Gunpowder and Lead

After Bobby concluded Ashley's hand was not broken just traumatized she went out into the salvage yard to cool down. Ashley smiled as the memories of spending weekends at Bobby's flooded her mind; John would drop the kids off with strict orders of no cartoons and training for Dean while Sam and Ashley were to learn to read and write! No exceptions! But Bobby never really listened, Ashley and Sam were glued to the TV after a few lessons, while Dean was shadowing Bobby and learning how to fix cars. Occasionally Ashley would wander out into the salvage yard and come up with stories of how these cars ended up here.

Ashley wanted to tell someone about her childhood endeavors, so she pulled out her phone to call Max. The phone rang and rang and rang and eventually just went to voicemail. She was heartbroken that Max didn't pick up when she was looking to just hear his sweet voice, so she hung up and allowed the tears she felt prick her eyes to fall.

Once she got her composure back, Ashley started her trek back to the house. Dean was sitting on the porch steps with a beer in hand and another sitting next to his worn boots. "Great, just what I need" she cursed to herself as she continued towards her brother.

"Hey" Dean cleared his throat.

"Hi" she reciprocated, aiming to just walk past her brother.

"Uh, wanna take a sit with me?" Dean begged.

"Fine, if I have to" she sighed, taking the beer offered to her "wanna pop the top for me?" she said after fumbling with the twist off for a bit.

"Right, sorry" Dean mumbled "so I just wanna tell you I am uh-sorry."

"You keep saying that" Ashley said taking a sip from the amber bottle.

"I know I do, it's just I don't know how to change my behavior."

"Here's a thought, let me take care of you two dumbasses" she chuckled.

"Alright" Dean surrendered "my life is now in your hands, don't drop it" he said leaning back on the step behind him.

Ashley smiled and followed dean's lead of leaning back to get comfortable.

"Sam found a case in Nevada" Dean said after a couple minutes of silence.

"What is it?" she said finishing her beer.

"Just a normal salt and burn, you good to come?" he asked nodding at her hand.

"Dude, I just said stop taking care of me! Plus I didn't just lose my blood" she said standing up to show she was done with this talk. "Come on, let's go get Baby back and pick up some food" Ashley smiled as she offered her good hand down to Dean.

"You're the boss" Dean agreed as he accepted the hand up. AS soon as he let it go, Ashley slapped her brother right on the back of the head before going back in to the house and grabbing the Explorer's keys.

"Hey!" he complained about the abuse!

"Sorry, cant hear you over your stubbornness" she sang back as she held up her middle finger and closed the door to the complains coming out of Dean's mouth. He deserved it, she wasn't going to apologize no matter how much he begged!

Ashley was sitting in the Explorer waiting for Dean to come out of the liquor store when her cell started to ring on the seat next to her. Ashley peeked over expecting to see Sam or Bobby's name, but instead it was Max. Her heart gave a little jump and she picked up as fast as humanly possible "Max! Hey!" she smiled, happy to hear back from him.

"Uh, hey Ash. How-how you've been" Max asked, voice still heavy with sleep.

"Good, hah well busy actually."

"Oh yeah, with what?"

"Um- vampires. One jumped on Sam 5 days back and one almost drained Dean 2 days ago- had to give him a 'Nam transfusion."

"Jeeze, sounds like you got a lot on your plate" Max laughed.

"You've got no idea" she moaned "so what have you been up to?"

"Just working, David the drunk asks about you all the time. Oh, and he hates the new girl."

"New girl huh, what she look like?" Ashley asked flirtatiously when Dean finally came out of the store. "Ah shit, Max I gotta go. Talk soon?"

"S-sure babe, love you."

"I love you, too" she choked out as Dean stepped up to her open window.

"Wow, really love the guy already" Dean remarked as he looked into his little sister's eyes. The only response he got was a couple stray tears and deep breaths.

"Let's go back to Bobby's, I got you 2 things of fireball" he teased.

"Good, Ima need it tonight" Ashley said wiping the stray tears away from her cheeks.

Dean accepted this as an I'm alright for now and continued back towards the black car parked behind the Explorer. Ashley was in love, but she never cried this many times in a week. "God, I need to toughen up again, Max turned me into a chick" Ashley sighed to herself as she floored the pedal, causing the truck to rocket down the two lane highway and ditch Dean behind her.

Dean's Impala was left in the dust and that was all Ashley needed to feel like the skirt she put on this morning was the object that didn't belong.

"The hell was that?" Dean barked at Ashley as she swung out of the truck.

"What? I can't go a little too fast and have a great time?" she laughed, trying to hold onto this great feeling.

"What's going on with you, Ash?" Dean prodded further.

That is when Ashley's happy good mood finally disappeared, causing more tears to fall down her cheeks. "I think Max is seeing someone else" she sobbed.

"Ash, you spoke with the dude for 5 minutes!"

"I woke him up, at 7:00 at night. He wasn't sick, so he should be at work."

Dean knew Ashley was right just because it was Ashley and she knew the guy better than he did. "Alright, get in" Dean said opening up the passenger door "I'll give them their food, tell Sam we need a little bonding time and tell Bobby to get some other hunter on the case."

"Thanks De" Ashley sighed as she sank onto the seat.

"Yeah yeah" he grumbled as he walked inside to deliver the food and news. Dean opened up the door and slid into the seat. "Get some rest" he said using his left leg to dive and opening up his right side to accommodate his sister.

Ashley was asleep mere minutes into the drive. Dean prayed with all his might they both were wrong and Max just had a cold or a day off. Dean rounded the corner that put them right outside the apartment building.

Dean looked down at his sister and honestly felt bad for her. "Ash, we're here" Dean urged his little sister awake. It was now close to sun up, but Dean wasn't even slightly tired "you ready to do this?"

"Yeah" she scoffed, pushing herself up from Dean's, now asleep, right leg. "You coming up with me?"

A smile spread across Dean's face. It was honestly the simplest question, but it caused Dean to feel needed again "only if you want me there-"

"Always" Ashley interjected as she opened the car door to get out.

Both Winchesters headed up the stairwell and stopped right outside apartment C-5. Ashley hesitated at the knock, but the smell of gunpowder, lead, and leather coming off her rock behind her helped her gather the strength she needed to place knuckle on wood.