canon au } { post-1411: damaged goods

[patrols]

Lindsay: [and it's been a minute since she's heard from him, so on her way home from work, she'll text:] Everything good with Dean?

Ben: [he totally took on a day trip hunt to work out his anger and is in the middle of cleaning up when the text comes in] No, but he swears he's fine.

Lindsay: Sounds like him. You okay?

Ben: Not in the least. But what I feel isn't important.

Lindsay: It is to me.

Ben: [sighs] I know, and I love you for it. Just... babe he's going to try and solve this himself and thinks it's better for everyone not to help. Yet he's the one who spouts off the importance of family being there for each other the second Sam or I try to do the same thing.

Lindsay: Yeah, he's always been a bit of a hypocrite.

Ben: He was going to just slip out in the middle of the night. Not even say goodbye.

Lindsay: You don't know that.

Ben: I do. Because if it was me, it'd be the thing I do. Or at least think to do.

Lindsay: Yeah, well. Dean isn't you. And you're right, he probably is planning on doing something stupid, but there's also usually a goodbye tour.

Ben: Which Liv confirmed has started.

Lindsay: So he'll say goodbye. It just might not be on your timetable.

Ben: [and he's going to just huff and lean against the brick wall, looking at the half-covered dead werewolf] I hope you're right, because it didn't feel like that when he left.

Lindsay: Trust me. Dean doesn't like to leave unfinished business.

Ben: Well, I'm working on a hunt here while Mikey minds the store. Sam went to check on Dean while he's in Minnesota with Mary. When Sam comes back, I'll come home. [since he's not wanted]

Lindsay: Okay. [she can read that between the lines, and she's not sure how to reassure him beyond the fact that she wants him] Fair warning Buffy's turned all her wedding energy on us. The living room is covered in wedding magazines.

Ben: [snorts at that] Let's hope the wildfires continue to stay away, or our place is toast then.

Lindsay: Fingers crossed. I love you.

Ben: I love you too.

Lindsay: Keep me in the loop, okay?

Ben: I will.

Lindsay: I'm gonna go eat some dinner and crash, but I'll text you tomorrow.

Ben: Yeah, I need to hide a body, so I'll talk to you more then.

Lindsay: [she snorts] I'm always so glad that vamps turn to dust.

Ben: Yeah yeah yeah.

Lindsay: I'll see you soon.

Ben: Yup. Night babe.

Lindsay: [and she hangs up to go decompress and head to bed]

Michael: Is it dead yet?

Ben: [sighs and leans his head back against the wall] Yeah, it's dead.

Michael: On your way back?

Ben: Once i figure out how to burn the body without accidently starting a wildfire.

Michael: Gross. Let me know if you need any extra hands.

Ben: Will do. Any word on our two dads?

Michael: Nick went after Mary. Wanted info on a demon she boxed a while back. Dad and Dean took care of it.

Ben: Good. [and he'll tuck the phone under his chin as he goes to drag the dead corpse closer to the car so he can put it in the trunk]

Michael: Yep. Dad said they need to pick up a few things for whatever Dean's working on so they're going to be out a while.

Ben: So no ETA?

Michael: No, not right now. But I sent them a case that was in the direction they're heading.

Ben: [and give him a moment to throw the body in the trunk and slam it shut] Well, I told Linds that when they got back I'd head home, so I guess you're still stuck with me.

Michael: I'm not complaining. See you when you get back.

Ben: [And he'll snort and toss the phone into the car. He's going to find a dumpster at some truck stop and offload the body and set the dumpster on fire, then head back to Lebanon]

Liv: [and about a week or so later, Stiles gets to see Liv swear a bunch when they get called to a "strange" crime scene with a familiar face as the dead body.] Shit. [and then she makes a beeline through the house to find where Bart usually kept his stash. And then she swears some more and pulls out her phone to call her dad]

Stiles: [blinks, confused as all hell] Liv?

Liv: [glances back at Stiles as the phone rings] He was a hunter. I knew him.

Sam: [and he will pick up the phone] Hey Liv.

Liv: Dean there?

Sam: Yeah. Hold on, I'll put you on speaker

Dean: [once that's done] Hey, shortstack.

Liv: I got bad news and worse news. Which one do you want first?

Dean: Do we have to have any of it?

Sam: Start with the bad. [giving Dean a look]

Liv: Bart Kemp's dead. We got called to his house this morning.

Sam: Shit. How?

Liv: Unclear. The body's messy, but I can't rule out that it wasn't human yet.

Dean: If that's the bad news, what's the worse news?

Liv: Someone cleared out his stash.

Sam: Damnit.

Liv: I can handle the body and stuff from here, but I don't think whoever took it was local. Are you guys free to pick that up?

Dean: Yeah. Send us everything you got and we'll see what we can find.

Sam: Guess we have another side trip.

Dean: Guess so. We'll let you know when we find it.

Liv: Thanks, guys. I'll keep you in the loop if I find anything else.

Sam: Thanks Liv.

Liv: Talk to you soon. [and she'll hang up to go deal with poor Bart]