Road Trip!

AN: Some dark thoughts. Enjoy and tell me what you think!

The Winchesters had all agreed to go south for a bit and maybe pick up a case there. The ride was uncomfortably silent, so it left Ashley time to think about what Bobby had said to her. Ashley had spent most of her life being watched over by either Sam or Dean, it wasn't until Sam died the first time that she was on her own and forced to take care of someone else.

Dean wasn't happy to be patient number 1, but with drinking himself into a stupor every night Dean left Ashley no other choice. Many times over Ashley dragged Dean's ass from the bathroom to the velvet couch and stripped off his jeans to wash them of his own sick. Since Ashley had to drag Dean's dead weight over and over again so many times, she actually pulled something in her back and was constantly in pain and barely able to move.

When Dean had one year left to live is when the reality of being all on her own hit her. Sam and Dean bonded over those last few moments and she was pushed into the background. After Dean died, Sam got quiet and would sometimes disappear for weeks on end. When Sammy was around though, he was picking up her broken depressed ass from bars and bathrooms, one time it was from a pool of blood after she cut "legs shaving". Sam never judged, but he never stuck around after picking her up long enough to see if she really was alright.

Ashley remembered the day Dean came back from Hell clear as could be. Bobby tracked her down, she let him in without even looking at her guests, it wasn't until Dean hugged her around the waist from behind did she realize he was that second person with Bobby- that was the happiest moment of her short life.

It all turned bad again when Sam dove into the pit. For the few days before Dean left to go to Lisa, Dean saved her from getting herself killed all for a crossroads bargain. Dean was less help than Sam was though, because he never came back after disappearing. Bobby was her only family left at that point, so she had to take care of herself.

So Bobby really had no leg to stand on when he said what he did yesterday, she was fully self-sufficient! But maybe he was telling her to watch out more for the boys?

Ashley's thoughts were interrupted by Sam opening up her door. "Hey" he said, watching the thought shrink from her eyes "can we switch? My legs are cramped and dean wants a break too."

"Oh yeah, sure" Ashley said standing up in the middle of the gas station. She hated wearing shoes in the car, so she padded up to the driver's seat and brushed the Southern dust off her scorching feet and placed them on the cool metal peddles.

"Still going to Louisiana?" she clarified before Dean finished feeding his baby, a nod was all she got out of Sam.

"Good" she said to herself. Ashley was into the New Age metaphysics movement and was always looking for herbs and crystals; Louisiana was bustling with both.

Dean finally got back into the car and was nice enough to pick her up a "Lo-carb Monster" energy drink. The gesture had surprised her, but she knew it was because of the blank stare she had plastered on her face for the last 10 hours of his driving, so she simply smiled as she wedged it in between her legs and pulled back on US-65 South.

She was glad for the iPod she shared with Sam, because 15 minutes in and both Winchester boys were snoring up a storm. Ashley was always happy to drive, and Dean was less hesitant to let her drive because of how fast she learned clutch and since she knew her way under a hood. All Ashley could think about was getting herself a bunch of cash from hustling pool and making new gris-gris bags for herself and the boys, plus indulging in new crystals and a new Oracle deck. While she was there, she might even go get her chakras checked by a local Reiki healer, and that thought made her jitter with excitement (and a little caffeine).

Before she even realized it had been 8 hours, the sign stating they were coming up to New Orleans crossed the windshield, the excitement had finally boiled over.

"Dean! We're here" she said poking him in his thigh.

"Good" he said sitting up and clearing his throat "Sammy, rise and shine Sleeping Beauty" he said fully energized again.

The Winchesters had gotten settled in the motel room, but Ashley couldn't wait any longer, partly due to the Monster.

"Look, I'm going to get me some cash before I turn in, anyone want to come with?"

"Naah, go have fun Killer" Dean said flopping down in front of the TV while Sam walked into the shower.

Ashley had played it off perfectly; she looked like a hot mess with a girly drink splashing around in her hand. The biker she played bet her $500 she wouldn't win despite all her bragging, but she did! When the biker realized he had been played, she ran up to the bartender and got away with an extra $500. She couldn't wait to tell her brothers, so she started home.

"That's my girl" Dean said taking the total $800.00 winnings from where she was waving it around.

"Yeah, and tomorrow your 'girl' is going to restock on herbs and gris-gris bags, you want anything specific?" she asked snatching back the wad of cash.

"I'll give you a list tomorrow" Sam said looking up from the page he was reading on his laptop.

"Sweet" she said sitting down on her side of the bed and allowing the tipsy feeling to run its course out of her system. "How do you always do it?" she shot the question at Dean not realizing she had even opened her mouth.

"Do what?" Dean asked confused to hell and back.

"Drive for hours on end and not be exhausted and sore as shit?"

"Cuz I like it" he said with a smirk as he stuffed his face with another handful of fries.

"Well I'm going to bed" she said changing in the bathroom.

"Weakling" Dean said as she walked past towards the bed.

"See you in the morning Ash" Sam said looking over John's journal.