i'm leaving you my last curse

[bravebartender]

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[cholesterol]

( He nods, looking past her, then at her again. He lets her lead them, feet heavy, before she sits him and then herself down. )

I made a call. As long as they knew me, they were in danger. And -

( He doesn't say the next part. Can't. She didn't want him, anyway, not all of him. She liked him. She liked what he brought to the able. But he couldn't be everthing. He couldn;t be. )

[braveandstupid]

[Elena's head tips as she lets him get it out. There are lots of places that "and" could go, and she knows this is painful for him. So she won't push. He knows that she's been down this road - not in the same context but with the same consequences.

Jeremy still hasn't fully forgiven her for the things she took away from him. She's not sure how Ben and Lisa will feel about this either.]

Are you going to have Cas give their memories back?

[cholesterol]

If they want 'em.

( It can't be his call. )

Sam had no soul, demons went after them, they didn't need me. They were better off without me. ...I thought they were better off without me.

( He tries to say look at his mom and Charlie and Bobby, but all of them have come back. Even Jack, they saved. )

He was twelve.

[braveandstupid]

They might not feel that way.

[At least, Ben might. But these things are complicated, and she probably shouldn't get ahead of things.]

But I think if you give them a chance to try, you can figure things out. It just may take time.

[Dean can't run away from it again.]

[cholesterol]

He probably thinks everything changed because he's my kid. If they had tracked me down, had questions, I'd be there. I'd always love Ben.

( Does it make him a terrible person that Ben being a blood relative means he loves him more all of a sudden. )

Your parents and your friends are here. I'm walking out on them.

[braveandstupid]

[No. It just makes things more complicated.]

They'll deal. My parents are not going anywhere, so they will probably still be here when you get back. And while you and Caroline are making strides, I'm sure she'd be willing to give you a break.

[This is important, and she doesn't blame him for wanting to go and deal with this now, rather than letting it sit.]

[cholesterol]

( A second passes before he rests a fist on the table. )

Yeah, maybe Ben'll give me a break.

( He knocks on the table and then pulls himself up. )

Look, I'd ask you along but I'm already dragging Cas. ( Without asking him. ) I have enough to explain. ( He closes his eyes, licking his lips. ) Not that you're someone I have to explain.

[braveandstupid]

I'll go, if you want me to. I have a couple of days off. If you don't want me to go in, I can wait in the car.

[She'll be there just for moral support. She'll be there for him, and maybe aside from Cas he should have someone on his side.]

But I don't have to. Whatever you need.

[cholesterol]

( He wants her there. He nods. He can't say it. Can't ask her. That was asking her. )

We pack light.

( Literally, one bag, if she even wants to, but he doesn't wait. He instead seeks out the pie-man. )

Cas, wheels up in ten minutes.

[toomuchheart]

[Elena nods, before going to pack a bag and pulling Caroline and her parents off to the side to discuss the change of plans. She holds the reassurance, that he's not an imposition, to herself for now. That may be better saved for a conversation later.

Castiel looks up from the plate he's working on, brows furrowing in confusion.]

We're going to the Braedans?

[Because Cas doesn't know this is a taboo subject as of yet.]

[cholesterol]

( She's not. Not even close. And they're intertwined now. They're each other's people. And you hold your people close. Plus, Cas won't keep him sane. Elena will keep him sane. )

We're going to the Braedans. They want answers and if they want their memories back, you're going to give em. ( A beat. ) He's mine, Cas. Ben. He's my kid. He did a DNA test. And I erased everything about me.

[toomuchheart]

[Castiel is hard to read, usually, because facial expressions are not something he's accustomed to. The problem is, Dean knows him fairly well. So he might be able to pick up on the lack of surprise at the tail end of that statement (9).]

I'll be ready to leave when you are.

[cholesterol]

( He's too shell-shocked (3) to read him.

He finds Elena and the group, making a gruff apology to them. )

[nextproject]

[Yep, and not long after that they're in the car, on their way to Battle Creek.

In a neighborhood with a lot of more efficient vehicles and quieter cars, the rumble of the Impala stands out on an early Saturday morning. Rudy moves towards the window, watching as the sleek, black vehicle pulls to a stop in front of their house.]

Dickerson, did you say he drove an old Chevy?

[camber]

( Dickerson's passed out here before, but last night it was all hands on deck, so he actually stayed in the guest room and not on the couch. Ben and he didn't really sleep as he realized when he got up early to get some water, but, everyone is up, at least.

Lisa's coming down the stairs from taking a shower, drying her hair over her outfit choice of the day. )

Impala. 67. That him?

[nextproject]

I think so.

[Rudy's not going to rush it, but he is scoping out the car. He seems to have two other people with him, one woman, one man, which is good. At least in theory. If he had no support to bring with him, that may have been a red flag.]

I'm not going to rush him, but go let Ben and Lisa know that he's here, and he's not alone.

[enate]

( This is all a red flag, if you ask Dickerson, but it also might lead them to answers. It's quite the freaking rabbit hole they've all climbed down.

Dickerson peers out the window behind Rudy before heading back to the kitchen.

"Heads up, he's out front and he's not alone. One man, one woman. Kind of looks like he brought his accountant," he says, glibly. )

He brought backup?

[nextproject]

I think he brought support.

[He's willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, for now. It's a very tentative for now, because he has a lot of questions, and this is more about Ben and Lisa than him. But he wants to at least try not to have this start out in an angry place.

Ben comes down the stairs with a frown, running a hand through his hair. "Wow, this must be so hard for him." His tone is dry and Rudy doesn't blame him.]

[cholesterol]

( He doesn't need a pep talk. He doesn't need a second to gather his feelings. He did get a little sleep on Elena's shift. He just wants to... see them again. And then go from there. He doesn't hesitate before climbing the familiar step up to the front door, flanked by Elena and Cas.

He knocks. )

[nextproject]

[Rudy takes the lead here. It seems like the best choice to make, given everything. He moves to the door and opens it with a small smile.]

You must be Dean. I'm Rudy, Lisa's husband.

[He doesn't say it to prove a point, but more to set the tone. He's guessing with the woman at his side, that isn't what he's looking for. But best to start there. He extends a hand to him with a small smile and waits for him to bridge the gap.]

[cholesterol]

( "I already have a dad and I don't need another one," echoes in his mind, but he gives a strained smile, one that doesn't quite reach his eyes.

He shakes his hand. )

Dean Winchester. This is Elena, and Cas.

( He looks past Rudy to see if this is just the greeting, or if they're waiting in another room to see if he's real, or not a danger, or maybe they decided against seeing him altogether. )

[nextproject]

["Nice to meet you," Elena nods as she shakes his hand. Cas gives a small wave in acknowledgement.

Rudy nods before taking a step back.]

Please. Come in.

[Ben is there as they step into the entryway, arms crossed in front of his chest and sizing each of them up. He doesn't say anything, mostly because he isn't sure what to say, but he's there.]

[cholesterol]

( Lisa stands back, neutral, by the television console. She doesn't remember him, only recognizes him from pictures she doesn't remember taking. As far as she's concerned, she's here for Ben.

Dean steps into the house, also not knowing what to say, or where to go. He follows his instincts and moves to the couch that's largest for the three of them, but doesn't sit yet.

Sitting means his guard's not up. As Rudy closes the door, he sizes Ben up. He's older. Early-to-mid thirties. Another person he doesn't remember around Ben's age is leaning on one of the bottom steps leading to the second floor. He nods to him. And then he finds Lisa, who doesn't show any recognition. )

This is Elena and Cas. ( he says again, but to Ben, Lisa, and Ben's friend?

"Dickerson," he says quietly. )

Where do you want me to start?

[acdc_rules]

How about how you erased our memories in the first place?

[Ben would prefer to go right to the heart of it, rather than dance around things. He glances over at Rudy.]

Because this wasn't just a plain old trauma response. It feels like you brainwashed us somehow.

[Okay so maybe he hasn't quite made it back down from the eleven he was at last night.]

[cholesterol]

( Of course that's their question right away, and with that, he does sit, because he has to, and they should to. But they won't. And he doesn't blame them. He looks at Elena, then Cas, and back at Ben. )

Cas' full name is Castiel. He's an angel. The work I was in was with the supernatural. I hunted things, like the Changeling when you were eight, and I save people, like you when you were eight. If you had your memories of me, this wouldn't land like it does, and you have every right to throw us out, but I owe you the truth and I'm done not being there for you. He took your memories of me away because you were kidnapped and your mom was manipulated. And, rather than keeping the both of you in danger, I opted to take you out of it entirely. And that's on me.

( pause for laugh. )