Title: Detours

Author: stars91

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, just playing in the sandbox.

Pairing: Dean/OFC – Kate

Rating: PG13

Summary: In The Darkness Series – Second Ficlet – A week after Kate's accident she and the boys go 'home'.

A/N: I'll apologize in advance because this series is going to jump around from fic to fic. Some of these will be Pre-In the Darkness (the first fic) and some will take place after but I firmly believe that reading them in the order that I write them will be best.

A/N2: Many thanks to my beta – girlfan1979 and mrsbpod

Prompt: scars, cotton, dirt, coffee, thread

Words: 3,604

The mind can sometimes paint glorious pictures in our memories, ones that we cherish throughout our lives. It can also layout every detail of our most horrific experiences in techno-color for us to relive day after day, dream after horror filled dream. It was the latter that consumed Kate Stephens these days. Every ounce of inner strength she had was being thrown to the dark images that plagued her sleep, her waking hours, every second she wasn't being forced into conversation.

After her release from the hospital, Kate had set a course straight for Gnaw Bone, the hole in the wall "town" in Indiana where her grandfather still kept residence. It was the place she'd spent so many summers as a little girl while her father was out on the road chasing the 'bad guys', that was, until she was old enough to chase them too.

The drive from Phoenix, Arizona, where she'd been hospitalized for the past week, was long, hot and tension filled. Both Dean and Sam Winchester were fully against dumping her off on her elderly grandfather, though neither brother knew of a better alternative given the circumstances. The three hunters all knew that they were wasting precious time on this trip when there were numerous other jobs they needed to attend to. Kate was now unable to hunt but was being more than a pain in the ass about not being in the way than her tagging along would have caused.

Sam pulled the Impala onto an old dirt road, just off Highway 46, as he had been instructed to do by Kate more two and a half hours ago. She and Dean were slumped together in a tangle of limbs in the back seat, Dean asleep from exhaustion and Kate quiet but still fully aware of her surroundings.

"About a quarter of a mile past this first shack," Kate offered in a quiet but matter-of-fact manner, knowing instinctively from the left turn the car had made where they were.

Sam didn't answer, resigned that he had no more say in the matter than his brother did he was now just following orders. He wasn't any more prepared to leave her here than Dean was. Kate had quickly become part of the Winchester family and no matter how annoying she and Dean could get late at night when they thought he was asleep, and boy did he wish he would have been sawing some serious logs on occasion, he cared about her too. She had been an exquisite hunter, who challenged his older brother, calling him out when she needed to, and softening him up into a pile of mush when it suited her. Kate was everything Dean needed in a girlfriend and she filled the shoes of an older sister type figure to him pretty well. Leaving her behind meant losing a part of him that he wasn't sure he could afford to lose, but he knew as hard as it was going to be on him it would be a thousand times worse for Dean.

Sam eased the Impala onto a gravel driveway that led back to a little white house with the requisite picket fence surrounding it. It seemed like an almost timeless structure compared to its surroundings. Just down the road were brand new homes, fabricated from the latest materials, yet across the way were the places that didn't look like they'd even had a fresh coat of paint in at least three decades.

When the car came to a rest next to the house, Kate nudged Dean awake. Dreading the goodbyes that had to be said, but understanding without a doubt it was what had to be done. She was only a hindrance to the Winchesters now, they couldn't go on a hunt while having to worry about her. She might be a victim of circumstance, but she wasn't a victim of life. She would find another way to help, she had to, but until then she needed a shoulder to lean on and aside from Dean and her own daddy, there wasn't a stronger one out there than that of her grandfather.

Dean carefully untangled himself from Kate. She waited patiently, listening to the heavy door squeak open and the constant over explanation of every move he was making. She wasn't a porcelain doll. She was blind, that was it, she wouldn't break and sometimes she really just wanted to scream that from the top of her lungs. But she knew this was as difficult a situation for Dean as it was for her and so no matter how frustrated she got she had to stop and think about what it would be like if the situation were reversed.

Sam unlocked the trunk and pulled out everyone's duffels. He and Dean had already made the decision to spend at least one night here, just to make sure that Kate would be okay. He was certain they would get a loud and probably expletive saturated protest, but they'd both agreed that it was the only way they'd have any kind of peace of mind after they left. Besides it would give them time to place some protective charms around the property for some added protection. It was scary enough knowing what was out there, but knowing that there were probably demons out there that now knew there was a hunter who couldn't see, couldn't protect herself….well they were bound to come after her sooner or later.

Kate inhaled deeply as she stepped through the front door. The house still smelled the same as she remembered it from her youth. Lilac and cigars, an odd combination but one that fit her grandparents nicely. Her grandmother had passed on now, a heart defect finally took her. She had lived with the oddity unbeknownst to her, until right before her death at the age of eighty-one. Her grandfather had been heartbroken, as any soulmate would have but he soldiered on so he could continue to be the one constant in Kate's life that she could count on and the only family she now had left.

"Katie!"

Kate took a timid step forward, holding out her arms, waiting for her grandfather's strong embrace. When the familiar but increasingly frail body pulled her in close, Kate finally sighed in relief. She was home, as much of a home as she'd ever known anyway and it was a relief. This new world she was living in was starting to tear at her, break her down and she refused to give in to the fears that were there in the back of her mind.

"Hey Pops," she answered after a short pause before becoming silent once again.

"Did me 'n granny never teach you any manners?" he asked as he released Kate, stepping back just enough to give her two bodyguards a once over.

Kate smiled, she should have known that she'd get the same treatment by her grandfather now as she did before the accident. Pops was old school and manners were important to him and he expected her to remember hers, if at no other time than in his presence. If truth be told he expected her to remember them all the time, but what he didn't know he wasn't about to lose sleep over.

"Sorry Pops, I'd like you to meet Dean and Sam Winchester."

The three men exchanged hand shakes and both Dean and Sam clarified who was Dean and who was Sam. Not that they figured Pops gave a rats ass, especially since they'd been the ones who'd gotten his granddaughter into this mess to begin with.

"I'd like to thank both of you boys for taking such good care of Katie. She told me how the hunt went down and if the two of you hadn't been there….well I don't really want to think about that."

The elder man's words took both Dean and Sam by surprise. They'd been prepared for an ass chewin', and possibly a long drawn out argument over whether or not they'd be allowed to stay the night to make sure Kate was going to be okay. Hell, they'd each vowed to sleep in the car in the middle of the highway if it came down to it.

"Now Pops, don't get all sappy on me," Kate quickly interrupted.

"You're all I have left now Katie, I just don't know what I would've done…"

"Yeah, well I've got the Stephens' genes, I'm next to indestructible. Couldn't get rid of me if you tried Pops," Kate quipped before changing the subject, a defense mechanism she was perfecting in a relatively short time, "I'd like to hit the sack for the night. Dean?"

Dean was suddenly a deer caught in the headlights, unsure what the proper course of action at the moment was. Not doing what Kate wanted was going to earn him an earful at the least, but barging past her grandfather without permission to step another foot in his house let alone sleep with his granddaughter under his own roof was enough to probably get a load of buckshot someplace he didn't particularly want it.

Kate could feel Dean's hesitation and on a normal day she would have played into it and probably made a comment or two that would make Dean even more uncomfortable than he already was. But tonight wasn't that night. She really was exhausted from the long car ride and she truly did just want to go to bed.

"Pops?"

"Ohh….yes….well…you and Dean can take your room and I'll show Sam to the guest room."

Kate reached out for Dean's arm and he quickly obliged. Reaching down and grabbing both his and Kate's duffels off the floor as he moved easily to her side, Dean could sense the urgency with which she wanted to move along. In the time that he'd known her he had figured out one thing for certain, they were a perfect match where emotions were concerned. Less was always better for both of them, but he was pretty certain there was going to be no way around the emotions tonight. No matter how determined Kate was to not deal with the issue, she was going to have to, they had to. He had things to say and no matter how hard they were to hear, she was going to listen.

Sam stood in the doorway and watched in silence as his brother carefully led Kate up the stairs.

Pops finally broke the silence, "Well son, if you'd like to follow me, I'll show you the guest room."

Sam forced a smile and nodded to the old man but couldn't force out a reply of any kind.

As Pops walked down the dimly lit hallway on the first floor, he spoke honestly to Sam, "I'm sure Katie never told you boys that she calls me every day."

"No sir."

"Well, she does. And she talks an awful lot about you boys when she calls. So, I'm not real sure how well this situation is going to work."

"Sir?"

"You boys leaving her behind I mean. She's a hunter too and blind or not, this isn't where she belongs."

Sam opened his mouth and shut it again quickly. He wasn't sure what to say to that. It wasn't like he and Dean wanted to dump Kate off here, this had been her idea. But would it really be wise to take a blind woman out on the road with them? Could either of them concentrate knowing that she was going to be vulnerable just sitting around waiting on them? At least here they could protect her a little, a little more than they could out on the road anyway.

Pops pushed the guest room door open and walked in, switching on the night stand light before turning to address Sam again, "I know this was Katie's idea, that she thinks she'd just be in the way if she were with you. I'm not sayin' that isn't partly the truth, but you boys have a much better chance of keepin' her alive than I do."

Sam waited for Pops to finish.

"I'm not going to be around much longer, too many damn cigars I guess," Pops paused as he looked around the room, anywhere but at his guest, "I just can't go without knowing Katie's going to be looked after. I'm all she's got besides you boys and…"

"She's very important to both of us Mr. Stephens. We'll figure something out, don't worry," Sam offered, trying desperately to choke back the tears that Pops had already lost his battle with.

Pops nodded, and moved past Sam to the doorway, pausing, "This house will belong to Katie when I'm gone. You boys are always welcome, no matter what she says."

Sam snorted, obviously Pops knew the same side of Kate that he and Dean knew.

"Thanks."

Sam kicked his boots off and threw his jacket in the corner chair before lying down, his hands folded behind his head. Sam's thinking position. Staring up at the ceiling, he silently wondered if his brother was making any headway with Kate.

* * *

Dean sat quietly on the edge of the bed and watched as Kate removed the small gauze bandages that protected her damaged eyes. He picked at a loose thread on the quilt that lay at the foot of the bed and tried to decide how to start the conversation.

"Can we just not?" Kate asked in a defeated tone.

Dean was taken aback, though he wasn't really sure why. This would have been his way of dealing too, he should have seen it coming a mile away.

"No. We have to talk about this Kate."

"There isn't anything to talk about. I'm staying here with Pops, you and Sam have a job to do."

Dean stood and made his way around the end of the bed, stopping in front of Kate, he bent down to his knees in front of her. Pushing a stray strand of hair back away from her face, Dean gently caressed her cheek in his hand. The scars at the corners of her eyes were still red and new, but he knew they'd eventually fade to nothing. They didn't matter to him though, she was just as beautiful with them as she had been without. She had long ago made him realize that his own scars were just reminders of how far he'd come, and although he was certain those words were forgotten to her now, they were never more true.

"I love you Kate. I have for a long time and I know I suck at telling you how I feel, but I'm telling you now."

"Dean…don't. Don't make leaving any harder than it has to be. I can't…."

"Shhh…" Dean whispered, rising up to sit on the bed next to her, turning her body towards him, taking her face in both hands, "I love you Kate, I do, and there isn't a goddamn mean thing you can say to me right now that will change how I feel. You are my world and no matter what you think, that will never change."

Kate had never been much of a crier, her daddy'd always told her that good soldiers didn't cry. Maybe it had been more of coping mechanism for him but whatever the case, Kate had taken his words to heart and no matter what the circumstance, no matter how much pain, she didn't cry. But as she'd always heard her Granny say, 'there was always a first time for everything' and Kate let go of the floodgates that had been bursting at the seams since she'd first understood the extent of her injury. And Dean let her.

Pulling her in close to him, Dean remained silent, fighting his own battle of wills where tears were concerned. Besides his dad and Sam, no one had ever had such a pull on his heart strings like Kate did. He hadn't told her yet how violently ill he got the night of her accident, how he'd thrown up in the hospital parking lot until he almost passed out while she was in surgery. He'd been almost ashamed of the way he'd reacted but later as he'd dug out his father's leather bound journal, researching while Kate lay asleep from the anesthesia he found a journal entry that changed everything for him.

He'd read the entry before, many times in fact over the years since his dad had first left him and Sam to their own devices but he'd never really understood until that night. When you loved someone, with every ounce of your heart, there were no longer boundaries between you. You were now one. The pain, the heartache, the love, the joy, the sadness, it was as much yours as it was theirs. Dean now had a better understanding of what had always driven his dad, why John Winchester lived, loved, fought for and died trying to protect those he loved. It had been a revelation of sorts for Dean, one that he now had to somehow convince Kate he'd had.

* * *

The kitchen was dark, lit only by the light of the full silver moon that shown through the open window, the coffee was black and bitter and that was no one's fault but his own. Charlie Stephens had forgotten to pick up any sugar at the store last Thursday and tonight he was paying the price. Staring down at the half empty mug, Pops wished that his Isabel were still here to help him with Katie. He had no doubt that hard-headed child would give those boys all kinds of grief, she was after all the spitting image of her father.

Biting the bullet and downing another swig of the wretched coffee, Pops sighed. He wished he knew what to say to her to make her understand what was so glaringly obvious to him. She was head over heels in love with that boy and he with her. The obstacles that she thought were too overwhelming for them to overcome where ant hills compared to the love that they had for one another and that wasn't even taking into consideration the affection Sam had for her.

Rising from the kitchen chair, Pops poured the last of his awful tasting coffee down the kitchen sink and rinsed out his mug, a habit he'd formed after too many tongue lashings from Isabel about coffee stains. Glancing up at the kitchen ceiling, Pops wondered if the boy would get through to his Katie tonight or if he'd be given the task to talk some sense into her in the morning. He hoped for his own sake the boy was as smooth a talker as he was a hunter, because he was getting too old for this kind of thing.

* * *

The rise of the morning sun brought a new sense of hope throughout the house. Gone was the impending sense of darkness and doom and in through the open kitchen window, with the gentle morning breeze, was peace. Sam smiled as Dean argued with Kate about whether or not she was going to let him take his favorite black cotton t-shirt or whether it was staying here with her until his return. He figured they must have gotten everything worked out, with little to no actual physical violence. Conversation without confrontation was a miracle as far as Sam was concerned.

Pops pretended to ignore the couple as he glanced over the morning newspaper and sipped at his black coffee. He wasn't sure what Sam had done, but he certainly made a better cup of Joe than he did.

"When you boys think you'll be back this way?"

Sam decided to answer since his brother and Kate were ignoring all but one another at the moment, "Sunday, I think. We're headed to Missouri but that shouldn't take more than a couple of days."

Pops nodded, that was a satisfactory answer for him. Less than a week of keeping Katie occupied wouldn't be too difficult, he hoped anyway.

"Dean," Sam prompted as he pushed his chair away from the table.

Dean looked up at his younger brother, giving him a knowing look he replied, "I'll be right there."

Pops carefully folded his morning paper and laid it down on the kitchen table before he silently followed Sam into the living room.

"I've put as many protection spells, charms and amulets that I could find around your property," Sam advised.

"I appreciate it," Pops returned.

"Okay, let's hit it. If we're not back here by Sunday at six for supper she's going to kick our asses," Dean announced as he walked into the living room, a new determined swagger to his step, "pardon my language sir."

Pops just snickered and slapped Dean on the back. He was positive Katie had said it to him just like that too.

Katie didn't follow, that was what they'd agreed to last night. They were never to say 'goodbye' to the other, Katie was never to 'see him to the door' and Dean would always wait to kiss her on his return – something for both of them to look forward to.

Once upon a time there were three hunters with the same destiny. All bucking the system, refusing to follow the road map of life previously laid out for them and instead determined to make their own way, paving their own roads and taking as many detours as they possibly could.

Their daddy's would be proud.