The Clone

11.

Tony approaches Sam and Dean who talk quietly together. Dean looks to Tony as he reaches them.

"Alright, you have what you came for...now leave" Tony tells them. "Before I have Thor throw you out"

"Look" Dean starts. "I know you don't think it, and probably are not about to believe me, but I do love her"

"You have a funny way of showing it" Tony scoffs.

"Yeah, perhaps I do, but I do....love her" Dean counters. "Okay, she...is" Dean looks down a little. "She got hurt because of me and I can't forgive myself for that....the least I could do is protect her from getting hurt again"

"You have no idea" Tony grumbles shaking his head. "Just....get out of my tower" he warns and walks away. Sam looks to Dean.

"Not a word" Dean grumbles and pulls on his jacket. "Let's just go"

................

"Wait" Sara grabs Dean's arms he passes her, they share a look.

"I'll wait in the lobby" Sam tells them and then leaves, Sara lets go of Dean.

"About what you said to Tony" Sara starts twisting the ring on her finger.

"Everything I said to you, everything I...I said was meant to drive you away" he admits. "I did it to protect you not because I didn't love you any more"

"You have no idea" she counters. "How little I need you to protect me"

"Clearly" he scoffs, "You were in the hospital...I thought....I thought you were going to die" Sara sighs.

"By the time we got to the hospital, I was pretty much healed" she admits.

"What?" he asks, Sara rolls up her sleeve showing her arm where she'd cut herself for the spell, it's gone. Dean grabs her arm and turns it over. "How long have you...."

"Since the day I was born" she answers. "There are a lot of things I didn't tell you, things I kept from you" she admits. "Things I am scared of. I just wanted to be normal for the first time in my life....so I kept them from you. But I don't need protecting. I don't need a white knight....I need someone who trusts me, who believes in me, who....respects me" Dean looks down. "We've been fighting side by side for four years and you thought so little of me, of what I am capable of, that you decided for me what I needed. You don't know that first thing about what I need. I need someone who sees what I am capable of. I need someone who sees how strong I am, and that's not you. Not any more" she turns to leave.

"Sara" Dean grabs her wrist and pulls her back to him. "It's not because I didn't....."

"Don't" she warns. "Don't lie. You looked at me and thought that I was weak. Too weak to...." she shakes her head. "Just go" she pulls her hand free of his. "Just....go" she repeats. "There's nothing here for you any more" They both just stare at one another for seconds, though to both it feels more like minutes, before Dean nods and swallows the lump forming in his throat, he knew she'd be mad, but he thought it would be further down the road, and....he was an idiot to think she'd just forgive him. Dean glances to her as he walks away, Sara takes a breath to control her emotions. He steps into the elevator and she waits for the doors to close before she hangs her head and lets a tear loose. Bucky leans against the wall listening. He'd heard it all. He hears the elevator leave and then steps out from the wall.

"Sara?" Bucky asks approaching her, her shoulders shaking, crying. She turns and presses her head to his chest when he stops behind her, Bucky's eyes widen. "Oh" he breaths before he wraps his human arm around her. "It's alright" he whispers a little, reluctantly raising his metal arm around her. "It's okay" he rests his head against hers, soothing her, his flesh fingers stroking her back.