While it was nice spending time with Sam, this wasn't exactly how she had envisaged her day. Sam had come across a new case and had dragged her along for the ride. She didn't mind that, since she didn't really want Sam hunting alone and with Dean downstairs she was pretty much the only one he could turn to, it was just… Did Sam really not have a problem following this woman around through all the wedding shops?

One too many times they had been asked when they were getting married, she managed not to start laughing the first few times, but now she was just getting annoyed. Was it really necessary to be around all this nasty girly stuff? Surely Sam could keep an eye on her from a distance? Marriage was a joke, not a happy, loving event; didn't the idiot humans understand that?

The purpose of marriage was possession, the man gained ownership of the woman; that was really all there was to it. A declaration of love? Please, there was nothing loving about seeing a person as an object. A piece of paper was not required for someone to know they were loved. No, demons and vampires had the right idea where relationships were concerned, that was for sure.

"Is this really necessary?" She asked finally, having played along for three hours.

"We have to keep her safe." Was Sam's short reply, without so much as a glance in Ruby's direction.

Yes, she knew the idea was to save the damsel unknowingly in distress, but what harm was she going to befall in crowded shops in the middle of the day? The demon planning to crash the wedding, or stop it, or whatever, was low level, he couldn't influence things like the Sins had. No, there really wasn't a need to be here, Sam was just enjoying torturing her; that was the only possibility that made any sense.

Of course, that woman had to be in on it as well, because really, she was getting married in a day or two, so all the preparations had to be finished already. The last straw would be if he dragged her to church, there was no way she was listening to the 'may God bless you and your union' crap. She would definitely be tempted to kill him for something like that, figuratively speaking of course.

The woman finally headed back to her car, after wasting five hours of her and their time, pointlessly looking at things that she had already sorted out. If she had any concerns with the arrangements she'd be bothering the venue and staff, not aimlessly wandering around shops. It was all pointless and definitely highly annoying, but hopefully now she would go home and Ruby would be free of the horrible dresses and frivolities.

Ruby sighed in relief when they finally got back to the Impala and she could almost swear she saw Sam smirk, though since she was tired and generally irked, she decided it best to drop it. Getting into a fight with Sam after such a lousy day would just be the icing on the cake. No, as long as it was over, that was okay, Ruby could just relax now, without overly-sweet attention and questions. If she didn't have such a strong constitution she was sure she would have thrown up because of it.

"Was it really that bad?" Sam asked finally, still not looking at her as he trailed behind the woman's car.

"Being squee'd over for hours, plus multiple attempts to get me in some horrible frilly thing? I think I'm probably permanently traumatised Sam." Ruby replied bluntly.

Sam laughed, finally looking over at her. "You really are a tom-boy aren't you? You wouldn't wear a dress at all?"

Ruby pondered for a moment. "I used to wear dresses; it was kind of the norm back when I was alive. Maybe that's why I don't like them too much, they basically meant you were a second class citizen and had no rights of your own. I would wear one if I had to, but I doubt I'd be comfortable in it. It wouldn't be one of those girly frilly things though, something plain and simple, and preferably sexy."

"Sexy huh? And here I thought you only did practical."

"On a day-to-day basis, I do, it makes sense to, but as a one off, might as well do it properly and look damn good."

Sam definitely smirked that time, but she didn't mind on that occasion. Knowing what that look meant, no, that was just fine. It was true she didn't do things by half though; if she had to do something then she did it properly. She didn't really see the point in putting time and effort into something to do a half-assed job. Getting things done and getting them done well was something she prided herself on.

"When is the woman getting hitched?" Ruby asked nonchalantly, though wanting to know when they would finally be done with their current gig.

"Tomorrow morning, so the chances are the attack will come tonight." Sam's reply was as serious as it always was when it came to saving someone.

"Right."

That was a relief; it meant no trailing the woman aimlessly around shops again tomorrow. Hopefully they would stop the demon tonight and Sam would get a little more practice, then they could get out of town and she could forget all about it. That definitely sounded good to her. It was ludicrous, the arrangements people made for a piece of paper, which aside from legal ownership really didn't mean anything.

She knew Sam would try for information on Lilith, but she very much doubted he'd get anything, even if the demon did know anything. She was fine with that though, it was far too earlier for Sam to try going after the bitch again. He seemed to be doing much better, seemed to be himself again, but she didn't want to take the risk just yet that he was over his suicidal binge. Sam dying was just not acceptable, she had put too much into him for her to lose him.

Still, as long as he had something driving him, Sam would be okay. She would make him strong enough to handle Lilith and the others and until that time, she would be sure to protect him. Just like her, Sam needed a purpose and without that his existence was chaotic. She wondered if that had something to do with Azazel's blood in him, or if it was a human trait that demons had kept. Sam needed to realise he was a lot stronger than he gave himself credit for.

"This isn't the way to her house. Damn it, now where is she going?" Ruby muttered as the grotesquely pink Chrysler pulled off in the opposite direction to what it should have.

Sam shrugged. "I guess she isn't ready to go home yet, besides, sitting in front of her house for hours isn't exactly going to be much fun either you know?"

Ruby sighed, knowing that Sam was right and that knowledge made her hate this 'case' even more than she already did. It wasn't even necessarily a case, just a few stupid rumours that could hold absolutely no grounds whatsoever. Sam didn't seem to care though, he was quite intent on watching the woman and stepping in to rescue her if needed.

Ruby's mood soured further when a church came into view; hadn't she decided earlier that ending up in a church, with some idiot priest asking stupid questions and making 'holy' comments, was the absolute last thing she wanted? No, watching over Sam constantly might have to take a miss on this occasion, especially if there were any chances of holy water coming into play. That would be a lot of fun to try to explain, wouldn't it?

Sam pulled into a space and watched their charge go inside, while Ruby sat arms folded most definitely sulking. The shops had been one thing, but this was an entirely different playing field and she wasn't the least bit interested in this game. She wasn't going, no matter how much he pleaded and gave her 'puppy-dog eyes', she was not stepping foot in that building.

Sam placed a hand on her face and guided her to face him, placing his lips on hers briefly. "I'm not going to ask you to go in there; it's too much of a risk to send you into an active church in the middle of the day. I'll try not to be too long, just stay put, okay?"

Ruby nodded, pleasantly surprised by Sam's actions and comments. He wasn't usually so caring with his words or actions, not that she was going to complain about it. It was always nice when Sam let her in, treated her like she mattered, not that she could really afford for them to get too close. Still, being treated like a partner and a friend was much nicer than being the unwanted demon bitch.

Sometimes it really felt like they were a couple, they lived, slept and worked together and in rare moments like that one, it was hard to forget that they weren't really. She wondered when things had really changed between them, or maybe, just when things had changed for her. She felt far too attached to him, beyond just being willing to follow and protect him no matter the cost, something more than she was really comfortable with.

It didn't take long for Ruby to be thankful for the ipod and the fact that Sam had added tracks for her as well. Being stuck in a car with nothing to do was definitely not any fun. She knew that was what Sam had been advising earlier, but at least tonight he would be there for her to talk to. Had she known she was going to get stuck in the car on her lonesome, she would have bought a grimore or something to study.

In the end, it took an hour for Sam to return to the car, though a few minutes of his time was spent talking to the woman in question, it seemed he'd made friends with her. Out of sheer willpower, Ruby refrained from glaring when he got back in the car and failed to acknowledge her, it was back to her being less than dirt for a while. Sometimes she really could throttle him for blowing hot and cold as much as he did, some consistency would be nice.

Rather than following the pink-mobile, Sam turned off back in the direction of their motel. Ruby thought about questioning him, but decided if he was taking them to the diner near it, she didn't want to risk him changing his mind. She had definitely earned herself some fries after putting up with everything that had gone on so far. She had been very well behaved, given how many times she could have snapped.

Once they pulled up at the diner, Sam finally turned to Ruby and smiled. "Come on, I think I owe you a treat."

Ruby felt her mood lift a little, though she still wanted to hit him for pulling a stunt like that, sometimes his sense of humour came across as far too close to hers. "Damn right you do."

While he did treat her, they didn't stay long before he insisted on heading over to 'Angela's' house. Ruby quickly requested that she be allowed to pop in to their room beforehand, which Sam did agree to, as long it was only for a minute. She grabbed a book quickly and headed back to the impatient giant waiting in the car. He didn't seem thrilled that a book was what she wanted, but she chose to ignore him for a change.

They had managed a conversation for a couple of hours before they ran out of things to say, so Sam was currently sat bored, trying not to fall to sleep, while Ruby was quite happy with her studies. It was rare that she got a chance to actually sit down and work over the books like this, and she had learnt a few potentially useful things already. They had made it to 22.00 hours and she wasn't thrilled by the idea that they may yet have to sit straight through until morning or possibly longer.

Unlike Sam, at least she had something to occupy her, for a few more hours at least, she was definitely glad for that. Still, it was his own fault, he knew better than her just how boring these things were, yet he did nothing about it. If he was bored stupid it was his own fault, and definitely his problem not hers. It was his stupid idea to look into it without even being sure there was a case as well.

"Oh, maybe something actually is going on then." Ruby muttered softly when she felt another demonic presence in the area.

"We have company?" Sam asked, moments before the tell-tale signs occurred.

Ruby almost laughed at how restless Sam got, not wanting to wait until something happened before acting. He couldn't afford to move too soon though, or they would be in trouble with the soon-to-be newly weds and the demon would leave, probably to return another time. He really was the knight in shining armour type, but at least that was for everyone who needed help, rather than just being pretty girls; Ruby would probably throttle him if the latter was the case, not that she was jealous at all.

She also wondered if Sam had thought this through in the least. He couldn't exactly use his power in the woman's presence and she doubted if using the knife would go down very well either. If Sam wanted information then he needed a devil's trap set up and needed to get the demon in there. She grabbed her bag and sifted through it, hoping there was something in there to help Sam keep up some sort of façade while getting what he wanted.

Finding what she wanted, Ruby hopped out of the car and waited for Sam to follow before quickly explaining her plan. Sam accepted it easily and made his way towards the house and Ruby couldn't stop the satisfied smile that slipped onto her face. It was so nice that Sam trusted her so much, even if he did still have his doubts. Things were so much smoother now that he allowed her to guide him; she might just get him to where he needed to be.

Having waited a few minutes, Ruby slowly made her way round the back of the house, knowing that Sam would be inside by now confronting the demon. Once she was in a position to see the proceedings without being seen herself, Ruby quickly cast the spell that would allow Sam to 'arrest the intruder'. That made it all so much easier, Sam could pretend to be a fed and there would be no need to try to explain about demons and possessions.

Once she was finished, Ruby entered through the back door, gun drawn, that was Sam's cue to move in for the 'arrest'. Poor demon probably wouldn't have the first clue that he was bound and wouldn't be using any demonic powers or superhuman strength, too bad. As long as Sam was safe and got what he wanted, she didn't really care what anyone else thought, or what she was required to do or give. Sam didn't need the details and neither did the demon.

"Thank you, so much. I'm getting married tomorrow and I…feel free to stop by, I'd love to see you and know that everything is okay." Angela gushed as they left with the handcuffed and royally pissed off demon.

"Just doing our job, and perhaps we'll look in, just to make sure everything is okay, but we can't stay." Sam replied reassuringly.

Ruby took the demon to the Impala, not really interested in witnessing the mushy sick-bag moment. Not that she was interested in listening to the griping of the demon either, but she should have to gag him for the time being anyway, to make sure he didn't flee the body. Sam wouldn't be very happy with her if that happened; he wanted a chance at getting some information on the bitch herself.

Sam returned to the car and they headed to an abandoned building they had noted when they had first entered town. Ruby had persuaded Sam to set up a devil's trap in there, just in case they needed one in a hurry and they were both glad she had. Trying to keep the demon in check was annoying enough already and Ruby was definitely getting to the point of just stabbing him and being done with it. It really was a shame sometimes that she had such good self-control.

The demon was a bust as she had thought, but it was another notch in Sam's belt. Demon exorcised and human saved; it was enough to put a smile on his face at least. She had to admit she loved it, the feeling she got when he succeeded and looked straight to her, proud of himself and looking for her approval too. It was exhilarating to be held in that position, not that she would ever advertise the fact when it could cause unwanted issues.

Still, the day was over and for all its annoyances, it had been a success. She just had to put up with a few minutes of the wedding in the morning, hopefully from the car, then they would be leaving and she could forget all about the whole thing. That sounded good to her, though curling up in bed with Sam sounded much better, the question being whether he would let her or not, she never knew for sure. She was definitely glad to be back at the motel either way.

Sam came to sit behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso. "Thanks for the help Ruby; I guess I hadn't really thought it out very well."

Ruby grinned; maybe she might get what she wanted after all. She did so enjoy it when Sam was appreciative. "No problem, helping you is what I'm here for."

Sam's lips met Ruby's neck and she happily moved to give him better access. She wasn't particularly convinced it would move on to sex, but she didn't mind. The sex was great, but so was the affection and right now she thought she would much prefer for him to just hold her. Ruby let a slight moan pass when Sam nipped her collar bone and instantly knew she shouldn't have.

Sam pulled back and stood up. "We should get some sleep."

Ruby nodded, silently cursing herself. She knew what Sam was like, how easily he backed off when he gave some thought to what he was doing. He would probably never get past the fact that she was a demon, nor that Dean would strongly object if he knew. Even without Dean being there, she was still up against him, though not anywhere near as badly.

She supposed it was probably for the best that it had stopped, wanting things like that was foolish and weak. Sam would never love her, and for his own wellbeing she didn't want him to, so those selfish feelings and needs had to be pushed aside. What was the point in feeling loved and important for a few minutes, when really you knew it wouldn't and shouldn't ever be true?

Sighing softly, Ruby stripped down to her underwear, and deciding she really couldn't be bothered with hygiene in her current mood, reached for the extra blanket to settle onto the couch as per normal. Sam took hold of her wrist and much to her surprise, led her towards the bed instead. Stripping off quickly himself, he got into bed and moved over, holding the covers up. Not quite sure what was going on, Ruby simply did as he wanted and settled into the bed, Sam and the covers quickly wrapping around her.

"Just stay here for tonight? No strings, I just don't want to be alone." Sam whispered quietly.

Ruby nodded, shifting slightly so she was pressed more tightly against him. "Of course Sam, anything you need."

It seemed that Sam was feeling the same way she was, he just wanted someone close. She wanted to be close to Sam specifically, whereas she expected there were plenty of other people Sam would rather have than her there. Still, she got what she wanted and she didn't have to feel bad about it, because it was for Sam. It was strange that they both felt that way though, she wasn't interested in worrying about it now though, she was far too comfortable and content in his arms.

'Morning' was rather later than usual, and Sam seemed less inclined to keep to routine, which was fine with her, it was a rare treat. She rather hoped that he would just stay in bed with her and they could avoid the wedding. Logically she supposed, that could be why Sam was in the mood he was, because had Azazel not intervened Sam would probably be married by now.

It did nothing to explain her mood though, as bipolar as it seemed to be. Were she human it would be put down to PMS no doubt, but since she wasn't, hormones weren't really something she could use as an excuse. She didn't really want to go anywhere near that stupid event, even though she was sure Sam would insist upon it. He just wasn't the sort to laze around, especially when he had practically promised the woman they would look in on her.

She managed another half hour curled against Sam before he made her get up. As tempted as she was to complain, she thought better of it, knowing she was lucky to have gotten as much from him as she had. Unlike the boys, she wasn't really one to be ungrateful, though maybe that was because she wasn't used to their bond, she was used to demons and hell and no one helping without wanting something in return. True she wanted things from Sam, but not like they wanted things, she wasn't using him, if she was, she wouldn't be willing to suffer the way she knew she would.

The party was leaving when they arrived at the church and while they stayed at a distance, Sam did insist she got out of the car, apparently it would be impolite of her not to show her face; as if she could possibly care less about something as stupid as that. Sam really needed to stop pulling her into his compulsive need to be overly caring. She was a demon; she didn't care, least of all about some random woman and her trip into becoming her new husband's property.

'Angela' saw them and waved, smiling brightly, Sam of course returned the gesture but Ruby was not going to act like an idiot when she had decided early on that she really didn't like the woman. She wasn't frowning or glaring, that was an effort at least, but her arms were staying folded whether Sam liked it or not. He could play nice if he wanted to, she wasn't.

"That looked like it was a nice service; I hope she's going to be happy." Sam stated when they were seated back in the Impala, ready to head to their next destination.

"Yeah, being seen as the legal property of the guy is something to be thrilled over. It's a complete waste of time and money for a stupid piece of paper. Nothing says 'I love you' like asking someone if you can own them." Ruby bit back.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Why shouldn't a couple commit to each other? Why shouldn't they have that reminder of everything they stand for?"

"Why should anyone need it? If you have to be reminded that you love the person you're with, then you obviously don't. It isn't anything romantic, by accepting that ring, she's accepted that he owns her and can do what he wants, she isn't a person according to that contract, she's a thing."

"That isn't true! They're in love and everyone knows it just by looking at the ring, it's a joining of two people, something special."

"Bull. You look back in history; you look at the legal side of it. You need love and a joining of two people, take a look at vampires. They join for life; you see them needing a stupid piece of paper?"

"Well not all of us are monsters Ruby, some of us have hearts. Another comment and I kick you out of the car, and I'm not pulling over to do it."

Ruby managed to bite her tongue before she retorted and she sure as hell wanted to rip into him for that comment. The hell was he thinking calling her a heartless monster? As if! He'd be dead and she wouldn't be royally screwed if that were true. The comment stung, badly, and she wasn't exactly sure why. Sam only said it because he was angry, not because he actually thought of her that way, and even if he did, why should that bother her? The only thing she knew for sure was that this was going to be one seriously long ride.

'Holy matrimony' doesn't tell you I might have a problem with it?

It all seemed to be so stupid now; why they'd been fighting over something so petty was beyond her. It didn't change the fact that Sam was refusing to speak to her though, which she would admit was more than a little frustrating. He really shouldn't be so childish! All this grief, just because she'd made some remark about a wedding? It really was ridiculous, she couldn't figure out why he'd flown at her for one sarcastic comment…Anyone would think the idiot was angry with her for thinking marriage was stupid. She was a demon after all, why wouldn't she?