Hey everyone, chapter 4 is here for you to enjoy, please review, if you can find the time. Lots of fun...

Songs used; Falling by Staind and an old time favourite of many; Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel


Chapter 4: Goodbye

The morning sun was just about to rise when the Impala and Mustang were finally parked next to each other in the lot of the Super 8 motel in Champaign, Illinois. After a 15hour drive, 3 stops and a no sleep both Dean and Lena were glad to be there at last.

'This looks charming,' Julie said when she saw the distressed look on Sam's face. He seemed embarrassed about bringing her to a roach motel but the girls had insisted on it. Where else would they get privacy like that?

'I'll go check us in,' Dean said grabbing Lena by the hand. He sensed that Julie and Sam could use a moment. Dean didn't care what Lena thought, he figured she knew him well enough by now that she wouldn't expect the Ramada Inn and he was sure Julie wouldn't either but poor Sam, always wants the best for his girl.

'Are you sure, we could drive somewhere else and find something more up to,' Sam paused.

'My standards?' Julie asked finishing Sam's sentence, 'Sam I have seen much worse and I am a lot more adventurous than this. Come on! I have spent many nights at Chris and Andy's and their couch is being held together by ducked tape!'

Sam laughed at Julie's comparison.

'Okay fine, we can look at this as our pre-honeymoon suite, so you wont mind if we stay somewhere similar after the wedding' he said hugging her.

'Well...'

'I'm kidding Julz, the panic across your face is pretty hilarious though.'

Julie hit him playfully in the gut. Truth was she didn't care where she was, ever, as long as she was with Sam.

Dean and Lena were on their way back when Dean saw that everything between Julz and Sam was just peachy, he couldn't hide his contentment and squeezed Lena's hand softly, twice. Though he knew it was the wrong attitude he couldn't help but enjoy the fact that the girls were there. Now they could see how good they were at what they do, show themselves when they are completely in their element.

While Sam was outside with Dean figuring out what to do first, Julie was inspecting the room. She saw the flyer for porn and just rolled her eyes at it, she couldn't believe how cliché this place really was. She dropped the bag on the floor not bothering to empty it. She went to lay down on the bed but because she didn't feel tired she picked up the newspaper she had bought in the last gas station. She went through it pretty quickly and accidently stumbled on an article that peaked her interest.

**********

Julie didn't know how to react, she was shocked, sad and she didn't understand. They were too late? She went over to the other room where Lena was on the verge of falling asleep, she hesitated but decided to wake her friend, she stood on the balcony seeing the boys discussing something.

'Guys,' she yelled down. Both looked up.

'Family meeting, now!'

The brothers looked at each other incomprehensibly but did what they were told. Everyone was now in Julz and Sam's room. Lena almost asleep as she had laid her head on Dean's lap. He was stroking her hair gently, though they were always playful around others, it were the little things that had Julie convinced they were truly in love.

'I've got some bad news, our little trip might be cut really short.' She threw the paper into Sam's direction.

'I can't believe it,' Sam said.

Lena felt the atmosphere changing and propped up to see what exactly was going on, when she saw the article her state of awareness changed and sleep was suddenly the least of her priorities. She just sat there, unable to speak.

'Hun, are you okay?' Dean finally asked.

'I killed her.' The words she uttered went through bone and marrow with everyone in the room, it were not the words per se, it was more the fact that all life had drained from her voice, she was no longer the bubbly girl, she saw herself as the murderess of an innocent.

'No, no, no, you didn't kill anyone.' Dean said.

Both Sam and Julie shook their head in disagreement and added a couple of sympathetic no, no's as they tried to convince her she's not at fault.

'Yeah I did, I am the worst kind of person. I turned my back on someone who needed help. How can you all sit there and pretend it's not true!' She said while her voice was thick with tears.

'Lena, stop it! We're going to find out what happened here, and I'll prove to you once and for all that you are not the killer here.'

'Yeah you do that,' Lena said in the same flat voice as she turned around and headed for the door. She made way for her car and drove off. Dean didn't try to stop her. He knew the feeling guilt all too well and knew she needed some time to deal with everything.

'Okay, we have to find out what the hell happened between then and now. She called about 7 days ago, and she died 4 days later. We'll have to search the house and go to the morgue.'

'We have to go to the morgue today,' Sam added.

'Okay I'll bite, why?'

'The funeral is tomorrow.' Sam said typing on his laptop.

'Right it'll be harder then, wouldn't it? Fine let's go.' Dean said grabbing his jacket.

Julie got up taking her own jacket.

'Hun, you're not coming with. We don't know what we may find, but it will not be a pretty sight.'

Julie suddenly felt obsolete but knew not to argue.

'Just give me something else to do then, else I'll go mad here on my own.'

'Research! You know your way around a computer?' Dean asked but he knew it was a stupid question, she was Sam's girl after all. He had always suspected Sam using geek language as some sort of foreplay. Julie just cocked her head at the question.

'So what am I looking for exactly?'

'Strange happenings in the neighbourhood, electric storms, flickering lights,...' Sam said.

'Anything out of the ordinary really,' Dean added.

'Okay, I think I can manage.'

'Whatever you do, keep your phone with you at all times and please don't go anywhere without me.'

'Sam, it's clear daylight out, I don't need a bodyguard, please. If I want to go out I'll go out!'

'Fine, just be careful okay, and don't do anything stupid.'

'I wont,' she said.

Sam stopped by the door, pecked her on the lips and took off after his brother.

'Man you can be over protective,' Dean remarked.

'Bite me!'

**********

Dean and Sam pulled up at the morgue, it looked like it was open, the boys hadn't counted on it.

'Damn it,' Dean said.

'What are we going to do?'

'Well I guess we can still try and lie our way in.'

'Yeah 'cause we look so damn convincing.'

Dean popped the hood to take out some fake ID's. Looking in the trunk he had a pleasant surprise. He hadn't looked in the trunk since they had left home.

Sam saw that Dean was smiling and shaking his head in disbelief.

'What is it?'

'Our women, Sammy, our women.' He said proudly, while he took out the two suits Lena and Julie had remembered to bring.

Confident now as Fed's they walked into the morgue's office.

'This is agent Frusciante and I am agent Smith.' Dean said so confidently, he had this routine down to the last letter, and showed the badges.

'We'd like to see the body of Allie Lipton.'

'Why would the feds be interested in that?' the clerk asked suspiciously, 'it was a suicide.'

Dean and Sam were taken aback, they hadn't bothered to check what the cause of the death was, they were certain there was some supernatural involved.

'Just some routine check-up.' Sam said.

'Okay, I guess.' The clerk led them to the body.

'Would you mind giving us the autopsy report?' Sam asked.

'There is no autopsy report, the cause of death was pretty solid. Two slit wrists,' he said pulling out the corpse.

When he opened the white bag Dean had to catch his breath. He hadn't expected to feel this way, but the girl lying there was definitely Allie Lipton. She looked as pale as she did back in that warehouse. Dean's world was crashing down on him like it had last time they had met.

'Would you mind giving us a sec.' Sam asked, sensing Dean needed a moment.

'You guys aren't going to do anything nasty now are you?' The clerk said eyeing them suspiciously.

'I will charge you with a 10.41 if you make such an accusation again.' Sam said. The clerk retreated and left the brothers to it.

'Dean I can handle this on my own if you want, no big deal.'

'No Sam, I'm fine. Seriously.'

He looked at Allie's lifeless body and he shook off the chills that were running down his spine.

Sam took the arms to inspect the supposedly cause of death.

'Spill it Sammy, what's your idea on the cause of death?'

'Suicide,' Sam sighed, not understanding one bit of this case.

'C'mon there has to be something, this just reeks of the supernatural.'

'Take a look yourself, the hesitation marks are there, the angles are correct, the amount of pressure a 120 pond girl can master, it all fits. There is no doubt in my mind that these wounds were self-inflicted.'

'Fine then,' Dean said frustrated and angry, 'then we're going to find out why.'

'Why? We came here to help a girl but it looks like she needed a shrink and not us. Let's just call it a day and go home.'

'The hell we are!' Dean was now yelling, 'she called me Sam, me! And now she's dead, and I am gonna find out who did this or at least why she did this. I made a promise.'

Sam now remembered the warehouse pretty vividly, he saw his brother catching the girl when he cut her loose. Dean kept saying 'I got you,' he knew his brother was still haunted by that day, by those images and by her. So without a word he complied, remembering so clearly the sacrifice Dean had made by pulling himself out of that dream world, he couldn't disappoint his brother and tell him that there was no use. Dean clearly needed some sort of closure on this subject, else he would never let it rest.

'Okay fine,' he said calming his brother, 'we'll do whatever it takes.'

'Thank you,' Dean said, straightening his back and walking out of the morgue with his head held high, overcompensating how he really felt.

**********

Dean could barely remember the last time he slept, so he went back to his room, hoping he would find Lena there, though he wasn't in the mood to talk her presence would have calmed him down, disappointed he saw that the Mustang was nowhere to be found.

Sam entered his room and saw Julie typing away on the laptop.

'Hey I'm back,' Sam said, 'thanks for the suit.'

'Yeah I thought you might need that. So what did you find out?'

'Well it's definitely a suicide but it's weird. Why would she call us? Things just don't add up.'

'A suicide? That doesn't seem right.'

'No, I know that's just it. What did you found out?'

'Honestly, not much. No electrical storms, no cattle deaths, no strange deaths in the area, no flickering lights, no muggings, it's been really quiet around here.'

'Like something's coming quiet or just your run in the mill standard town happenings quiet?'

'More the average kind, I just don't see anything unusual. Maybe you should give it a try, my eyes are tired, I am going to take a nap.'

'Did you speak to Lena,' Sam asked while he took his seat in front of his laptop.

'No, I tried to call but my guess is she's ignoring calls.'

'Hm...'

Julie went to lie on the bed and she fell into a restless sleep pretty quickly. Sam couldn't stand his girl lying there in a sleazy motel, being plagued by nightmares and questions. He needed to get out of the room before he did something stupid.

Sam stopped by Dean's room and saw that he was vast asleep and wouldn't wake up for the next ten hours or so. He snaked the keys to the Impala and made way to the car.

Sam didn't have any trouble spotting the Mustang. He parked on the same lot, which apparently belonged to some shady bar, called Kugel's Keg. He sat behind the wheel for a moment contemplating if it was his place to go in. He figured it was 'cause after all, they weren't just friends, they were practically family and he loved her.

When he entered he saw Lena at the far end of the bar, she was staring outside, her laptop was in front of her, she was drinking tequila and smoking again.

'One beer please,' Sam ordered taking the seat next to hers.

'What are you doing here?' She said as flat and lifeless as before, still staring outside.

'Julz and Dean are sleeping, thought I'd take a drive,' he said confidently.

'Cut the bull, I am out of here,' Lena stood up smacking her laptop shut and almost falling over her own feet. Sam grabbed her by her upper arm.

'Sit down, you're not going anywhere, don't be stupid.' Sam said a little too menacing, 'I want to talk.'

'Let me go Sam.' She said with so much sadness in her eyes.

'Is this guy bothering you miss?' A friendly biker seizing the opportunity to come of as a chivalrous knight and whisking away the damsel in distress.

Lena was tempted to test which one would make it.

'Yes he is but don't worry, I can handle myself.' She wanted to avoid the biker getting hurt.

The biker looked ready to prance and Sam saw it.

'Just family business, man, she's my sister.'

The biker looked confused at Lena and she confirmed this statement with a nod. The biker left the odd pair and Sam, still holding Lena's upper-arm, pulled her back to her seat?

'You were going to get my ass kicked?' Sam asked stunned by her actions.

'You wanted to talk, talk.' She said sitting back down. Sam signalled the barkeep to poor her another tequila.

'You're smoking again.'

'I heard it kills you faster but just not fast enough,' she answered.

'Look Lena, you have to know it's not your fault.'

'How can you say that Sam? After all you and Dean have been through for the past two decades, how can you sit across from me saying that?' she said while her eyes were welling up.

'You want to know the cold hard facts?' Sam asked, not paying attention to the tears.

'Yes'

'We just went to the morgue's, she killed herself, three days after she called your house.'

'Yeah right,'

'It's true I inspected the wounds myself,'

'Something must have happened, why else did she call?'

'That's what we're staying for, Dean is very set on finding out what happened to her.' Speaking of Dean made Lena's mind do overtime, she suddenly wondered how he was. It must have brought back a lot of memories and not the best ones.

'Look Lena, I know how you are feeling, believe me. The only thing you can do is help us figure out what went wrong. After we do that the only thing you'll have to do is forgive yourself.'

'Did you ever forgive yourself?'

Sam looked at her, he knew what she meant. He had killed another hunter while being possessed but he had still felt it and seen it, he hadn't been able to save many, many others. And for each of them there was still a nagging in his gut. Lena saw it in his eyes and both went quiet as the tunes on the jukebox drowned out the other sounds in the bar, Sam sipped his beer and Lena drunk her tequila.

Don't blame me you didn't get it

I already told you that falling is easy

It's getting back up that becomes the problem

Becomes the problem

If you don't believe you can find a way out

You've become the problem

Become the problem

You

All alone

Are you waiting for someone to make you whole?

Can't you see?

Aren't you tired of this dysfunctional routine?

**********

'It's getting late, you should go back to Julie,' she said flat out still without any life in her voice.

'Yeah you're right, you should go see Dean,'

By hearing Dean's name she looked down, defeated.

'He wants to see you, I am sure of that,'

'Yeah I know, I just don't know if I want him to see me,' tears were now rolling from her eyes, crying for Allie, for Dean and the disappointment in herself.

Sam grabbed her behind her neck and pulled her to his chest.

'I am so sorry,' she said, the tears were now staining Sam's shirt but he didn't mind. He hugged her, she needed forgiveness of some sort, but he couldn't give it.

'It's okay, we'll find out who is responsible.'

'Thanks,'

Sam and Lena drove off in the Impala, Lena had had too many drinks to drive her Mustang back, she knew that so she didn't put up a fight when Sam took her keys.

When they arrived back at the motel Lena thanked Sam again.

'That's what family is for,' Lena loved the feeling of belonging somewhere, having a family and smiled at Sam.

When she got back to the room she saw that Dean had been tossing and turning but was still vast asleep, she undressed quickly and slipped in beside him, lying as far away as possible so she wouldn't disturb him. She was lying on her back and for the second time that day she really felt the tiredness in every inch of her body, she fell asleep quickly but not before she felt Dean turn as he realized she was in the bed with him. He pulled her close, burying his face in her hair, she could no longer resist and turned her head towards him. She kissed his forehead and as she did, she felt a tear had fallen onto her collarbone, it wasn't hers. Exhausted they both fell into unconsciousness, fighting their battles separately, in their sleep. In that moment they had grown more as a couple than the previous years before.

When Sam snuck into the room he tripped over the adaptor of the laptop, waking Julie in the process.

'Sorry, go back to sleep,' Sam whispered into the darkness.

Sam got in the bed next to her, he kissed her cheek and spooned her. They matched so perfectly, it was like a puzzle one piece fitted exactly into the other.

'You find her?'

'Who?'

'I'm not stupid.' She said still half asleep.

'Yeah, I did,'

'Is she okay?'

'She will be,' he said, not entirely certain of that statement.

**********

Both girls woke up early and though they were in separate rooms their minds were alike, both jumped in the shower, Julz made it short but Lena stayed under the warm water for a long time, washing her long hair and trying to get the tequila out of her foggy mind.

Julz was brushing her teeth when Sam entered the bathroom, he turned on the water and kissed her cheek.

'Morning,' he said.

'Now be honest don't you love finding me in the bathroom instead of Dean?' Julie said after rinsing her mouth.

'Well yeah, Dean isn't much to look at now is he, doesn't mean I like you being here.' He said jumping in the shower.

'You don't like me being here?' Julie said appalled.

'Nope, I rather have you home and safe.' Sam spoke with his analytical mind instead of his heart.

Julie didn't see any other way than pestering him about that last comment, so she flushed the toilet, leaving Sam squealing under the shower.

Dean woke up while Lena was in front of the mirror applying her mascara.

'Good morning,'

'Hey you're up, how are you feeling?' She put down the mascara, her hair was tied in a straight ponytail and she was wearing a black dress, she went over to the bed to lie next to her man.

'I'm fine,'

'You're not fine,' she stated putting one hand on his cheek, looking him straight in his eyes.

'How are you?'

'I will be fine.'

'You know we can't save everyone right?' Dean said trying to make the situation okay again.

'I haven't saved anyone, and God I swear if you now say I saved you some way I will walk,' she threatened. Dean smiled, his girl was back, sarcastic and loving, it made him feel better in an instant.

'Yet,' he said.

'What?'

'You haven't saved anyone... yet.'

Lena smiled faintly, kissed him and got back up.

'What the hell are you wearing?' Dean suddenly noticed confused.

'I'm going to the funeral, it's the least I can do.' Lena sighed.

'Yeah, you are right. Give me a minute.' Dean got up and dressed. While Lena waited outside, she could use some air with that massive headache.

Dean came out and locked the room.

Lena was heading for the stairs but Dean stopped her and kissed her properly.

'Crap,' he said.

'What?'

'You've been smoking again, haven't you?' Dean said pissed.

'I have no idea what you are talking about,' she said turning around and bumping into Sam.

'I guess great minds think alike,' Julie noted, she was wearing as similar black dress and the boys had cleaned up nice as well thanks to the women who had packed.

Sam and Julie made their way downstairs as Dean wouldn't let the subject go.

'You know that stuff will kill you, don't you?'

'Really? Man oh man, I had no idea, thanks for the heads-up,' she said sarcastically.

'What are you bickering about?' Sam inquired.

'Nothing,' she sighed.

'No not nothing, she's smoking again.' Dean paused and looked around while checking his pockets, 'this is not where I parked the Impala, and where is the Mustang?' He was completely confused.

Sam threw him the keys but no one breathed a word about what had gone on the night before. Silently the foursome sat in the car. Julie couldn't help but notice what a beautiful day it was outside, she could just feel spring in the air, as she listened to her iPod she smiled, truly content to be there. Sam saw her in the rear-view mirror and grinned, he loved seeing her enjoy the fresh air and the sun, while she moved her head on the beat of her music

When illusion spin her net

I'm never where I want to be

And liberty she pirouette

When I think that I am free

Watched by empty silhouettes

Who close their eyes but still can see

No one taught them etiquette

I will show another me

Today I don't need a replacement

I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant

My heart going boom boom boom

"Hey" I said "You can keep my things,

they've come to take me home."

**********

'We say goodbye to our beloved friend and a great person. There are no words to describe the atmosphere that has come down on Champaign. The hardest part is that we are all at a loss and don't understand...' The minister said.

'This is weird right?' Dean asked Sam quietly, as they stood in the back.

'Yeah it is,'

'The whole town shows up for the death of one girl?'

'Maybe she was just really loved,'

'Then why would she kill herself? I am telling you man something is off.'

'Yeah, I am starting to believe you.'

'... as we give her back to God we lay her body to rest.'

As the funeral ended both girls were on the verge of crying, they hadn't attended a funeral that had so many attendees who were all broken with the loss of this one person. Sam hugged Julie, kissing the top of her head and Dean squeezed Lena's hand softly.

Sam and Dean were doing their usual scan of the crowd to figure out what was going on.

Before driving back to the motel they made a stop at Kugel's Keg, picking up the Mustang.

'Here Sammy,' he said throwing the keys of the Impala to him and he got into the car next to Lena. Everyone was stunned but did as they were told.

Lena lifted her shades wiping away the tears before starting the car. Dean looked at her with such compassion.

'Don't look at me like that, I'm fine, I hate funerals that's all.' She said staring in front of her.

'Okay, if you say so.'

The music came on as she started the car.

Climbing up on Solsbury Hill

I could see the city light

Dean reached for the stereo but Lena smacked his hand away.

'House rules hunny, driver picks...'

'... the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole, yeah I know I invented that.' He said finishing her sentence. He rolled down the windows and actually started to enjoy the music.

Wind was blowing, time stood still

Eagle flew out of the night

He was something to observe

Came in close, I heard a voice

Standing stretching every nerve

Had to listen had no choice

'Are you alright Julz?'

'Yeah,' she said with a cracked voice, 'it just brings back an awful lot of memories I have tried so hard to forget.'

'I know,' he said with his soothing voice. He laid his hand on her knee, caressing it with his thumb.

I did not believe the information

(I) just had to trust imagination

My heart going boom boom boom

"Son," he said "Grab your things,

I've come to take you home."

Back at the motel they quickly changed outfits and Dean called a family meeting in their room.

'We'll need to split up, we have a lot of ground to cover and personally I want to finish this up as soon as possible so we can all get back to our lives. Sam, you and I will search the house, Julie, Lena you go to the library and find out as much about her as possible and the history of the house if you will. We come back here and figure out our next step. Any questions?'

'What are you thinking? Vengeful spirit? Demon? Human?' Julie asked curiously.

'No idea, we'll see what the search gives us. Okay troops let's move out.'

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