AN: Late again. Oh, well.

Just a refresher, people: In this chapter I will be introducing a new supporting character who will be part of a subplot with Jamie. That character will be an OC of mine, an OC some of you may recognize from another story of mine. Also in this chapter, the identity of the mysterious little girl will be revealed and there will be a short appearance of someone else from the SPN 'verse.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Unfurl

Written by Becks Rylynn

Chapter Two:
''Be Here Forever''

when the sun shines, we'll shine together
told you i'd be here forever

-rihanna; umbrella

See, here's the thing about dying: It sucks.

It's messy, in my case it is completely unnecessary, it's scary, it's painful, it's ungraceful and undignified and quite often you lose control of your bladder. So, yeah, it really sucks. It's even worse when you're murdered. It's even worse when you're murdered just as you're trying to get your life back on track and find the happy ending you had longed for your entire life. But the real kicker, the absolute worst thing is....when you can't remember who killed you in the first place.

I think it must be an emotional block that's keeping me from remembering. Either that or the multiple blows to the head I took, according to the kind of hot doctor who tried (and failed) to save me. I don't remember much. All I remember is I was on the phone, leaving a message for Ruby, telling her I would see her tomorrow and then the doorbell rang. After that, I only remember brief and very vivid flashes of pain and screaming and a knife glinting in the dim light.

I don't even remember trying to fight back, which I should have done. Dean and Sam taught me how to fight, how to survive, how to win a fight, and what? Did I just forget everything they taught me just long enough to get myself killed? I don't understand.

How did this happen? How did I get here? Who did this to me? Who deserves to be punished for this?

I try and try to remember but I just can't. I can't see their face or here there voice but...there is one thing I do know.

I think it was someone I knew. More importantly, I think it was someone I loved.

''....I'm afraid we lost her....''

The words left his mouth in a gentle, sympathetic voice and all he got in return was silence. A deafening kind of silence that chilled him to the bone. The silence lingered for exactly three minutes and fifteen seconds and then all hell broke loose as the shock and denial wore off, replaced by grief and hysteria.

Haley went down first. Her breathing sped up, her eyes glistened and then she just closed her eyes and passed out, both her body and mind refusing to deal with this. She would have crumpled to the ground in a heap if Dean hadn't been quick on his feet, catching her before her husband could even make a move towards her.

Peyton was next, letting out a despairing sob as she clung to a stunned Lucas, who was simply too numb to hug her back.

Nathan tried desperately to be strong, to be a tower for his wailing son, but the sight of his just barely stirring wife in Dean's arms broke him down into tiny little pieces.

Sam, trying to control the little girl thrashing in his arms, made an attempt to hide everything away like he always did but, he discovered, emotion was much harder to hide when other people's tears and screams and grief were hitting him in the face and images of a vibrant, beautiful woman lying lifeless were invading his brain.

And Dean? Well, with all his experience of pretending, he swallowed it all down because he didn't want the Tree Hill Breakfast Club or whatever the fuck they called themselves to see him break. So, instead, he looked at Ruby.

Ruby.

It took her an extra moment to grasp the fact that Brooke wasn't coming home this time and when she did....man, watch out. As if she had forgotten they were in a room full of people and she was not, in fact, a wild animal, she let out a shriek and lunged for the poor unsuspecting doctor.

It woke Haley up, that was for sure.

Acting on reflex, Dean stepped in between Ruby and the shocked doctor and let her claw and hit and scream at him instead. In the end, it took both Dean and Sam to restrain her, (and that was still with extreme difficulty) Dean, Sam and a sobbing, grief stricken but still just as caring Haley to convince the doctor not to sedate Ruby, and Dean, Sam, Haley and everyone else to persuade the man to let Ruby see her friend one last time.

''She'll need to calm down first,'' the Patrick Dempsey wannabe explained. ''And even then, I'm not sure it's a good idea.''

''She's only going to get worse if you don't let her in,'' Dean fired back, his arms wrapped around Ruby's waist as she struggled against his hold.

While the doctor proceeded to ponder that for a moment, he probably already had his mind made up due to Dean's last comment. It was an awful thing to say, but no doctor wanted grief stricken, hysteric friends and family clogging up their waiting rooms. It didn't paint a very comforting picture. ''Well...I suppose she could....''

And Ruby stopped.

She stopped struggling in Dean's arms, her breathing returned to normal and all composure rushed back into her veins as he let her go. Smoothing down her hair and straightening her shirt, Ruby licked her lips and nodded at the doctor with lifeless eyes. ''Take me to her.''

And somewhere out of reach, Brooke couldn't have been prouder. Ruby knew how to get what she wanted, that was for sure. Throw a tantrum; it'll get you anything you want.

At 3:25 in the morning, Brooke Davis' real family was notified of her death, their grief ranging from shock to anger to denial to hysteria. At 3:30, the mourning process officially began and the stages of grief sank in.

Pain and Loneliness

Nathan wasn't exactly sure what to feel. All he knew was that his wife was in the process of breaking, his son was already broken and he was in the middle of a crowded hospital and yet he had never felt more alone. He had known Brooke his whole life. How could she just be....gone? How could she leave them all like this? Keeping a close eye on his son, who had instantly pushed away from him as soon as the news had been broke, and had sat himself on a chair and focused his eyes on the wall, Nathan took a step towards his grieving wife and wasn't sure what to do once he reached her.

Haley sat on a chair with her head in her hands, her chest heaving with sobs. He had barely even gotten one step before she looked up sharply and he froze. ''Why?'' She croaked out.

One word. Three letters. He almost fell to his knees. Why? That was a damn good question. One he was sure no one would be able to answer.

''Why her?'' She whispered. ''Why did they take her, Nathan?'' When she didn't get an answer, she rose to her feet with fire in her eyes. ''Why did they have to take her?!''

A panicked glance was thrown in Jamie's direction before Nathan gently pulled Haley out of the boy's hearing range. ''Haley, please....''

''Please what?'' She snapped. ''Please don't make a scene? Please pretend you don't feel? Well, I'm sorry, Nathan, but I'm not you!''

The vicious words hit him like a slap in the face and he tried to tell himself that she was upset and she didn't mean it but the hurt was too strong. Haley, for her part, seemed to realize the error of her words as soon as they left her lips. ''Nate,'' she whispered, reaching for him. ''I'm sorry....''

He moved out of her grasp and ran a hand through his hair, trying desperately to keep his emotions in check. He failed. Horribly. ''You think I don't feel?'' He sneered at her, that aching loneliness inside transforming into something akin to anger. ''You think I don't feel like I'm dying a little inside, Haley?! Well, you're wrong! Just because I'm not a wailing harpy like you or Peyton or a psychopath like Ruby does not mean I don't feel!''

''Nathan, I didn't - ''

''Because that was Brooke, okay! That was Brooke in there and she was one of my best friends!''

''Stop talking about her like that!'' Haley screeched, losing all patience.

''Like what?''

''Stop saying was! I don't want to think of her like that. Not yet. I can't...I can't....'' She trailed off in a wave of sobs and nearly crumpled to the ground again, deciding, instead, to fall into her husband's arms. Nathan wrapped his arms around her instantly, all anger forgotten as he dropped a kiss to the top of her head and wondered how this could happen to them. ''I don't understand!'' She wailed against his chest, her tears staining his shirt. She knew she should have cared more about shielding all of this from her son. She should have held him and been strong for him, she should have promised him everything would be all right but the pain in her heart was excruciating. She was twenty five, how could she be inflicted with so much drama and tragedy? Keith, Jimmy, her father, her mother....now Brooke. ''How much more can we go through, Nathan?'' She gasped out through her sobs. ''How much more can we go through until it destroys us all?'' Her wails became muffled as she buried herself in the safety of her husband's arms, holding on for dear life.

His eyes, stinging with tears, strayed to the ceiling as he silently begged Keith for a little help. When he opened his mouth to say something, no words came out. He couldn't even find the strength to tell his wife a stupid lie about how everything was going to be okay in time. Was that wrong? It felt wrong. He felt like he wasn't doing a very good job of comforting her. Something ragged escaped his lips and it took him a moment to realize it was a cry. Haley held him tighter and it was almost like they were trying to keep each other from falling apart at the seams.

It was a crowded hospital and still, Nathan Scott had never felt lonelier.

Bargaining and Reflection

The little girl clung to her father, crying miserably as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. His hand was moving up and down her back and he was whispering soothing words in her ear like he always did when she was upset but tonight, it wasn't doing anything to calm her down. All she wanted was Aunt Brooke. She wasn't dumb. She knew something terrible had happened but she so badly wanted to believe that Aunt Brooke would come home.

''I'm sorry,'' she mumbled against her father's skin. ''I'm sorry, Daddy.''

She felt him stiffen as he gently pulled her away to meet her eyes. ''What are you sorry for, baby?'' He whispered, hoarsely.

''I-If I was bad,'' she explained, swiping at her eyes. ''Was I bad, Daddy? Is that why Aunt Brooke won't come home?'' She saw his eyes widen slightly but didn't give him a chance to explain, her words coming out rushed and jumbled as she fought against the ache in her throat. ''I-I'll give up all my allowance, and...and all my toys and m-my books and I'll be better. I'll eat all my vegetables and go to sleep at bedtime. I won't be bad anymore. And then Aunt Brooke will come home, won't she? I'll-I'll give it all for her. Is that enough to bring her home? Daddy, is that enough to make her stay?''

His eyes glistened but she was absolutely sure those weren't tears because her daddy didn't cry. He didn't answer for a long time and she wasn't sure if that was good or bad. ''Sweetheart,'' he said finally, his voice low and pained and not at all like her daddy's. ''You,'' he smiled softly at her, but she saw sadness in his eyes, ''are the sweetest little girl in the world, you know that?''

She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked down at her hands, fiddling with her thumbs. ''But...that isn't enough to save her, is it?''

''....Not this time, darlin'.''

She frowned, biting down on her lip. ''But there has to be something,'' her voice caught in her throat and when she looked up at her father, big fat tears were rolling down her cheeks. ''There has to be.''

Daddy didn't say a word.

She let him pull her into his arms and held on tight, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. All she could see was Aunt Brooke's smile. All she could hear was her laugh. Was that just...all gone now? It didn't make any sense. How could Brooke be there one minute and gone the next? ''I would give anything,'' she murmured, shakily.

''I know.''

She would have stayed in his arms until she felt better but an odd sensation crawled over her body and made her pull away. She could feel eyes on her. Turning her head, she caught a brief flash of baby blue eyes but it was gone so fast she couldn't be sure if she had actually seen it. Frowning, she crawled out of her father's lap and sniffled, looking around the room like she was searching for something. ''D-Daddy,'' she began, unsteadily. ''Where's Uncle Sammy?''

She watched her father's eyes scan the room, growing worried and shining with anxiety. And that was when she knew she had him. ''I...I don't know,'' he said slowly. ''He must have gone to find....'' He trailed off, lips drawn into a thin line. ''He wouldn't,'' he muttered under his breath.

She pushed herself onto her knees, licking her lips anxiously; looking so much like her mother it wasn't even funny. ''Well, you gotta go find him.''

He sighed. ''I'm not leaving you alone.''

She shrugged and gestured towards Nathan and Haley. ''I'll stay with them.'' Sensing the hesitation, she inched closer to him and looked into his eyes, sure the power of her big, blue puppy dog eyes would do the trick. ''I'll be okay, Dad, but you gotta find Uncle Sammy. He's sad.''

''We're all sad,'' he responded.

She blinked at him and finally, he sighed and rose to his feet. ''All right, I'll go find Sam. But you need to promise me you'll stay here. Do you understand me? You will not try to sneak away, you will not go in search of your mother, and you will not trick Nathan and Haley into letting you go. If you need to go to the bathroom, you let Haley take you. Am I making myself clear?''

She gave him a salute. ''Crystal.''

''For the record, you are way too much like your mother,'' he shook his head. ''Okay, if you're not in this room when I get back, I swear, I will ground you until you turn thirty five and if you ever bring a friend home, I'll drag out the naked baby pictures.''

She scowled at that but nodded that she agreed with his conditions anyway, letting out a slightly grudging, ''Agreed.''

He paused, another sigh escaped his lips and then he bent down to kiss her forehead, whispering something in her ear. ''One more thing, Lila Bray; when you do what I know you're gonna do, I want you to be gentle, all right? Don't push him right now.''

She grinned. ''I love you, Daddy.''

''Yeah, yeah. I'm already dreading your teenage years.''

''You always say that.''

''I always mean it, sugar.''

She waited until he had said a few quick words to Nathan and Haley, made sure he was down the hallway and then she turned her eyes to Jamie. Rising to her feet, she stripped off her jacket, hung it carefully over the back of her chair, smoothed down her hair and glanced at her pajamas. In a mirror image of something her mother always did before talking to a stranger, she tilted her head to the side and studied Jamie very closely for a moment. She didn't really understand why her mom did this all the time. She just knew it made her look really, really smart. Uncle Sammy always called it an ''intimidation tactic'' and then Daddy always said, ''Ruby doesn't need a tactic to be intimidating.'' But to be honest, she had no idea what an 'intimidation tactic' was and she had no idea what she was looking for with Jamie. Shrugging it off, she took a deep breath and slowly made her way over to the older boy.

He didn't look up when she approached. She wondered if he even knew she was there. ''H-Hi, Jamie,'' she finally managed to get out.

He looked up at her, swallowing hard. ''Hello, Lila,'' he whispered and then looked back down, burying his face in his knees, which had been drawn up to his chest.

''Oh....um....actually, it's....it's Bray.''

He lifted his eyes again, blinked and then repeated, ''Hello, Lila.''

She rolled her eyes and took a seat next to him, drawing her knees up to her chest like he was doing. He didn't say anything. ''You know,'' she whispered. ''Aunt Brooke used to braid my hair all the time. Mommy doesn't know how and when I asked Daddy he said, ''What?! I don't know how to braid hair! Lila Bray, I'm a dude. Why? What have you heard?'' '' She watched Jamie crack a small smile. ''Aunt Brooke would braid my hair. Sometimes before bed so the next morning when I took the braid out, my hair was all curly. An-And she would tell me stories. All these stories about princes and princesses and happily ever afters.'' Still nothing. Bray swallowed nervously and twirled a strand of her hair.

She may have been Dean and Ruby's daughter biologically but over the years she had definitely picked up some of Brooke's mannerisms. It wasn't hard. The woman was like a second mother to her. Pressure built in the little girl's chest, but she adamantly refused to cry anymore. ''S-She would tell me about you,'' she continued. ''Lots and lots. She said....She said someday she wanted to have babies just like us.'' Nope. Nothing. The boy didn't say a word and she could feel his parent's eyes on her. With a frown, she leaned back and tried to think of something, anything to say. That was when it came to her. She could hear Aunt Brooke's voice in her memory and all of the sudden she knew just what to say. ''She used to say, ''I'll bet you two will end up married.'' Do you think we'll end up married?''

He looked up at her with a small frown and the haunted look in his eyes lessened, just slightly. ''Me and you?''

She nodded, somewhat shyly and ducked her head to bite on her thumbnail. ''Mmmhmm.''

He pursed his lips, a barely there smile working to cover his face. ''I don't even know you, Lila. Not that well, anyway.''

She paused. ''Well,'' she spoke slowly, her hair falling in her eyes as she smiled softly at him. ''Would you like to?''

''What?''

''Know me. 'Cause....I might....I might wanna know you.''

''O-Okay,'' he said. The small smile didn't quite reach his still lost eyes but that was okay. ''That sounds okay.''

She smiled, feeling very accomplished. She thought Aunt Brooke would have been very proud. ''Okay.'' Another silence fell between them but she didn't mind this one so much because it felt okay. But then Jamie spoke and broke the silence that...that was okay too. ''She was my godmother,'' he said quietly.

She nodded. ''Mine too. ....Sorta.''

''She taught me how to make a wish on an eyelash. And, so...whenever I wished on an eyelash, I....I always made an extra wish for her. Do you...Do you think if I made a wish for her to come back...it would come true?''

She didn't know how to answer that.

Anger and Shock

Dean made a valiant effort to stay calm as he made his way down hospital corridors, eyes peeled for his brother. He had been so focused on his daughter that he hadn't noticed Sam sneaking out of the room. All he could do was hope Sam wouldn't go in search of Brooke. It was bad enough that Ruby insisted on seeing her, he did not want Sam to see her like that.

When he caught sight of his brother, he barely managed to skid to a halt. ''Sam!'' The younger man standing by the vending machine didn't respond, staring at the machine. Relief coursed through Dean's veins and it wasn't just because he knew Sam was safe. It was the fact that he could actively continue to avoid his own emotions. It was something he had always been good at. ''Sammy?'' He arched an eyebrow, looking his brother up and down. ''You okay?''

''Hm?'' Sam looked up sharply, a faraway look in his eyes. ''Oh, fine. I...I was just going to get a coffee but the...the machine isn't working.''

''Uh....'' Dean frowned. ''....That's because you have to press the button.'' Dutifully, he reached out and pressed the button, eyes on Sam.

Sam blinked. ''....Oh.''

''Are you sure you're okay?''

Slowly, Sam turned his gaze to his brother and Dean wasn't going to lie; the look in Sam's eyes creeped him out a little. It was like Sam wasn't home anymore. ''Okay,'' Sam mulled over the word in his head for a moment, pursing his lips. ''I'm not sure I remember what that's like anymore.''

Dean didn't say anything. He wasn't sure what to say. He had never really been that great with words. Brooke was the one who was good with comforting people and making them feel safe. ''I think....'' He trailed off, swallowing hard. ''I think you may be in shock. Why don't we go sit down?''

''I don't want to sit down, Dean,'' Sam said hollowly and without conviction. Dean ran a hand over his face and could only watch as Sam turned away from him. ''I've been through this so many times,'' Sam said softly. ''Too many times. There's anger and grief and that debilitating depression and at the end, there's hope. Someday....there's hope. But....each time this happens, I seem to get stuck somewhere in between anger and grief and....I don't know how to feel, what to say, what to do. For God's sake, I don't even remember my own name! Do you know what it's like not to remember your own name?''

''Uh....no.'' When Sam finally allowed himself to turn around and face his brother, Dean was momentarily taken aback by the almost childlike desperation washing over his brother's features.

''What do I do, Dean? What do I feel now?''

''You want me to tell you how to feel?''

''Yes! I want you to tell me how to feel.'' But even as he said it, Sam knew it wasn't going to happen. It didn't matter how much easier it would make things if Dean just told him how to feel. That wasn't going to happen.

''I can't tell you how to feel, Sam,'' Dean sighed, leaning against a nearby wall like it was the only thing keeping him upright. ''And you know that. All I can do is tell you to drink your coffee.''

Blinking, Sam frowned at his brother, more confused than ever. ''What?''

''Your horrible hospital coffee. Drink it.''

It was only as Sam was reaching for the styrofoam cup that he finally got a look at his brother as the over abundance of shock and all other emotions slowly gave way to a pleasant kind of numbness. It probably wouldn't last long but maybe it would last long enough. ''Dude, you look....old.'' It was true. He did. Dean looked like he had aged twenty years in the past half an hour.

''I swear, Sam,'' Dean growled, ''I'll beat you.''

''Sorry. It's just....you really don't look good, Dean.''

''Yeah, well, neither do you.''

Sam sighed and sat down on a nearby chair. One of the things he hated most about hospitals was the always uncomfortable chairs. ''Point taken.''

Dean pushed off the wall after a moment, sinking into the chair next to his brother just so he could be close to him. He would never admit it but Sam wasn't the only one who needed comforting.

''You know, she wanted a baby,'' Sam whispered, almost inaudibly. ''She ever tell you about that?''

Dean laughed lightly. ''Sam, she wanted a baby for years. It'd be a little hard not to notice. The way she treated Lila Bray....'' He shook his head, willing the memories to go away because they were simply too hard to deal with right now. ''Sometimes it was like she was hers.''

''She would have been a great mother,'' Sam said confidently. He could see her with a baby. He knew how badly she wanted it. He had lost count of how many times she had looked at Bray, sighed and said, ''Sammy, I want a baby'' or how many times she had gotten misty eyed over seeing a baby in the park. He was certain it must have started when Bray was born. He could vividly remember the excitement and tears when she had rushed out of the delivery room to say, ''It happened! She's here! Ruby did it! It's a girl, a beautiful baby girl. Oh, and Dean's all blubbery so do with that what you will. Personally, I vote blackmail.'' But that was nothing compared to the look in her hazel eyes when she held Bray for the first time. He may have been the only one who noticed but he swore he actually heard something click in her brain. He had been so sure she was never going to give that little girl up.

She was a natural. A mother without a baby. And then last year....

He didn't want to think about that.

She was supposed to get that happy ending, she was supposed to be a mom and a wife and instead all she got was an ending. No baby, no husband and she died all alone. The pricking started behind his eyes but he furiously blinked it away because Dean was staring at him. ''What...What are you staring at?''

Something broken, Dean wanted to say. ''Nothin'.''

''Hey,'' Sam sat up straight and kept his face carefully blank. ''You should go check on Ruby.''

Dean visibly flinched at the suggestion. Ruby had a tendency to get a little violent when she was hurting. Didn't help that he was sure if he went in there, Brooke's lifeless body would haunt him like all of the other mangled bodies he had seen in his life. ''Yeah, I probably should.''

Neither one of them moved. Neither one of them were sure how much time passed but it felt like hours, silence overtaking them as they both sat in their misery. They had both lost so much in their lives. Their parents, their friends, their loves, innocents they should have protected. Brooke was never supposed to meet that same fate. She was supposed to be safe.

''You should get back to Lila Bray,'' Dean spoke up, the tone of his voice letting Sam know there was no point in arguing. Twenty nine years old and his big brother still made him feel like a little kid. ''She's worried about you.''

''Okay,'' Sam said tonelessly. ''Are you going to check on Ruby?''

''Yeah,'' Dean cleared his throat, trying to look unfazed. ''I want to make sure she's....'' He trailed off, leaving his last words unspoken. I want to make sure she's not losing her mind with grief.

Sam nodded thoughtfully. ''Hey, Dean?''

''Yeah?''

''When you see Brooke, tell her....tell her....'' But the words, the right ones, never came. ''Oh, hell,'' he chuckled dryly. ''Just tell her something and say I said it.'' He was gone before Dean could say a word.

For a long time, Dean remained sitting there, unfocused eyes on the vending machine in front of him. After several minutes, as if someone had flipped a switch in his mind, his eyes darkened, he scrambled to his feet and in two quick strides he had closed the distance and kicked the machine. When the unbearable aching didn't go away, he kicked it again. And again and again until his vision blurred.

''Do you ever let those tears fall, Dean Winchester?'' Brooke's voice echoed in his mind from years past when she had first met him.

''What are you talking about?'' He had shot back at her, somewhat unnerved that she could so easily see right through him.

''Those tears that shine in your eyes. You ever let more than one fall?''

Collapsing against the machine, he glared up at the ceiling through glassy eyes and barely managed to choke back a cry, instead letting the comforting, familiar, easy feeling of anger take over. ''You're a dick,'' he snarled viciously, directing his anger towards the big man upstairs. ''Why do you always have to take things away from me? Take from someone else for a fucking change. It's not fair. She didn't deserve to die like that. She didn't deserve to die period.'' He froze, the weight of his own words crashing down upon him. Breath catching in his throat, he rose to his feet and started down the hall, anger momentarily forgotten. Around corners, down hospital corridors, past nurses and doctors and Lucas and Peyton, he broke into a run until he reached the small hospital chapel.

As soon as he stepped inside, he was met with that different kind of air hospital chapels seemed to always have. Heavy air, thick with prayers and promises, grief and desperation and he was only adding to it. Green eyes scanned the room, relief coursing through him when he found it was empty. His breaths came in ragged gasps as he moved forwards, eyes on the cross at the front of the room. ''Cas,'' he breathed out. ''I need to talk to you.''

When there was no audible response, he sighed and looked around the room. ''I'm serious, dude. Get your winged ass down here right now.'' When there was still nothing, he closed his eyes and ran a hand down his worn face. Okay, Cas, you win. ''Please,'' he pleaded.

This time, the silence only lasted a moment.

''You do not look well, Dean.''

Dean whirled around, letting out a breath at the sight of the familiar face. ''Cas....'' He started forwards but stopped almost immediately, not exactly sure what he was planning to do. What was he going to do? Run into the angel's arms and crumple into a mess of sobs? Um, no. He was going to get straight to the point. ''Bring her back.''

The angel's eyes softened with something like sympathy. ''Dean - ''

''Please, Castiel,'' Dean interrupted, begging desperately. ''Please give her back.''

''I cannot interfere with the laws of nature.''

''Uh...hello!'' The hunter gestured towards himself with a small scowl and took another step forwards, his frustration growing stronger with every second that passed. ''What about me? Wasn't pulling me from The Pit interfering with the laws of nature?''

Castiel made a noise like a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. ''Those were special circumstances, Dean.''

Dean silenced briefly, scratching around for some string of hope to cling to. ''A trade,'' he blurted out, eyes lighting up slightly. ''Make a trade,'' he said. ''Me for Brooke. What about that? Can you do that?''

Castiel's eyes seemed to darken slightly, his body stiffening at the suggestion as he tilted his head to the side in a moment of silent study that was just oh-so-Cas. ''Even if I was permitted to do that, I would not.''

''Why the hell not?! Are you saying I'm more important than she was?! She was just a kid!''

''She was twenty five,'' Castiel corrected. ''She was not a child.''

''Okay, look. I am begging you here, Cas,'' Dean said hoarsely. ''Break the rules for me. Please, please, just....bring her back.'' A moment went by and a false sense of hope took over for just a second.

Apologetic yet resolute, Castiel took a step towards his friend and shook his head sadly. ''I am sorry, Dean. But I can't bring her back.''

Denial and Guilt

Peyton's gulping sobs tore through her husband like a knife. With every wave of pain, Lucas tried to block the sound out, tried to ignore his wife, tried to pretend she wasn't there. Because this couldn't be happening, this couldn't be real. It wasn't supposed to be like this. This wasn't the way things were supposed to be.

''This is a dream,'' he muttered to himself as he paced the hallway, running a hand through his already mussed hair. ''This isn't real. I'm not here....I'm not here....'' His wife's cries hit him like physical blows and his eyes flashed. In a moment of what could have been described as insanity, he grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard. ''Stop crying, damn it!''

She cried out in shock and her hands curled into fists, hitting at him pathetically in an attempt to make him stop. ''Lucas! Lucas, stop!''

''This isn't real!'' He shouted, clinging to the hope that he would wake up from this nightmare. ''This is just a dream, Peyton. You'll see....We'll wake up tomorrow and....and she'll be okay. Brooke will be okay.''

Peyton stared up at him through wide and frightened eyes, his grip on her becoming painful. ''Lucas, you're hurting me.''

''You'll see,'' he said bravely, though his voice shook this time. ''You'll see this is a dream.''

''Let go of me!'' Summoning all of the strength in her body, Peyton pushed him away from her and scrambled to her feet, moving away from her husband. And for just a second in time, she felt jealous. Of Brooke. She actually felt jealous of the dead girl. God, how sick was that? It was just....If it had been her, if she had been beaten and then stabbed multiple times to death in her own home, would Lucas have gone crazy with grief? No. Probably not. Brooke would have comforted him.

But almost as soon as the though ran through her mind, guilt hit her like a brick and tears fell freely from her eyes. What the fuck was wrong with her? ''Brooke is dead, Luke!'' She screamed, her breathing speeding up as hysteria rose in her chest. ''This is real. This isn't a dream, okay? She's gone. She's dead. Brooke is gone and she left me here without her!'' Crying pitifully, she tried to breathe through her sobs, swallowing tears and screams. ''And...And we should have been better,'' she cried. ''We should have been better friends. We should have been there for her.''

Guilt weighed her down, pulling her under dark waters and drowning her in her own misery. And she found herself choking on her own regrets. ''It's our fault,'' she blubbered. ''We were so horrible to her! We betrayed her, we hurt her, we pushed her away, we let her push us away.'' She rubbed at her eyes miserably. ''....This....This is our fault.'' Horror swept down upon her and she couldn't breathe. ''She died because of us....We killed her!''

''She....'' Lucas shook his head, the frown on his lips telling his young wife that he was barely comprehending anything she was saying. ''She....No...She can't be....She can't be....'' He backed himself against the wall and whatever strength he had drained from his body as he sank to the cold ground. He buried his face in his hands, sadness and grief crashing down upon him like boulders, his shoulders shaking in silent sobs.

She remained frozen in place for a moment, watching her husband cry for someone who was not her.

And then she remembered who he was crying for. It was Brooke.

Brooke.

Her Brooke. Her B. Davis. Her best friend. Her best friend was dead. As in never coming back. Just like her mom.

Oh, god.....

Just like her mom.

A choked sob tumbled out of her lips and she fell to the ground next to her husband, enveloping him in her arms. He held onto her tightly, digging his nails into her arm like he was trying to keep her from slipping away like Brooke had. ''What now, Peyt?'' He whispered against the flesh of her neck. ''What do we do now?''

Good question, Lucas Scott.

Good question.

Neither of them knew what to do next.

Without Brooke....

....What was left?

The Works (Pain, Loneliness, Bargaining, Reflection, Anger, Shock, Denial and Guilt)

Time felt like it was going by in slow motion. The world had dimmed a little. The stars in the sky looked uneven and cracked. Hearts were either breaking or broken. The tears were endless. The pain was excruciating.

But none of that mattered to Ruby.

She couldn't tell if time was moving slowly, she didn't know if the world was darker, she couldn't see the stars, her heart was intact, her eyes were dry and she couldn't feel a thing. She couldn't feel a damn thing.

In the cold light of the impersonal hospital room, dull and gray and the opposite of who Brooke was, she sat motionless and couldn't find the strength and courage she needed to pull the sheet off her friend's body so she could say goodbye. She was clutching Brooke's hand in both of hers like she was trying to warm up the cold skin that was only getting colder. She tried not to think about how bruised and cut up Brooke's hand was.

The silence was deafening. But she didn't know what to say.

''Brooke,'' she finally whispered out her friend's name just to say her name. She longed to stroke Brooke's soft brunette hair and tell her everything would be okay like she had done so many other times. But she couldn't do that. It would be a lie. Nothing was okay. She didn't know if it would ever be okay again.

Her grip on Brooke's limp hand tightened to the point she was afraid she might break a bone but she couldn't seem to let go. Something like a cry rose in her throat and she pressed her lips together. She swallowed it down stubbornly and tried to pretend she didn't feel the tears pricking behind her eyes. ''I'm so sorry.' She ducked her head, hiding her eyes behind her hair. ''I'm so sorry I let this happen, baby. I should have been with you, I should have protected you.'' She swallowed hard again and closed her eyes. ''I should have saved you.''

Fighting an inner battle with an onslaught of emotions threatening to drag her down, she brought Brooke's hand to her lips and pressed a gentle kiss to cold and bruised skin. Carefully, she placed Brooke's hand at her side and sat back in the chair, curling her legs under her. ''Brooke,'' she cleared her throat and licked dry lips, trying to find the right words to say. ''You've been here for me all of these years, you helped me raise my daughter, you saved my life too many times to count and....Brooke, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have Dean.'' A tearless, fractured sob caught in her throat and she swiped furiously at her eyes, determined not to cry. ''What am I supposed to do without you?''

When, despite her attempt to keep them away, a tear slid down her cheek, Ruby scowled and brushed it away, jumping to her feet. ''This isn't fair,'' she snapped, starting to pace. ''This isn't the way it's supposed to be. I wasn't supposed to outlive you. I was supposed to die some stupid, freak death like all demons and you were supposed to be here to take care of Dean and Bray. That was the plan, Brooke! You screwed up the plan!'' It was quite possibly the dumbest thing to be mad about but she couldn't help it. It wasn't like she was thinking rationally at the moment. ''You said you would see me tomorrow,'' she whispered brokenly. ''You said you would see me tomorrow, damn it! How could you do this to me?! How dare you die and leave me here all alone!'' Anger rose in her chest, a searing pain deep inside of her and she collapsed back into her vacated chair, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples in an attempt to calm herself down.

Whatever anger she was feeling towards Brooke was nothing compared to the anger she was feeling towards herself. She had always protected that girl. For seven years, she had protected her, literally jumping in front of bullets to keep her safe and the one time she wasn't with her this happens. It was incredibly fucked up. So fucked up it wasn't even funny.

She should have done better. She should have tried harder to protect her. Maybe then Brooke wouldn't be lying on a hospital bed covered with a white sheet. Maybe then things would be like they always had been....

''What do you mean they took her?!'' Ruby screeched, glaring at the Winchester brothers in front of her.

The awkward and guilty look they gave each other didn't calm her down one bit as her eyes narrowed in rage. ''They took her before we could get to her,'' Sam explained, shuffling uncomfortably under her glare.

''And you just let them take her?!'' She screamed. ''How could you let this happen, Dean? You were supposed to keep her safe! I trusted you morons!''

''Okay,'' he shot her a glare. ''I'm going to chalk that attitude up to hormones.''

''You can chalk it up to whatever the hell you want, you fucking idiot. I'm going to go get her back.'' She made a move to brush past them but Dean caught her arm, spinning her around to face him.

''Uh-uh. I don't think so. In case you hadn't notice,'' he gestured to her stomach. ''You're five months pregnant. With my kid. So, no, you are not going to get her. You're going to sit your ass down and shut up while we go get her.''

''I don't care if I'm pregnant, Dean! I don't care if I'm dying of tuberculosis! You two just managed to get my girl kidnapped by evil fiends, okay? So naturally, I'm going to save her.'' She scoffed. ''What else is new? Brooke's in trouble. It must be Monday.''

''Ruby, we'll get her back,'' Sam said comfortingly. ''But you need to stay here.''

''No,'' she snarled. ''I don't need to stay here. What I need to do is get to Brooke, all right? I'm supposed to protect her. God knows you two can't handle her.'' Absentmindedly, she rubbed her growing stomach, easily masking worry with anger. ''Don't you two understand that I have to protect her? It's my job.'' She slid her gaze to Dean. ''You of all people should know what that's like, Dean.''

''Ruby - ''

''Fine.'' Dean cut off his brother with his resigned response, an agreement through gritted teeth and Ruby smiled in triumph. ''You can come,'' he gave in. ''But you have to stay in the car.''

In the end, when the last demon fell to the ground and black smoke streamed out of a body, leaving behind an empty shell and all that was left was Brooke, Ruby shoved both Winchesters aside and rushed to Brooke's side. ''Brooke?'' Her gentle and quick fingers pulled the gag out of her friend's mouth and slid off the blindfold. ''Brooke, sweetie, look at me.''

The girl, bound and groggy, forced her heavy eyelids open, relief bleeding into her hazel eyes at the sight of the familiar face. ''Ruby?'' She smiled tiredly. ''Wha...What're you doin' here?''

''What do you think, Davis?'' Ruby grumbled even though all she could feel was relief and those pesky hormones were making her eyes sting.

''Oh,'' Brooke sat up straighter, glancing around the rundown house, seemingly unaware of Sam and Dean who were currently trying to get her untied. ''Did you save me again?''

''If you could stop getting yourself into these situations, we wouldn't have to save you,'' Ruby scolded.

Brooke laughed weakly. ''It's okay. I've got you to save me, right?''

Ruby smiled softly, a far cry from her usual dry smirk, and nodded. ''Always.''

She tore herself out of the memory with a jerk, her breathing rapid and ragged. Biting down on her lip, she fixed her gaze on The Body and took a deep breath. She had to do this. She had to. She owed it to Brooke. Slowly, she rose to her feet and stepped towards the bed. In a painfully slow move, she reached for the sheet, fully intending to pull it back and look at her. She stopped short a second before her hand touched the sheet, unable to go any further. ''I can do this,'' she whispered to herself. ''I can do this.''

Her fingers twitched.

She didn't pull the sheet back.

''Ruby?''

She whipped around at the sound of his voice, lips turning downwards. She hadn't even heard the door open. ''Dean....''

He frowned deeply at her and she watched as his eyes briefly flicked to Brooke, a grimace flashing across his face for half a second. ''Wh-What are you doing?'' He finally managed to get out.

She didn't answer right away, turning her back to him. ''I want....I want to see her, Dean. I want to look at her but I....I can't make myself....'' She shook her head, trying to shake away the tears in her eyes. ''I can't pull the sheet back.'' She felt his hands on her shoulders and leaned back into him, searching desperately for some comfort. Which wasn't something she was used to. She wasn't used to needing comfort; she was used to being the one giving comfort.

''Maybe you shouldn't,'' he murmured in her ear.

''I need to see her.''

''Ruby, are you sure you want to see her like that? Maybe you should keep your last memory of her a happy one.''

She tensed in his arms and drew away from him quickly. ''No, Dean, I can't just....I need to see her. I need to! I at least owe her that much. I just want to see her one last time. If I don't, I know I'm going to regret it.''

''Okay,'' he spoke in a soothing voice, an attempt to placate her she was sure. ''Okay, babe, look at me.'' He placed his hands on her face and met her eyes. ''We'll do it together, how does that sound?''

Choking down a cry, she nodded slightly, just trying to remember how to breathe. ''Okay,'' she rasped out.

Dean looked at her carefully but she didn't back down. There was no stopping this. It was what she wanted. It was what she needed. ''Okay,'' he echoed. Gently, he placed a hand on the small of her back and with the other, took her hand and guided it towards the edge of the sheet.

She let out a small gasp and squeezed her eyes shut, an icy hand of terror gripping her heart.

''Ruby?'' She felt him brush his thumb under her eye, wiping away a fallen tear. ''We can stop.''

She shook her head strongly. ''I'm okay.''

''Maybe.''

''Dean....please....''

He sighed helplessly. ''On the count of three.''

She nodded her approval. ''On the count of three.''

''One,'' he started.

''Two,'' she whispered.

''Three,'' their voiced melded together and without giving themselves a moment to think about it, they reached forwards....

....and pulled the sheet back.

Death is rarely a necessary thing.

It hurts more than the person dying. It leaves behind scars, it stains people's souls, it breaks people down and leaves behind empty shells.

Some people don't get happy endings. Sometimes people just get endings. It's tragic. But it's life.

My death was unnecessary and tragic and I never got the happy ending I wanted. But at least now I know they loved me....

I wonder if they'll still love me when they learn of everything I've done.

end chapter two

Yes, you read right. The OC I am using and the mysterious little girl are one in the same. It's Lila Bray Winchester from the Lila Bray Winchester 'verse. Hands up, who knew it was going to be her? So, this chapter was kind of sad, wasn't it? I suppose that was to be expected. However, I think I'm going to start getting into the mysteries in the next chapter. I'm not sure when it will be up. Hopefully it won't take me too long.