"The world is an evil place, full of monsters and villains; villains that took my Kelly." The man was starting to show his distress and Dean could feel his hold on the couch getting weaker. "That's why I have to do it, Dean. That's why I have to kill them, so that they'll be in a better place. It's my plan, it's my duty to the innocent of the world, and you…cannot get in my way." Dean just glared at the man, not wanting to open his own feelings up for evaluation. The man smiled as an idea crossed his mind. "I was buried in a plot in the town where I grew up, Kentville, next to my daughter. It's a good forty minutes away…by car." And with that the man wavered and disappeared. Dean pushed the couch out from in front of him and ran to the door. He threw it open to reveal a very frantic looking Sam and a desperately frustrated Collins.
"Dean, what ha-" Sam was going to go into the whole worried younger brother thing right then and Dean just couldn't deal with it.
"No time, Sam, we're going to Kentville." Sam's mind underwent a series of emotions as they made their way through the tunnels back to the car. Panic, Dean doesn't know what is going to happen, but even if he did he wouldn't stop it. What am I going to do? How can I stop this? I can't; I just can't stop it. Denial, no, this isn't going to happen, I won't let it happen, my big brother can not die. He's the strong one, he's not going anywhere, and this is not going to happen. And overwhelming sadness, what am I going to do without Dean? What can I do without my big brother? I can't go on living like this, I just can't. I won't do it, I'll die. Dean walked to the driver's side tentatively, unknown emotions rushing behind his turbulent green eyes as he hesitated to pull out his keys. He opened the door at an agonizingly slow rate.
"You want me to drive?" Sam asked hopefully, but he knew how his brother would respond. One look from Dean shut up his little brother. His eyes had a cold and distant look of brave resignation; he was going to be the expendable hero, the one that would die for the person he loves. He was taking an awfully long time to get open the car, as if he was trying to make a very difficult decision and Collins shifted his weight uncomfortably the baby growing heavier by the second.
"Oh, dear God, I'll drive." Collins groaned and at his words both brothers turned and stared at him. He had no idea what he had just offered to do. Could they hand him the keys? Would they let him die to save what is left of their fractured family? Dean extended his arm the keys dangling within Collins grasp. All he could see was Sam's hurt eyes; all he could hear was the sobbing of his little brother who he had promised to protect from everything. Collins raised his eyebrows and took the keys from Dean, "seriously?" He didn't take Dean for a guy that would let just anyone drive his car. But Dean wasn't seeing someone else driving his baby, all Dean could see was his little brother that wasn't going to be able to handle what was waiting for him. He nodded and walked around to the passenger's side door. Collins handed the baby to Sam who slid into the back seat, and turned the key in the ignition. Dean ducked his head, unable to look at the man they were sacrificing to save themselves. Collins pulled out to the edge of town when a blue corvette swerved in front of the Impala. Collins stopped on a dime and grimaced as a slender red head stomped out of the driver's side of the car that was obstructing their way.
"What the hell?" Dean asked and Collins groaned,
"Cora." Sam raised his eyebrows at Dean and both brothers smiled trying not to laugh as the officer stepped out of the car to face this Cora.
"Drake" her voice was cold as she advanced on him her hands on her hips.
"Hey there Cora" he said with a wide smile on his face, inside he was silently hoping that she didn't have a weapon with her.
"Don't you hey Cora me" she said punching him in the shoulder with about half of her strength; he recoiled from her rubbing his shoulder.
"Oww" he groaned and she rolled her eyes.
"You can't just up and leave town like this, where the hell have you been?" Collins sucked in some air and explained, all the while Cora tapping her foot impatiently.
"So, if you don't mind moving your car, we've got to finish this….apparently." Cora raised her eyebrows and marched over to the Impala, both boys were standing outside of the car by now and neither knew exactly what to make of this. She looked at the Winchester brothers shook her head and without saying anything she marched back over to Collins.
"I am not letting my big brother ride off with these…whatever the hell they are….what are you?" She asked whipping around and staring down the boys. Dean raised his eyebrows and turned to Sam,
"I dunno, Sammy, what are we?" Sam couldn't help but laugh, however Cora didn't find it very funny.
"There is no way I'm letting you go anywhere with these guys, Drake" Cora said her hands still firmly on her hips. Collins shook his head at her,
"Corry, you are my little sister, not my mother." The look in Cora's eyes made Dean's stomach sick. They were going to kill her older brother, and she'd be left with the hollow heart, just like Sam would be.
"Go with her" Dean said, interrupting the staring contest going on between the Collins siblings. Collins turned around and looked at Dean like he had five heads. "She's your sister man, you take this baby, we're kind of on a time budget." Sam's heart sunk as Dean cleared his throat, now his brother really was going to die. Cora immediately agreed to Dean's idea and grabbed the baby from Sam's arms and forced Collins into her Vette with one look from her eyes that were as blue as her car. Sam watched as Cora ignored Collin's pleas, as if it were a silent movie, the sound shut off, their mini-fight visible through the windshield of her car. Although Collins seemed very tough on the outside, his sister could beat him down easy, and it was obvious that he couldn't say no to her. Dean shook his head and rounded to the driver's side of the car. Sam was grappling with what was going on, and he couldn't take his eyes off of his brother, as if he lost sight of him Dean would disappear forever.
"Do I have something on my face?" Dean asked starting up the Chevy and Sam looked away.
"Dean, I've been having these….dreams." Dean let out a long low sigh.
"Really? I had no idea." Sam shook his head as they drove around Cora and Collins who were still arguing.
"No, this dream starts out….well, like….this." Dean's eyes widened but he didn't say anything, "and by the end of it, you…you…" Sam couldn't bring himself to say it. You get cut in half.
"I know, Sam." Dean sighed and revved the engine. Sam whipped his head to the side, shocked and more then a little disturbed.
"What do you mean, you know?" Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat,
"The man, showed me" Sam raised his eyebrows,
"He showed you?" Dean nodded,
"Yes, he showed me, God Sammy, what are you a parrot?" Sam shook his head in disbelief.
"So you know what happens to you?" The silence that followed that statement was deafening and Sam had his answer, "well, if you know why are you still driving?" Sam asked his voice rising to a frustrated yell. Dean furrowed his brow and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. When he didn't answer Sam got more then a little aggravated. "Why, Dean? What could be so important that you would see yourself….like that, and still get in this car?" His little brother rant got to Dean and he answered,
"You. Okay? You are Sammy…if I don't get…if I'm not the one driving, it's you, okay? And there is no way in hell I am letting that happen to my little brother." Sam just stared, his big eyed fawn like look with a mixture of a smile and a frown on his face. Dean would have blushed, if that wouldn't be so very embarrassing, he hadn't meant to be so emotional, but he was going to die rather unpleasantly and Sam might as well know how much he meant to Dean, "you're everything I've got Sam, and I would rather die then let you go down like that." Sam just shook his head and bit down on his lower lip, hard.
"Well, what do you think is going to happen to me once you're gone? Dean, do you really think I can do this by myself?" Dean cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the amount of brotherly love that filled the Impala.
"You are going to be just fine. You're the smart one, the physic one, hell Geek Boy you're better equipped for life then I'll ever be." Sam looked away, he didn't want his brother to see the misty tears that were building up in his eyes, but his broken voice gave away his emotion even if his face couldn't be seen.
"But there is no life, if there's no you." Those nine words were all it took to break Dean Winchester's heart. Dean sighed, his eyes filled with some sort of liquid that he'd be damned if he let fall.
"Don't say things like that Sammy, it's gonna make it a lot harder to die when you say… things like that" and Sam let out the sob he was holding in quietly, it sounded like a strangled cough but Dean wasn't fooled. "Look, Sam, you'll be okay, I promise, and I don't have to be clairvoyant to know that." Sam would have poked fun at his ever mushier brother, but he couldn't help but want to break down and sob, especially when Dean's voice died out and all that was left was the hum of the engine.
"No, I won't, I won't be able to do this anymore, Dean, I'll…I'll die." Dean's face hardened and he shook his head,
"No. You are not going to die, you are going to live, and grow old and be a great-great-great grandfather telling you children's children's children about all the crazy things you used to do when you were young and used to have a crazy brother and a tricked out car." Sam shook his head and wiped his eyes furiously,
"You're not an expendable character; I can't lose you like this….not like this." Dean sighed and squinted into the darkness that was in front of him. He could just make out the pin points of headlights in the distance through the windshield.
"Well Sammy…" Dean started as the pinpoints grew larger and larger in front of them until the front of the truck that was bearing down on them was obvious and rather frightening. "I really don't think that this is up to you."