Slamming the front door, Dean sighed. After one last glance at the house that he'd called home for seven years, he shouldered his duffelbag and made his way down the garden path. The snow was starting to pile up on it again and Dean smirked.
'Guess I won't be clearing that up tomorrow!' he thought as he stepped onto the sidewalk. His last stuff was in the duffel, and he'd told Bobby and Sam he would see them at Bobby's place. The snow was falling thick and fast, but Dean stoïcly trudged on, as snow clung to his jacket and stuck in his hair. His lashes caught the flakes and they melted on his cheeks when he blinked.

Normally, Dean noticed cars as he walked, but his mind was too numb to see the '78 Continental Mark 5 that slowly drove by. He just dragged his feet through the snow on his way to the salvage. He knew it was a bit of a hike until he got to the edge of town and would hail a cab, but he felt he needed the time to give everything buzzing through his head it's own place.

Two blocks along the Continental drove by again, but by now Dean was so cold and caught up in his own swirling emotions, that it could have driven right up to him, and he wouldn't notice until it hit. The car slowed even more and stopped. The driver pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number while worriedly staring at Dean's retreating back.

Dean was starting to loose the feeling in is toes and his hands were almost frozen around the strap of his duffel, when a black and white patrolcar pulled up to the curb in front of him. He didn't notice, until the whiteness around him lit up, alternating blue and red.
"Dean Winchester! You damn fool! Get in here!" a clear, female voice called out.
Dean chuckled as he recognised it.

"Heya Sherrif. What are you doing here?"
A dark figure, shorter than him, with a thick parka on, exited the car.
"Might ask you the same thing, buster. Where are you headed in this abysmal weather?"
Dean looked up, as if noticing the flurry for the first time.
"Bobby's. I... I just..."
The Sherrif had walked right up to him and was now scrutinising him with that 'mom-stare' she had.
"Zip it. You're coming with me."

Dean spluttered.
"But... I... you... Jodes..."
Jody brushed her hair out of her eyes and sighed.
"I ain't taking you in, Dean. I'm taking you to Bobby's. It's 10 degrees out, and with windchill we're down to 5. Don't make me kick your butt."
Heaving a relieved sigh, Dean dumped his duffel on the back seat and tried to get in next to it.
"Winchester! Didn't I just say I wasn't taking you in? Shotgun, pal. Pronto. I'm freezing my ass off."

Chuckling, Dean slid in the passenger seat.
"Yes ma'am." he cheeked.
"Shut up. What were you thinking, going on foot in these conditions?"
Dean bit his lip, then rubbed it. His cheeks were stinging in the relative warmth of the car, but he couldn't tell for certain that it wasn't a blush.
"I guess I underestimated it..."
Jody huffed.
"No shit, Sherlock. You ok there?"
Dean slowly shook his head.
"I don't know. I will be. Once I'm home."

The signifigance of that remark wouldn't have passed a blind elephant, and Jody was a sharp tack.
"Home, huh? Allright. I'll get you there, safe and sound."
She started the car and carefully pulled away from the curb, tyres crunching the fresh snow under their snow chains.
"You just sit your pretty ass there and warm up, ok buddy?" Jody said in a caring tone, patting Dean on the knee.
"Yes ma'am." Dean said again, but this time his tone was thankful. No cheek.
The warmth in the car, along with everything else, had Dean nodding in no time. Before they'd reached the first intersection, he was asleep, head against the window.

"Bobby. Hi. It's Jody."
Dean snorted and sat up. Peering out of the snow clogged window, he noticed they were nearly at Bobby's.
"Hi there, Sherrif. What can I do for ya?" came Bobby's voice from the speaker.
Jody glanced at Dean sideways.
"Nothing much. Just get ready for your boy to get in. I picked him up on West Jordan. Would you believe he was walking?"
Dean cringed, knowing full well how Bobby would react.
"Balls! That idjet! You get his ass over here asap. We need to check him for frostbite, and chew him out for pulling that."
Jody smirked at Dean, who huddled deeper in his jacket.
"Good thing he was wearing his leather, and not that damned peacoat." she quipped and winked.
"Yeah. Damn peachy. See ya soon, Jody."
Jody shook her head at that and rang off.

When they pulled up on the driveway off of Sundowner, Dean sighed.
In the golden light spilling out of the doorway, he saw the silhouets of his brother and surrogate father slash boss. Worry radiated off them like heat of a blacktop. Before Jody even shut the engine off, Sam was opening his door.
"Dean! Are you ok?"
Trying a wan smile, Dean looked into those hazel eyes, now mossgreen with worry.
"Peachy, Sammy. Jodes kept me from turning into a popsicle."

Jody scoffed.
"Sure. Only just. And all because a concerned guy called me to say he saw you, wandering around. He said, and I quote: "He looks lost and heartbroken. I fear he might do something stupid." What's the deal here, guys?"
Dean groaned.
"Can we get inside, please? I'll fill you in there."
Jody looked at Bobby, then at Sam, who both nodded and Dean found himself being hoisted up by his sasquatch brother.
"C'mon then, Dean. Time for a fireside chair and a good drink."
Dean let Sam manhandle him inside and out of his jacket and boots, but he drew the line when Sam tried to undo his jeans.
"I'm good, Sam. They'll dry out, or I'll take em off later."

Once Dean was pampered, wrapped in a warm blanket, hot Cocoa (which may or may not have a shot of something 'medicinal') in hand, and a good licking about not being an idjet and wandering off in the blistering South Dakota winter, Jody finally got her chance.

"Dean, why does an anonymous male, who knew exactly who you are, call me to tell me he fears you might do something stupid, like walk all the way here in an impending blizzard with lows nearing 5 degrees?"
Sam sighed and Bobby sat back, clearly leaving the answering all up to Dean.
"I... I left Lisa."
There. He said it. It was final now. No turning back.
Jody gasped, then leaned in, lower arms resting on her knees, hands clasped together.
"Honey... why? What happened?"
Her compassionate tone, the worry evident, made Dean bite down on his lip to not let the tears escape. He'd cried enough about this in the solitude of his bedroom, those times when Lisa was 'working late' and he'd known he would smell strange cologne on her when she got in.

"She cheated on me. With Brady, and probably others too. It's been going on for ages now."
Jody put her hands over her mouth.
"And... the baby?"
Dean scoffed, a bitter scowl on his handsome face.
"87% sure it is not mine. I overheard her talking to that friend of hers, Lilith. She said she used protection with Brady, but halfway through that talk she seemed ok with stopping, just to get pregnant."
He shook his head.
"I know I've been busy and tired lately, but not that much. I usually put out, you know. But after I overheard that, I just couldn't. Sometimes I did, to not have to fight, or suffer her silent treatment the next day, but... No. When I didn't know, we tried. She never got pregnant, and all of a sudden, a few months after that talk, she does... Nope, not buying what she's selling."

Jody shook her head.
"I... I don't know what to say, hon. Just... I'm glad you left. This must have been killing you. When did you find out?"
Dean sipped his Cocoa (definitely with something 'medicinal' in it) and answered.
"May. Just after Sammy's birthday."
Confused, Jody tilted her head.
"Dean, it's December, almost Christmas. Why wait this long?"

Dean just stared at the fire, and Sam stepped in.
"Legalities mostly. They bought the house together, a lot of stuff was on both their names. Even if they weren't married, a lot of things had to be taken care of."
His slender hand came to rest on Dean's shoulder, transfering a calm and consoling energy. Dean lay his head on Sam's hand in appreciation.
"Bobby and I emptied the house of most of Dean's stuff tonight, while they were at the Christmas party at Lisa's office."

Jody widened her eyes at that.
"Oh God... the party... you... you still sang?"
A vindictive satisfaction coursed through Dean.
"Heh... I did. My parting gift, so to say. She should get it by now..."
At Jody's puzzled look, Sam clarified in a whisper.
"He sang 'Save me.' by Queen..."
Dean could see Jody browsing her mental catalogue for the song, and when she found it, her eyes widened comically.
"Oh wow... Brutal..."

Dean smiled grimly around the lip of his cup.
"True though. I only sing from the heart. And this was what was in it."
He curled up in the chair and effectively excluded himself from any conversations. He could hear Sam, Bobby and Jody talk about him, Lisa and what had happened, but he didn't register anything. He watched the flames and oddly enough, the only thing on his mind was: who was that guy that had called Jody? And how did he know Dean?