A Mess It Grows ~ Supernatural Fanfiction

The Van Allens vs Dean Winchester

She stared down at the note she left him - flashbacks to when she tried to leave a note and disappear hit her hard. Dean wouldn't let her leave, so why on earth did he think she'd let him. Maybe that's why he left a note, because he couldn't face her. She was about to find out.

She slammed the door of her Buick shut, having parked right next to his Impala that was not hidden at all. She supposed maybe he didn't expect them to find him here. After all Jason was their cousin not his, why would he need to say goodbye to them. Maybe it was because whenever Dean pictured a good, happy life outside of hunting he would compare it to Jason's. Because Jason was a hunter all his life and yet here he was, married with a kid and a normal job and a white picket fence despite the person he used to be. She always supposed Dean was kinda jealous of the ex-hunter. Always wanted the life he had.

She knelt down and swiftly picked the lock, silently letting the door creak open. There he was, standing with his back to her with a bottle of Scotch on the nightstand and a cardboard box in front of him. With a sigh she straightened up, "Sending someone a candy-gram?" She asked dryly.

Dean turned around. He was silent for several seconds, shocked as he stared at the blonde in his doorway. "How did you find me?"

"You're going to kill yourself, right? It's not too hard to figure out the stops on the Farewell Tour," Karoline shrugged, her thumbs hooked on her belt loop as she shifted all her weight to one leg. "How's Jason doing, anyways?"

Dean looked down at his glass. "I'm not going to kill myself."

"No?" Karoline's eyebrows shot up. "So Michael's not about to make you his Muppet?" Dean looked away, he couldn't stand to see that disappointed look on her face. He couldn't stand to know he was the one who put it there. "What the hell, Dean? This is how it ends? You just... walk out?"

"Yeah, I guess." Dean sounded absolutely defeated, and Karoline's heart ached. He refilled his glass.

"How could you do that?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Why do we keep doing this?" She asked in a low whisper. Why did they always think running away was the answer. First it was Sam, who thought running away from this life would be his salvation, but it wasn't. And then it was her, because she thought maybe she was destined to have a normal life, but she wasn't. Then Alayna, who thought the only way to save all of them was to turn herself over, wrong, again. And now Dean. Dean was the last one she ever expected to just roll over and let things happen.

"I don't know, Karoline." Dean shrugged. The use of her full name hit her hard and she could really see the defeat in his eyes. How ready he was to just give up.

"Dean... please," She took a small step towards him, a quiet desperation in her eyes. "Not now. Bobby and Dad, they're working on something."

"Oh really?" Dean challenged. "What?" She didn't answer, and Dean continued. "You got nothing and you know it."

"You know I have to stop you."

"I'd like to see you try, Kare-bear," he smirked at her, setting his glass down on the cardboard box.

Karoline simply sighed, crossing her arms and shaking her head. She didn't even say anything. The sound of wings fluttering filled the room as Castiel appeared behind the hunter and Karoline could see the realization appear in Dean's eyes. He turned around just in time for Castiel to tap his forehead and he disappeared.

Going straight to Bobby's where everyone was waiting for him. Everyone except her and Cas. She felt eyes on her, but she didn't answer, just looked down at the letter in her hands, re-reading the same note over and over again.

"Karoline," Castiel finally broke the silence. "Are you okay?"

Karoline blinked hard, and met the Angels eyes. She couldn't help but smile at the sincerity in his eyes. "Alright, let's not keep them waiting," she tucked the note into her pocket and crossed over to him and held out her hand. For a moment, Castiel didn't do anything, silent as his eyes watched her cautiously. Like she might break down at any second. Finally he took her hand and the hotel around them disappeared.