The Barrier (A Destiel AU)

Chapter 1

2000

The drive through Kansas and Missouri was fairly warm. Not a single cloud was in the sky and a hot wind blew through the open windows of the 1967 Chevy Impala. Dean Winchester, who is 17 years old, is sticking his hand out the window feeling the pressure of the air against his hand. His little brother Sam who is 14 is curled up in the backseat, asleep with his head pressed against the window. They are moving from Lawrence, Kansas to a sleepy town called Clearwater Heights.

Dean doesn't understand why they are moving away from their hometown, the place they grew up in. It was the place where they found themselves, learned about life and love and hardships. The place where they had last seen their mother who had died due to cancer.

Dean's dad, John Winchester, had gotten a call last Tuesday and suddenly they were packing up their belongings and renting out their house. He gave no detailed explanation, only that a friend needed his help and that it required John living there.

Dean wasn't too hurt about moving. He didn't have many friends. Everyone thought he was weird just because he had a desire to paint and imagine things. The only disappointment about moving was Dean had never moved, never lived anywhere else, never knew a place without their cozy home and his mom.

Sam on the other hand was angry at John; he had lots of friends, for a nerd. He had been gathering up the courage to ask this girl named Sheila out before John broke the news. In Dean's opinion, Sam didn't really need to be in a serious relationship at 14.

Sam always told Dean that he wouldn't understand- Dean had never been in a relationship. It was probably because he leaned more towards guys than girls. Ever since Dean had kissed Dave Berkley at a party during his Sophomore year, he was fairly aware of his sexuality. Even though Dean knew John wouldn't freak out if Dean told him he was gay, he kept it to himself. It felt like an important secret, something he wasn't ready to share yet unless...
Well, unless he met somebody.

His mom had been the person whom he had told his hopes and desires and dreams. They had painted together and laughed as baked pies, Dean's favourite dessert. Then they found out Mary had been diagnosed with breast cancer and Dean's world fell apart. Chemo, treatment; Mary's long beautiful golden locks disappeared. It had been two years since she had died, Nov 2 1998.

He had no one to talk to; Sam was too young, John was too sad, Mary was too dead.

~

Now, here they are, driving away from all Dean had ever known to some random town that he had never even heard of.

"Hey, Dean," his dad says next to him, "you better wake Sam up. We're almost there."

Dean nods and leans over the seat to ruffle Sam's shaggy hair. "Up and at em' Sammy."

Sam groans and pulls the coat tighter around his body. "Dude, rise and shine. Were almost there." Dean says.

"I don't want to be almost there."

"Suck it up, Sam."

"Uh.."

Dean sighs, giving up, and sits back down in the passenger seat. "Sam is still mad." He says quietly.

John frowns, but doesn't take his eyes off the road. He looks sad, which isn't a big surprise, but it still makes Dean sad too.

The months after Mary's death rattled John. His eyes lost their twinkle and was replaced with remorse and depression. He usually drank himself to sleep and one time he almost killed himself by drinking so excessively. That had been an incredibly difficult time for Dean, who had been left to pick up all the pieces. He had to help John get Into a healthy routines. Having to take on the role of his mother, he cooked and cleaned the house and watched after Sammy. He even went grocery hopping because John was usually checked out on the couch staring at the static.

His dad had fallen apart; piece by piece, bottle by bottle, one drunken night after another But John wasn't the only one who was in a bad place. Dean's paintings, which had once been angels and a higher power, turned into monsters, coming alive in his nightmares.

Dean could distinctly remember one fitful night of sleep when he beloved death was certainly a destination on the horrid route he was taking. And he would have accepted it gladly, with open arms. After his dad's near death experience, Dean knew he had to pull his shit together and look after his family.

John was better now, only an occasional drink now and then. He was able to take care of them of course, but some days he would stare at a blank wall, his eyes bloodshot and his skin pasty and his nightmares stronger. Those were the nights when Dean had to force his dad to bed; those were the nights Sam went to a friend's house; those were the nights Dean cried himself to sleep.

~

Dean Winchester's life changed as soon as the Impala passes the "Clearwater Heights, population 1,382" sign. He felt it deep inside his chest, something warm and fuzzy like a welcome home pie his mother used to make after Dean's first day of school. The once clear sky became cloudy, the warm spring air turned cool, and rain started to drizzle from the sky. Dean watches the droplets of water race down the window and he remembered what he and Sam used to do when they were younger. They would pick a drop of rain and the bottom of the window was the finish line and they would race their drops to see whose won. These days, Sam hated rain but Dean thought it was magical. He loved the rain and the must and the smell and when he looked up he instantly fell in love with the eery little town in front of him.

Dean wondered if everything would okay; if this new town could be a place that he could call home.

"Welcome to Clearwater Heights, Dean-o." John says, clapping Dean on the shoulder.

Dean smiled and presses his finger tips to the cold window pane. He watches, the drops of water slowly sliding down the window. Picking the smallest drop, he secretly roots for it to reach the finish line first but it's too slow. He matches his finger up with the drop and pulls it down, willing it to hurry.

The strangest thing happens- the drop is winning. It is following Dean's finger, passing all the other drops and it reaches the finish line. Declared the winner, Dean drops his finger and the drop races out of view.
Dean had a feeling, the warm fuzzy one from earlier, building up inside of him because he just moved that drop of water.

Then John starts to say something and Dean turns away, forgetting about the silly little coincidence that had occurred.

In the town of Clearwater Heights, usually a coincidence is not a coincidence. It is something more, created from a higher source of power than the natural forces of nature and man.

It is something only few know in town and when Dean's drop of water won the match, the Barrier flickers.