The Unhappy Anniversary
AN: I disliked the fact that Charlie Bradbury was killed off. I loved her character. And her death scene was heart breaking. So, I am writing this story with her in mind. I hope you all enjoy.
Dean's POV.
Enough said…On with the show!
A year had passed already. It does not seem possible. True, a lot had happened in the previous year. The darkness, the removal of the mark, and Death's swan song, plus another event or two: Sam getting out of the cage with Lucifer. Oh, and Lucifer taking a ride inside angel boy, Castiel.
Of all things we've been through, I think Charlie's death affected me the most. Sure, it affected Sam. I know it did, deeply. He is just that way. But, I think I was so affected because of what she had said to me that day outside the bunker. She told me that she loved me. At first, I wasn't sure how to take it. She wasn't in love with me, not that kind of love. But, the love like, a best friend sort of thing. A kind of love where if we had not seen one another in 10 years, we could just sit down and talk as if we had just talked the day before. Those friendships, those loves, are rare and precious. And I lost mine, a year ago today.
I wish I had a picture, just one. But that's not a luxury we can afford. Not with what we do. We don't want close friends and relatives, even acquaintances to be used against us. All law enforcement would ever have to do is put a name to a picture and then half the battle is over. And the people we know get harassed by cops trying to find us. It's just better. It makes everyone's lives a lot less complicated, if we have no known, no visible, connections.
I can see that Sam is hurting, too. But I can't reach out to him, not right now. Even after a year, it hurts too much. I still see her, lying in that bathtub. And my heart aches. I remember how it felt to pick her up and carry her out to the car. I just…I couldn't let her go. I got into the car with her body on my lap. And I held her the whole time. I don't remember the how long the trip took. I just remember getting there. I had to let Sam get her out of the car, so that I could get out. And I didn't want to even do that. I wanted to call Castiel, anybody, but…she deserved to be at peace. If she had been brought back the Stynes would have been after her, probably for the rest of her life. They would have caught her and killed her again. And I knew I couldn't deal with that. She didn't deserve to have that burden put on her just because she happened to know, come into contact with, Sam and Dean Winchester. And I just couldn't see her dead again. It hurt far too much the first time.
I bought a single red balloon. I stepped outside the bunker just as the sun started to set. I let the balloon go, and I smiled as I watched it climb higher and higher into the sky. I watched it until I couldn't see it anymore. I had attached a little note. I hope that she gets it. When she does, I think she'll understand.
I love you, too. Dean
THE END