Supernatural: Salt and Burn

Title: Supernatural: Salt and Burn
Timeframe: Season 5, and unspecified
Pairings: None
Rating: G
Warnings: SPOILERS – Season 5
Author's Note: When Bobby burned the group photo, I kind of understood and, yet, I still wished he hadn't. Here's a possible reason why he would do that.

The fire popped, spitting embers about. The tiny sparks floated up the chimney. One ember swirled loose, weaving through the air until it lit upon a black and white photograph. Six individuals, four men and two women, stared grim-faced from the glossy image, the last time all six would be gathered together. The ember faded and petered out, ignored by the bearded man holding the photo.

Bobby Singer sighed. He ran his fingers down one of the images. “Oh, Ellen.”

~ ~ ~ ~

“I won't let it happen, Bobby. Not to me.”

Bobby quirked an eyebrow at Ellen.

Ellen lifted her glass, brought it to her mouth but lowered it before taking a drink. “Look at John and the boys. After Mary died, John devoted everything to hunting. He stopped being their dad. He stopped caring about anything. He stopped living. I won't let someone else follow that path. Not for me.”

“No one wants that. Not for no one.”

“Promise me, Bobby, if I go, that you'll burn those memories. Anything that might make a person go down that road, you'll salt and burn it. Let me go.”

“Only if you do the same for me.”

“Amen.”

They tapped their glasses together.

~ ~ ~ ~

Bobby held the photo for one final moment, then let it fall into the flames.