W vs. O: Hunting 101, Franny's crash course

[hasiba]

thanks to all of you for your good vibes!!! i am going to be so stressed out this week with all of my classes plus studying for the test so im not too sure when i will be able to be here again but i will try to read the funny part just for you genevieve have a great time reading and writing yall bye for now

[genevieve]

Another update!!!
And I've gone all emo-schmoop with this one.
Fair warning: most of you will probably be a little, um, unhappy with me and the way this chapter went... but I promise the next update will make up for it - big time.

Hehe, hi hasiba! Try not to get too stressed okay? You'll do great, I'm positive of it! Don't worry about reading just for me hehe I'm posting it for you so feel free to read it whenever you like Pop on in and let us all know when you know the results eh? I'll post the teaser for the next sequel to celebrate when you do

Okay, so here's number nineteen... again: emo-schmoop. Hope y'all don't want to hurt me by the time you're done reading this hehe.
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Chapter Nineteen

Fran was exhausted. Shell-shocked, weary and downright exhausted. Just sitting there on the bed next to Sam staring dumbly at the spot on the floor where the tulpa had fallen. She knew what she had just done. Had seen it with her own eyes, felt the shock of it echo through her fingers and up her arms with every shot fired and still her mind couldn’t quite process the fact that she had just destroyed her own nightmare.

Her fingers were curled so tightly around Dean’s gun that when Sam finally wrapped his big warm fingers around hers and took it away its shape was clearly etched on the skin of the palms of her hands. He wondered if she even realized she was shaking as he rubbed the circulation back into those palms.

It was Dean’s almighty groan that came roaring out of the bathroom that finally snapped her out of it. Apparently Cal hadn’t wasted any time resetting his shoulder. The sound that ripped out of his brother was every bit as loud and painful as his arm must have felt. As much as Sam hated knowing Dean was hurt in any way, well seeing those pretty eyes lose that glazed look might actually have been worth it.

They weren’t glazed over any more…but they were showing the effects of two incredibly long days and nights. Bloodshot, red and purple rimmed those poor eyes stood out all too clearly on cheeks far too pale. The look she gave Sam was indefinable before she just leaned in towards him. Touching her forehead to his she finally spoke.
“I sure kicked her ass, didn’t I?
Sam smiled. “Yeah Franny, you sure did.”
“So this stuff we did tonight…this hunting stuff? That’s what you guys do?”
“It is.”
“I think I’m starting to understand why Cal didn’t want to tell me about any of it. God Sam… when I saw you go flying across the room like that…I’ve never been so scared.”
“Yeah, well… when I saw that thing come at you. Only one time I can remember when I was that scared myself.”
He knew that’s all he needed to say. Fran would understand what he meant. A soft look, the gentle touch of her hand on his cheek and he was smiling at her again. There wasn’t any doubt for Sam anymore. He wanted more….more of this…more of Fran…just more. It would be hard. Damn hard. Working around the hunting and Fran being tied in with the bar. But he was used to hard wasn’t he, and this? Yeah, this was worth it.

Pulling back a little he gently brushed the hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ears. Dean was at the door again. “Sam?” Not particularly wanting to bother the lovebirds but worried because neither had moved yet. He had to know that neither of them were hurt. “Fine Dean. Just a couple of bruises.” That reassurance enough for Dean, he just nodded and moved on to find Cal, some food and a bed…in that order.

There were about a million and one things Sam wanted to say...a thousand and one reassurances that they’d make it work…countless plans that were suddenly forming in his mind that she had inspired, plans for a future that until recently he’d given up on. So many ways he wanted to thank her for just…being.

It was those eyes that stopped him… the ones that were blinking owlishly from behind long lashes as she fought the sleep she’d held off for so long. His decision was instantaneous. There would be time enough in the morning to say it all. For once they had nothing but time. Instead of speaking he pulled her to him, needing to feel her close. To remind himself that yeah, she really was in one piece and alive after all that. “You need to rest.”

His voice was a rumble in his chest under her cheek punctuated by steady heartbeat and that comforting scent that was purely Sam. She made no sound, made no effort to move, just leaned in closer and closed her eyes as big warm arms wrapped themselves around her. Fran wouldn’t remember her head touching the pillow because Sam was the one to ease her sleeping body down and pull the covers around her again.

He got up off the bed just long enough to reshape the salt circle around the bed, just in case, and snuff out the candles. When Dean came to the doorway again a few minutes later Sam was curled up on the bed with Fran tucked safely in his arms again, snoring softly. Yeah, that feeling he’d had the day before…before all this tulpa stuff had started happening…the one that all was right with the world? Dean could get used to it real fast. When Cal called softly from the kitchen, asking him what he wanted on his half of the pizza she was ordering he shook his head and wondered what the hell he’d ever done to deserve to have it this good.
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In a stunt remarkably reminiscent of Cal’s flight from Bobby’s place, Fran woke in the middle of the night packed up her things and left. Knowing what would come next now that the tulpa was gone she found herself unable to face it. How long would it be until the next hunt? Until the day Sam would walk away. She just wasn’t strong enough for goodbye.

Fran was sitting in the front lobby, sharing small talk with the door man as she waited for the rental car the front desk guy had let her order from his phone. Apparently she hadn’t been as quiet as she’d thought because Cal was coming off the elevator wearing nothing but a pair of cartoon laden boxers and an AC/DC t-shirt that had definitely seen better days.

“One question hun: you sure about this? ‘Cause you’re about to break that boy’s heart in the worst kind of way and I need to know that you’re sure this is what you want.”
“I’ve watched a lot of sleazebag assholes walk away and break my heart Cal… Eventually…eventually you guys are going to head out on the road again, back to the hunt and I… well I just can’t watch this one walk away.” And really? There was just nothing Cal could say to that.

In a completely uncharacteristic move, Cal reached out and hugged Fran close. “I’m sorry hun, sorry you had to go through all this.”
“It’s okay Cal. I’m okay. I just…I need to get back home.” She needed to get back to the bar, back to normal…or as normal as it would ever get now that she knew what was out there. Needed to get somewhere and start putting Sam behind her, somehow.
“You sure you won’t wait ‘till the morning at least? Get a little more sleep, grab some breakfast before leaving?” Fran just shook her head. She’d made up her mind. She was leaving, and she was doing it now. Alright then, guess all Cal could do was roll with it.

“Hey Billy?” Cal called out to the front desk guy. “Call and cancel that rental car, will you?”
“Sure thing miss Watson.” He answered her, already dialing the number.
“Cal, what the hell?” Fran asked her angrily. No way she was going to be bullied into staying, the girl should know her better than that by now.
“Relax Fran.” Cal smiled, placing a set of keys in her friends hand. “I, uh, need somebody to take my ‘Stang home for me. The Impala’s got more room and I don’t see Dean agreeing to riding shotgun on a road trip if you know what I mean.”
And now it was Fran’s turn to ask if she was sure.
“Yeah. Yeah Franny, I’m sure. Besides, I’ll feel a lot safer knowing that the, uh, toys I’ve got stashed in there are going with you.” Fran grinned at her.
“You’re kidding right? You’re going to send me home with some of your hunting gear?”
Cal just shook her head and shrugged. “Yeah well, if I’m not going to be there to watch your back then I want to know you’ve got what you need to protect yourself. Come on, I’ll walk you down.”
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A little later, when she crawled back into bed chilled from the night air Dean woke up and wrapped his arms around her.
“She left didn’t she?” he asked gruffly, as if he’d been expecting it to happen.
“Yeah.” A soft breath of a whisper against the skin of his arm.
“How’s she getting home?”
“Gave her the keys to my car.”
“Sam’s not going to take it well.”
“Maybe not, but they’ll work it out. If they care about each other as much as I think they do, they’ll work it out. We did, didn’t we?”
“Yeah. Guess you’re right.” He pulled her in a little closer and tucked himself around her, needing the contact to reassure himself that she really was there.
“Dean?”
“Yeah Cal?”
“I’m glad you came looking for me.”
“Me too sweetheart. Me too.”
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When Sam woke it was to the warmth of morning light on his face streaming in from the window and the comforting smell of freshly made coffee. Eyes closed he smiled, content to just lie there knowing Fran was close and enjoying that feeling of right. It wasn’t until he reached over to pull her to him again that he realized she wasn’t in bed anymore. Huh. Well, she couldn’t have been up long. Probably just wanted a cup of coffee and a few minutes to herself to digest everything that had happened.

He smiled again in anticipation of a sleep mussed Fran and the best coffee he’d ever tasted. Not even the stiff, sore feeling from his run-in with the wall the night before could ruin his mood as he rolled off the bed and stretched. Time to hunt down that coffee and start saying all those things he’d put off the night before.

It was a pleasant surprise to find Dean already up, newspaper open to the comics and a cup of coffee in hand. Still no Franny though…maybe she was in the shower?
“Hey man, sleep well?” Dean asked him, something a little odd in his voice. Hesitant.
“Yeah, actually. Haven’t slept that well in ages.” Pouring himself a coffee he started counting the minutes. Couldn’t hear the water for the shower running so it wouldn’t be long now… and he liked the way her hair curled a little at the ends when it was still damp from the shower. Almost as cute as the sleep mussed look. Man, good thing Dean couldn’t read minds because he’d never hear the end of it.

“Anything interesting in there today?” he asked, sitting down across from Dean who was now watching him carefully.
“Not sure… haven’t got passed Garfield yet.”
When Sam laughed, actually laughed Dean knew he was in trouble. Little brother hadn’t clued in yet that the girl was gone.
“Dude, I never thought I’d see you checking out the funny pages before the obits.”
“Yeah well, there’s a first time for everything isn’t there?” Dean laughed a little too, and then Sam knew there was trouble because Dean was doing that throat clearing/cough thing he always did when there was bad news.

He didn’t want to ask what it was…didn’t want to know yet. Was happy just to sit there and savor that content feeling he’d had since waking up. So he just sat there and sipped at his coffee, ready and willing to ignore his brother’s attempt to get his attention. Too bad Dean was too stubborn to let him get away with it.
“Uh, dude…”
Sam just sighed. Well, it had been worth a try, right?
“Yeah?”
“About Fran…”

Oh. Okay. Guess it wasn’t a bad thing after all. Apparently Dean was in big brother mode this morning. He wasn’t usually one for the chic flick relationship talk stuff but on occasion when it came to girls he’d take it upon himself share little bits of wisdom because according to him that’s just what big brothers did.
Uh, and speaking of Fran…she was taking an awfully long time in that bathroom… could she maybe have gone out? Maybe she was picking up breakfast…

“She, uh, left last night.”
Wait a second. Had Dean just said…? No. No way. Must’ve heard him wrong.
“Come again?”
“She’s gone Sammy.”
“Oh, so you were up when she went out then? I kind of figured she went to grab some breakfast or something.”
“No, I mean she’s gone Sam.” Voice low, eyes pleading with him to understand what he was trying to say. No, Dean couldn’t possibly be serious. “…bags gone…” Had to be wrong… had to see for himself. Sam made his way into the living room and sure enough there was bedroom furniture scattered around the room, his bags and a pile of clothes but Fran’s suitcases were gone. What the hell was going on?

“Cal, she uh gave Fran the keys to her Mustang so she could park it up at the farmhouse for us…” Not for the first time Dean wished he could do that freaky mind reading thing. He’d have given anything to know what the hell was going on in Sam’s head right then.
“Dean…?” God, his voice sounded small, distant even to his own ears.
“Yeah Sammy?”
“She’s, uh… she’s not coming back is she?”
Answering that question right there? Yeah, it was probably the hardest thing he’d ever had to do.
“No Sam. I don’t think she is.”
Sam’s face, the one that had always been so open and expressive, suddenly shut down. Replaced with the best poker face Dean had ever seen.
“Oh.”
Nine thirty in the morning on a Tuesday in late November Dean watched his little brother’s heart break for the second time and he hated himself for having played a part in it.
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For the rest of that morning Sam tried to pretend like everything was fine. He never really had been any good at hiding his feelings from Dean, and he really didn’t know what made him think he’d get away with it this time. The first clue he’d failed came in the form of Dean’s tentative ‘so… you, uh, wanna talk about it?’ Because Dean? Yeah, he would rather go up against a demon than 'talk' about stuff.

He skipped lunch and cleaned up the bedroom instead. By himself. Because he just didn’t want to be around anyone yet. There was some small comfort in the ‘normal’ of vaccuming, even if it was a salt circle he was cleaning up. Felt good to feel the burn of muscles working as he moved the furniture back in to the room and as he took the broken door down to be thrown away and replaced.

The minutes dragged on like hours, the hours like years. She was everywhere. In the smell of coffee brewing in the morning, on the couch beside him if only in memory like that first night she’d spent at Cal’s…the worst though was the bed where her scent was still on the sheets where she’d slept after killing off the tulpa.

By Thursday morning he was sure he couldn’t take anymore. Four o’clock that afternoon Dean watched him grab up his coat and walk out the door. Okay, the guy needed some air. He could understand it. Truth be told Dean was actually kind of relieved to get a break from all that tension. Maybe some time out would do him some good. Help him get over this thing.

When suppertime came and went and there still wasn’t any sign of Sam, Dean got worried. A quick dial out and the soft, persistent ringing echoing from the kitchen told him that Sam had left his cell behind. Great. Just freaking perfect.
He was on the third panic driven call to another local ER when Cal suggested he try the closest local bars instead. Well, it only made sense. He himself had gone out and got himself hammered that last time Cal had taken off.

And that’s how Dean got here. Standing by himself in front of the seediest bar in all of New York city and wondering what in the hell is waiting for him in there.
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All I have to say is: please don't hurt me! I know, I know...what I'm doing to that poor boy Sam is just cruel with Franny leaving. Next update makes up for it, I swear! hehe

Okay... so I'm, uh, gonna go finish up that last chapter now... because I have a feeling that I should post it really soon... *sneaks off before JJ gets the chance to tacke*

[Samsangel]

Oh Shit! Sam got a car and drove up to where Fran is didn't he? God why'd u have to do that to my Sam? He didn't deserve that. He's taking her leaving harder than he did when Jess died. Hmmmm at least Fran's alive and he knows where she is. God, I could kick Fran's ass for leaving my boy like that. She better get her act together. Besides, who's to say that Dean, Cal and Sam can't use her old farmhouse as a base of operations for their hunting? Sam would love a place to come back to that's a permenant home, besides, it's not like they are wanted in Canada...unlike Dean being on the FBI's most wanted list in the U.S.A.

[genevieve]

Eep! I was afraid of this *is typing madly away to finish ending* Sorry Jackie, really I am. Franny's not mean...she's just got scared.

On the bright side I have a little teaser for the ending that I can PM to you if you like. Doesn't give too much away but it'll make my update a little easier to take I think Let me know if you're interested okay?
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Halfway through the last chappie and thought I'd edit and add it in here. All I have left to write is the bit with Sam and Fran in it.... looks like this one might be finished today...

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Chapter Twenty

Sammy’s sitting at the bar, head bowed down so low it’s practically resting on the scarred wood. Upside down empty shot glasses lined up in front of him like trophies and what had to be his six or seventh bottle of beer in hand. Dude was in seriously rough shape.

Lifting his head just long enough to take a swig out of the sweaty bottle he shoots a dark look around the room. He knows he won’t find her anywhere but he looks all the same… and then those dark angry eyes fall upon the jukebox.

Dean comes through the door just in time to watch his brother haul himself up off the stool he’d been glued to all night and stumble purposefully over to the jukebox. Curious, he leans back on the wall by the door and watches as Sam carefully presses the two buttons and stumbles back to the bar before the song starts.

It’s only halfway through the current song so there’s a few minutes before Sam’s will start and Dean decides it’s as good a time as any to saunter over to the bar and sit down next to him. He doesn’t take his eyes off his little brother, who won’t look anywhere but at the bottle in his hand and the bar beneath it.

There’s the sound of acoustic guitar strumming that reeks of country as the next song starts and Garth Brooks’ twangy voice starts to slowly pour out the lyrics to the song Sam chose. Dean’s eyes go saucer-wide, eyebrows shooting up to hairline and mouth gaping in surprise. Sam just lifts his hand in the bartender’s general direction and apparently they’ve worked out a code because suddenly there’s a shot of whisky and a fresh beer on the bar ready for consumption.

Dean watches in shock as Sam chugs back the shot of whisky in time to the chorus, Oh, I’ve got friends in low places. Where the whisky drowns and the beer chases my blues away …eyes closed and face scrunched up as if he’d been punched in the gut. Damn… this was worse than Dean could ever have possibly imagined.
“Dude, you’re kidding me right? Country music? Country drinking music?”

Sam, apparently ever the conversationalist, has nothing but an ugly scowl for Dean before he bends back to work getting stone drunk in a useless effort to numb himself completely. Damned if he couldn’t even get that right because right now the numbness he was after felt uncomfortably like wallowing in self pity. Oh well, probably just haven’t had enough to drink yet…

Dean’s got a different take on the situation though, something Sam quickly realizes as the beer in front of him suddenly disappears.
“I think you’ve had enough Sammy. Time to go.”
But he hasn’t really, not nearly enough…because it still hurts so freaking much he thinks he might actually die from it and how the hell is he supposed to deal with that? So much easier to just embalm himself with whiskey and beer…and yeah, maybe a little tequila…until it all just goes away…
“No… not going yet… Dean… juss leave me be.” He somehow manages to slurr out. Only instead of managing to convince his brother to just leave him to his own self destruction it’s strengthened his resolve to get Sammy the hell out of that bar.

“Dude, you’re drinking in time with freaking Garth Brooks. Now, that’s just not healthy. No way am I just leaving you here like this. We’re heading back. Now.”
Damn that protective big brother thing. Sam lifted a hand again for another shot… which Dean intercepts and slings back himself. He’ll need it for what he’s about to do.

Tossing some bills down on the bar he makes eye contact with the bartender who nods at him with an easy smile. Sure, that’ll be enough to cover the tab. Then he places two big warm hands on shoulders much wider than his own that somehow seem far more fragile.
“Alright there big boy, let’s get you to the car.”
She’d called him that. Teasingly, always…but affectionately. At least she had… you know, until she’d left .
“Why? So I can sit around and see her everywhere she’s not and feel miserable all over again?”
“No, so you can sleep this booze induced insanity off and get on with the hangover so you can start being Sam again.”
“What if I don’t want to? She’s gone Dean. She just up and left. Just like that.” Alcohol stretching out the esses and keeping him from snapping his fingers no matter how hard he tried. Dean said nothing of course, just slipped an arm under an armpit and around Sam’s back half carrying, half dragging him out to the Impala.

One look at the backseat had Sam groaning painfully at memories of that kiss and Fran’s prettily flushed cheeks…was it just a few days ago?
Dean was rolling his eyes impatiently.
“Sammy, man. You’ve got to snap the hell out of this! You’re a Winchester for chrissake. Dude, you’re mooning after that chick like some sixteen year old girl .”
“I think I love her.” Shit… had he said that out loud? Closing his eyes against the possibility he almost passed out from the effects of the night’s binging. Dean wasn’t about to just let him get away with it though.

Slapping Sam’s cheeks lightly to get his eyes open, he eased his gigantic younger brother into the passenger side of the car. “So you love her. That mean you’re just going to let her walk away like she did?”
“Dude, I scared her. We scared her. Hell, the job scared her. I can’t fix that Dean.”
They were on the road now headed back to Cal’s apartment and memories Sam was trying desperately to forget.
“Who says you have to fix anything Sam? Yeah, she got scared. Hell man, I got scared on this one. Those tulpa’s are so frigging unpredictable… well anyway, what I’m trying to say is that the fear is normal. There’d be something wrong with her if she hadn’t got scared.”
“She… she ran off. Just like that. Middle of the night. No goodbye, no note. Nothing. Doesn’t want to have anything to do with me – us anymore.” God it hurt worse to put those thoughts into words at last. Hurt so bad.

“You don’t know that. She didn’t say that.”
“No, she ran off instead. Didn’t have to say it. I got the message loud and clear thanks.”
“Yeah? I wouldn’t count on it.” Dean knew exactly what was going on with that girl. He just didn’t know how to get that across to Sam who had conveniently chosen to pretend not to hear that last comment.
“Look, only one way you’ll know for sure right?”
“Meaning?” one word ground out from between clenched teeth in a voice that sounded as if it had been dragged over open coals and broken glass.
“We know where she went Sam. So, we go back up there. You talk to her. Ask her. Find out for sure. Get that… uh, what’s that word you’re so fond of…? Closure?”
Sam huffed out what any other day might have been a cynical chuckle that today came out twisted and ugly. Dean still couldn’t believe Sam had just let himself go like that.

Pulling the Impala sharply over to the side of the road and parking it abruptly he whipped his head around to glare at Sam. “Alright. Enough’s enough already. Pathetic just isn’t the word anymore. This is what’s happening: I’m taking you back to Cal’s. You’re sobering the hell up. We’re packing up the damned car again and I’m hauling you back up to that godforsaken little hole in the wall Canadian town. Because you, brother, are talking to that girl.”
Sam didn’t bother saying anything. There was no arguing with Dean when he was like that and frankly he was far too drunk to want to try. So fine. If his brother wanted to have front row seats to the rejection of a lifetime then fine . Not like he had any pride left right now anyway right?

Odd that he should finally feel calm, now that the decision of what to do about this awful mess had been taken out of his hands. Moments later he was lulled into a dreamless, drink induced sleep by the rumble of the engine. He wouldn’t wake up again until after they’d crossed the border.
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It’s early morning when they finally get there… That little township just past Winchester Springs. Oh the irony Dean thinks to himself rolling his eyes. Figures they’d pick up the only two chicks in the universe who’d actually be okay with their lifestyle someplace in the Canadian boonies close to a place called Winchester Springs for chrissake.

He’d dropped Cal off at her parent’s place because she wanted to air the place out. They’d be bunking down there for a bit… there’d been a couple of freak accidents at a farm just outside of Ottawa that were worth checking out. So they would. You know, something to do while Sam worked out the emo crap with this Fran chick…and good God he hoped to hell they worked it out because Sam drinking to Garth Brooks? Yeah, not something he wanted to ever see again. Ever. He couldn’t stress that point enough. Seriously.

Sam slept pretty much from the bar in New York until they got up to Fran’s place… Pretty much, you know except for the about two dozen stops they’d had to make so he could throw up the booze he was drowning in by the side of the road. Dean seriously doubted the kid would remember any of it but at least he’d be sober when he walked in there…he hoped. Maybe he should have hosed Sam down at Cal’s first? Because the smell wasn’t going to help him much. Oh well. Too late now right? If the girl didn’t want him hung over and reeking like this then she should have never have left right? Heh heh. Payback’s a bitch.

Reaching over he shook the sleeping shaggy mammoth next to him roughly, earning himself a groan and a growl from his little brother. “Come on, wakie wakie big guy. We’re here. Time for you to get in there.”

Dean was the proud recipient of a hateful glare coming from the bloodshot eyes that were just barely making an appearance from behind slitted lids. Oh yeah, Sammy was definitely feeling the burn from that binge he went on. “What’s the matter Sammy? Feeling rough around the edges this morning? Good. Maybe next time you’ll think twice about drinking yourself stupid over some girl.”
“Hey, nothin’ you’ve never done before.”

Yeah, he would bring up that night after they’d left Cassie. Or did he mean that last time Cal had taken off? Ah, didn’t really matter because Dean? Yeah, he could hold his liquor past the third beer and the fourth shot…unlike the hairy sasquatch hunched over on the seat next to him. So Dean did what he always did and laughed it off. “Maybe so Sammy, maybe so… but I can hold my liquor and you obviously can’t. Which is really gonna suck when you go in there to talk to Fran with that wicked headache I can already tell you’re gonna have.”

Baleful look over towards the Chez Henri and a question that was barely audible except that Dean knew it was coming. “You sure she’s in there?”
“Yeah man, I’m sure.”
“She could have gone somewhere else. Run and cover tracks like Cal did, like we always do.”
“She could have, but she didn’t. You know why? Because that girl is down home normal. Okay, well maybe not all that normal, but she’s definitely the closest thing you’ll ever get to it…and you know what else man?”
“What Dean?”
“I’d be willing to bet hard earned hustled money that she’ll be happy you came. Surprised as all hell…but happy.”
“Ha. Right.” Yeah, nothing like a little sarcasm there.
“Go on. Get in there already.” Dean said all but pushing Sam out the door. “and I’d try the back way first if I were you. The place isn’t open yet so she’ll probably upstairs in her apartment.”

Sam waved him off impatiently and stumbled off towards the back of the building. Dean couldn’t help but watch his brother climbing the stairs at the back of the building by twos and threes to get to Fran’s apartment door. Good luck little brother he thought to himself as he headed back to Cal’s though he was pretty sure Sam wouldn’t need it. He had a feeling that their little group was about to become one person larger.

[le@]

ok so after reading the first update i was inches from tears .. and that's saying alot cause i never cry for tv or stories... it was amazing.. and no u didn't over do it with the emotions... it needed some emo, and u did a great job at writing it.. poor Sammy and i definatly understands fran's point of view... but seeing sammy like that would break anyone's heart..

As for the second update.... woooo.. and i thought dean had it bad when Cal left him in your first fic... God Sammy really did drink it all away.. But he's there now.. and i know ur gonna make the next chap great.. .. can't wait to see what franny is going to do and how ur going to get those two together again

As for the Winchester Springs.... only one word... FUNNY..

Great job Gen.. can't wait for more

[Samsangel]

Awwwwwwww Poor Sam! I'd take him and comfort him no problem. And yes....PM ME with the teaser... and let me know when the sequel gets posted. Grrrrr.... I could really kick Fran right now, hell, even after Jessica died Sam didn't get like this. Yeah, he was upset and mourning and did so until he met Sarah in the episode "Provenence" but we never saw him get pissed (drunk) like this.

[Deansgirl88]

awww poor sam keep going i really like this

[jabukarakija]

First update: *ultimate tackle on Gen* You made me cry!! And i never cry...i hte you

Second updte: *double...triple...ultra tackle* Poor Sammy...i felt so bd for him. But Dean was a good big brother and brought him all the way up to the boonies Can't wait for the next one...COME ON ALREADY!!

[genevieve]

Another update!!
Remember how I said I was writing the final chapter? Well it's turning out to be more like two. I started writing a bit of Fran's pov after leaving New York...and wound up with four pages...which I am now going to share with you all so you have something to read as I finish the Sam/Fran talking it out part.

hi le@. Yeah, I'm kind of taking Sam through the ringer on this one aren't I? But as you know usually it's Dean I beat up on in my fics so I guess it's just his turn? He's the more emotional of the two of them so I figured he'd probably take Fran leaving a lot differently than Dean.
Winchester Springs? hehe an actual place beleive it or not... found it on mapquest, about an hour's drive outside of Ottawa laughed my arse off when I stumbled on it while I was researching for the first w vs o fic and had to add it in.

Glad you liked my sneak peek at the ending Jackie. Would have had it posted today except that it seems Franny decided she needed to have her say I don't think you'll feel like kicking her (as much) after this one haha.
I wrote the drunk Sam bit after watching Playthings. Got this image of Sam drinking to 'friends in low places' stuck in my head and had to get it out Hope it turned out okay hehe
Don't worry about Sammy, I'll make it up to him before the end of the fic

Thanks Deansgirl88! Poor Sam indeed Enjoy the next update!

Ah! JJ! *ducks and narowly misses tackle* I'm sorry! Really. Didn't mean to make you cry *falls to the floor, taken completely surprised by ultra tackle* ouch! Gotta love Dean doing the big brother thing... next one ready to be read as ordered...fast enough for ya?
<- me running off to avoid next tackle...and to finish writing Sam/Fran stuff

Okay: On with the rest of Chapter Twenty!
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The last few days should have been a blur, a fuzzy jumble of half remembered events in the faded tones of old black and white photographs. They should have been but they weren’t. For the first hundred miles of the drive all she wanted was home. To be serving drinks across her bar to familiar faces she’d known her whole life. Those first hundred miles it had all seemed so clear… and then her cell phone had gone off.

Sam had only called the once. Must have been right after he realized she was gone. She didn’t dare pick up. Knew that all it would take was a ‘please’ and she’d be turning the car around and speeding right back to New York. Let the voice mail do it instead. His message had been short and sweet. Seven words with the sound of running water in the background. Must’ve run the shower so Dean and Cal wouldn’t hear him make the call.

Hi. It’s Sam. Call me back…okay?

She wanted to so badly. Pulled the car over, cell phone in hand and fingers hovering over the buttons…But how the hell was she supposed to explain this? How could she possibly expect him to understand? He’d only seen the okay parts of her so far… hadn’t seen any of the crap that came before. The hell she’d had to scrape her way out of to get where she was now. The endless string of assholes that had almost broken her…almost, came damn close to it. Couldn’t recognize her own face looking back at her in the mirror for awhile. Almost broken, but not quite.

It had been so hard…so hard to put all those pieces back together. Some of them lost forever and others so altered that they’d never fit the same ever again. Still, she liked who she was now. Was stronger for all that crap she’d been through. Until a few days ago she’d been sure that whatever life threw at her she could take head on and come out of it shining. Until she’d gotten to know Sam Winchester. Until she’d fallen in love again. Damn.

The difference between Sam and all the other guys she’d ever known? Well other than the obvious fact that he wasn’t a self-centered, egotistical sleazebag. The difference was that with Sam, big hairy sasquatch that he was, she couldn’t just turn off the emotion like she did the others. A few hours with this guy and it felt like he just belonged there in that part of her life that she hadn’t realized was empty until he showed up and filled it. The one that right this very second was blinking in bright neon lights to the rhythm of the pounding in her head SamSamSam…
But Sam…Sam, Dean and Cal, they were modern day warriors really. Hunters of nightmares and all the stuff that no one really believed in anymore. Sam, well he’d have to leave eventually and when he did he wouldn’t come back. And that? Well she was pretty damned sure that that right there would be the one thing that could break her completely.

Which was why she left. Self preservation. Except it wasn’t really working out as well as she’d hoped.

After that first hundred miles home didn’t seem so appealing. There were memories of him at the bar too. Hours of small talk and conversations of this, that and the other thing to kill time during those days after JC and Billie had died while Cal and Dean did their thing. Funny how she hadn’t thought much of it at the time but the best part of those conversations had been the natural easiness, the heartfelt laughter. If they’d stayed a little longer then she would have recognized it for what it was…the beginning. Yeah, so maybe she wasn’t ready to go home either.

So she drove. Crossed back over to the Canadian side in Niagara Falls. She spent that night driving around downtown Toronto…not really seeing what she passed. Stuck in her own head, even as she tried so hard to just forget. Fran gave up on trying to distract herself somewhere around two a.m. Wednesday morning.
At three am, after spending a full hour just sitting there staring at her cell phone she hit the highway again and started driving towards Ottawa. What should have been a six hour drive tuned out twice as long because she stopped at ever Tim Horton’s along the way. Once again using the coffee as a means to keep the dreams away.

The coffee failed her somewhere around Elgin street, downtown Ottawa. She knew she’d have to stop somewhere for a bit when her eyes started to drift closed as she drove. Pulling up to the first hotel that came into view she handed her keys to the kid working the valet parking and walked in to the Lord Elgin hotel. That night was about the only thing she didn’t remember of that long drive. Just that in the morning she woke up completely disoriented and fully expecting to be back in Cal’s apartment. It was a huge disappointment to find herself at the hotel. She didn’t waste any more time getting home after that.

Chez Henri was in the middle of its lunch hour rush when Fran finally pulled into the parking lot. The plan had been to walk into the place and pick up where she’d left off. It was a good plan, really it was. Just not a very realistic one.
Walking into her little bar was like walking into a bad episode of ‘Cheers’. There was a loud chorus of Fran! And everyone in the place stopped what they were doing to say hello. It was way too much, way too soon. Fran made a beeline for her office and didn’t come out again until just before the dinner rush.

A few hours helping her waitresses on the floor, a few hours behind the bar, about a dozen long neck bottles and it was almost as if she’d never left. She almost managed to forget about Cal, obnoxious Winchester men, tulpas, rock salt and Sam. Almost. Then about an hour before last call she caught sight of the back of a shaggy head of dark hair. The hair, of course, didn’t belong to Sam…the body it was attached to was much shorter and smaller. Just one of the local kids out for a couple of brews and a game of pool with the guys.
Suddenly feeling a little shaky she asked one of the girls to stay on and close up for her and snuck upstairs to her apartment. So far…so far she’d managed not to cry. Had managed to fight the tears. Just another fight she’d been destined to lose.

One lonely tear was all it took. A single drop of salt water slowly tracing its path down her cheek and then suddenly there wasn’t just the one anymore. Fran didn’t think she’d ever be able to make them stop.

Somewhere around four o’clock Thursday afternoon she called Cal on her cell. It was probably a bad idea. If Sam was there he might ask to talk to her. But she was heartbroken and there really wasn’t anyone else to talk to about this was there? What would she say when they started asking questions about this mystery heartbreaker? Oh, he’s just your average tall, dark and handsome hunter…no, not like deer or bear… spirits, boogeymen and demon are more his style. Yeah, they’d probably have her commited.

Cal didn’t answer though. So Fran was left to her own devices to deal.

Chocolate, chick flicks, sad music and a hell of a lot of alcohol. She put the bottle of Jack down at around midnight when she realized she was signing along to the music filtering up through the floor from the bar. Carl singing karaoke to Garth Brooks, Friends in Low Places… yeah, and she was pretty sure she’d just hit a new low.

First thing Fran was conscious of Friday morning was a god-awful pounding in her head…loud enough to shatter her sensitive skull, she was sure of it. God, she was never getting drunk again…ever. Seemed like a good way to forget at the time. A last resort when nothing else worked. Really though? Well if anything the alcohol made it worse, sharpened the pain and actually helped the emotional tidal wave along.

How long had she slept? Couldn’t have been more than a couple of hours. Still felt like early morning…and it was really dark in here…wait, that was probably because she had the blankets pulled up over her head…

The pounding wouldn’t stop, though she was pretty sure now that it wasn’t associated to the pain racking her brain. No, the sound was coming from outside her little bubble of blankets. Someone was trying to knock her door down. Fine. Let ‘em. She wasn’t ready to move yet. Wasn’t ready to join the outside world. Of course, whoever it was that was doing the pounding didn’t seem to want to understand that…or maybe they did because after a few minutes they stopped. Well good. Now she could go back to moping in peace.

Took her a minute to realize that whoever it was hadn’t actually gone away. There was a scratchy, clicking sound that had replaced the banging and if she didn’t know any better… aw hell! Somebody was picking the lock to her apartment door. Damn local boys. Wouldn’t be the first time one of ‘em tried to get the keys to the bar to open it up early.

She’d thrown off the covers, run to the door and thrown it wide open not caring what she looked like or who the heck was there. “Listen man, I don’t care how far we all go back around here this shit isn’t funny. La place est ferme! The bar is goddamned closed, and I’ll be damned if I open it at the butt-crack of dawn just so you boys can have a morning brewsky. Am I making myself clear here or d’you want me to say it in French for you too?”

And then she got a good look at the guy.
Had to look up to get it actually because he was freaking huge.
With a mop of shaggy brown hair…
Shit.
“You’re not a local boy.”
Yeah, the thing she hated the most about being hung over? The uncanny ability it gave her to state the obvious.
“No. I guess I’m not.”
He looked…well upset would probably be understating things a little. Actually, he looked every bit as hung over as she felt. Ugh, just the though of her late night binge and the headache was back. Maybe if she just closed her eyes he’d disappear…worth a try. Squeezing them tightly shut she turned on her heel and felt her way toward the bathroom.
“Ugh. Stupid hangovers and stupid headaches.” And stupid men who couldn’t leave well enough alone and let you wallow in your own damned heartbreak… “Need Tylenol.” She was muttering to herself unhappily.

After downing the pain relievers and a whole glass of water, eyes still tightly shut against the morning light, she’d managed to convince herself that Sam wasn’t really there. Just a trick of her imagination. Product of way too much booze. Couldn’t be healthy to be hallucinating like that…maybe she ought to get someone to drive her in to the hospital?

Fran made it halfway across her own living room before she ran into a wall… only it was too soft to be a wall… and there just wasn’t one in the middle of her living room anyway… so she had to open her eyes and see just what the hell it was…and was forced to face reality.
She wasn’t hallucinating.
She wouldn’t need a hospital.
He was right there, towering above her.

“Sam.”
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[jabukarakija]

AW!!!! *wibbles* You better be thankful that i'm only wibbling, because if i was crying...you know what would happen

That was so amazing and sweet...i loved every second of it! Poor Frannt for having jerky bf's. I hope Sam finds one and kicks his ass I also love how both Sam and Fran go for the booze...that's a match made in heaven

Update soon...or else... *readies herself for super secret tackle*

[Samsangel]

OOOOO I cannot wait for their conversation. I really wanna know what Sam's going to tell Fran. Please please please please update and add that part asap.

Pretty please with a shirtless Sam and Dean on top? *gives puppy dog look*

[le@]

Gen you totally made me CRY .... that was GREAT... feel soo bad for fran with all those jackasses.... and getting drunk like that, not to mention to the same song sam got drunk to..loll, i so can't wait for the next update... it was sooo evil of u to leave us hanging like that... i loved every sec. of it... u have to update soon

and samsangel... man u got to stop with those bomb shells... both sam and dean.. DAMN... IT WAS GREAT.... so made up for my crappy day at school

[Samsangel]

Hehehehehe Awwww. I'm glad that I could raise your spirits after a crappy school day. I can't wait until Genevieve sees them *grins evilly* TTYL!

[feline666]

Oohhhh,so many up-dates in one day i thought it was my birthday!Seriously ive not had a chance to read anything latley so ive just caught up,awesome story as always Gen!I cant wait to read the ending!Superb emo-angst,but how could you hurt Deans baby,hee hee!Cheers Honey!

[Deansgirl88]

Brill story keep going