[AU] dark gonna catch me here

[gavemea_45]

Not two seconds after the door closed, Dean started demanding answers. Sam explained pretty much everything, although he glossed over the part where Wynonna'd threatened to shoot him, and for the most part Dean took it pretty well.

Until he made the suggestion of bringing Wynonna - and Peacemaker - to a crossroads and forcing the demon there to give up Dean's contract.

By the time the fight's over, Sam's certain of two things. First, that Dean's not willing to listen to reason because he doesn't want to risk Sam. And second, that he's not going to let his brother go to hell.

He makes sure Dean thinks he's asleep first, and waits until he hears his brother start snoring... then waits another half hour to make sure. Once he's certain Dean's not faking, Sam sneaks out and borrows the Impala.

There's a crossroads three miles north, an isolated one with an abandoned gas station nearby that he can use to get to the bar.

It'll do.

Comments

[pacificator]

"Yeah, well."

She smacks the back of her hand against his chest, uncomfortable with his sincerity. "It's not like I had big plans tonight, anyway."

[gavemea_45]

She really is a lot like Dean. It makes him even more inclined to think well of her.

"Uh-huh. Be that as it may, I'm buying when we get back to the bar."

[pacificator]

"Not gonna say no to that."

She looks back down at the fire. By now, the body inside is more a suggestion of a person than anything else. "Sorry, lady," she murmurs. "Nothing personal."

[gavemea_45]

"At least she's free of it now. There's that." It's pretty damn cold comfort, but it's all he's got to offer. Wynonna may have been the one to pull the trigger, but Sam's just as responsible. He'd have taken the shot himself if he could.

"I wonder who the demon thought you were. That was just weird."

[pacificator]

"That was weird." She grabs onto the change of topic with both hands. "What'd she say? A new meatsuit?"

Wynonna frowns over at him. "Did she think I was some other demon?"

[gavemea_45]

"I mean, that's what it sounded like." Sam grimaces. "Like I said, weird. It's not like I'd be working with a demon."

[pacificator]

"Yeah."

Her fingers flex, missing Peacemaker in them. "Still, good to know Peacemaker works outside my world, huh?"

[gavemea_45]

"Yeah. And it looked just like what our Colt would have done," he confirms. "Maybe you should ask your agent guy if he's heard of any demon trouble from down south, for real."

[pacificator]

A small frown flickers between her brows, but she nods.

What the fuck is going on with Dolls lately, anyway? "I will."

[gavemea_45]

"I mean, hopefully not. You sure don't need any more trouble. But maybe just in case."

The fire's starting to burn lower and Sam studies it with a critical eye. "I'm going to get a tarp and shovel. We should be able to bury her soon."

[pacificator]

"Even if we don't overlap, might be worthwhile to take a trip up to the Ghost River Triangle in your world, anyway," she points out.

"Maybe whatever supernatural boundary is around it in my world exists here, too."

[gavemea_45]

She's not wrong, little as he likes to think it. "Yeah, guess we should." Sam goes over to the car and pulls what he needs out of the trunk.

[pacificator]

She watches the makeshift pyre burn. It's the least she can do for the poor woman who – probably, hopefully – never asked for any of this. "Need a hand with any of that?"

[gavemea_45]

"No, I got it. Just ... stay with her while I get things ready," he calls.

There's a drainage ditch a little ways away from the side of the lot. Sam works on making it wider and deeper - deep enough, anyway.

[pacificator]

He asks her to stay, so she stays, trying not to think about the horror that would fill Waverly's eyes if she heard about this and trying not to listen to the scrape of the shovel as Sam digs the woman's unceremonious grave.

"You probably deserved better than this," she tells the dead woman. "I'm sorry about that."

[gavemea_45]

It doesn’t take him all that long to get the impromptu grave ready. Sam sets the spade aside and comes back with the tarp.

“I can take it from here,” he murmurs. “If you want to wait in the car.”

[pacificator]

In answer, she holds her hands out for a couple corners of the tarp.

It's nice that he's trying to spare her, she guesses, but they're pretty far past that point.

[gavemea_45]

Sam studies her expression, then gives a tiny nod and passes over half the tarp. When it’s stretched out between them, he lifts it a little, indicating they should place it over the body, smothering the last of the flames.

He tucks his side under the body and rolls her under into it, wrapping her inside the tarp while Wynonna holds the other side to keep it from dragging.

[pacificator]

Between them, they smother the flames and wrap the smoldering remains tight. At his signal, she moves to one end of the body and reaches down to help carry it.

A roadside ditch. Kind of where she thought she'd end up, if she's being honest.

[gavemea_45]

They lay the body in the grave and Sam starts shoveling dirt. It patters off the tarp at first with a soft hissing sound before he gets enough in to cover.

He keeps going until there’s no more dirt remaining and the ground is more or less even, it’s new secret concealed.

Jaw set, he goes to retrieve the gas can and puts it and the shovel back in the trunk, then turns to Wynonna. “I can open the door back for you from here.”

[pacificator]

Even her enjoyment of that sexy-ass car is dulled a little by what they just heard and did. She nods, but meets his eyes.

"Coming in, too?"

[gavemea_45]

“I should get the car away from here first. Just in case. Time’s not supposed to pass, but…” He shrugs.

“Then I can.”

[pacificator]

"Yeah."

There was this one time, before the Seven, when she and Waverly had accidentally broken the mantel clock. She can still remember Waverly, all of five years old, trying to shoulder the blame. "How about I come with you first, then."

[gavemea_45]

That level stare of hers is entirely too familiar. Is that just a trick all older siblings know?

"You don't have to," Sam tries.

[pacificator]

"This is going to be a lot easier for you if you just give in," she points out.

He's pretty tall, but she's will to bet she could get him in a headlock if she really tried.