Picking Up The Pieces.
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"Sam!" Dean's voice cut through the whooshing of the shower like a fog-horn through a pea-souper.
"Sammy! Your phone's ringing!"
Sam huffed. The damn thing had been silent for the past three days and now it had to choose this exact moment to go off.
"You pick up, Dean!" he shouted back.
" No way, Sammy. I'm not gonna invade your privacy!"
"Since when, Dean!"
"I'm hurt that you think I would nosey into your affairs, bro. You can call back when you come out."
X
Dean smirked to himself as he heard the water turn off; his brother was the most curious man on the planet and sure enough a second later a dripping wet Sam with only the standard motel towel covering him, exited the bathroom. Dean wrenched his eyes away from the TV show he had been watching and threw a glance at the kid.
He felt a 'what the heck' moment coming over him as he took in the length of Sam's hair. Dripping wet as it was, it reached down to his shoulders. Dean knew better than to comment though, for any time he had brought attention to it in the past only resulted in Sam letting it grow even longer.
Not that he cared how Sam kept his hair, his only worry was that it was a good hand-hold for any monsters that got up close, but as the ones they had encountered so far hadn't been smart enough to yank on it, he couldn't complain too much!
He watched amused as his brother walked over to the table leaving a trail of water in his wake. Ah, Sammy!
X
"It's Jodie. I wonder what she wants?"
"Easy way to find out, man," Dean replied, his attention back on the screen.
X
"Jodie, Hi!"
"Hello, there handsome. How're things holding up? Dean disappeared down some rabbit hole again yet?" she asked teasingly.
"No, not yet," Sam replied, a smile curving his lips..
Hearing Jodie's voice made him feel good. They had bonded when they worked together on the Chronos case to get Dean back and he had developed a soft spot for her.
"You fellas anywhere near Sioux Falls, by any chance?"
"Three or four hours away. Why is there any trouble?" he asked worriedly.
"No, no! It's just that there's some business to attend to that concerns you Winchester boys and I'd be obliged if you'd drop by."
"What kind of business?" Sam asked puzzled.
By this time Dean had twisted his head round, listening in to the conversation.
"Legal business. But don't worry, the law isn't back on your asses or anything. So can you take a run over?"
Sam threw a glance at Dean who just shrugged.
"Yeah. I suppose so. We're not doing much anyway, but what's it about?"
"Okay then. See you later, boys."
"Jodie...!"
X
"What did she want, Sam?"
"Huh, she didn't say exactly but we're doing nothing here anyway. Might as well go see why she called."
"I'll be all packed up and ready to go before you fix up that girly hair of yours," Dean smirked unable to keep himself from commenting, but only succeeding in earning the expected bitch-face!
X
Five hours later the Impala pulled up outside the Sioux Falls Police Station where a smiling Jodie Mills came quickly out to greet them.
Sam pulled down the passenger window as she approached the car.
"Boys. Good to see you. Been waiting for you to turn up, thought you'd be here sooner though."
"Yeah," Sam grinned back." We would have if my burger brother here hadn't stopped to devour a plate-load of them."
"Hey, good to see you too, Jodie," Dean chimed in leaning over Sam towards the sheriff. " Don't listen to Samantha here. He wouldn't know good food if he fell over it."
Jodie just shook her head laughing. These two just didn't realise how sweet they came off but she certainly wasn't going there!
X
"Well, now that you're here we should get right down to business," she said taking on a more serious tone as she pulled opened the back door of the car and planked herself down on the seat, two pairs of eyes turning in synch towards her.
"Listen..., I hate to bring this up 'cos I know how Bobby's death affected you boys. I get it because ...well..., it was hard for me too...you know."
She hesitated for a second trying to find the right words but there was no easy way of saying it so ... "Bobby left a will with Pete Robson the lawyer and you both are cited as the heirs; he's been at me for weeks now to call you guys over to read it but I kept putting him off to give you time to grieve, but I guess it can't be put off any longer."
X
She watched as the brothers' faces took on similar expressions of confusion, then Dean declared quietly."We had no idea that Bobby left a will."
" It's just something we never even contemplated," Sam added.
Jodie nodded. She understood.
"I told Pete to expect us sometime today so... there's no time like the present!"
Jodie...," Sam began.
" Sam, Bobby left a will naming you boys as his heirs. I think he would want you to know what his wishes were, don't you?"
Dean nodded, answering for his brother. "Yeah, I suppose he would. Where to?"
X
The brothers shifted uncomfortably on the chairs the lawyer had provided, while the older man got ready to read Bobby's will.
"I won't bother with all the legal jargon and get right to the point. Mr Robert Singer leaves everything he owns including any and all contents of the house, yard and whatever is found therein to Dean Winchester and Sam Winchester. That's about it. Bobby... Mr Singer wasn't one for frills and fancies!
Now I know the house was burned down a couple of months ago but you boys might be able to salvage something from the yard. The cars are still all there."
He consulted one of the papers he had on his desk.
"Ah yes, he left some cash in a bank account too. A hundred thousand dollars which of course is also yours."
The brothers exchanged surprise glances. Bobby had never talked about money and they assumed he just eked out a day to day living with the spare parts from the junked cars.
"What else?" Robson muttered to himself as he pulled out an envelope." Ah yes, he left this letter for you both too. Now then, a couple of signatures here and that should be us."
X
Five minutes later they found themselves on the steps outside the building.
"Sorry I had to put you through that guys but it had to be done. Listen, I have to go. I have something on hold back at the station but you're both invited tonight to my place for dinner and I won't take no for an answer," she said, holding up her hands before either of the two could object. "Eight o'clock sharp."
After Dean had dropped her off at the station, he turned to his brother.
"What do you say we take a trip out to Bobby's, Sam? We haven't been back since it burned down."
"Yeah. It's a good place to open this letter, " Sam answered as he turned the envelope over in his hands.
No more was said until the Impala rolled up the familiar driveway to stop in front of the charred remains of what the brothers had ultimately regarded as their home.
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XXXX TBC XXXX