Sunset Over the Pine Tree
BLB- I do not own Gravity Falls or Supernatural. Thank you for reading this. Also the next update will most likely be after my finals, so sometime after may 4.
Part Three
When Dipper found Dean and Mabel in bed together he was less than pleased, but he didn't bother them instead he smirked when he saw Waddles snuggled in between the older Winchester and his twin sister. When he pointed that out to Sam the younger Winchester laughed and continued on his way into the kitchen to help Stan with breakfast.
Dean's reaction was priceless. When he woke up to Waddles snuggled in between him and Mabel he nearly screamed. Waddles sat up and let out a quiet squeal, waking Mabel and bringing Dipper and Sam into the living room. Sam was snapping pictures and Dipper was pulling his barely dressed sister out of the bed. Dipper nearly dragged her up the steps to the attic Waddles following closely behind.
The yelling upstairs was just about as loud as the shock in Dean's voice when he spoke, "a pig? Seriously a FUCKING pig?"
"His name is Waddles and he cuddled with me until about six this morning. Waddles came down here when he finally realized that Mabel wasn't the one in her bed. So what did you two do last night? From all the yelling upstairs I would say Dipper isn't happy," Sam commented and the boys could hear Stan chuckle in the kitchen.
"That boy is never happy and honestly he needs to leave Mabel be. She's a grown woman that can make her own choices." When Dean let a shocked look cross his face, Stan spoke again, "Wipe the satisfied grin off of your face Dean Winchester, I'm not giving you permission to violate my great niece. The only thing I am saying is that protecting that girls innocence is a losing battle, she is going to do who and what she wants." Stan stepped into the living room and eyed the boys. "You going to come into the kitchen and help me finish up breakfast, or stand there and listen in on the twin fight upstairs?"
"Coming Mr. Pines," Sam responded before he walked back into the kitchen. Dean just stood at the bottom of the steps waiting for someone to come back down them. He was surprised to see Waddles come down the steps first, the pig stopped to regard Dean since the pig left the attic he figured it was tense up there.
"That bad huh?" Dean bent down and asked Waddles who squealed a quiet response. Dipper thundered down the steps shortly after Waddles. The yelling upstairs had stopped and Dipper's face was still flushed with anger from the argument in the attic. "Dipper," Dean called after the boy passed him without a glance, Dipper turned to face him and once their eyes met the anger melted away. He realized that Dipper wasn't mad at him but at his sister. "Dipper, please don't be angry with your sister. We didn't do anything, I wanted to but she put her foot down and told me that we couldn't."
"I know, she explained that but that isn't why we were arguing. It was part of it, but the bigger part of it was the risk she was taking for me. If Robbie the zombie would have come into this house; I don't want to imagine the things he would do to my sister just to spite me, to get under my skin," Dipper explained and from the look he gave Dean he was telling the truth.
"I would never let anything happen to Mabel, not while I'm around and still kicking. She's safe, Robbie didn't come here and tonight we are going to deal with him," Dean responded trying to avoid Dipper's piercing brown gaze that could very well read him just as good as his sister had.
"You haven't almost lost her before and I refuse to lose her period," Dipper stated firmly. "Not to Bill, Jeff, Robbie or anything."
Dean was pulled out of the memory when it became the "average day" and when his phone rang bringing him out of his thoughts. There was a text, he expected it to be Sam but the text was from Mabel. He flipped open his phone and read the text, it was coordinates. "Mabel? Is this where you are?" Dean responded.
"Yes. Come get me. Nowhere else to go," was Mabel's response. Dean took out Sam's laptop and punched in the coordinates in. The trail was leading him to a town in upstate New York. He wondered where Mabel was in the city and what she was doing there, but Dean didn't have time to dwell. His trail had went cold and for once in his life Dean Winchester was about to give up, leave well enough alone and get back to fixing his baby instead of following Mabel's ghost trail.
"I'll be there in a few hours. Don't go anywhere," Dean texted her back before he packed up his stuff and got back in the car. The sputtering sound of the dying engine filled his ears as he got back on the road heading in Mabel's direction.
Before he got too far Dean called Sam to give him an update. His brother answered on the third ring. "Hey Sammy."
"Are you on your way back to Bobby's?" Sam asked not bothering to wait for Dean to explain himself.
"No," Dean responded curtly but again before he could say anything else Sam was talking in his ear again.
"You told me you were heading back here since the trail went cold after the motel in Pennsylvania and the police station nearby," Sam argued bringing up their conversation from the night before.
"The trail was cold and I was just about to head your way when Mabel texted me," Dean admitted.
"Mabel texted you?" Sam asked in utter shock. "I've called her twenty times and she didn't answer."
"She didn't answer me either until now. Apparently Mabel's trail went as cold as mine did and she reached out." Dean let out a sigh running his hand through his hair before putting it back on the wheel.
"Where is she?" Sam questioned.
"Somewhere in upstate New York. I'm heading that way right now and I am going to find her." Honestly Dean didn't know if he would actually find her or not, but he was going to try.
"What are you going to do if you find her?" Sam asked, curious to know exactly what his big brother was going to do.
"Make sure she's okay and then drag her ass back to Bobby's whether she likes it or not. If I have to we are going to talk about what happened," Dean responded. "But I'm hoping to avoid the talking if I can."
"Dean," Sam sounded disappointed, "you can't just abduct Mabel. She could call the cops."
"She won't. The girl hates the cops just as much as we do. Stan made sure of that and anyways I talked to the cops at the police station she reported Dipper missing at, they told me she seemed nervous and like she knew more than she let on; so I highly doubt she would involve the cops," Dean explained. "Mabel could, but she won't."
After that their goodbyes were short leaving Dean was alone on the road with only his thoughts and memories as company. He just went back to the night that they took Robbie down.
"So does everybody know the plan?" Sam asked checking with the twins. Dipper didn't like the plan and neither did Mabel, but after two hours of arguing back and forth they came to a consensus. Dipper would lure Robbie into the cemetery, followed by Mabel with Dean and Sam waiting for them with Wendy at the cemetery.
"I really don't want to be bait," Dipper stated flatly. Mabel nodded, not liking the idea of her brother being chased by a zombie.
"I'll be right behind you," Mabel reassured knowing that this is what they had to do.
"And me and Sam will have everything ready at the cemetery," Dean stated, handing both of the twins an oak stake that he and Mabel had carved earlier that day. "It'll be okay Dipper. Nothing is going to happen."
"You two are going to keep Wendy safe right?" Dipper asked.
"Yeah, we are going to bring her with us. That way she won't have to go home to her zombie boyfriend. Wendy won't be in danger, me and Dean will probably leave her in the Impala," Sam explained.
That was what lead the Winchesters to the Gravity Falls cemetery with Wendy in the back of the Impala questioning their motives. They had to act like F.B.I. Agents again, but it was a lost cause as soon as Wendy saw the Impala; Wendy just chuckled and went with whatever they wanted, because she thought they were pretty cool guys.
Dean came back to reality as he crossed over New York state lines and decided to give Mabel a call. She didn't answer and that worried Dean slightly. But it wasn't like he was close enough to do anything about it just yet, so he kept driving and turned up the radio to drown out anything but his memory.
Things were quiet in the cemetery until Dipper tore out from the woods with Robbie on his tail. Mabel was not far behind them, but Dipper tripped as he ran and Robbie was on top of him immediately trying to choke Dipper. Before Dipper could stake him or either of the Winchester boys could shoot him, Mabel was on him rolling Robbie off of her brother and wrestling with the zombie.
"GET OFF OF MY BROTHER!" Mabel yelled, as her and Robbie continued to struggle back and forth until they rolled into the open grave.
"MABEL!" Dean, Sam and Dipper yelled in surprising unison before they all ran towards the grave only to find Mabel on top of Robbie, trying to hold him down but it was extremely difficult.
In a split second Robbie overpowered her and was on top of her. Robbie had her pinned to the ground. How she did it no one knew, but Mabel had managed to slide her grappling hook out from under her sweater. "GRAPPLING HOOK!" Mabel screamed as she fired her grappling hook at the zombie's face. Robbie recoiled, most likely from shock if not from the sheer force of the blast. That was when Mabel was able to finally stake Robbie into his grave.
"Mabel, please... It's me Robbie. Don't do this," Zombie Robbie begged as Dean and Sam reached a hand down into the grave to pull Mabel out.
"You know this isn't right Robbie, you died. It was your time and you need to be put back to rest," Mabel explained. She grabbed Dean and Sam's outstretched hands and they were about to pull her out of the grave when Robbie grabbed ahold of Mabel's ankle and pulled her back towards him.
"I would have never hurt Dipper. Mabel, please don't do this! Give me another chance, please. I just got Wendy back and now I'm losing her all over again, you always looked for love Mabel. I have it and you are taking it away from me," Robbie pleaded tugging on Mabel's ankle once more nearly forcing her out of Sam and Dean's grasp. Sam let go of her hand and reached for his gun. Dean recovered her other hand and kept a steal grip on her wrists.
"Just hang on," Dean groaned. "I got you."
"Don't," Mabel began as her grip tightened on Dean's wrist once more.
"I'm not letting go," Dean muttered as Sam pulled out his gun and shot Robbie with a silver bullet. That forced Robbie to release Mabel's ankle, which sent her out of the grave and into Dean's arms instantly. The momentum sent both of them to the ground Mabel was on top of Dean, her legs were in between his and their chests were pressed together. Dean's breathing was heavy and at the moment he just wanted to wrap his arms around Mabel and hold her for hours, but the job wasn't done yet.
"ROBBIE, NO!" Wendy screamed and struggled in Dipper's grasp. Dean and Mabel both knew that Wendy would break free from Dipper in a moment and it looked like Sam could use some help as well.
"Dean, Mabel! You two can have your moment later. Right now one of you needs to help Dipper and the other needs to help me cover Robbie up," Sam called.
"You help Dipper, take him and Wendy back to the Impala. I'll help Sam take care of Robbie, and then we will finish this later." Mabel pecked Dean quickly on the lips before she got up and ran over to Sam her curls bouncing behind her. Dean followed her lead and went over to Dipper blocking Wendy's view of the scene before her. Dean put a hand on Wendy's arm and began to lead her and Dipper backs towards the Impala.
"ROBBIE!" Wendy screamed once again.
"Listen to me. This is over, Robbie is being put back in the ground where he belongs. Now you and Dipper, are going get back into the Impala and wait for us to get back," Dean commanded. "I have to help Sam and Mabel finish this job."
Dipper took Wendy by the arm and walked with her towards the Impala. Dean was walking back towards the gravesite, he heard the sound of Sam closing the casket and Mabel giving Robbie her final words, "I didn't take love from you Robbie, fate did."
After that the three of them closed up the grave and walked back towards the Impala. As soon as they approached Wendy and Dipper got out of the car and Wendy looked so angry at not only the Winchesters but at Mabel as well. Wendy threw a punch at Dean, but Mabel took her to the ground pinning her. "Please, don't do this Wendy. It's done and I will not let you undo it."
"He was a person. It was Robbie, he was your friend. You just laid him out to die Mabel, you of all people," Wendy growled at Mabel.
"Was is the key term, Robbie died and then you brought him back. That was not Robbie that was a zombie. A reanimated corpse and he would have become a flesh eating monster," Mabel said and then a few red cloaked men joined them in the outskirts of the cemetery.
"Miss Pines, Miss Corduroy this fight is over," a stern voice chimed in pulling Mabel off of Wendy. Mabel expected it to be Sam, Dean or even Dipper but it was one of the red hooded men that had just approached them. As soon as they had both of the girls up off of the ground that was when Dipper began to freak out.
"Took you guys long enough," Mabel stated allowing one of them to kiss her hand.
"MABEL! WENDY! Get away from them," Dipper exclaimed running towards the girls who were nearly engulfed in a sea of blood red cloaks.
"Mister Pines, I would suggest you mind your manners," the head cloak suggested. "We are not here for you, your sister or even the Winchesters. We just need to talk to Miss Corduroy about a few things." They sounded so calm and that only made Dipper angrier.
"Over my dead body! There is no way she is going anywhere with you," Dipper stated firmly stepping forwards in front of the girls. Dean and Sam were behind the girls, watching because they have no idea what was happening around them.
They slowly stepped around Dipper and touched Wendy gently on the shoulder. Mabel bowed her head in acceptance knowing that this is what needed to happen. When they began to walk away with Wendy, Mabel grabbed ahold of her brother. She held him back even though he struggled. Dipper was screaming at Dean and Sam begging them to help Wendy, commanding Mabel to let him go and then he pleaded with not only the cloaked men but Wendy praying that she would refuse to go with them. Soon they were gone receding into the distance towards the town. When Mabel finally let go of Dipper he was furious.
At first everyone thought that Dipper was going to scream at Mabel, but instead he clenched his eyes shut before sighing loudly. "How could you?" Dipper sounded defeated and utterly betrayed. When Mabel opened her mouth to replay Dipper spoke again, but this time he was considerably louder. "It is bad enough we are doing their dirty work for them by hunting, but you just gave them Wendy when you know what they are going to do to her. They work for Bill! You just handed her over to Bill and you just don't care!"
"No, I gave her to the Blind-eye. Yes, they may work for Bill Cipher, but they are also loyal to McGucket and he would never let Bill hurt Wendy. You forget that every member of the society is a citizen of this town, are they all evil? Just puppets like we are? Want to know why I did this? The reason I let them take Wendy? I did it because I care about her Dipper. It will be better for her. Why can't you see that? She will not remember what she has done, the guilt she may feel about it later will not hurt her. Wendy can continue on with her life," Mabel explained or tried to because Dipper merely shook his head. "You can be mad me at me, okay. I understand. I know how you feel about how this town runs, but it has been like this for a very long time."
"You sent Wendy off to get her memory erased. She could go crazy like McGucket did for years and for what? To protect her from guilt. That is what McGucket did and it drove him insane. What happened to you Mabel?"
"The difference is Wendy won't be able to erase her own mind, over and over again until she whips her mind into a scrambled egg. And what happened to me? The journal happened to me. This town. This family. God, everything happened to me," Mabel responded before she pulled journal number 2 out from under her sweater and threw it to the ground at Dipper's feet; before beginning her walk back towards where they left the Coupe Deville. "I'm going to get Diablo. You can go back to the Shack with Dean and Sam."
Once Dean closed in on Mabel's location finding her wasn't an issue. He hadn't seen many '65 Coupe Devilles around and Diablo was always a notable car. Dean pulled the old junker into the lot of the bar he assumed Mabel was in and parked it. Dean took a moment to look at Diablo nodding at the old girl as if to let her know he was here and that he was going to help straighten Mabel out.
If Dipper was furious at her over what happened to Wendy that night he probably would have had an aneurysm if he saw Mabel the way Dean found her. Mabel was sitting at the bar asking for another drink even though she was way over her limit and the bartender was refusing to serve her. A few men were around her trying to pry her away from the bar to take her somewhere; most likely to take advantage of her, but Mabel kept insisting she needed to stay where she was because she was waiting for someone. To say Dean swooped in like Batman would have been an understatement, when he saw the vultures around Mabel he made it his mission to get her out of there and away from them. Dean glared at many of them causing the drunken fools to waver and eventually abandon their conquest.
"Mabel," Dean began taking a seat on the bar stool next to her taking a moment to assess the girl before him. Besides the lack of braces Mabel was wearing pants, and her sweaters were dull colored and form fitting.
"Dean, I've been waiting for you... But you shouldn't have come here..." Mabel smiled at him for a moment, but it soon faded as she spoke tears lining her brown eyes. "You should just get out of here..."
"I'm going to get out of here, but I am not leaving you here at the mercy of the alcohol, yourself or those men over there. SO, we are getting out of here and I will take you somewhere for the night and then tomorrow we are going to Bobby's," Dean said catching a stray tear.
"Dean..." Mabel choked out but instead she began to sob.
"Mabel." Dean got up wrapping his arms around her and squeezed her gently. She just continued to sob against his shoulder and for a moment they both forgot that they were sitting in a bar until the irritated bartender cleared his throat.
"I'm thrilled that you two lovers are back together and are having your moment, but I would like you to take her keys and find somewhere else to go," the bartender sighed, fishing out Mabel's car keys from his apron and laying them on the counter in front of Dean.
"Will do Chuckles," Dean responded picking up the keys and slowly rubbing circles on Mabel's back before he eased her out of his arms. That was when he got up off of the barstool and pulled her off of hers as well.
"Dean," Mabel said again as she stumbled on her feet and into his arms. "You don't understand... Leave me..."
"I'm not going to. I dropped everything to come here Mabel. We are not going to have this argument, try again tomorrow because right now you can't drive or walk very far on your own. Don't think I'll let you either. It would be a crime if something happened to Diablo," Dean retorted.
"What about the Impala?" Mabel asked looking into Dean's green eyes.
"That is a long story, one that we'll save for when you aren't drunk." Dean began to walk out of the bar. "Come with me," Dean said like she had a choice, he held her at the waist and together they walked out to the Coupe Deville. Dean helped Mabel in before going over to his silver car and grabbing everything he brought with him to load into Diablo. "Where have you been staying?"
"A place about an hours drive away from here, but there is nothing there. I left earlier today and just kept driving until I ended up in that bar," Mabel explained shifting nervously in her seat.
"So you've been drinking all night? Mabel, I get wanting to have a few drinks to dull the pain but this is taking it a little too far. Anything could happen to you, especially when you are drunk out of your mind. Any one of those men could've taken advantage of you and do unspeakable things to you," Dean said shaking his head because he felt like he was becoming his brother.
"Maybe I wanted them to, Dean. I've done something terrible and I deserve anything that they would have done to me." Tears streamed down her face and that's when she pulled her sweater over her head and turned to face the window. Dean didn't comment and continued on the drive in near silence until he got tired of the awkward silence and flipped on the radio.
By the time Dean found the place Mabel was talking about she was sound asleep and Dean didn't want to wake her so he went and got them a room. When he got back to Diablo Mabel was still asleep, but she had shifted from one side of the passenger seat to the other. He opened the door and slowly eased Mabel into his arms. She didn't wake, but Mabel's arms reached up to lace themselves around Dean's neck holding onto him. It took him a few minutes to find the room and get Mabel settled into the bed on the farthest side of the room. She must've really been drunk because she hadn't woken up. "I'm no saint either Mabel," Dean muttered before he went back out to the car to grab his and Mabel's stuff from the car.
Once he was alone again Dean began to feel the loneliness and the pain that he left Bobby's to forget. Dean knew part of what Sam said was true he was using Mabel, trying to help her through her grief so that he could escape from his own. Sam only wanted to help, but Dean hated being fretted over. He refused to be put first by anyone, because that was Dean's job. It was his job to take care of Sam, his job to put others before himself and that was his burden and he accepted it like his father expected him to.
When Dean entered the room with their belongings Mabel had sat up in the bed and looked like she was wondering how she had gotten there. She smiled at Dean once again and this time it seemed genuine, her brown eyes scanned him and he knew that Mabel was reading him like she had the night they first met. "Dean, what happened to you? How did we get here?" Mabel asked her voice thick from sleep and the many drinks she had earlier.
Dean wasn't sure if Mabel meant how they had gotten here in the hotel or here as in a general sense. He knew she was reading him like a book. "I could ask you the same thing Mabel. After everything, I never thought we'd meet again, especially not like this. I brought you here, I have been chasing you for a while now. It was obvious that you didn't want to be found, until you ran out of places to go." He smirked and Mabel climbed off the bed to hug him.
"I was drunk when I sent that text. I never thought that you would actually come after me," Mabel admitted, before she took a step away from Dean to get a better look at him.
"I was coming after you before the text. It was what brought me to you though," Dean responded.
"I shouldn't have brought you here," Mabel stated firmly.
"I'm here so it is too late now," Dean said taking off his boots and sitting down on the other bed. "Why don't we both get some sleep? You're going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning if you don't sleep. We'll talk more in the morning Mabel." Dean looked over at Mabel who had just sat back down on the bed.
"I haven't really slept much since... Well the farm. I generally pass out from exhaustion, but when I wake up I'm just as tired as I was when I went to sleep," Mabel paused to look down at her hands. Dean slowly undid the neatly made bed and climbed in; slowly Mabel did the same. "The drinking doesn't help... Doesn't make the pain go away and it does not help put your mind at rest so that you can sleep."
"Yeah I know." Dean reached over and turned off the light.
They both laid there in silence, letting the darkness extinguish their conversation. The only sounds that could be heard was the slow steady rhythm of their breathing and the quiet crinkle of the sheets under them as they tried to settle into their beds.
As she lay there Mabel knew something was bothering Dean more than usual; she could tell something drastic had happened and wondered what it was. She sat up slowly, just as Dean let out a sigh as if he knew she was thinking about him. Mabel knew better than to ask him what was bothering him that was something had to come out when Dean wanted to tell her. So instead she looked over at his shadowy figure on the bed and said, "Dean."
He cleared his throat quietly before answering, "Yes."
"I don't want to sleep alone," Mabel muttered hoping he hadn't heard her, but when the sheets rustled on his side of the room and he slowly sat up she realized that he had. Dean didn't say anything else, instead he got up and stood at the edge of the bed, waiting for Mabel to scoot over.
"You aren't sleeping alone, just scoot over a little." Mabel could hear the smirk in Dean's voice, but she did as he asked rolling onto the other side of the bed and watching as Dean got into the bed. He instantly slid his knife under the pillow before wrapping an arm around Mabel. It had really been a while since Mabel had been held like this, it had been a long time since she wanted to be. Mabel's cool skin pressed against the warm skin of Dean's chest and muscles. It wasn't long before both of them were dozing off.
"Tomorrow, you are going to tell me what happened," Mabel muttered with a yawn.
"I was going to say the same thing to you," Dean responded before he rested his chin on the top of her head and drifted off to sleep.
Mabel was shocked to see that Dean had followed her. She slowed her pace so that he could catch up. Once they were walking next to each other Mabel spoke, "you didn't have to come with me Dean, I can take care of myself."
Dean chuckled. "I know. You just shot a zombie in the face with a grappling hook and clawed your way out of the grave so any man that runs into you and tries anything is in big trouble."
"Like you." Mabel stuck her tongue out at Dean. "Kidding. So, why did you follow me?"
"Because I really don't want to listen Dipper grumble about what you did and being bait. Also, he began flipping out about the journal before I decided to follow you so I would rather not sit through that twice," Dean responded.
Mabel's phone went off. "Maybe you won't have to," Mabel said as she looked at her phone a devious smile curling her lips. "Since we haven't had a broadcast of May-May and the Hog in a few days, Candy and Grenda are throwing a party at the Shack tonight! So we probably won't have to deal with Dipper till tomorrow morning."
When Mabel woke up in the morning, she was a little more than slightly confused. Last night was a blur so waking up with strong arms around was concerning. Who had she brought back here last night? What did she do with him last night? Mabel squirmed out of his grasp and stared at Dean's sleeping face. How did he find her?
As she thought about this Dean woke up and as if knowing that she was watching him, he smirked before speaking, "How's the hangover?"
"It's okay," Mabel began, "We didn't do anything did we?"
"No," Dean stated. "By the time I found you, you were so drunk that doing anything but sleeping would have been a crime."
"Like you live by the law, Dean." She laughed.
"That is one of the laws that I haven't broken. So, after breakfast I think we should head out. Bobby and Sam are impatient. Also, Sammy is really worried about you."
"After this we will probably be going in two different directions," Mabel stated firmly like it was a law, one that had to be enforced.
"Like I told you last night Mabel, I came all this way to find you. I left the Impala and Sammy when both of them probably need me right now. You are the reason I left Mabel, because you running around all by yourself is not going to make you feel better," Dean said his voice getting lower as he spoke.
"MAYBE BECAUSE I DON'T DESERVE TO FEEL BETTER!" Mabel screamed losing it for a moment before she got off of the bed and took a deep breath trying to calm herself. She turned away from Dean, who was staring at her with a worried expression painted on his face. She could hear the low whine of the bed as Dean got up.
"Mabel," Dean began walking towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Mabel shook it off instantly.
"Don't," She responded coldly turning towards him, tears lining her eyes.
"Why? I'm trying Mabel." Dean sounded slightly hurt, though his face didn't give it away. She knew he was trying, trying to take away the pain she deserved to feel, to remove the guilt that threatened to eat her alive and help her heal. Something that Mabel would do anything to stop.
"I know. I know, Dean. But you don't understand, I deserve to carry this for the rest of my life," Mabel tried to explain before Dean started talking again.
"No, you don't think I get it. You lost your brother," Dean paused to clear his throat. "I can't imagine that, but I know what it feels like to lose someone... Me and Sammy finally found our Dad."
"Really? Dean that is amazing..." Mabel trailed off putting on her best fake smile for Dean, feigning the real happiness that she should feel shine through.
Dean rubbed the back of his head, before speaking. "Well it should've been, but it was short lived..." His voice shook and Mabel didn't need to read him to hear the hurt in his voice.
"Dean-"
Before she could say anything else Dean wrapped his arms around her tightly. Mabel wanted to struggle but she could feel that he needed her in that moment. Something was hurting him and that was the moment Mabel decided to put aside what she was going through to help Dean, something Dipper would want her to do. When his chest heaved against her, she realized that Dean was crying. Dean Winchester one of the strongest people she had ever met was crying.
"Tell me what's wrong Dean," Mabel begged but her voice was quiet, strained by her own pain.
"He's dead. My Dad is dead because of me," Dean muttered burying his face in her sweater.
"I'm sure that isn't true Dean," Mabel whispered, trying to soothe him, her hand resting on his back before slowly tracing circles. Dean's entire body shook, as his anger swelled once more.
"It is. He sold his sold his soul for me Mabel," Dean responded as if he was ashamed.
"But why would he do that unless you," she stopped not wanting to finish that statement.
"Died," Dean finished her sentence. "We got into an accident. Except that it wasn't an accident. We had just fought Azazel, I was already hurt and so was my Dad. The Impala was totaled and we weren't any better. By the time Sam and Dad were recovering I was in a coma. Complete with an out of body experience. I met the reaper and refused to go with her. After I contacted Sam and told him that I was going to die... He told Dad, and I guess that is when he went and made the deal. When I woke up, he spent his last moments talking to me. He told me things I didn't want to know, things he should've told me, things he should have told us."
Mabel took a moment to absorb everything Dean had just said, he had just opened up to her. "What did he say?" Mabel asked before she could stop herself.
Dean then explained to her what John had told him. Everything that John knew about Sam and what Azazel had done to him. John always knew about Sam's abilities. "After all that he told me that if Sam got out of hand, if I couldn't save him that I would have to kill him..." That was when he released her, before taking a seat on the bed again.
Mabel collapsed. She hadn't realized what had happened until she was on the floor. What Dean had told her hit her like a ton of bricks, Mabel had done what John Winchester expected his son to do; kill her brother. Dean hadn't moved and she hadn't expected him to. He was grief stricken, that was the difference between the two of them he didn't deserve the guilt, the choice wasn't his to make; it wasn't his fault. Unlike her, it was her choice and she made the wrong one; it was her fault.
When Dean finally looked up, he saw Mabel lying on the ground crying. "Mabel? What happened? Are you hurt?"
Mabel just shook her head. "No, but I need to leave Dean. I shouldn't be here."
"You already know that you aren't leaving without me," Dean responded. "Dipper wouldn't want you to be alone."
"Dipper wanted a lot of things, doesn't mean that I should have given them to him."
"What are you talking about Mabel?"
"I did what your father asked you to do. I. Killed. My. Brother," Mabel paused trying to pull herself together, but it wasn't working. "He was turned into a vampire. Honestly, we were both lucky to survive. When I came to, it was just me and Dipper. The first thing I did when I saw all of the bite marks and cuts was check if he was still human. Dipper wasn't, he was a vampire and I admit the thought scared me a little. Before he woke up I had already decided that I was going to change him back, no matter the cost. When Dipper woke up, he had other ideas. He was crazed and thirsted for my blood above all. Told me that I couldn't cure him, and then begged me to kill him."
Dean just stared at her for a moment before pulling her back against him. "It's okay Mabel. It wasn't your fault."
"But it was," Mabel croaked. "I could have saved him. Maybe even cured him... Instead I did what he asked me, lied about it and then ran away because I am too afraid of what I would find when I finally look back. The vampires ended his human life, but I ended his life. I snuffed out whatever was left of my brother."
"You did what you were asked to do," Dean began. "Sometimes it is hard to do, but you have to know you did the right thing."
"If it was Sam, could you kill him?" Mabel asked looking Dean in the eye. "Even if it was the right thing?"
"I don't know Mabel," Dean answered. "But what I do know is that you are coming back to Bobby's with me, because Sam and Bobby both are worried about you and want to see you." He kissed her forehead, before heading off to get in the shower; leaving Mabel alone with her belongings and thoughts.
While Dean was in the shower Mabel searched through her duffle and found her journal. She had forgotten that she had kept journal 2. Mabel was honestly surprised that Bill hadn't taken it when he planted journal 3 in her motel room and stole it back from her.
By the time Dean emerged from the shower, Mabel had laid out her clothes and was reading the journal; hoping that there would be an answer in there somewhere.
"I thought you gave that book to Dipper?" Dean questioned, bringing the girls attention back to him.
"I did." Mabel nodded without looking up from the journal. "Dipper gave it back to me after you and Sam left. Told me that, "if you found it then you are supposed to have it." So he gave me back the journal although I often found him up late at night reading both of the journals. Dipper never knew how much I truly saw him mull over those books at night." Mabel let a smile quirk her lips. "He always believed I was a "heavy sleeper" and sometimes I was, but most nights when he was up reading, I would lay in my bed and face the wall, just listening to him flipping the pages, muttering things under his breath and scrawling his own notes on the pages. Dipper was always worried and anxious on some level, like he worried that Bill would be around every corner… I guess he was right because Bill was watching me right after Dipper died, he was there when it happened and he enjoyed every ounce of my pain."
"Right now let me worry about Bill, he has to get through me first before that stupid triangle lays a hand on you," Dean stated. "Why don't you take a shower because we are hitting the road before it gets dark."
"Why?" Mabel asked finally looking up from the journal.
"Because one you need to put that book down before you become Dipper and two I am about to call Sam and tell him that WE are heading towards Bobby's later today."
"You aren't going to tell him? Are you?" Mabel's eyes widened and she sounded worried, like it was an Earth shattering secret.
"No and Mabel it wouldn't change anything. You are still Mabel and we care about you," Dean muttered, trying to sound firm but failing miserably as his voice shook.
"Yeah, Mabel the murderer," She whispered before grabbing her clothes and scurrying off to the bathroom.
By the time Dean and Mabel made it back to the Mystery Shack the party was still in full swing. As Mabel predicted Dipper was nowhere to be seen. Sam was standing against a tree since the party was going on in the house as well. It was obvious that no one was getting any sleep until the party was over. Stan had went home with Soos and was crashing on his Abuelita's couch for the night.
Music surged through the woods and the Shack filling both the party goers and the environment with energy. Most of the town had showed up and were dancing like only they could.
McGucket stood at the edge of the crowd with Wendy on his arm. In comparison to the way she looked earlier Wendy looked free, unburdened by what had happened. Dipper's Wendy sense must have tingled because he ran out of the Shack and was at her side as quickly as he could manage, fighting and dancing his way through the crowd. After he exchanged a few words with McGucket, Dipper took Wendy by the arm and most likely walked her home.
"Hey Dean," Mabel shouted over the music.
"Yeah."
"You want to mess with Sam?" Mabel asked.
Dean nodded a devious smile crossed his lips. "I want to get back at him for this morning."
"Well, you see those girls over there?" Mabel paused to motion at Candy and Grenda, who were dancing together in the center of the crowd, hitting on any guy in a few foot radius. "Those are my friends, they are single and ready to mingle." She winked. "And since your brother seems uninterested in the party, why don't we get the party interested in him."
Dean simply laughed. "I just don't want them to come on too strong, cause well…. Sammy just lost his girlfriend Jessica."
"No worries, I'll clue them in. Tell them that he is in a little bit of a dating rut and is in need of a friend, or two." Mabel suddenly grabbed Dean's hands and pulled him towards the dancing crowd.
"What." He tried to resist, but Mabel was persistent. "I don't dance," Dean exclaimed.
"You will." She stopped to plant a kiss on his lips before sliding away from him slowly. "Try and keep up." Mabel was quickly moving away from him until she was snatched by Gideon, who was pretty good at dancing. She followed his lead simply because Dean was nowhere to be seen and Mabel wanted to avoid Gideon screaming at her for just walking away.
The song changed and things around them slowed. Couples began latching their arms around each other and began rocking or twirling slowly together on the forest floor. People moved around Gideon and Mabel like waves in an ocean; Mabel held her breath hoping Gideon wouldn't grab her hand but he definitely reached for it. His chubby fingers were almost in hers when someone else grabbed her hand, a strong calloused hand squeezed hers gently and she didn't have to look up to know it was Dean.
"Sorry, Gleeful." Mabel smiled patting Gideon's hair. "This is my date."
Gideon was too shocked to say anything so he just nodded, looking up into Dean's eyes. Mabel knew that if it was anyone else Gideon would have fought back, protested and maybe even stood his ground but every thought of that nature fled when he looked at Dean. There was no fight left in him and Gideon began searching the crowd for Pacifica, who was his back up in most cases. Gideon's face only fell more when he noticed that Pacifica was dancing with an even taller man, Sam.
Dean encased Mabel in his arms and began to follow the crowds lead swaying to the slow rhythm of the song. His movements were tense but fluid, matched only by Mabel's. Slowly the crowd around them disappeared and it was just Dean and Mabel together in a sea of spectators.
When Dean kissed Mabel the crowd cheered and McGucket came up to talk to them. Dean looked at the disheveled and crazed looking old man and instinctively put Mabel behind him. He stomped his foot before dancing slightly to the beat of the fading music. "You want me to erase your memory? I heard you and your brother were in the cemetery with Wendy Corduroy this evening, putting the dead boy back at rest. Thank you for that, but I can help you forget. It will help later on anyways, because the Winchesters are leaving and it will hurt."
"I would never want to forget what we did, McGucket. We did the right thing." She stopped talking to nod before looking at Dean. "And I would never want to forget the Winchesters, even if the memory might hurt me later."
McGucket muttered something unintelligible before darting off into the forest. Dean just laughed as everyone around them began to dance again like nothing had happened.
Mabel leaned against his back and stood on her toes, her weight shifting against him. "You want to get out of here?" Mabel whispered into his ear.
"Where did you have in mind?" Dean turned catching Mabel off balance and sweeping her into his arms once again.
"So, what happened to mister "I don't dance"?" Mabel teased.
"That is not what we are talking about," Dean muttered. "You didn't answer the question."
"If I did it wouldn't be a surprise." Mabel took his hand again and they went to talk to Sam.
Dean remembered clearly what happened next. Mabel told Sam to call Dipper when the party was over and only to call them if there was an emergency. He could still clearly here her say, "Tell Dipper we went to my place, he will know what that means." Sam didn't argue so he let Mabel lead him into the woods, they walked for what seemed like forever until they made it to what he could only describe as a lean-to. It was built against a strong oak tree and protected by a thick layer of moss on the roof to shield it from the rain. This is where she brought him, and the place where they finished what they had started the night before.
When Mabel emerged from the bathroom Dean was still reliving that night, even though they were both covered in dirt and exhausted they made the most of it.
Mabel's hair was still wet and fell straight; well it would at least until it dried. "I know that face, what are you thinking about Dean?"
"Your place," Dean answered.
Mabel let a laugh escape her. "So why you loaded up Deville you were thinking about ancient history?"
Dean nodded. "It's not that ancient. It's only been a year or so Mabel."
"Yes, but so much has happened since then. It was simpler back then. I still had family," Mabel muttered staring down at her feet.
"Family doesn't end with blood," Dean responded. "At least that is what Bobby would say. You have people left Mabel. Me, Bobby, Soos, Sam maybe even Candy and Grenda, you aren't alone. I won't let you believe that you are."
Mabel nodded. "I know Dean, I just can't face the love, the concern or the sorrow because it was all my fault…. Anyone that misses Dipper, only misses him because I killed him."
"Don't," Dean sighed. "Stop taking the blame. Sometimes things don't work out the way they are supposed to, but sooner or later you will understand why it happened."
"I will never understand this," Mabel stated coldly. "It was a mistake."
Dean nodded knowing that nothing he said was going to change her mind. "Are you ready to go?" He didn't want to sound pushy, but there was nothing here for them.
After Mabel agreed they got into the red Cadillac and headed towards Bobby's house.
Dean drove until he couldn't anymore and only then did he let Mabel drive. While Dean drove Mabel either read journal number 2 or slept with her sweater over her face.
While Dean drove, he just kept hearing Dipper's voice in his head. "Dean." The voice paused in his head and Dean remembered how nervous Dipper had been. "I can't stop hunting Dean. If I do, Bill will kill her. I can't lose Mabel, she is all I have left. That's why I am asking you to do this…. If something happens to me, if I die, promise me that you will find my sister and keep her safe."
Dean glanced over at Mabel to make sure she was still asleep only then did he speak, "I did it Dipper, I found Mabel." Dean nodded before driving on.