Life in the Fast Lane - Conclusion

CHAPTER 11 - Gone are the taillights

"Thanks Rufus, I owe you one." Bobby started, extending his hand as the other hunter passed him the keys to his tow truck.

"You bet your ass you do, Signer." Rufus was quick to reply. "That mother wasn't just off the road you know, it was at the bottom of a hill in the damn woods! I had to winch it out of there before I could even load it onto this relic of yours you call a tow truck."

"Like I said." Bobby once again started. "I owe you one."

"You been saying that quite a bit lately, Bob." There was a moment of silence and Rufus couldn't help but watch as the other man turned away from his gaze. Between being asked to disposed of a few bodies and removing a wrecked car the police were still looking for, he couldn't help but feel as if he'd been commissioned to clean up someone else's mess. "The boy's lucky to be alive, he could have easily rolled it and crashed roof first into that tree." He remarked, pausing as Bobby let out a sigh. It was obvious such a thought had already crossed his mind and Rufus knew just how much those boys meant to the other hunter. "How's he doing anyway?"

"Couple cracked ribs, a few bruises, concussion, some gun shot wounds, but he should be fine soon enough. He's a tough kid, he'll be back on his feet in no time. Now he just needs to get over the expectations he's got hanging over him."

Bobby didn't need to explain, Rufus knew exactly what the other man was referring to. John Winchester was good hunter but a hard one to get along with. "How's Johnny doing?"

"Nothing John can't handle, bruised ego might be a different story though."

Rufus shook his head. "Winchesters" He exclaimed in frustration. "Well you tell Johnny to ease up on the boy, before he gets both of 'em killed. I'll see ya around Bob."

"See ya." Bobby replied simply with a waive as he watched Rufus climb behind the wheel of his truck and pull out of the scrap yard. Turning his attention back to the muddy Impala infront of him, Bobby couldn't help but let his mind wander as he studied each dent and every scratch. The outcome could have been much worse for all of them and the desperation in Sam's voice when he'd called from school, was something he'd never forget. When he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, he looked over his shoulder and was surprised to see John carefully making his way over. "What the hell are you doing out of bed?" He growled.

"If you didn't want me out of bed, you shouldn't of left the cane leaning against the night stand." John was quick to reply as he came to a stop next to the Impala and put a hand out against it to steady himself.

"Easy to see where your boys get their stubbornness from." Bobby muttered  as he pulled out a tree branch that was lodged in the car's wheel well.

"How are they?" John finally asked, showing some concern by asking but his tired voice lacking any real emotion.

"They'll be fine." Bobby replied simply, watching as the other man's gaze drifted down to the car he was leaning on. Despite all the rain, blood could still be seen smeared over the leather seat and dash. "Dean's going to need to rest up though, take a few weeks off from the job to clear his head." There was so much he wanted to say to the man standing there beside him, but Bobby knew better than to question his methods when it came to raising his sons.

"Maybe Sam's right." John suddenly started, those words catching Bobby a little off guard. "Maybe I shouldn't have left Dean to deal with the hunt by himself, maybe he wasn't ready for it after all."

"I don't think that was the problem." Bobby quietly replied as his gaze drifted off towards his home. "The kid's smart and you taught him well. You and I both know he's going to grow to be one hell of a great hunter and he's going to do the job well by himself." He said, sucking in a deep breath. "To be honest with ya John, I think you've just been too hard on him these past two years since Sam left for school."

"I need to be hard on him, he needs to be ready and better prepared."

Bobby shook his head as he caught the other man's eyes. "He needs to know that he's doing a great job and that mistakes happen. I think you owe the boy an apology, being human isn't a weakness John."

"It is if you're a hunter." John was quick to  reply, his voice rising slightly in his defense. He grabbed the cane with one hand and pushed off from the Impala with the other. "I'm going to go pack up and head out." He announced as he slowly started to make his way back towards the house.

"You know you could use a few days off yourself." Bobby called out, watching as the stubborn man took each step carefully. "You're in no shape to be chasing anything down."

"I've still got a few cases that need to be looked after." John replied simply. "It's best that I hit the road as soon as possible, get back into the game."

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Dean let out a groan as he tried to turn over, the pain in his ribs forcing him to reconsider the moment he shifted his weight. "Sammy?" He asked, his voice hoarse and barely above a whisper. As his eyes finally opened, they instantly focused on the younger man sitting at his bedside.

"It's all right Dean, we're at Bobby's house now. It's all over." Sam quietly replied.

"It never is." Dean answered, his trademark grin momentarily making an appearance. "How long have I been out? All I remember is crawling into Dad's truck after the gas station clerk went all psycho on my ass. Son of a bitch was you."

"You've been out a couple hours, it's almost three in the afternoon now." Sam quietly replied, watching as Dean rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Wasn't sure you were going to pull through at one point. You had me scared."

"Aw you know me." Dean cut in as he winced, once again trying to turn over. "It'll take more than that to cut me down." There was a short pause as he tried his best to hide the pain of every breath. "How's Dad? How are you doing?"

"Dad's fine and so am I, just a few minor wounds." Sam answered, reaching over to adjust the other man's pillow as Dean sat up.

Noticing for the first time the bandage that was wrapped around his hand, Dean couldn't help but take a quick look around the room. The first aid kit was still open on the bedside table and everything from bandages and gauzes to needle and thread was scattered around it. "Bobby did a lot of patching I guess? Between the three of us, I'm sure he must have been up all night."

"He called in another favor." Sam started as he leaned back in his chair. "Couple years ago he saved a pre-med student from a vengeful spirit at a university residence. She was here when I pulled up last night. Did a great job working on you."

There was a moment of silence and Dean couldn't help but crack a smile, Bobby had connections everywhere. "Was she hot?"

Sam let out a chuckle when his brother offered a wink. "Yeah Dean she certainly was."

"Figures, I'm the one who's out cold." He paused as his mind drifted back the series of events and the hunt that had gotten away from him. "Bobby sure did call in quite a few favors for me, didn't he?"

Sam gave him a simple nod, keeping to himself the very first thing that came to mind. Bobby had done so much more for Dean than their father had with this case, and with all the trouble that followed.

"How about my Baby?" Dean suddenly asked. "How's she doing?"

"I'm not sure, Rufus dropped it off around noon." Sam casually replied, the question pulling him away from their Father's shortcomings. He stood from his chair and took a glance out the bedroom window into the scrap yard below. "Bobby's out there looking at it now."

"Could you go find out?" Dean quietly asked, offering a smile as his brother caught his eyes. "Dude it's killing me not knowing what needs to be done."

"All right, I'll go find out." Sam replied as he straightened out. "But you stay put." He continued as he pointed a finger.

"Yes Sir." Dean said with a smile as he watched the younger man make his way out of the room. It tore him apart just thinking about it because he felt as if he was choosing between his brother and his father, but he hadn't seen Sam so happy in years. Walking out on them seemed to have been one of the best moves his little brother had ever made. And right now, seeing him happy again was more important than having him go on as a jaded hunter holding a grudge. Just like him.

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Sam let out a sigh as he made his way down the back steps and into the scrap yard to join Bobby. The sight of the Impala made his heart sink all over again. "So what do you think?" He asked as he approached, eyeing the classic car he'd spent years of his life riding in. "Dean want's to know what the verdict is."

"Well there's no damage to the frame." Bobby started, readjusting his hat. "We've got a few dents to hammer out, fill in those bullet holes, a new windshield to put in, needs a tire & rim but she should be fine. A new coat of paint and you'd never tell there was any damage." He continued as he looked over to catch the younger man's eyes. "Can't say the same about your brother though." He added almost casually. "We'll just have to wait and see about that one.

"Dean's been through worse." Sam admitted as his eyes drifted from Bobby, to the bullet holes in the Impala's door. "Couple of wounds and sore bones wont stop him."

"I ain't talking about the physical damage, son. I'm talking about the emotionally roller coaster he's been on. One minute he'd soaring and he's the best damn hunter I've seen in years, and the next he can barely keep his head above the crap that follows your daddy around." Bobby paused for only a moment as he watched his words hit home. "He needs a better way to deal with this shit before it gets him killed. He can't keep shoving it all down."

"Dad does." Sam  quietly replied, knowing that what appeared to be the Winchester way, wasn't exactly the best one.

"Your dad's different." Bobby went on. "And he's not the one who'll get himself killed, just to do right by someone else."

Sam swallowed hard, the other man was right and he knew it. Dean would stop at nothing to prove himself to their father. "I need to talk to him." He said as he took a quick glance around the scrap yard.

"Already tried." Bobby was quick to reply. "But you know how your old man is. No one knows better than him."

"Well I'm going to try anyway."

"Better hurry up then, cause he's already packing up to leave."

"What?" Sam asked, the statement catching him by surprise.

"He's packing up to leave." Bobby repeated. "Said he had other work to do."

Sam swore under his breath as he turned on his heels and headed back towards the house, his hands automatically clenching into fists. He had no idea what he was going to say but knew that he had to say something. For Dean. He made his way up the stairs and could hear his father and brother talking, something about a job two towns over. He entered the room and came to a stop, his heart racing and his anger smoldering deep down. "Dad." He started, the authority in his voice years ahead of his age. "Bobby told me you were taking off again."

"Yeah that's right." The older man replied, putting a hand on the bed post to steady himself as he looked over his shoulder. "There's still work to be done."

"What about Dean?" Sam asked, his voice rising as he scratched the surface of earlier arguments.

"What about him?" John replied simply.

Dean sucked in a shallow breath as he watched his younger brother close the little distance there was between him and their father. Seeing the two of them face to face like this, Sam now towering over the man who'd raised them, brought back memories of the bitter argument almost two years ago to the day. THE argument that had seen them part ways, and more of less forced him to pick a side. "Leave him be Sammy." Dean calmly started, growing tiered of always being the referee caught between them. "There's no use for him to stay, I'm the one on bed rest."

"That's not my point." Sam quickly growled, his eyes momentarily catching those of his brother.

"Then what is it, boy?" John hissed, dropping the duffle bag he'd been holding on the corner of the bed.

"You leaving again when the job's not done! He needs you here." Sam continued, pointing towards his injured brother. "Can't you see that?"

"He doesn't need me." John was quick to reply, his own voice starting to rise as he once again found himself defending his decisions. "What he needs is a few days rest to get over these injuries."

"He wouldn't be injured if you wouldn't have left him behind to handle the damn hunt, by himself!"

"Sam..." Dean warned, his coarse voice doing little to breakup the inevitable fight as he watched his father grab his brother by the shirt. "Dad!" He added, wincing in pain as the sound of his own voice resonated deep down inside.

"He wouldn't have been alone if you hadn't of turned your back on your family." John growled, his eyes narrowing on his youngest son as his oldest looked on from the bed. "Dean can take care of himself but if you're so worried about him, then why the hell did you run off to school in the first place."

"Dad that's enough" Dean hissed, swearing under his breath as he felt the pain spread. "Let him go." He continued, this time getting the other man's attention. "Just let him go, I'll deal with this."

The pair held their hard gaze a few more moments before John finally released his tight grip. The look in his eyes spoke louder than words as he grabbed the duffle bag from the corner of the bed. "I'll call to check in you take care of yourself, you hear?"

"Yes sir." Dean replied, the tone of his voice reflecting years of obedience.

"It was good to see you Sam." John continued, barely giving his younger son a glance as he walked by him and made his way towards the door.

Sam passed a hand through his hair, unable to think of anything else he could do or say to make their father reconsider. He caught Dean's eyes but nothing was said and in the silence between them, the screen door slamming shut could be heard throughout the house. He made his way towards the window just in time to see their Dad's truck pull out of the scrap yard and Bobby wave him off. Just like that, he was gone.

"You can't change the kind of person he is Sammy." Dean quietly started, pulling his brother attention away from the window. "I mean what do you expect him to do? Sit around here and spoon feed me soup? Dad's a true hunter, he belongs out there anyway."

"He shouldn't be leaving you like this." Sam once again stated. "Going off to find another case while you..."

"Dude, I'm not a kid. I can handle the job by myself and if I fuck it up, I'll deal with it." Dean cut in. "Or at least I'll try to."

Sam shook his head. "I know you can handle the job by yourself, but my point is that you shouldn't have to."

"You get use to it, it's just part of the gig."

A punch to the face would have been easier to deal with, than watching his older brother follow the bleak path he was once again being dragged down. There was a moment of silence and Sam couldn't help but give it one last shot, give Dean one last chance to change the road he was on. "Come back to California with me." He quietly started, swallowing hard as he caught the other man's eyes. "Take a break from all of this."

"I can't just leave, Sam. I've still got cases lined up and there's still work to do."

"There will ALWAYS be work to do." Sam explained, doing his best to keep his voice from rising again. "There will always be monsters out there to hunt down whether you're in the game or not. Just come back with me or a little while, come see what it's like."

Dean shook his head. "I can't, Dad still needs me here."

"No he doesn't." Sam was quick to reply, his voice echoing in the small room. "He left again without you."

"I'll be laid up for a few weeks at the least, so what's the use in him staying?" Dean calmly started. "Sam I know you don't see it, but he needs me."

There was a moment of silence and Sam couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh. After everything his brother had been through, he could not believe what Dean had just said. "I don't think Dad needs you as much as you think he does." Sam explained, swallowing the lump in his throat as he watched his brother's eyes suddenly narrow.  "The man took off again, didn't even tell us where he was going. Look, all I'm trying to say is that maybe..."

"Go back to school Sammy." Dean interrupted, brining the conversation to a sudden stop. He held his younger brothers eyes and watched as they studied him carefully. It was a look of surprise that would no doubt turn to anger or hate by the time he was done. "Next time you think I need your help dealing with something I put on myself. Think again." Dean continued, sucking in a breath to keep his voice from wavering. "Maybe I don't need your help as much as you seem to think I do." The moment those words left his mouth, he could have sworn he'd seen his little brother's heart skip a beat. Saying it aloud hurt but deep down inside, Dean knew it needed to be said. It was the only way.

In the silence between them you could have heard a pin drop. Sam didn't know how to react or what to say but it was now obvious that there was no need for him there.  "Fine." He replied simply, holding his older brother's hard gaze for only a moment before admitting defeat in his attempts to get Dean out from under their father's dark shadow. "See ya around." He added, turning on his heels and heading for the door. He paused in his steps as he turned the corner and came face to face with Bobby in the hall. "I'm heading out too." He explained as he faked a smile. "I've got a lot of school work to catch up on."

Bobby offered a nod as he reached for a hug. "Call me when you make it back to school." He said with a smile as he gave the younger man a pat on the back.

"I will, thanks for everything Bobby." Sam quietly replied.

"Anytime kid." The veteran hunter replied as he stepped aside to let Sam go by. As Sam's footsteps disappeared down the stairs, Bobby couldn't help but let his eyes narrow on the man in the bed in front of him. "Was that really necessary?" He asked, his tone of voice bouncing off the bedroom walls. "He dropped everything to come find you and you know that's more than your daddy would have..."

"It's better this way." Dean interrupted, wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes.

"How so?"  Bobby was quick to reply, making his way over to the other man's bed. "Explain to me how it's better this way."

"It just is." Dean replied bluntly.

"It's better this way huh?" Bobby continued, his voice forcing the young hunter to look up. "By making him think you just don't give a damn? By making him think that you are not strong enough to break free from your old man's suicidal approach to hunting down the thing that killed your mother?" He paused for only a moment as he tried to make sense of the younger man's reasoning or lack thereof. "You're smarter than all of this, your..."

"You're damn right, I am." Dean interrupted, his voice rising. "It's better this way because if Sam hates me or at least hates the way I treat him, then maybe he'll stay in school and not fall back into all of this. If normal and boring is what he wants, if that's what makes him happy then I don't want to be the reason he gives it all up. I don't want him to stick around out of guilt, to drag him back into a life he's always hated."

Bobby swore under his breath as he passed a hand over his face. "Damn it boy." He growled, his tone of voice dropping as he took a seat on the edged of the bed. "There are better ways to tell him what you think and how you feel."

"What can I say?" Dean whispered, closing his eyes for a moment as the look on his little brother's face flashed in the back of his mind. "I am my father's son after all."

"Doesn't mean you have to be just like him." Bobby quietly replied, watching as Dean struggled to push his emotions aside. What he'd just witnessed between Dean & Sam was something he'd seen before between John and Dean. Keeping someone close at arms length was a harsh strategy but in the end it always worked. And while Dean had given Sam a reason to cut him out of his life, John had given Dean a reason to follow in his footsteps. The man had left again without saying how proud he was, something he knew his oldest son was longing to hear. Leaving him craving that reassurance would only make Dean strive harder to get it, make him do anything asked of him, just to hear it. Such a thought had Bobby's blood boiling, but there was no explaining something so underhanded to the man in the bed before him. Dean would hear none of it because he couldn't see that what he had done to Sam, was something his father often did to him.

"Well I got called down to a remote ski resort few hours from here." Bobby started, changing the subject and lifting the mood. "Seems a cabin burned to the ground last night and Firefighters called to the scene came across two victims; one of them a local Marshall, and  the other the subject of a manhunt. Cops are linking that incident to a few murders in the area and they want me to go down there to check it out, see if I can make heads or tails of the whole situation." Bobby paused for only a moment as a slight smile emerged from the corner of Dean's mouth. "Looks like you're out from under the gun this time around." He continued as he got up from his seat. He turned to leave but stopped in his tracks when he heard the fifteen year old boy he still pictured in his head.

"Thanks Bobby" Dean quietly replied, knowing that he'd still be in over his head if it wasn't for his little brother and the veteran hunter's help.

Bobby offered a soft smile. "Anytime." He replied as their eyes met. "I shouldn't be gone too long." He continued without missing a beat. "You'd better still be here when I get back."

The tone in his voice forced the words out of Dean's mouth. "Yes Sir." Came the automatic response. Watching as Bobby made his way out of the room, shutting the door behind him, Dean couldn't help but let his head sink back down into his pillow. Everything was sore, everything hurt so much with every breath yet at the same time everything felt so right. Though he hated himself for pushing Sam away and by doing so encouraging him to turn his back on family, Dean knew it was the only way his brother could get what he wanted and everything he did, he did for Sam.

Dean shut his eyes and took a deep breath, thankful this nightmare was over but knowing that another was waiting for him around the next corner. This was his life in the fast lane and this was all he knew.





Thanks for reading!
If you're wondering about the ending, I wanted this story to lead up to the pilot episode where the two are somewhat estranged. It was harder than I thought to accomplish but I hope I was able to pull it off. When I started this fic, it all revolved around a single line from the pilot, where Dean says to Sam "If I'd of called, would you have picked up?" I hope you enjoyed it