The Aftermath: a Dean Winchester Fanfic

chapter 3

18 hours earlier-[Emery]

Dean and I dropped Sam off at the coroner's office before we drove to the boyfriend's house.

"So," Dean thought aloud as he drove.. "You have any idea what this thing could be?"

"We don't even know this was our kind of thing yet," I replied. "I just think there's something fishy with the parents maybe the boyfriend could shed some light on."

"I agree," Dean said.

An awkward silence filled the car.

Every single time we were alone together, I always found myself thinking about when we had our fling. The lazy days in bed, the little kisses. As tough as Dean may seem, he was actually pretty affectionate when we were together. He was constantly randomly kissing my forehead, or gently rubbing him thumb in circles on the back of my hand. It was so, so good-- for the few weeks that it lasted. It may have been more than a fling, but it definitely wasn't a relationship. Then I almost died in a hunt because I went off alone and Dean flipped. We broke up the next day.

"Look, Em," Dean started. "I hope you know that through everything, I care about you. No matter what history we have, you're family. I don't want things to get weird."

"I know, Dean. You and Sam took me in. I feel the same way." I replied.

"So we're on the same page?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I mean we're both over it. It was stupid anyhow. Hunters just don't get to have relationships. Doesn't mean it should effect how we act around each other."

"You really think no hunter can have a relationship?" Dean raised his eyebrows.

"Have you ever met someone who could?" I replied.

He shrugged. "So you think we were doomed from the start?"

"I wouldn't say that," I said. "Just that the odds were against us."

"Screw odds. We always beat the odds." He said.

"What are you saying here?"

"Nothing. Just that I don't like odds determining things. I like to make my own choices."

"To break up was your choice. Fate didn't make you. We just didn't work. We're hunters. Don't need that kind of drama anyway. I mean last time we were a couple and we went on a hunt, you freaked."

"Because you went out alone and almost got yourself killed." he said irritably.

"I was fine," I shot back.

"Because Sam and I saved you!" he argued.

"I was doing what I had to do, Dean! And don't you dare rub that in my face. We save each other, no keeping score like that. Besides, You don't get to make those choices for me."

"Why are we even talking about this?!"

"You brought it up!"

He sighed and cranked up the music. We didn't talk the rest of the ride.

Ten minutes later, Dean pulled into the driveway of a small ranch home. We got out and knocked on the door. A teenage boy answered; Zach, the boyfriend.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"We're with the F.B.I," Dean said. "I'm Agent Hopkins and this is Agent Reynolds. We want to ask you a few questions about Rachel Evans."

"I already spoke to the cops," Zach said as he rubbed his eye.

"We're required to conduct our own investigation," I said. "It'll only take a few minutes."