Crossroads - Supernatural Rewrite

Route 666

An old gas station sat bathed in sunlight, it's worn exterior standing tall before them. Kat leaned against the Impala's passenger door, arms crossed, her eyes fixed on Dean. He was pacing a few steps away, his phone pressed to his ear, speaking in a low, urgent tone.

Sam stood at the hood, his attention split between the map spread out before him and the occasional glance at his brother.

Dean ended the call abruptly, staring down at his cell for a moment before shoving it into his jacket pocket. He walked over to them, his face unreadable but his jaw tight.

"Okay," Sam said, gesturing to the map. "I think I found a way to bypass that construction east of here. We might even make Pennsylvania faster than we thought."

Dean shook his head. "Yeah, problem is we're not going to Pennsylvania."

Kat pushed off the car, straightening. "Why not?" She asked.

Dean glanced at Kat briefly before looking away. "I just got a call from, uh, Cassie." He paused, examining her surprised expression. Of all the names he could have said, that wasn't even close to one she'd expected. "Her father was killed last night, she thinks it might be our kind of thing."

Kat tried to keep her expression neutral, but her stomach twisted as she looked down.

"What?" Sam asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Dean nodded tightly, opening the car door and climbing inside. "Believe me, she never would've called, never, if she didn't need us."

Kat felt a prickle of irritation, which Sam seemed to exude as well.

Dean called out to the two of them, "Come on, you coming or what?"

————————————————————

The Impala cruised down the highway, fields stretched out on one side of the road. Kat's gaze flicked between Dean and the scenery as they drove.

"So, this girl. By old friend, you mean...?" Sam asked, a devious expression on his face.

Dean's lips twitched, his tone clipped. "A friend that's not new."

Kat let out a quiet scoff, leaning back more.

Dean shot her a glance in the rearview mirror but said nothing.

"So her name's Cassie, huh?" Sam pressed. "You never mentioned her."

Dean shrugged. "Didn't I?"

Sam shook his head in response.

"Yeah, we went out." Dean said, trying to keep his tone casual.

"You mean you dated someone?" Sam asked, his tone laced with surprise. "For more than one night?"

Kat glanced out the window, trying to ignore the conversation.

Cassie had been more than just a fleeting memory—she was someone real, someone who had a part of Dean. And now, the thought of seeing her again, after Kat only recently came to terms with her feelings for Dean, made her feel something—jealousy, bitterness even.

Dean rolled his eyes at his brother. "Am I speaking a language you're not getting here? Yeah, Kat and I were working a job in Athens, Ohio. She was finishing up college and we went out for a couple weeks."

Kat's thoughts drifted back to that time—Dean and Cassie were almost inseparable, his attention consumed by her. Back then, Kat convinced herself it didn't matter, she had her own focus, her own job to do. But now, she was no longer in denial.