"You know the rules." He said, raising an eyebrow in question, silently asking her to recite the rules.
"Stay close and stay alert." She recited carefully, hope sparking up in her eyes.
"And most importantly?" He urged, leaning his head toward his...
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||CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE // DON'T LEAVE ME||
Dakota fell asleep in the impala after an argument between the Winchesters broke out. Sam explained to Dean what Dakota told him, of course Dean started to argue with both of them, hurt by the fact he couldn't give his daughter the life she wanted.
"Dakota, wake up." Dean murmurs as he reaches back and shakes her shoulder, his eyes burning as he glances up at the house he basically grew up in most of the time.
"Dean, don't do this. This isn't what she meant." Sam pleads, grabbing onto Dean's arm. He shakes Sam off and nudges Dakota again, she groans before blinking up at him.
"What's going on?" She questions, glancing back between Sam and Dean, noticing their somber expressions. She starts to worry, sitting up straight and noticing Bobby's house. "Why are we at Bobby's?" Her voice starts to shake as she locks eyes with Dean's teary ones. "Daddy?"
"Come on, baby, let's go say hi to Bobby." Dean ignores her questions and slides out of the impala. He goes to the trunk as Sam helps Dakota out of the backseat.
"Sammy, what's going on?" She asks again, her eyes fall onto Dean holding a suitcase. "W-what's happening?"
"It's okay, bug." Sam places a hand on her shoulder, not meeting her eyes.
Dean holds out his hand for Dakota, she stares at the suitcase in confusion. She shakily reaches her hand into Dean's and he tugs her forward gently. She looks back at Sam, confusion and trepidation swimming in her green eyes. He looks away from her as he follows after them, his head down and his hands shoved into his pockets.
She starts to pull her hand away from Dean's but he holds on, pulling her closer to the house as an uneasy feeling starts to sink into her stomach. Tears gather in her eyes.
Dean knocks on the door and Dakota desperately tries to pull her hand away, trying to escape back to the impala as the uneasy feeling grows. The longer she looks at her dad's depressed expression, the more she wants to leave. She knows something's not right.
"I want to go, daddy, I want to leave." She begs, she looks back at Sam. "Sammy, please, can we go? I-I want to go." Her lips quiver.
Before either of them can say anything, Bobby answers the door with a troubled expression. He glances down at Dakota's stressed face and closes his eyes as he lets them all inside. He sighs heavily as they make their way towards the living room, the only thing that could be heard was their footsteps and Dakota's protests.
"Tell me what's going on!" Dakota cries out, ripping her hand free from Dean's. He sighs and crouches in front of her, still unable to meet her eyes. "Daddy, please." She whimpers, taking a step back from him.
"You're going to go to school, baby, like you wanted." Dean starts, glancing up before dropping his gaze again as tears swarm his vision.
Dakota shakes her head wildly, her blonde hair being tossed around by the action.
"You're not telling me something." She accuses.
"You're going to go to school." Dean repeats, bringing his eyes up to meet hers finally. "Y-you're gonna live with Bobby for awhile, so you can go to school while Sam and I hunt."
Dakota's expression breaks into confusion, she tilts her head to the side as she thinks over Dean's words.
"With you, right?" She questions, taking a step forward and placing a hand on his cheek as a tear falls down it. She hasn't seen her dad cry in a long time, he tries not to cry in front of her or anyone really.
Dean shakes his head softly, giving her a broken smile. "No, baby, Sam and I..." He takes a shuttering breath and closes his eyes. "We're leaving, while you stay here so you can go to school."
"W-what? Y-you're...leaving me?" She stutters through trembling lips. She pulls her hand away from Dean's face, like it burned her, holding both of her hands up to her chest. She shrinks into herself as she sobs.
Dean tries to pull her into a hug but she shoves his chest, breaking free from his hold screaming. "No! No no no!" She reaches out and slaps his head. He doesn't stop her, looking down, he lets his daughter release her anger and pain out on him.
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"You promised!" Her voice breaks as another sob spills through her lips.
Bobby lurches forward to pull her away as she continues to hit Dean, but she shoves him away quickly. She sobs loudly, pounding against Dean chest as hard as she can. Bobby finally pulls her away and she tumbles backwards, falling as he sinks down with her. Sam opens his mouth to say something but Dean quickly gets out and storms out of the house, Sam follows after him quickly.
"Don't leave me! Daddy! Please, I'm sorry!" She screams, she breaks free from Bobby's hold and runs the window by the front door, she pounds on the glass. "Don't leave me!" Dean glances back at her with a heartbroken expression before looking away. He mutters something to Sam as they climb into the car. She continues to hit the glass before Bobby pulls her away from it, holding her to his chest.
Dean grips the steering wheel, taking a shaky breath as he leans forward and places his forehead on the leather of the steering wheel. Sam remains quiet in the passenger seat, knowing anything he said couldn't make Dean change his mind but would make him feel worse. Dean takes a deep breath and sits up, starting the Impala and driving away without a word.
When Dakota hears the Impala she frees herself from Bobby's hold and run outside. She sprints after the Impala screaming.
"I'm sorry! Please, don't leave me! I don't wanna go to school! I promise! I wanna hunt!" She calls as she runs after her dad and uncle. The Impala doesn't stop or slow down, instead it gets smaller and smaller the further it gets.
She stops running and breaks down into hard sobs, her knees hit the gravel harshly as her legs give away.
"Oh, sweet pea." She hears Bobby gasp quietly before she feels arms wrap around her tightly.
"H-he left me. He left-" Her voice breaks as she whimpers, her chest hurting as she realizes her father left her, and this time it wasn't his death leading to her being alone. It was Dean's choice to leave her. This time she didn't have Sam to comfort her, he left her too. They both did.
"They left me." She whimpers, digging her face into Bobby's chest and crying loudly as her heart breaks more.
"It's okay, it's okay." Bobby soothes her, rubbing her back calmly.
"They left me."
They sit on the gravel driveway as Dakota cries into Bobby's chest, both of them wishing that Sam and Dean would come back and say it was all a joke.
