Silver Springs | Dean Winchester

Seven

Dean

Dad's alive. Stevie's alive. I'm alive.

We're all alive and most of us are in half decent shape with the exception of Dad.

Sam and I stand on either side of him, while Stevie stands beside me with Bobby next to her. She's covered almost head to toe in dried blood and staring into the flames of the pyre we built to burn the bodies of the four hunters.

Bobby watches her in worry and so do I. She killed two shapeshifters, brutally, and with no help from me. I'd be proud if not for the guilt. She was my partner and I left her. I'd promised Bobby that I'd look after her and I left her to face two shapeshifters alone.

Dad looks at me and I can hear his thoughts loud and clear. I'm pathetic. I should have known. I looked that shapeshifter in the eye and couldn't tell it apart from my own father. I screwed up and it could have gotten her killed. It should have gotten her killed.

If it was anyone else then their body would be on that pyre too.

Every word that shapeshifter said was true.

My chest tightens at the sight of bruises beginning to appear on her neck. Strangulation marks. She fought like hell and it's a miracle she was able to walk away.

Her expression's vacant, just as it was that night after the burnt out that car, but there's something else written on her face. Resignation, disappointment, and I know it's because of me.

"We should head back to Sioux Falls," Sam says and he looks at Stevie and I. "You two better find somewhere to clean up in case you get pulled over by any cops."

She nods in agreement and says "You drive John's car back, I'll go with Dean."

Dad doesn't argue considering the state he's in and it turns out I was right. She might just be his favourite now after all. Hell in my entire life I don't think I've ever seen him half as proud of me as he is of her right now.

"Sounds like a plan," Sam says and it's clear Bobby's reluctant to let her out of his sight, but he nods as well. Looking at both of us differently. "It's a nine hour drive from Sioux Falls to here."

"Then we'll drive half of it today then find somewhere to stay for the night," Stevie decides since we drove through all of last night to get here. "Set off again in the morning."

"We'll see you when you get there," Sam says and he squeezes Stevie on the shoulder before moving to help Dad back towards his car and Bobby stops in front of us both as he goes to follow.

We're both expecting a lecture, or at least some sort of I told you so, but he just looks between us with a pained expression and says "Be safe, and I mean it this time."

We both nod and her eyes finally fall shut as he disappears into the distance. She holds the side of her ribcage and her breathing's laboured. Neither of us say much as I help her to the car where we each grab a change of clothes before finding a creek to wash ourselves off in.

She peels off her shirt and I go to look away until I see the bruises forming on her body and the scraped skin along her back. I can't pull my eyes away as she unbuttons her jeans and slips them off, walking half naked into the creek to rinse the blood out of her blood hair but the colour stains.

"Are you alright?" I finally manage to ask and she laughs in a way that leaves me feeling ill.

"I almost forgot how hard it is to get blood out of my hair," she says and I move over towards her. "A showerhead would be handy right now, that's for sure."

"Sit down, let me help you," I say and she sits on a rock by the edge of the creek, leaning back as I fill an empty drink bottle with water and run it over her head, squeezing the blood out of her hair until she finally breaks the silence.