"And once we are inside the house, the ghosts of here children appear" Sam narrates "No way" you say thrilled, too caught up in the story.
Dean smiles at your way, as he gets up to go the bar, ask and pay for another round for all of the three of you. The barwoman smirks at him flirtatiously and he smiles at her before he turns towards your table.
He takes a moment to look at you, focused in the story Sam is telling you, your deep interest evident in your face.
He chuckles to himself when you make a grimace of suprise at something Sam tells you, he no longer hears. God, he has missed you. And he hadn't realised how much. Not until he met you again.
Your friendship was special. This could propably sound cliché, but, hell it was. It was not about the way you met, or something you did. Okay, maybe it was about what you did too. Like, there weren't many teenage best friends that trained together at shooting, or fist fighting. But the main thing was how it felt.
If someone were to describe your relationship with Dean, with just one word, that would definitely be 'easy'. It started easily, in no time, and that's how it went ever since. You felt comfortable around each other and it felt so natural to just be yourselves.
You always understood him. You understood his need to take care of Sam, joining him on his mission from the beginning. You understood he had a duty, to be a good soldier to his father. Hell you were just like him on that matter, your own father's parenting methods were pretty close to John's.
And you understood the burden of all these. You were the only one who he would share that part with. He wouldn't open up to Sammy, because he needed to be strong, perfect, for him. And he definitely wouldn't talk with his dad about it, because he would think he was weak. But with you, he felt like he could.
Most of the time he wouldn't talk about it of course. He never was the one to talk about his feelings, chick flick way and stuff. And although you sometimes would lure him up and he would even speak, most of the time he didn't need to. You would look at his face, realising that something was wrong. That's the point where you usually would furrow your eyebrows, trying to read him out. You would spend some minutes studying his attitude and movements, and then you would find it.
Easy. The same, familiar easiness every fucking time. At this point, you always talked about it, without waiting for an answer, knowing that you propably wouldn't get one. At least a cooperative one. You knew really well that he never liked talking about that stuff. But you were also very aware that he needed to hear these. So, you laid down your monologues, starting with brutal resonating of the situation. This helped him see things a little bit cooler, in a more objective way. And then you would look at the situation in a more emotional way. Starting from third people's points of view if were any, finishing with his.
His favourite part, if he was honest, where he would start feeling good with himself, again. You searched to find the cause of his emotions, and then you came up with justifying them. He never knew if you were completely objective, but it, honestly, seemed fair, and it felt good. When you were done, he would pretend that he didn't want to hear that stuff, dismissing it, saying he was fine. And you would play along. "Right", "okay" you would always nod, dropping the subject, having already done what you wanted. It was always exactly the same. Always specific, planned, methodical. But, at the same time, feeling natural. He would smile at himself in the end. When you weren't looking.
So, damn yeah, special. Laying eyes on you again, he thinks for just a second, how on earth did he survive four years without you. He shakes off that thought. 'Do not get attached' he reminds himself knowing that after this night out you're gonna take different roads. He takes your drinks, without really looking at the flirty barwoman, lost in his thoughts. He manages to clear his head a little when he joins you on the table again where you're laughing along with Sam. He looks at you both, smiling waiting to get back into the conversation.
"Hadn't met a sifter before." You continue your story. "Hell I didn't even know they existed" you say kinda scolding all your 'coaches' in your head, for missing out to teach you some basic stuff about them. "And then Damn, there's another fucking Kat, right in front of me, talking bullshit about my life. You continue and Dean catches up and turns to you, focused, eager to hear the story. It's always fun to share hunting stories with other hunters. Well, becomes something more than fun, when the other hunter is you.
"And I'm like, 'what the fuck man'" you chuckle at your self. "And I don't even know how to kill it, you know?" You remind them. "And the Shift is 'blah, blah, your dead father, blah, your cursed family' and all the lame, dramatic shit they usually say..." Both Winchesters laugh at how actually accurate is this, for shapeshifters, and also at how cooly and humourously you describe it.
"And I'm yeah, you're a handsome bastard, but I need you to die. And I raise my gun and she laughs. Like really charmingly. She was hot" you say cheekily and they chuckle again. "You know you cannot kill me with that huh?" You say in a mocking tone, miming her. But all I had was my gun and a knife. So I shoot her 2-3 times on the head. What I didn't know, is that I was way damn lucky."
"Silver bullets?" Dean asks and you nod. "Always went for having some loaded in the gun. Just in case. I was lucky that this was the shifts' way too. Anyway, long story short, it was weird, having to burn down and bury my body." You chuckle at the end, receiving similar reactions.
"Maaan" says Sam, running a hand through his hair. "Crazy world, we live in" and you nod. "Tell me about it" you say in unison with Dean and you both turn to look at each other, before both start laughing. For a moment, it felt like the old time, easy and natural.
Sam raises his hand to make a toast. "To good old friends" he says smiling widely, genuinely happy for being here. You and Dean follow, grinning lightly. "Good old friends" you repeat before taking a few ships from your whiskey.
"So, how's John?" You turn to them. They both frown and you immediately take the hint, that something's wrong. "What?" You ask furrowing your eyebrows. "He's gone missing" Sam explains and Dean tenses up.
"What do you mean missing? When?" You ask confused and Dean hesitates. John has been very criptic about the whole situation, so he's not sure if he sould really share the details. On the other hand, it was you. There was a point when he trusted you more than himself. But then again, it's been four years, and he couldn't know what could have happened to you during those years, what you could have turned into. But damn, you feel so the same.
"He was on a hunt. The one I was talking earlier. The woman in white" Sam gets him out if the dilemma, trusting you blindly. He can't say he exactly disagrees with his brother. "And then he dropped it and disappeared. Obviously on purpose. Since he left Dean messages sending him to hunts." He continued staring tensing up, obviously agree at his father behaviour.
You sigh looking at them both. Knowing John, you know he would do something like that. So, you can't say that you worry exactly, but you can't help but think that that obviously something's going on. "And now you're trying to trace him huh?" You ask and they both nod. "Well, let me know if I can do anything to help. I mean after tonight too. You say and turn to Dean. "Gi'me your phone" you say suddenly and he obeys automatically. You write down your phone number.
"In case I indeed can help" you explain and Dean nodes, saving your number.
"So" you start grabbing your stuff. "It's been truly great fellas. Really. But I drink any more, I won't be able to drive. And I really need to hit the road tonight. There's another case waiting." Both brother scowl at the news.
"Yeah, uhm, sure. We should get going to Sammy" Dean says and Sam agrees.
Soon you're all outside, in the parking lot, you in front of the Mustang, ready to go.
"It's been really great seeing you Kat... We seriously need to keep in touch" Sam says burying you in a tight hug. You smile, hugging him back. "Well, Dean has my number. You can always take it" you say pulling away turning to Dean.
For a moment none of you know what to do. How to say goodbye. And then, Dean shakes his head and leans down, wrapping his arms around you, tightly. You breath a smile, responding, hugging his waist with both arms. You stay like that for a moment, both' eyes closed and he clears his throat. "Be careful." He mumbles before pulling away.
"You too" you offer a charming smile. "Oh. And, before I leave... I just needed to say something." You say seriously and they look at you with interest. "You both grown hot" You smile cheekily earning chuckles. You get in the car and start the engine, lower down your window, and doing a final nod with your chin, you drive away, leaving both Winchesters in the parking lost staring at your vehicle dissapearing before their eyes.
*****
You've been driving for an hour now, heading towards Idaho, where the next case, probably nice and easy salt & burn one, you think about the events of the last day. You cannot hide the smile that keeps appearing on your face every time you think about them. About the hug you shared with Dean. It offered a sweet relief, a feeling that he was glad to see you, that you two still were something.
The ringing of you phone snaps you out of your thoughts. You reach it with your right hand, left still on the wheel. Unlocking the screen, you read.
'So you have my number too.
Anything comes up, you know what to do.
-Dean
You smile.
*****
"Dean" you breath on the phone. Finally. You have called him like 4 times now.
"Hey, what's up? I have class you know" Dean says cooly making you roll your eyes.
"Yeah, well, I have a problem" you say instead, arguing.
Dean gets serious quickly. In your lives, hearing that someone's got a problem doesn't bring sad romances and failed exams in mind. "What happened?"
"I'm in Aspen, Colorado. My dad parked me here, and went on a hunt, somewhere in the state" you mutter sarcastically.
"Yeah, so?" Dean tries to get to the problem.
"So I think there is a case here. In school. And he won't pick up his phone, and I can't even do a proper damn research cause the school's library sucks" you say in one breath. It's not like you deal with cases on your own every day. You have helped your father countless times with research, even with the practical case a few times and you have deal with some enemies a couple of times with Dean and Sam, while your fathers were away hunting, leaving you all together at a small town, in a crappy motel.
Dean gets nervous hearing that you are alone. Why? What happened that makes you say that?"
"Well, there are a few students that have suddenly commit suicide the last few weeks, acting really weird before that.
Dean pauses for a moment to think about it, about whether it's a case or not. "Kat. It's high school. It's probably nothing. Besides, it is not suspicious for someone to act weird before he commits suicide." He ends up saying.
"Dean. They're 8. In 5 weeks." You explain sharply.
"Oh. Okay. So. Maybe there is a case. When you say they acted weird, before the suicide?" He asks
"Agressively and, kinda obsessively I guess. Some of their friends said that they looked at them like they suddenly hated them. Like they wanted them dead. And just pushed all the friends and family away. Locked in their rooms, not communicating with anyone, till they... Yeah" you explain and he nods. "Thing is" you add highlight it. "The way they all killed themselves man... It's nasty. Like the one hit his head on the wall to death. Another one put his hand on the meat grinder, and bleed to death. And so on..." You cringe at your own words.
"Ew." Dean says and you nod although he cannot see you. "Yeap" you say popping the 'p'.
"Okay, I'll go make some research too, maybe I will come up with something useful. You go talk with the parents. But hey. Firstly, we get to be sure that is our kind of weird. In case it is, you don't do anything else okay? First thing to do, is call me. You don't act brave and deal with it on your own. Okay?"
You roll your eyes but smile at his concern. "Fine Dean."
"I mean it Kat." He says firmly and you sigh.
"Yes! Okay!" You repeat and he nods to himself, satisfied.
"So, I'm heading to the library. I'll call dad, if I can reach him, I'll tell him to try to call yours. You go to the victims houses, make some questions. You got an EMF?" He guides making you roll your eyes again.
"Yeah Dean, I know what I have to do, it's not the first time" he chuckles at your attitude.
"Okay, okay. I'm stopping, now. Be careful. If anything comes up, you know what to do."
"Yeah." You say impatiently "Bye" and with that you hang up.
Turned out it indeed was a case, ghost possession, an 90's student that was getting bullied at his time in highschool. So bad that he ended up committing suicide. His angry spirit got stuck in the this dimension, possessing students that bullied other kids, making them kill themselves. Well, it wasn't that you completely disagreed with the ghost. But what the hell, you couldn't let a an uncontrollable, angry ghost decide who lives and dies.
Dean was some states away, watching over a ten year old Sam. It wasn't like he could ditch him alone and come and help you. So you decided to do it alone, finding the ghosts identity, with Dean's help. Went to the graveyard, unburied his coffin and stuff.
That's when it got dirty. The ghost appeared shoving you in the air making you fall hard on the ground with your back. You groaned loudly, as pain washed over you searching with your hand for the iron bar you had lost. In no time, the ghost was over you, digging his fingers in your chests making you moan in pain. That was it when the ghost backed away, a moment before it got wrapped up in flames and dissapear. You looked up weekly, trying to find out who saved you.
In a second, John was in front of you cupping your face with his palms, making sure you're okay. "You good?" He asked worried standing you with his strong arms. You left out a shaky breath, relieved to see him and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for coming" you smile lightly at him and he smiles back tapping the back of your neck with his palm, reassuringly, for a couple of times and pulling away.
"Glad I came in time. You shouldn't be doing this stuff alone. You could be dead now." he says strictly now, making you sigh.
"Yeah, I know John. But my dad wasn't picking up. People were dying. What was I supposed to do? Act like I don't know what's happening and just let them keep dying?" You ask making him sigh this time. You weren't even fourteen by that time. Yet, so rational, so brave. Ready to sacrifice your life to save People. Already a hunter.
"No, no. I guess not" he nods, understanding. "Dean helped you good?" He asks then looking at you expectantly wanting to see how his son's doing.
"Wouldn't have make it, without him" you smile, genuinely. It's the truth. First of all you would have get panicked, if it wasn't for him. Having him there, even by the other side of the phone, calmed your nerves. Besides he had found a lot of information and clues. All deductions, concerning the case, were truly a result of teamwork. You really made a good team.
John smiled lightly, nodding.
*****