the best laid plans. :/ i wasnt going to post this till i finished 'what becomes of us', but it is stealing away all my creativity. and personally, i couldnt wait to post, this story is my personal fav.

this follows the events of 'Somethig Lost' and features my character Kerri. you dont have to read that to understand this, since i alway recap :) but that story was alot of fun if you are interested. i hope you all enjoy this story as much as i do, and let me know what you think of the first chapter.

D: as always, this is just for fun.

ETERNAL

Chapter 1

Dean pulled back the spoon, sending another M&M flying at his brother's head, the younger man not even flinching as he continued to scour the Internet. Dean twisted his face as he stared at his brother's mop of hair, already reloading. He was slightly irritated that Sam had been able to ignore him for so long, especially since he had grown bored with his own antics some time ago.

They had been going on like that for the last hour, Dean's already short attention span pushed to the limits by the overly uneventful town they were currently calling home. He had been calling him names, making rude comments, and now shooting candy at him, but nothing seemed to faze his younger sibling. Sam was still buried in his research, leaving Dean with nothing to do but climb the walls.

They had been finished with their last hunt for three days, and, to the elder Winchester, that was three days too many to still be stuck in that little podunk of a town. But Sam had wanted to rest while they looked for a new job, even though Dean didn't really share in his little brother's logic. It had been a simple poltergeist, no big deal, hell, they hadn't even managed to break a sweat. Well, that may not be true, but as long as there wasn't massive blood loss involved Dean didn't really see the need to rest. But Sam had been insistent, and something in his eyes made Dean give in. And he had spent the last three days regretting it.

He flicked another candy at Sam, his little brother still managing to ignore him, which was only succeeding in making Dean edgier. He didn't do waiting well, just like he didn't do sitting still well and keeping quiet well. They were just three things that were not in the Dean Winchester book of rules. He knew it was juvenile but he really didn't care. He battled demons and werewolves, so screw it if he chose to spend his free time acting like a petulant ten year old. He deserved it.

Giving up on his M&M slingshot, Dean started drumming on the table, humming along to whatever song was currently running through his head. His eyes took on a mischievous glint when he saw his brother shift a bit in the booth and, even though his eyes never left the computer, Dean could tell that he was reaching his limits. And so he hummed louder and louder as the minutes ticked by, his drumming growing along with the sound, all while Sam sat, huffing and stewing across from him. And Dean was loving every minute of it.

"Would you stop." Sam spat, finally looking up from the laptop.

Dean just raised his eyebrows and continued on, humming and drumming. He couldn't suppress his smile when his little brother gave him the patented Sammy scowl and went back to his work, thinking that he had the willpower to outlast his big brother. Two minutes later, Sam eyed him again.

"What are you, ten?"

At that, Dean broke into song. By this point more than a few of the diner's patrons had turned their attention towards to two warring brothers, Sam offering them each a sheepish smile before turning back to his brother. He really didn't understand the lengths to which the older man would go to drive him mad. He had wanted to rest, so what, not every rest period was the result of a life threatening injury.

Truth be told, he was a little surprised that Dean had agreed to it in the first place, but then there was something in his eyes that made him question the usually closed off older man's actions. At first he thought that maybe he was just tired, but Dean had been tired before and that didn't even slow him down. No this was something different, something he didn't think even Dean understood. And it was the same thing that was running through his overloaded mind.

Wyoming. This was the first time they had been back in Wyoming since their ill-fated run in with the ghost of a ticked off mother. A ghost that had almost succeeded in killing them. But that wasn't what was weighing both hunters down. That hunt had been nearly four months ago and, after driving past Meeteetse, they hadn't said word one about what they had left behind.

It was almost like she was lost to the past once more, cloaked by the dust flying up from the lonesome road on which they traveled. It wasn't fair to any of them, but it was the way things had to be. Their lives were always so dangerous, so unpredictable, and the idea of getting close to someone, anyone, was hard on both of them. How could you care for someone when everyone in your life, everyone you have ever loved, has passed on?

"You're no fun." Dean frowned, falling back into his seat.

For a moment Sam was lost for words. He had done it, he had outlasted his brother. It's the kind of thing a person should win a prize for, the kind of thing he should be knighted for. He had managed to outlast his brother in a contest to see who could be most annoying. It was like the world had turned on its axis.

"What?" Dean asked, eyeing his little brother suspiciously. He seemed a little too happy about something and it made him feel like he was under a magnifying glass. He squirmed a little in his seat, but that only seemed to make Sam stare more. "Stop staring at me."

But Sam just smiled, and continued to stare at his now reddening big brother. Oh how the tables had turned.

"Just take a picture, dude, it'll last longer."

But Sam just stared, his brown eyes unblinking.

"Knock it off."

But still he smiled and stared.

"If you don't quit looking at me like your next meal I'm gonna punch you, I swear."

But Sam didn't let the threat phase him one bit. After all, when was he gonna get another chance to do this. He instantly rethought his plan, however, when Dean proceeded to climb over the table, his eyes murderous.

"All right, all right." Sam put up his hands in defense. "Calm down."

"You calm down when your freaky little brother's staring at you."

"Not much fun, is it?"

"I don't stare at you."

"No, but you annoy me in ever other possible way."

"At least I don't stare. Dude you looked like Hannibal Lecter."

"I did not."

"I thought I was lunch."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"Jerk."

"Bitch... Don't you start that staring crap up again... Stop!"

"Hello, Clarice."

"Dude, knock it off. People are looking at us."

"Nice try, people were looking at us when you were singing, too."

"Whatever. Can was just blow this town already?"

"Yeah, that's actually what I was looking into before you started serenading me."

"And?"

"And. Hot springs, Montana."

"Sounds nice."

Sam gave his brother a look before continuing. "Well, apparently, over the last ten years fourteen girls have gone missing."

"That sucks but, so?"

"Well, all the girls were in their twenties."

"Ok?"

"And, none of their bodies were ever found."

"That would be the definition of missing."

"Well, here's where it gets interesting."

"I hope so."

"The bodies of fourteen old women have been found. None matching missing persons reports."

"Sam, that could just be a coincidence."

"Come on, dude."

"All right. What's the timeline?"

"Uh, well you see, that's the thing. There isn't one. Sometimes three women going missing in a year, sometimes none, and the old women have been found anywhere from a few months to two years after the girls had gone missing."

"Anything in common?"

"Well, whatever it is only has one girl at a time. It just, keeps some longer."

"Ok, that's disturbing."

"Tell me about it."

"When did the last body turn up?"

"Uh, about two months ago. No one has gone missing since."

"And the cops got nothing?"

"No, they have a suspect actually."

"Come again?"

"Yeah, well, he's a person of interest really. Apparently all the girls were last seen in the company of millionaire William Bramhurst."

"Sounds snooty."

"He's a world renowned art collector. Supposedly, he's got stuff from all over the world, old stuff, too."

"So, we got young girls going missing, old broads turning up dead, and a creepy millionaire that likes art. You do know that sounds just like a Pink Panther movie."

"Dean, I really think this is our kind of gig."

"And how do you expect us to get in there? I mean, if it's a cursed object or something I'm guessing it would be in his house. And we can't just walk right in."

"Actually, I think we can."

"What, how?"

"Well, apparently he gives tours of his collection, very upscale 'you gotta know people' kind of thing. Invitation only."

"And you think we'll be invited?"

"Not Sam and Dean Winchester, but Sam and Dean Conners might."

"Oh come on, Dude. If that didn't work for your girl Sarah it's not gonna work for the rich and famous."

"It's worth a try. Or, you know, we could just hang out here."

Dean took one long look around the diner before sighing. "How far to Hot Springs?"

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"You know." Sam began, his eyes on the map, though he could almost feel his brother's scowl. They had been quiet since they started their trip, both brothers mulling over the information they had. But it wasn't the hunt that was weighing them down and Sam knew that he had to do something or explode. "This road takes up right by Valley."

He sounded almost like a hopeful child, his eyes rising to watch his brother, to try and gage Dean's reaction. But all the younger man got from him as a clenched jaw and dark eyes. Sam turned back to the window while his brother remained quiet, his mind on overdrive. He couldn't understand why Dean was being so stubborn, why he was making this so much harder than it had to be. But then, Dean had always tried to push people away for one reason or another, Sam had just hoped that Kerri wouldn't be one of them.

"It wouldn't really be out of the way."

Still nothing.

"We could rest there, you know."

"Enough, Sam."

"Dean, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Then why don't you want to go?"

"Because we're on our way to a hunt, we don't have time to chit chat."

"Dude, why are you cutting her out of our lives. I mean, didn't dad do enough of that?"

"Shut it, Sam."

"Come on, Dean."

"Look, when this is done take a bus back to see her if you really want to."

"She's our friend."

"Funny, since last time you didn't really seem to remember her."

"What's gotten into you?"

"Just drop it."

"No. You said we'd go back."

"Yeah well, can't really tell someone to their face that you'll never see them again."

"Dean."

"She's safer without us around, Sam."

"You know that's a load of crap. Dean, her family was killed by the Demon when we weren't around."

"Whatever."

"I'm not gonna let this go, so you might as well talk to me."

"What's the point? We'll see her again, laugh about old times, share great memories, and then what? We drive away again? Die somewhere? I'm not gonna drag someone else into this life. Not with this Demon crap going on now."

"She's already a part of this."

"No, Sam, she's not. Yeah she knows about it, yeah she helps, but that's different. She's not a hunter, and she's already lost to this."

"You mean she's already lost her family."

"It's just. I don't want her to have to lose more."

"You don't want her to have to lose us."

"I'm not stupid, Sammy. I know something's gonna get me someday, why make her go through that again."

Sam didn't know what to say, his mind suddenly in free fall. Everything made perfect sense now. The years he spent away from her, the years they had forgotten her, and now the distance Dean was trying to place between them and Valley. It was all for Kerri, all to keep her from having to watch someone else die. It was noble, it was heroic, but it wasn't helping the matter at all. Sam knew how much she cared for them both, knew that she regarded them as family. And hell, they basically were.

They had grown up together, survived evil together, rebounded from tragedy together. But that was the thing, even with their twelve year absence there was always that connection, always that possibility that they might come back, might meet again. But Dean was right, the life of a hunter was a life in question, a life lived balancing a very thin line, and he knew that his big brother was doing what he thought was right, doing what he had to to protect her. But Sam knew, deep down, that there was no way to do that, because, no matter what, Kerri would still miss them. Even if she hadn't seen them in fifty years.