Five Seconds Later

Chapter Six: The Bunker

"Dean!" 

A lithe, beautiful young woman ran up the gravel drive, embracing Dean in her arms. There were tears welling in her eyes as she kissed his cheek, smiling through all the emotion.

"I was so worried you guys wouldn't make it." She stepped back, tucking a strand of her bright red hair behind one ear. "We've been camping outside the bunker for days - everyone came as soon as they heard."

"It's only been five days since we called." Dean smiled, giving her a peck on the cheek. "I missed you. All of us have."

"It's good to see you again, Charlie." Cas patted the girl's shoulder, stepping back to give Dean the space he adamantly desired. "How long has it been since the last case?"

"You mean with those crazy Frankenstein brothers?" Charlie laughed, her cheeks rosy.  "A year, maybe more. I've hunted with the Winchesters since, but it's been a while."

She lowered her voice and glanced at the makeshift tents set up around the various vehicles parked in the driveway outside the Winchester's bunker. "Is your friend Meg available, by the way? She's totally cute."

"Available, yes. Demonic, definitely." Dean smirked, giving Charlie one final hug. "You ought to wait a little longer into the apocalypse before scouting out a partner."

"It's never too early." Charlie crossed her arms with feigned indignance and walked away, waving over to some of the people gathered by the cars. Kevin was propped up in the shade under a nearby tree, focused on the book he was reading with a fierce intensity. Garth was chatting away with Bobby, who was going over the various ways to kill and maim these newfound enemies. Ellen was sitting next to them, smiling at something Bobby was saying, and Jo was sitting by herself, observing Dean and Cas from a distance.

"Dean, should we unlock the bunker?" Cas adjusted his trench coat, uncomfortable. He was acutely aware of every movement that Dean was making beside him. 

"Sam can." Dean waved toward Bobby, who nodded toward him. "You and I are going on a run."

***

Dean drove for a long time. It was probably an hour before the Impala was parked in the empty and disheveled lot of a local Gas N' Sip. Dean pulled the key from the ignition and stared out the windshield for a moment in silence.

"Why are we out here, Dean?" Cas crossed his arms, the silence between them well past the point of excruciating. They hadn't exchanged a single word since they had gotten in the car.

"Like I said." Dean pocketed the keys with a rough ferocity and huffed as he got out of the car, smoothing down the creases in his leather jacket. "We're on a run."

"A run... from what?" Cas also stepped out of the car, masquerading as a man with a reason. He took a deep breath, the dust from the road filtering uncomfortably into his lungs.

"Not from anything." Dean walked right up to the door of the store, glanced inside, and shot a hole right through the upper pane. The whole thing shattered, leaving a mass of shards around his boots. "To something. Food, supplies -- whatever you can think of that we need."

Cas stepped around the glass and peered inside the dark building. The lights were blown out, though by what was the mystery. No one occupied the place, and it had already been swept through. There was still plenty of food lying around that was filled with so many preservatives, it would long outlast the apocalypse. Perhaps apocalypse seemed too dramatic for the sighting of three strange creatures on one night out with the Winchesters, but the radio had been telling the world a different story.