Our Way of Life

Allie snorted with laughter at Angelina's explanation about their beautiful, cherry red Bug - that was stolen. However, the robbery took place in a junk yard, and the car was never reported, so the girls got away scott free. Shaking her head at the memory of the night, Allie hung back and listened to the conversation around her flow.

Dean laughed. "A Bug, huh? Cute little cars -"

"If you say 'for cute little girls', I'll punch you into next week." Allie warned coolly. Every where the girls went, there was always at least a handful of men who assumed that they were makeup artists or hairdressers, having no idea about their true occupation, and it annoyed Allie to no end - before hunting, she was three weeks away from graduating medical school, for God's sake, and so was Angelina.

Dean nodded, grinning. "Alright, fair enough. But I'm impressed with the fact you stole it, that takes some balls." He shot back Sam's shot, seeing his brother ignoring it for far too long. "Alright, so shall we leave the Bug here? You can ride in the Impala with us. We'll come get her when our job's done." Dean offered, never letting anyone have the luxury of riding in Baby that easily.

Grinning in amusement at her best friends reaction to what Dean, and most other men for that fact, assumed about them, she stood up as the others did and followed them outside. Walking behind the boys with her arm linked with Allie's, she noticed that they were heading towards a black Impala and stared at it in awe.

"OMG, she's beautiful," Angelina said, letting go of Allie's arm for a moment and running her fingers along the clean line of the bonnet, "This is a 67 right? V-8 engine if I'm not mistaken?" Noticing the way Allie rolled her eyes and smiled at the scene happening in front of her.

Sam couldn't help spotting a few things that Dean and Angelina had in common, beyond them both being hunters. They both had a love for Dean's baby for one, Angelina looked out for Allie just like Dean did for him and they were both surrounded by a hard shell that demanded a special sort of person to break.

@ sakura blues.

Allie grinned, shaking her head. "Nerd." She commented lightly to Angelina as she fangirled over the, admittedly beautiful, Impala. Crossing her arms over her chest, Allie watched as the sun began to set in the distance.

"You know your cars!" Dean grinned. "You riding shotgun?" He offered Angelina. He usually kept that spot exclusively for Sam, but Dean knew his brother well enough to know that he'd allow Angelina to have the seat with no arguments. "She's a good car. She belonged to our parents before she was passed down to me." Dean explained, never usually discussing John and Mary outside necessary conversations. "Hop in."

Allie looked at the parked up Bug, exhaling as she approached the Impala, admiring the sleek, black shell of the classic girl. She nodded to herself. Dean climbed into the driver's seat of the car, reaching over to open the passenger door for Angelina.

@ sakura blues.

Looking at Allie in mock hurt, Angelina followed her friend's gaze and noticed that the sun was setting. "I know some stuff," Angelina admitted, grinning when Dean offered her the front passenger seat and nodded without hesitation, "It must mean a lot to you?" Angelina added as Dean mentioned his parents, feeling her heart sink a little when she realized that she had never had anything from her parents that she could hold dear and immediately pushing the thoughts away.

Unfazed by having to climb in the back, Sam got in and waited for everyone else to join him. He knew that Dean was trying to get closer to Angelina and being in the back with Allie was a bonus, meaning that he could attempt to have a conversation with her.

Glancing back over at the red bug, Angelina was reluctant to leave it for a few seconds and snapped out of her thoughts as Dean opened the passenger side door for her. Tugging on Allie's sleeve, she climbed in and smiled as Dean started the engine.

"Yeah, this car is my life, next to hunting. Next to Sam." Dean confirmed, quickly steering away from the subject as he watched the girls get in. Smiling at Angelina, he brought Baby to a roaring start. "She runs smoothly." Dean was always keen to show off the Impala - her good condition, how well taken care of she was, it was something he held with pride. He reversed the car expertly out of her spot, and Dean built up her speed, driving down the road. "So, what was college like?"

Allie buckled her safety belt, glancing at Sam through the corner of her eye. His long hair framed his face and he looked like a vision in the light of the setting sun. Allie exhaled, not wanting to start the conversation, not wanting to hold a conversation. She heard Dean's question about college and she perked up, interested in what Angelina's answer was going to be.

@ sakura blues.

Taking the subject change as a sign that Dean wasn't comfortable talking about his parents, Angelina respected his decision and thought for the best word to sum up college life, "College was crazy, we lived on campus so our life was filled with studying, partying and recovering from the night before," Angelina told him with a smile, "We made friends with some of the older guys there, so we were always getting invited out to a party or event and they would always end with Amy..." Freezing as Amy's name slipped from her mouth, she lowered her gaze and fought back the tears that formed in her eyes, "College was crazy."

Trying to think of something that he could say to gain Allie's attention, Sam was surprised to see her perk up as Dean asked Angelina about college and decided to listen to what the girl in the front seat had to say about life in education. The words seemed to flow from Angelina's mouth, until she mentioned the name Amy and suddenly her entire demeanor changed along with Allies. Both girls seemed to withdraw, Allie fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt again and Angelina lowering her head as if ashamed of the fact that she had mentioned anything about whoever this girl was.

Allie kicked Angelina's chair to let her know, silently, that it was alright. Angelina had always been there to pick up Allie's pieces, and Allie was so determined to do the same for Angelina.

Dean nodded. "What did you both study?" He took the conversation away from Amy, feeling sorry for the girls who had clearly been through a traumatic situation, and despite not knowing fully what that situation was, Dean didn't want to be the one to press. "Did you go home, see family?" He asked. "Sam went to Stanford, never once came to visit." He teased his little brother, trying to bring light to the situation, glaring jokingly at Sam through the rear view mirror.

Allie kept quiet, family still a very touchy subject. Toby would be 18 now, and all Allie could think of was that she remembered him, how proud she was to be a big sister, and how Toby would know nothing of her. Exhaling a shuddered breath, Allie looked out of the window firmly, letting Angelina do the talking again, although feeling bad for letting Angelina take all of the beating. Ripping a piece of thread from her t-shirt, Allie leaned back into the chair.

Feeling a slight bang on the back of her seat, Angelina swallowed as she looked up and tried her hardest to keep the emotion from her voice as she answered Dean's questions that he had thankfully diverted away from Amy, "We were studying medicine," she mumbled, fully aware that she had failed at keeping the emotion from her tone, "I didn't go home to visit family either... it's not like they missed me or anything."

Feeling sorry for the girls, Sam looked over to Allie and saw that she had taken herself out of the conversation completely. Taking notice of Dean's remarks about his brief time at college, he shook his head as Dean playfully glared at him through the rearview mirror and took a deep breath as he returned his attention back to Allie, "What made you want to study medicine?" he asked, desperate to show her that he just wanted to learn more about her and wasn't prying into the darkness in her life.

@ sakura blues.

Allie didn't say anything on family. "I just wanted to help people." She put her piece into the conversation, quiet enough for only Sam to hear her, her voice slightly cracked. "I wanted to make a difference. I was meant to specialise in becoming a Doctor for kids." And that was all she said on the matter, not wanting to tell them that Tobias inspired that decision, that her parents took out a second mortgage to pay for her tuition, not wanting to talk about anything anymore.

Dean nodded. "Medicine. You two must be smart cookies." He turned down a quiet road which led to a small, quiet motel, the cheapest one the boys could find when they were passing through town. "Did you graduate?" He asked curiously, noting that family was a sensitive subject for Angelina, not wanting to make them even more upset. "I think you both suit hunting more." He smiled, trying to be kind. "Who wouldn't miss you, Angelina? You're a badass."

@ sakura blues.

Sam listened as Allie replied to his question, finding it easy to imagine her working with kids and wanting to make them better... give them something more than life in a hospital bed. Seeing her response as a breakthrough, he settled back into his seat and diverted his attention to the conversation that Dean was having with Angelina.

"Smart enough to pass everything that the course threw at us, but we didn't quite make it to graduation..." she said, scanning their surroundings as they traveled down a quiet road that seemed to lead to a motel, "Nobody missed me, nobody visited me, nobody told me how proud they were of me... I wasn't worth their time or effort."

"Well, I'm proud of you." Dean said. It didn't matter he had only met Angelina that night, he could tell that she was a good, genuine person. "You deserve to know that." Dean parked up at the motel, the Impala being the only car there, apart from a broken down Mini that looked like it'd been abandoned. "Would you do college again?" Dean asked, staying in the Impala to hear the answer.

Allie quickly exited the vehicle as it came to a stop, needing air after feeling trapped, suffocating under the tension. She took a deep breath, wiping her eyes before anyone could see she was upset. "Jesus fucking Christ." She murmured, appreciating the fact that dusk had fallen and it was dark enough to disguise her face.

@ sakura blues.

Surprised by the words that came from Dean's mouth, Sam followed Allie from the car and knew that she was crying as she hastily wiped her face. There was so much pain in Angelina's voice as she spoke and he could tell that Allie had been through it all with her, which made him want to be there for both of them.

Thinking about her answer to Dean's question, she looked over at him and shook her head. "College was a great achievement for me, but the truth is I only stayed because of Allie and nothing good came from it in the end. At least with hunting, I get to help people and make a change in their life... that's all I want."

Dean nodded slowly. "Good answer." He smiled comfortingly, exiting the car, letting Angelina recollect her thoughts. He glanced at Allie, feeling guilty for bringing up things that she had buried underneath for so long.

"Are you two lumberjacks done with your Care Bear moment?" Allie scowled, grabbing her jacket to grab one of her (many) forged credit cards, going to get a room for her and Angelina to share, tying her hair back into a ponytail to do something with her hands. She walked away from the situation, missing home, missing Amy, missing Jack, now more than anything.

Dean exhaled. "Man, they've seen some stuff." He commented quietly to Sam, feeling half guilty and half satisfied with the answers he was given. "Who couldn't be proud of Angelina? What family wouldn't want her to be a part of it?" He asked, surprising himself. "We should wait for them to get a room, say goodnight."

@ sakura blues.

Waiting for Dean to close the door, Angelina allowed her tears to fall and cursed under her breath for letting him in so quickly. She would normally shut down, bury everything away deep inside where nobody could to get to it and here she was telling a complete stranger all of her deepest, darkest thoughts. She was such an idiot.

Looking over as Dean joined him, Sam watched as Allie headed towards the motel office and stop himself from following as Dean spoke. He could hear the mixture of emotions in Dean's voice and realized that underneath it was a small hint of anger towards the people that had brought Angelina and Allie down. "I think that would be a good idea," Sam agreed as Dean suggested bidding them goodnight, looking up as Angelina climbed out of the car.

Dean offered Angelina a small smile. "Hey, you feeling alright?" Dean asked carefully, approaching the situation sensitively. It wasn't a Dean Winchester thing to do, but there was just something about Angelina - he wanted to protect her, be there for her, as much as he could be. "Allie's gone to sort you guys a room. We're in 283, if you need anything." Dean emphasized the number of their room in case they needed anything.

Allie paid the clerk with a small smile, playing with the ring around her right hand ring finger - a promise ring that Jack had gifted her as an early graduation present. Exhaling heavily, she paid for the room, accepting the key. Approaching the Winchesters again, Allie focused on her beaten up converse, clearly feeling awful for snapping at the two of them. "We should get some rest." She linked her arm through Angelina's.

Keeping her gaze on the ground as she carefully leaned back against the car, Angelina tried to hide the fact that she was still crying and tensed slightly as Dean spoke. Grateful that Allie had already gone to sort out their room, she couldn't wait to be alone with her friend and given the freedom to break down without judgment. Hearing footsteps approaching them, Angelina felt Allie link their arms and muttered a quiet thank you to Dean as they walked away.

Confused at the sudden change in his brother, Sam glanced over as Allie linked arms with Angelina and mumbled something about needing rest. The atmosphere between the small group had changed so much, but it felt right... something about the two girls that now headed towards their room fitted into the duo's tight-knit relationship.

@ sakura blues.

Slamming the door to their motel room shut behind them, Allie instantly yanked Angelina to her, hugging the girl tightly, knowing Angelina well enough to know she needed comfort. "God," she exhaled. "Ang, maybe this is the sign we've been asking for to move on." She whispered, squeezing Angelina, hoping she was getting through to her.

Dean led Sam to their own room. "I hope they're okay." Dean frowned. "I feel bad. I feel like it's us who upset them. I just wish I was a fly on the wall, Sammy, I wanna know more about them. Relationships, family, friends..." He frowned. Dean usually minded his business, but he found himself, very quickly, having a soft spot for Angelina, and he didn't mind. It felt right.

@ sakura blues.

Letting the tears flow freely as soon as she was pulled into a tight hug, she listened to what Allie was saying and pulled back to look at her best friend as she replied. "I don't want to keep running away Allie, we deserve some happiness and I think that this could be it. I miss the others as much as you do and I know how hard it is for you to start a new day without your family around you, but... perhaps this is a sign that we need to take just one leap of faith."

Sam agreed with everything that Dean had said since getting inside their room, they had only known the girls for a short time but he could already see a change in his brother and he liked it. He liked that Dean was showing his soft side, that someone had made him drop his jerk attitude and allowed him to just be himself... be Dean and not the person he became with hunting.

Allie nodded, looking at the ring on her finger. "I know." She whispered. "I know. Let's do it. Maybe Sam and Dean are all we need to help us." She squeezed her friend's hands. "We've got this." She exhaled. "I'm gonna get a Coke from that machine, do you want one? Some sugar is definitely needed after a long day. Maybe I can talk to Sam, apologise for being so..." she paused, looking ashamed of herself. "So mean."

Dean climbed onto his bed, exhaling. "Man, what a day. Isn't it weird how one night can change your direction?" He asked, not really directing the question at Sam, more like talking into the open. He frowned. "I'm worried about this demon case, man. I hope Crowley's got nothing to do with it, I'll kick his ass."

@ sakura blues.

Relieved that Allie agreed with her, Angelina felt a pang of guilt in asking her best friend to move on from everything she held close in her heart and nodded at the offer of a drink. Sitting on the bed as Allie left the room, she thought back to the day Amy had died and shook her head to get rid of the thoughts. It had all been her fault... she had pushed Amy into going to the party that night and it had been her decision to call in the hunter. She had killed her friend and in the process ripped Allie away from everything she knew, she would forever hold that guilt.

Knowing that Dean didn't expect an answer, Sam laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling. His mind wandered to thoughts of Allie and ways in which he could help her open up a little, just enough for him to get to know her better.