Breathe Life Into Me

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I looked over my shoulder at Sam ordering lunch for all of us as we were making a pit stop. “Dean…we can’t just avoid this forever” I hissed at him.

“Why not? I’d say it’s going pretty well” I just gave him a look and he just went back to reading the paper.

I looked back up and saw Sam was coming back over. Say something smart…say something relevant…say something smart…say something relevant…. “It’s unusually chilly out today” are the words that were blurted from my mouth. Smooth Brit. The weather? Really?!

“Well…it is getting closer to fall…” Sam pointed out as he handed me a drink and Dean just stared at me strangely.

“Well aside from the strange weather I caught wind of a case on this police scanner. Sounds like our kind of thing” Dean voiced. “I wasn't even gone ten minutes”

“Okay. That matters why?”

“I don't know, Dean. How about because you haven't said a word to me since Prentiss Island? Neither of you have” his eyes met mine and my jaw clenched…along with my whole body.

“And now, what? You want me to shut up and ride shotgun and act like nothing happened?” “You want to talk about Benny? Fine. Let's talk”

“Okay. How about he's a vampire?”

“He's also the reason we’re topside and not roasting on a spit in Purgatory. Anything else?”

“Don't pretend I don't get it. I know you had to do what you had to down there”

“I highly doubt you get anything about Purgatory. “But you're out now and Benny's still breathing. Why?”

“Sam…he’s our friend…” I tried to reason. He wouldn’t even look at me now.

“And what about my friend, Amy? She was what? 'Cause you sure as hell didn't have a problem ganking her, Dean”

“Well, I guess people change, don't they? We let that werewolf Kate go, didn't we?” he referred to our last case.

“She was different. You think Benny's different? He tell you he's not drinking live blood, or something? And you believe him. Wow. Okay. You know, you're right. People do change” he rolled his eyes.

“Yeah. We got a vampire buddy, and you turn your phone off for a year”

“Don't turn this on me”

“Look, Benny slips up and some other hunter turns his lights out, so be it” “But it's not gonna be either you, right? Come on, Dean. This goes back on everything we are. Everything you’re about. This isn’t you. Trusting someone like him…”

“Sam” I scolded. I didn’t like him talking about Benny like that. It wasn’t okay.

“He knows a way to get Melissa back” Dean finally admitted.

“And…you believe him?”

“I’m willing to do anything” is what he stuck with.

“And that’s what scares me” Silence followed.

“You coming or not?” Dean asked and just got into the car.

My eyes went up to meet Sam’s but he looked away immediately. I sighed and got in the backseat. He followed in pursuit and then we hit the road. Another silent ride….

~

“So, guy's old lady comes home while he's working underneath his ride, puts the pedal to the metal, and takes half his head off” Dean explained as we pulled up to the house. An ambulance was leaving and cops flooded the place.

“What, that's it?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, in a nutshell. She says she blacked out, doesn't remember a damn thing”

“Well, that sounds like insanity”

“Maybe”

“So, how does that make this our kind of thing?”

“Because, Sam, Kevin's in the wind, okay, you're sulking around like a eunuch in a whorehouse, and I can't help but ask myself, when is decapitation not my thing?” Dean stepped out and Sam just sat there so I didn’t move

“Is this what it’s going to be like now? All the secrets between us?” he wondered.

“I’m not the only one with secrets, Sam. I know that girl meant more to you then you lead on” He tensed up.

“How could you possibly…”

“I have friends in high places” I followed Dean to the crime scene.

Every night…more like every time I just shut my eyes…Melissa comes to me in my dreams and we talk for what feels like hours…I don’t know how she gets information like this…and I don’t know why I believe her…but I can feel that it’s all true. The way Sam gets distracted and stares into space for time on end…the way Dean flinches whenever he gets a sense of memory that reminds him of Mel…the way I hurt from being all alone and having no one here to actually talk to, girl-to-girl…she knows it all.

“Whoa, whoa. FBI?” a sheriff questioned us as we flashed our badges.

“Yeah, happened to be in the neighborhood” I shrugged. “First a Texas Ranger, now you guys?”

“Texas Ranger?” we all questioned as Sam got to our side.

“Yes, sir. Right over there.” he pointed in the distance to some douche in a cowboy hat and a tasseled leather jacket.

My eyes widened as I got a good look at the side of his face while he was questioning a witness. “You have got to be kidding me” Dean groaned.

We all approached him slowly. “Hey, Chuck Norris” Dean quipped. He turned and a big grin appeared on his face.

“Sam? Dean? Brittney!” he said excitedly and then laughed as he pulled each one of us into a tight hug. “Forgot he was a hugger” Sam grunted.

“Alright…okay” Dean patted his back, making him back up.

I smiled lightly. He was like stupidly sweet. Like that awkward guy at a party that you just want to invite to hang out with you because you feel bad for him. “We're still working here” Dean reminded him.

“You guys have no idea how much I missed you! You’re missing one though. Come on, where is she? I know how she likes those big entrances” he said happily.

“Um, excuse us, would you?” Dean said to the guy.

“Yeah, we'll be right back” Garth said and we walked a few feet away.

“A Texas Ranger, Garth? Seriously? We're in Missouri” Dean moved the topic forward.

“What? Come on. I look like a funeral director in one of those. Wow. I heard some chatter you guys were back in the batter's box, but I didn't believe it till now” A cell phone started to go off. Garth opened his jacket and on the inside were three cell phones in three pockets. He picked up one and answered it.

“Yo, Earl. What you got?…A revenant. Okay you'll need a casket and some silver spikes. Oh and don't get bit. No, it won't turn you, but it will hurt like hell. Okay, so, once you got all that, nail that sucker in, bury him, and throw away the key. Okay? All right. Hasta” he hung up and stuck the phone back in the pocket.

“Umm what are you doing?” Dean wondered with a hint of attitude.

“My job, hombre”

“Your job?” I inquired.

“Yeah” “And since when is giving advice your job?”

“Hold on…” I froze everything.

“Are you…the new Bobby?” Sam asked.

“You shut your mouth” Dean snapped.

“Yes” Garth responded.

“You shut your mouth! What?”

“Bobby was gone. You all were MIA. It was a weird time. Somebody had to step in and take up the slack. All right. Let's just get back to work, and we'll talk about this later, all right?” he walked away.

I looked up at the guys for some kind of answer to this. “Did…Garth just tell us what to do?” I smiled a little because of the irony and I mean, really? Who saw this coming?

We followed him over to the witness. “Uh, Scott Lew. These gentlemen…and young lady…” he bowed slightly to me. I grinned.

“Are with the FBI. Mr. Lew's parents were the individuals involved in this…unfortunate situation”

“I’m very sorry for your loss” I told him.

“Just a few questions, Mr. Lew. Um, by any chance were your parents having…marital problems?” Sam asked.

“No. Uh, no more than anyone else”

“What about your mother's health? Any chance this was a seizure, a stroke, anything that might help explain this?”

“I don't think so. Um, they're checking her out at the hospital right now”

“What about stranger behavior?” Dean asked.

“Stranger? How?”

“Hearing voices, seeing things…your mother mention anything like that?”

“My parents were married for 30 years-high-school sweethearts. There's no good explanation for why this happened, no matter where you want to look”

“Okay, well, thank you, Scott. We'll be in touch” Garth said to him and he walked off.

I saw Dean was looking Garth up and down and I couldn’t help but feeling an ache in my chest. No one could replace Bobby. I knew that…he should know that. Garth is just doing what he felt he had to do at the time…and what he feels he needs to do now. He’s helping people. He’s going where he’s needed.

We walked around to the back where the murder happened. Sam pulled out the EMF. “No EMF. No traces of sulphur anywhere. Like I thought: bust”

“Hold on there, Sam. There's a lot of things to factor in here. It happened last night, so the readings could be cold by now” Garth pointed out.

“Good point” Dean rolled his eyes.

“And uh…even if there was any sulfur, Barney Fife and his crew probably contaminated the whole crime scene and any evidence that was here with it”

“Wow. He's on a roll” Dean said to me. I nudged him.

“That's one word for it” Sam commented.

“Uh, guys, I think I found something”

We all looked up at Garth as he lifted his foot and green goo was stuck at the bottom of his boot. “Is that gum…or is that ectoplasm?” Dean questioned.

“I…though ectoplasm was usually black” I mentioned and then watched Garth swipe some of the goo onto his finger and lick it and my gag reflex kicked in.

“Mm definitely ectoplasm. So, what are we thinking uh some kind of ghost, right?” he looked at all of us. But then one of his other phones began to ring again. The ring tone was some oldie, Wild West song.

“Ranger McCrae here”

“One of those things rings Hammer, I'm throwing down” Dean muttered.

“Oh, great. Okay. Okay…thanks, Doc” he hung up.

“Asked the coroner to drop me a line in case the autopsy turned up anything…unusual. And guess what. Our dead guy had the word Alcott carved into his chest” he showed us what he had written down on his hand.

“With what?” Sam asked.

“Coroner's best guess? His wife Mary's fingernails”

Our next stop was the hospital. The wife was so delusional and out of it…I saw no sign of Yes, I did it! in her eyes. I didn’t understand how she could have killed her husband. Usually the killers that we deal with love to flaunt it. But she could barely remember even speaking to her husband. All she gave us was the fact if feeling excessive anger and uncontrollable rage. At the sound of the word Alcott though she clenched up and if she wasn’t cuffed to the bed bars then she would’ve launched at us. Alcott was the name of an old fling that the husband used to have.

“So this poor guy goes to prom with some girl over 30 years ago, and because of that, he’s now a pancake?” Dean confirmed as we walked into a bar a grabbed a table.

“I mean, if this is a ghost, maybe it's some sort of possession?” Sam suggested.

“What are you talking about? You heard her. Alcott's alive”

“Well, we're definitely gonna want to talk to her” Garth said.

“Yeah, sounds like a plan. But right now? Food. I’m starving” he said, lifting up a menu. I could feel Garth’s eyes watching all of us as I sat down beside Dean and him and Sam sat across from us. Dean was oblivious and Sam was just occupied with other things on his mind.

We ordered right away. I was trying to ignore Garth’s stare. “Stop it, Garth” I finally spoke.

“Stop what?” he played dumb.

“You know what”

“I do, do I?”

I shot him a glare and his whole body tensed up. I looked up at the waitress as she brought over the food. “So, Dean…Brittney…give me the skinny. Where were you two this past year?” Garth asked.

“Why don't we save what we did on our summer vacation for another time?” Dean replied.

“Awe, come on!” He leaned forward. “Was it dirty?” he whispered.

“Garth!” we all scolded him.

“What? You can’t just have me not assume that you two ran off together and did the nasty. I mean, look at you all!” We all exchanged a look and then looked back down. “You can smell desperation and guilt from a mile away. You want him, he wants you…” he gestured to me and Sam. “So I don’t know why you’re with his brother…”

“I’m not!”

“Then what’s going on! And then there’s also the fact that Melissa is gone! I mean, out of all of you she was the craziest but I would’ve thought she would stick around the longest. Even if something like this…” he gestured to me and Dean again. He was talking way too much.

“Alright!” I snapped, making him shut up. “We were in Purgatory” I said in a more hushed tone. “Mel, Dean and I…we were stuck in Purgatory…Dean and I got out…Mel didn’t” I summed it up.

“Like the Purgatory Purgatory?”

“No, the one in Miami” Dean snarked.

“Man…I’m sorry you guys…especially you Dean. It must be really hard”

I tried to keep my eyes down and not move them up to Dean to show him pity or sympathy. It was the last thing he needed. “That's balls” Garth shook his head. I snapped my eyes up at him.

“That's not how you say ‘balls’” Dean hissed. He was silent for a moment, chewing his food and then swallowed.

“So how'd you get out?” he asked.

“So uhh what’s up with all the hillbilly hankies? These people know the Civil War's over, right?” I moved on the topic.

“Mm. That's a touchy subject around these parts. See, Missouri was a border state. So, half the men were Confederate, the other half were the Union.”

“How do you know all this?” Sam asked. “I went to college” I was suddenly intrigued.

“You went to college?” I inquired.

“Yeah. College, and on to dental school”

“What, you? You were a dentist?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, just for, like, a hot minute. Where'd you think I got my first case?”

“Let me guess. Tooth Fairy”

I smiled a little but then Garth suddenly put down his fork and his whole demeanor changed. It was as if he was replaying a movie in his head while he stared down at the table. “Yeah. Man, I felt terrible when I ganked that SOB”

“Uh, you killed the Tooth Fairy?” Sam said.

“Yeah, man. I mean, not my proudest moment, but it happened. Mmm. Man, this is good” he dug further into his food.

Dean’s POV

There was another attack. The wife’s son this time was the attacker and what was left behind was the word Sussex. We didn’t have a lot to go on so we needed to talk to people and do some research. Brit was resistant to go with Sam but it was either stick it out with Sam or listen to Garth make sex cracks about the two of us and she would definitely kill him if he just continued. But I don’t know how much longer I can last if this kid keeps thinking he’s the new friggin Bobby. If I could’ve left Garth someplace where no one would find him ever again I would’ve. But with my luck he would just come running back.

“Easy there, flyweight. Last time you drank a beer, I had to pick you up off the floor” I pulled a beer out of reach from him. “You're such an idjit” he chuckled.

I clenched my fists. “Idjit's supposed to be used angrily. Okay? Not happy. If you're gonna butcher it, don't say it at all” I grunted.

“Whoa, then. Okay. None of my business, but…this have anything to do with you and…Brittney?”

“No! Damn it, Garth! There’s nothing between me and Brittney!” I yelled at him.

“Then the thing between you and Sam. And the void you’re feeling from the absence of Melissa” he assumed. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. He doesn’t know any better-Brit’s voice kept echoing in my mind.

“No, you had it right. It's none of your business” I said more lightly.

“Okay. It just seems that you guys are a little tense around each other”

“We're fine. Can we get back to work?” I waved to the computer in front of me.

“Yeah”

“Okay” I shook my head, slouching further down in my seat.

“All right. Just uh…” I sighed at the sound of him talking again.

“Just letting you know that I'm here for you, for anything. I know sometimes Bobby…he would…”

My fist came down hard on the table. “You're not Bobby! Okay? You're never gonna be Bobby, so stop!”

There it was. It was out there. No going back. And then there were also the tears that were building up in his stupid, childish eyes that you couldn’t help but feel bad for.

“Bobby belonged to all of us, Dean. Not just you, Sam, Brit and Mel. Now, I'm just taking what he showed me and trying do something with it. That's all!” he shot back. I ran a hand down my face.

“Why don't you see if you can find something in that bourbon-drenched book of his so we can get the hell out of Dixie, all right?” I calmed down.

“Yeah. I'm on it” he smiled. His childishness kind of reminded me of Cas…but I’m not gonna go there. Lets focus on one thing at a time. It’ll drive me crazy if I let my mind go back there….

“Hey. ‘Sussex’ is not a who, it's a what. It's a business that went belly-up about a year ago. Look at this. So, the guy that Scott brained? His old business partner ran the company into the ground” I explained, showing him the screen.

“So, Scott had a beef with Jeff”

“Looks like”