"Josie, we lost him," Sam's voice had been repeating in Josie's head for weeks as she sat silently on her bed, meditating as she had been doing every night of late.
In her mind's eye, she saw the countless bodies lying in one big pool of blood. Their lives had all been taken in the cruelest way. She wanted to banish this battlefield from her memory, but it had burned itself in.
Slowly she opened her eyes and looked absently at the wall opposite. There once hung countless photos of her and Dean. Now there were only ones of her and Sam, even the Impala had been torn from the wall. Everything reminded her of Dean and the carnage he had caused over the past few weeks. Granted, he couldn't help it, it was the curse on him. For weeks she had tried to reach Dean again and again, she hunted him down and tried to save him, but he didn't want to be saved.
"Josie?" began Sam anxiously, eyeing the absent huntress, "I got you some food".
Carefully he handed her the paper bag, which she accepted wordlessly, not looking up. Sam had come to terms with the fact that they had lost Dean. Even if they managed to find a way to heal Dean, he would never be the same, there was too much blood on his hands by now, innocent blood.
"He's done it again," came a barely audible sound from Josie, as if she hadn't spoken in ages, which was indeed true, "He's getting closer."
Josie spoke only about the most necessary, the rest of the time she was silent.
"Maybe this is a good sign? Maybe he's coming home", Sam comforted the woman, who only gave a short emotionless laugh in response.
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Her gaze lifted and for the first time since Sam had entered the room, she looked him in the eye.
"Dean has only one reason to return, you know that," she reminded him with iciness, "He will kill you, as the mark demands."
The hunter pressed his lips tightly together and lowered his eyes to the ground, because it pained him to hear that, even if Josie was right. It was the destiny of the brothers, since the very beginning, when it was still about Lucifer and Michael. Always Dean had resisted it and tried everything to avoid this fate, but it seemed to finally take its course.
"If it will save him, I'm ready to die," Sam said confidently and sat down on the bed with Josie, "Just promise me you'll catch him."
Slightly puzzled, Josie frowned and allowed the Winchester to take her hand.
"After he kills me, he'll fall into a deep hole for now. His conscience will eat away at him, you have to be there for him, don't let my death be in vain."
Sam's voice gave no doubt that he was not serious. He would die for his brother.
"Sam," Josie breathed sadly, looking desperate, "Your hopes are...he won't survive this. You know him, Dean's soul will die the same moment your heart stops beating. I don't want to lose both of you. Besides, I made him a promise."
"That if he turns to the dark side, you'll kill him. Only he can't die, we already know that," Sam added softly, stroking Josie's hand comfortingly.
"I have to lock him away. Sink him in a box in the deepest sea. I won't and I can't, Sam!"
A sob broke from Josie and the next moment she found herself in Sam's arms.
"Me neither, sweetie, me neither," Sam sighed into her hair and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
Josie's cell phone snapped them both out of their mourning. Quickly, the Hernandez cleared her throat and answered the call.
"Hi, sweetheart," a familiar voice murmured, and Josie's heart stopped.
"Dean," her lips formed soundlessly.
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Briefly she checked again the number that appeared on the display. The area code was from Colorado, which meant Dean was indeed close by again after murdering his way across the country.
"You're not saying anything, I thought you'd be glad I finally got back to you," Dean scoffed, and you could literally hear his wide grin.
"That would have been the case, if it had happened weeks ago," Josie growled, letting Sam overhear.
"Dean? Where are you? It's not too late," Sam talked at his brother, but he just laughed dismissively at that.
"Sammy it's been too late for a long time, but it won't be over until I have your blood on my hands," Dean replied coolly, looking at the shimmering blood that was just dripping from his blade.
In front of him lay a man under whom a puddle was already forming. Dean had slit his throat without batting an eye, just because he wouldn't give him his phone.
"So what do you say? Daddy is coming home," Dean smirked demonically, but before anyone could answer, he hung up.
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Dean knew if he hung on the line too long, they might track him down, but he wanted to give it time before he actually returned to the bunker to finish what he was doing.
"So he's really going to come back," Josie marveled in disbelief, "The question is whether that's such a good thing"
"We should be prepared for anything, he certainly won't want to talk when he gets here" Sam said thoughtfully.
