The Winchester Three (S4): Lazarus Rising

Ch 11 Section 5

Before taking off, the Winchesters found Jay in the bar and carefully approached him, "Hey, Jay." Dean earned his attention, looking at Angel and Sam momentarily, "We wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday."

"I killed my best friend yesterday..." Jay looked up with a glare, "And you want to thank me?"

Dean's jaw clenched as he looked down. Angel studied the old man with sorrow in her eyes, but stayed silent not knowing what to say.

Sam carefully tried to break the tension, "Where's Vernon?"

"Oh, he's gone. He said he didn't want to speak to me again after what I did to Charlie."

"Listen, Jay..." Angel met his eyes, "I know it's hard, and you might not be able to see it right now, but you did the right thing. Charlie was never gonna give up what he was doing. Ever. And people were dying, you did do the right thing."

"Are you sure about that?" He scoffed, "You know, Charlie was like my brother. And now he's dead... because I did 'the right thing'. He offered me a gift, and I just threw it back in his face. So now I have to spend the rest of my life old and alone. What's so right about that?"

Without another word, he threw his cards on the table, took one last drink of his scotch and started walking out the door. He only stopped when the bartender caught his attention.

"Jay... your cards."

He shook his head sadly, "Throw them away."

The three Winchester all watched him with sadness in their own eyes and hearts.

"Well, I dont know about you two..." Dean took a steadying breath, "But I could go for a beer."

"Ditto." Angel ran a hand over her face and through her hair, "But i'm gonna make it a double whiskey. Sammy?"

He turned his broken eyes to them, glossed over with unshed tears, "I'm gonna take a walk."

As they watched him walk away Angel heaved another tired sigh, "Should we be worried?"

"Probably, but you know how he is. He might just need to clear his head." He looked down at her curiously, "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Everything you said the other night... That's- it's not something that you just put your head down and hope to go away."

"I know, Dean." She averted her gaze from him, unable to meet his eyes, "I'm not expecting it too... I just- I'm not sure how to make up for it. I don't know how to rectify it, or even if I can rectify it."

"You need to realise that the things you did while you were under, whatever they were, however they made you feel, those things do not define who you are right now. They don't mean you're evil and they sure as hell don't make you the same as the things we hunt. I know you Angel, Sam knows you. You practically raised us, you always put us before everything, protected us, loved us... taught us everything you know. From hunting to picking up chicks." He squeezed her shoulder making sure she met his eyes, "There's not a malicious, evil bone in your body. You're my big sister, so I know that to be true. If you can't believe it yourself then at least take mine and Sammy's word for it."

Angel looked up at him as she quickly wiped away the stray tears that escaped, "Wow Dean..."

"Don't mention it." He quickly brought her in for a bear hug, "I love you, Angie."

"I love you too, D."

Meanwhile, with Sam...

In the back of a dark alley Sam opened the door to Ruby's car, "Okay." He nodded once before looking over to her, "I'm in."

Ruby studied him, "What changed your mind?"

"I don't want to be doing this when I'm an old man."