The Song Remains The Same

Chapter 5

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Disclaimer: See chapter 1

A/N: I told ya it was just gonna be a baby chapter….I wasn't kidding, LOL. Thanks to Kelli for being ever-diligent in the search for missing and misplaced commas. Thanks, also, to everyone who took the time to review. It's always so helpful to know what you think worked and what didn't. And, of course, thank you to everyone who simply read my ramblings. I'd write even if it was just for me, but I'm glad I can provide some entertainment for you!

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Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so - Douglas Adams

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The next morning, Dean and Kristine went to the main house for breakfast. The woman who normally cooked for the hunters was there and had put out an impressive amount of food. Bobby had already announced that he would be leaving before noon; his things were already in his truck.

Dean piled food on a plate and went outside to the deck with Sam, who was content with coffee and a bagel.

"How's Kristine?" Sam asked.

"She seems okay."

"Dad was thinking we should get out of here pretty soon."

"I figured, but I want to stay for a while. You mind hitching a ride with Dad?"

"Of course not."

Dean nodded in between mouthfuls of food, then looked at his brother closely.

"What?" Sam asked.

"You look relaxed; you're really okay about yesterday, huh?"

"Yeah. Well, mostly."

"Good."

---

Kristine made her customary tour of the house and spoke with the staff that was just beginning to arrive before settling in the breakfast nook with a cup of coffee and a small plate of food. John found her there when he came in for a refill of coffee.

"How are you doing?" he asked, sliding into the seat across from her.

"None the worse for wear."

"Yeah?"

She recognized the look on his face. He didn't quite believe her, but didn't feel it was his place to pry.

Kristine picked at the English muffin on her plate and avoided looking at John.

"You know," John began. "I care a lot about you. If I'd had a daughter, I'd want her to be like you."

Kristine smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "No, you wouldn't."

"I wouldn't?"

"John…."

"I don't want to interfere," he assured her. "I just….Well, like I said, I care about you."

"I know you do. I appreciate and reciprocate." She smiled at him.

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. But don't think that there's anything you can tell me that will change my mind about you." John stood up and kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

Kristine blinked back the tears as John walked away.

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Six weeks later, Kristine was back on a regular schedule with her medication and had completely recovered from her hours with Gordon. She was still seeing her hunter-friendly therapist weekly, though she took a break to go on a road trip with Dean.

When they arrived at John's house, Sam met them at the front door, an expression on his face that Dean couldn't read.

"What's going on?" he asked before any greeting.

"Dad's on the phone with one of his contacts," Sam said. "Gordon…."

"Gordon, what?" Dean asked, the worst scenario immediately popping into his head. "Sam?"

"He was attacked in the prison yard yesterday. He's been taken to a hospital and he's not expected to live."

Dean glanced at Kristine, then back to Sam.

"Oh," he wasn't sure what to say. "How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know. I mean, I'd kind of forgotten the whole thing. Sort of."

"Why is everyone standing out here?" John asked a moment later, walking up behind Sam.

Sam moved aside so Dean and Kristine could get inside. John hugged them before they continued into the house.

"What's going on with Gordon?" Dean asked as they all sat in the small living room.

It wasn't a fancy house by any means, but it was probably the nicest place John had lived since the house he shared with Mary. There were three bedrooms and his sons were welcome any time; John always encouraged them to consider this their home.

John looked at his sons, then at Kristine, and leaned back in his chair. "Gordon made some enemies in prison. They singled him out in the yard yesterday and beat the hell out of him."

"Sam said he's not expected to live," Dean mentioned.

John nodded. "That's what I hear."

"Well," Dean said, looking closely at his brother. "It couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

Sam only nodded.

"Look, I'm not going to pretend I'm sad about Gordon's current condition. I don't think I'll be too upset if we get the call that he didn't make it. He wasn't a good guy and he didn't learn from his mistakes. He went down the wrong road and lost more than his way. But we didn't come here for this conversation," Dean said.

John looked at him curiously and Dean reached for Kristine's hand. "We've done a lot of talking in the last few weeks and….We're getting married."

John and Sam shared the same shocked expression. After a moment, Sam joked. "Kristine, are you sure you want to marry this guy? I mean, come on! This guy?"

John waved off his younger son and stood up to properly congratulate Dean and his soon to be daughter-in-law. Sam followed suit and soon Gordon was forgotten.

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That night, Kristine lay in bed listening to the sounds of the house. She was happy, but more than that, she was content. She loved the Winchesters; John and Sam felt like family and she knew they felt the same way about her. Being married to a hunter wouldn't be easy; especially a hunter who was so close to his family. But it wouldn't be any harder than just being in love with one. Her feelings for Dean were the same whether they were in the same place, or not.

She heard someone in the kitchen and, suspecting it was Sam, she quietly got out of bed. She was wearing sweats and a light, long-sleeved t-shirt and padded out of the bedroom, standing just outside of Sam's field of vision. He was at the round table, hands around a glass of milk and his head down. She had second thoughts about disturbing him, but she hadn't had the chance to really talk to him since her rescue from Gordon and she suspected he was taking the recent news harder than he had let on earlier.

"Hey," she smiled, walking into the room.

He looked up, clearly startled. "Hey. I hope I didn't wake you."

"No, you didn't." Kristine poured a glass of milk for herself and settled in a chair across from him. "Do you mind?"

"Of course not. You know," he smiled at her. "I'm really happy for you and Dean."

She returned the smile. "Thanks. The nice thing is, we're both going into this with our eyes wide open. We know it won't be easy, and there are still some things to work out, but we'll make it."

He smiled, somewhat sadly, Kristine thought. She wondered if he was thinking about Jessica and Madison.

"Sam?"

He looked at her, a curious expression on his face.

"We never really talked after….well, after that night with Gordon. I hope you don't regret your decision, or blame yourself for what happened to Gordon since."

"I thought maybe you were disappointed that I didn't kill him that night," Sam said, trying to hide behind the bangs that were always too long.

"Aw, Sam, I'm sorry. No, that's not how I felt at all. I think you would have regretted killing him and I'm glad you didn't do it. And what's happened to him now? That's not your fault."

"I know."

"So, what's wrong?" she asked gently.

"I guess hearing about him again brought the feelings back. When I first heard that he was out there after me, I flashed back to when the demon was after me. All those years of having something on my tail…."

"It can't be easy. But you had your brother and your dad…."

Sam nodded. "I know. That helped, but…."

Kristine watched as he shrugged and took a long drink from the glass.

"Sam," Kristine leaned forward. "Do you still blame yourself for what happened with the demon?"

He glanced away giving Kristine her answer.

"It's not your fault. Nothing the demon did, from killing your mother to killing mine, is your fault. You're as much a victim as the rest of us."

"I keep trying to believe that."

"I don't blame you and neither does your father."

Sam nodded. "Thanks."

She touched his hand and then finished her milk. "I'm going back to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

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Gordon didn't survive the night and John got word of his death the next morning. Kristine was glad to see that Sam reacted well to the news and when they spoke again later, he assured her that he really was all right.

Over the next couple of months, Kristine and Dean began to make plans for the wedding. Kristine had a few pangs of depression when she thought about her mother, but her girlfriends were there to help make decisions and Ellen helped out with other things that the bride's mother normally would have.

It was a small, casual affair in one of the gardens at the estate four months later. It was mid-morning in early spring and Kristine's favorite plants were in bloom. The sky was a brilliant blue and held a few puffy, white clouds. The only guests were close friends and family with an obligatory formal reception for the proper dignitaries planned for later that evening. Despite the happiness of the day, there were two people sorely missed by the Winchesters. Pastor Jim and Caleb had been casualties in the war with the yellow-eyed demon and their absence at such a momentous event was felt deeply.

It had been a busy several months between wedding plans, a few hunts and every day life. They'd been relieved to have one less thing to worry about when Gordon died and none of them, not even John, gave Dave Elliot another thought. As far as they knew, he was locked away in a state facility, still raving about vampires.

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Even though security had been beefed up at the estate, it was still difficult to keep someone out who was determined to get in; especially when so much of the land was still not landscaped. It was easy enough to get past the cameras and sensors and hide in the woods. A pair of simple binoculars made it possible to watch what was going on just about anywhere.

There were people coming and going throughout the morning, but no one noticed the nondescript man who walked along the street outside the estate gates. No one saw him walking by and no one noticed when he veered off the road and into the woods. Similarly, no one thought to look into the woods and the glint of sunlight off the binocular lenses was unobserved.

Later, they would find out that Dave Elliot had walked out of the state hospital wearing the uniform of a guard he had just murdered. But for now, while John danced with his new daughter-in-law and Dean stood next to his brother with a huge grin on his face, there was too much happiness to think of anything unpleasant.

fin