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❪ 20 ／ parent trap ❫
━━━━ ❛ i thought you'd be
back by now. ❜
volume 1 , season 6

     "Are you okay?"

Olive turns her head towards Sam blankly, her hazel eyes searching his own before looking back at the empty park without a word. She pulls her jacket closer to her body, annoyed that it was only the fifth of December and cold outside.

Sam nods in understanding, "Right." He winched. "Stupid question, of course, you aren't." He mutters, turning away for a third time to rub his aching temple.

Dean walks back to the car holding three bags of truck food, balancing three drinks in his hand. "How you feel?" Dean asked Sam, holding out a cup of coffee.

Sam takes it with a frown. "Like I got hit by a planet."

"Was it Pluto?" Olive asked softly. Sam turns to her with a soft sigh.

"More like Jupiter." He responded.

Dean turns to her, holding out a small cocoa with whip cream. "O, how are you feeling?" Olive stares at the cup for a long second before reaching over and taking it. "I'll take that as a no, too. Lucky for you two, I'm a doctor. I got joe, grub and," He shakes a bottle of pills.

Sam raises his eyebrow. "What are they?"

"Effective." He grinned.

"I don't think you're a doctor." Olive says obliviously.

Sam nods. "Agreed. I'm okay, thanks."

Dean shrugs, putting the bottle in his pocket. "Suit yourself."

"So how long was I out again?" Sam asked.

"I'm telling you man, like two or three minutes before. . ." Dean trails. Sam nods in understanding. Before he woke up to Dean cradling Olive, begging her to wake up. "Why? What did it feel like to you?"

"About a week. Give or take." Sam said honestly.

"Mine felt like forever and ever." Olive says softly.

"Ten seconds for you is forever and ever." Dean rolled his eyes. A silence fell over them. Sam looked down at his cup, Olive stared up at the sky as Dean tried to form the words to comfort them. "Hey, Olive, Can you give us a minute?"

Olive pauses. Dean only used her whole name when it was serious, and by the look of his stern face, the girl knew better than to say anything. With a smile from Sam, Olive slides off of the hood and walks gingerly into the empty playground.

"Wanna talk about it?" Dean asked slowly once Olive was out of ear shot.

Sam frowns. "It?"

"Yeah, whatever that was.." Dean says. "I mean, it was like you were frigging electrocuted."

Sam shifts uncomfortably. "Look, it wasn't fun, but I'm fine."

"Fine?" Dean clenches his jaw. "It was Hell, wasn't it? You got a big fat face-full of Hell. Ever cross your mind that you could've died?"

"Oh, come on—"

"I'm serious." Dean states. "And none of this 'It's just a flesh wound' crap because we did it your way, we let you go explore and every bad thing that I said would happened, happened." He pauses. "You crashed. Olive tried to play hero, and you both almost died. So guess what? Past stays past. We're not kicking that wall again."

Sam frowned. "I'm just supposed to ignore it?"

"Yes." Dean said firmly.

Sam shifts, "Dean, I might have done who knows what, and you want me to just forget about it?"

"You shove it down and you let it come out in spurts of violence and alcoholism." He nodded.

"Is that the type of example you set for, Olive?" Sam asked knowingly. "Just push it all down and act out randomly?"

"Hey." Dean warns with a glare.

He shrugged in defense, "I'm just saying. Doesn't sound too healthy."

"Yeah well it works for me." Dean paused. "And Olly is fine."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

"Can we get back to the issue here?" He snapped. "This isn't a joke. Your life is on the line, Sam. This isn't a debate. First you were a soulless dickbag, and now you're not. So we good?"

Sam goes to argue but closes his mouth, knowing he wasn't going to get his point across. "Yeah. Sure." He said simply.

"Good. Now, let's get your mind off it shall we?"

-

     In Paterson, New Jersey, a janitor was murdered in a college lab. The door was locked, no one was in or out of the building, and the Winchesters had deemed the case worth there time. So after finishing their breakfast, the three set off onto the road.

Olive sits in the backseat, mindlessly staring out the window when her phone buzzes in her coat pocket. She glances at Dean for a moment, wondering if he heard the noise but he was too busy trying to explain to Sam why cassettes were better than normal radio.

Olive pulls the phone out of her pocket, her eyes scanning the name of Ben before flipping it open. 'I have a plan', The small pixelated text said, four simple words that made a smile form on her face.

'Is it a good plan?,' She types.

'Of course it is. Can I call you?' He replies seconds later.

Olive looks back up to the adults with pinched lips, knowing they wouldn't be in Paterson for hours. "Dad?" She calls out, closing her phone and putting it in her pocket as she leaned forward between the seats. "Dad, I really have to pee."

Dean sighs dramatically, throwing his head back into the seat. "I told you to go before we left the motel."

"I didn't have to pee then." She said simply. "Please, please, pleaseeee." Sam holds in a laugh as Olive pulled at Dean's jacket.

"Fine, fine!" Dean states, taking his hand off the wheel just to push her away. Olive smiles, satisfied.

They pulled into a gas station ten minutes later, Olive instantly jumping out of the car and running into the bathroom. It smelled horrible, graffiti and broken bottles on the floor. The child simply kicks the bottles away and locked the door behind her, pulling out her phone.

"I thought you left me on delivered, again!" Ben whispers through the phone. Olive leans against the bathroom door with a smile, happy to hear his voice.

"It was one time!" She responds, voice squeaking. "I told daddy I had to use the bathroom."

"Good, that's good!" He says. "You're birthday is in two days."

"Really?" Olive said, surprised.

"Ha, ha." Ben mocked, thinking she was being sarcastic. In reality, Olive had no idea she was turning seven so soon. "My mom is going on a date."

Olive pales, "Oh no!"

"We have to get you and Dean back fast before this new guy comes and ruins everything." Ben huffed. "I-I thought you guys would be back by now."

Olive frowns deeply, knowing deep down that her and Dean weren't going to be back for a long time. Dean told her it was dangerous to stick around for so long, and with everything going on with the Mother of All thing and Sam getting his soul back, Lisa and Ben hadn't crossed her mind.

"I miss you." Olive says softly.

"I miss you too." Ben sighs. "That's why we gotta do this, so when they see each other, they'll fall in love all over again and thing could go back to how it was before! And we won't miss your birthday!"

Olive pauses for a moment, her eyes locking with her small figure in the bathroom mirror, she could almost see the wheels turning in her head at Ben's words.

"Okay. What's the plan?"

-

Ben had been calling Dean through Lisa's phone since the last time the siblings spoke, but Dean hadn't answered. Sam had told him multiple times to speak to Lisa, but was shut down just as fast.

The Winchesters sit around an office at a factory where the newest victim was found. Olive staring down a mannequin head with wide eyes, waiting for it to move. Sam grabs the mannequin head and turns its face away from Olive, who let out a relieved sigh.

"Well, this dead guys as squeaky clean as the last dead guy." Dean states. "I can't find a speck of dirt on him. You?"

Sam sighed. "Nothing." Olive leans forward, her head dangling in front of Sam's computer. Without a word he softly pushes her head to the side, looking at the website through her hair. "Hm—found a speck."'

"A seamstress named Rose Brown went missing a year ago." Olive reads, looking up at Sam. "What's a seamstress?"

"Someone who sews." He answered quickly. "Okay so, apparently the cops just gave up on finding her. She was last seen at the factory, presumed dead. Survived by sister, Isobel."

Dean hummed. "Fifty bucks, vengeful spirit."

Olive sighs, disappointed. "I don't have money, can I pay with crayons?"

Dean deadpans. "Sure."

"Should we pay her a visit?" Sam suggested, closing his laptop.

Dean's phone rings, both he and Olive looking towards the phone. He glances at her for a second before grabbing it, his finger hovering over the answer button.

"Answer it." Both Sam and Olive ordered. Dean narrows his eyes before standing up, putting the phone to his ear.

"Lisa—" A different voice is heard through the phone. "Ben? What are you—?" Dean states, glancing behind him at Olive, who pretended to be more interested in the wall. He raises an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?—define bad." There was a pause. "Alright put her on the phone."

Olive freezes for a second, hoping Ben's plan doesn't go sideways.

"Ben, get your Mom and put her on the phone." Dean repeats firmly. "Okay, okay. Let me call you back—five minutes!"

He hangs up the phone, looking straight at Olive. She gulps nervously.

-

Dean sighed as the three made their way towards the Impala. "Oh, come on, man! We can't just leave."

"Dude, you gotta leave." Sam states. "Both of you.

Olive trails behind. "It's important! They need our help!"

"But we're talking life or death here." Dean continued.

"Right. I can handle it for twenty-four hours." Sam nods, opening the door for Dean. "I get you wanna bury it, but I had to deal with my past year, and you guys gotta deal with yours."

"Yeah, cause that worked out so great for you." He gives him a look.

Sam simply pushes Dean into the car, grabbing Olive by the waste and placing her in the backseat before closing the door.

-

Olive sent Ben a thumbs up before snapping the phone shut and leaning in between the seats. Dean glances at her, not knowing what to say as they drove across states. It was quiet for a while, night quickly fell and both of them were getting tired.

"You're birthday is coming up." Dean says suddenly. "The big seven." Olive smiles lightly, no response. "Do you, uh, know what you want?"

"Not really."

"I'm sure you'll think of something last minute." Dean hummed. "Maybe another Charm? Not like that one though."

Olive reaches for the star charm around her neck, wondering how something so small could shield her from all monsters in the world. Some days, It felt heavy around her neck, those where the days she remembers how inhuman she was.

"Maybe like a planet, or a sunflower." Dean continues, mostly talking to himself. "I'd get you a rock but that wouldn't look as cool. You're not getting your own gun until you're eleven though, so don't ask for any weapons. Unless it's a pocket-knife, those are cool."

"I don't think we should celebrate my birthday." Olive blurts.

Dean glances at her. "Why not? You loved your last birthday."

"It's just not the same." She said softly. Dean doesn't respond to that, not knowing that to say. She was right, last year was like a completely different universe. It wouldn't be the same.

"Do you miss them?" Dean asked.

"Don't you?"

"Of course I do." He says instantly. "But it won't work, we'd just be putting them in danger."

"I know." She sighed, leaning back. "But sometimes—sometimes I really want it to work."

Dean turns away, clenching his jaw. "Yeah, me too." He admits.

By the time they got to Lisa's house, it was late on the next day. Dean runs up the steps to the familiar home, ringing the doorbell multiple times with a worried frown. Olive smiles shamelessly, shifting on the balls of her feet as she waited for the big reveal.

Lisa opens the door seconds later in a pretty black dress, her hair done up and a bright smile on her face. Olive practically jumps at the sight of her as he popped her head behind Dean, but Lisa's smile drops the second she sees him.

"Dean, what are you doing here?" She asked heatedly, face firm.

Olive's smile falls at Lisa's words. It wasn't the reaction she expected at all. Ben had said, that once they see each other they'd fall in love all over again. Like in the movies. But the only thing between the adults she loved the most was tension.

Dean looks confused, slightly bitter. "Well, you look absolutely fine." He said. Lisa didn't look as distraught and in need as Ben said she did.

Lisa narrows her eyes, "What's going on?"

Dean sighed in realization, stepping to the side to reveal Olive, who smiled sheepishly at Lisa. The woman inhaled softly, taking in the sight of her. She gotten a little taller, more brighter, her style was completely different.

"We've been Parent Trap'd." Dean explains, looking down at Olive. "Ben set out a nine-one-one from your end and I'm assume Olive was involved from mine."

"Why—Why would they do that?" Lisa stammered, looking to Olive for answered. Olive shifts at her motherly gaze, shrugging.

"You're going on a date, huh?" Dean asked.

Lisa sighed, moving out of the doorway. "Come in." She then points to Olive. "You, upstairs."

A large grin forms on Olive's face, looking between the adults who stood at the doorway. For a second, things seemed exactly like it once was. Olive dashes up the stairs.

-

"Ben!" Olive squealed. Running into his bedroom without knocking, throwing herself at the older boy. He drops the remote in his hands, a large smile forming on his face as he hugged back. "We did it! You're plan worked!"

"Just in time! Your birthday is tomorrow night!" Ben grins. "Did they look happy to see each other?"

Olive falters, pulling away. "No, Lisa seemed pretty upset. But that's okay! Because once they remember how much they love each other, everything would be good!"

Olive takes notice of Ben's room, it looked different from the last time. The star stickers were gone, his theme of blues and cars changed to a mature creme color. A photo gallery of him and his mother, some of him and Olive. Others with just him and Dean.

She pauses for a second, her eyes landing on a stack of books on his desk. They were in Greek, and they were old.

"Come on." He grabbed her hand, dragging her out of the bedroom. "Let's go see them."

They make their way down the stairs, pausing in yelling could be heard in the kitchen. They glance at each other for a moment, making their way down the rest of the steps.

"Lisa, Ben called me. I dropped everything and I ran. If you wanna know if I care—?"

"Doesn't help me." She said.

"What do you want from me?"

Lisa frowned. "I'm not asking for anything."

"Then ask for something!" He said angrily.

Ben sticks his head into the kitchen, "Um—"

"Go to your room." They both state. Ben looks to Dean, who gives him a small smile.

Olive grabs his hand, dragging him only halfway up the steps before sticking her head between the bars.

"We're spying?" He whispered.

"Shhh." She states.

"You know I can't. . .ask for something." Lisa says. "I know what I want, but I can't have it, not how you live. I realized that the second I walked into her room and she was just. . .gone." She explains softly. Olive's heart drops at Lisa's words.

"My phone rings. I think, tiny chance it's you." She continued. "Big chance it's Sam calling to tell me you're dead. Bigger chance Olive is."

"Lis—"

"No. Don't. Don't apologize or anything." She said softly. "It's just. . .I get to this place where I'm okay and then you show up at our door. You keep doing that. Every time I think I'm never going to see you again. I'm trying to get over you. I'm trying to forget that I don't have her." She chokes out. "What are you trying to do? What do you want from us, Dean?"

-

Dean stands at the doorway of Ben's bedroom. They had separated the children, knowing it would make it harder to talk to them all together. He looks down at Ben's gameboy in confusion.

"That's ridiculous, plants could never kill a zombie."

Ben scoffs. "You think I'm gonna say I'm sorry?"

"And why would I think that? Because you and O lied to get me here?" He gives him a look.

"It was an emergency."

"A date isn't an emergency, Ben."

Ben doesn't make eye contact. "It's is if it's the third one, I watch TV I know what that means."

Dean nods, taking a seat beside him. "Well, your mom is a grownup, she gets to go out."

Ben drops his gameboy, looking at him. "Why won't you come home? Can you just say I'm sorry and then come back?"

"I'm sorry." Dean looks down. "I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"Both."

"So you hate Mom now?" He accused.

"What? No. Come on."

"So it's me!"

"Ben, stop it." Dean says firmly.

"Whatever I did, I'm sorry!"

"Listen to me, you didn't do anything. You understand that?" Dean said. "Look, one day you'll get this when you're older—"

"Don't talk to me like, Livvy." Ben scoffs.

"Okay, fine." Dean agrees. "It's like this then. Just because you love someone doesn't mean you should stick around and screw up their life. So I can't be here. Olly can't."

"You think something will follow you guys home?" He pressed.

"No. I don't, but I think my job turns me into someone that can't sit at your dinner table." He admits. "And if I stayed, you'd end up just like me."

Ben shakes his head. "Why do you say it like you're so bad?"

"Trust me. I'm not someone you wanna aim to be. . I thought I could keep Olive away and look what happened, she got sucked in and will never get out."

"Don't I get a vote?" He frowned.

"No, you don't." Dean states, trying to keep himself together. "I'm sorry, Ben. But at least this way you got a shot of living whatever life you want. You know, pick one, pick five. Because with me there's just that one road."

"You're a liar, Dean!" Ben says heatedly, eyes flashing with tears.

"Excuse me?"

"You say families so important, but what do you call people who care for you?! W-Who love you even when you're a dick?" He asked angrily. "You know you're walking out on your family, right? And you're talking Olive with you, like it doesn't hurt us, too!"

Dean just sat there. Feeling like his father.

-

Olive sits at the porch, hugging her legs to her chest. Dean went upstairs to talk to Ben, to explain what was going to happen next. Olive already knew. The plan was unsuccessful, and all Olive felt was hopeless.

The front door opens, and Olive buries her face into her knees as Lisa sat down beside her. "Are you hungry?" She asked softly, holding out a plate of strawberries.

Olive lifted her head, looking at the bowl. She gives a small whimper, her eyes shining with fresh tears as she looked away. "No." She said firmly.

"I'm sorry, Bug." Lisa said softly, a frown in her face. "You know I love you—"

"Please." Olive cries, her voice strained and high as she tried not to break down. "Please don't say that to me, Lisa."

"Why not? It's true." Lisa holds her against her chest, running her fingers through Olive's thick hair. "It will always be true."

Olive shakes her head. "Why does this keep h-happening to me?" She asked. "Why do I keep loosing you?" The question wasn't directed just to Lisa. She was asking her mother, she was asking Sophia, she was asking anyone who ever left her. "What did I do w-wrong?"

"Sometimes people just. .grow apart. This isn't your fault." She said firmly.

Olive pushes her away softly, hugging herself. "Yes it is." She whispers. "It has to be. . .and now I've lost you, too."

"You were always welcomed here, Olive." Lisa said through tears. "But you wanted to go and I understood that—"

"I-I don't know what I want." Olive admits. "I thought if I stayed with Dean and figure out my powers, I could come back and stay here and protect you and Ben." She looks down. "But I'm scared."

"What could you possibly be scared of?" She asked softly. "You're. . .powerful."

"That's the problem." She whispered brokenly.

-

The ride back to Paterson was silent. Olive sat in the front, her head rested against the window as Dean drove on. They didn't stop driving when the sun came up, they didn't stop driving when it came back down. Both trapped in their thoughts, wondering if the other was hurting just as much.

Olive thought back on all the good memories with Lisa and Ben, each one being better than the last. They were the first normal people, who knew what she was and accepted her.

Now they were gone for good.

Ben and Olive only had a few minutes together, both promising to keep in touch as they cried. Olive never had a brother before, now she knows how Sam and Dean felt.

By the time they got back to New Jersey, it was around ten. Sam had called and asked them to meet him off the edge of town, at the gas station. Olive looks up when they pulled into the empty lot.

"You coming?" He asked. It had been the first time he spoke up since they left. Olive doesn't respond, and it takes it as his answer.

Olive watched Sam and Dean meet halfway, talking to each other about the woman inside the other car, she looked scared. The woman gets out of the car, walking up to them, asking questions.

Olive feels a jolt in the car. A deep frown forming on her face when the engine revs. She looks down at the keyhole, Dean had the keys. Olive let's out a shaky breath, only to panic when the air came out cold and smoked.

"Dad!" She screamed, pulling at the door handle. It wasn't letting her out.

"No, no, no, no!" Dean said in a panic.

"Dad, help!"

"Olive! Olive get out of the car!" Dean bellows, standing in front of it. The headlights turn on. "Hey! You leave my babies alone, they've got nothing to do with this!"

The wheels screech, and without warning beings charging towards Dean. Sam and Isobel quickly move out of the way, but the car continued to chase Dean around the parking lot.

"Daddy!" Olive screamed, banging on the window. Sam runs forward when the car got close, running beside the car and pulling at the door handle. "Sam!"

"Olive, stay down!" Sam bellowed, panicked. The car turns, and Sam was forced to move out of the way.

Olive never felt more horrified in her life, gripping her chest as she cried. Dean stands in front of the abandoned gas station, the car charges forward. Olive took this as a sign to grip the seat, closing her eyes as the crash runs straight into it. The windows shatters, cutting up her face as she trashed forward. The engine dies down.

"Olive!" She hears Sam, opening her eyes just in time to see him round the back and open her door. Olive throws herself into him, and the taller man easy sweeps her up. "You're okay, I'm here." He coos softly, rubbing her back as she cried.

"I-I hate c-cars." She managed. Sam holds her tighter.

Dean runs forward, his forehead cut. "Olive? Oh god, are you okay?" He takes her out of Sam's arms, who nods. "It's okay, baby, I got you." He says. "Are you guys okay?" He asked his brother.

Sam nods. "Yeah."

They turn to Isobel, who stumbled. "Yeah, I'm—" She barely gets the words out before blood pools from her lips. A sharp of glass deep within her stomach. She crashes down, and Sam rushes forward.

Olive buries her face into Dean's chest, not able to hold herself together for more death and trauma. It only took seconds for Isobel's eyes to loose light, and Olive could feel the woman's soul leaving her body.

She used to love being able to feel the souls around her, but this time was nothing but a bitter reminder.

-

Olive sits on the ground, her knees pulled up into her chest as she stared up at the stars. The brothers had gotten rid of the body, and Dean had to drive into town for gas. Olive didn't dare get back into the car, so Sam had walked with her the rest of the way into town.

Now Olive sat with her back against a tree, her phone in her hands as the clock ticked down until midnight. The sound of footsteps made her stuff her phone back in her pocket, burning her face into her knees to avoid conversation. She knew Sam and Dean were standing in front of her, she could feel their presences.

The sound of a lighter made her freeze, a few clicks before something was lit. Olive lifted her head slowly, her eyes locking with a single flame dancing on a pink candle that sat gently on a stack of waffles.

Sam and Dean crouched down before her, sad smiles on their faces as they held the stack of waffles out. "Happy Birthday, O." Dean said softly.

Olive slowly pulls her phone out of her pocket, looking down at the numbers. 12:00. Her eyes began to water again, taking a deep inhale as she looked back at the brothers.

Sam smiled softly, it was comforting to her. "Go head, blow it out." He says.

Olive looks down at the candle, staring at it for a long second before blowing it out in a single breath. They didn't ask her what she wished for, and if they did Olive wouldn't answer. The sad truth was, Olive didn't wish for anything.

"Thank you, for pulling me out." She said to Sam.

"Of course, I'm your uncle." He said slowly, smiling.

Olive grins threw her tears. "Yeah, yeah you are."

Dean smiles, pulling out the candle. "So, You gotta eat these or what?"