Ch 8

A lot can happen in seven years.

You can graduate law school, marry the girl of your dreams, have 2.5 kids, own a charming house in the suburbs with a white picket fence. A true apple pie life... if you're Joe Nobody.

If you're Sam Winchester the girl of your dreams gets burned alive on your ceiling along with the dreams of that apple pie life.

And that's just the beginning; your brother can die, your father can die, you can die...and yet two of you can still be sitting in the front seat of a 1967 Chevy Impala driving to parts unknown with only the vaguest of plans. Sam shook his head to clear it of the melancholy thoughts that clung to him as of late and looked across the seat at his older brother. Dean was performing a Van Halen air guitar solo while driving at least fifty over the speed limit. "Sammy, I'm hungry how 'bout you?" He yelled over the ear drum piercing screech of an electric guitar.

Sam cursed under his breath and turned the volume on the stereo down. "Dean we just ate a few hours ago. I thought we were going to try and make it to that tent revival before they pack up."

Dean grumbled, "Yeah well I'm hungry. I got a finite amount of time left and I'm gonna spend it eating, drinking, and screwing as many chicks as I can." He turned he volume back up and loudly sang along to 'Hot for Teacher'. They barreled past a faded road side sign advertising an all night diner: Jay's Good Eats- 15 miles. Dean pointed to it as if it were a divine sign from God himself.

Sam pushed his shaggy hair out of his face and let out an annoyed breath. Dean had spent the last few months pissing his life away. Dean, his older brother, his role model, had less than five months left to live. Not because he was sick with something as mundane as cancer but because he had sold his soul. Hell was on their heels and getting closer every day.

Why? Because John and Dean hadn't found ol' yellow-eyes in Missouri; the Show-Me state was blessedly free of demonic omens when they had driven away from the Toryn cabin all those years ago. When Dean had let Ryan drive away with her plans for a new life. She had been right when she told him it would never end. It had been almost another five years before they had even learned the demons name: Azazel, the First Knight of Hell. That's when the real fun began. After months of cat and mouse Azazel attacked the Winchester's causing a terrible car crash, completely wrecking the Impala and nearly killing Dean in the process. John, their cold, distant father, gave his soul to Azazel to save Dean but the party didn't stop there. He kidnapped Sam and threw him into the middle of the Demonic version of the Hunger Games. And Sam had been killed, stabbed in the back and died in his brothers arms.

So Dean made a deal. A stupid, short sighted deal made by a broken, lonely, self-loathing man. For his soul, he was given twelve months to 'settle his affairs'. One year before the Hell Hounds came for blood. Sam felt like Dean didn't care anymore; their father was dead and gone and soon he would be too. Sam would be free once and for all; or so that's what Dean wanted to believe.

So they hunted things and saved people; Dean ate every slice of pie and fried treat he could get his hands on, found his way into as much pussy as would take him and lied to Sam when he said he didn't want to be saved. There was no way out of a demon deal and if he tried to break the contract the crossroads demon promised Sam would be the one that paid the price. When everything was said and done, when Dean was dragged to Hell in a few short months Sam would be left alone.

But recently Sam had got his older brother to at least take a mild interest in any potential ways to save himself from Hell, as long as it didn't get in the way of his women, whiskey and sin. They were supposed to be on their way to an Evangelical tent revival where the Preacher swore he had been to Hell (literally) and back. Now they'd probably crash in some shitty motel in the middle of nowhere Tennessee while Dean got his fill of whatever bar bunny would have him. "Bacon double cheeseburger, onion rings...and pie. Love me some pie." Dean muttered under his breath as the Van Halen album ended and the Impala chewed up the miles between them and another hot meal. Sam rolled his eyes and exhaled out his annoyance.

The diner appeared off the interstate, it's facade designed to look like an old-timey train diner car. The green paint faded from decades in the Tennessee sun. A bug zapper glowed bright blue a few feet from the entrance and every few seconds an unlucky bug met its end in a bright flash of light. It was late enough at night that most of the diner's regulars had already left and too early for the blurry-eyed truckers stopping in for a caffeine fix. Those left were semi-drunk sopping up excess alcohol with pancakes, a couple of Sheriff Deputies on the swing shift and now the Winchester's. "I gotta hit the head." Dean announced when they entered the diner and were greeted with a 'Seat Yourself' sign. He took off following the wood signs pointing towards the restrooms. One waitress bustled between the half dozen tables filling coffee cups and taking orders while a second waitress chatted with the cops sitting at the counter. Out of habit Sam chose a booth with a clear view of the front doors, the kitchen and most of the other customers.

The decor inside the diner was attempting a retro-50's feel. The walls plastered with replica posters for Elvis and The Beach Boys. A broken jukebox sat dim and forlorn in a corner. Dusty records hung from the ceiling dangling on fishing line, the waitress expertly ducked and dodged around them as she delivered plates of food. Sam was figuring odds in his head on at least one of them coming down with food poisoning when the starchy swish a skirt signaled the waitresses arrival at their table. "Coffee?" She asked.

"Two please." Sam answered staring at the stained laminated menu and glancing up only momentarily to offer a congenial smile. The waitress had already turned away and swopped behind the bar to grab cups and more coffee off the warmer. The deputies called their goodbyes to the women in the cotton candy pink uniforms and the line cook as they dropped cash on the counter for the bill and tip.

"Be safe you two!" The older waitress called to the deputies as they left. Sam looked up from the menu as the waitress returned. She set two cups down and sloshed hot black coffee into both of them glancing behind her at the drunks a few booths back that got noticeably louder the moment the patrol car pulled out of the lot. "You know what you want or you gotta wait for your friend?" She asked smiling down at him. Her voice held none of the Tennessee drawl he was expecting. Her ugly pink uniform was dotted with coffee and ketchup stains and stood in stark contrast to her pale skin and dark rimmed glasses. She had lite ginger hair twisted back into a simple braid, strands of it falling loose to frame her face after a night of running between tables. Sam saw a familiar sigil tattooed on her inner right wrist, a pentagram surrounded by protective flames, when she raised her hand to push her glasses back up her nose. He smirked; ever since Bobby had re-discovered the anti-possession sigil in a centuries old Hunter's journal it had spread through the hunting community like wildfire. Every hunter they ran into had it tattooed somewhere.

Sam shouldn't pry about her ink but he knew Dean would notice it right away. With her coppery hair, Wednesday Adams pale skin, and glasses that basically screamed she was a fan of artsy foreign film she definitely was not Dean's normal night-time-friend-type. Find the drunk-but-not-too-drunk preferably blonde with big tits and Dean was like a heat seeking missile headed straight towards easily spreadable legs. But knowing his brother and from the looks of this town, the bar had closed early and his choices would be slim. Maybe Sam could get the first swing this time and leave Dean on the bench. "That's an interesting tattoo…" He paused searching out her name tag on her uniform. "Ryan…Ryan?"

She blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Congrats Chief, you can read. Maybe you should try to read the menu and tell me what you want."

Sam smirked and looked up at her. He could see the young girl she had been underneath the tired eyes and growing annoyance; the girl that had fearlessly dived from the top of the rocks at an old quarry then immediately been grounded by her diminutive yet fierce grandmother. "Ryan Toryn?" He asked slowly.

Her demeanor instantly stiffened. She rolled her shoulders back and narrowed her eyes behind her glasses. She gripped the little pad of paper in her hand tighter as she evaluated the potential threat in front of her. "Who the hell are you?" She ground out.

"It's me…Sam- Sam Winchester."

Ryan tilted her head and looked at the young man in front of her. Sam Winchester was a short chubby nerd. This guy had cheek bones cut from granite, a fit build that his jacket and layers of flannel couldn't hide and he was tall, real tall from the ways his knees were folded under the table. But his eyes…his eyes were familiar. Soft and kind. Hazel orbs flecked with gold. "Sammy?" His name left her lips barely above a whisper. He laughed again and this time the laugh was also familiar. An echo from years ago: swimming with her friends, playing video games in the living room, and Dean. Dean who she couldn't help but think about every day. Sam jumped up from the table and before she could brace herself, swooped her into a tight bear hug, picking her several inches off the floor like she weighed nothing at all.

"No way! No Way! I can't believe it! Ryan T-"

Ryan put a finger to his lips cutting him off, "I don't go by that last name anymore. I haven't for a long, long time." She paused and smiled up at him. "This just isn't fair! I used to be two inches taller than you!"

"I like it better this way. You're as tiny as Nan."

"Shut up. I'm 5'6''. I'm seven inches taller than Nan was. You're just a genetic freak….What the hell are you doin' here, Sammy? I thought you would be some big shot fancy lawyer by now." She said as he slid back into the booth.

His features fell slightly before he composed himself. "Nah…couldn't leave Dean to handle the family business on his own…"

"Dean…Dean is with you?" Ryan asked nervously tucking another piece of hair behind her ear.

Sam nodded his head. "Yeah...here he comes. Dean! Man guess who this is," He yelled to his older brother as he walked up to the booth checking the messages on his phone.

Dean tucked his cellphone back in his pocket and stoped in his tracks staring at the woman in front of him. She was more beautiful than he remembered. The south side of her twenties were treating her well. She looked softer, more relaxed than she had the last time he'd seen her. The edge of wariness gone like she no longer expected to be hit or pushed around. "Ryan?" His voice shook slightly as he raised his hand wanting to touch her face and run his fingers through her hair. He stopped before making contact noting Sam's confused face and dropped his hand awkwardly to his side. "What-what are you doing here?"

"I work here..." She answered smiling nervously. Jay, the owner and line cook, gave the order bell an agitated ding and she looked over her shoulder him. He scowled at her and jabbed his spatula at the plates of food to be delivered. "And I should get back to work if I want to keep my job...I'll be right back to take your orders." She said before backing away.

"You wanna tell me what that was all about?" Sam asked smirking at Dean as he watched her hand out plates of food to the drunks a few tables down.

"What?" Dean asked not taking his eyes off of Ryan. She must have felt his stare because she looked at him several times and smiled.

"That…," Sam pointed at Dean's stupid grin, "How the hell did you recognize her so fast?"

Dean laughed, "Dude its Ryan. She's looks the same she did the last time I saw her...she looks better."

Sam shook his head, "When was the last time you saw her? Because the last time I saw her she had coke bottle glasses and a double chin."

"It was a few years back. You were still at Stanford. Dad went on a hunt with her old man. I was injured. We had a week to just hang out…" He said as she slipped back to their table with pen and order pad back in hand.

She smiled at Dean again unable to hide the slight blush in her cheeks. "Long time no see, Winchester. You start your ex-wife collection yet?"

"Brat." He replied dragging his teeth along his bottom lip. Sam's eyebrows disappeared under his long hair as he watched the awkward flirting across the booth. Dean chewed on his bottom lip, eyes roaming over her as he didn't even try to hide the fact that he was mentally undressing her.

Ryan seemed to shake some sense into herself and remembered Sam was also present. "You guys aren't in town for a case are you?"

"We're just passing through. Headed to Oklahoma for a thing." Sam told her.

Dean watched transfixed as she tapped the capped end of her pen on her lips considering Sam's evasiveness. "You still in the business ?" He asked.

She shook her head, "I'm out...for the most part but I keep tabs on things. Don't want any nasty surprises rolling into town…so you guys want to eat?" She changed the subject away from herself.

"Yeah sweetheart, we'll take a couple of bacon cheeseburgers," Dean started.

Ryan grimaced and shook her head, "I wouldn't if I were you."

"Ummm…how 'bout the chicken fried steak then?"

She shook her head again, "Definitely not."

"What do you suggest?" Sam said laughing.

She tucked the pen behind her ear and leaned down conspiratorially, "Honestly the food here fucking sucks. Jay's retiring in a couple months, already has a corporate buyer taking over this place but…. it was Inez's birthday today," she nodded at the older waitress clearing tables, "And I brought in a home made blackberry pie. I might have two slices left in the ice box."

"I love pie," Dean murmured.

Ryan bit her bottom lip, "I remember." She let out a breath and looked quickly between the brothers. "Look I'm off in an hour…I don't live too far from here. I'll make us dinner. I've got a big place, lots of rooms. You two can crash with me for a day or two if you want. We can catch up… Unless you guys really have to hit the road?"

"Actually we really did need to get to that thing in Oklahoma- ow!" Sam yelped when Dean kicked his shin under the table.

Dean shook his head and glared at his younger brother. "There's nothing in Oklahoma we need to get to."

"Your husbands not gonna mind you bringing two strange men over in the middle of the night?" Sam asked reaching down to rub where Dean had just kicked him and trying to redirect his older brother to the task of saving his soul.

"I'm chronically single Sammy but thanks for checking. So you two want to come over? The Super Nintendo finally crapped out a few years ago but I'm sure I can find something else to entertain us."

"Count us in." Dean answered glaring at his younger brother.

She smiled again making her whole face brighten. "And the pie?"

"Hell yeah, princess." Dean answered. She went to turn away from the table and Dean grabbed her hand. He didn't know what possessed him besides the need to touch her, see if her skin was as soft as he remembered. It was.

She squeezed his hand then released it and ran her fingers along his jaw, "I'll be back with your pie." Damn. Damn. Damn. How did he do that? Seven years gone in an instant. He was Dean, the same Dean she'd known practically her entire life. The same Dean she'd been in love with since she was old enough to know what those feelings meant. The same Dean she'd given herself to over, and over, and over…and over again. She felt her cheeks grow warm and took a deep breath; she was too old for this school girl crush bullshit.

"Who is that?" Inez asked her as she walked into the kitchen. Ryan shook her head, trying to clear it of the fog that always seemed to creep in when Dean was involved.

"Who?" She asked innocently reaching into the ancient stainless steel fridge to retrieve the pie she had promised to the Winchesters.

Jay and Inez shared a chuckle. "You've worked here how long? Five years?" the grumpy old line cook asked.

Ryan shrugged placing the last two slices of pie on a couple of plates, "And?"

"And I ain't never seen you smile like that. Except when you talk about Elie."

"They're friends. I haven't seen them in a long time," Ryan said over her shoulder as she walked out of the kitchen carrying the pie and more coffee.

Dean shifted in his seat like an excited puppy, he wasn't sure if he was more excited about the prospect of homemade pie or a few more minutes with Ryan. She set the plates in front of them and refilled their cups of coffee. "Ok, well enjoy and I'll meet you outside when I'm done with my shift."

She circled around the diner serving coffee and clearing tables leaving the brothers to their pie. Dean cut into his slice and hummed happily. "Love me some pie…oh yeah," He groaned obscenely as the sweet filling and flaky crust touched his tongue. "Baby girl this is awesome!" He yelled across the restaurant at Ryan as she stacked dirty plates. She jumped and dropped a coffee cup which crashed to the ground earning a round of applause from the drunks at the table behind them. Even from across the restaurant Sam could see that her face now matched the pink of her uniform. Jay and Inez snickered as Ryan spun on her heels holding her index finger to her lips telling Dean to 'shush!'.

"Baby girl?" Sam repeated. His eyebrows furrowed and he worked out the impossible equation before him: his brother flirting unabashedly with Ryan Toryn and she was handing it back almost as good.

"It's just a nickname..." Dean said lamely.

"I've never heard you call anyone that...Wait….did you? You didn't...You and Ryan?" Dean shoveled another pice of pie into his mouth and tried to ignore his brothers stare. "Holy shit. Dude-"

"Shut up Sammy. It's not what you think." Dean mumbled into his pie.

"Ryan Toryn…you slept with Ryan. How the hell did you get away with that? If her father had found out he would've killed you. Dad would'a killed you…" Sam continued almost in awe at his brothers guts.

"Dad knew…at least I think he knew. It's not like we ever talked about it…." Dean said. "We had a thing. A quick thing. It didn't go anywhere."

Sam cut into his own slice of pie and looked at his brother. This was more truth he'd gotten out of him in months. Dean didn't talk about his personal life or relationships, it's hard to have either when you spend most of your life crammed into a car or sharing a motel room. Sam took a bite of Ryan's homemade pie and mulled whether he should press Dean. To hell with it, if Dean was in a sharing mood he might as well try. "What happened?"

Dean finished his pie and shrugged watching as Ryan squared up the bill with the less-drunk drunks in the booth behind them. "I don't know but she was amazing. She'd changed, grown up. Survived her fucking father…you thought dad was a bastard…" Dean paused and ran his hands down his face. "Fuck…she was funny and sarcastic. Has an ass to die for…We went on a hunt and she ganked this Monster and that was it. We were gonna leave together…then Dad came home and said he had a lead on Azazel. And I couldn't let 'em go alone. Of course we didn't find the yellow eyed son of a bitch…" He shrugged and drained his cup of coffee. "I would've just fucked it up anyways."

"Or maybe you wouldn't be in the mess you're in now." Sam said darkly.

Dean swiped the rest of his brothers pie and muttered, "And you'd be dead…or worse."

"Is she the one?" Sam asked looking up through his long hair.

"The one what?" Dean asked sitting back in the booth eyes drawn back to Ryan at she stood at the counter filling sugar shakers.

"The one you judge the other girls by. I see the look you give them…."

"I don't give 'im a look."

"Yes you do. It's like 'You'll do'." Dean didn't have a comeback for that so he took another drink of coffee. That was exactly what he thought every time he walked out of a bar with someone new on his arm.

Ryan and Inez took the lull in customers to count and divvy up their tips while they waited for their relief. "I'll be off soon," She said circling back to their table for one last refill, "Amy's always a few minutes late." Five minutes later as if on cue the door opened and in rushed a third woman.

"Sorry, sorry I'm here!" She yelled running into the kitchen to grab her apron.

"You're only ten minutes late...that's practically on time for you." Ryan called over her shoulder as she gave the boys a shrug. Dean paid for their coffee before he and Sam headed back outside to the waiting car. They spent the moments waiting for Ryan leaning on the car enjoying the cool night air and the peaceful sound of crickets. "Oh my god you still have her!" Ryan yelled happily seeing the shiny black Impala parked next to her dinged up old Chevy truck.

Dean patted the hood affectionately, "Yeah Baby and me've been through a lot." Sam rolled his eyes at his brothers nickname for the car.

"Lots of trouble if I remember correctly." Ryan countered running her hand along the hood until it rested a few inches from Dean's. "I heard about your dad. I'm sorry." The brothers nodded and shared a silent look. John had been dead for a little over year but it was still fresh enough to hurt.

"Where's Trixie?"

"Her radiator blew a while ago. I just haven't had time to try and fix it. I got Bromhilda though and she's a tough old bitch." Ryan said nodding to the truck they were parked next to.

"You promised us dinner," Sam said.

Ryan nodded. "Right. Just follow me," She said pushing herself away from the Impala and walking around the front of her faded blue truck. "Try to keep up Winchester," she yelled climbing into the cab. Ryan led them away from the diner and through a small town bigger than Rader Creek by a few stop lights. She pulled off the dark two lane road a few miles after the lights from town faded into a dim glow in their review mirror and onto a dirt drive way marked by a black mailbox and a low wooden fence that disappeared in either direction into the darkness. They followed the tree lined drive a few hundred yards until a large two story sky blue farm house appeared from behind the trees. A covered porch wrapped around the entire house. The house was dark but not foreboding, the only light came from a carriage light near the front door and a faint glow from one of the windows on the first floor. A barn, its red finish bright in the moonlight, sat a few hundred feet behind the house. Ryan parked her truck in front of a huge, ancient tree growing out of the middle of the clearing in front of the house. A small grey Volvo was parked closer to the house. Dean pulled the Impala up a moment later and he and his brother eyed the tree cautiously as they got out. The base of the giant tree was easily the length of Baby, its huge knotted and twisting branches reached towards the stars and creaked maliciously even though there was no wind.

"Ry, sweetheart, why is there a Witch Elm in your front yard?" Dean asked as they walked towards each other. A Witch Elm being the cardinal sign the ground had been used for a Witches Sabbat.

"Probably because a mean, nasty baby-eating coven of Witches used to live here," Ryan answered congenially. She patted a knobby hip-high root erupting out of the soil and smiled at the brothers. The ghost-bitches were a pain in the ass to get rid of since the coven had been drawn and quartered by the local witch-finder general back in 1672. Their remains had been buried all over the 50 acres she now owned. "Took me almost six months but I found all their pieces and gave them a good salt and burn. Now they're gone and this is just a tree."

"I thought you were out?" Sam said raising an eyebrow.

She gave him a lop-sided smile, "I said mostly out…I couldn't pass this place up. I got it for a steal. The house and barn are only about thirty years old, but they've been through dozens of owners." She started as she lead them away from their cars and towards the house. "Last people that owned it wanted to use the place to breed racing horses; they upgraded everything. The barn, the entire house; wait 'till you see my kitchen…but they didn't listen to all the local legends about the property bring haunted and they got messed up pretty bad. The missus got thrown out the second floor window, broke both legs and her collarbone. The hubby was almost kicked to death when their prized breeding stallion was spooked by something…They decided they wanted to sell the place cheap and fast and get the hell out of Dodge."

"How cheap? You can't tell me credit card fraud and waitressing gave you enough for the down payment." Dean said.

"I'm on the up and up, D. No more fraud. The short story is I got the money from Paul," Ryan said as she slid her key into the front door.

"And the long story?" Sam asked.

"I'll tell you over dinner."

"And you live here all by yourself?" Dean asked.

She paused with her hand on the doorknob and looked up at him. "Just me and Ellie, my daughter," She answered opening the door into the house. The entry way was dark as she kicked off her shoes next to the door. The faint outlines of several pairs of boots and children's shoes were lined up next to the door. The glow of a TV lit the space under a set of double doors off to the right and the ominous sounds of a horror movie echoed from the room. "Oh…they are in so much trouble." Ryan muttered stalking towards the door. Dean and Sam followed unsurely behind her. She threw the doors open and flipped the lights on yelling, "You two are so busted!"

Two sets of startled screeches rang out as a young girl and an older woman with grey hair jumped off the plush couch they had been lounging on. A bowl of popcorn was upended in their rush to hide their misdeeds. "Oh…oh my I didn't realize how late it had gotten-" The older woman stuttered trying to pause the movie.

"Mom! Mom it's almost over! Dis is the best part! Hatchet man is about to get his revenge-"

"Hatchet Man!" Ryan started, "Inga you're letting her watch Hatchet Man! Ellie I said no more scary movies-"

"Oh…is this Hatchet Man? I must've put in the wrong dvd," Inga said finally figuring out how to pause the movie.

Ryan crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the two rule breakers in front of her. The brothers stood silently behind her watching. "Inga you are worse at lying than she is; Bedtime was two hours ago."

"Mom! No fair. It's summer break. You're so mean…who are they?" The little girl, Ellie, asked pointing at the tall men behind her mother.

Ryan shook her head, "These are my friends, Sam and Dean, and you are still in big trouble so don't try to distract me."

Inga smiled, "Well I should get going. Raoul's up waiting for me…and it is summer break, Ryan."

Ryan blew a piece of hair out of her face. "You're lucky I love you, Inga. And you little Miss Up way past her bedtime, I'll be back-" Ryan told her daughter in using her best 'Mominator' voice before she looked back to Sam and Dean, "I'll be right back. Let me walk Inga out."

"Nice to meet you two." Inga said smiling at the brothers as Ryan walked her out. She murmured something to Ryan who answered, "It's long story." Sam and Dean shared a confused look staring down at the little girl in front of them. She stared back up at them with bright green eyes and tucked a strand of shiny strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.

"You're friends of my mom?" She asked suspiciously.

Dean nodded, "Yeah. I'm Dean, this is my little brother Sam. We've known your mom since she was about your age."

"My mom doesn't haf any friends. Just Inga and Raoul. No one else comes over. No one else is allowed inside the house. Family rules…"

Sam laughed, "That's probably for the best. She's just trying to keep you safe."

Her green eyes narrowed and she yelled, "Christo!"

Dean spluttered laughter. They might have taken her a tad more seriously if she weren't so short and wearing a nightgown designed to make her look like a mermaid. She even wore mermaid slippers on her feet to complete the undersea bedtime look. "We ain't demons kid." He pulled down the corner of his shirt and nodded at Sam to do the same to show her their tattoos. "See just like your moms."

She took a step closer to inspect their skin, "I'm Ellie." She said holding her tiny hand out to shake theirs once she decided they were not threats. Dean saw a silver charm bracelet with the protective anti-possession sigil hanging from her small wrist.

"Nice to meet you kid. How old are you?" Dean said shaking her hand followed by his brother.

"My birfday was a couple monfs ago. I'm six now." She answered. Dean nodded running a hand along his jaw and looked at his brother again. They both looked down at the little girl as she opened her mouth in a wide yawn. Her two front teeth were missing. She looked a lot like Ryan had at that age except Ellie's hair was more blonde and her eyes were the color of green sea glass instead of storm clouds.

Sam stared into her eyes seeing the eyes of his brother looking back at him. "Dean…"

"Yeah. I know," He answered.

"Alright, Eleanor Rae, bedtime." Ryan called walking back into the TV room.

Ellie rubbed her eyes and whined, "Mom no fair! The movie's almost over."

Ryan sighed and looked at the Winchesters, "Sorry. Eleanor is an expert at sweet talking Inga into anything including staying up way past her bedtime to watch scary movies."

"Aw, come on mom, the movies almost over and its summer break." Dean said. Sam stood silently by looking between the yawning kid and his older brother.

Ryan shifted nervously on her feet, "We…we need to talk and I need a shower. And she needs to brush her teeth and go to bed and…."

Dean nodded, "Yeah, yeah I think we do need to talk. We can talk after your shower because you smell like onion rings. Let her finish her movie, I'll make sure she brushes her teeth-"

"Dean will you read to me? Me and mom are reading The Hobbit," Ellie said yanking on Dean's hand.

He looked down at her and smiled. "That's one of my favorites." Ellie gave a victory dance having won the battle to further extend her bedtime as Ryan floundered unsurely for a few moments.

"No shoes in the house! Family rule." Ellie told the brothers pointing at their feet.

"Man, your moms gotta lot of rules." Dean said casually kicking his boots off and falling onto the couch with the bowl of popcorn in his lap. Ellie scrambled up next to him with the remote in hand and restarted her movie.

"There's beer in the fridge. Harder stuff in the cabinet above the stove," She murmured to Sam as she walked out. The younger Winchester looked like he needed a drink, he ground his jaw tightly, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed several times.

After her shower Ryan quietly walked past her daughter's room. Dean sat on the edge of Ellie's bed, his voice soft as he read about Bilbo Baggin's adventure. The night light on Ellie's dresser rotated slowly, filling the room with soft blue light and shadows of mermaids and fishes making it look like they were under the sea. Sam was in the kitchen despondently nursing a beer when Ryan reappeared, damp hair in a braid and wearing a loose 'Nirvana' shirt over a pair of dark leggings. "Spaghetti ok with you, Sammy?" She asked pulling pots out and setting them on the stove.

He nodded and took another sip of his beer. "She seems like a great kid."

She nodded, "She's pretty awesome… just finished kindergarten. Oh and Ellie's decided we're vegetarians by the way. So, sorry but we won't be having any meatballs with dinner." She said turning away from him and busying herself with dumping ingredients into a sauce pot. The kitchen really was her favorite room in the house. The owners before her had spared no expense on upgrading everything from the stainless steel appliances, the bone white cabinets, and the huge kitchen island that she and Ellie ate most of their meals at.

"Where's her dad?" Sam asked staring down into his half empty beer.

"He's umm…he's…" She trailed off. "I was young and we were obviously caught up in the moment… he had a family thing, I had to get away from my father…it's complicated."

"It's not really that complicated is it?" Dean drawled quietly padding into the kitchen still sans boots. He looked at the school work and art hanging from the fridge, tracing his fingers around the little handprint animals and 'Ellie' written in messy crayon letters. "Just say it. I want to hear you say it."

"Dean…" Ryan started. "Please, just let me explain. I know what you're thinking….what you must think about me…"

"Just tell me," He said quietly walking towards her.

"I didn't want to do it this way. I was going to make you dinner...she was supposed to be in bed…" She looked down at her feet, feeling the tears sting her eyes. He placed his hand under her jaw and gently tilted her head up to meet his eyes. The same green eyes that she saw everyday in her daughter. "Eleanor's your daughter," Ryan confessed the secret he already knew. He'd known the instant he laid eyes on her.

"I'm glad you named her after Nan." He shook his head ruefully then said, "Guess we should've been a little more careful. I knew better… dad used to tell me I let my dick do too much of the thinking…"

"It's not like I told you 'no' when we ran out of condoms or to stop and get more...we had a lot of sex...really looking back your stamina was amazing." Ryan said smiling.

"Smart ass." Dean muttered running his hand softly along her jaw and tucking her loose hair behind her ear. "Jesus, Ryan why didn't you even call me. You've been doin' this all on your own?" Sam looked up from his beer to his older brother proud that he wasn't even trying to deny the little girl.

Ryan twisted her hands nervously, "I didn't want to get in your way. I didn't want John to find out. I was afraid of what he would do to you, afraid he'd tell my father... You were going after a demon and I…I wanted out. I was eighteen and alone and all I knew for sure was that I didn't want my kid raised in the life."

Dean nodded and was quiet for a few breaths. "She knows enough to not trust strangers."

"She knows enough to be safe. The very, very basics I mean she's 6... I told you I'm mostly out but I will never be all the way out. I'll do whatever I have to do to keep her safe."

And he knew that was true. That she would protect their daughter and make sure she could protect herself. "What did you tell her about me?"

Ryan blew out a long breath, "I told Ellie that her dad is a hero and one day when he gets a break from saving people he'll come find us because that's what he promised me."

"She looks a lot like you…"

"She acts like you," Ryan said. "She's not afraid of anything. Found her climbing the tree out there like a god damn spider monkey yesterday. She jumped off, flipped in the air and about gave me a heart attack…I'm so sorry." She lowered her head pressing her fingers into her eyes trying to stop from losing it completely.

"It's alright. You don't have anything to be sorry about…" Dean murmured pulling her into an embrace and running his hands through her hair. "I'm so proud of you." Ryan melted into him, wrapping her hands around his middle and resting her head on his chest. She heard the sound of Sam slamming his beer bottle onto the counter with a hollow thud. Then the sound of his barstool being slid across the tile floor followed by the back door swinging shut after he stomped out.

"Sammy's mad at me," She said looking around at the empty space where he had been sitting.

"No, he's not. He's mad at me."

Ryan released him and leaned back pushing her glasses back into place, "I need whiskey. You want some whiskey?"

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Yeah. I'll check the sauce." He turned towards the bubbling sauce that filled the kitchen with warm memories. Ryan stood on her toes next to him and reached into the cabinet over the stove pulling down the bottle of liquor she had stashed up there along with three glasses.

Sam returned to the kitchen just as Dean was ladling sauce onto heaping bowls of noodles. Ryan sat at the kitchen island watching Dean and smiled at Sam when he slid back onto the stool next to her. She pushed a glass of whiskey towards him and he downed it one long swallow. "Guess it's gonna be that kind of night…" She said finishing her own. Dean sat on the other side of her as they started in on their pasta.

"So Paul decided to make up for a lifetime of being the universes biggest dickbag and helped you pay for this place?" Dean asked around a mouth full of pasta.

Ryan smiled and shook her head, "Paul's dead. Heart attack was the official cause of death."

"And the unofficial?" Sam asked.

She paused twirling her fork in her bowl of noodles,"Rufus Turner told me it was a poltergeist."

"Rufus Turner?"

Ryan nodded, "Yeah…he just called me out of the blue one day. I don't even know how the hell he got my number. I've been using my moms maiden name since I left home….anyways he said Paul was dead and there was this insurance company looking for his next of kin. Apparently the bastard still had a life insurance policy from back when he was a truck driver."

"No shit," Dean said.

"No shit." She said smiling and pouring more whiskey into their glasses. "Ellie had just turned two; we were still renting the room over Inga's garage…Then I got a check in the mail and a couple salt and burns later and this place was all ours."

"What are you gonna do after your boss retires?"

Ryan shrugged, dipping her head shyly. "You're gonna think it's dumb."

"Can't be any dumber than the shit I've been getting myself into lately," Dean said shaking his head and taking a sip of whiskey.

She sat back in her seat to look at both brothers, "I'm going to be a wedding planner and caterer."

"A what?" Sam asked.

Ryan blushed, "I'm a decent cook-"

"The best," Dean cut in. She smirked and continued, "And I've got this huge beautiful barn and a whole bunch of property with gorgeous, romantic views…so I'm going to try and start hosting weddings, anniversaries, bar mitzvahs, whatever…I'll cater. Inga, Raoul, Inez and Leo, the other cook at the diner, all want in. I have an appointment with a couple tomorrow looking to book their wedding reception."

"You trust this Inga with our daught- with Ellie?"

Ryan placed a hand gently on Dean's knee, "Inga's been our fairy godmother. She gave us a safe, clean, cheap place to live. I showed up at her doorstep two days before I popped with the ad I saw in the laundromat and she let us move right in. She's taken care of and loved Elie for me since a few days after she was born so I could work and keep a roof over our head. She's our family." Dean nodded and She went quiet for a few moments, "You guys are welcome to stay as long as you want…."

The brothers exchanged another look over her head. Sam gave the slightest, almost imperceptible shake of his head, eyes pleading silently with his brother that every day wasted was a day closer to an eternity in Hell. "We'd love to stay… for a few days at least. We do have a thing but it can wait," Dean said looking his younger brother in the eyes, "For a few days."

"You have a gun that can kill demons?" She asked after they retreated to the over sized couch in the living room. Dean paced the room looking though the bookshelves built into the walls that were crammed with books, DVDs, CDs, and records. "That's what you got outta all that, not the bug curse, or Bloody Mary, or the haunted truck but the Colt?" He said looking over his shoulder at her. Sam had excused himself to his room after Dean had promised they would stay for a few days leaving Dean and Ryan to catch up. He told Ryan about the things they had seen, the monsters they had hunted, that they finally killed Azazel. And He had been the one to fire the kill shot. He didn't tell her about his deal or what had led to it.

She smiled tucking her feet ,now covered in ugly Panda bear slippers, next to her on the couch. She cradled a still steaming cup of tea in her hands. "Bugs and a haunted truck aren't cool. A demon killing gun is cool."

"You know wha's not cool?" He countered holding up a bright blue CD, "Your music collection."

She laughed again, "Shut up, Ellie loves Weezer."

Dean groaned, "Princess, someone's gonna have to teach your daughter some better taste in music."

"I guess someone will have to teach our daughter." She smiled nervously into her mug.

"Are you gonna tell her who I am?"

"Do you want me to?"

Dean shook his head, "I think I need a little more time."

"So are you gonna show my the gun or what?"

"I don't have it anymore…it was stolen from us." He said sliding the CD back into its spot.

Ryan clicked her tongue disappointed, "Bummer….well it's way past my bedtime and I have to look somewhat professional tomorrow if I'm gonna make a good impression."

Dean trailed up the stairs behind her, watching as she turned lights off and made sure the night light in the bathroom was ready in case Ellie needed to get up. Then they paused outside Eleanor's room and watched their little girl sleep. "She like eggs?" He asked.

"Yeah, scrambled with lots of cheese and ketchup." Ryan said slipping her hand into his. He looked down at their clasped hands. "I've missed you. I'm glad you're here…both of you, even if Sam is mad at me." She stood on her toes to place a kiss on the corner of his lips. "Goodnight Dean," she murmured leaving him to watch Ellie.

Ryan woke the next morning to find Dean in the kitchen making breakfast. Ellie was busy telling him about the school year that just finished and Sam was sitting quietly by drinking coffee. "Hey troublemakers," Ryan said stopping to kiss Eleanor on the forehead and rubbing her hand along Deans lower back on her way to the coffee pot. She had her hair twisted up in a bun and instead of a much loved band shirt she wore a smart looking long flannel shirt over a pair of leggings and boots.

"Hey beautiful." Dean replied. He thought she had looked beautiful last night too in her ugly pink waitress uniform covered in coffee and grease stains.

She pushed her glasses into place and looked down at her boots. He could still make her melt into a boneless, blushing puddle on the floor with just a few words or a well placed look. "Ellie Rae I've got a meeting out back in half an hour can you keep Dean and Sam company for me?"

"Yeah mom. Dean said he was gonna fix Trixie for you and I'm gonna help." The little girl answered shoveling a fork full of ketchup covered eggs into her mouth. Ryan smiled into her cup of coffee as Dean slid a plate of scrambled egg whites towards his brother before leaning next to her and picking up his own cup of coffee to take a long drink. Ryan couldn't help but rest her head on Deans shoulder as Ellie began to tell Sam about her 6th birthday party and the mermaid cake Ryan had baked for her. Dean turned his head just enough to kiss the top of her head.

"Alright punk. I'm going to go make the barn look pretty. Don't forget to feed Gemma and the chickens." Ryan said setting her now empty coffee cup in the sink before leaving the house through the same back door Sam had stormed out of last night. Dean watched her from the window over the sink as she walked to the barn.

"Thanks Dean. Those eggs were great," Ellie told as she slurping down the last of her Apple juice. " Sam you wanna help me feed Gemma and the chickens?" She asked sliding off the bar stool.

"Yeah Ellie. Who's Gemma?" Sam asked as the little girl grabbed his hand and led him out the same door Ryan had just left through.

"Gemma's mom's goat. She's kind of mean so watch out."

A short while later a large SUV pulled up outside the barn and a family piled out. Ryan shook hands with the husband and wife to be and led them into the barn to start the tour. Dean had Ellie standing on a step stool looking down into Trixies hood and was patiently trying to teach her which tool was which. Sam stayed behind at the house and every few minutes they would see him as he made a circle around the porch intently talking to someone on his phone. Dean tried to ignore him, no doubt he was bitching to Bobby about wasted time. But Dean wasn't ready to go, this may be the only time he would get to spend with his daughter if they didn't find a way out of his deal.

The couple eventually left and Ryan walked quietly up to the two still working intently on her car. Dean looked up and saw her approach, "So? How'd it go?" He called wiping his hands on a shop towel.

Ellie mimicked his actions, wiping her hands on the towel he set down. "Yeah mama how did it go?"

"They're going to book their wedding with us!" She said happily.

Ellie jumped off her step stool screaming, "Yay mom!" and ran to her. The two broke into a silly victory dance and Dean couldn't help but laugh at them. That night the brothers drove back into town to pick up a couple celebration pizzas.

"Dean, man we gotta go. I get you want to spend time with them but if we don't figure something out...We need to find the Colt, we need a plan-" Sam told his brother as the drove back to Ryan's home. He'd tried talking to his brother every chance he got but never getting more than a few words out before Dean cut him off or they were interrupted by Ryan or Ellie. Now Dean was stuck in the car with him and he wasn't going to let the opportunity pass.

"And if we don't figure something out this is my only chance, Sam. This is it. I want my daughter to remember me...just give me a couple more days. I'm all in, ok? I want outta my deal, I wanna live. I just need a little more time with them. Just in case."

After dinner Ellie and Sam chased lightening bugs while Ryan and Dean shared a beer on the back steps. "She really likes you two." Ryan said watching as Sam lifted the squealing girl onto his shoulders and they charged into the dark in search of more glowing bugs. Dean nodded passing the bottle back. "You want to tell me what's going on?" She asked.

"What?"

Ryan smiled, "You're secret Winchester brother meetings? You two used to sneak off and plan shit when we were kids. You and Sam have been conspiring about something all day and I want to know what it is."

"It's nothin'. Sam's just worried about the case we were workin' on. But It can wait," Dean told her.

Ryan leaned back on the step smiling as a cloud of firefly erupted from the tall grass and Ellie screamed in delight. "You know you two are welcome to stay here. This could be your home, Dean. Forever, if you want it."

"You have no idea how much I want something like that...I just-I've got some stuff I've got to take care of. But it can wait a few more days."

She leaned forward and took his hand in hers. "Whatever it is...I can't have anything putting Eleanor in danger. If you're running from something I can't have that something showing up at my doorstep. If you want out then get out. Stay here. Stay with us."

"God I want that," He told her. "Things would've been a helluva lot different right now if I'd just gone with you but I didn't." He shook his head wiping his hand along his jaw, "I've dug myself into a hole that up until I saw you again I didn't see any point trying to get out of. But I have to find a way out."

"Mama, Dean look how bugs me and Sam caught!" Ellie yelled as she and Sam raced back through the darkness. Sam held a glass mason jar with a small swarm of swirling bugs inside.

"Wow that's great Ellie!" Ryan said taking the jar and tapping it sending the bugs flickering inside. "I think it's bedtime. Sammy looks exhausted." She said smiling as Sam and Ellie yawned loudly.

"Dean will you read to me?" Ellie asked holding her hand out towards him.

He took her hand in his, "Yeah of course Princess. After your brush your teeth..."

Ryan watched Dean read to Ellie until the little girl drifted off to sleep. "You're good at that." She said as he quietly stood and set her book on the nightstand.

"It's a good story," he replied stepping into the hall and leaving the door open halfway. He stood in front of her unsurely as she ran her tongue over her bottom lip. They had been dancing around each other since the night at the diner, stealing brief touches, holding hands, or exchanging chaste kisses like nervous kids.

She ran her hands up his chest and stood on her toes. "Goodnight Dean," She said on a breathy whisper leaning forward to kiss his cheek. He turned his face towards her catching her lips on his. His hands found their way to her waist holding her in place, his tongue ran along her bottom lip seeking entrance and she opened to him with a low moan. Ryan trailed her fingers through his short hair trying to pull him closer as Dean picked her up by the backs of her thighs hooking her legs over his hips for leverage. He backed her into the nearest wall and didn't release her lips until they were both desperate for air. Slightly dizzy and sucking in a quick hungry lung full of air she moaned again when his lips trailed behind her ear and down her neck. She tugged on his hair bringing his lips back to hers. His hand crawled under her shirt pulling down her bra to massage her breast. "Fuck…Dean," She keened letting her head fall to the side as Dean dragged his lips over the curve of her ear.

"Bedroom?" He growled sending shivers up her spine.

"Yes, god, yes. Now," She moaned nodding her chin towards the open door at the end of the hall. He took a step towards her room which was easier said than done with Ryan still attached to his waist, her fingers prying apart the buttons on his shirt and her teeth nipping at his neck.

"Mama?" Ellie's tiny questioning voice cracked straight through the lust-filled haze that had overcome them. "Why's Dean holding you like dat?"

Ryan's eyes sprang open and she released her lips from Dean's neck with a loud 'pop' and stared over his shoulder at their daughter standing half asleep in the doorway of her room. Her little hands trying to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes. "What…why are you awake?…" She paused to take a deep breath, "Dean is holding me because there was a bug on the floor. A really big bug and he was going to squish it for me…Did you get it, D?" She tapped his shoulder to play along. He had frozen like they were caught by a pissed off Cop with a Maglite and not a six year old in Minnie Mouse pajamas.

He stomped one foot on the floor. "Yep…got it that was a big one." He said releasing Ryan to stand on her own feet and pull her shirt down.

She straightened her glasses and placed her hand on his chest mouthing 'Sorry' as he tried to adjust the bulge in his jeans so it would not be so obvious. "Why are you up, Ellie Rae?" she asked stepping around Dean and bending down to look at her sleepy daughter.

"I gotta pee," the little girl responded.

Ryan laughed and stood up. "Alright then. Let's pee." She said guiding Ellie down the hall and into the bathroom. Ryan led them back to the room a few minutes later and tucked the sleepy child back into bed. Dean stood sheepishly in the hallway, his hands tucked into his pockets. "I've got to work the breakfast shift tomorrow at the diner. You feel ok watching Ellie for me or do you want me to drop her off with Inga?"she asked.

"Yeah I got her, sweetheart." Dean said leaning down to kiss her again.

Ryan put her hands on his chest to break the kiss, "I think we should probably get some sleep."

"I don't want to sleep," He said running his lips over her jaw and neck. His hands running through her hair and back under her shirt tickle her skin.

"I haven't," she gasped when Deans hand was suddenly between her legs rubbing her through her leggings. Her hips bucked towards his touch. "Oh fuck Dean...I haven't been with anyone since you."

He leaned back, his hand falling away from the heat he was stoking and looked down at her. "Seriously?"

She shifted on her feet wiping her sweaty palms on her thighs, "Yes...don't look at me like that. I have a kid and I work...I haven't wanted anyone else."

"And do you still want me?" Dean murmured. Ryan worried her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded. "Then you're gonna have to catch some sleep later." He picked her back up like they hadn't been interrupted and carried her the rest of the way into her bedroom. They fumbled in the dark trying to get the door shut and locked before pulling at each other's clothes. Ryan led him in the dark backing away from the door until her legs hit the the edge of her bed. Dean pushed her back onto the bed and pulled her leggings off adding them to the trail of discarded clothing. He kicked his jeans off and the bed dipped with a loud creak as Dean climbed on top of her.

She felt the blunt head of his cock nudge her entrance as he settled between her open legs. "I'm not on birth control and I don't have any condoms," Ryan sighed suddenly as her brain caught up with what her body was doing.

"I'll be careful." He promised. She nodded, her face just visible in the moonlight breaking through the curtains. He slowly pushed inside her neither one willing to wait any longer and let his chin drop to his chest. He cursed under his breath at the sounds escaping her lips once he was fully inside her. Her fingernails dug into his back as his rhythm slowly increased until she was gasping under him, bitting down on her lips trying to keep from making any noise that might wake up their daughter down the hall. He rolled his hips changing his angle and she saw stars. Her hands left his back to press against her mouth when she cried out his name. Her muscles contracted around him as he sent her crashing through wave after wave of her orgasm. He could feeling himself teetering on the edge as her body threatened to pull him into his own release. He was barely able to pull out of her once her body relaxed under him before he came with a satisfied grunt on her inner thigh. "God damn baby girl...you ok?" He murmured against her lips before kissing her and rolling onto his back next to her.

"Yeah yeah I'm good that was good...god I forgot how awesome that is." She laughed tiredly taking her glasses off and setting them on the nightstand next to her bed. "I'm going to need more of that. Seven years is a really long time to go without sex with something that doesn't require batteries." She followed that with an embarrassed snort and covered her face with her hands, "I can believe I just said that out loud."

He propped himself up on his elbow arching an eyebrow at her. "I was going to tell you I needed a nap but now..." He rolled out of the bed his dick already back to half-mast. "Wheredo you keep your toys?" Ryan spluttered, her whole body growing hot with embarrassment and sure she was close to glowing in the near dark of her room. Dean strode purposefully towards her nightstand and started opening drawers to dig under her clothes.

"D just come back to bed." She said sitting up on her elbows trying to stifle a giggle as he bent down giving her the perfect view of his very toned ass. "I'd rather have you."

"Aha!" He yelled triumphantly retrieving a small lockbox buried under her pajamas. He shook it like a kid trying to guess what was inside his wrapped Christmas present. "Why do you lock these up?" He said sitting at the edge of her bed.

Ryan flopped onto her back letting out a long breath, "Because I have a very nosy six year old...the code is 79-84." She added with a smile. Dean sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as he flicked the numbers into place. She was caught between incredibly turned on and frightened by the look Dean gave her after he opened the box.

The alarm on her phone buzzed her awake early the next morning. The moonlight replaced by the pinks and purples of dawn. Dean snored softly beside her. Naked and laying on his stomach and looking as good as any dream she'd ever had. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, "I gotta get to work. I'll be back before lunch." He snored in response.

Ryan returned home well after lunch slightly frustrated at the lack of tips and the extra long shift she had been forced to work when the other waitress didn't bother to show up. She had a little money saved up to keep them afloat for a few weeks after the diner closed but if her business didn't take off she might have to commute out of town for work and she definitely did not want to be that far away from Ellie. She tried not to worry about the future or bring her worries home.

The first thing she noticed as she got within view of her home was that Trixie had been moved from behind the barn and was now parked next to Baby under the old Elm. Ryan smiled knowing that meant Dean and Ellie had got the car running again. A third car, a dusty red Camaro, that she didn't recognize was parked in front of the house in Inga's usual spot. Ryan didn't like strangers in the house. She eyed the car warily noting the South Dakota license plates before heading inside. She kicked her shoes off inside the door and yelled, "Ellie, Dean, Sammy? Where are you?"

"In da kitchen, Mama," Ellie called back then squealed with high pitched laughter.

Ryan headed towards her daughters giggles. "D, who's car is out front?" She asked walking into the kitchen. Dean and Sam leaned against the counter drinking coffee. Ellie sat at the table intently coloring a picture and telling an older man in a baseball cap sitting next to her about the Vampires Ryan had hunted last month after they ate her favorite customer.

"And Mama said she chopped their heads clean off. Thats what they get for eating Mr. Jones."

The older man laughed and Dean shook his head. "I though you were out." He said scowling at her.

Ryan took her apron off and set it on the counter next to the brothers, "I said I was mostly out. I can handle two Vamps. They rolled into my town and caused trouble…. Ellie Rae we don't talk family business in front of strangers…Wait how do you even know about the Vampires?" She demanded.

Ellie continued scribbling on her picture, "I heard you tell Inga. And Bobby's not a stranger he's my friend."

"Bobby?" She stuttered as the man turned around to face her. He smiled broadly not trying to hide the shine of tears in his eyes as he stood to embrace her.

"Hey girl," He said pulling her into a hug. Ryan buried her face in his neck trying to hide her tears from her daughter.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry I never called you." She cried.

Bobby patted the back of her head and murmured reassuringly, "Don't apologize. You've done real good girl. Real good. Your mama and Eleanor'd be so damn proud a'you."

"Hey I'm Eleanor." Ellie said setting her crayons down. Ryan and Bobby laughed wiping tears off their faces.

"It's so good to see you, Bobby." She said sniffing loudly. "How…why-why are you here?"

Bobby put his hands on her shoulders and looked at Dean. "Came to talk to the boys about the case they've been workin'. Seems like we got a lot to talk about…" Ryan looked behind her giving Dean a questioning look. He glanced at her not exactly meeting her eyes before nodding at Bobby. "You gotta a place we can talk business away from the munchkin."

Ryan turned her attention back to Bobby and nodded. "The barn. I'll keep Ellie upstairs. We need to talk about snooping on private conversations." She crooked her finger at her daughter beckoning the little girl out of the kitchen. Even in her bright pink, coffee stained waitress uniform she looked like she meant serious mom-business. Ellie trudged after her giving the men in the kitchen a pleading look. "What else have you heard me tell Inga?" Ryan asked as she and the little girl left the kitchen.

"Bobby I know." Dean immediately said as soon as Ryan and Ellie were out of earshot.

Bobby pulled his hat down low over his ears. "What is that you think you know? Huh? That you got less than five months before you go to the pit-"

"Not in the house." Sam cut in waiving them out the back door. They made it halfway to the barn before Bobby started back up.

"Me and Sam have been bustin' out ass trying to find a way to save you. And you've been blowing us off at every turn. And now you're here and you got that little girl in there that don't even know you're her daddy and she never will if you don't do somethin'!" He yelled pointing a finger at Dean.

Dean gave a tired sigh and scrubbed a hand along his jaw. "I wanna do something…anything….I don't want to die, I don't want to got the pit and I do not want them to hear a word about this. Either way. They stay out of it." Bobby and Sam nodded relieved Dean was finally finding a reason to be serious about saving his soul.

"Then I might have a lead on the Colt but we gotta go ASAP." Bobby told.

Dean shook his head, "I-I'm not ready to leave. We can't just leave without saying goodbye."

Sam sighed, "Then go say goodbye, Dean. If we find a way to save you it's not forever."

Dean looked towards the house. "Just give me until dawn. One more night with them and I'm all in." They agreed and returned to the house to find Ellie and Ryan in the kitchen singing loudly and way off key to a Weezer song blaring out of a small speaker on the counter.

"We're making mac and cheese for dinner! It's my favorite!" Ellie danced around the kitchen when Dean and the others returned. "Up! Dean pick me up!" She yelled raising her arms over her head.

He obliged and swung the little girl up propping her on his forearm and hugging her close to his body. "Mac and cheese is my favorite too." Dean said as Ryan slid the pan holding their dinner into the oven.

"I thought pizza was your favorite." Elie said.

"I got a lot of favorites. Rocky Road is my favorite ice cream-"

"Mine too! What else is your favorite?"

Dean smiled. "Blue's my favorite color. Pie is my favorite desert. You and your mom are my favorite girls."

"Is that why you were sleeping in my moms bed without any clothes on?" Ellie asked innocently. A choked, half laugh half snort popped out of Ryan's throat as she nearly swallowed her tongue in embarrassed surprise. Dean spluttered turning nearly as pink as the uniform Ryan had been wearing earlier. He searched the room for help not finding any in his brother, Bobby or Ryan, who had dissolved into a fit of giggles. She choked out, "I told you she was nosy."

"Are you my dad?" The question cut through the laughter instantly bringing a heavy silence into the kitchen. Ryan stood up pushing her glasses back into place. Dean let out a long breath and ran his free hand through his hair.

"I uhm …I." Ryan gave him a small reassuring smile. He cleared his throat, "Yes I am."

"That's good." She hugged him around the neck then said, "I'm gonna finish my picture now," before slithering out of his grip and skipping back to the kitchen table littered with crayons and scrap paper. Dean stood frozen for a moment. He'd just told Ellie he was her dad. He had missed the first six years of her life and was about to leave again. Maybe forever this time. He wouldn't tell her that part. Ryan broke him out of his revere when she put her hand on his chest.

"You did good," she said softly kissing his cheek.

After enjoying another of Ryan's homemade dinners Ellie once again insisted Dean read to her before bed. Bobby pressed Ryan for information on the town; if she'd run into any other issues besides the vampires. Thankfully the town had been relatively quiet, besides the witches that once haunted the home she now owned and a cursed necklace that Inga picked up at an estate sale quickly bringing her into Ryan's private world, the Vampires had been the only sign of real trouble. "I'm out Bobby. As out as I can be and keep us safe. The Vamps were trying to build a nest. I had to stop them. Ellie was not supposed to find out about them."

"You done real good girl. But I expect a damn call once in a while." Bobby gruffed hugging her again before settling into one of the downstairs bedrooms for the night.

Ryan stopped by Sam's room to say goodnight and found him packing his bag. "You're leaving?" She asked with quiet surprise.

He nodded tossing a pair of socks into his bag. "We need to leave by dawn. We've got that case-"

"The one in Oklahoma?"

"Actually it's moved to Colorado." Dean said coming to stand behind her.

Ryan crossed her arms tightly over her chest hugging herself. "Well...be careful. You're welcome to stop by anytime you swing through Tennessee." She said leaving him to finish packing. Sam silently tapped his wristwatch glaring at his brother.

"Ryan. Damn it will you wait a minute." Dean hissed as she checked the nightlights in the hall outside Ellie's room. The little girl turned over in her sleep and kicked her blankets to a pile on the floor. Ryan covered her back up and tucked a small stuffed bear in her arms that the little girl immediately clung to in her sleep. "Listen to me," He said as she walked back in the hall leaving the door open just a crack. "I don't want to leave."

"Then don't." She said, "There's a way out for you."

He shook his head running in his hands through his hair. "I've made a lot of mistakes. Not drivin' away with you was probably the biggest one. I've got to finish this."

Ryan took her glasses off to wipe at her face, "Please don't go."

"I have to. I have to find a way out of this mess. I swear I'll come back to you." He said leaning down to kiss her. She wrapped her hands around his head pressing her body closer to him and he groaned in response. "I should pack my bag." He said halfheartedly against her lips when she released him.

"I though you weren't leaving until dawn," she said gently tugging him by his flannel shirt back to her room.

"Brat." The door shut behind them and Dean was on her as she turned the lock. Pressing his hard body into her back, pushing her hair out of the way to drag his lips across her neck and shoulder. His hands roamed wherever he could reach, under her shirt, down her stomach and below the band of her pants. She moaned as he went lower, her head falling against his chest as his fingers got her ready for everything else he wanted to do.

"Dean." His name left her lips as a plea when his hands disappeared from her skin and started pulling at her clothes instead. By the time he walked them the few steps from the door and lay her on her bed she was kicking her jeans off in a rush to be naked. He pulled his shirt over his head revealing his toned chest and abdomen. Ryan licked her lips sitting forward on the edge of the bed and reached for his belt. He sucked in a quick breath as she ran her lips in a trail from his left to right hip bone and slowly pulled his jeans down. His dick instantly standing free and erect between them. The sound he made, deep and dripping with sex, when she swirled her tongue over his head before swallowing him as far as she could went straight to the throb between her legs. He tangled his hands in her hair. Her hot, wet tongue, the slight squeeze of her throat as she swallowed around him and the way she shifted on the bed pressing her thighs together in search of some relief brought him to the edge.

"Oh fuck-fuck-fuck baby you gotta stop." He groaned pulling her lips free. She ran the back of her hand over her lips wiping away the shine of spit. "You're making this really hard for me to leave." He growled as she slid further up the bed opening her legs invitingly.

"That's the point." She said smiling. "We're runnin' out of moonlight."

Dean climbed lithely onto the bed. "I'll be careful." He once again promised as he lined himself up with her entrance.

"I don't want to be careful." Ryan murmured into his ear as he thrust into her. She rocked her hips meeting each of his thrusts.

Dean grew still inside of her. "Babygirl I'm not gonna be around...maybe for a while."

"Ellie's the best thing that ever happened to me and you gave her to me." She rocked her hips against him again, "Dean I want this." She pulled him closer, wrapping her legs around his hips and kissed his hesitation away. If he needed another motivation to get out of his deal she'd just given it to him. He drowned out her moans with his lips as slid further inside her. He leaned back grabbing her hips for leverage and she bit her lips to keep quiet. His thumb found her clit and rubbed firm circles making her pant curses under breath with each thrust of his hips.

"ohfuckohfuckohfuck," She moaned feeling herself tighten around him until finally she came undone her whole body trembling under him. This time he didn't pull out, he rode the waves of her orgasm, her inner muscles wet and hot and pulsing around him until he saw black spots and came inside her with a grunt. He released his bruising grip on her thighs and leaned down to kiss her as he softened leaving a trail of warmth on her inner thighs. He lay his head on her chest, listening to her heart beat and rested a hand on her lower stomach. They were both quiet for a long time letting the gravity of what they just decided to do sink in.

He finally left her bed shortly before dawn and dressed in the darkness. He stopped by Ellie's room and kissed her forehead without waking her. Sam and Bobby waited in the hallway by the front door as Dean and Ryan descended the stairs. They said their goodbyes, Ryan once again promising to call Bobby and to stay away from things that go bump in the night. "Take care of him. Me and Ellie are expecting him to come home. Eventually." She quietly told Sam as he leaned down to hug her.

He nodded stiffly, "I'll do my best."

Dean was last, drawing out the moment he had to leave her in the rearview mirror. "You may not see me again for a while."

"I know." Ryan replied.

"I will come back. I promise," He said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'll be out. All this will be behind us."

She nodded, "I love you. We'll be here." He brushed his lips lightly on her forehead as the tears she'd been fighting to keep contained trailed down her cheeks. His lips met hers and she wrapped her hands in the soft fabric in his shirt like if she held him tight enough she could keep him safe from the storm he was about to face. This wasn't a normal hunt; she felt that in her bones but she was also thankful Dean and Sam hadn't got her or Ellie anymore involved than they already were.

"I'll love you." He said quietly his lips brushing against her with each word. "I'll find you when this is all over."

Epilogue

Dean and Sam left before the sun rose. He and Ryan didn't say goodbye. She stayed on the porch long after the dusty red Camaro and the shiny Black Impala disappeared.

She didn't believe in God or Angels, not really, but she prayed anyways. Prayed to anyone or anything that was listening to let him come back. They'd lost each other before, drifted apart, been pulled apart and still found their way back to each other.

Her prayers went unanswered as days turned to weeks. Weeks turned into months. The diner closed. Her business took off. Ellie stopped asking when her dad was coming home and instead asked when she'd get to meet the baby growing in Ryan's belly.

For a short time the young mother that lived out at the old haunted farmhouse had become the talk of the town when she waddled down Main Street hugely pregnant, holding Ellie's hand and with no man in sight. She named their son Conner and he looked so much like Dean it hurt. But she wouldn't trade them for the world. They were her world. Her little family thrived regardless of the freak tornados, swarms of locusts and a rash of bonafide zombies that caused quite a ruckus in town before Ryan and a few others got things settled. It had seemed like the world was ready to end. Then the sky cleared and life moved on. The town may have come up with colorful excuses to explain the dead rising but they never forgot who saved their lives. From then on any celebration from baby showers to wedding anniversaries were spent at Ryan's farm.

The Miller wedding reception had finished without a hitch. Ryan sent Inga and the others home early. They deserved the break, the bride had been one of the worse she'd had to deal with yet and she needed the quiet monotonous work of cleaning up to decompress. She could put the tables and chairs away at her own leisurely pace while the kids played. Conner chased after his sister on chubby unsteady toddler legs while Ellie darted away from him screeching with laughter. The baby misjudged his next step and landed on his butt with an indigent cry. "Ellie Rae, play nice with your brother!" Ryan called out of the barn stacking chairs along the wall.

"Mama someones here!" Ellie yelled back.

Conner's angry cry turned instantly to excited babble calling after his sister, "El, El!"

Ryan let out a tired breath pushing her glasses up her nose with her least dusty finger and walked out of the barn to see what trouble her kids were getting into. Her sandy haired son had given up chasing after his sister and instead was stalking purposefully towards the chicken coop. "Conner Dean where do you think you're goin'?" Ryan asked swopping him up before he could reach his intended targets.

"Mama no!" The little boy yelled once the chickens feathers were safely out of reach.

"Conner no. Where's your sister?" Ryan asked swinging him onto her hip. The little boy pointed vaguely towards the front of the house where his big sister had run off to when she heard the approaching car. "Eleanor?" She didn't like it when the kids greeted visitors without her. The last few years had brought her back to the fringes of hunting when dangers had ebbed to close for comfort.

"Mama! Look who's here!" Ellie's excited breathless voice sounded from the front of the house. The little girl appeared a moment later dragging a man behind her. Underneath the sad eyes and worry lines he was still the boy she'd fallen in love with, the man she dreamed of, the one she never gave up hope to see again. There was a million things she wanted to say. A million things they would finally have to time to say.

"Took you long enough." She said smiling through tears.

"Brat." He replied smiling down at her.

Authors note:

So I know I already wrote a story about Season 4. But it's one of my favorites. I also love the angsty, knocked up trope. I wanted to write this story as kind of a challenge to myself that I could actually come up with a fleshed out AU story without following the series exactly. Read, review. Thank you for reading.