Circle of Life (Book Three / The Life Series / Supernatural)

Lucifer Rising

Dean came back to the house.

Dean had started a fight with Sam instead of trying to get through to him and bring him back here, telling him that if he left with Ruby to never come back.

Sam left with Ruby.

Dean was looking out of the window.

I sat in a chair. "Dean? Dean! You listen to a word I said?"

"Yeah, I heard you, Ness," Dean answered. "I'm not calling him."

"Don't make me get my gun," I told him.

Dean turned to face us. "We are damn near kickoff for Armageddon. Don't you think we got bigger fish at the moment?"

"I know you're pissed," I told him. "And I'm not making apologies for what he's done, but he's your—"

"Blood?" Dean finished. "He's my blood? Is that what you were gonna say?"

"He's your brother," I told him. "He's drowning."

"Ness, I tried to help him," Dean told me. "I did. Look what happened."

"So try again," I told him.

"It's too late," Dean told us.

"There's no such thing," I told him.

"No, damn it," Dean told us. "No. I gotta face the facts. Sam never wanted of this family. He hated this life growing up. Ran away to Stanford first chance he got. Now it's like deja vu all over again. Well, I am sick and tired of chasing him. Screw him. He can do what he wants."

"You don't mean that," I told him.

"Yes, I do, Nessie," Dean told me. "Sam's gone. He's gone. I'm not even sure if he's still my brother anymore. If he ever was."

Dad turned to the desk, leaning against it, fuming with anger. After a moment, he swept all of the books and papers off of the desk with his arms, making them fall to the floor.

I stood in surprise.

Dad walked closer to Dean angrily. "You stupid, stupid son of a bitch! Well, boo hoo. I am so sorry your feelings are hurt, princess! Are you under the impression that family's supposed to make you feel good? Make you an apple pie, maybe? They're supposed to make you miserable! That's why they're family!"

"Thanks," I told him sarcastically.

"I told him, 'you walk out that door, don't come back', and he walked out anyway," Dean told us. "That was his choice!"

"You sound like a whiny brat," Dad told him. "No, you sound like your dad. Well, let me tell you something. Your dad was a coward."

"My dad was a lot of things, Bobby, but a coward?" Dean asked.

"He'd rather push Sam away than reach out to him," Dad told him. "Well, that don't strike me as brave. You are a better man that your daddy ever was. So you do all of us a favor. Don't be him."

"Dad," I told him. "How about we all just take a nice, long moment to calm down, huh?"

Dean nodded slowly, turning to face the window.

He disappeared.

"Where the hell did he go?" Dad asked.

I sighed, realizing. "The angels."

"The angels?" Dad repeated.

I turned to face Dad. "Who else?"

"Then why take him?" Dad asked.

"Maybe because he swore obedience to a bunch of dicks," I answered. "And the fact that the Apocalypse might just very well be right around the corner. Might have something to do with it."

"So, Sam and Dean are both gone, and we have no idea where to find them?" Dad asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Pretty much sums it up."

"So what are we gonna do?"

I shook my head. "I have no idea."