Back at the Sunset Motel, peace has returned after the incident earlier that day. The Impala is parked in front of the building across from Linwood Cemetery, the black paintjob shimmers beautifully in the pale moonlight. It's almost midnight when Zoë, accompanied by the two Winchester brothers walks out. Zoë had time to change, but the boys are soaked through, yet they don't seem to care. The temperatures are warm and pleasant, neither of them feel cold. Zoë is carrying a backpack over her shoulder and holds her helmet in the other hand.
"That's that then", Dean sighs satisfied as he halts by his Chevrolet.
"One down, a whole but load to go", Zoë states rationally.
"True enough", Sam realizes as he walks over to the passenger side.
"You made your deadline though", Dean brings to mind.
He leans his arms on the hardtop and looks over at her, while she strolls to her Harley Davidson. As she goes, she glances at her watch.
"Not yet, but at least I'll make it in time for the big show", she smiles and observes the boys.
"What about you two? Texas?", Zoë checks.
"Yep, Waco", Sam specifies.
Zoë nods approving, they can see from her reaction that she knows the place.
"When you're in town, stop by at Honeybee Ham & Deli. I tell ya, their ham and turkey is awesome", Zoë advises.
"Will do", Dean smiles happy as he pictures the plate full of juicy meat.
"What about you?", Sam wants to know.
Zoë climbs in the saddle of her Road King, which faces the boys. She doesn't put her helmet on just yet though. Her good mood disappears when she's confronted with what's coming.
"I'm going up north", she answers vague.
A silence follows and Dean glances at Sam over the top of his car. Both the boys sense that something's up, but Zoë made it clear to Sam that she can't talk about it.
"If you need a hand…", Sam starts carefully.
"No, I don't. Really guys, you need to stay out of this one. It's not your fight", Zoë says stern.
"That bad, huh?", Dean comments.
"It's just something I need to take care off. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the help you gave me here, but this is personal business", she answers, looking from one to the other.
"Whatever you do, don't follow me", she presses them.
"We have our own issues", Sam assures.
Zoë huffs sarcastically. "Oh yeah? Like what?"
Both the boys stay silent and Zoë realizes where Sam was going for.
"Your Dad?", she checks serious.
"We want to find him. He's probably after that demon by himself", Sam states determined.
For a moment Dean observes his brother when he hears the will in his voice. He knows he can fight him, hell he can start an argument with him right now, but what would it matter? Sam isn't easily convinced, not when it comes to this. He wants to find Dad and kill that demon so desperately, it's becoming an obsession. When he looks back at Zoë, he's a bit caught of guard by her eyes, who stare directly at him. She has been reading him all the time.
"Seems like you do have your own issues", she comments as she put her helmet on.
"Sure you can ride?", Dean checks with her.
Zoë glances at him through her visor; he has a point. She doesn't feel great at all. Her head is still spinning from the blow, she probably suffered a bit of a concussion. Her body aches and a 520 mile bike ride isn't going to improve that. She would love to settle down in a motel and get some sleep, which she normally does after an exhausting hunt. This time things are different, there's just too little time.
"I don't have much choice, Winchester", she sighs. "I'd better get going".
"Be careful", Sam warns friendly.
Zoë only responds with a smile and looks down. It's funny, all this time she has been fighting the Winchester boys, but now that she's about to leave, she feels like lingering.
"I hope you'll find your dad", she says out of the blue.
A bit surprised the brothers look up at her, where the hell did that came from?
"He's your family. I know he can be a pain, but he's family. Treasure that as long as you can", she says wise.
Sam nods agreeing, she's right. The last time he saw his father, he left with a huge fight. Ever since he is afraid he might never see him again, that he'll never get the chance to say he's sorry. That's what he is, sorry. He knows he's not the only one to blame in this, but he bailed on both his brother and his father and chose his own path. That's how it feels anyway. Zoë knows loss, she lost her father in an unforgivable and certainly unforgettable way. And it's that fact that makes both Dean and Sam realize that these wise words are coming straight from the heart. She looks at them with a smile on her face, a satisfied one. It's odd, she looks at them as if she doesn't expect to see them ever again. Then Zoë kicks her ignition, but before she takes of, Dean calls out for her.
"See you around", he says.
As he watches her response, Zoë huffs. Not likely, she realizes, not pronouncing the words out loud. She gives them a last nod and gasses it up. With a loud roar her Harley Davidson hits the highway. Both brothers watch her red tale light getting smaller, then she disappears out of sight. Silently they stare up the road, both thinking about what she just said. Sam is the first one to reply on it.
"Did she just… say goodbye?", he checks, making sure he didn't just interpreted her words wrong.
Dean doesn't respond and forks his fingers together as he stares in the distance.
"As in… for good?", Sam adds.
He glares at his older brother, who ponders. Then he shakes his head and opens his car door. Sam takes his example and settles in the passenger seat. Dean seems to have made up his mind and turns the ignition. Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac sounds trough the cabin as soon as the radio switches on automatically, now that the engine is running.
"Are we going after her?", Sam wants to know.
"No", Dean responds, annoyed by the fact that for a split second, he was thinking it himself. "She's a big girl, Sam. She can take care of herself".
"That's what you said last time", the youngest of the two bounces back.
"That was bad luck, everyone makes mistakes. It's not our job to protect fellow hunters, it's our job to protect innocents", Dean brings to mind.
"If Zoë's in trouble, she's innocent", Sam comments.
"Believe me, Sam. Zoë is everything but innocent", the eldest comments.
"I dunno man. I think she's after something big, or something big is after her", Sam stares through the windshield in the direction where Zoë disappeared just moments ago.
"So she's on a big fish", Dean states nonchalant. "If she needs our help, she'll call".
"No, she won't", Sam knows better than that.
Dean looks aside and observes his brother for a moment.
"I thought you were so determined to find Dad?", he questions.
"I am", Same confirms.
"Then why the hell do you care so much for some girl, Sam? We have better things to do. There's a werewolf on the loose last time I checked and I don't see why we should be bothering ourselves tracking down a hunter who's fine by her own and is not keen on our company", he comments annoyed, after which he quotes her. 'Whatever you do, do not follow me'. Her words, dude".
Sam gives in with a sigh, maybe he's right. Zoë made it pretty clear that she doesn't want them on her tail, maybe they should just let her be. But deep inside he feels differently. Something tells him that something bad is going to happen to her. Pondering he stares ahead.
"Seriously, if you want me to believe that you don't have a major crush on her, you'll have to do better than this", Dean's green eyes sparkle as he carefully looks aside.
His younger brother glares at him, but decides not to respond. Dean is making fun about it, but he's not sure himself if, or what he feels for Zoë. She's such an extraordinary girl, with this strange isolated personality. She's weird in so many aspects. Most of the time she's a total bitch, a smart ass who can't shut up and always knows better. But there's something about her and he can't put his finger on it. There's a connection between them, if they like it or not.
"So? Waco then?", Sam decides to change the subject.
"Waco it is", Dean states satisfied.
He turns the Impala and is about to hit the gas, as he hears a strange clicking sound from his trunk as he drives over a speed bump while exiting the parking lot of the Sunset Motel. He noticed it earlier, but didn't bother to take a look.
"What is that?", he asks out loud, looking over his shoulder.
"Sounds like your trunk isn't closed properly", Sam says.
Dean stops the car in the middle of the exit and gets out. Sam stares in his back mirror, but can't spot his brother. When he roles down the window and turns his head, he sees Dean, almost boiling of rage.
"What?", Sam wants to know as he gets out.
He joins his brother and beholds the back of the Impala. The frame of the trunk is badly damaged and scratched; apparently someone used a large object in order to get in. Someone like Zoë. For a moment they just stare at the car without saying a word. The youngest of the two doesn't flinch, Dean on the other hand grinds his teeth and clenches his fists as if a volcano is about to erupt. Sam realizes that Zoë is one lucky girl that he didn't notice it before, when she was still around.
"Insulting her is one thing, but this…", Dean spits furious. "I'm gonna kill her, I am SO gonna kill her".
"Calm down", Sam tries to ease.
"Calm down? SHE SCREWED UP MY CAR!", he shouts pissed as he turns red.
He slams the trunk and pushes it down hard, but it doesn't lock as it should. Then he walks back to the front and gets behind the wheel again. Quickly Sam sits down next to him, not wanting to piss him off even more. Dean is on the edge right now, one wrong move, comment or facial expression and he'll explode. Dean squeezes the blood out of his hands on the wheel, as he hits the gas and leaves the exit with spinning tires. Sam gulps and uncomfortably leans back. The day that Dean got this car from Dad, he learned a very important lesson; If you mess with the Impala, you mess with Dean.
"For the record", he starts off, holding back. "This wasn't the last time we saw Sullivan".
"It wasn't?", Sam carefully questions.
"Oh, we'll see her again", he grinds. "And I'm gonna kick her ass big time when that time comes".
Poor Zoë, Sam can't help to think. A part of him hopes they'll indeed never run in to her again. What are the odds? America is a big country, he just has to hope for the best. Sam glances outside into the dark night and grins. She's probably laughing her ass off on her bike right at this very moment, she knows he would find out sooner or later. That Zoë Sullivan, she left an impression alright. And something tells him that their paths will collide again, maybe even sooner than expected.