The first time Bobby saw Mary Winchester was in a faded picture that John kept in his wallet.

The man was halfway through a bottle of whiskey and hadn't said a word for hours. The boys had been asleep upstairs after the trio had come from a hunt nearby.

Dean had come in carrying Sam on his back, the older boy looking half asleep himself. John had urged them upstairs and the moment they were gone he had gone straight to the liquor cabinet and poured out an almost full bottle of whiskey.

He hadn't bothered with a glass, just drinking straight from the bottle as he stared at the wall.

For a bit Bobby didn't bother him, just let the man to his thoughts as he did his work at his desk, occasionally glancing up to make sure that he didn't kneel over.

"Shifters." John finally said, his voice hollow and empty. Bobby looked up when he started to speak. "A pair of them, one of them pretended to be me to try to get to the boys, didn't work. Dean...has better instincts than I ever did and didn't let him get to him or Sam."

"Good." Bobby said, leaning back in his chair and took a sip of his own drink, not saying anything else and letting John speak.

"But then...he got a new idea, got it into his head to go through my memories." Johns eyes closed and his head bowed. "It...it decided to look like...like her when I went to kill it."

Bobby didn't need to ask who 'her' was, he already knew. There really only one 'her' when it came to John Winchester.

"Worst part is that it worked." John mumbled, taking another pull from the bottle. "I froze and I couldn't move and it just...it smiled at me. And it looked so much like her and..." his voice trailed off, his head bowing. "And I couldn't move."

Johns shoulders shook for a moment and even though his head was bowed Bobby could see the tears falling onto his lap.

He didn't say anything and just let the man have his moment of weakness.

John reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn wallet, his fingers shaking as he pulled out a worn and torn picture, just staring at it.

"Sometimes I realize that I'm forgetting her voice." he whispered. "Sometimes I realize that I can't remember how she took her coffee or how she liked to sleep and then...I just want to throw up."

He knew that exact feeling because he found it happening to him more and more, he could barely remember how Karen would sing tunelessly in the kitchen as she cooked or baked. Or how she would smile when she would tug him back into the bedroom after hours working on a car outside.

"She was so beautiful." John whispered. "And I didn't...I didn't deserve her. I was so happy when she agreed to go on a date with me, later she agreed to marry me and I just...and now she's gone." he reached out to set the picture on the table, his fingers lingering on the image for a moment.

Bobby gave a customary glance at the picture and froze, a small breath escaping him as the blonde haired green eyed woman stared back at him, her lips curling slightly in a smile.

"John." Bobby said in a surprisingly steady voice despite feeling as if the ground was falling from under his feet. "I know her."

The first time Bobby saw Mary Campbell was when she got out of her car in shorts, a sports jacket that was too big on her, and her hair was in pigtails.

She was grinning broadly as she came out of the car, hooking her thumbs into her pockets. "Bobby Singer?" she asked, calling out to him.

Bobby came forward, more than a bit apprehensive at the sight of her. "Yeah?"

Marys grin widened. "I'm Mary Campbell, I'm here to teach you how to hunt the supernatural."

I do not own Supernatural.

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