*2 Years Later*
It's been almost two years since that night at the graveyard and a lot has changed. That night Sam and Carly's powers disappeared. The thoughts in Carly's mind went silent as Sam's visions did the same. In honesty, both of them were relieved. This allowed them to feel human rather than the freaks they were born to be.
After that night, Carly and Sam grew close, spending every waking moment together, Dean becoming the third wheel. Yet, it never really bothered Dean because he knew once he was gone, Sam would have someone to lean on. The three went on hunt after hunt, Carly becoming an expert in her own right. As they did, Sam tried to find anything and everything that could save his brother's soul from hellfire. Yet, each lead led to another dead end. When that night came, none of them were ready.
Ruby became possessed by Lilith and made Carly and Sam watch Dean be mauled by hellhounds. They could not see the invisible beasts, but they did see the marks those dogs left behind. When Lilith left, Sam ran to his brother's side and pulled him into his arms, crying harder than he had ever cried before. The sight of this made Carly feel so guilty.
She tried to stay by Sam's side, but she saw how sad he was. He could barely get out of bed in the morning and the sight of this made Carly's heart break. She tried to help him through it, but he just pushed her away. The final straw was when he got drunk one evening.
She came home from a grocery run to find him on the couch, a bottle of rum in his lap. Carly put the groceries away before coming to sit on the coffee table beside the half-conscious Sam. She tried to get the bottle from him, but he fought against her.
"Don't, I need it," Sam insisted, pulling the bottle from her grasp and taking a sip.
"Sam, drinking yourself to death is not going to solve anything. Give me the bottle," Carly said.
"No, it is going to solve everything," Sam said, stumbling off the couch and turning back toward Carly. "This makes the pain disappear."
Carly rose to her feet. "It may take the pain away, but it's not good for you, Sam. I know you're hurting, but this is not the way to deal with that ache in your heart."
"How do you know? You didn't lose your brother!" Sam snapped.
"No, I didn't, but I lost everyone else and you know that. I have no family or friends left. So, don't you dare think I don't know what you are feeling because I probably know better than anyone else if not moreso!" Carly snapped back.
"Maybe, but I am feeling this way because of you," Sam said, pointing a shaky finger at her.
Carly shook her head. "Dean making that deal was not my fault. I didn't choose to be brought back. So you cannot blame me for feeling guilt over Dean when I couldn't control his actions. Besides, I tried to reverse the deal, remember?"
"Maybe you should've followed through…" Sam muttered.
"What did you say?" Carly asked.
"I said maybe you should've followed through!" Sam yelled, causing Carly to jump. "At least then I'd have my brother."
Tears came to Carly's eyes as she gritted her teeth. "You don't mean that."
"I. Mean. Every. Word," Sam enunciated, taking another sip of rum. "So, why don't you just leave? The sight of you reminds me of my pain and I'd rather not feel anything."
"Fine, if that's what you want. I'll get my things and be out of your hair within the hour," She muttered.
Carly turned her back on Sam, a tear rolling down her cheek. She packed her belongings and found Sam had fallen asleep by the time she was done. So, she left a note on the table beside him and left. She had nowhere to go, but it was better than watching Sam be unhappy due to her presence.
Four months later, Dean pulled himself from under the dirt confused and bewildered. He made his way to Bobby's who thought he was some sort of shifter or demon. When Bobby realized it was the real Dean the two hugged tightly as Bobby drove Dean to Sam's apartment.
The sight of Dean made Sam stop in his tracks. Anger filled him as he had the same reaction Bobby had when he saw Dean, but Bobby explained that this was the real Dean. The two brothers looked at one another before hugging.
From then on, Sam and Dean reacquainted. They both spoke about their last few months, Dean leaving out the gruesome bits of torture and Sam leaving out some of his extracurricular activities. Dean wondered where Carly had gone, but Sam would avoid the question, so Dean left it be.
This continued for a while until Dean caught Sam exorcising a demon with his mind. The sight of this made Dean furious. Sam tried to explain, but Dean wouldn't have it. Sam promised to stop and Dean did his best to believe him. They continued to hunt and try to regain the relationship they once had, but both were more broken than they had been before.
One day, Dean decided to get some answers. "Where did Carly run off to?"
"Dean…" Sam began.
"Don't Dean me. You've been avoiding the topic ever since I got back. Tell me what happened between you and Carly. When I died, you two were inseparable. What happened?" Dean asked.
Sam sighed aloud. "She left a few weeks after you...died. All she left was a note."
Sam dug through the drawer beside him and pulled out the wrinkled and worn note. It was obvious he had reread the thing over and over again. Dean took the note from him and read it aloud quietly.
Dear Sam,
I am so sorry, but I can't stay any longer. You said I remind you of your pain and I've decided to make it easier for you. I don't want to be the reason you're unhappy, so you're better off without me.
Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm used to being alone and I can do it again. I plan to head back to Wisconsin and hunt when I can. Now that I know about what's out there, I can't just sit by and watch innocent people get hurt. I thank you for showing me how to be strong and fight the monsters in the dark.
You deserve to be happy, Sam, even if I cannot be the one to make you smile. I hope life treats you well and that one day you can forgive me. Goodbye Sam...I love you and I always will.
Sincerely Yours,
Carly
When Dean finished reading, he sat there for a moment taking in what it said. As he did, there was anger in his gaze as it met Sam's. "Why the hell did you make her feel that way?"
"Because I wasn't in a good place after you died!" Sam admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I was angry and sad and broken. I even tried to make a deal to bring you back, but the demon denied me. I was drinking and doing things I shouldn't. Within my drunken stupor, we fought. I blamed her for your death and made her cry. When I woke up, she was gone."
"So instead you replaced her with a demon?" Dean asked.
"I did not replace her," Sam insisted.
"Really? You and Ruby are like this now," Dean said, twisting two of his fingers. "I die and Carly runs off. Instead of chasing after her, you buddy up to Ruby who gives you your fix."
"She's teaching me how to wield my abilities," Sam said.
"Yeah, by turning you into a junkie. Juicing up on Ruby's blood like a goddamn vampire!" Dean spat.
"I'm not a junkie," Sam insisted.
"Yes, you most certainly are. I've seen the way you stare at Ruby's neck or any demon for that matter. You want to tear into their flesh and drink them like a juice box. Honestly, I'm glad Carly got out when she did. At least then she didn't have to watch you become the thing that killed everyone she loved," Dean said.
Sam got in Dean's face, grabbing him by the collar, and slamming his back into the wall. "I am nothing like those vampires."
"You can say that Sam, but we both know the truth. You drink blood for god's sake! Doesn't that make you a vampire?" Dean asked.
"It's not the same," Sam said, letting go of Dean's shirt and turning his back to him.
"How is it not? You need the blood to feel strong...to feel powerful. You have an addiction to the crap like a heroin addict. It's obvious," Dean said.
"I'm trying to get better, but it's hard…it's so damn hard," Sam muttered.
Dean moved around so they were facing one another again. "I know Sam...I know, but you can fight through this. Everyone has the capability to break a habit. It just takes time."
"I hope you're right,"
Dean squeezed Sam's shoulder as a frantic knock sounded at the door. The two looked at one another with confusion as the knock sounded again. Both grabbed their guns and inched their way toward the door. Dean went first as his hand wrapped around the knob.
On the count of three, Dean threw the door open. The brothers' eyes went wide at the sight of Carly on the other side. Her hair was matted, her eyes sunken in, and her skin covered in a layer of sweat with a hand plastered to her throat.
Dean prepared to say something when Carly collapsed onto the floor. When she landed upon the rug, her hand moved away from her throat revealing a ragged bite torn into her flesh.