The Records of Dean Winchester and Elena Gilbert

Imbroglio

Imbroglio |imˈbrōlyō|

            noun

            An extremely confusing, intricate, and complicated situation; a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation.

[Editor's Note]: As I have foreshadowed, Dean and Elena's relationship underwent a drastic change after her hunting accident and the incident with the Men of Letters. Their relationship became much darker and they fought a great deal of the time. It was very disheartening to watch the two people who loved each other more than anything begin to question their reasons for being together. Sam and I discussed their downfall in much depth, but those conversations have been left out of this file because neither Dean nor Elena were present.

January 2nd, 2019

            "Dean, stop!"

            Elena races down the bunker stairs after her boyfriend, hoping to catch up before he reaches the bottom.

            "Dean! We need to talk about this!"

            Though several steps behind, she can see the blood imbedded deep in his hair, staining the back of his neck and running under the collar of his jacket. His machete is dripping with the red liquid, splattering it across the steps with every jerky movement. Elena nearly slips on a particularly large spill when Dean reaches the bottom landing, bolting for the nearest door and disappearing into the hallway. Elena sighs, taking the final steps slowly.

            "Is everything okay?" Sam rises from his chair in the library, meeting Elena at the bottom of the stairs.

            "No," Elena mutters, staring in the direction Dean disappeared. Tonight was too much; Dean had gone too far.

            "He probably just needs time to cool off. Come on, I made you guys dinner," Sam says lightly, taking several steps towards the kitchen before he realizes Elena isn't following him. "Elena?"

            "You didn't see him," she whispers, a chill running up her spine. The night air outside had been icy cold, but the bunker was warm and comforting—not that it helped Elena's frozen insides. "He was like this totally different person."

            "He can..." Sam trails off, not knowing what to say to ease Elena's clear pain. Shaking her head, Elena shoves her way past him and into the library. She takes a seat across from Sam's book, clearly expecting him to follow her.

            "He didn't use to be like this," Elena says, looking up at Sam with big, naïve eyes as he sits. "I've never seen... He's never done that before."

            "Do I want to know what he did?" Sam's question is hesitant, causing Elena to sigh.

            "No, probably not," she admits, looking down at her hands. Some of the blood from the werewolf is still on her hands and she picks at it absentmindedly. "There was so much blood, Sam. So many—many pieces."

[Editor's Note]: Elena later described to me what Dean did on this hunt, and I have to say it was not pretty. I am going to refrain from further describing the scene due to the immense and dark violence it involved.

            "I'm so sorry," Sam whispers, images from the past dancing behind his eyelids. These violent acts of rage were Dean's tell, they always had been.

            "Is it... is it me? Did I do something wrong?" Elena's voice is thin, frail, and even somewhat frightened. Sam's eyes jump to hers.