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Dean and Castiel returned later that night. They hauled in all their stuff from the impala and threw it all on the ground. Dean was too hopped up on adrenaline to go to sleep and Cas was beat. He went to bed while Dean opened Sam’s laptop and searched for some new cases. He’s too awake to do anything else. He puts in all the symptoms of a new case. He doesn’t find much, nothing big enough to suggest the supernatural. Instead he starts searching for individual places. He looks up the area around Stanford just because. He scrolls through some of the articles on the local newspaper sites and his jaw drops. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was impossible. Completely impossible and it needed to be investigated. But should he tell Sam. He wasn’t sure how he would take it. Not to mention how would it impact Sam and Y/N’s relationship.
He needed to take all these things into account. He can’t just drop a bombshell on Sammy. He just can’t. Maybe he wouldn’t tell Sam at all. He’d probably run straight out the bunker and head there straight away. Then what? What would he do. Confront it? Try to pick up where he left off? No this was something Dean really needed to think about.
Dean stared at the article all night. He read and reread it over and over again. He examined the articles picture multiple times too. He put the photo through every test he could manage. He even sent it to an old hunter buddy of his to see if he could find anything. He’s pretty good with computers. Could probably outdo Sammy if he really tried. When he finally got word back from his friend he slammed the laptop closed. The photo was genuine. It was 100% real. Nothing was photo-shopped. He couldn’t believe it.
Dean reopened the laptop and cleared the history. He didn’t want Sam finding this before he could do some more research himself. He shut down the laptop and went to wake Cas. He would need his help if he wanted to get this done fast. He needed facts and he needed them now. The two of them disappeared into the night. The impala still lay in wait in the bunker’s garage.
They were gone until morning researching carefully what was going on. When they finally came back Sam was still sleeping and you had gone into town to pick up some groceries you’d run out of. Dean and Cas hobbled into the bunker and began searching some more. He had Sam’s laptop open looking for anything that would explain this. How’s he gonna tell Sammy?
“Damn it!” Dean slammed Sam’s laptop closed and immediately regretted it. Sam was coming out of the room.
“What’s wrong Dean?” Sam hobbled over to his brother. Even though he had just woken up, Sam was still as alert as ever.
“Is that my laptop? Please tell me you weren’t looking at porn again.” He reached across the table and grabbed the laptop from Dean. He was too late to stop Sammy from opening the laptop bringing him to the article Dean was looking at. Dean’s head dropped and he let out a huge sigh. So this is how Sam would find out? He wished he had cleared the page before he got frustrated and closed it. How’s Y/N gonna take this Dean thought to himself.
Sam stared at the screen. His mouth hung open and eyes began to tear up. He was trying to hold back his anger, confusion. How is this even possible. He had the best day of his life not too long ago. Now his world was crashing down before him. He didn’t know how to feel. He had to go and figure it out.
Sam set down the laptop and began walking back to his room to pack.
“Hold it Sammy.” Dean’s stern voice stopped Sam in his tracks. He turned around to face his older brother.
“What Dean?! I have to investigate this! It’s not possible!”
“And do what Sam! Are you gonna take her out if she turns out to be a monster?! Can you do that?! Can you kill her Sam?!”
“I don’t know Dean,” Sam held his arms up in surrender. “Right now I need to know the truth.”
“And what about Y/N! What am I supposed to tell her when she gets back?”
Sam turned around and looked at the article again. There on the front page of the local newspaper’s website was Sam’s ex-girlfriend. Jessica Moore alive and well in Stanford, California. The article went on to speak about how she went missing, how people thought she was dead. It read that she had been on soul search through Europe and Asia and had eventually come to terms with who she was. But Sam knew that every bit of it was bullshit.
He gripped the edge of the table. Sam felt extremely conflicted. He didn’t want to leave you behind. He didn’t want to abandon you when the two of you had just taken a big step in your relationship together. But he had to decide and deal with the consequences later.
“I’m leaving Dean. No one’s going to stop me. Not Y/N, not you, not Cas. So you can either come along or stay here. I can’t just let it slide. This is a case Dean. A big one.”
By this point in time you had come back from the store and were listening in on Sam and Dean’s argument. You couldn’t believe what you had heard. Jessica’s alive. The one person Sam probably loves more than you and she’s back.
You felt bad for acknowledging it but you knew that you wished she hadn’t come back. It would jeopardize your entire relationship. You accidently dropped the groceries on the ground, alerting Sam and Dean to your presence. Sam looked you in the eye the conflict and sorrow more apparent than ever. You quickly averted your gaze and ran off trying to get away. You didn’t want to deal with this now.
You ended up in the kitchen. Having dropped the groceries in the other room you had nothing to do but play with the fruit in the bowl on the table. You were tossing an apple into the air when Sam came in with all the groceries. He set them down on the counters and sat across from you at the table.
“Y/N ?” He spoke gently, his voice strangled. He was trying to hold everything back. He didn’t want you to think… He didn’t know what he didn’t want you to think. All he knew is that you were feeling hurt.
“You know I have to handle this case right? I have to go Y/N. I need to do this.” He pleads with you. The tears fighting him to get out.
“Who said you have to do it alone Sam? Were just going to leave me behind without a single word?”
“No, Y/N! You don-”
“No, I do understand Sam. I know you have to figure out what’s going on. I do.” You had cut Sam off because you didn’t want him handling everything himself. You had made up your mind in those small few moments alone that you would help him. Whatever happened you would be there for him. Whether it work in your favor or not.
“Sam I’m not letting you go alone. You don’t have to shoulder all this baggage alone. I’m going to help you.”
“I don-”
“Shut up Sam. I’m helping whether you want me to or not. And don't give me the I don't want you to get hurt crap. We solved that issue last night. Now. You go pack our stuff. I’m going to pack us some food it’s going to be a long drive.
Sam didn’t bother fighting back. He knew he wouldn’t win. That’s what he loved most about you. You knew how to put your foot down. Knew when he needed a little bit of tough love. In the end you, Sam, Dean and Cas drove down to California to figure out what the hell was going on.
The drive was long and the tension extremely thick. You couldn’t help but radiate a small bit of anger and a whole lot of jealousy as the days went by. The whole ride there Sam was focused on her. He talked about just her and payed you no attention. Many times when he would talk to you it wouldn’t be to clear the air or to comfort you. No that had become Dean’s job. Whenever Sam opened his mouth, regardless to whom it was, he would talk about Jessica and the case. You were tired of hearing your supposed boyfriend talk about her.
You understood why, but that didn’t change how you felt. At some point during the drive you had had enough. Conveniently Dean had pulled in at a rest stop. Sam was talking to you, Cas and Dean about Jess.
“Okay. THAT IS ENOUGH SAM!!!!” You shouted at him. He stopped talking and looked at you shocked. Tears were pouring down your face and you wouldn’t look up at any of them.
“Okay Y/N, calm down.” Dean was trying to calm you down. It only made you angrier.
“No Dean! I’m so tired. I can’t listen to my “boyfriend” talk about her anymore! It’s all he talks about.” You took a deep breath and continued, “I already promised that I would help with this case, and I will. But Sam we can’t be together until you sort out your priorities.”
You didn’t mean to make Sam choose between you and Jess. It just happened and you couldn’t take back what you said now. It was far too late for that. You feel bad for doing it, making him choose. But somehow deep down you knew that he had to choose. It was you or her.
You turned to Castiel, “Cas, you think you and I can just fly there? I can’t stay in the car with Sam right now. Not for that long.”
“Of course Y/N.”
Sam stared at you in disbelief. You just broke up with him, but you just got together. He was filled with confusion. He didn’t manage to say anything. He just looked on at you in shock. He watched as you and Cas got ready to leave.
“We’ll go ahead and get the motel rooms. I’ll let you know which one we’re at.” You were talking to Dean now. He just looked at you in sadness. He didn’t think you would go as far as breaking up with Sam. Or even leaving. If there was one thing you were incredible at it was bottling things up or just letting them go. He quickly realized though that when it comes to Sam, it’s vastly different. He felt bad for not shutting Sammy up about Jessica. He felt bad for not saving you the pain.
“Yeah, okay. Sam and I will drive the rest of the way there. Right Sammy?”
Sam didn’t respond. He was still staring at you. He didn’t know what to say but he desperately wanted to stop you. One second he was staring at you and the next he was staring at the lot of cars that were once hidden behind you. You were gone. And there wasn’t anyway he could fix it.
Dean dragged Sam back into the impala and took off down the road.