[h2]Esme[/h2]
 Esme was quiet the whole way home, but she kept a close eye on Duke as she drove. While making sure to keep her focus on the road, she also made sure to watch Duke’s face and keep tabs on how he was feeling. Esme wanted to ensure she stayed on top of any change in him so she could jump into action if she had to. Duke’s face remained blank for the most part, and all she could feel was grief, pain, and guilt from him. But that didn’t stop her from worrying about what was going through his mind as he remained quiet for the entire trip. Esme knew he had a lot to think about on the way home. It was just which one was the most prominent. The sorrow of losing Mika, blaming himself for her death, or wanting to bolt so he could cry, stew, and beat himself up on his own. None of which she wanted to leave him alone with, but she knew he would need a bit of time to himself at some point, which honestly scared her. As they pulled into the lot, Esme glanced up at the ‘Singer Salvage’ sign swinging above the entrance just as Duke did.

Her stomach knotted painfully, knowing how devastated Bobby was going to be once he saw Mika’s body. She was devastated; she and Mika had just gotten on good terms, and now she’d never know where it would have led. Esme could have seen them working well together to keep Duke and Dean on the right path, but now she would never know if that was true or not. She sighed heavily as she parked Duke’s truck in its usual spot and killed the engine, pulling the keys and shoving them into her pocket. Esme looked at Duke to watch him for a moment, noting how he hesitated to get out of the truck, which tore at her heart. When Duke opened the door, stepped out, and closed the door, Esme opened hers but didn’t get out. It wasn’t until after he patted the truck window did she get out of the truck with a nod. “I’ll be there in a bit.” she told him as he walked to the RV. 


[h3]Day 1[/h3]
Esme didn’t leave Duke alone except to use the bathroom and to get food from the kitchen for them. She kept his truck keys on her and only ever bothered him to see if he needed anything, which usually resulted in a shake of his head. She left him alone for the most part.

[h3]Day 2[/h3]
Once again, Esme mostly kept to herself, only talking to Duke to see if there was something he needed, and she actually had him speak to her coherently a few times. The only time she left the RV for a length of time was to go take a shower, but not before asking Sarah and Anna to keep an eye out for Duke, even though she had taken his truck keys with her. Esme finally broke down in the shower after holding in her emotions for so long. 

[h3]Day 3[/h3]
Esme lay next to Duke silently. After the past few days, she felt mentally and emotionally tired. She hadn’t had much sleep due to her sleeping so lightly that whenever Duke would move, she’d wake up and keeping tabs on his emotional state. When Duke spoke after such a long silence, she nearly flinched. Tilting her head, she looked at Duke as he spoke and nodded. As Duke got out of bed, Esme sat up in the bed and watched him as he grabbed his flannel. “I agree, but you know as well as I do it’s going to be hard to get that through his head right now.” she told him. She wholeheartedly agreed with Duke that they needed to burn Mika’s body, but convincing Dean of that was going to be easier said than done. Esme also knew that things could go south very quickly, depending on how Duke handled this. A feeling of dread came over her as she sat there watching Duke. She didn’t see things going smoothly but knew it had to be addressed for all their sakes. They all needed closure, and Mika needed to be put to rest. She deserved a hunter’s funeral, not having her body rot down in the basement of Bobby’s house. 

Esme didn’t know if she could step foot in the house or even the basement just yet, the emotions were still incredibly strong in the house, but she also didn’t want Duke having to do this alone. Before she could fully make up her mind on what she wanted to do, Duke had returned and climbed partially back on the bed after talking quickly. She kissed him back when he kissed her quickly, then watched him as he put on his boots. “Okay.” she replied with a nod. “Just be careful.” She added the last bit a little softer than she had intended. After Duke left the RV, Esme sat there momentarily in thought, contemplating what she should do. She finally decided she couldn’t just sit there and wait for whatever came of Duke going and talking to Dean. Willing herself off the bed, Esme grabbed her flannel, slid it over her arms, and buttoned it as she walked over to the door. Grabbed her jacket, she slipped it on, and then stepped into her boots before walking out of the RV. Esme didn’t go inside, she chewed at her lip and paced outside near the outdoor basement door, listening for the moment she may have to run in and try to stop anything between Duke and Dean that she felt coming.