So, I am on a roll with this story at the moment, and it's Spring Break and I have 2 free days before party time starts up again… so I am going to write like a mad woman while I have time and brain cells and energy.

Chapter 20: Recovery

(Dean's POV)

I sat there for what was probably hours, just waiting for something to happen. I kept her hand held securely in mine, just staring at her face, wishing her eyes would open just one more time.

And then it did.

Charly's body started to shake and then her eyes shot open and she became completely still.

"Charly?" I asked. She obviously didn't need the machines anymore. She couldn't answer, but she squeezed my hand back in response.

"Hold on…" I told her. And I ran in the hall to get a doctor. The threw me out of the room, but I waited outside. Finally, they told me I could go back in. Some of the machines were gone, but there were still a few.

"It hurts…" She whispered.

"What hurts?" I asked, sitting back down and grabbing her hand again. Only this time she grabbed back.

"Everything. It feels like my body has been through a tornado." She explained. "But apparently I'm going to be ok."

I kissed her hand that I was holding. "That's a good thing." I told her.

"What happened to me?" She asked, looking at me dead in the eye. I sighed and shrugged.

"They said some kind of trauma and stress? I don't know… it wasn't anything supernatural I guess but it was damn scary." I explained. She nodded, but the expression on her face wasn't satisfied. "What did you think happened?"

"I don't know… I just feel like… something did… something inside me feels, different. Even through all this pain I feel…. Free." She told me.

I didn't know how to respond. Maybe she had some kind of dream earlier or maybe it was the medicine. But I was just glad she was going to survive.

"You need to rest." I told her as I started to get up to leave. But she wouldn't let go of my hand.

"Stay with me?" She asked. And there was no way I was going to resist. I just laughed some and started to sit down in the chair again.

"No…. up here." She scooted over and left room in the hospital bed for me.

"Now how comfortable is that going to be?" I joked, knowing totally well that I would be just fine.

"I don't know about you, but if you're holding me I'll be perfectly fine." It was sweet, and probably true but her saying it came from the pain meds.

I didn't reject anymore. I just laid down next to her and pulled her into my arms.

"I love you…" I heard her mumble before she fell into sleep.

"I love you to…" I whispered back, even though I knew she couldn't hear.

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(Charly's POV)

The sun hit my eyes and I woke up, seeing Dean staring down at me with his head propped up on his hand.

"Good morning…" I muttered. "Do I get to go home? Or… whatever I have that is closest to home."

He laughed some and kissed my forehead.

"Yes, you get to go home today….and about not having a home, well I've been thinking about that…" But I cut him off.

"How many times have I told you not to think babe? It just so isn't your thing." I joked. He just rolled his eyes and went on.

"Now that the demon is gone, maybe we should all just take a break. You know, actually see the real world rather then just the supernatural part of it." He told me.

"No hunting?" I asked.

"If it's absolutely necessary then yes, we still have to do our jobs. But what if we just don't chase after it so much for a couple weeks." He said.

Just a couple weeks. The demon was dead… so what did life mean now?

Years and years I had been searching for this thing, waiting for something to come up. And I never really hunted anything but that. Sure if something showed up around Chicago I would kill it, but other then that, if I wasn't dancing, I was looking for it.

And dancing… I wanted to dance again. I wanted to go back to the company, I wanted to get in again. I wanted to audition and feel that power again..

"Dean… I'm done hunting." I said, just suddenly.

"What?" He asked, obviously confused.

"I'll do it if I have to, because I know it has to be done. But as far as going after it, I'm done. I did what I had to do, and I had a life before all that, and I want to get it back on track." I paused, unsure of how to add this next part in. "I want to get it all back on track, but I want to do it with you."

"Are you asking me to quit?" He replied.

"No, but… I don't know, maybe? I mean I know these things have to be killed, but the demon is dead! So it should all calm down somewhat and there has got to be more out there then this and I know there is because I've experienced it and I loved it… but it takes more then just a couple weeks to find." I explained.

"Charly I…" He couldn't even get a sentence out. Then it hit me.

"Dean…. You don't know how to not be a hunter do you? It's all you've ever known isn's it?" I asked.

He stood up and started pacing, something he did when he was nervous. I sat up, feeling the pain in my back but I fought through it.

"No." He finally said. I just smiled and motioned for him to come sit next to me. He did and I scooted closer to him, taking both his hands in mine.

"I could teach you. It might even be fun. Who knows? I mean… we will in no way be the whole average normal couple thing. We will always be way more then that, but you might like not having something supernatural in your life every day." I said. He looked at me for a second then sighed.

"For you, I guess I could give it a try." He smiled some and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Good, otherwise I was going to have to hurt you." I teased. He just laughed and held me tighter.

"Let's get out of here." He said. And we did.

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We all went back to the motel and got our stuff together. We were leaving John, and then Dean and I were going to take Sam and Sarah back to New York and Dean and I were going to figure something out from there.

"Charly… be careful, and be good." John told me before getting into his truck.

"Hey, I always am!" I joked, he just gave me a warning eye before saying one last goodbye and driving off.

"Ok load up lets go, and hey Sam, you're driving." Dean said. I was kind of confused until I felt his arms wrap around my waist and pull me into the backseat with him. I laughed and leaned my forehead against his.

"What am I going to do with you Dean?" I asked.

"Oh I can think of a couple things, but not while Sam and Sara are in the car." He told me.

"Ok, what happened to the rule about keeping things PG back there while all four of us are in here?" Sara said. I just laughed some more.

"What, we're just talking?" Dean objected.

Sam just sighed and started the car and Sara rolled her eyes.

"Kiss me." I demanded when he looked back into my eyes. And he did, with out any objection.

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(4 days later)

"Wake up, wake up!" I shook Dean's shoulders lightly. I was so excited about today that I almost didn't sleep the night before.

We had decided to stay in New York, well, I had demanded it when I found out that ABT was holding auditions for a new modern ballet company and I had danced with one of the directors before and completely loved their style and direction. So I was auditioning.

"Ok I'm awake, god you keep me up all night and now when I get four hours of sleep you are demanding more attention…" He joked.

I made Dean my stress reliever the night before. I needed to relax, and he knew exactly what to do, even if it wasn't intentional.

"But you love me so you are going to give me the attention I want and help me get ready for today because I have…. Four hours until I have to be there." I told him.

"So, why don't we sleep for one more hour, and that give you 2 hours to get ready, and an hour to get there and do all your dancer stuff you have to do before you actually have to dance." He proposed. I wasn't taking it.

"No, I need to get ready, I've been out of practice for a while." I told him.

"Charly for the past two days all you've done is practice! You need to rest and eat and just chill for a second before you end up sick again." He was right. And I knew it.

"Ok, I'll rest for another hour, you order room service, but nothing big because I don't want to get sick while I'm dancing." I agreed.

"K, I'm on it." He dialed the number, ordered food, then pulled me back into his arms.

He kissed me briefly and I smiled. "You're going to do great today."

"If I make it you know that means we are going to have to stay in New York and get and apartment here and stuff right? You might have to get a real job even… because I don't think anyone will believe our little scams for long…" I explained, trying to be partially funny.

"Really? A real job…" He joked. "I guess… God, when did you start to control my life?"

"The day you met me, now where is that food?" And like on queue, there was a knock at the door. I jumped out of bed and ran to the door. It was the young bell boy who had a crush on me. Oh it was always so much fun when he came to our room. Especially right now since I was just wearing shorts and a sports bra.

He read our order off, the whole time trying to keep his eyes away from me. Dean couldn't make up his mind if he thought this was funny, or if he should be jealous.

"Is that everything?" He asked. This poor kid was probably only eighteen, barely that. And my boyfriend was lying on the bed just across from us and I was messing with the poor boys head.

Oh well, it wasn't intentional. And I needed some fun today.

"Yup, looks good. Thanks!" I said, walking to the door and closing it after he left.

"You are going to kill that poor kid." Dean said when I walked back into the main part of our room.

"Dean, I'm shocked that you don't want to go break his jaw for staring at me." I joked.

"Oh trust me I do, but I can't help that you're gorgeous and people want to stare and gape at you. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm going to have to deal with that." He told me as he ate a piece of bacon.

"You get more grown up every day darling." I teased as I ate my muffin.

"Why thank you." He mumbled, still stuffing his face. I finished my muffin and jumped on the bed next to him.

"I ate, now I have to get ready." I told him.

"Ok?" He asked. I just giggled and pulled on his arm to make him get up.

"Yeah I get more grown up and you act more like a kid every day." He mumbled. I playfully slapped his arm.

"You have to get ready to!" I told him. He just laughed, then we both got ready for the day.

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( A week later)

"Dean!" I screamed after I hung up the phone. He rushed out of the bathroom only half dressed.

"What is it?" He asked urgently. I jumped on him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I got in… they want me to dance in their first performance! I'm in!" I was in absolute hysteric excitement. His arms wrapped themselves tightly around my waist and picked me up off the ground.

"I'm so proud of you." He whispered into my hair. "Does this mean I have to get a job?" He teased I laughed and crashed my lips to his.

"First, let's celebrate." And he had no objection to how I wanted to celebrate.