Natalie tried to not feel uncomfortable as she stood in the back of the small space. She hated tagging along to these interviews, but lately it had been more difficult to convince Dean to leave her behind. Instead, she put on her ridiculously stiff agent wannabe pantsuit and followed whatever lead the brothers' decided. At least she'd perfected the synchronized badge display.

Her watchful eyes stayed on the other men in the room, trying to get a read on everyone surrounding her in order to sniff out any potential threats. It was a little disappointing to see that all of them seemed as baffled and terrified as she felt. A death row inmate vanished into the night, it could be witchcraft (another reason Dean insisted she be there), but more important was the idea that a killer was on the loose. Demons and monsters, she'd reluctantly gotten used to, but humans who wanted to kill for no apparent reason were still terrifying.

"Let's go," Dean practically growled after leaving the warden and guards. Sam followed after his brother, leaving Natalie to give a weak smile to the remaining men before following like the good Winchester pet she'd turned into.

"You know who that was?" Sam asked as the three slid back into the Impala.

Dean avoided looking at his brother, instead glancing back and making eye contact with Natalie in the rearview mirror. She was surprised by the dip her stomach took at the look in his eyes.

"It's Cain." He said. Natalie reached out and gave his shoulder a squeeze, her fingers subtly slipped beneath the collar of his jacket as she tried to soothe the waves of anger washing over him.

After changing at the motel, the three started their drive back to the bunker. Natalie made herself comfortable in the back seat. She knew she would have a lot of work ahead of her. As hard as she tried, she couldn't shut her mind off enough to fall into a deep sleep. Her eyes were staring unseeingly at the leather of the front seat. A part of her was jealous as she heard Sam softly snoring from the passenger side. Her vision was suddenly snapped into focus as Dean hung a hand over the back of the seat.

"Your arm will fall asleep." She said softly. Already reaching towards him, she laced her fingers through his. "It's going be okay."

All he did was give her fingers a squeeze.

"Can we pull over soon? I'm hungry, and I know you could eat." She let out a small laugh.

"Sure, I need to try Cas again anyway." The soft tone of his voice, was enough to tell her that the spell was having the desired effect on him. Her fingers continued to move softly over the back of his hand.

When they finally stopped, Sam was already deep into research mode. Natalie faltered slightly as she got out of the car, but played it off as having stiff legs from the drive. She knew Dean didn't want Sam knowing how often she was helping him keep the mark under control. Dean caught her, pulling her into his side as they moved towards the small food cart.

"You feeling alright?" He asked as they stood in line.

"Sure, just a little tired and starving now."

"Order whatever you want, it's on me." He said, squeezing her tightly to his side. Natalie actually felt safe with his arm wrapped around her. She circled both her arms around his waist, beneath his jacket as she let herself be held up by him for a few moments. He surprised her by placing a kiss on the top of her head and gripping her tightly. He'd been doing that a lot more lately, finding little excused to touch her or place a chaste kiss on her head, always whenever Sam wasn't around.

To the normal observer they probably just looked like a normal couple, but she knew they were a million times more complicated than that. She could feel the buildup of tension in his muscles. With a small sigh she found her footing once again before beginning to move her fingers across his back.

"Hey," his voice vibrated through her body from their close proximity. "I'm good."

"You're a liar." She looked up at him knowingly. "It's kind of my job to keep you in check."

"Eat first."

Natalie nodded as she began to pull away from him. Dean chuckled lightly as he kept his tight hold on her. She didn't comment on it and neither did he. It was a new normal that she was trying to adjust to. She only slid out of his embrace to take the food she'd ordered. Dean couldn't hold in a laugh as he watched her dig into the meal before they'd even began walking back to the car.

"You better leave mine alone." He said pointedly as he held the phone to his ear.

"I make no promises." She slid into the back of Impala.

Silently, she finished her food before passing the other half to Dean as Sam went over what he'd learned about the escaped convict. As she sat there, a tightness started to form in her chest and slowly sink down to her stomach. Nothing good was going to happen if Cain was involved. Selfishly, she couldn't stop thinking about what this meant for her.

Back at the bunker, Natalie grabbed what supplies she needed. A large map splayed across the floor as she let the wax drip over the paper. Sam took his usual spot at one of the tables, while Dean disappeared to call Cas one more time. Anxiety was eating away at her, but she tried to stay focused on her mission. Cain was too powerful for her locator spell, but this Tolliver guy was nothing more than a human scumbag.

"Damnit," her soft curse had Sam glancing down at her. She wobbled on her feet as she stood from the cold floor, the back of her hand pressed to her nose.

"Hey, you okay?" Sam moved quickly to her side, guiding her to a nearby chair.

"I can't find him." She choked out as she tilted her head back. "I need a bigger map."

"What the hell happened?" Dean rushed into the room, coming to a stop beside Natalie as Sam went to find something to stop the bleeding.

"I'm fine. Give me a few minutes and I can try again."

"No way, you're done." Dean reached for the towel Sam had and helped her place it over her nose.

"This is what I'm here for. You wanted me to help you find Cain, that's what I'm doing. If I can't do this, then why the hell am I still here?"

Natalie pushed away from the two men in front of her. Seeing the worry and pity in their eyes only made the anger in her grow. Sam glanced at his brother, playing off whatever move Dean would make. Natalie was ready to kick and scream if she had too, but she felt the blood begin to trickle out of her nose once more.

"What happened?" The three turned as they heard Cas make his way down the stairs into the bunker.

"I'm fine." The blonde nearly growled as she wiped harshly at her nose before returning to the floor and her map.

"Don't bother trying to locate him." Cas spoke softly as he stood over her.

"I can't find Cain, but I can search for Tolliver."

"No, you can't. He's dead. Cain's killed dozens of people, families."

That had Sam moving towards his computer. His fingers flying over the keys as Cas and Dean waited. Once again Natalie found herself feeling useless. This was the moment they've been waiting for, what they'd kept her around for, and now she was just a girl bleeding on their floor.

Carefully, she pushed herself to her unstable feet before moving towards her room. She needed to clean up and get some of her strength back if she wanted to be any kind of helpful in this upcoming fight.

After washing her face and changing her shirt she was making her way back to the library when Sam's voice just a few doors down drew her attention.

"Dean, wielding the blade against Cain himself. Win or lose you may never come back from that fight."

Natalie stood just outside Dean's door, barely visible behind Sam and Cas'. Her eyes locked with Dean's.

"I know."

Sam turned to leave, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling her away with him. It felt like a protective move. If Sam didn't want her near Dean right now, then things were worse than she could imagine.

"You're afraid." She whispered.

"This is Cain, Natalie. This isn't our run of the mill demon."

"No, I mean Dean. You're afraid of Dean." He stopped and looked down at her, the worry and fear in his eyes did nothing for the rise of panic in her veins. "How bad is this going to get, Sam?"

"I don't know."

He left her standing in the hall as Cas moved passed them. She watched as they began to discuss strategy before Dean joined them announcing Crowely would meet them with the blade.

Natalie sat on the table in the war room as the three men discussed how to fight Cain. She cradled her head in her hands, long curls covering her face.

"Okay, this is crazy." She finally spoke up. "This is Cain, the father of murder and he's kind of super evil. Do you really think you can just stroll in there and kill him?"

"If I have the blade, I can try." Dean said, not meeting her eyes. "We need to get out of here. Natalie, hang tight."

"No," she said jumping off the table. "You need me there, Dean."

"Not this time. Stay here, it's the safest place. Don't let anyone in unless its Sam or Cas." He told her.

"Or you." Natalie stated. "You're coming back, Dean."

"Maybe, but it might not be all me." He took a step towards her and placed a hand hesitantly on her arm. "I can't have you there. Suppressing the mark isn't going to help, I need it this time."

"He could kill you, all of you." She said glancing at the other two men. "I'd be all alone." She whispered, gripping his hand.

"We'll be back, Natalie." Sam tried to reassure her, earning a thankful glance from his brother.

She pulled her eyes away from Dean to glance at Sam. The look on his face was all she needed to know he was lying. Her eyes stung with tears as she turned back to Dean. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth as she felt it begin to tremble. She shook her head focusing on everything that could go wrong and took a step back from him, leaning back against the table as they collected their things.

Normally she wasn't the pessimistic type, but this moment seemed to be the worst she'd experienced so far. In the matter of a few hours she could be completely alone, abandoned. Her head began to ache as she tried to pin down the moment that these men became he family. Their lives were now completely intertwined with hers.

Sliding away from the table, she watched Castiel and Sam head for the stairs. She ran her hands through her hair before sweeping them across the table and spraying whatever research and books were left behind across the floor. A strangled scream escaped her and Dean hesitated on the steps. He sighed before turning back. He moved towards her, pulling her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her neck. She fisted the back of his shirt as she held onto him tightly.

"Please let me come with you." She pleaded against his neck. "There has to be a way for me to help you."

"No way," he sighed. "I'm not letting you that close to Cain. And I don't know what will happen when I get the blade."

"But you're coming back, right?" She asked as she pulled away.

Dean let his hands slip loosely around her neck. Staring at her big brown eyes and tear stained face, he knew he couldn't lie to her. Instead he brought her closer, pressing his lips to hers. It was painfully chaste. Natalie let out a small whimper as she moved her lips more firmly against his. Dean pulled her closer twisting his fingers through her tousled curls. Her hand reached up to pull him close, her fingers pressed into the flesh of his neck. That touch had him pulling away, he held her hands by her sides.

"Remember, only Sam." He said, leaning forward to kiss her one last time.

"You better come back, Winchester." She breathed as he moved away from her. The echo of the door closing behind them allowed Natalie to let the first wave of sobs escape her lungs.

SPN*spn*SPN

Natalie ran from the depths of the bunker when she heard noises from the garage. She had a gun held out in front of her waiting for whoever was about to walk out of the door. The sight of a weary looking Sam had her exhaling heavily. The tension that had been holding her together all night gave. For a moment, she allowed herself to crumble, dropping the gun on the table and letting out a choked sob. Her watery eyes glanced up again as Sam made his way down the steps.

"Dean?" She found her footing and moved to meet him halfway up the stairs.

"He just needs a minute, Nat." Sam reached out for her, turning her to move back down the steps.

"Cain, was he there? Is he dead? What the hell happened, Sam?"

"It's been a long night, Natalie. We'll talk about it in the morning."

She stood there as he placed a quick kiss to the top of her head, his hand pushing her gently in the direction of her room. He was shaken, and if Sam Winchester was shaken then she could only image what happened tonight. She reminded herself that he was okay, and Dean was there with him and that was all that mattered. Her boys had come home, a little worse for the wear but in one piece none the less.

"Goodnight, Sam. I'll see you in the morning." He gave her a weak smile before disappearing down the hallway.

For a few more minutes, she watched the door to the garage. The reasonable part of her brain knew that he was waiting. Dean knew she'd stand here waiting for him. It took all her willpower to make her feet carry her back through the bunker. In a daze, she went through her nightly routine, falling into her bed and letting the exhaustion of the last few days take over.

Dean found himself standing in Natalie's doorway. For the last three hours, he'd been keeping himself busy. He'd made sure Sam headed into the bunker first and waited for the text to come through saying Natalie was asleep. It was probably cruel, but he couldn't see her like this. She shouldn't have to see him like this, not again. The last time it was weeks before she could look at him without flinching.

But the pull was there. The need to be comforted. It wasn't about the spell or even the mark, he just needed to feel her next to him. To know that she was safe.

"Hey," Dean spoke softly as he slipped onto Natalie's bed. She hummed against her pillow, snuggling deeper into her mattress. He reached out, brushing her hair away from her face, his fingers moved against the smooth skin of her neck. The contact woke her slightly. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled sleepily at him.

"Dean," she breathed out. Reaching behind her, she gripped his hand and wrapped his arm around her tucking their entwined hands against her heart. He melded against her, no space left between his chest and her back. His left arm slipped under her neck, holding her closely. "I'm glad you're home."