Title: crowns and thrones
Series: "Supernatural"
Disclaimer: Eric Kripke owns, yessir.
Warnings: SPOILERS. (Takes place after Changing Channels.) Speculation, language, violence, blasphemy.
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Dean, Sam, Castiel, Bobby, Lucifer – various others.
Rating: PG-13/T.
Other: Haha. Right. Um. If you know me on LJ, you'll know my computer basically died on me. I had blue screen of death and had no choice but to wipe my computer. I – lost – everything. Absolutely everything I have ever written or vidded. This was written from memory. I could not recreate the masterpiece (haha) that I had originally written, so this is considerably less than what it used to be. Sorry, but beggars can't be choosers.

-

"Some need diamonds, some need fireworks.

Some need cards, some need—

Some need (shattered glass) lining their clothes.

All I need is, all I need is..."

—"Farewell Ride (Subtle Remix)." Beck.

-

Jenny should have been so surprised to see the monster of a black car pull up to her drive way in Lawrence, Kansas. Ever since that.. thing showed up, she has always expected one or both of the men who had saved her family to appear at her (their?) doorstep. So when both brothers exit the car, she opens the front door, watching them warily as they approach.

Dean – the older one, the blond one – looks a little battered, like he had gotten into a fight recently. His right arm is even in a sling. He offers her a short smile. "Um, I don't know if you remember us, but..."

She cuts in, "Dean. Sam." She nods to Sam, who, impossibly, looks like he grew again. "Of course I remember you," Jenny tells them. "Not every day your house gets possessed.

Dean's face tightens and she remembers, belatedly, that one of the spirits in her house was their mother who died in the house well over twenty years ago. He speaks before she can amend her statement. "Yea. Speaking of, anything weird going on?"

"You mean the thing in my back yard?" Jenny asks.

Sam's looking curious now, she notes. She has a sinking feeling only Dean knows what's going on. His face shifts, like he's trying to hide something. She only can recognize it because Sari's starting to attempt to lie to her these days. Teenagers, she thinks.

"Yea," Dean breathes and steps forwards. Pauses on the doorstep. "Hey, Sam? Could you stay here for a minute?"

"But, Dean—"

Dean interrupts. "Please, Sam."

Sam sighs sharply, giving his brother a distinctly nasty look, but concedes. "Fine," he bites out. He crosses his arms over his chest, like he has to restrain himself from smacking his older brother. Jenny almost smiles because this is the look Sari gets whenever Ritchie does something stupid, or something she doesn't like. She's glad it's early and a weekday – her kids are in school.

Jenny lets Dean into the house and leads him to the back door. She sees him look around the living room wistfully and her heart aches for him. He's such a nice guy – he really shouldn't have had to go through his mother's death, especially at an early age.

Dean halts at the threshold of her back door when they reach it. She stands just outside and to the left, leaving room for Dean to exit, but he doesn't. He just stares. She has to admit, it's an impressive sight.

It's a tree – a huge one, for that matter. The branches reach out, crawling towards the sky. The trunk is thick and sturdy – she suspects it could easily remain rooted if there is ever a tornado. Or, you know, a nuclear bomb.

"Shit," Dean whispers.

"Yea." Jenny shifts her hips nervously. "I woke up one morning and it was there. I mean, it grew over night, Dean. This thing looks like it's over a hundred years old."

Finally, Dean manages to move, feet carrying him towards the tree. "Holy shit," he says, reaching out with his good hand, pressing the palm to the bark, his expression unreadable. His eyes slip out of focus like he's looking beyond the tree.

"What is it, Dean?" She asks after several heartbeats.

"Something." Dean licks his lips and retracts his hand, letting it fall to his side. "And nothing. It's not here. Not anymore." His face has fallen with disappointment when he turns his back to the massive tree, walking towards her.

"I need you to answer me, Jenny. Did anyone come here since the tree's been here? Been interested in the tree?" He asks, eyes meeting hers.

Jenny shakes her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen anyone. Honestly, I've been avoiding it. It makes me really nervous," she says.

With a sigh, Dean hangs his head for a moment, then nods to her. "It's okay. It's not your fault." He sighs again, expression heavy with disappointment. "It's just a tree, Jenny," he explains gently, glancing back at it. "A weird, big tree, but just a tree."

Dean meets her eyes again as he finishes, "It's safe. No one's gonna come back. Nothing's gonna happen with it." His mouth smiles for her, though his eyes aren't. They're shadowed in ways that they weren't three and a half years ago. "I swear."

Despite herself, Jenny feels something inside of her ease at his words. "You're sure? Because, my kids..."

"Just a tree," he repeats in a tone she suspects he uses for hysterical victims.

"Just a tree," she echoes and smiles in relief.

-

Sam waits for Dean to get into the car before he asks, "Well?"

"It was nothing," Dean says, slumped in his seat. He sighs heavily. "The information was wrong. The thing in Jenny's backyard was just a prank from some neighborhood kids," he tells him.

"What was it?"

"Fake voodoo shit, Sammy. Harmless and meaningless. Apparently Jenny's daughter made a few enemies with the girls at the school she goes to. They thought it'd be fun to play a prank on her." The words come without hesitation, but Sam suspects it's not the truth. However, after last year, he supposes Dean is entitled to his secrets.

"So, now what?"

Dean shrugs. "Now, I guess we do what you wanted to do before. Head to Bobby's."

As Sam pulls out of Jenny's drive way, he asks Dean, "You ever gonna tell me what it is you're looking for?"

"It's something that could help us with fighting Lucifer," Dean tells him, his voice quiet and hesitant. Sam hates it when his brother sounds like that.

"The Colt?"

"Not the Colt. Somethin' else." Dean leans his head back against the seat. He's acting a little skittish, like a kid who has to go to the dentist, but doesn't want to. "Sort of a plan B. Or H, I guess."

Sam blinks. "You think it'll work, whatever it is?"

Vaguely, Dean shrugs. "Maybe. Maybe not. But whatever, it doesn't matter. It wasn't there. There's no leads. It's more missing than the friggin' Colt."

"What about that guy? Could he have more information on it?"

Dean surprises Sam by the emotion, by the anger in his voice. "He can't help," he snaps. "I'm lucky he even fuckin' narrowed the field down. It's like finding a needle in a haystack. Or a tree in a forest. Whatever."

Sam frowns. "You okay, Dean?"

"I'm fine, Sam. Don't worry about me." Dean tosses Sam a smirk.

"Really?"

"Fuck, Sam. Yes, really. Now, drive to Bobby's."

-

They make it to Bobby's early in the morning. Bobby lets them in, grumbling under his breath as he wheels into the kitchen. "I made breakfast – have at it."

Sam smiles at Bobby. "Thanks."

"Yea, thanks, Bobby," Dean says as he helps himself to a serving of eggs and corned beef hash. He accepts a mug of coffee from Bobby. "So, how you been?" He asks quietly when Sam heads into the kitchen for food, following Bobby out into the living room.

Bobby shrugs. "Eh. Since your little pep talk, I've put some effort into making the best of it. Call me general Singer."

Dean grins. "You're awesome, Bobby."

"Of course." Bobby settles at the table with Dean, Sam joining them shortly after. "So, tell me. Anything interesting happen?"

"Nothing." Sam pinches the bridge of his nose. "We had a woman in white burning a little while ago. She got Dean," he nods at Dean's injured shoulder, "but that's it. Stopped in Lawrence—"

"Why the Hell would you go to Kansas?" Bobby breaks in, frowning. He looks from Sam to Dean.

Dean shakes his head. "False lead on the Colt," he says. Sam shoots him a look, a frown on his mouth, but Dean meets his gaze. I don't want Bobby knowin', the look says. The bitch face is out, but Sam nods just enough for Dean to see.

Bobby grunts and takes a sip of coffee.

-

Dean catches Hell from Sam ten minutes later in the middle of the junk yard.

"What the hell is going on, Dean?" Sam demands, face tight.

"Sam—"

"No, Dean! Equals, remember? Blank slate? No more lies? Ring a bell?"

"Sam."

"Dean! You know what this reminds me of? Ruby and I." Old guilt taints his words, but Sam meets Dean's eyes.

Dean grits his teeth. "It's not like I'm going around drinkin' demon blood."

It's a low blow and Sam flinches like he's been struck, but he recovers swiftly. "No, but you're lying to me. You're lying to Bobby." He shakes his head. "I can't take the moral high road, but at least practice what you preach." He leaves as Dean gapes after him.

Yea, Dean's fucked.

...yea. I have no idea, either. I was poked and pressured and I finally got it out. I caved into peer pressure. It's terrible, but, really. You asked for it. (That means you, SeraphimXII!) Stayed tuned for new fic (sort of) that I'm writing on the side, which is a series of "AU of the Halo-verse," also known as the "little drabbles that really couldn't." Or, easier, alternate versions of certain scenes that I haven't written yet.

As for CaT, this is short and shitty, but expect a triple size chapter that ACTUALLY HAS PLOT soon. I'm pushing ahead, like, viciously.