figure it out.

Dean ordered himself another round of shots not really caring that Crowely was bored of being there. He didn't give a shit that the guy wanted to leave, or go somewhere else. Dean didn't care. All Dean really cared about right now was drinking, sex, and feeling free. Because shit did he feel free right now, he didn't have a damn thing to worry about. No Sam, no hunting, nothing. He was just getting drunk and having the time of his life. This was what it felt like to be well, to be a demon he supposed. And so far he liked it. Which probably sounded insane since he'd spend nearly his entire life fighting things like demons and shit to make the world a better place, and maybe it was just the mark of Kane that was making him think like this, but again he didn't care. Right now his life was great and that was all he really cared about.

---

Autumn took a seat at the bar she'd walked into and dropped her bag onto the ground. It'd been one hell of a day and she really just needed to find a place to relax for a while. Let go of all her troubles from the day and this seemed like the best place. Of course where better to relax than at a bar where you could just drink your problems away. She didn't know why but lately losing her brother had been harder to deal with. Even if it'd happened so long ago, it still haunted her, and it really haunted her around this time of year. Probably because it was pretty much like the anniversary of losing him and shit. She really didn't want to think about it really. She'd rather just drink and not worry about it. "I'd like a rum and coke."

"For the hundredth time, mom, I'm not depressed." Kathryn said as she walked towards the bar. She sighed, listening as her mother went on about how she was concerned about her well-being and how someone her age should really be getting ready to settle down by now. It was a spiel that she knew all too well, and she could probably quote her mother word for word if she really wanted to. That was mainly because she heard the same thing at least three times a week, and that was during a good week. "Just because I'm not seeing anyone--" She rolled her eyes as she set her bag down and took a seat. "I'm not going out with your boss' son. Why? Because he's a narcissistic asshole. That's why." She was really glad that her friend had convinced her to meet up at the bar after a long, stressful week at work, she didn't think that teachers got enough credit for all of the crap they put up with sometimes, because after this conversation, she was going to need another drink, or maybe ten.

---

Sam was tired. Actually, exhausted was more like it. And on top of that, he was confused, and freaking pissed off too. Losing Dean was hard enough to begin with, then he just disappears, which usually doesn't happen when someone dies. Not to say that there was anything usual about he and Dean, because that sure as hell wasn't the case. The only logical explanation was Crowley. He'd done something. He didn't know what, but it was certainly something, and he wanted answers. They were answers that he didn't think he would be getting anytime soon though. He couldn't seem to get a hold of him. No matter what he did. One would think that reaching the King of Hell would be much easier, but it wasn't. In fact, it was anything but easy. He knew that alcohol was anything but a solution, but he had a headache right now, and he really just needed to clear his head and get out of the Bunker for a little while. "What can I get you, handsome?" The bartender asked, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. She'd completely ignored the woman who sat down before he did, something that he thought was rather rude. "Whiskey on the rocks, but get hers before you get mine. She was here first." He said politely.

Dean being well Dean, winked at the bartender when she started him up another round of shots. Alcohol made him a little more flirtatious and willing to do just about anything including sing karaoke. He did turn his head away from the gorgeous bartender however when he heard a somewhat familiar voice near him. He of course knew it wasn't Sam, since the voice was female or the fact that he was sure Sam would've already punched him in the face or something trying to get answers and drag him back to the bunker. Just Dean knew it wasn't Sam. "Ah the joys of overbearing parents." He said to the girl with a smirk, clearly her mother was being annoying trying to set her up with just about anyone she could because apparently her mother was just upset that her daughter was still single. But to hell with needing to be settled down by a certain age to be successful, or whatever the reason was for mothers wanting there daughters to be married by certain age.

---

Autumn mustered up a smile to give the guy next to her, most people probably would've let the bartender ignore her and flirted back. It was obvious after all that she was attempting to flirting with him, he however clearly didn't seem interested. "Rough day?" She finally asked him noting to herself that he looked tired, much like how she felt. Of course by the looks of it he probably felt just as bad. "I mean most people don't turn down flirting with the bartender." She told him mentally face palming for sounding like an idiot surely, but it was true. She'd been to enough bars to know that guys, especially handsome ones like himself who may or may not have even had someone waiting for them at home, did not say no to flirting with the bartender who doesn't have many boundaries. Or at least that was the conclusion she'd come to over the last few years she'd actually been coming to bars to drink away her life for awhile.

Kathryn was honestly sort of relieved when the guy seated next to her made the comment that he did. His voice sounded familiar, and when she glanced over in his direction she realized why. She knew exactly who he was, though she didn't know if she should say anything or not. She didn't know if he recognized her, and it would only prove to be awkward if she said something about it and he didn't know who she was or remember her. It was the perfect reason for her to cut the unwanted conversation with her mother short. "Listen, I have to go. I'll call you tomorrow." She didn't give her mother the chance to respond, simply hung up and dropped the phone into her purse. "Bad reception." She shrugged her shoulders, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "If I had a nickel for every time she tried setting me up with her boss' son, I'd be rich."

---

Sam watched as the expression on the bartender's face fell, obviously disappointed by his response, though she went off to grab both his drink and the woman's. Looking over to her, he mustered up a small smile. If he wasn't so tired, and if he didn't have so much on his mind, he'd probably be thinking that she was attractive. Not that he did't think that she was, he just had a lot more on his mind right about now. He wasn't really the flirtatious type either, that was Dean, and he was far too distracted by everything else to be thinking about hitting on her anyway. Plus, she didn't really look like someone who was hoping to be hit on right now anyway. "I guess I'm not most people." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I bet." Dean replied, "and yea the reception in this place isn't really the best." He added figuring he should bring up that he knew who she was if she wasn't going to, since well he did remember who she was. It was something Dean was proud of actually, never forgetting the face of an old flame. Not that he really ran into them often or anything of the sorts but still. "So how've you been Kathryn?" He asked her sipping on his drink. "I mean other than annoyed with having to avoid your mother and her relentless attempts to set you up with her boss' son." He said pretty sure that if she was anything like she'd been the time they had spent together that she didn't need any help taking care of herself, or the company of some man her mother thought she'd like to be happy.

---

"I guess not." Autumn said shrugging her shoulders before she thanked the bartender for her drink. It was actually kind of refreshing really to see the bartender not get anywhere with someone. It kind of meant she got her drink a lot faster than usual, which meant she could start drinking away her sorrows sooner. And maybe if she wasn't having a rough day she might've actually tried to flirt with this guy. Or well she'd actually put a little bit more effort into her flirting with him but well she was having a bad day. She could tell he was having an off day even if he hadn't told her he was, and well honestly the last thing on either of their minds she was sure was if they found one another attractive. Which she did, but it wasn't important right now.

Kathryn glanced over to him, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "I'd be a lot better if you bought me a drink, Winchester." She said. She was kind of glad that he remembered her and that she didn't just remember him. It had been a while since she'd last seen him, years even. She'd still been in college when she first met him. He'd been working a job, a maintenance one as he put it, in the next town over from where the campus was, and had met him at a bar when she was out with her friends one night. She'd been young back then, naive even, and maybe even a little desperate. He hadn't changed much. She didn't think so anyway, though there was something different about him. Something that she couldn't quite place.

---

Sam offered her a small smile before thanking the bartender quietly when she brought over his drink after bring the woman hers. He didn't really know what to say after that, he wasn't the best when it came to smalltalk, but he wanted to say something. Hopefully keep things from falling into this awkward silence. He knew that it was only really awkward if he made it awkward, but he really just didn't want things to be silent and tense and weird. "Yes." He finally said, realizing that he hadn't answered her question minutes earlier. "I mean, I am having a rough day. Actually, it's more like a rough last couple of days."

"A round of beers please." Dean told the bartender before he smiled at Kathryn. He wasn't really sure how long it'd been since he'd actually seen her, at least four years anything more than that though he wasn't sure about. Of course with all the shit that'd went on in his life over the last four years alone he was surprised he even remembered her. Which he hated to think since he didn't tend to forget people he'd slept with, unless he was totally drunk or something. But there weren't many cases of him being to drunk to remember sleeping with someone. "So how's life been treating you?" He asked figuring he should make light possible flirty conversation with her. After all she was there, he was there, and he had nothing better going on at the moment so he why not attempt to get lucky. Plus it had happened before, she clearly wasn't seeing anyone since she was trying really hard to ward off her mothers attempts to set her up so, not that he would feel bad but, there wasn't really anything for him to feel bad about.

---

"I feel that one." Autumn told him since she'd been having a rough couple of days herself lately. "I think it's just this time of year for me. While everyone else always finds it so comfortable and loving, I can't. It's just a sad time of year." She told him knowing there was a lot more to the story of why she hated this time of year, why she'd been having a rough week too but she didn't want to bore him with her life story or anything. If he asked she might tell him, she'd probably leave out all the weird shit that happened to make her this way. Like the thing that killed her brother or whatever the hell it did to him because well people would look at her like she was crazy if she told them the actual truth. That much she knew since well the people who'd investigated his death had ruled it a suicide and told her she was just coming up with crazy scenario's in order to cope.

Kathryn smiled. She really didn't know how long it had been since she'd last seen him. A couple of years at least, though time flew by so quickly sometimes that she couldn't always keep track of it. She knew that she'd still been in college with the "real world" looming over her as it fast approached in the near future, but other than that, she didn't really know how long it had been. "I can't really think of much to complain about, so alright, I guess." She said, shrugging her shoulders. Moments later, the bartender came over with a round of beers. "It's been a while."

---

Sam nodded. Part of him wanted to ask why this was a hard time of year for her, but the other part didn't know if he'd come off as intrusive or something like that. He certainly didn't want to seem that way, though she seemed like she might need someone to talk to. Usually, a person considered a specific time of year to be a tough one because they lost someone. He wondered if she had, though he hesitated in asking, weighing the pros and cons in his mind before he finally just went for it. "Did you lose someone?" He asked. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It just seems like you could use someone to talk to."

"It sure has." Dean said nodding his head, even though he wasn't sure how long awhile was it had still been awhile. "Good to hear that life's treating you well though." He said knowing that life hadn't always treated him well. Actually up until like a week ago life had treated him like shit to put it simply. But things felt different, they felt better, and he was glad with how things were going. Even if it wasn't really how he'd normally be about anything. Even though he was hanging around with the king of hell, and he was easily killing anyone and everyone who even attempted to come at him. Didn't matter. Life was good right now. There wasn't a damn thing for him to worry about, he was drinking all he wanted to, doing whatever he wanted to, and without some limit. He could stay here as long as he wanted. Which was something that for Dean wasn't normal. But he kind of liked it. It was a lot more open than the bunker was. It was above ground. And well as long as he took care of himself then all was well in the world of Dean Winchester.

---

Autumn bit her lip while she took a moment to figure out how to word her answer. "Yea. About two years ago I lost my brother. And I haven't really talked about it to anyone because everyone who knows believes that bullshit story that he killed himself and they won't listen to me when I tell them that he wasn't himself. He was possessed or something. So I've kind of given up talking about it." She told him hoping that he didn't think she was coping with some crazy story, because she wasn't. She was positive that her brother was possessed by something that killed him. It was just really hard losing a family member but even then Autumn had accepted her brothers death. What she hadn't accepted was that people were so willing to pass it off as nothing when it was something. Even if no one else could see whatever the something was.

Kathryn nodded, taking a sip of her beer. "What about you? What've you been up to lately?" It was kind of strange thinking that this was the first time she was seeing him in years. It was nice though. Even though she really didn't know what to call what had been going on between them back then, she supposed they'd just been hooking up but she really didn't know, it was still nice to see him again. Something definitely seemed different about him though. She didn't know what it was. He was just different now. Maybe it was simply because she hadn't seen him in a while, time could certainly change a person quite a lot, she really didn't know though.

---

Sam was kind of surprised by her response. Not because he hadn't expected her to tell him what had happened and who she'd lost, she'd looked like she needed someone to talk to, it was how her brother had died that struck him as odd. "He was possessed?" He asked her, wanting to make sure that he'd heard her correctly. If he had, maybe she was someone who he could talk to about everything that was going on with Dean. He didn't really know what Crowley had done to his brother, and he was determined to figure it out, but right now he kind of just wanted to tell someone about everything. He wasn't really the type of person to do that, but everyone needed someone to confide in sometimes, and right now, Sam felt pretty alone.

Dean wasn't really thinking much into how long it'd been since he'd seen this girl and all that shit. Really as far as he could remember they were never an item or whatever it was called anyways. Dean wasn't really sure he'd ever even had a serious girlfriend before in his life. Everyone had just been hook ups, with no potential of really being more. Well maybe there had been a few times something was possible, and for a while he had had a home. He had someone to go home to every night, someone to wake up next to and take care of. Someone who wasn't Sammie. But that'd all fallen apart and he was back to having nothing really. "Not much truthfully. I was just doing the same job I've been doing nearly my whole life until like two weeks ago. And for the last week I've been here enjoying life." He said holding up his beer in a celebratory way before he took a sip.

---

Autumn bit her lip and nodded her head. "Yea. No one believes me though." She said sighing. "I mean he was fine one day and then the next thing I know he isn't himself. He's acting weird and at first I just thought he was messing around or something and ignored it. Then like a couple weeks later he's still being all weird, and I noticed in a picture we'd taken that his eyes were all black. And I went to his apartment one day to check things out and he had all kinds of weird ritual shit like he was trying to talk to the devil or something. And I left and looked into it. Because it was my brother and I was worried. And I found all this stuff about demon possessions and I wasn't really sure who to tell or what to do. Or anything, and so I came up with this plan that I'd thought might work. Only when I went to put my awful plan into motion I walked in on him killing himself and right before he died it like left his body and I don't really know where it went from there. Which it all sounds crazy I'm sure. But I know what I saw." She told him not sure, "and I'm sorry for dropping this all on you when you don't even know me and most likely have your own problems to worry about."

In all honesty, Kathryn hardly knew Dean. It's not like they'd ever really sat around and talked much about their lives. Their relationship, if one could even really call it that, had mostly been centered on sex. They'd met at a bar, much like this one actually, made small talk over a few drinks, and then gone back to her apartment. The rest was kind of history. Sure, they'd hooked up a couple of times, but that was it. This really was the first time see was seeing him in years. "Sounds like you've got it made." She said, taking another sip of her beer.

---

Of all the people Sam could have met at this bar tonight...that was one of the first thoughts that ran through the youngest Winchester's mind at that moment. It seemed like a strange coincidence, almost cruel even. Here he was trying to clear his head and get his mind off of anything pertaining to hunting and Dean, and the woman he meets at the bar happens to have lost someone thanks to a demon. Yeah, that was definitely a little cruel. "No, it's alright. Don't apologize." He said, sending what he hoped was a reassuring smile her way. "I don't think it sounds crazy at all. I uh, kind of deal with stuff like that one a daily basis."

"Yes I guess it does sound that way." Dean said taking another drink of his beer. And honestly life was treating him very well right now, though thinking about it he wasn't really sure if she knew what he actually did for a living. Well if you could call it a living. It was being as it was kind of what he and Sam did but they didn't actually get paid for it. Actually Dean wasn't sure he'd ever gotten a pay check in his life, he usually ran some kind of credit card scam and that was how he always had money. It was weird really, how his whole life he'd spent living from one credit card scam to the next like it didn't matter or it was what everyone else did, but he hadn't ever really just sat down and thought about that or how it was kind of a sad life to live. And right now, this week he'd been having just sitting at this bar drinking as much as he wanted and not worrying about anything, yea this had been the best week he'd ever really had. So he wondered why he'd wanted to stay part of this stupid family business for as long as he had. "So what're you doing with your life now? I mean last time we saw each other I'm pretty sure you were still in college. And I'm assuming that's not the case anymore."

---

Autumn raised a brow at him, "you deal with stuff like that daily?" She asked him confused, so far in her life she'd never met someone who dealt with things like that on a daily basis. Or at least none that she knew of. "I didn't know there were people who actually dealt with things like that." She said biting her lip. "I mean I know about the Ghostfacers, I think that's what they call themselves. I don't think they're together anymore though. I also don't really think they would've been a very reliable group to call were I ever in need of someone to come help with a ghost." She said rambling on a little bit. Though she did find it weird, kind of fasinating but also weird, that he dealt with things like that. He probably had secrets or had like a trunk full of holy water or something to protect himself and whoever he needed to protect. And thinking of that made her wonder how on earth he could've possibly gotten involved in something like that.

"I'm a high school English teacher now." Kathryn told him. She had been in the process of finishing up her bachelor's when she'd met him, and now she was finishing up grad school while she taught English at the local high school. "It's honestly not as great as I thought it was going to be. Most teenagers need some major attitude adjustments nowadays." Hence why she was glad her friend had suggested meeting up here. She'd really needed the beer that she was drinking right now after the long-ass, stress-induced, week she'd had. Of course, her friend hadn't arrived yet, and if she hadn't seen Dean, she probably would have been calling to make sure that their plans were still on for tonight. However, it wasn't like she was sitting at the bar by herself anymore. She was catching up with someone who she hadn't seen in years, and she was honestly kind of hoping to get something out of it tonight. Screw grading those 1984 essays. Her students could wait a few more days for their grades.

---

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I do. I've been dealing with stuff like that for most of my life actually. It's sort of a family business, if you want to call it that." He was sure that she hadn't expected him to tell her that. It probably wasn't the reaction or response she got from most people. Actually, he had a feeling that she really didn't tell most people how she thought her brother had been possessed when he killed himself. If she did, they would think she was crazy. It was just how most people's minds worked nowadays. All things that go bump in the night were just scary stories told to kids to scare them. Little did they know, that most of those stories were probably at least partially true. He resisted the urge to make a face when she mentioned the Ghostfacers. Of course she would know who they were. "There aren't necessarily a lot of us out there, but there are some. You're right about those two though. Definitely not people you want to call when you need help dealing with a ghost, or really anything supernatural."

"A high school English teacher." Dean said not really all that shocked to be honest. She looked like someone who'd be a teacher. And maybe if he would've remembered any of the things they might've talked about last time he'd seen her he would've known she was going to be a teacher. But Dean wasn't one for remembering the smaller details in life. Like what a girl he slept with years ago was going to college for. "I don't think I could agree more though. Teenagers these days could totally use a good attitude adjustment." He said knowing that of the few teenagers he'd actually met and remembered over the last couple of years they could all use a little help in the attitude department. They were all snobby brats who he would've gladly beat up in high school just because they needed it. "Personally I think each generation gets worse. But that might just be me."

---

"So how exactly did your family get into that kind of business? If you don't mind me asking, I mean it's not really a normal family business." Autumn asked him finding that talking to him, was kind of comfortable. Things hadn't went into that awkward silence yet, and she hadn't freaked him out with her story of her brother, nor had he freaked her out in finding out that he was part of a supernatural fighting family. Which was probably the most abnormal job she'd ever heard of. "I take it you've had a run in with them then? And since they hunt ghosts, or were supposed to at least, I'm also going to assume that they weren't very good." She said trying not to laugh. Honestly if it weren't for watching Ghostbusters and then her friend being convinced that someone had to have attempted something similar and needing to know who they were right away she never would've even known they were a thing. And after watching a few of their videos she personally would've had more faith in some stranger she'd met off the street than those goofs.

"You don't seem at all surprised." Kathryn commented before taking another sip of her beer. She supposed that she gave off that teacher-vibe; at least that's what some people had told her in the past anyway. She didn't know if she'd ever told him that she wanted to be a teacher though. She honestly didn't really remember much of what they talked about. Mostly because, other than the first night they met at the bar, they hadn't really been doing all that much talking. "Some of the things kids have said to me in the past were just insane. They act like everyone's out to get them, and their lives suck. Half of them have it made." She shook her head in disbelief before letting out a quiet laugh at his later words. "I couldn't agree more, honestly. There are six year olds walking around with freaking iPhones now. Each generation definitely gets worse."

---

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "It kind of just runs in the family. My mom came from a family of hunters, that's what we are, and then my dad got into it after my mom was killed." He paused for a moment, taking a sip of his drink. It didn't matter how much time passed, talking about his mom still kind of hurt. Sure, he and Dean had taken care of the son of a bitch who had killed their mom, but that didn't make talking about her death any easier. "I've had more than one run in with them actually. They aren't really mine, or my brother's, favorite people, and that's putting it lightly." He chuckled slightly.

"You just have that whole teacher vibe going on." Dean told her making a hand motion towards her once he'd sat his beer down. "Which isn't really a bad thing, I mean I'm sure that having the teacher vibe means you don't get asked a lot about where you work, which eliminates it from the awkward twenty questions that're often asked when you have that weird first date with a person to see if there the one or whatever it is people look for when they go on actual dates." He told her shrugging his shoulders, truthfully he didn't know much about what people did on first dates or how many first dates it might've taken someone to find a soulmate or whatever because that wasn't really Dean. He'd never really been one for settling down or looking for 'the one'. But he was sure that there was always a weird phase where they tried to get to know the other. "Yea. I still have my good ole' flip phone." He told her knowing he didn't need whatever the newest model of some fancy phone was just because it was in. "Hell I don't even have one those cord things you plug up in your car for music on your phone." He told her, of course given he still listened to cassette tapes and knew nothing of the modern day music it made sense. "Kids are just spoiled now."

---

"Sorry to hear about your mom." Autumn said biting her lip. "That's never easy." She told him pushing her fingers through her hair and taking another drink. She'd lost her mom when she was younger so she understood, it was just something that didn't get easier to deal with. It was something you learnt to accept and deal with no matter how much it hurts. And some days it hurt more than others, but it was a hurt you had to live with. It was very helpful when you had people to talk to though. "That bad huh?" She said laughing not even sure she could imagine how awful they could've been if he'd met them a couple of times and didn't like them clearly. "Oh I'm Autumn by the way." She said realizing that they'd been sitting there talking for at least five minutes or so now and she didn't even know his name.

Kathryn nodded. "I would hope that it's not a bad thing." She said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Well, I haven't been on one of those weird first dates in a while. That's why my mother's always on my ass about going out with her boss' son." She rolled her eyes slightly at the thought. At first it had just been a light pestering, but now she felt as though her mom would bring this guy up in every single conversation. Kathryn had met him once before, and he was a dick. She wasn't, under any circumstances, going to go out on a date with this guy. Not even in a million years. "Anti-technology, huh?" She asked, quirking a brow when he said he still had a flip phone. There weren't very many people who could say that nowadays. "Smart phones aren't that bad, pretty handy sometimes actually. I just think it's ridiculous that kids have them too. I'm pretty sure a six year old doesn't need one. What are they doing? Calling each other across the playground?"

---

Sam shrugged. "It was a long time ago." He said simply. He didn't really want to go into detail about it all. The more he talked about it, the more he ended up thinking about it, and then he ended up thinking about Jess too, someone who he tried not to think about at all anymore. He didn't love her like he used to anymore, it was different now, but he still cared, and he still blamed himself for her death too. Most of the time he didn't think much about it, but when he talked about his mom, his mind would end up wandering. "Yeah, that bad." He chuckled slightly. "Sam." He smiled slightly.

"I mean I suppose if someone isn't into teachers then it'd be a bad thing." Dean said shrugging his shoulders about it, he personally never liked any of his teachers in the little bit of time he actually spent in school but he was older now and had seen so many 'sexy teacher' videos that he didn't have a problem with them. "Have you ever thought about just lying to your mother. Telling her you're talking to someone or something. I mean you don't live with her or anything right? Because I mean if you don't, or don't see her a lot then it'd be possible." He said deciding that's what he would've done if he were in her shoes right now. "I just never had the time for it really. I moved around a lot, and stayed very busy with the business I was in that I haven't really had the chance to update myself on the world of technology." He told her knowing that was pretty true. He hadn't really had the time for all that shit with the business he and Sam were in. Plus well he was so used to how everything was he hadn't ever even thought about a change to be honest. Plus with or without Sam in his life right now Dean would never give his baby an upgrade. She was already bad ass as it was and he liked it that way.

---

Autumn nodded totally understanding. He didn't want to talk about it, and she wasn't going to push it or anything. It was already an upsetting topic, trying to force someone to talk about that might've pushed someone over the edge and made things awkward or something. And they were going pretty well right now. "Well I'm glad I never had a ghost problem and called them or anything then." She said laughing and wondering how they'd gotten into the business of ripping off the Ghostbusters, though they were actually good at their job in the movies. "Fighting Ghosts just isn't for everyone. And well it's nice to meet you Sam." She told him with a smile, to be completely honest right now Autumn already felt a little bit better than when she'd walked in a while ago.