likely_evil | justprompts: Can't have my happy ending...

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justprompts: Can't have my happy ending...

ooc: next in the storyline after this.

"Two years, Ruby."

"Sam, I didn't promise you an overnight fix."

"Two. Fucken. Years."

Ruby rolled her eyes and ate another fry while she watched Sam flipping through the rough journal he always carried. It was something he had started to write in about the last time they had seen Dean Winchester - a fact that Sam was going back and checking by reading his old entries.

"And think of how far you've come in those two years, Sam. You've moved in leaps and bounds because you haven't had anything to hold you back. We're so close..."

"We've been close for over a year now, Ruby." Sam rolled his eyes up to look at her through his bangs. Time had taken it's toll on the younger Winchester, as well as his powers. His face was harder with deep shadows under his eyes. His hair was long and shaggy, long overdue for a trim. His jaw was set in a permanent frown, the smirk and fun in his personality hidden with the soft reservedness that Sam had shown for most of his life.

Three years away from his brother now, and Sam didn't even remember the good times. Or he did, but trying to remember hurt deep in spots he couldn't afford to let it hurt. It was for the best, Sam. You're doing this for Dean... Mom... Jess. You need to finish the game, Sam.

"It's not like I can summon Lilith out into the open." Ruby looked at him. "These things take time."

"Time." Sam sat back in his seat, watching her a moment. Then he just grit his jaw and grabbed the book, shoving it into this bag. "Screw time," he muttered.

"Sam, what are you doing?"

"I don't know why I bother. What has this done for me? Nothing, that's what I get." He muttered under his breath, then stood up and got out of the booth.

"Sam!" Ruby was up instantly. "You can't just walk away now!"

"Watch me."

She moved fast, spinning him around and pushing him against the video game machine. "No. You made a choice, Sam, and you don't get to walk away from this just because it's not going the way you had expected. You may not see it now but I do. You're making a difference, and we're getting there. We're just not there yet."

"You don't get it, do you?" Sam didn't flinch, but just glared down at her. "I threw away EVERYTHING for this: my life, my brother, and what have I gotten from it? Just a bunch of "soon"'s and "getting close"'s. I'm DONE with it, Ruby. I want to go..."

Ruby crossed her arms as Sam faltered for a word that really didn't exist for him. "Where Sam? Home? You don't have one, remember? Azreal burned it down along with anything that resembled a normal life. I'm trying to give you a chance to get revenge on all of that..."

"I'm tired of just going after revenge, Ruby. It's taken too much from me. I just... I want to see my brother again."

"And what makes you think he won't kill you on sight, Sam? It's been years now. The angels have made him their bitch, and who knows what he'll do if he sees you again."

Sam pushed Ruby aside and started for the door. "If Dean kills me, then at least I won't have to deal with this anymore."

"Sam, you can't walk out now! Lilith will win if you do this!"

"Let her!" He shouted, opening the door but turning around to look at Ruby. "I'm done, Ruby. I quit. I'm tired of this bullshit and I'm tired of you. Find someone else."

He spun angrily, slamming the door behind him... and then stopped as he found himself face to face with a pair of matching hazel eyes.

"... Dean?"

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Dean probably looked just as tired as Sam did, but he was at least going to admit that Sam looked worse. He had people who took care of him, people who made sure he got the sleep when he needed it, people who took care of the things that needed to be taken care of. Sometimes he was forced, sometimes he went willingly, but most of the time, any sleep he got was Castiel-induced before he could give an answer yay or nay.

He had only wanted to drop in at the diner quickly, pick up some food for himself and Gina, and continue moving on to the next destination. In and out, that was it. But seeing Sam standing there had him frozen behind the driver's side door, and Gina looking between the two of them, as though she was waiting to see what would happen.

"Dean?" It was quick, tentative, before speaking up a little louder. "'ey! Space case!"

Dean's head snapped to her at that, before shaking his head slightly. "What?"

"I'm gonna go get the food," she replied, giving him a look. "Don't have too much fun while I'm gone."

As Gina disappeared into the diner, Dean finally managed to close the door behind him and slid his hands in his pockets, before looking back at his brother. Three years. Three years without Sam, and Dean still wasn't sure if this was better or worse than it was when Sam was at Stanford. He liked to think worse, but to be honest, he really didn't know. But all there was now, was for him to say something and try and figure out what Sam's next move was going to be.

"Hey, Sammy."

"Hey..."

Sam readjusted the bag on his shoulder, suddenly very uncomfortable. He was a bit worried about his brother standing there, because while he had just screamed for the entire diner to hear that he was going to find his brother... well, he didn't expect it to be immediately.

He looked over his shoulder to see if Ruby was anywhere near the doorway, then back at Dean.

Three years. He had wanted to see his brother so many times over that time, but he had always been steered away. And here he was standing right there just as Sam was leaving to find him.

"I... uh... guess this is more popular place than I gave it credit for."

"Yeah, guess so."

That part was barely a mumble as Dean's eyes managed to find their way to the ground. Looking at Sam right then was only going to lead him to doing something stupid, because all he wanted to do was smack him upside the head for not taking care of himself better, make some smartass comment about him needing a hair cut, then just take care of him like he always had. That was the instinct, and right now, Dean needed to quash it.

Because sure, Sam had said that he was quitting, and that Ruby needed to find someone else. But now that Sam was actually faced with his brother, was that really going to happen?

"How've you been?"

Sam's eyes dropped as well as he sighed. He could just say he was good, but the little spectacle he just threw would prove he was lying. And to say he was lousy would just bring up questions...

No, he had wanted to find his brother and be with him. Though now there was three years of Dean's "told you so's" that he would have to endure. And Dean... he was the one who told Sam to leave. Would he even want him back?

"Surviving. You?"

"Same," Dean nodded, glancing away in the direction of the road. "Some days better than others."

Dean didn't know what to say now. He didn't know if he was even in a position to say 'We're on an angel scouting mission -- wanna come?' It wasn't a matter of not wanting him too -- he missed his brother so much it ached sometimes -- but a matter of not wanting to be left again. Because Dean could take Sam back if that was what Sam wanted, that he could do in a heart beat. But he wouldn't be able to handle it if Sam left again.

"What're you doing here?" He meant more in this part of the world than at this particular diner, but the question remained the same.

"Honestly... I don't know."

He looked up at his brother. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing anymore and it just seems that what I thought I was supposed to do just keeps getting further and further away."

"I think that's the way everyone feels these days," Dean sighed, shifting his hands in his pockets. "I don't think anyone expected the war to take this long. Almost makes you wonder what exactly it is Lilith is waiting for."

"No. I know I didn't."

He looked back at the doors a moment. "I see you've got a new partner." He was hiding the hurt in his voice at that. Not that he wanted his brother to be alone, but it was just... different.

Dean was quiet for a moment. He wouldn't say that he and Gina were partners exactly -- there were times they worked together and times they worked with someone else, but they were close, and with each other, so he figured it was probably along those same lines, so he just shrugged.

"She lost her husband a while back, promised him I'd look out for her." To be honest, she took care of him more than it was the other way around. "She's a good hunter. Knows how to pull her own weight."

Sam just nodded. "That's good... I mean, not about her husband, but that you're looking after her."

He couldn't go back. Dean had moved on and didn't need his little brother trying to butt back in.

"I guess I should go so you can join her..."

His eyes spoke differently. He wanted to go with Dean. But he couldn't hurt him again by ruining whatever life he had managed to make in the last three years.

Dean could see that. He heard what Sam had said before, and he could see the way Sam was looking at him, but if he couldn't say it to his face, exactly what he wanted, Dean wasn't going to go out of his way to find out. He wasn't going to put himself through that kind of pain when Sam left again. He couldn't.

"Nah, she's coming out. We weren't gonna stay," Dean said with a nod as Gina did just that, coming out of the front of the diner with bags of food in her hand, heading back to the passenger's side of the Impala. Dean just paused for a moment, before heading back towards the door.

"Take care, alright?"

Sam watched Dean about to get back in the car and leave, and he got scared. Scared that if Dean left, he would end up back inside trapped in the routine that he had been in and that this would become the last time that he would see his brother.

Sam couldn't that this be the last time. No. He wanted more, if only just a few hours.

"Dean... could I maybe catch a ride? Not going anywhere in particular... I just need to get some space and clear my head." His hands clutched the shoulder strap of his bag.

He had all he needed there. Laptop, book, wallet, phone. He could buy clothing elsewhere.

"I mean, if it's not any trouble...?" Sam bit his lip. Maybe the few hours in the Impala would help him really get what he wanted to say out.

Dean paused for a minute, not sure what to do with the idea. He wanted to say yes, more than anything, but he didn't know if he could handle it. If it was only going to disappoint him when Sam left again, and Dean didn't want to hurt over this all over again. He'd been through enough the first time around.

He glanced over to the passenger side, where Gina was placing the bags of food in the front seat, the silent look on his face saying that it was her call. Whatever she decided, he wouldn't fight her on it. Because honestly, this time, he really didn't know what to do.

"Get in," Gina said, looking over at Sam with a nod as she slid into the passenger's side. "Plenty of room."

Sam's eyes lit up and he didn't hesitate, but went straight to the car. "Thank you," he told them both, looking at his brother a moment with a bit of hope in his eyes, then climbed into the back seat.

"I promise I won't get in your way."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Gina said with a small smile. "It'd be nice to have somebody to talk to, other than this lug." Her voice made it clear that 'this lug' was a term of endearment more than anything else, and she shifted in her seat slightly, so that she could extend a hand over the back. "'sides, I like to think that I've been hangin' out around him long enough that any friend of Dean's is a friend of mine, no matter how recent. I'm Gina."

Dean had mentioned Sam every once in a while, but Gina had never actually met him, or seen a picture. From Dean's reaction, Gina had figured that this was just some old friend that he hadn't seen in a while and was reacting accordingly.

Sam smiled a bit as he adjusted his legs to the backseat. It was probably the first smile in days that wasn't just a reaction to something amusing on TV. It was nice to have someone human to talk to as well that wasn't Ruby going on and on and on about the damn war and his responsibilities.

"Nice to meet you too, Gina. I'm Sam." He took her hand, his smile getting a bit brighter as he squeezed it gently.

"Sam, huh?" Gina looked him over for a minute, before turning and smacking Dean on the shoulder lightly as he drove. "You should have told me your brother was such a looker, I would have insisted he join us sooner."

Dean gave her a look before rolling his eyes. "Shut it. You know you don't know an ass better than mine."

Gina gave him a grin, before turning back at Sam. "So how'd you wind up in this neck of the woods?"

Sam blushed a moment, his smile blossoming well on his face.

But her next question made it falter a moment, and he looked out the window at the passing scenery. He was pretty sure Ruby was already working on trailing him.

"Long story... one which I could just forget the last few chapters of."

"Eh, don't we all," Gina sighed, leaning back against the door more, reaching for some of her food. "World's not been a fun place for us hunter types last couple years. Lotta good people have died."

Sam looked at the rear-view mirror with a quick look, wondering just how much Dean might have told his new partner about who Sam really was. Probably was safer if he had left her in the dark.

"Yeah. You always thought that the end of the world would be one flash moment. No one suffers. But we're just not that lucky."

"No one ever is," she sighed. "But I guess if you don't suffer, the outcome isn't all that rewarding, is it?"

"It's the things that don't kill us that make us stronger," Sam shrugged.

"Exactly," Gina nodded, popping a french fry in her mouth as she spoke. "So how far are you headin' with us?"

"I... I dunno. Probably as far as Dean'll let me until I get in the way." Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm kinda playing this by ear at the moment, but I had to get out of there."

"Well, we're happy to have ya," Gina said with a nod, before starting to dig into her burger, before leaning over to fiddle with the dials on the radio.

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justprompts: Can't have my happy ending...

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