Hello again! Here is the next story in my Supernatural series! However, I do have to admit that I am saddened by the lack of response to the end of the second. Perhaps I need to plead more for reviews. But then again, why plead? If people like it they'll review right? Anyway, nothing will stop me from sharing my stories and will post either way. Which is maybe why no one reviews. Haha. Here's chapter number one! I hope you enjoy and feel free to drop me a line in any shape or form! ; )

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Supernatural!

Prologue

Night had fallen. The wind was blowing rough against me. Tree branches were hitting my face as I ran. My adrenaline was pumping. I could hear the footfalls behind me. They were closing in and I still didn't have them where I wanted them. I thought the plan was working fine, till they dropped from trees in front of me. I stopped, pulling a flask from my jacket pocket. I quickly screwed off the top before swinging it in a circle, the holy water making them all smoke. I pushed through them, keeping myself moving. I'd be screwed if they caught me. Dead before I knew what was going on. But the high school came into view. I pushed through the doors, hearing the feet closing in behind me. I didn't hesitate as I moved through the halls. All I needed to do was get across and out the other side.

A momentary set back made panic flutter through my veins as I fell down several sets of stairs. The air was knocked out of me. I felt a couple ribs crack in the process. It took me a moment to get to my feet again. I was out of time. I told Dean to make sure the doors were sealed, giving me only a few minutes to get through the school. If any of the demons got loose reinforcements would be coming and we wouldn't be ready. We'd already made that mistake. There were too many as it was. I moved as fast as I could. I went into the nearest classroom, science tables lined with beakers. I slid a file cabinet against the door before getting ready for plan B. I had a limited supply of holy water but I did have an exorcism memorized. I might have a chance of exorcising a few but not this many.

I heard the banging on the door. It would only be a few minutes now. I held tight to the pentagram around my neck, pulling out any power that it had. The cabinet flew back as the demons pushed into the room. I splashed the demons with holy water, keeping them at bay while I spoke as fast as I could. Two demons were forced from their bodies. I did the same to three more. I was out of holy water. I moved back as they came forward. I nearly had another three but the wall was behind me and their heads were still turning. One grabbed my throat, trying to silence me. I managed to get the last word out and they were banished yet again. It wasn't the end.

Bodies lay before me and I quickly moved from the room. I heard yelling, seeing black smoke as I made my way to the door. There was more black smoke before the school went silent. I moved through the halls, making sure everyone was gone when I was grabbed from behind. They squeezed tightly, making my breath leave with the pain from my ribs. I managed to loosen their grip and free myself. I ran, again, moving into a classroom where I could see a window. I locked the door and went to the window. I opened it as wide as it could before slipping out. I ran but heard the crash. It was only one guy but he was too close for me to defeat him. I tripped, turning to see the demon rushing me. It was about to come down on top of me when it started to smoke and Sam's voice filled the air. The demon yelled but soon was evacuated. I sighed with relief before Sam helped me to my feet.

"Hey." I smiled and hugged him. He just frowned and cocked his head at me. "What?" I asked him, my smile faltering.

"I told you this was a bad idea." He told me.

"It would have worked fine if I hadn't been stuck in there. I'm surprised Dean didn't come barreling in halfcocked." I frowned at him, following him around the building.

"He would have if I hadn't stopped him." He replied. "And I think it worked better with you in there. As soon as you started exorcising it spooked them to the exits letting us take care of the rest."

"Well," I said. "I'm glad my mistake worked out." I told him, putting my hand on my ribcage.

"You okay?" He frowned at me.

"I fell down some stairs. Broke a couple ribs. That's why I didn't make it to the doors." I replied. "But, hey, it worked out for the best."

He laughed and pulled me into a half hug. "Sorry." He said kissing my hair.

"It's fine." I grinned at him.

We met Dean in the front of the school. He was pacing and looking unhappy. I sighed, wondering how bad he was going to yell at me this time. He was the one dying and I was the one constantly in trouble.

"Hey, baby." I smiled at him, leaning in to kiss him.

"What were you thinking?" He asked me.

"Can't you kiss me and then yell at me?" I pouted.

His jaw was clenched. But he sighed and kissed me deeply. "So, what the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I'm the fastest out of the three of us. I make better bait then you two. I just happened to trip and that caused me to be late. The doors would have been sealed so I had to come up with a plan B. But I'm fine." I told him.

"Really?" He said poking my ribs.

My breath caught as I winched with pain, bending at his touch. "Good God, Dean." I frowned at him.

"How'd you know?" Sam frowned, putting his hand on my arm.

Dean glared at him. "Because I know her inside and out. I can tell if something is off."

I frowned harder at him. "That hurt." I told him through clenched teeth, hitting his chest.

"What did you expect?" He frowned back.

I was pissed. He did that intentionally. The past few weeks had been anything but wonderful. I spent most of it crying. Or drinking. But we were finally getting into a routine. Things were feeling nearly normal. Hunting had us busier then we ever had been. But the groups were larger and much less organized. The demonic realm was chaotic and unpredictable. Despite the fact that the only thing that changed was Dean's expiration date, he was acting ridiculous about every job. He was going in half ass and getting all of us into trouble. He didn't seem to care what happened to him anymore. To him it didn't matter, he was already running on borrowed time. What he did care about was what happened to Sam and me. It didn't matter what job, what supernatural being we were fighting, he made sure we were safe. Even if that put all the danger on him. So, his reaction was not surprising. We'd been fighting a lot lately. If it wasn't about him dying, it was about the job. It was all the little things that shouldn't matter but did.

"I don't expect anything anymore, Dean." I told him angrily.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He shot back.

"You're wearing me out. God knows I love you and you know that but you have to stop worrying. You need to be you. You can't disappear because of what happened. I'm trying to deal but you can't baby me." I told him.

"But you're my baby." He frowned sadly.

I stopped, just looking at him, still holding my ribcage. "Dean, that's sweet, but you can't protect me from everything. You can't save me. I can try and save you but we both know that by the end of this year you're going to Hell. I have to learn to live without you. I have to learn to do things on my own. How can I do that with you looking over my shoulder 24/7?" I asked him, fighting back the tears that wanted to fall.

"We'll save him." Sam told me.

"Sam." Dean and I said together.

I took a deep breath, sighing. "Look, I know this whole situation sucks but you know I'm right. It hurts to say it because I know what it means." I told him, my voice cracking. "But it's the way things are. What else would you have me do?" I asked him softly.

"I don't know." He replied.

"You're going to be Hells bitch." I smirked and walked toward the car.

"That's not funny." He said following me.

"It's a little funny." I smiled at him.

"No." He replied.

"If I'm laughing it's funny. It's not like I don't take your early death seriously." I told him.

"It's not funny." He told me sternly.

"Are we really going to argue about how funny my comment was?" I frowned at him.

"Why not? We argue about everything else these days." He said getting into the car.

I did the same, my expression softening. "I don't want to argue. I just don't want you to get pissed every time something happens."

"Sure." He replied as he started to drive.

Dean was running. Terror written all over his face. There was barking from behind him. A barking that was all too familiar. As the hound closed in, the scene changed and the three of us were in a house. A blond was standing there, her eyes white. She opened the sliding room doors and the growling entered the room. The sound was directed at Dean. I watched as his feet were pulled out from under him. The barking and growling continuing, mixing with Dean's screams. His legs were being torn from hip to toe. His arms, slashed, his chest being shredded like ribbons. His blood ran along the floor. I felt myself try to call out to him but there was nothing coming from my mouth. Silent screams as I tried to move to him, help him. But he was dead. His eyes open in a never ending stare as his soul was sent to Hell.

I shot awake, gasping. I looked at Dean, lying next to me, still asleep. Slipping out of bed I went to the bathroom. I stood there a moment before retching into the toilet. The nightmare had been plaguing my dreams nearly every night since finding out about Dean's deal. My head was throbbing, my throat dry. Tears stained my face. This was the worst version of the dream. Sometimes I got to save him. Sometimes I woke up before his chest was made into ribbons. Sometimes I even sacrificed myself to keep him safe. I splashed cold water on my face and neck. I was drenched with sweat. The dreams were so vivid that I thought they were visions at first. But they were too frequent to be visions. And I hadn't had a vision since Azazel was killed. I hadn't moved anything either. Sam, too, was free of his demonic gifts. It was a blessing. This made me even more certain that they were simply dreams. Nightmares that chose to plague me every time I shut my eyes. I took a series of deep breaths before looking at myself in the mirror. I looked like crap. I ran my fingers through my hair. It was getting long again. It covered three-quarters of my back. It looked as unhealthy as the rest of me. My stomach growled but food had been anything but appetizing lately. I turned to see my bag sitting underneath the counter. From inside, I pulled out a bottle of vodka. Unscrewing the cap I took a long drink. I rinsed my mouth before sighing, walking back out into the room. The sun had hardly begun to rise. I ran my fingers through my hair again before slipping outside. The air was cool against what remained of the warm night. I closed my eyes, letting it blow over me. I took a deep breath filling my lungs. I stood there till the sun started to warm my face. I checked the time before starting to walk through the town. I found the nearest beauty salon, sitting on a bench outside of it. Nearly an hour passed before the open sign lit up. I waited a little while longer before going in.

"Good morning." A middle-aged woman smiled at me.

"Morning." I smiled back. There was nothing 'good' about it.

"Looks like you've had a long night." She said making small talk. "I saw you sitting outside. Hope you weren't there too long."

"Not long at all. I just couldn't sleep so I walked here. Didn't take me as long as I had thought it would." I replied casually.

"So, what can I do for you?" The woman smiled.

"I am in need of a hair cut." I told her.

"How short were you thinking?" She asked as she led me to a chair.

"Just a few inches." I replied as I sat down.

"Alright. Any layers or anything?" She asked.

"Yeah." I told her.

I watched as she started to work. The layers started at my chin. In the end she took off more then I had anticipated, letting it fall between my shoulder blades. I had always loved my long hair. But I needed a change. I thanked her after I paid and left quickly. The small weight it took off of me was enough to ease me for now. I felt better. I had changed something. I had made a decision and done it all on my own. It was odd to think that such a small decision would make such a difference. When I got back to the hotel I found the room empty. I showered and got dressed before sitting on the bed, pulling out my sketchbook. I had barely started when the door opened. Dean came in with coffee while Sam came in with food. Dean stopped as soon as he looked at me. Sam frowned and went around him. My eyes met Dean's, never leaving them and his mine as he put down the coffee.

"You cut your hair." Dean stated.

"Yes, I did." I told him.

"Why?" He asked.

"It was time. I wanted a change." I replied.

"Okay." He said but had a slight frown on his face.

I sighed, standing. "We're not going to fight about this are we? Do I need your permission to cut my hair?" I asked him sadly.

"No. No you don't." He replied walking up to me. He ran his fingers through it. "I like it." He smiled and kissed me.

"Really?" I asked giving him a small smile.

"Really." He said and kissed me deeply.

"Good." I said wrapping my arms around him, resting my head against his chest.

We packed and were on the road less then an hour later. It was early but there was plenty of work to be found. I saw Dean glance into the back seat. Sam had his computer open, looking for anything supernatural. I looked at Dean. He looked back before looking at the road.

"What are you thinking?" I asked him.

"Can't you tell?" He asked.

"I prefer you say it." I told him annoyed.

He sighed but his face softened. "This needs to stop."

"What does?" I asked him.

"This bantering we have going on. I know you're angry at me. I know you're scared. You don't have to tell me for me to know it. It's not like I'm all for going to Hell. You don't want me worrying. I get that, but I can't help it. I've lost you once I'm not losing you again." He told me.

"No, I get to lose you this time." I shot at him.

A hurt expression crossed his face. He hit the brakes pulling to the side of the road. He told Sam to stay in the car before getting out. I sighed, looking at Sam, before doing the same. Dean walked away. I followed him, my head down. When he stopped I stepped up to him. We were inches apart but the tension was thicker then ever.

"I can't do this with you." He told me. "We can't keep fighting like this. I can't go through this without you. I know what you're feeling. I've felt it. But you can't treat me like I'm dead when I'm still here."

"I'm just trying to prepare myself." I told him sadly.

"I know. But I need you. I can't handle fighting with you. I just want to be with you." He said sadly. "Do you think I want to die? Do you think I want to go to Hell? Do you think I want to leave you?"

"No, of course not." I said putting my hands on his chest. "I know you think that I'm being hard. That I'm pulling away from you. I'm not. But if I don't put on a hard exterior…" I stopped. My voice breaking. "Then I'd spend everyday crying." I said as a few tears fell. Dean wiped them away, putting his hand on my cheek. "I cry more then you know. You only see me when I've built up enough anger to deal with it. I wish I could be strong. I wish that things can go back to normal. We have a routine, yes, but it's still just an act. Sam is diluted that we're going to save you. I don't have the luxury. I know you're not going to try very hard. We both know what'll happen if you try and get out of your deal. You act indifferent about all of this. You're reckless on the job. You're more worried about us then yourself. I only have you for a year. Can't you just be careful so I can keep you for that long?" I asked him as more tears fell.

He sighed before giving me a series of passionate kisses. "I'll do better." He promised.

I nodded and kissed him again. "I'm just so scared for you to not be here."

"I know. I am too. I was a wreck when you were gone. I can't imagine what you'll be like." He told me.

"What are you saying?" I asked him with a raised brow, a small smile on my lips.

"Well, I figure you love me more. You'll be a complete and total wreck when I'm gone." He replied.

"Oh, and I thought you were the one who loved more." I replied with a smile.

"Hm, maybe." He smiled and kissed me again.

"Alright, no more fighting. No more bantering and worrying. But most of all, no more talk about what's to come. We'll do the job. But if something comes up I can't promise that I won't try. You know that right?" I asked him.

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't." He said and kissed me.

We returned to the car on better terms. After all, it didn't matter what happened. We'd be there for each other no matter what. I would try not to obsess over his death and he in turn would not obsess about keeping Sam and me safe. It was a job we would do together. He didn't have to take it upon himself to get it done. We were, and would always be, a team.