#dean and jo behind the scenes my beloved

[dogearedheart]

<3

[katelyn--renee]

Out of the Fire (Part one)

Title: Out Of The Fire (Part one)

Fandom: Supernatural AU

Main Characters series: Reader, Lieutenant Firefighter!Dean Winchester, Lawyer!Sam Winchester, Jessica Winchester (Moore), Nurse!Lisa Braeden (Formerly Winchester), Ben Braeden-Winchester, Harper Winchester (OFC), Charlie Bradbury, Firefighter!Benny Lafitte, Firefighter!Jo Harvelle, Firefighter!Castiel Novak, Claire Novak, Mechanic!John Winchester, Firefighter Captain!Ellen Harvelle, Mechanic!Bobby Singer, Doctor!Arthur Ketch, Nick Vaught and many more!

Pairings: Dean x Reader (eventual), Dean x Lisa (past), Reader x Nick (past), Lisa x Ketch (current), Sam x Jessica (current)

Word count: ±2500 words

Series summary: A slow burn romance. Reader is trying to get away from her troubled past and start fresh; a new name, new town, new friends, and a new job. A clean slate. After years of planning and saving, she is able to open her own business. With the help of her best friend and business partner, Charlie Bradbury, and her new flirty firefighter friend, she is hopeful, even when disaster strikes and her past threatens to catch up with her years later. 

Part one summary: Fire erupts and engulfs her beloved business, but something arises from the ashes and ignites a new desire.

Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fire or mentions of fire, fluff (so much fluff), angst, eventual smut, mutual pining, alcohol abuse, alcohol intoxication, mentions of domestic abuse (physical, verbal), mentions of miscarriage, mentions of adultery/cheating, mentions of death, dangerous or life threatening situations, stress, descriptions of injuries, blood, hospital scenes, character death. 

Author’s note: This is my first series and my first attempt at an Supernatural AU. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I will try to release new chapters at a timely fashion, but as we all know, life sometimes gets in the way. 

A special thank you to @that-one-gay-girl and @deanwanddamons for being the wonderful beta’s that you are! Your feedback is always appreciated! Check out their awesome work and spread some love!

All dividers and graphics done by me! 

If you like this story, please don’t hesitate to leave a like, comment and if you’re feeling extra generous, share! Your feedback gives me live and motivation! 

Thank you and let’s enjoy this ride together!!

Out of the Fire Masterlist!

Interested in more of my work, check out the link below.

Masterlist

It was so hot… Why was it so hot? And why was it so hard to breathe? 

You stirred from your position on the tile floor, the long lashes of your (Y/E/C) eyes fluttering lightly as you woke. The first thing you registered was the intensity of the heat that surrounded you, quickly followed by the tightness of your chest as you struggled to take a deep breath. A vicious cough ripped through you with the effort, your throat raw. 

You winced, your face scrunching with discomfort. You stirred again, needing to get up and move, to get away from the threatening heat, but your body protested with the effort. Your head was hammering, your brain  pounding against your skull with every forceful beat of your heart. 

What the hell happened? 

You groaned as you brought a hand to your head, feeling something damp and slick against your skin. Blood. You forced your eyes open despite their heaviness, a futile attempt to gather your bearings; you couldn't see much through the thick, black smoke that hung in the air around you. Another cough tore from your lungs and stung your throat.

Fuck. That hurt.

You sucked in a rigid breath, wheezing as the smoke filtered in through your lungs. Get up! Move! You needed to get moving and find a source of fresh air, find somewhere safe, and quickly, before the smoke suffocated you and the flames consumed your body. 

You scanned your surroundings swiftly, trying desperately to make every second count. Red hot flames licked the southwestern walls of the building on your right, engulfing everything that stood too close. That was where your office had been located, meaning the exit would be behind you, to the northeast. However, the counter separated you from your freedom, standing tall and stretching out and into the north wall, obstructing your path. The layout would force you to find another way around and take up so much of your precious time.

Rolling off your back and onto your belly, you supported your weight with your elbows and knees, making  a point to stay as low to the ground as possible. You forced yourself to move, driven onward by adrenaline and the sheer will to survive. You were not going to die like this.

You army crawled through the rubble and debris that was once your beloved café, ignoring the way it made your heart clench with sorrow. Now was not the time to grieve. You needed to stay focused. Your life, literally, depended on it.

There was a loud crash somewhere in the distance - perhaps it was the ceiling caving in from structural damage, you weren't entirely sure - but the sound of it was startling and shook the floor beneath you, causing you to instinctively freeze and cradle your head, bracing yourself for impact.

A small yelp of surprise escaped from your throat as your body trembled with fear. You couldn't move, your muscles refusing to cooperate even though your brain screamed at you to do so. 

There was another crash, much closer this time, as the flames ate away pieces of your heart and soul; all the years of hard work, burning to ash. You'd put everything into that little café, and now it was, quite literally, falling in around you. A ceiling beam landed  in front of you , engulfed by flames and blocking your path.

You jerked back and shielded your face from the inferno with your arms, the skin burning from the intense heat. "Oh god," You cried out without realizing it, any hope of escape beginning to slip away. Tears filled your eyes and spilled over your lashes, streaming down your soot-covered cheeks as dread began to creep its way in.

Just breath, stay calm, you're okay, you told yourself, trying to prevent the lingering panic attack. You exhaled slowly, struggling to remain calm,  willing the tears away. You banished them from your face with a swipe of your hand as you searched for another way out. With your back pressed against the counter to try and ground yourself, you pictured the floorplan around you in your head, trying to reassess where you were and which direction to go.

The kitchen. There was an employee exit through the kitchen. Changing direction and crawling back the way you came, you began your frantic crawl toward the swinging metal door. Your limbs felt like concrete as you forced yourself to move, and even though your vision started to get spotty and dark around the edges, making you feel nauseous, you kept on going, putting one arm in front of the other. 

Just a little further. Don’t give up! But it was so hot, and you were so, so tired... 

Just then, when you thought you weren't going to make it in time, you heard it… the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Anyone in here?!" He called out, his voice booming out over the roar of the flames. You could see the beam from his flashlight strapped to his shoulder, even through the thick wall of smoke. "Y/N?! Answer me, sweetheart!"

Your heart swelled with hope again as you recognized the man who was searching for you. Even though he sounded muffled through the oxygen mask covering his handsome face, you would recognize that voice anywhere. 

It was Dean.

Dean, the firefighter you've grown so fond of these past few weeks, was here to save you.

You shifted on the floor and craned your neck to try and see him. "D-Dean! I-" A harsh cough interrupted you, "I'm he-here!" You cried out, your voice hoarse from the smoke. You went into another coughing fit, this one much rougher and longer than the others. You gasped for air, your lungs tight and constricting in your chest.

"I hear you, (Y/N)!" You heard him quickly respond, his voice gaining in volume as he grew closer. "Guys, over here!" He called out to the rest of the crew before following your voice. "I'm coming, sweetheart! Just hang on for me!"

"De-" You tried again, but your voice gave out. Your eyes grew heavy from exhaustion, and your body began to shake with the exertion and lack of fresh oxygen. Your head spun and your vision blurred as Dean came into view, the counter dividing the two of you. 

In one effortless move, you watched through droopy lids as Dean vaulted over the counter and landed on the other side, his heavy boots thudding against the tile. He was now only an arm’s length away from you. You wanted to reach out for him, to touch him and make sure that he was actually there. But your limbs wouldn’t cooperate, feeling like stone at your sides.

He crouched down beside you and gripped your hand tightly as if reading your mind. His glove was thick and rough against your palm, but the material didn’t dampen the emotion or firmness that Dean put into the reassuring gesture. 

With apprehensive, yet determined emerald eyes, he quickly assessed your body for any obvious injuries that would raise concern, ones that could be worsened or become life-threatening if he were to move you. He must have been satisfied with his examination, the look in his eye becoming slightly more hopeful. 

His actions were rushed yet calculated as he removed his red lieutenant helmet, the mask quick to follow. His hair was tousled and sticking up in odd places. If this were any other, less dire situation and you were able to speak, you would have teased him about the messy heap on his head. 

You heard one of the other firemen protest his actions, warning Dean that it was against protocol to remove his mask and put himself, and in turn everyone else, in more danger. "Fuck the protocol." Dean shot back over his shoulder sternly as he slipped the mask over your head, his large hands surprisingly delicate and gentle, even through the rough material of his gloves. 

"There you go, sweetheart," He said a bit softer, turning his attention back to you. "That's it. Nice, deep breaths for me." He coaxed, nodding his head. "Good girl." He flashed you a brief, yet dazzling smile as you inhaled, following his instructions.

Your body rejoiced as the purest form of oxygen-filled your lungs, easing the tension inside of your chest, only momentarily. You struggled to keep your eyes open and focused on the beautiful man above you, his forest green eyes filled with so much concern. "Good girl," You heard him coo again, securing the helmet back onto his head.

The building creaked and groaned, threatening them with another collapse. Dean glanced up at the ceiling, his experience telling him that their time had been cut in half. You felt his large hands on your body as he scooped you into his strong arms, protectively holding you against his chest. 

"I've got you." He muttered assumingly, trying to keep you calm as he rose to his full height, lifting you with ease. He scanned the surroundings, and you saw a hint of a frown tug at his lips, noticing the scowl on his brow. The fire was closing in, limiting his options and growing hotter by the second. 

You made a motion toward the only exit available, lifting a shaky hand to point him in the right direction, and Dean seemed to have noticed your silent instruction. His eyes followed your finger, darting to the window on the metal door that framed the kitchen. He nodded before letting the others know, directing them to head back out through the front. They hesitated only briefly, knowing they’re not supposed to leave anyone alone, before following Dean's lead, trusting their lieutenant's judgment. 

The experienced firefighter moved with determined strides, having wasted enough time as more of the building began to collapse down around the pair of you. There was a crack, and a loud pop from the ceiling as the building shifted again. The fireman shielded you as a few clusters of hot debris and flames fell from above, protecting you from the fire. One of the balls landed and burst onto his shoulder, the flames licking at his face. He shrugged it off with a low grunt, gritting his teeth through the sting of his cheek. 

He refocused and took three large steps toward the kitchen, his heavy boots crunching the rubble beneath his feet as he closed the distance to freedom. Using his foot to force open the door, he let out a breath of relief, grateful to find that the exit was still a clear shot. 

Despite the combined weight of his bulky gear, the oxygen tank strapped to his back, and the extra body cradled in his arms, Dean made good time and jogged toward the sizable steel door, determined to get you to safety. 

Once again, he grunted through clenched teeth and lifted his powerful leg, the sole of his thick boot connecting with the push bar. The force of the impact caused it to swing swiftly on its hinges and crash against the brick wall. 

Smoke billowed out from the now open door as Dean rushed out into the alley behind the café, sucking down gulps of fresh air. He grunted and coughed, staggering briefly before correcting himself. You wanted to ask him if he was okay, wanted to comfort your rescuer, but couldn't seem to find your voice.

The nighttime air was cool against your overheated skin, despite being this close to the fire, and it made you shudder in Dean's arms, goosebumps rising over your sensitive flesh. The firefighter shifted you in his strong arms, getting a better, more comfortable hold. Your head was nuzzled in the crook of his arm, giving you a perfect view of his handsome face.

Flashing red and blue lights bounced off the brink surrounding you and lit up Dean’s face, highlighting his strongest features. You’d never seen anything quite like it, but then again, you’d never been this exhausted before. Surely your head was playing tricks? You gazed up at him in awe, studying the determination that hardened his usual gentle features. His face was dirty with soot and darkened by the smoke, covering the freckles that normally adorned the bridge of his nose. His jaw was lined with stubble, emphasizing just how strong it was. There was a noticeable red patch on his cheek, the skin irritated and angry from the burn. 

You were vaguely aware of the familiar, yet frantic, voice of your best friend and business partner, Charlie Bradbury. Her voice, regardless of its urgency, was drowned out by the sirens, fire hoses, and roaring flames behind you.

Sleep was beginning to linger at the forefront of your mind, tugging firmly and trying to force you into the blissful darkness of unconsciousness. You struggled to keep your eyes open, not wanting to give up the extraordinary view before you. But, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t keep them open any longer, and your (Y/E/C) eyes fluttered shut, despite your best efforts to keep them open and on the face of your rescuer. 

You could hear the muffled voices of your redheaded friend and the first responders that surrounded you, specifically Dean and Charlie, but you couldn't quite make out what was being said, the drowsiness making it hard to stay focused. You felt yourself being moved, and the noise died down drastically as you were lifted and strapped down to something solid yet oddly comfortable as you fought to stay awake. 

You peaked your eyes open, although they burned from all the smoke, you fought through the sting in search of your rescuer, but was met instead with the inside of an ambulance. It was bright, and the fluorescent light hurt your sensitive eyes. 

Something warm and made of thick wool was draped over your body, stealing your attention. You refocused and spotted the green eyes you had been desperate to find. You never broke his gaze as the fireman's mask was removed and replaced by a much smaller one. You grabbed at his hand desperately when he shifted to leave, desperate to have him near. 

His eyes dropped to where your hand touched his, and his expression softened almost instantly at your attempt to stop him, his large hand embracing yours. “They’re gonna take real good care of you, sweetheart.” He assured, his affectionate gaze turning back to you as he offered you a closed-lip smile. You could hear Charlie’s voice, sounding somewhere close by, but you couldn’t concentrate on anyone other than your hero. 

Your vision darkened around the edges, and your grip on consciousness was growing weak. Your hand loosened from Dean’s grasp and fell limp as your eyes fluttered shut. “I’m right behind ya.” He promised as the paramedics ushered him out so they could get moving. His voice was the last thing you heard before the ambulance doors slammed shut, and the darkness of unconsciousness took over.

Thank you for reading I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned next week for part two!

Read part two, here! -->>

Taglist!

Supernatural

@akshi8278​

Out of the Fire (series)

@vicmc624 // @anotherspnfanfic // @krazykelly // @compresshischest09 // @thefamilybusiness

[lightleckrereins]

Thoughts on where the supernatural ending went wrong and why it wasn’t that hard to make it right

Alright I don’t usually do long analysis posts, but I’ve been yelling about this for over two hours so here it goes.

Spoilers for 15x20 (duh)

First things first: I’ll say it now, it was the right ending for the characters don’t @ me. It was the right ending but the worst possible way to get there.

Sam having a family and a relatively normal life, Dean in heaven with all his loved ones, Cas helping Jack be better than Chuck and making the world a better place. If you look back into their journeys that is exactly what they wanted and what they fought for.

The finale starts like a MOTW episode for no reason, cuts to Dean dying in a really dumb way and having an emotional goodbye that no one cared about because we were expecting a resolution to 15x18. Then cuts to an emotional Sam montage, then cuts to a rushed epilogue and that’s it. Nothing else.

I’ve seen many posts during the last two weeks on how this should end, but the basics are: getting Castiel back, Destiel resolution, Sam reuniting with Eileen, Sam and Dean going their separate ways with their respective partners but implying this is not the end. This closes the show nicely, closes every storyline we’ve had this season, and gives the characters actual happy endings.

But we didn’t get a single one of those.

What we got was a mess that dismissed everything they did this season and many things they did the past 15 years.

So, what went wrong and how could it have gone right? Note, I do believe they had to rewrite things because of the pandemic and all the lockdowns but there were better ways to do it.

The most disappointing thing about the finale is Castiel. The one thing everyone wanted was to get him back nothing more. There is this one great post (that I couldn’t find to save my life) about the basic thing this episode had to do and it was to save Cas, for him to get an actual conversation with Dean and closure. Destiel or not we needed closure. We got an offhanded comment and a license plate. That was the farewell to one of the most beloved characters this show ever had.

They could have ended 15x19 with Jack bringing Cas back before leaving to do god stuff, then Dean avoiding the subject until he gets impaled into a nail and Cas enters the barn perfectly mirroring his very first entrance to save Dean. And then they have the conversation™. Satisfying ending, ties all loose ends, can still end the show with Sam and Dean together in heaven.

They could have done Cas arrive to the barn just in time to save Dean saying Jack saved him and not explain a thing and it would have been better.

They could have made the same thing and then Sam answers the phone, and it is Castiel telling him Dean is happy in heaven and wants him to live his life. Ambiguous about Destiel but still good enough and again they can have the same ending.

They could have had Cas receiving Dean in heaven and (a kiss) resolution right there.

Dean dies on the dumbest death in 15 seasons of supernatural and that’s saying something.

That could have been avoided with either not having the nail conveniently there or with Castiel saving him. There solved you can do a million other things for the epilogue.

Or you know if they really wanted to end Cas on 15x18 they could have made his moment of true happiness, learning to be human and knowing he is fighting for the right reasons. It would have avoided burying the gays and coming off as the most homophobic finale ever.

Cas is literally dismissed but looking past that they gave him the perfect ending only failed to actually show the thing. He started as a soldier from heaven who rebelled because it was the right thing to do. Throughout eleven seasons he grows to understand humans and to get disappointed with heaven. In the end he fights for humanity and wants to make things right. Him continuing to mentor Jack in being a better god than Chuck is the perfect ending for Castiel’s arc.

Eileen never appears again. You are telling me they brought her back, created yet another loophole to bring her back to life, made a season long storyline about her and Sam getting together, killed her again, implied she is back to life (again) thanks to Jack. Just to completely ignore her in the finale.

I know the pandemic might have made it impossible for the show to bring Shoshannah Stern back for one day of filming, and if you squint it is implied the wife is Eileen, but that’s not good enough.

Here is where it feels there were rewrites. The best resolution was doing an actual reunion with the two of them going off together if that wasn’t possible with the lockdown the next best thing was to confirm in some way that Sam and Eileen ended up together.

Easiest way, when Sam was dying and they were zooming into all the photos doing a long dramatic pause on a photo of Eileen, or with she and Sam together. They could have taken a behind the scenes photo of Shoshannah and Jared and photoshoped it. Just to confirm they ended together.

I do believe both Sam and Dean dying and ending in heaven together was the right call, but Dean’s death was still dumb.

He should have either died in a hunt on a really epic way or (my personal favorite) died as an old man with Sam by his side and given his speech there. That would have been impactful, and the speech is actually really good. It was overshadowed by the Castiel shaped hole the finale had.

Either way Dean dying first and getting the new heaven explanation feels right, but it should have been Castiel or Jack receiving him there not Bobby. And that is another thing I feel had to be rewritten. The dialogue on that scene makes me think that in a non covid year everyone would have been there to receive Dean to heaven. And I mean everyone Mary, John, Bobby, Jo, Ellen, original Charlie, Bobby, Kevin, Pamela, Adam, Benny (even if this one is impossible), I’m sure I forgot someone.

And then he goes on a drive and meets Sam at the end. That ending works perfectly and would have been super powerful with the right execution but was overshadowed by everyone’s collective anger.

A perfect finale would have started with Castiel returning (even if it required mime vampires in skull masks), followed by the conversation everyone was hoping for, Eileen returning. And then the epilogue montage.

If I could ask for things during that it would have been: Destiel with a roadhouse, Cas coming and going to help Jack become a better god. Sam and Eileen going off together and eventually retiring together. Their wedding with Dean as best man and Castiel marrying them (also destiel wedding but I know that is way too much to ask). A montage of everyone getting together for Christmas and stuff. Scenes showing how hunters still visit Sam for info, magic, and advice. Eileen being pregnant and them being happy parents together. Dean being a good uncle. A good death for Dean with Sam, Cas, and Jack by his side and then the speech would have destroyed me. A good look for old man Sam and old man Dean. And eventually Sam dying and reuniting with Dean.

That would have felt satisfying and like they earned that ending.

One last thing. The “we want to thank you” speech felt like throwing salt in the wound of a really bad finale, but it would have been a billion times better if they got Misha there, and every actor and crewmember who was ever relevant to this show saying thank you (from home if they couldn’t be there for some reason covid).

[katehuntington]

Title: Ride With Me (part nineteen) Fandom: Supernatural Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: ±7500 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family.  Summary part nineteen: The Flagstaff Horse Fair is about to kick off, but not without a hitch. Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: ‘Fortunate Son’ - Creedence Clearwater Revival, ‘Backwoods Company’ - The Wild Feathers.  Follow ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify! Author’s note: Prepare for cuteness and a bit of angst! Thank you @kittenofdoomage​​, @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish​​, @manawhaat​​ and @winchest09​​ for helping me. I especially want to thank Kay, who has beta’d Ride from the very beginning, but needs to take a break from Tumblr to focus on school. I will miss her dearly, but I’m super thankful that Mana is willing to take over. Also a special thanks to @jules-1999​​, who has offered me her knowledge about rodeo events like these.

Ride With Me Masterlist

     With a black bumper-pull trailer in the rearview mirror, Dean’s beloved ‘67 El Camino rolls up Interstate 17. The windows are down, allowing the wind to wash in, like waves crashing onto the beach on a hot summer day, the cool air welcome and refreshing. 

     The Gold Canyon Ranch caravan left around three o’clock, the column of three pickups and trailers now heading towards Flagstaff, Arizona. Bobby and Jo lead the company in his powerful Ford with an impressive gooseneck in tow, which currently accommodates five horses. Benny follows in his four by four, with three horses on board another large trailer, facilitated with a small living quarters. Dean is the last wagon of the train, Meadow and one of his calmer geldings in the back, and Y/N beside him in the passenger seat.

     The cowgirl is soaking up the scenery, the hills that flow next to the highway, the mountains in the distance, the blue sky above them. The tall saguaros that dominate the landscape at home are swapped for ponderosa pines, dusty desert for green grasslands. The forest is already beginning to change color, autumn painting deciduous trees in shades of yellow and orange. It’s remarkable how different her current surroundings are from the Phoenix area, only two and a half hours south. 

     With Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival playing on the old cassette deck of the classic car, Dean drums against the steering wheel to the rhythm of the song. He absently hums along, mouthing a few words every now and then. When he glances aside, a small smile forms on his lips. The woman, who managed to calm him after the disturbing news Bobby delivered, is breathtaking without even trying. Loose strands of hair have escaped her ponytail and dance in the playful wind, her maya blue blouse fluttering against her Arizona sun-kissed skin. She looks at the world through her shaded Ray Bans, lost in thought and wonder.

     He returns his gaze to the road as he reaches for her, laying his hand on her knee to get her attention, softly rubbing his thumb over the denim. Awoken from her daydream, she glances over, but doesn’t say anything. Instead, she lays her hand over his, warmed by the touch.

     “Nervous?” he wonders, dropping her hand just long enough to turn down the stereo before he laces their fingers together once again.      “A little bit,” she confesses.      “Don’t be. You’re gonna do fine,” he reassures. “Besides, your class ain’t till tomorrow.”      “I’m not nervous about riding.”      The wrangler moves his focus from the asphalt to his girlfriend. “What about then?”      She’s quiet for a second. Shy, just like she was the first time they met. “Just… This is your scene. People know you, and I don’t know anyone.”      He smirks, lightly. “Concerned about former flings?”       The cowgirl shrugs, half admitting her insecurity.      “Yankee, you have nothing to worry about. Hey…” He squeezes her hand, glancing over again. “I’m with you, okay?”

     A smile breaks through the surface as Y/N glances at the handsome wrangler she gets to call hers, his green eyes making a silent promise. For a guy who claims not to be good with words, he’s doing a pretty great job. She takes a breath when he concentrates on the road again.      “So, how are you going to introduce me?” she wonders.      “As my girlfriend,” he returns, matter-of-factly, cool confidence sitting on the edge of his mouth. He honestly can’t wait to introduce her as his.

     Y/N is unable to hide her contentment, the corners of her mouth creeping up further as she gets lost in the sight of him. There it is again; that tingly feeling, his confirmation breaking down the doubt bit by bit.      “What about Bobby?” Y/N checks. “He still doesn’t know.”      “Believe me, Bobby will be too busy strikin’ deals and sellin’ horses. He’s not gonna notice us,” Dean states, not concerned about his uncle. “It’s gonna be fine, you’re gonna have a blast, trust me.”

     After shooting her that grin she’s loved from day one, he glances past the trucks and trailers in front of them. They drive by a large sign made from stone and wood, that says ‘1882 - Flagstaff, Arizona’, the city up ahead and Humphreys Peak in the backdrop. The caravan turns onto I-40 going west, before taking the exit a couple of miles later.

      When they come over the hill, the competition grounds come into view. Flags reach skyward and wave proudly in the Western breeze, the stars and stripes alternating with the state flag of Arizona, the American Reining Horse Association, and many others. There’s the main arena, several training areas, stables, and amusement rides, complete with hundreds of trucks,  trailers, and RV campers filling the fairgrounds. Observing the scene, it becomes clear to Y/N that this isn’t just a local show.

     Dean was right, this is the perfect practice run for her and Meadow, but the sight of the large event has her stomach in knots. Right, those lovely performance nerves that never fail to torment her. She hopes she can survive tomorrow and still be able to eat without throwing up, because it wouldn’t be the first time that the highly strung feeling she experiences right before a ride has her physically sick. 

     The Gold Canyon Ranch caravan enters the show grounds, Bobby following the directions of the parking officer. After a short drive, they park the trailers next to each other on a large field, adding to the rows and rows of pickups, trailers, and even semi trucks with pop out living units.       “I’ll check in with the stable manager,” Jo announces when they get out of the cars, heading over to the stable office to check which boxes are assigned to them.

     Y/N picks her hat off the seat and pushes it on her head, leaving her shades on the dash now that she doesn’t need them anymore. She opens the hatch of the black trailer behind Dean’s Chevy, peeking inside. Meadow greets her with a slightly nervous neigh, eager to get out now that they’ve stopped moving. Lovingly, her rider pets her nose, trying to calm her a little, but the spirited mare begins to scrape her hoof on the rubber coated floor, nonetheless.      “She okay?” Dean asks.      “Yeah, she just wants to get off the trailer. I’m going to unload her, let her graze a little,” she says, attaching the leadrope to her halter. “Could you get the lid?”

     The wrangler nods and walks around to the back, opening the latches as Y/N unties her horse. The cowgirl pushes the divider away and gently leads Meadow down the ramp. The beautiful bay Quarter Horse takes in her surroundings with large eyes, alert and ready for action, belting out another loud neigh to announce her arrival. She circles around her owner, who can’t help but laugh at her cocky attitude; she could have sworn her granddad bought her a mare, and not a stallion, even though Meadow behaves like one at times. Eventually she drops her head and cuts a few bites of grass, before pulling up her head again while chewing, staring at another animal in the distance.

     “She really is a character, ain’t she?” Dean laughs, watching the pair.      “Sure is,” her owner chuckles, rubbing the mare’s withers. “She knows it’s showtime. She can feel it.”      Y/N crouches down to remove Meadow’s travel leg protection while Dean holds the feisty horse, glancing in the direction of the stable office, from which Jo returns.      “Tent B. Box sixty-four to seventy-three,” the ranch owner’s daughter informs. “Let’s unload.”

     Within thirty minutes the ten stables are ready, the heavy trunks installed, the tack rooms decorated and the horses unloaded. Y/N does her bit, rolling the wheel barrow from the truck to the stables with hay bails and wood shaving bedding, but it’s clear the Gold Canyon crew has taken this many horses to a competition before. Benny, Jo, Dean, and Bobby operate like a well-oiled machine, although the head of the ranch is moving a little bit slower these days. 

     Y/N tapes a form to the stable with Meadow’s name and an emergency phone number when Dean comes back from the water point, a full bucket in each hand. He and Benny have been going back and forth a couple of times now, supplying the ten horses. When the head wrangler walks by carrying the water, she’s distracted from the task at hand. Watching his shoulders work under his plaid shirt, she can’t help but get a little lost in the view. His biceps flex against the fabric, back strong and firm while he transports the heavy buckets with steady steps. God, he is good on the eyes.

     “Are you gonna continue to drool over my cousin or are you gonna come with me to the show office to pay our fees?”      Y/N’s eyes shift to Jo, who’s leaning against the stable door with her arms crossed in front of her chest and an amused smirk on her lips. Without a doubt, the blush that fires up her face is hard to miss.       “Let me get my bag,” she says, straightening her back and turning to the head wrangler. “Dean, is the car still un--”

     Before she can finish her sentence, her boyfriend has dug up the keys to the El Camino from his pocket and tosses them to her. Y/N catches them skillfully.      “Awww, so you can read each other’s mind now, too?” Jo comments, earning a glare from Dean, causing her to shrug. “What? It’s dead cute!”      “I’m not cute!” Dean counters, his face contorting as if she just called him something foul.       “No, you’re a tough, manly man. We get it, Cowboy.” She passes him, patting his shoulder. “Keep tellin’ yourself that.”      “You keep tellin’ yourself… somethin’,” he stammers, struggling to stand up to the reputation Jo is undermining.

     She walks on, laughing, not even granting him another look. Bothered with his own unimpressive reply, the wrangler watches his cousin catch up with her father. God, sometimes he wishes he could shut her up without having to deal with her sassy attitude.      Annoyed, he turns back to Y/N, who can’t hide her amusement as she steps closer. He eyes her, which only causes her to chuckle.      “I’m not cute,” he underlines.

     The cowgirl smirks and pushes him into the tack room, out of sight and safe from Bobby’s judgement. She takes his hat from his head and leans in, connecting her lips with his. The kiss is short and sweet, but it’s long enough to make Dean’s head spin. When she parts from him, he opens his eyes again, taking her in as she places his Stetson back over his tousled hair.       “You’re adorable,” she says.      Dean half pouts while furrowing his brow, still trying to establish that he is neither cute or adorable, but breaks character when his girlfriend smiles widely before she spins around. Fine, maybe he is turning a bit soft, but it’s all her doing. 

     Jo joins Y/N with her father’s wallet in hand, the two friends almost skipping to the exit of the stable, joking and laughing as they go. Dean watches the pair and shakes his head, not missing Benny’s wide grin coming his direction. The lovebirds might have stayed out of the ranch owner’s line of sight, however, Benny had a clear view of the endearing interaction. He’s leaning against a tack trunk, arms crossed in front of his broad chest, blue eyes sparkling with mischief and playful judgement that’s impossible to miss.       “Get it over with,” the head wrangler mutters. “Got anything to add to that?”      “Nah, I reckon the gals made their point,” the Southerner chuckles.

     “So, you two are still doin’ good, huh?”      Jo glances at Y/N from the corner of her eye while pushing her father’s wallet into her back pocket. She leans against Dean’s car, careful not to scratch it, knowing that all hell is going to break loose if she does.      “Surprised?” her friend counters, picking up her bag from the front seat, before closing the door.      “Just checkin’ if the woman-oholic isn’t suffering from tremors, hallucinations, insomnia,” the cowgirl states.       Y/N grins at that, pushing the strap of her bag on her shoulder, ready for her friend to lead the way to the show office. 

     “He’s not, don’t worry,” she claims, very much aware that Jo is just toying with her. “He’s been really wonderful, actually. I honestly didn’t expect him to be so attentive and sweet.”      “No one did. Hell, I don’t think even Dean knew he had it in ’im. Guess you bring out the best in my notorious cousin.” She hooks her arm around Y/N’s neck, pulling her in for a side hug.

     On their way over to the show office, Jo is greeted by multiple familiar faces, asking her how she's doing and the ranch owner’s daughter returning the question in a quick exchange. It becomes clear to Y/N that this isn’t just Dean’s scene, but Jo’s as well. 

     She soaks up her surroundings, glancing left and right as they walk up a two story building, a little further up the slightly hilly property. Stalls are lined up along the boulevard, selling all sorts of things, from horse gear to fashion and interior design. It’s not incredibly busy yet, the people waiting in the short lines for the food stands mostly riders, trainers, and horse owners. The organisation is probably expecting a bigger crowd on the weekend.

     A ferrier is hammering a loose shoe under a horse’s hoof, the large animal waiting patiently until the job is done, while a promoter tries to sell a new tractor to an interested party. Cheers roar from one of the arenas, excitement heard in the voice of the commentator, who echoes over the terrain through the speakers. The smell of cotton candy when they pass a concessions truck reaches the cowgirl’s nose as she watches children having fun riding a Shetland pony from the local riding school.

     Content, Y/N smiles, because apart from the temperature, the atmosphere on this show isn’t different from the events she’s been to when she was still living in Freeport. The nerves she felt in the car earlier seep away with the familiarity, excitement taking its place. Before she came to Gold Canyon Ranch, she was buried under pressure and books, working on her thesis around the clock. The last competition she rode was the State Championships. God, she missed this circus. This life. This is where she belongs, not behind some desk, no matter how good the salary.

     “Jo Singer, it’s good to see you again, my dear,” the woman behind the counter in the show office says, recognizing the blonde cowgirl instantly. “How are you and your family doing?”      Reading glasses balance on the tip of the nose of the kind secretary, who smiles at both the girls. Her ash blonde hair is short, and worn in a fashion you would expect for a lady in her sixties.      “Good to see you too, Mildred,” Jo returns, pulling Bobby’s wallet from her pocket. “We’re okay. How are the boys?”

     Y/N glances at her friend from the corner of her eye as the two acquaintances make small talk. She noticed the hint of doubt in her claim that everything was fine with the Singer family, followed by the quick counter question to avert the attention back to the woman on the other side of the desk. Aware that the information Dean shared with her is confidential, she didn’t discuss it with Jo, even though she wanted to. While she didn’t want to get the head wrangler in trouble, she was also unaware of how up to date the youngest Singer actually is. Now that she heard the slight hesitation, however, she’s getting the idea Jo knows more about the ranch’s financial struggles than her bubbly and carefree personality leads on. 

     “How many horses are you competing, hon?” Mildred asks, pushing her glasses up her nose as she searches for Jo’s name on the competitors’ list.       “Two. I’d like to pay for Dean as well, and one entry for my friend here. She’s riding one of ours.”      “Winchester, right?” the secretary checks, crossing off names.      Jo nods, picking at her father’s credit card. “Yeah.”      Mildred flips the page until she finds the one on which the riders filed under the letter ‘W’ are listed.      “Four horses for Dean? Your cousin has a busy weekend ahead of him,” she chuckles, warmly, and looks up at the young woman that accompanied Jo. “What’s your name, sweety?”      “It’s Y/N L/N,” the intern answers. “I’m competing two horses, one of my own. I’d like to pay for Meadowsweet separately.”      “Not a problem.” Mildred focuses on the blonde cowgirl again. “So that's an entry fee for seven horses, plus the stable fee for nine. Y’all brought two horses for auction, am I right? I remember because I had your father on the phone just this morning.”      “Yeah, we do. Do we have to pay to enter the auction too?” Jo wonders, nervousness lacing her tone.      “Yes, the auction entry is 200 dollars for each. After the sale the amount will be settled, together with the commission,” the elder woman informs. “Entry fee is three bucks per horse, stable fee is fifty each, so that will be 877 dollars in total.”

     Jo takes a breath and offers Mildred the card. The normally confident cowgirl seems on edge all of a sudden as she watches the secretary swipe it. Several seconds tick by while they wait for the machine to accept payment, and apparently it’s getting on Jo’s nerves. Y/N’s friend fiddles with her father’s wallet, tension coming off her in waves. Then the machine bleeps, a long high tone cutting through the heavy silence.

     Mildred looks up at the blonde rancher, sympathetically. It’s in her eyes and Jo’s heart drops to her gut before she even speaks. “I’m sorry. It’s declined.”       “W - what? No, that - that can’t be,” Jo stammers. “Can you try again?”      The kind lady swipes the credit card a second time, even though they know it’s not going to make a difference. The same message appears on the small screen, followed by the monotone beep. The sound is interrupted by the door opening and closing, two other competitors now entering the show office, getting in line to pay as well. Jo curses under her breath.

     “Any other way you can pay, darling?” the secretary asks, kindly.      “Uh - I have…” She leafs through the banknotes with trembling fingers, counting the money, her face turning red. “I have 300 dollars. I’ll check if there’s more in the truck--”      “I got it.” Y/N steps closer to the counter, pulling her wallet from her purse.      “What? No, c’mon,” Jo objects.       But her friend isn’t taking no for an answer. “It’s not a problem. I’ll sort it out with your dad later,” she assures, handing over her own card. She returns her attention to Mildred again. “Could you add my fees as well?”      “I sure can. That will be 930 dollars,” the elder woman states, changing the number on the terminal before swiping the credit card. 

     This time it beeps three times, confirming payment without a hitch.      “Alright, all good to go. Good luck on your runs, ladies,” Mildred says, cheery, trying to clear the awkwardness with her warm smile.      “Thank you,” Y/N returns genuinely as Jo gives the woman behind the desk a nod.

     The girls exit the show office, Jo pulling her hat over her eyes a little deeper to mask her flustered face. The redness slowly starts to leave her cheeks again after a minute, as they walk down the boulevard in silence. Y/N isn’t sure if she should say something, and so decides to give her friend some space. Her mind is going over the incident, however. A maxed out credit card; that can’t be good. The writing on the wall is applied with a paintbrush, the black letter getting bolder the more she learns about the suffocating situation. Her mind hasn’t stopped reeling since her talk with Dean in the cafeteria earlier this morning. There has to be ways to tip the scale. 

     Jo eventually speaks up, voice clipped with embarrassment. “I’m sorry ‘bout that. My dad will pay you back.”       “I know,” Y/N responds, not doubting it for a second. “It’s no big deal, seriously. No reason to apologize.”      “Still... Thanks,” the blonde cowgirl utters, embarrassed nonetheless.      It’s now Y/N’s turn to wrap her arm around her friend’s shoulder, hoping the gesture will ease Jo a bit.      “That’s what friends are for, right?” she comforts her. “Come on. Let’s head back. What’s your starting time?”      Jo glances at her watch. “Eight thirty. Thirty minutes after the opening. So that gives me an hour and a half.”      “Better ready your horse then,” Y/N smiles. “You’ve got barrels to race.”

     “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome on this Friday night to the eighteenth annual Flagstaff Horse Fair!”

     With Y/N’s hand in his, Dean walks up the bleachers, as if he’s afraid to lose her in the crowd. Plenty of people have settled down in their seats already, only a few spots left now that the opening ceremony is about to begin. She’s glad he’s keeping a hold on her, though, because once again she feels slightly overwhelmed by the number of strangers who all seem to be very much aware who her boyfriend is. 

     Several times Dean was held up on their way over to the main arena, by acquaintances, former and current clients, old friends and forgotten faces. She could tell he was doing everything he could to ease her nerves, his hand on the small of her back, engaging her into the conversation by introducing her. Yet she felt relieved when the ring came into view, hoping to find a time to take a breather from keeping up appearances and pretending she’s comfortable amongst new company. 

     “Dean!”      Y/N almost flinches at the female voice calling out for the cowboy. For a brief second Y/N shuts her eyes and takes a breath; guess she needs to keep her mask on a bit longer. She turns to face two women, who greet the wrangler, the one with dark, boy cut hair the first to embrace him.      “It’s so good to see you again,” she says, warmly.      “Hey, Jody.” Dean returns the embrace, genuinely pleased to see her too, before he directs his attention to the happily smiling blonde. “Donna, it’s been a while. How are you doing these days?”      “Hiya, handsome. I’m doing just fine, thanks.” The woman with a strong Minnesota accent pulls him into a tight hug as well, pressing her dimpled cheek against his. She backs away, her delighted eyes bouncing from him to the girl behind the cowboy. “Are ya gonna introduce us to this lovely lady?”

     Dean adjusts his hat and reaches for Y/N, his hand slipping behind her back when he nods at the brunette. “That’s Jody Mills - she takes horses off our hands regularly and finds us buyers - and her business partner Donna Hanscum. Good friends of mine, good friends of the Ranch.”       He then gently pulls her a little closer, the pads of his fingers lingering on her hip.      “Jody, Donna, this is my girlfriend Y/N,” Dean responds, unable to hide his proud smile. 

     Both women share the exact same reaction, their jaws dropping to the floor. If Y/N wasn’t so nervous, she would have found it comical.      “Shut the front door!” Donna exclaims. “Are you tellin’ me that Dean Winchester is off the market?”      Dean nods, his grin not faltering. “I’m spoken for.”      Delighted, Jody laughs. “Well, I didn’t think I’d live to see the day.”      “Took you long enough,” Donna jokes, teasingly pushing his shoulder, before she winks at the cowgirl next to him. “You must be one heck of a gal if you managed to tie this one down. C’mere!”

     Before Y/N can escape, the woman with the vibrant personality pulls her in and gives her a warm hug as well. She can’t help but to chuckle, because both Donna and Jody seem like sincerely kind people. The warm welcome eases her, helping her to feel more comfortable amongst these new friends.      “Why don’t you sit with us?” Jody suggests, after Donna lets go. “Because I wanna hear all about this miracle woman.”

     They take a seat and Y/N soon engages in conversation with Dean’s friends. Contently, he watches his girl, listening to her enthusiastic voice as she tells them about their meet cute. Dean chuckles at the memory himself; never in a million years could he have guessed he would be where he’s standing now, together with the then so timid and slightly prissy intern. She opened up like a wildflower in spring, blossoming into the carefree spirit that years of studying and discipline hid away. 

     Damn, he fell hard for her, didn’t he? She isn’t the only one who developed; because Jody wasn’t wrong. He too never expected to be able to commit, to be faithful to one woman, yet he can’t even imagine being with anyone else but her now. She taught him to look further than tomorrow. He has to admit, he has been thinking about the future more in the past week than he has in all the prior years combined.       His thoughts are interrupted by the commentator, who’s voice echoes through the speakers, mentioning the sponsors of the event.

     “We thank you for comin’ out here this weekend. Folks, right now I would like to ask Alex Jones to enter our arena floor with the Stars and Stripes of the United States of America.”

     Dean glances at Jody, who proudly watches her adopted daughter trot into the ring on a palomino. She’s dressed in a red shirt, blue and white fringe on her sleeves and chaps playfully dancing in the breeze. The end of the flagpole rests on her stirrup, the American colors fluttering in their wake. The crowd rises to their feet as the flag is carried in, respectfully doffing their hats. 

     “As we gather in the spirit of the Old West, let us be reminded of the part that the horses we cherish have played. They offered our forefathers safe travel, partnership, and the freedom to roam this great land. The same unbreakable bond between man and horse still remains today, as we ride for our country. We ask you to remain standing for the playing of the national anthem.”

     Y/N holds her hat by the brim and squares her shoulders, following Dean’s example when he places his right hand over his heart. A calm falls over the bleachers, every single soul watching the flag with the same steady reverence that only blue-collars truly can. The riders in the warm up area are standing side by side, facing the Stars and Stripes, and even the younger inexperienced horses seem to pay their respect.

     “Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light      What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?      Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,      O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?”

     The hairs on her arms rise up as Y/N softly sings along. She knows every word, taught in school of course, but it’s more than that. She believes them. And since she was a little girl, she has dreamed about the Star-Spangled Banner. She imagined it would play while she was standing on the highest step of the podium at the major events: Congress, the Derby, and who knows, maybe one day at the World Equestrian Games. It’s a long shot, maybe, but a goal nonetheless, one she will continue to chase until the day comes that she fulfills that dream. 

     “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,      Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.      Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave      O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

     The cowgirl and her horse began circling as the end of the anthem neared, speed increasing. Alex is galloping along the boarding of the arena, the Stars and Stripes flaunting proudly, standing tall. After the last note, the crowd cheers and claps, rallying the rider on as she takes the flag out of the arena at high speed. 

     “Give it up for Alex Jones!” the commentator encourages. “Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, get comfortable, take a load off your feet, take a seat, and get ready. We’re gonna kick off the competition with Barrel Racing for three year old horses. Let’s ride!”

     “Jo is sixth, right?” Y/N checks as they sit down.      Dean nods, leaning his elbows on his knees, watching his cousin in the warm up pen. “Yeah, after the drag.”      “Smooth footing. Could work in her advantage,” Y/N notes, linking her arm with his. “I was wondering; why don’t you teach Jo?”      The wrangler snorts. “Because she would claw my eyes out.”      His girlfriend laughs now, leaning into him and sweetly resting her cheek against his shoulder.      “Hey, we’ve tried, but we just fight like cats and dogs. It ain’t a good fit,” he chuckles.

     The first horse and rider combination shoots from the holding box and the audience’s motivating cheers rise from the stands into the Arizona air. Being a good sport, Dean claps too.       “Ever raced barrel, sweetcheeks?” Donna wonders, leaning forward to make eye contact with Y/N.      “Once or twice when I was a kid,” she admits. “You?”      “Oh, you betcha!” the cheery blonde states. 

     The rules to the game are quite simple. Three barrels are set up in a cloverleaf in the arena and the horse and rider pair need to cleanly negotiate the pattern. The cowgirl who’s the fastest without knocking over any barrels wins. It’s a thrilling sport to watch, perfect for a horse’s speed and agility when the rider knows how to bring it out in them.

     The second rider kicks off, setting a better time that pushes her up the board. The third follows, knocking over the second barrel, landing the poor girl a five second time penalty.

     Y/N keeps an eye on Jo, who gets instructions from Bobby. The ranch owner’s daughter is riding a mare called Sundance, who she started up about eight months ago, being the first person to ever ride her. The young horse had her first practise run a couple of weeks ago, but today is her show debut. The atmosphere of a big competition like this can be quite daunting for an inexperienced horse, but Jo prepared her well.

     The fourth goes wide around the first barrel and swerves to the third, wasting valuable time. Number five has a clean run and betters the leading result; 17.13 seconds is the time to beat.      A tractor enters the arena and the crew removes the barrels, white spray paint indicating where they need to be put back once the sand around it is dragged. When the footing is smooth again, the barrels are placed back.

     “Next up is Joanna Beth Singer with Sundance. Now, this young lady knows how to ride, with multiple wins under her belt, so let’s see what she will do with this youngster today.”

     Y/N moves to the edge of her seat, her heartbeat picking up. She might not be the one competing, but sometimes being the person on the sidelines is more nerve-wracking than actually being the one in the saddle.      Bobby walks with his daughter to the entrance of the arena, the young mare next to him already bouncing with excitement. Rousing music only adds to the exhilarating atmosphere surrounding them, the spectators waiting for the thrilling ride that is about to start. The second Jo’s father lets go of the rein, Sundance bolts away, locking on the first barrel like she has been doing this all her life.

     “And she’s off! Look at that speed, people!”

     “C’mon, Jo!” Y/N encourages, joined by Dean, who has gotten on his feet in anticipation.      The crowd cheers when the fast horse turns sharply. Focused, Jo pushes her heels into the bay’s flanks, hands towards the mare’s ears, guiding the youngster through the pattern to the second barrel. They are making good time.      “Smoke them, Jo! You got this!” Dean shouts, voice lost to the crowd that seems to favor Jo and Sundance.

     The clock ticks; eight seconds, nine, ten. Sand clatters against the metal as the eager horse cuts the third obstacle, so tight that you could barely fit a piece of paper between her boot and the barrel. It starts to tip, and Y/N grabs Dean’s arm when the drum almost tumbles over, but Jo pushes it back with her reins in hand so that it stays upright and the audience erupts. 

     “Yeah! Bring it home!” Y/N squeals, excitedly.      At full gallop the two shoot back to the gate, Jo flat on the Sundance’s neck, the energetic horse accelerating until they pass the finish line. The clock stops at 16.35.

     “Folks, if that ain’t horsemanship, I don’t know what is. What a ride and what a horse! Jo Singer and Sundance are in the lead!”

     Dean grins proudly and whistles on his fingers, glancing down at his girlfriend, who is still applauding excitedly.       “Dean, is that mare for sale?” Jody checks, the trader clearly interested now that she has witnessed the talent.       He chuckles. “Depends on your offer.”      “Fair enough. I’ll go have a talk with Bobby then,” she returns, aware that for a horse like that, she needs to raise the stakes.      “We’ll walk with ya,” Dean states, glancing aside when Jody’s friend doesn’t follow. “Donna, you comin’?”      “I’ll meetcha guys later. I’m gonna watch some more runs with Alex.” She nods at Jody’s surrogate daughter, who just sat down in one of the first rows. 

     They say goodbye and the wrangler places his hand on Y/N’s lower back as they walk to the stairs and get down from the bleachers. She can tell he’s trying to play it cool, but she senses his relief. Jo delivered and just secured more than just a place on the podium with that solid ride. The buyers are going to be lining up for Sundance, which means they can keep the price high. It’s a win Gold Canyon Ranch so desperately needs. The cowgirl bumps her shoulder against his, drawing his attention. The smiles they exchange say enough, she knows what’s on his mind, and he knows she understands.      “I’m gonna see if I can catch Jo. It was really nice to meet you, Jody,” she announces, shaking Jody’s hand before turning to Dean. “See you in a bit?”      He nods and meets her in a sweet, short kiss, before she runs off to the stables. His gaze stays fixed on her, lovingly, until he loses track of her in the crowd. Only then does Dean notice Jody’s knowing smirk.      “What?”      “You got it bad,” she comments, an earnest laugh falling from her lips.      He tilts his head, nodding; there’s no denying it. He’s known Jody for a while, and even though they only see eachother every now and then, he considers her a dear friend. 

     “She’s amazing, really. It’s all still kinda new, though,” he admits, comfortable enough to let some of that softness show. “Oh, which reminds me... Bobby doesn’t know yet. So could you not mention it?”      The raised eyebrow and judgemental look she sends him says enough. Jody stares him down as if she’s about to use her mom-voice, causing Dean to slightly cower.      “She’s the intern and it’s kind of a touchy subject. I wanna time it well so that he doesn’t bite my head off,” the cowboy excuses.       The woman who is tough when she needs to be, turns soft now, rolling her eyes slightly.      “Fine, I won’t tell him. Don’t wait too long, though. It’s Bobby, he wasn’t born yesterday. He’s going to find out sooner than later,” she reminds him.      “I’ll tell him soon,” he promises.      “This is a big first for you, ain’t it?” The female ranch owner smiles at him warmly, apparently amused with the somewhat uneasy behavior of the cowboy.       “It is,” he chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “But it’s good. Never thought I’d say it, but I could get used to this.”      “I’m glad you’ve met someone, Dean. You deserve a slice of that apple pie life.” 

     Dean smiles at his boots, knowing she means more with those words than would seem so at the surface. From a young age, even before Dean moved in with the Singer family, she has kept a watchful eye on him and his little brother whenever they were at the same shows and rodeos. Even though she’s only a few years older than him, she was always taking care of others, protecting those who needed it, and apparently she sensed the Winchester boys could use some support. To be honest, she wasn’t wrong. She has seen a few things, picked up on the tell signs. That knowledge adds to the weight of her kind message.

     “And if you ever are in the need of advice only a woman can offer,” she continues, “may it be suitable birthday gifts for the lady, or choosing an engagement ring, you know who to call.”

     Dean’s eyes widen, glancing aside at the fierce woman, walking beside him. He thought about what is to come, but he didn’t think that far ahead. Especially with her internship ending March next year, he’s slightly careful to presume she is going to want to stay with him. Yes, he will fight for her, but he can’t predict the future. Who knows what will happen when she’s due to leave.      “Whoa, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” he laughs. “We only just started dating, y’know?”      “Yeah, I know, but she’s a keeper, I can tell,” Jody counters, sure of herself. “Give it some time, I’ll remind you of this conversation at your wedding.”

     The cowboy chuckles, but doesn’t contradict her. Jody Mills is a smart woman, one who usually is right. She can read people, and despite the small age difference between the two of them, his caring friend often mothers him with her wisdom. He can’t believe the thought crosses his mind, but it flashes through his conscience nonetheless. I hope she’s right.

     He doesn’t want to dwell on it too long, though, because the glimpse of what he secretly hopes one day will come true, takes him by surprise. Somewhat daunted, the wrangler redirects the focus.       “I’ve haven’t spoken to Gabe in a bit. How’s he doin’ these days?” 

     There’s a hint of guilt in his voice, even though he tries to suppress it. Gabriel had worked at Gold Canyon since 2005, until Bobby had to let him go last year. The head wrangler felt horrible, especially since he taught Gabe the ropes when it came down to training horses, and getting fired was the last thing his friend ever expected. Just like with Ash, he would have done anything to prevent the lay off, but their boss didn’t have much of a choice.       Thankfully, Gabe got a job as a horse trainer at Jody’s ranch. They kept in touch, but over time the calls came and went less frequent. Lately, it’s been quiet, though, and the woman next to him looks up at him stunned, a mixture of remorse and empathy in her eyes.

     “You haven’t heard?” she asks, appalled.      Dean shakes his head. “Heard what?”      “Oh, honey, I’m not sure how to tell you this,” she starts, averting her gaze to the ground, as if she’s trying to find solace in the dirt underneath her feet. “He had an accident earlier this week. He’s in hospital.”      The wrangler snaps his eyes at her in shock, a frown puckered between his brows. “W-what?”       “Yeah, he--” she pauses, shaking her head as if she still can’t believe it, “- he was working with a stallion, quite a special case. He turned aggressive and Gabe got trampled. He suffered multiple fractures in the vertebrae.”      The head wrangler stops dead in his tracks, causing his company to turn to face him. In shock he stares at Jody before his gaze drifts off, the unpleasant surprise still evident, though. Not sure what to say, he moves his hand to his face, tracing his stubble as he tries to digest the news.      “Fuck…” he stammers. “Is he - he’s gonna be ok, right?”

     “The doctors haven’t given us much yet. From what I’ve heard, the first tests showed very little reflexes, but there was still a lot of bruising and swelling. They hope to be able to get better imaging soon, but right now it’s not looking good. He most likely damaged his spinal cord; he can’t move his legs,” Jody explains, observing the disoriented man before her with sympathy. “I’m sorry, Dean. I know he is a friend of yours. Honestly, I expected you would’ve gotten a call from his brothers.” 

     The cowboy still stares at nothing in particular, unable to grasp what he just learned. “We - uh, we didn’t talk as much as we used to. Kinda fell out of touch after he left Gold Canyon.”       Jody nods at that, the endearing smile that was there when they were talking about his newfound relationship now gone. The corners of her mouth are drawn down, the worry and guilt aging her in a matter of moments.      “It’s really tragic. Honestly, I feel awful. It happened on my land, the horse was my client’s.”      “Hey, this is not your fault, you hear?” Dean replies, gently gripping her upper arm. “These accidents can happen. We forget sometimes, but we still work with thousand pound animals who have minds of their own. It’s dangerous, and he knew that.”

     Jody swallows down the guilt and turns to slowly stroll to the warm up area, not walking away from it entirely, but giving herself something to do. Dean adjusts to her pace, shoulder to shoulder with the rancher.      “I found him in the pen. He was screaming in pain,” she tells. “Of course I happened to be the only other person on the premises. Donna was delivering a horse to a new owner.”

     Shaking his head, Dean glances aside. Damn it, he wishes she didn’t have to go through that. Waiting on an ambulance must have been horrible. Dean knows Jody treats her staff like family, their bond much like the dynamic between the Singer family and their personnel. Dean cares about those he works with deeply, he would never forgive himself if an accident like that would happen to a member of the crew.       “He’s gonna bounce back. Gabe’s a tough one,” he soothes, hoping to offer at least a little comfort.      “Yeah, I hope so.” She sighs as they reach Bobby, who is having a conversation with two older men on the sideline, without a doubt doing business. “I’m gonna talk to your uncle. See if we can come to an agreement on that horse.”      “Better get in there fast, before he sells her to someone else,” Dean advises, after which he turns around. “See you at the party tonight?”      “Depends on how much money I spend at the auction, but I’m certain Donna will drag me there anyway,” she says, doing her best to pull together a playful grin.

     Dean watches Jody step up, politely interrupting the negotiation, not even a bit intimidated by the possible buyers who have already named a price. She’s tough, something that he has always admired. The woman stands her ground in a man’s world of horse traders, runs her own ranch and built her own network. An extraordinary person, who always has his back. He carries nothing but respect for her.

     As he makes his way to the stables, tipping his head to the people he knows on his way over, his thoughts go to Gabriel. Jody is not the only one who feels guilty about his current condition. He just told her she shouldn’t blame herself, so why is it that he wishes he would never have let his good friend go? Maybe if Gabe had stayed, he wouldn’t have broken his back. Maybe if he had taught him better, he would’ve still been able to walk. 

     He shakes his head, trying to dismiss the notion. But like a mosquito the mental picture keeps patronising him, buzzing into his ear, draining him and stealing the wrangler’s peace. When he nears the stable tent B, he picks up pace, however. Because he knows that the one person who will calm his mind and make him feel better with just her smile is right around the corner.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to like or reblog my work, shoot me a message or buy me coffee (Link to Kofi in bio at the top of the page).

Read part twenty here

[persephone-garnata]

The Only Thing You Can Never Buy In Heaven

Just finished my first fanfic in more than two years!

Thank you, SPN finale :D 

remembering this scene

It’s a wincest one-shot about our favourite co-dependent soulmates, with middlegame Sam/Eileen. It’s mostly canon-compliant, except for Miracle goes to Heaven too, and there’s the Samulet, because I love the Samulet.

Read it on AO3 here or below the cut:

The Only Thing You Can Never Buy In Heaven

Dean loved driving around in the Impala, Led Zeppelin blasting on the stereo – the sound much cleaner now, the acoustic guitar opening of Ramble On coming through as clear as a crisp spring day. Always his favorite song to drive to, along the endless highways of Heaven.

           He visited with old friends – Bobby, obviously, his mom and dad, he went to the Roadhouse to catch up with Ellen, Jo, Ash and the rest. There were so many he knew who had died before him – hunters and civilians alike. But mostly, he just drove around – through countryside in all seasons, spring and summer and winter and fall, through mountains and deserts and cities and forests, along the shores of lakes and oceans. He stopped at countless roadside diners and ate countless plates of delicious food, without having to think about cholesterol once.

           But there was always something missing – or rather, someone. Someone to tell him to think about cholesterol, even though he didn’t have to. Someone to sit shotgun, and keep him company on nights beneath the stars. He knew he wanted Sam to live a full life, to enjoy all those years he deserved – a career, a family, a house with a white picket fence. And after all, against the backdrop of eternity, what difference did a few decades make?

           Enough difference, it turned out, to make him feel constantly like half of him was missing. Especially since there was one thing he couldn’t find, no matter how much he searched, no matter how many boxes he emptied out or pockets he rifled. You’d think that, in Heaven, you should be able to get hold of whatever the hell – or whatever the heaven – you wanted, but there seemed to be at least one exception to that. He found the replica and hung it from the rearview mirror, but it wasn’t the same.

           ‘Do you have idea where I can find my old necklace?’ he asked Bobby, one time when they were sitting on the porch together, drinking beers and shooting the breeze. Bobby gave him a slightly sad smile, and didn’t ask which one he meant. There could only be one.

           ‘Think Sam’s still got it,’ he said. ‘Back on Earth. You’ll just have to wait. Won’t seem like no time at all. Like I told you – he’ll be along.’

           ‘But –‘ Dean creased his brow - ‘Sam still has Baby, too, and yet there she is.’ He pointed at the car, sitting gleaming on the driveway. ‘And – I don’t know how this is supposed to work, I was never that good at all this stuff, but isn’t there loads of stuff in Heaven that’s on Earth too?’

           ‘Oh, you got that right,’ said Bobby. ‘There are exceptions to the rule, see? Cosmic special cases. And that necklace is one of them. Can’t be in two places at once.’

           Dean took a long pull of his beer, thinking. ‘Can’t I make a new one?’ he asked. ‘Or – buy one?’

           Bobby laughed at that. ‘Buy one? It ain’t something you can buy, boy. In fact, I figure it’s the only thing you can never buy in Heaven.’

           ‘I just – don’t feel right without it.’

           Bobby turned his shrewd gaze on Dean. ‘I know,’ he said. ‘It feels like there’s half of you missing, doesn’t it?’

           ‘Well – yeah.’

           ‘That’s ‘cause there is half of you missing. That’s how soulmates work.’

           Dean nearly choked on his beer, and Bobby had to slap him between the shoulder blades. ‘Oh, you didn’t think I didn’t know about the soulmates thing, did ya? The amount of time I spent with you boys – gimme some credit.’

           ‘I – well – we – I thought…’

           ‘You thought what? That soulmates aren’t supposed to be brothers? That incest would keep you out of Heaven? I think we both know that ain’t true.’

           Dean sipped his beer in silence, not trusting himself to say anything at all. He’d always known – or at least suspected – that the link between him and Sam went deeper than any bond normal brothers, or lovers, or even brother-lovers, shared – but soul mates? He remembered what Ash had said to him at the Roadhouse-Heaven, all those years ago – about soulmates having shared Heavens, and had he expected that he and Sam would share their own little piece of eternity?

           If he was honest with himself, he’d never thought he’d reach Heaven at all, after his years in Hell, and all the other things he’d done, and now that Jack had reconfigured things so that everyone could visit each other – well, that meant the soulmate rule no longer applied, surely? And yet – the feeling he always had, the ache like he’d lost half of himself – dammit, like half his soul was missing – that had to mean something. He’d wanted Sam to have his own life – had finally come to terms with the idea that they had horizons beyond hunting, and that his baby brother might want to explore those horizons without him – and yet now – there was only one thing he could think about.

           He had finished his beer, and was on the verge of getting up to get back behind the wheel (no issues with drink-driving in the Great Beyond) and go for a long drive with only Led Zeppelin for company. Perhaps he’d even see if he could go and visit John Bonham,  and some of the other rock stars who’d reached the top of that Stairway a long time ago. Then something burst out of the bushes and came running up to the porch – a shaggy dog, woofing in delight and licking his hands.

           ‘Hey, Miracle!’ said Dean, petting his head. ‘You’re a good boy, arentcha, a good boy…’ his voice trailed off as he thought about something. ‘Wait, if you’re here, does that mean…?’

           ‘All dogs go to Heaven,’ said Bobby, and lifted his beer bottle. ‘Guess he ain’t on Earth no more.’

           ‘Wow,’ said Dean, his hands pausing in Miracle’s long fur until the dog nudged him to make him continue petting. ‘Did Sammy look after you? Did he give you a long and happy life?’

           Miracle just barked enthusiastically, which Dean took as a Yes. He buried his face in the dog’s fur and felt, for a little while, just a little bit closer to Sam.

***

           It took Sam a long time to accept that his brother was really gone. The bunker felt so empty, all the time, and as the hunts gradually dried up, he decided he needed to move out. The echoing underground spaces just felt haunted – not by Dean, Sam could have coped with a ghostly brother – but by his absence. He caught himself, several times, eyeing up a gun, or a bottle of sleeping pills, or a coil of rope, or a knife, and wondering how long it would take for him to be reunited with Dean. And he had to admit that, if it hadn’t been for Miracle, he probably would have gone through with it. The dog just kept demanding to be fed, and to be taken out for runs, and to be petted. He never gave up on Sam, so Sam couldn’t give up on himself.

           Finally – on the day he got the call about the werewolf hunt – he resolved to leave the Bunker behind him. He knew that, once he turned the light out and closed the door behind him, he’d never be back again. So he packed up the trunk of the Impala with three boxes of possessions: one for himself, one for Miracle, and one for Dean. The last box was full of memories – shirts which still held a lingering scent of Dean, his old leather jacket, his watch, his most beloved vinyl records, his favorite weapons, a few photographs – and his necklace – the one with the amulet.

           Sam had kept that necklace in his pocket for so long it had almost become a part of him, but he’d always thought of it as a part of Dean. Now, he lifted it up to the light inside the bunker, looked at that inscrutable face, and felt a powerful tug inside him – a tug of both sadness, and hope. He put the necklace inside the box with the rest, and for the first time since Dean had died, thought that maybe, just maybe, things might turn out right.

           That werewolf hunt turned out to be his last hunt for a while. Sam drifted around, sleeping in whatever dog-friendly motels he could find, or on the back seat of the Impala when he couldn’t find one. He scoured the local news and the internet, looking for more cases, trying to throw himself back into the job. Yet it seemed that the monsters were thinner on the ground now, and soon Sam realized his heart wasn’t in it any more – the family business just wasn’t the same without the family.

           He toured around for some time, checking in with old friends. He saw Jody and Donna and Clare and Alex. He saw Charlie and her girlfriend. He saw Jesse and Cesar. He saw Garth and his family – little Sam and Castiel were growing well. No Dean though – his absence was a constant pain, like the ache in a missing limb, and Sam felt it even more acutely when he saw other people’s happiness.

He kept seeking people out, further and further flung branches of the extended Winchester hunting family. He tracked down Lisa’s son Ben Braeden, now twenty-one and studying medicine, and looking just a little bit like Dean at the same age. He even reconnected with Amelia, now living happily with her husband Don and their two young children – and a big shaggy dog. He really regretted that particular foray into his own past – it just made him feel miserable, and as he drove away from their picture-perfect house, if it hadn’t been for Miracle on the back seat, he’d have probably driven the Impala straight off a bridge into the nearest canyon.

Finally, he worked his way back to Jody Mills, and as he sat in her house late at night, drinking her wine and eating her potato chips, Miracle gnawing a bone at his feet, she said something to him.

‘You know you need to see her at some point, Sam,’

He didn’t need to ask who she meant.

‘It’s – not that easy,’ he said.

‘Isn’t it? You know she cares about you, and I think you care about her.’

Sam sighed. ‘I do,’ he said. ‘I really do. But – me and Dean –‘

‘You had something special,’ Jody filled in for him. ‘She knows that too.’

Sam sighed again. ‘Something special’ was one way to describe what he and Dean had shared, he supposed, but how could he ever really convey the true depth of their relationship? How could he possibly tell someone – anyone – the way he and Dean had lived together, hunted together, slept together (and yes, they had slept together, but almost more significant was the way they had always huddled together for warmth and protection, neither of them ever able to sleep properly without the other). How they had been everything to each other – more than brothers, more than lovers, more than anything?

He looked up, and saw that Jody was smiling at him.

‘And I’m sure she knows how you feel without him. If you’re worried what she’ll think of you – don’t. Most hunters – we got something, some pain, we carry with us.’

‘We’re all damaged goods,’ said Sam, and finished the rest of the glass of wine with one big gulp.

‘What’s damaged can be mended, if you’ll only let someone try,’ said Jody, and took the empty glass from him.

‘I suppose you’re right,’ said Sam, and got his phone out right then to send a message to Eileen, before the courage could leave him.

They arranged to meet for brunch at a trendy vegan hipster café (which also accepted dogs) in New York City, where Eileen had settled now. Sam remembered how Dean had never wanted to drive the Impala into Manhattan, so he left Baby at a big parking lot in a commuter town and rode the train into town, Miracle on the seat next to him. And he remembered how his brother had always hated these trendy cafes with their avocado toast and their artisan coffees and their stupid plant milks. Meeting Eileen at a place like this felt like moving on – which felt both fresh and good and right, and gave Sam an aching feeling of guilt.

The café was noisy with both music and chatter – Sam felt glad that he’d spent a long time practising his signing beforehand, so that he and Eileen could have a silent conversation in the middle of the hubbub. They sat on a half-collapsed sofa, twisted sideways to face each other, while they drank their almond-milk lattes and ate their sourdough toast, topped with scrambled tofu, wilted spinach, and a sprinkle of dukkah. Delicious, and not a nitrate in sight. Dean would have hated this place.

After exchanging a few stilted words of standard greetings, Eileen asked Sam to describe what happened on his and Dean’s final hunt. He did his best to describe everything to her – and found that having to do so with his hands really helped, because he didn’t have to worry about his voice cracking. Then she asked him what he’d been doing since, and he told her that too – along with an apology for not contacting her sooner.

‘It’s okay,’ she signed. Then she asked him the killer question: ‘And how are you coping without him?’

How was he coping without him? ‘Not well,’ he signed. ‘If it hadn’t been for Miracle here – I think I wouldn’t have made it this far, to be honest with you.’ He pulled a face. It was the closest he’d yet come to admitting to anyone just how close he’d come to ending his own life, stretching out ahead of him like an endless highway, with nobody sitting by his side.

‘I’m glad you’ve made it this far,’ Eileen signed back. ‘It’s good to see you again.’

There was an awkward pause. Sam drained his coffee and then petted Miracle, just for something to do with hands.

‘So – what happens now?’ Eileen signed to him.

‘I think – you-’ Sam stopped, waved his hands in a clearing-away gesture, and started again. ‘I would like you to be a part of my life,’ he signed. ‘If you want to. However you want to.’

Eileen nodded, thoughtfully. Sam knew a moment of pure panic – what if she was going to tell him to get lost, that she’d already found somebody else and wanted nothing to do with him ever again? And that moment of panic told him that actually, no matter how close to the edge of despair he’d gotten over these last months, he did want something more out of life – he wanted Eileen beside him.

‘I would like to be a part of your life,’ she signed, eventually. ‘If you’ll let me in.’

‘I will try my best,’ Sam signed back to her. ‘But – you should know – me and Dean – we were much closer than most brothers. Without him – it’s difficult for me.’

‘I understand,’ she signed. ‘And I don’t mind.’

‘Really?’ Sam accompanied the sign with a pleading look – the kind of look Dean had always called his ‘puppy-dog eyes’.

‘Really. I like you, Sam. I like you a lot. You’re a good man. And if you’ve got baggage – well, I have trust issues myself. We can take things slowly, and I understand if you need time for yourself, sometimes. And maybe I’ll need some time for myself, too.’

‘Thank you,’ signed Sam, and meant it.

Eileen sighed then, and looked away, briefly, before turning back to him.

‘I want you to be honest with me, Sam,’ she signed.

‘Of course,’ he replied, although his heart sank at what she might ask him. Being close to a dead brother was one thing – actual Game of Thrones, Flowers in the Attic incest was another.

She didn’t ask him about the incest. Or at least not in a sexual way. That would almost have been preferable to what she did ask him.

‘Do you think you and Dean were – or are – soulmates?’

Sam blinked a few times, and had to ask her to repeat the question. She did, even saying that word ‘soulmates’ out loud for his benefit.

Well, he’d promised to be honest with her. ‘Yes,’ he signed. She just nodded.

‘I thought so,’ she signed.

‘Is that – a problem?’ he asked. ‘Do you – not want to be in life now?’

‘It’s okay,’ she signed. ‘Thank you for being honest.’

‘Is it really okay? Being with me, knowing I’m soulmates with – somebody else?’

‘Most people never meet their soulmates, or never have one in the first place. I’d rather be with you, knowing you’ve told me the truth, than somebody I don’t know if I can trust.’

Sam nodded, slowly. It made sense. Sort of. To be sitting here, with Eileen, talking about his dead soulmate.

‘Shall I get us some more coffees?’ Eileen asked him.

‘Please.’

***

           He and Eileen did take things slowly, at first. Then it felt like they accelerated their life together. After Miracle died – the dog had already been old when he and Dean had found him – it felt like the last thing tying Sam to his old life had gone.

As he hugged the old dog to him in the vet’s office, he whispered to him: ‘You’re a good boy, Miracle. You go straight to Dean now, tell him I’ll be all right.’ Miracle just nuzzled Sam a little, and Sam felt the simple love in that gesture, hoped he could take the message to Dean.

He sat in the front seat – the shotgun seat – of the Impala for a long time after that, crying his eyes out. And yet, he no longer wanted to drive off a cliff. He wanted to stay alive, for at least a little longer. He messaged Eileen, and started driving before she’d even answered him.

When he turned up on her doorstep, she saw the absence beside him, and invited him in without a word.

Shortly after that, they got a house together, in upstate New York, parked the Impala in the garage, under a dust sheet, and started their new life. They got married, in a very low-key ceremony, only a few people – their old hunting buddies – present. Eileen got a job in computing – helping to design and test user interfaces to be suitable for the hard-of-hearing. And, while she didn’t say anything to him directly. Sam realized that, if they were going to settle down properly, he should really get himself an actual job. He hadn’t been a hunter for some time – he’d stopped without even realizing it. So he finished his legal training, and finally qualified as an attorney. It felt weird to be doing a ‘normal’ white-collar job at last, but he consoled himself with the thought that, with all the pro-bono work he did, he was still saving people – and hunting things, in a different way.

A few years later, although Sam had never really seen himself as a father – Dean was the one with the strong paternal instincts - they had a child. When they came to thinking of a name, Sam was filled with all sorts of suggestions – but Eileen shook her head, and signed at him ‘How about Dean?’

And Sam didn’t like that idea at first – it felt too much like revisiting the past he’d tried to leave behind – but the more he thought about it, the more he found he couldn’t think of his little baby boy as anything other than Dean. So Dean it was, and would ever be. He had another Dean in his life now, and he gave his son all the love he had.

He never forgot the other Dean – how could he? – but gradually, over the years, he accepted that he had other people in his life now, who were more important to him than his dead brother. At least for now, and now was the only time that really mattered. He got the Impala out very occasionally – one Halloween he even sat behind the wheel wearing his costume of an old Grandpa, complete with cheap grey wig.

Eileen and he rarely spoke about the car, or the old Dean. His life before her, and their son, became something packed away in a box that he only rarely got out looked at – like the amulet he still kept, tucked away, and occasionally took out. Whenever he did so, he admired the golden gleam of the metal, still untarnished after all these years, and let himself fill up with all the aching sadness that was normally stoppered up.

***

Time worked differently in Heaven. Dean knew that. It took him a while to get used to though – however long ‘a while’ was here. He kept expecting things to change faster than they did, or for people – and Miracle – to age and wither away. It was an adjustment to realize, gradually, that here things just went on and on – unless you changed them yourself. And Dean didn’t really want anything to change, not really. He wanted everything to go on as it was, until –

Until Sam arrived. Dean accepted that he shouldn’t wish his brother would hurry up and get there – they’d have eternity together, after all, and wanting eternity to start sooner made no sense. Not when he’d told Sam to live on without him. He wanted Sam to live a full life, to hook up properly with Eileen at last, get a job, wear some dorky sweaters, even have a kid or two. Enjoy all the apple-pie-and-picket-fence stuff that he, Sam, had always wanted, and he, Dean, didn’t.

Did he? Hadn’t part of him always enjoyed cooking for his little brother, taking care of him? Hadn’t part of him longed for Ben to be his son? Hadn’t part of him wanted to settle down and have a family?

Well, in Heaven, all things were possible. He could find somebody else – like Rufus had Aretha – and have a new life, for a while at least. However long ‘a while’ was, here. He didn’t know how to start finding someone, though, or who that someone would even be. Whenever he tried to imagine sharing his afterlife with anyone, only one person ever sprang to mind.

And then. One day – one moment – when he was standing on the bridge, enjoying the view over river and the forests, Miracle by his side. He felt, without being able to say how he felt it, that his brother was here. At last. Or – time worked differently here. Maybe not at last. Maybe he was right on time.

Eternity had to start sometime, and Dean guessed it was starting now. He smiled.

‘Hey Sammy,’

He turned around. And there he was, exactly as he remembered him. After however many years it had been for him on Earth. Sam looked a little tired – as if the last few months of his life had been a lot to bear. And – almost shy, almost as if he was worried Dean wouldn’t want to see him any more, that he might somehow have moved on, in the time before he arrived in Heaven. Well, for better or worse, he hadn’t.

‘Dean,’ said Sam, and met his eyes, and smiled.

They embraced, Miracle rubbing himself against both of their legs at once. As they did so, Dean felt something hot pressed against him, and when the drew apart again, he saw a light glowing from Sam’s pocket.

‘Is that…?’

Sam dipped his hand inside his pocket, and pulled out the necklace. The amulet. The only thing you can never buy in Heaven. It was glowing, as it had done in the presence of God, except now –

‘I think that means,’ Dean started to say, but then Sam cut him off.

‘I know,’ he said, and lifted the necklace to put it around Dean’s neck again. Dean ducked his head without even thinking, and felt the weight of the amulet fall into place once more. Once more – and forever. And finally, he felt whole again. He had been reunited with the other half of his soul, and he was now complete. And he always would be.

Sam and Dean leaned together against the parapet of the bridge, and knew they had eternity to explore all the vistas of Heaven. Together.

[calzona-ga]

In the final moments of Thursday's episode, titled "Flowers Grow Out of My Grave," Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) walks through the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital like any other evening, only this time she's visited by close family and loved ones who have died over the years in a surprise episode-ending moment that brought back memories -- and beloved characters -- from the past. 

The moment didn't happen on a random day in the life of Meredith Grey, who had just gotten the news that her father, Thatcher, was dying, but during Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday where family and friends gather to honor and remember loved ones who have died. From George O'Malley (T.R. Knight) and Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) to Lexie (Chyler Leigh) and Ellis Grey (Kate Burton) -- even Doc, the dog, paid a visit -- Meredith was visited by many of those who were nearest and dearest in her life.

But the one "cameo" that may trump them all is Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), who died following complications after a brutal car wreck in season 11. Following the episode, ET spoke with Grey's showrunner Krista Vernoff to get the inside story on how the final sequence, which she reveals had been in the works since the summer and features new footage shot specifically for the scene, as well as teases for what's to come with Meredith's love triangle with DeLuca and Link, Jo and Alex's newest challenge and the clock starting to run out on Teddy's baby secret.

ET: There’s a moment at the end of the episode that shows flashes of beloved characters who have died over the years, like Derek, George, Ellis, Lexie, Mark and Meredith’s dog, Doc. Why was it important to cap the episode with nods to characters we’ve loved before? Krista Vernoff: Day of the Dead is a holiday that is about celebrating and inviting back for a visit those who we’ve loved and lost. The episode aired on Day of the Dead and we did a Day of the Dead theme for the whole episode. It felt like perfect to me as an opportunity to have dead people and her dead dog visit Meredith.

Were there conversations about who to include in that moment? Absolutely. We’ve been talking about that sequence since the writers’ room gathered in July. We’ve been working on that sequence in some way or another for many months. We talked a lot about who would ultimately be included. Where we landed, it felt like the significant deaths of Meredith’s family and close friends and her dog, and so that was who we included there. There were versions where we included significant patients. There was a version where we included Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). There was a version where we included Kyle Chandler, the bomb squad guy [who died in season three]. These were pivotal deaths in Meredith’s life, but it didn’t feel to me when I watched it that those characters would be visiting Meredith. I believed that they would be visiting their own families.

Were those cameos all from old footage that you spliced together? It’s not all old footage. The design of it is that some of those shots aired in previous episodes. Some of those shots were from dailies from old episodes but never aired. For example, that shot of Mark looking at Derek, that was from dailies and never aired in an episode. And some of those we shot fresh. Ellis, we shot fresh. Doc, the dog, we shot fresh. The design of that is that not everyone believes in life after death, not everyone believes that our loved ones can visit us. I wanted it to feel like there’s something in that for everyone. If you want to believe that this exists in Meredith’s memory, you can believe that. If you want to believe that exists in Meredith’s imagination, you can believe that. And if you want to believe that her beloved family came back to visit her, you can believe that. There’s a little bit of something for everyone.

The episode reinvigorates the idea of a sort-of love triangle between Meredith, DeLuca and Link. What was the thinking behind this new blossoming triangle? I think you have definitely isolated an emerging triangle. Grey’s has a long history of triangles and I think what’s fun about this one for me was the look on Meredith’s face, which was like absolutely entertained. She is absolutely entertained by the energy coming at her from these two beautiful men -- and she’s still choosing to take the stairs. Where that triangle goes remains to be seen. I’m not going to tease it. It’s delightful as it unfolds, but most of all, Meredith is not tortured. Despite the fact that she’s dealing with the fact that she’s learned that her father is dying, she is still managing to experience the joy of this delightful attention.

Speaking of Thatcher dying, will we see that play out over the course of the next couple of episodes? I will just say that I believe it will be the most emotional episode of our season. It’s playing in the first half of the second half of the season, so it’s playing in the early part of 2019. It’s a doozy of an episode. Jeff Perry is an incredible actor and he and Ellen Pompeo together are -- it’s very powerful.

Jo goes against Alex’s wishes as chief and goes through with the liver transplant. Is that tug of war going to be the main challenge they’ll face this season? It becomes complicated to work for your husband and have your husband suddenly be your boss. That is complicated. I’m more interested at this point with Jo and Alex in a little bit of you and me against the world, rather than you and me against each other. I think they’ve earned it.

Teddy’s window to come clean to Owen about being pregnant with his baby closed a little bit in this episode, and I can’t imagine Teddy keeping this secret for much longer. But how does this change her approach and perspective in coming clean about her bun in the oven? The design of that story is for us to feel Teddy’s pain and to understand Teddy’s delay in telling him, and I do. I feel her pain and I understand her delay, but to also feel the frustration of what she’s creating in terms of future drama by waiting this long to tell him. It’s rare that we tell a story where the viewers are as far as ahead of the characters as our viewers are ahead of Owen and Amelia for this long, but I like the design of this because the frustration that the viewers feel is the mounting frustration that Owen and Amelia will feel when they get this information. And what Maggie feels when Teddy delivers this information. And so, viewers won’t have to wait too much longer for that secret to come out, but I hope they feel the pain because that’s the design.

Ben and Bailey’s marriage seems to be hitting an impasse, where the unknowns of Ben’s job as a Station 19 firefighter is starting to affect Bailey’s health. They’re going to have that talk and I presume it’s not going to be good. Yeah. That talk is going to take place on Station 19 so people should tune into Station 19 if they want to see the evolution of that conversation between Ben and Bailey. We will certainly reveal the upshot of it on our show, but people should tune into Station 19 to see that play out.

Fifteen seasons in, it seems Grey's Anatomy still has a wealth of stories to mine. What has been the secret to keeping it fresh? Grey’s Anatomy is rooted in the characters and it’s rooted in character-rooted storytelling and when you rely on character-driven storytelling, there are endless avenues to explore. When you have a cast that’s as strong as our cast is and our guest cast, it keeps everything alive, and also medicine is evolving so it also depends on these incredible medical stories. The evolution of medicine is a very big thing that we played in our show and continue to play so there are endless story opportunities. I just feel like there is no end in sight. It just feels fresh and exciting to me. I’m enjoying it, so I’m glad it feels fresh.

[wazafam]

Tears from the fans are not something that is rare on Supernatural, a show that is chock full of loss and heartbreaks throughout its fifteen seasons, coming to an end in 2020 after a fifteen-year run that has left its dedicated fandom an emotional wreck.

RELATED: Supernatural: 10 Led Zeppelin Songs We Wish Dean Got To Enjoy Throughout The Show

Fans have seen beloved characters die, some of which passed on forever. There have been moments where characters had to say goodbye and times where the ultimate sacrifice was made with shattered survivors trying to pick up the pieces. For a TV series with vampires and ghouls, there are a lot of touching moments in the Winchester household. Here are some of the most heartbreaking Supernatural episodes.

Updated on February 13th By Rhys McGinley: Supernatural has a knack for taking the emotions of its fandom and twisting them, bringing immense pain and sadness to those who adore the show in and amongst all of the brilliance it gives. Limiting heartbreaking Supernatural episodes to a list of ten does not do justice to just how many times the show broke our hearts over the course of its fifteen seasons, from the very start to the very end, whether it be through deaths, touching scenes, or even colossal endings.

15 "Heart" (02.17)

A constant in Supernatural is the idea that Sam and Dean, and hunters in general, find it nearly impossible to escape the life, to have an everyday, apple pie life, to have love, with romances coming and going through all fifteen seasons.

One of Sam's first romantic sparks post-Jess was Madison, who in "Heart," turned out to be a Werewolf. Despite their best attempts to help her, Sam and Dean could not save Madison, leading to her begging for death, with Sam making the gut-wrenching decision to kill her.

14 "In My Time of Dying" (02.01)

Supernatural season 1 did not go easy on Sam and Dean Winchester. The first episode alone saw the death of their mother, although Sam was a baby and Dean was very young. It also saw the death of Sam's girlfriend that set the brothers out on the road to find and eliminate the evil that infected their lives. Things got worse for the boys.

By the end of season 1, it looked like Dean was on death's bed, and it looked like he might die. No one expected this to happen since Dean was one of the stars, but few expected that it would be their dad, John Winchester, who sacrificed his own life to save that of his son. Seeing the boys lose their only remaining parent was a heartbreaking way to start the second season.

13 "All Hell Breaks Loose" (02.21)

Not only did season 2 start out with a heartbreaking tragedy and ended with one just as shocking. In "All Hell Breaks Loose," Supernatural let the entire special children storyline with Sam play out, and in this episode, all the kids were brought together to fight to determine who was left standing to become the Chosen One.

Remember at the end of season 1 when it looked like Dean was going to die? Season 2 brought death to Sam. Dean arrives in the town to help Sa,m but he is too late, and Sam is stabbed in the back and dies in Dean's arms. The elder Winchester brother had now lost his mom, dad, and little brother, and the tears were real in this one.

12 "No Rest For The Wicked" (03.16)

While the start of season two almost brought the death of Dean, season three brought it to fruition with one of Dean's most brutal deaths in his career of dying.

Despite a slew of attempts to fight off Lilith and the impending year left on his life coming to an end, Dean, along with Sam, Bobby, and Ruby, failed. Dean is torn apart by Hellhounds, and fans get their first glimpse of hell as Dean is chained up bloody and battered, screaming for his brother.

11 "Dark Side of the Moon" (05.16)

By season 3, Sam and Dean seemed to both be on death's bed and came back, so seeing them die wasn't quite as shocking and heartbreaking as the first times. This is good because in one episode in season 3, Dean died 103 times. Anyway, head to season 5 to see multiple heartbreaking Supernatural episodes.

RELATED: Supernatural: 5 Things We'll Miss About Sam (& 5 About Dean)

The first came with "Dark Side of the Moon." In this episode, the show ups the ante a bit when Sam and Dean both die. With both dead, the brothers can't really do anything to bring the other back. However, what makes this episode so sad is that they go to Heaven and relive their past memories -- good and bad.

10 "Abandon All Hope" (05.10)

With fifteen seasons and over three hundred episodes, Supernatural is filled to the brim with characters who have impacted Sam and Dean's lives, but in the Kripke era, few were as loved as Ellen and Jo.

"Abandon All Hope" sees the heroes prepare for a showdown with Lucifer, trapped by hellhounds by Meg in a town rife with Reapers waiting for death. With Jo severely injured, the mother and daughter decide to stay behind and sacrifice themselves to save the brothers, killing the hellhounds in the process, A true tear-jerker.

9 "Swan Song" (05.22)

Season 5 ends with the big bang -- the Apocalypse. The boys have been trying to find a way to stop the Apocalypse to no avail -- even both dying and going to Heaven at one point and still coming back empty-handed. Now, with no other options, Sam Winchester finally gives in and agrees to become Lucifer's vessel in an attempt to trick him and send him back to his cage.

After a battle, the boys win and stop the Apocalypse, but at the cost of Sam ending up trapped in Lucifer's cage and Dean on the outside alive and alone. While Castiel was able to resurrect Bobby and heal Dean, the elder Winchester was still devastated that God allowed Sam to remain locked in Lucifer's cage even though they did what was asked of them.

8 "Death's Door" (07.10)

If Dean and Sam dying were not enough to make people cry anymore after 100 times, the death of other characters -- ones that won't come back -- still wreck the biggest Supernatural fans. In season 7, one of the most beloved characters on the show died when Bobby Singer finally met his demise.

The episode was "Death's Door," and losing Bobby was probably even tougher for the boys than losing their own dad. Unlike John, who kept his sons at arm's length for their own safety, Bobby was there for them and kept them together and strong. The episode was even more heartbreaking because it took the viewer through Bobby's memories, and we saw how much he really loved the brothers.

7 "Sacrifice" (08.23)

"Sacrifice" was the season finale for Supernatural season 8, and while it didn't end up with a major death, there was almost one, and it ended up as heartbreaking as any Sam or Dean death prior to this moment. Sam was trying to complete three trials in order to close the gates of Heaven.

RELATED: Supernatural: Each Main Character's First & Last Lines In The Series

However, Dean soon learns from Naomi that Sam will die if he completes the three trials. In no surprise, Sam seems ok with that, and the heartbreaking moment came when he told Dean that he believes he is a screwup and that Dean would be better with anyone other than him -- something Dean sets straight, strengthening their relationship and saving Sam's life.

6 "Do You Believe in Miracles?" (09.23)

While Dean has died over 100 times, when done right, it can still rip our hearts out and stomp on them after doing it. In "Do You Believe in Miracles," it was yet another season finale where a Winchester brother died -- and this was Dean once again. The season saw Dean struggling throughout, thanks to taking on the Mark of Cain.

The big bad this season was Metatron, and there was no way that he would make it to the end alive. However, the shocking moment came when Metatron drove the Angel Blade right through the heart of Dean -- in front of Sam. While Sam was heartbroken, it only got worse as Dean woke up as a demon -- the new Knight of Hell.

5 "Dark Dynasty" (10.21)

While they were not the best villains -- to say the least -- the Styne Family did something unforgivable. Dean and Sam were after Elden Styne and his family and needed to find a way to stop them and recruited Charlie to work with Rowena to decipher the Book of the Damned.

By this time, Charlie (Felicia Day) had become a beloved fan favorite and helped the boys on many missions before this. However, "Dark Dynasty" marked the end of the road for the character when she finally cracked the book. However, Eli Styne found her, and when Sam and Dean finally arrive at the motel, Charlie was dead in the bathtub, and the Winchester brothers realized there was nothing they could do to save her.

4 "Who Are We?" (12.22)

Much like Supernatural season 5, the 12th season of the show pulled no punches when it came to heartbreaking moments. Plus, the toughest moments happened in the final two episodes of the season. In "Who Are We," the American hunters and British hunters battle reared its ugly head.

RELATED: Supernatural: Times The Show Addressed Deeper Issues

Mary was under the control of the British Men of Letters and was just going around killing American hunters. When Mary was finally captured by Jody, Dean was able to get inside of his mom's mind. He found that she wanted to remain trapped in her mind because it had her happy memories, and Dean told her that he loved and also hated her, bearing his soul and finally pulling her out and into action once again. Seeing Dean, so hurt and vulnerable is always hard to watch.

3 "All Along the Watchtower" (12.23)

Supernatural loves to leave viewers with very sad moments when it ends each season, and the 12th was no different. After the touching moment in the previous episode where Dean bared his soul to his mother for everything she put him through by striking a deal with a demon and leaving them, all hell broke loose in the finale, "All Along the Watchtower."

The battle went into the rift, where Team Free Will took the battle to Lucifer. Nothing ever goes as planned, and the Winchester boys lost almost everything here. Crowley took his own life to close the rift, but Lucifer followed them back through and killed Castiel in front of Sam and Dean. That was horrible but even worse was when Mary rushed Lucifer, knocking him back through and going through herself -- leaving Sam and Dean alone once again.

2 "Despair" (15.18)

The entire ending of Supernatural is highly controversial in the dedicated fandom, and so many people were hurt by how the last few episodes played out. But, there is no denying the heartbreak they invoke in the fans.

"Despair" caused just that. This episode ends with not only the entire world vanishing with the exception of Jack and the brothers as ways to defeat Chuck become scarcer by the moment but an admission of love and final goodbye to one of Supernatural's most adored characters, Castiel. The final moments Cas and Dean share are gut-wrenching and tear-inducing, and it is one of the hardest goodbyes fans of the show have ever faced.

1 "Carry On" (15.20)

Of course, with a show as beloved, with as dedicated fandom, and such longevity as Supernatural, there was always going to be one goodbye that was harder than the rest, that, of course, being the final goodbye.

"Carry On" undoubtedly has some moments for fans to cling to, but it is an insanely divisive and criticized episode for the way it disrespects many characters. Nevertheless, Dean's final death, his car ride in Cas and Jack's heaven blasting the greatest song of all time, "Carry On Wayward Son," and the final reunion between the brothers will likely never fail to reduce fans to tears. The brothers are done; they have peace.

NEXT: Supernatural: 5 Ways The Final Season Changed The Series (& It Stayed The Same)

The 15 Most Heartbreaking Supernatural Episodes | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/2OCL91B

[freerebelmentality]

Divided pt2

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“Where is y/n?” John asks as he walks into the house looking around for you.

“Oh she is probably out with Jo and Castiel” Mary replies as she begins to cook dinner for the family

Once a week your brothers come over for dinner since they are so busy working all the time and Mary felt lonely as her boys got busier.

“She better not be out with that Styne boy, dont want those good for nothing Stynes getting into her head” John says as he gets a beer out of the fridge and opens it.

He leans against the counter as he thinks of the scenarios of the things they would tell you. Mary rolls her eyes as she places the roast into the oven.

“Im sure she is just at the library getting her school work done with Jo or Castiel” Mary says as she checks on the other food she is preparing on the stove top.

“Im going to call Ezra if she sees her there” John says as he reaches for the home phone

“John, really? You’re going to call Ezra Moore if she sees our daughter studying with her friends?” She asks in disbelief

“I just dont her”

“Dont want her hanging out with Cyrus. I know. You have been saying that ever since Dean was born” Mary cuts off John and knew exactly what he is going to say. He has been saying that for so many years and at this point Mary is getting tired of hearing about it.

She reflects back to the time when Dean was in pre school and it was the only one in town. Dean befriended Jacob. One day John stopped by the school to have lunch with his wife and son. Until he saw his own son interacting with a Styne. John grabbed Dean away from Jacob and stormed out of the school with Dean tucked under his arm.

Mary rushes out the door to chase John and in front of the school John causes a scene. John put Dean inside the car while Mary and John argued. Later John and Chuck hired a babysitter to care for their children, so that either of them wouldnt be in a same place with a Styne.

Her boys grew up to hate the Stynes, along with her friends children except her. She has always spoke her mind about the family history and how that always sparked an argument between her and her husband. When she gave birth to you is when you saw everything differently, she realized you didnt care if Cyrus is a Styne. All you cared for was he is a good friend. And thats what she loves about you. You didnt allow the family history get in between your friendship. Neither did Jo or Castiel.

She knows exactly what the family history is about, thankfully she didnt grow up in the town. She grew up else where and met John at a Led Zeppelin concert while John was home from Vietnam. She didnt like the fact John kept you from your best friend and should just leave the family politics out of your friendship, well everyone should.

“Invite Adam over to. I hardly ever see him” Mary says while continuing the cooking

“Sure thing Ma” John replies as he smiles to his wife and gets on the phone to call Adam.

Dean looks to his watch and finishes off his paper work for the day and begins to place the papers in their rightful files. He sees his colleagues do the same as well and he nods to them.

“Off work as well?” Dick asks as he places his paper work away as well

“Yes, I think this time I am actually going to be on time for family dinner” Dean replies as he grabs his jacket and places it on.

“Off to family dinner Dean?” Michael asks as he files his papers away

“Yeah, I am going to have a decent meal rather then eating out all the time” he replies while he walks out with Dick and Michael.

The late shift begins to take over the hospital and for once Dean can have some decent family time.

“What are you two up to?” Dean asks before he gets into his beloved impala

“I have family dinner as well” Michael replies as he unlocks his door

“I as well” Dick says while getting into the passenger side of Michaels car.

“Alright, see you both in a couple weeks” Dean says while he starts the engine and his baby roars to life

“You’re not in next week?” Michael asks before he drives off.

“No, I’ll be at the clinic next week. Follow ups with my other patients” Dean replies looking to Michael.

“Tell your family we say hi and see you in a couple weeks” Dick says as Michael drives off and waves.

Dean drives out of the parking lot as well, he sees a familiar car driving by as he stops at a red light. He recognizes Castiel’s car and it was driving in the direction of your house.

You notice Dean’s car driving behind and knew that he was heading to your house for family dinner. For once he is going to be on time you thought to yourself.

Castiel stops in front of your house, as you unbuckle the seat belt and get out of the car.

“Well I’ll see you guys at school” You say while waving your friends off.

You see Dean pull into the drive way and waited for him to get out of the car.

“Hey big brother” you greet him walking up to him

“Hey sweet heart” he greets you back as he gives you a hug.

You link arms with him and walk to the house. The both of you hear another car pulling into the drive way and you see its Sam. All of a sudden you see a truck stopping in front of the house.

“Adam?” the three of you say in unison

“Hey guys” Adam says as he gets out of the truck and stops in front of you, Sam and Dean.

“What are you doing here?” you ask looking to your cousin

“Well your dad called and asked if I wanted to come over for dinner and I said yes. So here I am” he replies while looking between his cousins

“Alright, lets head in Im starving” Dean says with a smile on his face as he waves each of you in the house.

John hears the door open and knew that his kids are home from work and school. His nephew is over for dinner knowing he just came from work as well. Mary is happy to see her babies home and happy to see her nephew over for dinner.

“Dean” Mary says as she gives him a hug

“Mom, whats cooking?” He asks going into the dinning room

“Roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy with a side of mixed veggies” she replies as she goes towards Sam

“Sam” she says as she hugs him and pulls away

“Adam, its so good to see you” she says as she hugs him as well and leads him into the kitchen

You smile as your older brothers and cousin begin to head into the dinning room and you take your bag and head up the stairs to take your bag to the room and wash up for dinner.

“Where are you going baby girl?” your dad asks stopping you from taking another step

“Im heading up to my room to drop off my bag and wash up before dinner” you reply looking to your dad

“Ok, hurry” he says and heads into the dinning room as well.

You walk into your room and place your bag by your desk. A notification goes off on your phone and pull it out from your pocket. Its a text message

“Am I seeing you tonight?”

You read the message as you smile but soon fades knowing you couldnt dodge your dad but now that your brothers and cousin are there. You wondered if you can get out of the house unnoticed. You send a quick text and go into the washroom to wash your hands and head down to join the rest of the family.

“Sweet heart how is the first day back at school?” Mom asks while everyone at the table waits for you to answer

“It wasnt so bad, mainly introductions to our classes and just the new teachers in general” you reply while taking another bite of your food

“Ok, then what were you doing after school?” Dad asks while Mom glares at him

“I was hanging out with Jo and Cas. Catching up on what happened during our summer break” you reply while looking to your dad

“Mom this is awesome” you say while complimenting your moms cooking

“Yes, the meat is very tender” Adam says while complimenting her cooking as well

Dinner is spent talking about work at the hospital, at the law firm and at the post office. Dad being completely occupied by your brothers and cousin while Mom cleans a little in the kitchen.

“Hey mom?” you ask while entering the kitchen

“Yes?” she replies as she stops what she is doing and all of her attention is on you.

“Is it alright if I step out for a bit? I wont be long” you tell her while you hope she doesnt ask where and with who

“No, I need your help with the cleaning in here and spend time with your brothers. How often do we get to do that” she replies and continues what she is doing

“Fine” is all you say and send out one more quick text and explaining about not making it

You begin helping your mom putting the food away and storing into containers and into the fridge for tomorrows lunch. Mom started placing the dishes and everything into the dish washer while you begin to wipe the table along with the counters.

When you and your mom are done with the kitchen, the both of you head into the living room to spend time with your brothers and cousin before they head home. You enjoyed your brothers company and felt nice to have them home for a bit.

“Y/n?” Sam says your name and snaps you back to reality

“Hhmm?” you reply while finally paying attention to your brother.

“Arent you going to say goodnight to Adam?” he asks looking between you and Adam

“Sorry, Adam it was nice seeing you. And hope you can come to dinner more often” you invite him while hugging him.

“Yes, it would be nice to come over again. I enjoyed myself and the meal. Thanks Aunt Mary, Uncle John good night. Boys, see ya around and Y/n dont over work yourself” he says while looking around the living room and showing himself out the door.

“What is up with you?” Sam asks looking to you.

“Nothing. Im just full and tired” you simply reply while looking to your older brother.

“Right” Dean says while looking away from the Tv and looks to you.

Dean knew that something is going on but he couldnt put his finger on it. He noticed how secretive you have gone and wondered what you are keeping from him and your family. Usually you are open with your family and when it came to certain things, you would talk to him or Sam about it.

“Just pass me the chips before I start eating them from you hand Dean” you tell him as he passes you the bowl.

You continue to hang out with your brothers while your parents head into their room and go to sleep. Your phone goes off again, you pull it out from your pocket as you read the text and hid your phone away from Dean.

“I really want to see you. Are you free?” the text read

You smile but realize couldnt get away from Dean or Sam, just like they would begin asking questions about you are going to see, how late it is and why they cant come to the house.

“Im sorry, I cant. My brothers are still here” you hit send and hopes the person will understand

“When they leave?” another comes

“Who is texting you? And so late at night” Dean asks while finishing off the last of his beer

“Cas, he is wondering if I have a book from our English class” you lie to him “he just remembered the book” you add

“You want to borrow my car while you take him the book quickly?” Sam asks while Dean whips his head towards him

“Really?” he asks in disbelief

“Yeah, you know how Cas is” Sam replies while you look between your older brothers

“Right, well make it quick” Dean finally says as he nods his head for you to drop off the book

“Thanks but I dont need to borrow your car Sam. I can walk” you tell him and head up the stairs quietly

“Are you sure?” Sam asks in hopes you will change your mind

“Actually yeah, let me borrow your car” you change your mind since the meeting spot is quite a ways.

You head up the stairs and begin to grab some random book from your shelf and pull out your phone quickly to send out a text.

“Meet me at our usual spot. Im taking my brothers car ut we have to make it quick” you hit send in hopes he will reply back that he is leaving the house

“Im here now, I’ll wait for you” the reply is quick and brought a smile to your face.

You walk out of your room and go down the stairs and get the keys from Sam as you walk out of the door. You watched neighbours as they walked by and looked at you. You felt as though they knew where you are going. It was all in your head.

You made your way to the spot you have always met each other. There he was, waiting in his car, constantly checking his phone if you would send him a text that you are near or at the park. You parked not far from him and you are met with his eyes. The eye contact is what made your stomach flutter, he always made you feel shy at first sigh of meeting each other.

“Hey beautiful” is his first words as he lowers his window.

[welldonebeca]

Pull me Closer (Part 2)

Summary: You visit the Harvelles. Pairing: Dean x Reader Other Characters: Sam Winchester, Ellen Harvelle, Jo Harvelle Word Counting: 1.1k Chapter: 2/35 Chapter name: Harvelle Warnings: Set in season 2. Cannon divergence. Jealous Dean. The Winchesters are literally ignoring John’s death and pretending things are just fine. Gifs aren’t mine

(Series Masterlist)

Y/N could not take her eyes off the scene in front of her. Her gaze followed Dean under the Impala as he fixed Baby.

He was dealing well with all that was happening better than her and Sammy, and that was scary.

In over a week with Bobby and even after the letter, they hadn’t talked about John’s death or that the yellowed eye demon was behind it.

Much less the fact that he had given his life for her.

She had talked to Sam. She cried on his shoulder and he had cried along with her.

She felt guilty somehow, even when John had done it without asking or saying something to her. Even though Sam had comforted her and said it wasn’t her fault, it was still difficult.

Dean’s voice called Y/N out of her thoughts, firmly as his hands grabbed her waist and he positioned himself between her legs.

“You think we can have a break and some fun, beloved wife?” He teased her sensitive navel with his fingers as he kissed her neck. “It’s been a while since a tasted this lovely juices on my tongue.”

Y/N moaned.

“What? Like... 24 hours?” She teased him back.

“I can’t help myself if I constantly want you. And, besides, these beautiful legs have been teasing me ever since you put on these shorts.”

She giggled, ready to give in, but Sam interrupted them.

“Guys, I think I have something.” He said. “There’s a woman, she called dad four months ago and saying “I can help you””.

The newlyweds frowned.

A woman?

“Her name is Ellen, I got an address.” He explained.

“Ellen?” Y/N frowned. “Like... Ellen Harvelle?”

“Yeah.” Sam frowned. “You know her?”

Dean turned around to face Sam and Y/N used her legs to pull him closer.

“Of course I do. She’s Jo’s mother. I even have a key to the roadhouse.” She rolled her eyes. “She was the one who took care of me after I left the hospital years ago.”

“Oh...”

Dean frowned.

That ‘Jo’ again... Well, he was going to finally be able to meet the dude.

“Let’s take Jude and go.” She nodded and looked down at Dean. “I want you to meet them. I haven’t told anyone we’re married yet.”

Sam looked at the two, seeing the silver ring on Dean’s finger, thinner than Y/N’s.

“Sure.” He finally said with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

They reached the roadhouse that same afternoon, Y/N driving with Dean by her side and Sam in the back seat. Her husband wasn’t happy that he wasn’t the one in the driver’s seat. He often complained about the music, driver picks the music and all that, and how slow she drove.

When they reached the place, he was the first one to get out of the vehicle, giving Sam space to push the seat and get out. The only problem with Jude was the fact the poor 1969 Camaro only had two doors and a small backseat. Sam, being the moose he was, felt like he was in a small box.

“Is this it?” Dean frowned, looking around. “Old place, huh?”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.” He challenged her, wagging his eyebrows.

Y/N chuckled and gave him a small peck. In all that mess, they had finally entered the ‘just married’ mood.

Sam cleaned his throat and she moved forward, opening the door of the place and looking around.

It was kinda... Dirty.

“Aunt Ellen.” She called. “Jo...”

Dean and Sam looked around, frowning and analyzing the place.

“Anyone?” Y/N yelled again. “It’s me, Y/N!”

They quickly heard the footsteps and Ellen came into the room.

“And you didn’t even call? Jo’s gonna kill you.” She looked at the young hunter. “Jo, get in here, Y/N has finally decided to come see us.”

She smiled at the woman with the light brown hair, walking in her direction and hugging her.

“Aunt Ellen, these are Sam and Dean Winchester.” Y/N formally introduced them.

“John’s boys, right?” She looked at the two. “I’m Ellen Harvelle, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

The fast and excited footsteps quickly revealed Jo.

“You bitch.” She looked at her. “You didn’t even bother to call.”

“Jo.” Ellen snapped, making Dean frown.

Wait.

Jo was a girl?

This whole time, he was jealous of a girl?!

He chuckled and Sam looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

“And these are...” The blonde girl asked.

“Oh. This is Dean and the giant next to him is Sam.” She pointed. “Boys, this is Jo.”

“Nice to meet you.” She looked at them from head to toe. “Y/N talks a lot about you... A lot, really.”

Her eyes fell on Sam for a long couple of seconds and he cleared his throat, indicating he was a bit uncomfortable.

“Ellen...” He greeted.

As Sam started talking to her, Jo walked in her best friend’s direction.

“So, you’re gonna tell me about the ring or what?”

Y/N looked at her left hand for a second and blushed.

“Y-yeah...” She hesitated.

She isn’t going like being the last one hearing about the news.

“We...” She pointed to herself and Dean “We got married.” She explained, feeling ashamed for not telling her earlier.

The room fell into silence for a moment.

“You got married?” Jo repeated slowly.

Dean held a laugh as he watched his wife struggle to keep talking without being embarrassed.

“Last week.” Y/N mumbled.

Jo’s eyebrows were really high as she watched her best friend.

“How did that happen?” Ellen crossed her arms, behind her daughter. “You didn’t even tell us you were engaged, and didn’t you just start dating...”

“We’ve known each other for years.” Dean said. “And... Well... The rushing was kinda my fault. We...” He looked down at her. “We were in a car accident and she was really injured... She almost died. Again.”

Dean held her waist with one hand, reassuring himself unconsciously that she was truly there.

“I couldn’t live through that again so I decided it was the right time.” He looked down at her again. “She said yes and... Well... That’s it.”

“What did John say?” She inquired.

“He liked it. He was the one who helped me with the ceremony and everything.”

She smiled.

“Where is he, by the way?”

The three exchanged a look, causing her to frown.

“What’s wrong? Is he alright?”

Y/N looked down and Dean held onto her harder.

“He’s not.” Sam said. “He’s...”

“He saved her.” Dean whispered, kissing the back of her head.

“He traded his life for mine.” She looked down as she spoke the words that brought a lump in her throat and a knot in her stomach.

Ellen’s face fell for an instant.

“I’m sorry.”

“We’re gonna be fine.” Dean murmured, and changed the subject. “So, do you think you can help us with the demon?”

Forever Tags: @lilasiannerd @andyl394 @vaultingphilosophy @wayward-oneshots @theas-bedtime-stories @ria132love  @unicorntrooper​        Supernatural tags: @afanofmanystuffs @castiel-angel-of-sass @ef-supernatural             Dean tags: @evyiione               Hold me Down: @alexmollineaux @justablackshadow @mel-cas @sprinkleofbooty​