Fighting for Information

Ben

All she kept saying was "we have to go home now, we have to". She had stopped screaming finally, but now all she was doing was whimpering and sobbing into Sam's chest. Every time he made a move to go or even leave her for a second she would start crying again, poor guy couldn't even go to the bathroom at first. When we realized she wasn't going to be of much help answering questions, I walked to the other side of the room to get her phone she chucked at the drywall. It hit with so much force there were crumbs of plaster on the old carpet and a nice sized dent at the impact zone- I have to remember not to piss her off with something in her hand. Unfortunately, the phone was toast- her screen was now in a pile of black glass by the wall and the computer inside of the phone was dangling by a single wire out the front.

"Dammit" Sam swore under his breath as he leaned back against the headboard once he saw the disaster. "Call Mom" Sam suggested as he picked up his own probably to call Dean.

"And say what?" I asked right as he put his phone to his ear.

"Just check in, see if she has heard anything and if not tell her we'll be home tomorrow."

No news came of the phone calls, so we packed up while Ashley slept and got ready to hit the road back to San Diego. "What do you think it was about?" I whispered as Sam picked Ashley up. He struggled a little, must be because he is getting older but no matter what, I can imagine him doing it until Ashley needed it no more.

"No way to know until she calms down. I just hope it's something manageable with Dean" he sighed as he put her down in the backseat. "Need any coffee?"

"No," I answered "just some Advil." My head was still pounding in rhythm with my heart and every step, breath, noise, or speck of light made it worse. "Hangovers are a bitch!"

Sam looked over at me like he was about to burst out laughing. "Ben, you're standing, you don't know anything about hangovers yet." He chuckled a little before collapsing down into the Mustang's seat and slamming the door shut. "Did you enjoy yourself last night?"

I smiled big as I climbed into the passenger seat. All the memories came flooding back as if the flood gates had opened back up. "Yeah, can't wait to do it again. Thanks, guys."

"Anytime" he smiled as he turned out of the parking lot and started home.

Sam

The drive home was uneventful. Ashley had woken up right as we crossed back over California's state line, but she refused to say anything. When I looked her in the eyes, I noticed all hope and all happiness had been drained out along with all the tears. In just a short couple of hours, it seemed se had aged 10 years and could turn into a dementor herself.

She needed to tell us what happened with Dean, and I knew of the one way to get her to talk right now. "Look!" I yelled "You need to drop the 'protecting thy self' act" I continued on harshly as I jerked the car off the road.

"What?" she mumbled as she glared over at me. "You fuck up my car and I'll fuck you over, big boy" she spat as she turned back to stare out the window.

"No" I growled as I jumped out the door and pulled hers open. She almost fell out because she was leaning against it, but quickly righted herself. "Goddammit Ash, tell me who called you! What did they say?"

I was in her face by this time and I finally saw some life flow back into those hazel eyes that looked almost exactly like Dean's. "You sonovabitch! You suddenly care about him? You didn't when he said to leave!"

I smiled slightly when she screamed back at me, but I quickly wiped it from my face as I pretended to get even more outraged. I took her jacket collar in both my hands and lifted up slightly so her heartrate rose and she was closer to eye level. "He's my brother too, Ash! I deserve to know."

"Screw you" she struggled to say since she was chocking slightly, but of course that didn't stop her from slapping me. I had finally won! "And it was Adam who fuckin' called!"

I finally let the smile spread across my face as I let her down. "Broke you" I crooned in momentary celebration. "But what about Adam, what did he say?"

If looks could kill, I would be lying on the hot pavement and seriously be in need of a pyre. "You ass" she sniffled again as she took a step in for a hug. She tucked her arms in to her chest and just accepted my arms around her small frame. There was no reciprocating, but I wasn't the one in need of a hug right now. "Can I explain once, when we are all together, please?" she muttered into my flannel.

"No, tell me now- tell me everything. Then I will tell everyone else." I answered forcibly even though my arms were still around her. "I deserve to know before we even got in the car to drive home per your request" I rationalized as I put my chin down on the top of her head.

"He failed, Sammy. He got her yeah, but she stabbed him before he got her. Dean didn't survive, he's dead. Abaddon killed him- that bitch stabbed him with an angel blade. She killed our brother" she sobbed. I even felt the tears sting my eyes, but I couldn't let them fall now, this was Ash's burden that she was releasing, but when she clenched her fists around the flaps of my flannel I felt better.

Now Sam understood why Ashley was acting the way she was. It was depressing to hear your older brother, the guy who always took care of you, feed you, clothed you, made you tomato and rice soup when you got sick, that guy is now dead. Sam relinquished the wheel to Ben as she sprawled out in the passenger seat. "How much longer?" he mumbled with eyes still closed.

"Less than half hour," Ben answered "so what was up with the fight back there?"

"Pushing for information."

"Did it work?" Ben pressed as he pulled off the freeway.

"Yup."

"Doesn't mean you get to try it" Ashley warned as she put her shoes back on. "He'll tell you once everyone's back."

Ashley

Mom took it harder than I did, and that surprised me. She would have fell to the floor if Sam wasn't standing next to her. She had never lost anyone before, but now that she is alive again, she has watched her husband turn into a monster, watch her children all suffer, and now had to go through the death of her eldest son. Once we sat her down and she regained consciousness, I asked her what caused her to pass out while Sam sat loomed behind her.

"He- Dean stopped by yesterday. Came but wouldn't come in, actually wouldn't even come up the driveway. Said he was sorry, and that he was proud of you two and of Ben. "

"B-but he died two days ago, o-or so Adam said."

"So, he's not dead?" Ben whispered.

"Guess we won't know. He could be a demon, or the Mark of Cain turned him into something worse. Perhaps it was more of a curse than we thought it was. But demon, monster, or dead- which do you prefer?" Sam asked rhetorically.

Everyone agreed with Sam's train of thought and went back to sitting in silence. I personally hoped he wasn't dead, but I didn't dare go for my cards or talking boards to find out- I wouldn't know what to do if it truly turned out he was dead. Castiel probably could find out, and I'm sure he would soon enough, but I did not want to hear the answer. In my heart Dean will always be alive and human, he will be the man that raised me and helped me long before that mark. He will be the Dean Winchester I knew when the three of us were saving people and hunting things.

AN: One more chapter, I am sorry for the feels, but I think this had to end this way. To follow will be the epilogue. Tell me what you think!