull away from the vampire's vice grip but it was useless.

Benny's eyes softened. Dean's stomach flipped. Not in a good way this time. He knew what was coming. He'd been wrestling down the thought, avoiding acknowledging it, like that would keep it from being real.

"I'm not going back, Dean," Benny lilted, voice silken and soft but leaving no room to be argued with.

And there were the words Dean had been hoping were never going to come. He knew from the moment Benny had appeared that there was something wrong, that he wasn't acting right.

"I ain't leaving you behind again, Benny," Dean's voice was hoarse, throat tight with dread.

"Yeah, you are," he replied, quiet and calm, as though he wasn't talking about being permanently dead. His eyes retained that usual softness, and his lip was almost curved into a content smile.

Feeling Dean's arm go limp, Benny let his grip on his wrist go, and stepped back, stood relaxed against tree.

The sight only served to incense the Winchester. He couldn't stand the thought of leaving him here to be hunted and tortured by monsters for eternity. It wasn't a thought he could stomach, and seeing Benny so at peace with his decision made Dean want to throw up.

He surged forward, barely keeping his footing on the uneaven forest floor, and grabbed Benny's jacket in a fist. He looked up at him with his eyebrows furrowed, mouth downturned in a grimace and he could feel tears threatening his sinuses. Benny just rested his hands on Dean's forearms.

"Don't you do this, Benny," he pleaded through gritted teeth, searching his friend's face for any sign of doubt, any opportunity to change his mind, "if this is about me keeping my distance topside, I regret it okay. I shouldn't have left you hanging. We were supposed to be in it together and I let you down... you're the only one I got who really gets me, man," his voice faultered and he coughed.

"Dean—" Benny started, Dean cut him off.

"I need you, okay?" The words ripped out of him. It was the most honest, soulbearing, frightening thing he'd ever said outloud.

When his brain caught up, he realised just how intensely true those words felt. He needed Benny. He wasn't quite sure what he'd been thinking when he'd said that they needed space from each other. It had felt like he'd been missing something all this time; like he'd broken his leg but lost his crutch, like he had an all-consuming habit and suddenly gone cold-turkey. He'd been too occupied to realise that that feeling had gone away the moment Benny had shown up again.

"I need you..." he repeated, weaker this time, the whirring of his mind taking up all his energy. His grip on the vampire loosened, but Benny's hands stayed holding him close, "you can't leave me."

There was a still sort of quiet between them for a moment. It was thick and heavy as molasses, Dean felt crushed under the weight of it.

"I already did, Deano," Benny finally spoke and tilted his head trying to get Dean to look into his eyes again, "I'm already dead, I'm just askin' you to keep me that way."

Dean hadn't even noticed that tears had started to fall until Benny reached one hand up and wiped them away with a thumb. He kept his palm rested against Dean's jaw and the hunter had to fight not to melt into it.

"I'm not meant for the world up there," he tilted his head towards the portal, "everyday was a fight, trying to keep from hurtin' good folks. Dodging my past, and trying to stop the people lookin' for me from causin' too much hurt.

"I didn't know how to live, I was barely keepin' my head above water. Down here it makes sense. I know that the only people I hurt, who can get hurt, are monsters too."

"You're not a monster, Benny," Dean protested, but the vampire shook his head fondly, not wanting to re-hash an argument they'd already had so many times, "come back with me and I'll help you stay clean."

Benny just smiled, affection in his eyes, "I can't ask that of you. You've already got all of this goin' on." he grazed his hand lightly up and down Dean's right arm that currently housed Bobby's soul, "I'll get in your way."

He couldn't sensibly disagree with that. He did have a lot on his plate, and taking care of a vampire with addiction issues would distract him from it all. But he didn't feel sensible right now. He wanted to scream and shout and fight until Benny changed his mind.

"I don't care what it takes, man," Dean gritted his teeth, tears flowing in earnest now, "I'll do anything you need me to. Just come back."

Send me an ask with which of my WIPs from This Post you wanna hear about!

[scoobydoodean]

Sam's worries about his powers in 1.14—that some series of unknown unspeakable events could lead him to suddenly transform into a killer and he wouldn't be able to choose anything else is one of the first illustrations of one the primary distinctions between Sam and Dean's worldviews in seasons 1-5. Sam believes in fate and destiny and "Whatever details you alter, you will always end up here" to an extent (at least when it comes to his own life) and Dean... does not. Sam believes people can fully choose your choices for you by influencing the circumstances around your life and this is inescapable. You are a rat in a maze and the only way out is the one path the invisible hand supplies.

Dean accepts the premise that someone might toss you in a maze but believes you can always chew through the enclosure—and sometimes he also is able to look at the path and say, "Dude this is not a maze. You could go this way or that way, and yeah—if you go THAT way, things are going to go bad, but you don't HAVE to go that way. You could go THIS way and you'd get be able to get out of here. Don't you see this other path? It's literally right here."

Dean thinks the concept of fate is bullshit. He believes causality can be subverted. He doesn't believe in destiny, or God's plan (4.22), or hunting being something he was "meant" to do (2.10). He calls his family "Team Free Will" and then "Team Free Will 2.0".

Sam worries by 1.14 that causality is inescapable—that the invisible hand of demons will eventually turn him into a murderer—and Dean says "Nah." Dean says, "You have me." In 2.14 Dean says, "No one can control you but you" and "We'll figure this out", "There's gotta be a way" and "If it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna save you."

And through that enduring spirit (in spite of evidence presented by friends and villains alike suggesting the contrary—challenging his view), Dean becomes the one person who is not allowed to lose faith—who is fiercely rebuffed for falling into a pit of despair (5.18)... because he represents the concept that one can endure—the fact that what they deal with every single day is not fate but causality no matter how bad a hopless it looks—and causality can be subverted.

The circumstances of your life frame you and illustrate you and explain your hangups but they don't force your hand or justify every act committed due to the emotions invoked. Dean might actually believe this too fiercely when it comes to himself—assigning himself culpability for things that he legitimately is not responsible for or could not prevent. Sam tends to do... the opposite. "I have to become ruthless because of you. You're going to leave me here all alone" (3.09). "I ran away with Ruby in the first place because of you [subtext: a dead guy] bossing me around" (5.05). "I have to leave Dad for dead and kill us all in the name of revenge because you came and got me at school so this is your fault, and revenge is what our family does and falling into the despair of revenge is what Dad did so I am destined to follow in his steps as his son" (1.22). "Aren't you worried some horrible thing will happen to me and I'll suddenly become a murderer and I won't be able to stop—it won't be my choice the circumstances of my life will have lead me there and falling into that despair and rage will be the only option left to me (1.14)".

[what-if-i-just-did]

Destiel Prompt List 24. Dean has nightmares.

Trigger Warnings: vivid nightmare, crying, fear of people leaving, fear of people dying, self-blame, mentions of fighting, betrayal and slight begging

Nightmares and Confessions

Dean looked around, anxiously. Maybe asking Cas to help him with his nightmares was a bad plan (he hadn't asked, Cas had insisted). Having Cas dreamwalk into his head, what was he thinking?! (He wasn't. Cas had insisted.) This was bound to go bad.

It started out relatively mild. He could tell they were in purgatory, but there wasn't any fighting. Benny wasn't there either, but Cas was next to him. They found the river, and they found another Cas. "Cas!" Dean yelled out, walking over to dream-Cas while real-Cas stayed behind. Dean hugged the dream-Cas. Then dream-Cas smiled weirdly, and black started to creep up his neck. "We run the show now", came the weird multi-layer voice of the Leviathan. "Cas, no!" Dean called out, and he reached for Cas, but they were tumbling into the river, and suddenly the river was a lake and Dean and real-Cas were at the shore, and the trenchcoat floated up. Dean took it and watched the black dissapear into the water. He turned around, to look at Cas, but he felt this white-hot pain and he couldn't see anything, and when he opened his eyes, they were black. He was a demon. So much for mild.

"Cas.." "Dean. It's alright, it's a dream. You're human, and I am right here, tell me if there's anything I can do." Dean blinked, and the black was gone. Now, though, he could see where they were. What was happening.

Dream-Cas is dead. They're at April's house, and Cas is lying dead in the chair. "Cas!" Dean goes over and shakes him. "Cas, common!" Sam, and by extension Gadreel, which is who saved them when this actually happened, is nowhere to be found. Real-Cas puts a hand on his shoulder. "Dean, this is a dream." Dean hangs his head, and denies that he's practically sobbing. He shakes his head and utters a choked syllable. "Cas..." Real-Cas brings Dean to his feet. "Dean. It's not real." He looks him in the eye, like trying to get in the message that he's right there. "I know. I know, that doesn't make this easier." And this is a dream, a nightmare, about Cas, and Dean is upset, and Cas is right there so he burrows his head into real-Cas' shoulder. " 't doesn't make it easier, Cas. You always-" A bubble of something comes up his throat and chokes him, but he's babbeling and he's kinda forgotten that this is the actual Castiel. "You always die. Or leave. Or- or betray me. Us- whatever. You're always gone. An- And I feel like it's my fault cause the one time I- one time you wanted to stay an' I told ya ta leave! And I didn't wanna cause I don't want you to leave but I'm too much of a freakin' coward to actually say that shit, so you keep leavin' and I really want you to not leave." He hold him tighter. "Never leave again. Please." And he sounds so tired. And so sad.

"Dean. Look." "Yeah?" He lifts his head, annoyed. He looks around, and they're on a field. It's sunny. It looks pretty. Dean slowly breaks the hug to look around him. "Wow." He smiles and turns to Cas. "Was that it? Did I do it?" "Yes Dean, I believe you have."

Castiel is smiling.