AN: sorry this took so long and is short, writer's block sucks. I was meaning to have this done by now and I'm sorry I don't. But I hope ya'll like this.

How I need to hear you
Hear you so softly, hear you say anything
Every single tear you shared
well it kills me ~ Stanfour
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When the screams died down Dean opened his eyes. He was surrounded by a pale golden light. Slowly sitting up, he groaned and looked around. Alone. 'Oh, not again,' he complained. 'Anna? Anna, where are you?'

She was there, he could feel her. 'Dean? Dean, don't leave!' the former angel's voice came from a ways off but he could see her figure fade into sight.

'Over here.' His calm, in-control voice even though he was pretty confused himself. 'Sammy and I have been some strange places because of the geek angels but this one's new.'

'Still got that sense of humor,' Anna smiled.

'You can talk again. How do you feel, are you ok?' The hunter patted her down as he looked for injuries.

'I'm fine thanks to you. Thank you.'

'Welcome, sweetheart, but where are we?'

Anna looked around blankly before smiling at him. 'This is a safe place. Where I contacted you before they...' She trailed off. 'We should get back though, before your brother freaks out.'

'Sam's already a freak,' he smirked. He started to follow her but... 'Anna, wait.'

She stopped to look at him. 'What is it, Dean.'

And he leaned in to kiss her; a quick chaste thing of a kiss. 'Just in case.'

Dean cracked his eyes open painfully but not without muttering cusses. "Goddamnit, that hurt!" After a few ragged breaths he pushed up and pulled the redhead into his arms. "Anna? Ann, you alright? C'mon, answer me, Anna!"

"Dean, I'm -" Sam started sadly. It didn't work...

But in the next second Anna twitched and groaned; opening her eyes just a little. "Oh thank god, well not really," the blonde hunter huffed. "But oh, Angel, I'm so glad you're ok.

"Dean..." she whispered softly. But tensed and shut her mouth, in case it wasn't real and talking was just a dream.

The hunters looked around on guard and only after of a few moments of silence did Bobby nod. "It worked."

They helped the pair stand and Anna felt like a weight was lifted. "So it's over?" she asked, voice hoarse from disuse.

"For now, yeah," Sam answered. "And with that charm they won't be able to find you."

"And we're already hidden," Dean spoke of he and his brother as he got Anna a glass of water. "We should get your throat checked out, since you haven't spoken in awhile."

"N-no, I'll be fine. It's just sore from all the - well before I..." She shook her head at the memories and the oldest Winchester nodded again. He remembered the torture all too well; his own as well as hers.

"What's next?" Sam asked.

Dean grabbed his knife and pocketed before pointing to the table. "We get back to the hunt and find out how to kill these SOBs."
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Awhile later Bobby and Sam were once again pouring over research. How do you kill an angel, and a demon, who refused to be killed. Dean was pacing again and nursing another beer.

"You ok?" Anna asked from behind him. For a second he thought it was in his head again; it'd been a long time since the two of them had a real talk. She knew the blonde hunter didn't 'do' emotions or chick-flicks but she could sense something was bothering him. It didn't take a mental bond to know that; just knowing him long enough to notice the lines around his green eyes.

"Dean, it wasn't your fault," she told him as she followed him onto the wrap-around porch.

"Which thing?" he scoffed.

"Last night. The broken bottle."

He looked down as her fingers brushed along his bruised knuckles. "You felt that?"

"Yeah but I saw you through the upstairs window before I came down here. I knew that this isn't what you wanted."

"Sam and I fight all the time, remember? I'm fine," he brushed off.

"Not just that." Anna placed a hand to his temple. "In here. You're not, Dean. I know because I feel it too. We both went through it, remember? You're not alone."

Dean took a shaky sigh and looked at her before placing his hands on the railing. "It's just floating in and out again, I'll be fine once we get these guys. Sammy and I will exorcise that demon so he can't bring whoever he was trying to back; then we'll go after the bastard angel who hurt you."

"I can handle him," she huffed.

He smirked, loving her old attitude coming back. "I know you can but you won't have to this time." He tucked her under his arm.

After a moment he pulled back. "You know what I was thinking?"

This time it was Anna's turn to smirk. "Yes but say it anyway."

"Damn, I'll never get used to that. You better stop that soon."

"I know."

"Anyway, how about a trip to the impala?" he waggled his eyebrows and she smacked him across the chest.

"Now is not the most appropriate time, Dean," the former angel answered in a sudden monotone voice. At the look of his surprised face, she bust out laughing. Then she took off down the steps as he reached for her. He caught his angel around the waist, settling her in his arms. After a moment of carefree she calmed and lay back against his shoulder.

"Damn, I missed you," he breathed in her ear.

"You too."

They stood that way for a long time before the young man led her inside. If anyone noticed them holding hands or Dean awkwardly clearing his throat, they didn't say.

"I'm going to grab a shower," Anna said.

"Ok, I'll be up in awhile. KEEP that pendant on," he instructed.

"Yes, Dean."

"So, what do we have?" he asked his brother.

The younger man snapped out of his shock at the display of affection from his older brother. Not that Dean with a girl was unusual, but romantically it was. "Uh.."

"What, Sammy?" he raised an eyebrow.

Bobby stepped in. "Quit lollygaggin' and get your asses in gear."

Half an hour later, Dean felt something was off. The shower water was turned off but he hadn't heard Anna's footsteps. Or her presence in his mind. In fact it felt oddly empty. Sam sensed his unease so followed him upstairs guns in hand.

The Winchester hunters slowly opened the door. When the steam from the shower cleared, both brothers felt sick. There were spots of blood and a few feathers next to Anna's clothes she'd slipped off - the young woman no where to be seen.

"Damnit, not again!" Dean roared.