"Any other father figure would be proud that I got in to Stanford!"

"Sammy, stop!"

"You're abandoning the mission, Samuel, abandoning the family!"

"This is your mission, not mine!"

"If you're gonna go, then stay gone!"

"Dad! Stop!"

"That's fine by me!"

9:31 PM, August 31, 2002

Your ringtone causes you to flinch, breaking the silence in your motel as you were laying in bed. You look to the contact on your Jitterbug flip phone, and read 'Dean'. You pick it up and hit the answer button, a curious, "Hello?"

Hyperventilating answers back, with a frantic, "He's gone- he...he fucking left, he did it-"

"Dean? What?" You sit up against the headboard, not used to hearing Dean sound so stressed.

"It's Sam, he went to Stanford- he- and Dad said- fuck!" He curses loudly, and you could've sworn you could hear his breath hitch.

"Alright- listen, hey," You call for his attention on the phone, "Take a breath...where are you?"

You can hear him sharply inhale, trying to compose himself of his frustration and anger, and mostly fear, "Phoenix...Arizona."

Thank whatever is holy out there, because you were only two hours away in Tuscon. "Dean, are you okay to drive? I'm in Tucson, I'm at a motel right now."

His breath slows slightly, "I...yeah, I guess. I need to go somewhere before I do something stupid." His voice strains.

"Alright, that's okay, come stay with me. I'm sending you the directions." You inform him gently. He says a quick 'see you' before he hangs up. It tears you apart to hear him so devastated. You felt for Dean, you did...he and Sam were as close as brothers could get, but you understood what Sam wanted. You pace, waiting.

TWO HOURS LATER, 11:56PM

You can hear the rumble of Baby make its way into the parking lot, and in almost five seconds flat after hearing the car, a hurried knock on your door sounds. You rush to the door, greeted by Dean's red-rimmed eyes, his body practically shaking with emotion, "I- I didn't know what to do- where to go..."