ess sighed as he went through the town to get his car fixed. He sighed softly and looked down. Why was he so torn about leaving. Every time he thought he was done with this town - and there had been plenty - he was always stopped when he saw Lucy.
He knew something was wrong with her but he couldn't push her; only knowing that he hated when someone did that to him. Always.
He walked up to the diner and looked at Luke from across at the kitchen. Luke looked up at him looking in a stance almost as if he were ready to fight anything Jess had to say.
Jesse looked down briefly; inhaling slightly before biting his lip hard. Luke frowned slightly seeing this was something completely different.
"Can you help her." He said.
Luke nodded before biting his lip and nodded.
________
Lucy walked into the diner her headphones in and walking into a table in the back. She looked up noticing it was quiet. She looked around the empty diner in confusion. She looked around before seeing Luke walk inside with Dean.
She immediately got up ready to bolt.
"Hold up-" Luke said.
"Lucy please-" Dean said.
Lucy stopped and looked at the both of them. First off she had felt so betrayed by Luke for even bringing this up.
And just seeing Dean was so embarrassing for her.
"I'm going to be right here," Luke assured her, "And I'm not going anywhere. But I think.. that you two really need to talk.."
Lucy looked at him and watched him carefully as he sat behind the counter. She bit her lip hard before finally giving Dean eye contact.
Dean looked at her before carefully sitting down at the middle table of the diner. She slowly and reluctantly joined him before looking down at the table.
As she stared at the tabletop Dean took the opportunity to speak, "I know you probably hate me right now-"
"I don't hate you.." she spoke barely above a whisper.
He paused before continuing, "What happened.. shouldn't have happened. And I apologize..I know I hurt you and -and that was the last thing I ever wanted to do- to anyone- especially you." He said making sure to choose every word carefully. He looked down. "..I've been trying to talk to you about it but now that I'm here, I honestly have no idea how to move on from this.. except to say that I'm so sorry.."
"You don't have to apologize Dean, I did it too." She stopped him.
"But I didn't stop it-"
"-Neither did I." Her voice slightly raised before she quickly exhaled and looked down. "You don't have to be sorry Dean.. I chose just as much as you had.." she rubbed her head hating having to talk about this out loud. Why couldn't they be in a world where they could just speak telepathically like In the movies.
"I don't blame you. I never blamed you." She sighed.
"But the bookstore.. everytime I tried talking to you.." he said confused.
"Was me running away from myself." She looked up at him. "Dean." She sighed, "I realize you and I are actually very similar. I realized it that night actually." She covered her eyes momentarily. "Always running after the person who keeps running after something else." She let her hands rest at table, "I've let everything that has happened to me in my life, happen." She said carefully trying to stay calm. "My dad.." she cleared her throat, "I let him continue to do that.. I let him.. treat me like that -I lied for him-" she caught her breathe, "And you.. I did the same. I let you do that and I lied for you—"
"I never wanted you to lie- I never asked you to lie-" he tried telling her.
"You didn't have to Dean it was my choice." She insisted. "I was running away from my choices.." she wiped her eyes quickly.
"Come with me... and you'll be... in a world of pure imagination.."
She had just noticed her earbuds were still in and she couldn't help but hate that one of her favorite songs were playing at probably one of the most traumatizing confrontations of her life.
"Take a look.. and you'll see into your imagination.."
She bit her quivering lip and sighed tearing the earbuds out and dropping them on the table. Dean watched her scared and worried of what she would do next.
She looked at him. "We're very similar Dean...But you. You can move on from this, knowing that you can make better decisions. But I will always choose to be the the stupid naive town secret.." she bit her lip, "Everybody knows what happened, but no one can tell.." she looked up at him finally.
"Lucy.."
"What's important is that you know that I never blamed you. We were both under the influence but we both gave consent.." she sighed still feeling incredibly embarrassed that this was happening to her. She sighed and breathed out slowly.
Dean looked down briefly and looked back up at her. He sighed in defeat before nodding gently. "Okay." he said before his eyes directed to hers. "As long as you know I don't blame you." he said.
Lucy wasn't expecting hearing that, but it somewhat comforted the situation. Not much, but it helped. She nodded gently before getting up and hesitantly giving him a hug. Dean gave a small pat as to not make her uncomfortable before she let go.
"Goodnight Dean." she said before taking her headphones out and putting them into her ears. "Lucy." Luke spoke up. She stopped and looked at him. He motioned his eyes for her to sit back down softly before looking at Dean to leave.
Both the kids did as they were told before Luke continued to speak. As the door bell ringed to signal Dean was gone Luke breathed out. "You have to understand, I had to."
"You had to." she looked up at him with a slight lack of trust. "Are you kidding me." she said.
"No I'm not kidding you. It was important you resolved this Lucy."
"Says who- you??" she looked at him. Luke quickly countered, "You don't see what I've been seeing Lucy, you don't see the change that you've been going through. It's like you're time traveling backwards-y-you're reverting back into your shell of yourself-"
"Was that so bad to do?" she raised her voice. "Seemed I got along with everyone fine-"
"Everyone? You talked to two people-of course it was getting along fine! Is this you now? Just plug in your music and pretend like that solves your problems?"
"Who decided it was your job to father me huh?!" she got up. "Since I sent away the only father you had!" he snapped. He hurried around the counter already anticipating her next move, quick to grab her earbuds before she could take them to leave. She quickly grabbed them back only seconds before he took the hand that held them. She knocked his hand off again and cried as he took it again. They repeated this over and over again before she found herself just giving up and letting him take them. She looked down crying.
Luke sighed before quickly pulling her wrist so she would fall into his arms. She sobbed in his flannel shirt as he hugged her tightly.
"I only regret I didn't do it sooner..." he admit and felt his eyes start stinging for some reason. He cleared his throat and tried to compose himself; sniffing slightly. He blinked, "For months.. after your mother died.. I had noticed the small stuff..." he shook his head and looked down. "And I didn't think any more of it...-I just-just believed what your dad told me-" he covered his eyes with his free and felt himself actually crying.
Lucy looked up at him. Truly astonished seeing the Luke Danes. Sobbing. She quickly gave him a real big hug around his neck. It was tough because of his stupid hat in the way. She quickly tossed it on the ground and hugged him again; stroking his head to comfort him. He hugged her back tightly and sniffled here and there as they just stood there in the empty diner.
"From then on..I swore I would never be silent the next time I see you like that... I wouldn't wait for something terrible to happen..." he looked down. "And it happened again-and-" he sighed, "I can't keep letting you figure it out all the time..." he sniffed as he felt more tears coming, "I have to do what I didn't - and step in." he said. "S-so this is me. Stepping in." he looked down at the floor, "You're not well Lucy. And you need help. You need to want help. You're not well." he cried.
Lucy looked up at him finally and wiped her face before going to wipe his. "Okay.." she promised gently, "I promise... I'll.. I'll start going to therapy again I promise.." she looked down briefly. "I'm sorry."
Luke hugged her tighter, "Just take care of yourself.." he begged. She nodded gently, "I'll try." she nodded.