Chapter Thirty-Eight

Dean didn't stop until they were nearly to Kansas City. Then he had no choice; the Impala was practically running on fumes. He maneuvered the car into the first roadside gas station he saw and parked at the gas tanks.

Amie was cuddled up next to him, tightly holding his hand. He kissed the top of her head, grateful she was back beside him where she belonged.

"Hi," she said, smiling up at him.

"Hey baby," he said. He grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and gently kissed her. He didn't care that everyone in the car was watching them.

Dean climbed out of the car, the cold air shocking him. He hurried to start the gas pump so he could get back in the warm car. Castiel and Sam stepped out as well, both of them hunched in their jackets. Sam went inside, while Castiel stepped around to the back of the car and stood next to Dean.

"Dean, I would like you to take Katarina and me to a bus station in Kansas City. I think it would be best if she and I go our own way," he explained.

Dean shook his head. "Are you nuts? Why would I do that? You guys can come back to the bunker. You'll be safe there."

"Maybe," Castiel replied. "Maybe not. She needs time to adjust to being a human. She's scared. And she's really scared of you."

"Of me?" Dean said, though he wasn't surprised. He hadn't made a secret of his dislike for Katarina. "Okay, I guess I get that. But things are different now…."

"Yes," Cas interrupted. "But it doesn't matter. That does not change her feelings. She does not want to stay near you. I cannot convince her otherwise. I want to help her. Can you understand, Dean?"

Dean nodded. He understood. "Okay Castiel, whatever you want. I'll take you to the bus station, get you guys on your way. Where will you go?"

"I have an idea, but I would like to keep it to myself for now," Castiel replied. "And thank you." He slid back into the car and leaned over to whisper in Katarina's ear. She nodded, then Cas stepped back out of the car and went into the store.

Dean watched Amie and Katarina through the back window. Amie was talking to her, her eyebrows furrowed, her expression serious. Katarina shook her head and said something, gesturing with her hands. Amie seemed to slump in her seat, her eyes downcast, her face worried.

Once the Impala's tank was full, Dean hurried around to the driver's side and got back in the car. He grabbed Amie's hand, squeezing it briefly. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked.

She wouldn't answer him, just shook her head and said "Not now."

He glanced at Katarina in the rearview mirror; she wouldn't look at him. He was about to question her when Sam and Castiel returned to the car, coffees in hand.

Instead he started the car and pulled back onto the road. It was twenty minutes to Kansas City and the bus station.

Dean finished the bowl of cereal he had poured himself. He washed his bowl and spoon, turning them upside down in the sink. He dried his hands off on the dish towel and grabbed two bottles of beer from the refrigerator. He turned the light off as he left the kitchen. He went through the library on his way back to his room.

"Hey you two, shouldn't you get some sleep?" he stopped and asked Sam and Kevin as he passed them in the library.

Sam looked up from the books spread around him and stretched, his long arms practically touching the bookcase on the wall behind him. "Maybe later. I think I'm close to finding something about what Katarina said about Amie." He flipped through one of the books on the table. "How is she?"

"She's understandably freaking out, though you wouldn't know it looking at her or talking to her. She wants to know what the hell is going on," Dean responded. "She'll be okay though, she always is. And you two will figure out what's going on, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Sam answered, his attention back on the books. Kevin just nodded.

Dean muttered his thanks, though he didn't think either of them heard him. He hurried down the hall to his room, anxious to get back to Amie.

Dean stopped in his doorway, his eyes drawn to her. She was sprawled across his bed on her stomach, wearing only a pair of short spandex shorts and a tank top. His eyes crawled up her body—her long legs, her perfectly shaped ass and small waist. She'd put her long red hair in a braid that hung down her back, but some of it was loose and hanging around her face. She must have sensed him watching her, because her head came up and she looked over her shoulder. He smiled when they made eye contact.

He held up the beers. "I thought it would help you relax. I know you've been a little on edge, so…," he shrugged, not sure how to finish the sentence.

"You know what, why don't you come help me relax?" she said to him, smiling. For the first time in a while the smile reached her eyes.

Dean pushed his door closed, set the beers on the table and crossed the room to his bed. He quickly stripped down to his boxers and settled in next to Amie. He easily lifted her up and laid her on top of him. He ran his hands up and down her back, kneading her tense muscles with his fingers. He gently kissed her neck and her shoulder, sliding his lips across her collarbone and up the other side of her neck until he reached her jaw. He pushed the loose hair from her face before lightly grazing her lips with his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her as close to him as possible.

"You okay?" Dean asked quietly. He took her braid in his hand and played with it, wrapping it around his palm.

Amie nodded, her hair tickling his chin as she moved. "I'm good."

"Really? You're not just saying that to shut me up?" he said.

"Maybe," she responded, laughing low in her throat. She looked up at him, her blue eyes shining. "I have to be, don't I? Since we have no idea what any of this means, I have to be okay. I can't dwell on it or worry about it. It won't do any good. I'll worry about it if and when I need to."

Dean bent down and kissed her. "And that's why I love you," he murmured.

He wasn't quite prepared for the intensity with which Amie returned the kiss. She took his face in her hands and pressed herself against him, her hips resting between his legs. She seemed almost desperate to be close to him.

"I love you, Dean," she whispered. "I want you. Make love to me."

She didn't have to ask him twice. He ran his hands up her sides under her tank top, pulling it over her head and tossing it aside. He caressed the soft skin on her back, feeling goose bumps rising on her flesh as he touched her. He kissed her slowly, his tongue tracing the outline of her lips before gently entering her mouth. Dean slid his hands down her sides before cupping her bottom and pulling her tight against his growing erection.

Amie sighed, curling her fingers into his hair, returning his kisses with fervor. Dean turned on his side, sliding her under him. He turned his attention to her neck, sliding his tongue down the scar left by the werewolf before sucking and biting the sensitive area at the hollow above her collarbone. She responded by arching into him, moaning his name. The sound of his name falling from her lips just increased his excitement. He hastily pushed off her shorts and underwear and then pulled off his own.

Dean needed to touch her, every part of her. Without hesitating, he slipped two fingers inside her, drawing her tight against him as he did. Amie threw her head back, her nails digging into his biceps. Dean's mouth found her breast, his tongue swirling around the nipple. His lips and tongue moved everywhere across her body as his fingers teased and tantalized her, making her squirm. Each time he thought she was close to an orgasm, he slowed his movements, kissing her carefully, almost leisurely, drawing it out, making it last. Over and over he took her to the edge, but he wouldn't quite let her go, until she was gasping his name in ecstasy.

Eventually Dean couldn't wait any longer. He wrapped Amie's leg around his waist and entered her gently. He took his time, savoring every second of their connection. They moved together, their bodies' perfectly in sync, pleasure weaving its way through every part of their lovemaking. When Dean felt Amie's orgasm building, her muscles tightening around him, he let himself go, his face buried in her neck.

Dean was sitting on the floor digging through a box, Amie asleep on the bed behind him, when there was a soft knock on his door. He got up, pulled on a pair of jeans and opened it before whoever was knocking woke her up.

"You got a minute?" Sam asked. "I need to talk to you."

"Is it important? I'm kind of busy." He looked over his shoulder at Amie, then at the box on the floor. "Hey, you haven't seen Mom's ring have you? I can't find it."

"Umm, no I haven't seen it. Sorry." Sam looked startled but quickly composed himself. "Anyway…yeah, it's important."

Dean stepped out and pulled the door closed behind him. "What is it?" he inquired.

"Kevin found something," Sam answered. "I think you need to come hear what it is."

Dean followed Sam down the hall to the library. Ever since Amie had told them what Katarina had said, worry had constantly been at the back of his mind. Angels never had anything good to say. They were cryptic and unpredictable. They twisted their words, saying one thing but meaning another. So whatever Katarina had been talking about, it couldn't be good. And based on the way Sam was acting, Kevin hadn't found anything to make him believe any different.

Kevin was sitting at the library table, a small, very old book open in front of him. Dean sat down across from him and Sam sat next to him.

"Alright, Kev, what'd you find?" Dean asked.

"Okay, it wasn't easy, but I found something in this book." He gestured to the small book. "It's really old and filled with different stories and lore about angels and demons. I had to weed through a lot of crap and it wasn't in English. Some of it was ancient Greek, Latin, Hebrew, even Enochian. I found one story about a prophecy." Kevin stopped, looking at Dean nervously.

"A prophecy?" Dean asked. His nerves were on edge and Kevin was taking too damn long to get to the point.

Kevin swallowed and Dean could see sweat gathering on his brow. "Yeah, a prophecy," he continued. "From what I can ascertain, it's about two hunters, forged from heartache, inevitably drawn together by love's arrow, to create the greatest paradox the angels and demons have ever seen. There's some other stuff in there that I'm still working on, but that's the gist of it."

"Two hunters?" Dean asked. He looked between Sam and Kevin.

Sam tried to explain. "Based on what the entire prophecy says, we think it could mean you and Amie. Two hunters, forged from heartache. You became a hunter because of Dad—his heartache. Amie became a hunter because of the death of her husband and son. That's her heartache." He shrugged and Dean thought he looked uncomfortable. "We don't know what the paradox is yet, or how it's supposedly created. We're still working on that."

"Well, that could be about anybody…." Dean started to say.

"I don't think so," Sam stopped him before he could finish. "Do you know of any other hunters that are together? That are in love? You know you almost never see that. You and Amie are the only two hunters I know that are in love. And with what Katarina said, well, it makes a certain amount of sense."

Dean ran his hands through his hair and over his face, trying to absorb everything Sam and Kevin were telling him. His mind kept circling it and circling it, trying to make sense of the prophecy, to understand what he was being told.

"Wait," he said. "Did you say that the prophecy said that the hunters were 'inevitably drawn together'? As in, it had to happen, it was unavoidable? Are you sure that's what it said?" Dean swallowed nervously. He didn't like where this was going.

Kevin bent over the book, his finger skimming the pages as he translated. He finished and then read it again. After reading it the second time, he looked up at Dean and nodded. "Yeah, it definitely says that the hunters are drawn to each other, their feelings inescapable and that they are meant to be. 'By love's arrow' would mean by a cupid's arrow, wouldn't it?"

Dean stood up and shoved his chair in so hard and fast that the huge table shook. "A cupid brought us together? We were meant to be? As in 'no other choice but to be together'? Are you fucking kidding me?" he spat out.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Sam asked. Dean could hear the concern in his voice.

"What's wrong is that I am tired of the goddamned angels and God or whoever deciding my life for me! Now they're taking this from me too?" he yelled.

Sam was shaking his head. "I don't understand what you mean…."

Dean struggled to get the words out, the pain of his realization tearing him apart. "None of this is real. How I feel about Amie, the love I think I feel for her, it's just another game the angels are playing. How can I really love her? How is anything I feel or anything I believe real when some prophecy says that we're meant to be? That it's 'inescapable and unavoidable'. We're together because of a cupid. It's a lie. All of it. Just one big lie." He turned and stormed out of the room before anyone could see the tears on his face. He could hear Sam calling his name.

He tore down the hall, intent on getting away from the thoughts running through his head. He burst through his bedroom door, startling Amie awake. She sat up in the bed, fear and confusion on her face.

"Dean? What's wrong?" she asked, still half asleep.

All he could do was shake his head. He couldn't even talk to her, let alone look at her. It nearly tore his heart out, knowing that what he felt for her was a lie. He quickly grabbed a shirt, his jacket, boots and car keys, turned back around and left the room. He saw Amie out of the corner of his eye as she got out of the bed, yelling at him to wait. He broke into a run, sprinting to the garage, pulling his shirt on as he ran. He yanked open the Impala's door, holding it for balance as he hurried to put on his boots. He slid in behind the wheel, started the car and pulled out. The last thing Dean saw as he drove out of the bunker was Amie standing in the middle of the garage, her eyes wide in shock and bewilderment.

The End

Author's Note: Okay, if you've stuck with me thus far, DON'T PANIC! I will be continuing the story of Dean and Amie. I have what I think is a really great idea and I'm working on a simple outline to get it laid out. I have to do some rearranging after the mid-season finale of season 9 so I can stick semi-close to the storyline. I'm hoping to get the first few chapters up sometime in the next couple of weeks. And I do have a title for it: Meant to Be. So please be patient! I think it will be worth it!