Lost and Found

31. I Bequeath to You

PART TWO: BLOW THE POPSICLE STAND

CHAPTER THIRTY: I BEQUEATH TO YOU

------

TEAM WINCHESTER, STARLING CITY, USA

------

"Endings are hard. Any chapped-ass monkey with a keyboard can poop out a beginning, but endings are impossible. You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. The fans are always gonna bitch. There's always gonna be holes. And since it's the ending, it's all supposed to add up to something. I'm telling you, they're a raging pain in the ass." - Chuck, Supernatural, Season 5

------  

Dean paced and cursed under his breath and paced some more. It never failed, anyone who got close to them died - every. Single. Time. He let out an exasperated sigh and looked to the building again, for any sign of her. There was none.

"I'm sure she's fine Dean, she knows what she's doing. At the very least Crowley will want her alive so he can keep of his end of the deal."

"Oh, that's real comforting right now Sam!" Dean shouted, scowling at his brother. Sam shrugged as he leaned against the rear bumper of the SUV, the picture of calm if there ever was one. It infuriated Dean. "How can you be so calm right now?" he demanded and Sam cast him an amused look.

"Dean, I think you're forgetting how smart she is. She's smarter than you or me- maybe us combined. Let's be honest here, if there was one of us that could get in and out with a rock solid plan- well, it was her."

He knew his brother was right but it didn't make a difference to him, he blamed it on being the big brother. "You can't protect people from their own decisions Dean," Sam offered, trying to relax his brother.

"Like hell I can't!" he shouted back, resuming his pacing once more. He rubbed a hand over his face again for what seemed like the millionth time in the last twenty minutes. Sam wasn't wrong, Dean just didn't want to admit it. Call it being a big brother, call it their upbringing- whatever the case he couldn't shake the feeling that it was his fault.

"If she doesn't come back," Oliver started but Dean stopped dead and raised a hand to silence him, already stressed out enough for both of them. 

"I got it, I got it!" The group lapsed into silence again before Dean stopped and looked at the building hopefully. "You know what, I can't just stand here, give me the keys," he demanded, his hand out to Oliver. There was a moment's hesitation where Dean wasn't sure he'd get the keys and then they dropped, cool and promising into his palm. "I'm going to get her," he declared, his tone challenging someone to try and stop him. No one did.

The SUV was nothing like the Impala, and it threw him off, if only for a moment before he was adjusted. The SUV lurched to life and the crunch of gravel under the tires gave him a sense of purpose, a sense of being in action. Even if all he could do was look for her, he was going to do it. His thoughts were eating him alive, she was more like him than he thought - sacrificing herself for the safety of others. "Why did it have to be that trait you picked up? Why not... a love of burgers or classic cars?" he muttered to himself. 

"Hey! Hey! Dean!" He heard the shouts through the open window, and looked frantically around for it's source. That's when he saw Sam, clutching white knuckled to the back of the SUV still where he had been sitting. His fingers clutched the only hold he had - the rear wiper. Dean cursed, not wanting to drag Sam into this on the off chance that bomb might blow with him in there.

"Sorry Sammy!" he shouted and cranked the wheel hard. Sam disappeared from the back window, along with the wiper blade that had been there. His large body steamrolled through the tall grass and gravel in a wave of dust, knocking the air from Sam's lungs. Sam wheezed, trying to regain his breath as he stared at the sky in a slight daze, cursing Dean as he did so.