Here's another update! Hope you all enjoy it!

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Erin

Dean and I were up shortly after dawn. The witches house seemed more ordinary in the morning, but Dean was still tense as she welcomed us into her living room. She looked each of us over slowly.

"Well?" Dean prompted uncomfortably. He seemed eager to get back on the road and I didn't blame him. There was something about the woman that set my teeth on edge.

"Don't cop that attitude with me boy," she snapped. "I was up all night working on this, your brother can vouch for me," she added with a twinkle of mischief in her eye.

Sam froze and glanced guiltily at the witch.

"You got made?" Dean asked sharply.

Sam shrugged non-committally.

"Psh," the witch waved her hand at Dean dismissively. "A witch knows when she's being watched. I wouldn't be much good to you if I wasn't powerful enough to know that," she added and she tossed two small satchets on the coffee table in front of me.

When I didn't make a move to touch them a slow smile crept across her face like I had done something amusing. She cracked her neck and leaned forward towards me. "You keep those with you, understand?" She asked severely. "One in your pocket at all times. When you sleep, one under your pillow. Keep the other one in your purse or bag or wherever you are keeping your things. Then they can't find you that way either."

I frowned in confusion. I knew painfully little about demons or witches but if the boys thought this was the right way to go about this I was going to have to trust it. I reached for one of the bags. I hesitated for a moment, unsure what made me not want to touch it.

The witch was watching me with interest. I flexed my fingers and was about to force myself to grab it when warm fingers locked around my wrist. I flinched in surprise as a wave of suspicion and concern and wariness and focus washed over me. Dean immediately released me.

"Sorry," he muttered then he turned his eyes to the witch. "What in the hell is going on here? This some kind of test?"

The witch smirked and sat back in her chair, crossing her legs. In a way she seemed pleased with Dean's question, but I wasn't about to drop my walls and find out. "Her instincts are telling her not to touch it, she is sensing my magic. Nothing more."

"Nothing more? What's going to happen when she does?"

The witch shrugged. "I'm not sure, nothing bad. She's a psychic, and a powerful one at that. I would be surprised if she didn't feel it."

"She said she's a-" he hesitated for a moment and his eyes flickered to me like he was asking permission to talk more about it, like what I was was some secret we could keep.

"An empath," the witch filled in. "She feels everything. A receiver, she's a cup that can be filled..." the witches eyes turned serious. "It's why they want you child."

I frowned. "Why? I can't do anything."

The witch shrugged. "I'm not a psychic, just a witch. Perhaps if you found another psychic they could give you answers. All I know is that whatever they want you for it isn't good. You keep those charms with you."

I nodded and reached down, picking up the first bag. The fabric felt strangely cool to the touch. I frowned down at it but I was still shielding so hard nothing was getting through. I tucked the bag into my purse and reached for the other one.

"Stop shielding," she suggested. "See what you feel."

Dean stiffened and stepped forward. "No way, not if it's going to bring those assholes down on us."

The witch snorted and flicked her fingers at Dean dismissively. "The charms will hold."

Dean swung around to face me. His face was hard but his eyes were earnest. "You don't have to do this here."

I snorted. "Kinda do, I mean she was nice enough to make them for us."

"I paid for them, you don't have to keep paying."

I nodded, but holding the small satchet in my hand I very slowly lowered the wall in my mind that protected me from the world. It was an odd sensation, not exactly painful, but as I opened myself up to it it felt like small bag got heavier and heavier in my hand. I frowned down at it and the cold grew.

"What do you feel?" The witch asked after a moment. As soon as she spoke it was like the moment had passed and I became aware of the room around me. Dean and Sam's emotions were all swirling around me, a strange mix of curiosity and distrust. The witch however was stone cold. I could feel it down in my bones, like a cold winter night I would never be warm from.

There was something else too. Something she was trying to hide. Fear. She was terrified of the Winchester's. I glanced back at the brothers and wondered if I was wrong to trust them. But Sam's face was open with worry and even though Dean's jaw was set and hard his body was positioned in a way to protect me.

The witch shifted and I turned back to her.

"Like ice." I told her honestly and I closed myself off again with a shudder. I wrapped my arms around myself and Dean shifted beside me, clearly unhappy with what was happening.

She threw her head back and actually cackled. "I'm a water witch from North Dakota. What did you expect?" She asked rhetorically and I could actually see the effort it was taking her to hide how much they scared her. Normally when the Winchester's came to town witches died. I didn't blame her.

I slid the satchet into my pocket and Dean stepped up to me, he put a hand on my low back guiding me towards the door. "Time to go," he said gruffly.

The witch nodded, looking neither surprised nor offended by Dean's attitude. I hesitated before crossing the threshold. I turned back to her. "Thank you," I said sincerely. She made me uncomfortable yes, but she had also helped us.

The witch pulled back, a momentary flash of surprise wiping away her confident smirk. Her face became incredibly serious then, and it was like she aged ten years in front of my eyes. "You be careful girl," she advised.

I nodded a few too many times. "I will."

The warm pressure of Dean's hand against my back increased. It was time to go. I followed Sam out the door. The three of us went to the car, we climbed in and sat there, staring out at the long stretch of road. The town was just as quiet during the day as it was at night.

"So," I said after a long moment of silence. "What now?" I was a little afraid to ask, afraid to find out they didn't know or worse, had decided I wasn't worth the trouble. Now that I had the charm bags there was no real reason they had to keep me with them.

Dean let out a sigh and swiped at his mouth with his hand. "Now we go see Bobby."

The Impala rumbled to life. I leaned back against the back seat and felt the vibration of the muscle car run through my body. I closed my eyes and heard a quiet click just before AC/DC Highway to Hell began blaring out of the speakers. I opened my eyes and caught Dean's gaze in the mirror. He flashed me a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes and he winked at me. I exhaled the tight breath I hadn't realized I was holding and rolled my eyes at him. He was chuckling as he put the car in drive and tore off out of the small town.

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Dean

It was four hours to Bobby's and Erin was tense and quiet the whole way. I didn't know how to make her feel better or get her to talk. I wasn't good at this kind of thing. Sam was better at talking about emotional crap, but he had fallen asleep half an hour into the drive. I glanced in the rearview mirror, Erin was staring out at the prairie as it rolled passed. Her head was bobbing along to Thunderstruck, quietly mouthing the words, a small frown between her eyebrows.

I kept waiting for her to freak out and she kept surprising me by keeping it together. Of course Jack had been one of the toughest assholes I had ever met so I probably shouldn't be surprised. Jack had hidden and protected her, but it was clear by how she handled herself that she had seen a lot in her life. She was a strange combination of innocence and fierce toughness the I couldn't help appreciating. I glanced back at her again, it also didn't hurt that she was gorgeous. She tucked her hair behind her ear and I forced myself to drag my eyes back to the road.

I parked the car and Bobby came out a shot gun hanging in his hands. His eyes flickered over Sam and me and landed on Erin as she climbed out of the car. I snagged her bag from the trunk. She looked nervous, playing with her fingers as she watched Bobby. I glanced up at the porch. Bobby was scowling suspiciously at her. I stepped in front of her, remembering how scared she had been of the two of us when we first met just because we were hunters.

Sam stepped up and politely introduced them. "Bobby this is Erin Beckett. Erin, this is Bobby. He-"

"Was in Vietnam with your Dad and Jack," Erin filled in. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously.

Sam picked up on her nerves and nodded a little too enthusiastically. "Yeah," he agreed. "They were friends for a long time," he babbled, trying to diffuse the tension.

Bobby was scowling as he looked over Erin then he glanced down at his gun and seemed to realize he wasn't being very welcoming. "Well get your asses inside," Bobby said gruffly, resting the shotgun over his shoulder. "Tell me what in the hell kind of trouble you've found this time."

Bobby was still scowling at us as we climbed the stairs but as soon as Erin flashed her sweet, nervous smile his way I could see him faltering. Erin moved slowly into the house, her eyes running over all the clutter. She didn't look bothered by it, instead she seemed curious as she took in the piles of books, weapons and charms that covered all the open surfaces.

Bobby watched Erin carefully as she stepped over the rug I knew he used to hide a devils trap. When it didn't stop her he relaxed a little and went ahead and opened the refrigerator. He pulled out four bottles of beer. He cracked one, leaving the other three. "All right kids, start at the beginning."

I cleared my throat. "Well, I was sleeping-" I started to say.

"Not you, you idiot," Bobby snapped. Only Bobby could still make me feel like a twelve-year old kid. He turned to face Erin and pointed at her chest. "Why don't you start with how you ended up living with Jack. I've known Jack since 1972 and I've never once heard of you."

Erin look like he hit her. She flinched and her eyes dropped to her hands.

"Bobby-" Sam started to interrupt, quickly moving to put himself between Bobby and Erin. I glanced at Sam. His eyes were wide and earnest as he moved to defend Erin. It made me wonder if maybe baby bro had a bit of a crush. I was surprised to realize the idea bugged me. I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest.

"No, it's fine," Erin said quickly. She side stepped Sam and lifted her chin as her eyes hardened. "My family was attacked when I was seventeen by a group of demons who were after me. They all died. Jack saved me. When he realized what I was, instead of killing me, he took me home with him. He hid me from everyone - demons, humans and..." she hesitated, her eyes flickering over my face. "Hunters," she added like she felt bad for saying it. "He helped me learn how to block it," she added.

"You're just an empath," Bobby clarified. "You can't do anything else?"

Erin shook her head.

"So why in the hell would they want you?" he asked suspiciously.

Erin shrugged helplessly.

"That's what we've been trying to figure out," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. It bothered me more than I wanted admit to see Bobby grilling Erin even though I had just done it myself two days before. I was feeling protective, which was strange considering I just met this girl.

"I was always like this," she said and she cleared her throat before she kept going. "I was born with it. When I was young...I had no idea how to protect myself from it. It wasn't until Jack helped me that I..." she dragged off and looked down at her hands. "I lived with him for eight years. He gave me a normal life."

I fought the urge to snort. It said a lot about what kind of life she lived before if she thought living with a hunter was normal. It was odd he thought he needed to hide her. It made me wonder if there was something Jack had kept from her.

Bobby frowned and turned to look at Sam thoughtfully. "Dean why don't you show Erin her room," he said gruffly.

I could tell Bobby was thinking about Sam and the other kids' psychic demon powers. But this felt different to me. I tossed my empty bottle in the garbage and stood.

"This way Beckett," I said, jerking my chin towards the stairs. She looked back and forth between me and the others. I could tell Bobby was still making her uncomfortable, but I didn't know how to make her feel better.

I led her up the stairs and opened the first door on the left. It was a small, musty room with a narrow twin bed. It was the room I used to stay in when we were kids and would come visit. Neither one of us fit on the bed anymore and it had been ages since I set foot in the room. I set Erin's bag down on the bed and opened the window to let some fresh air in. When I turned back she was hovering in the doorway.

"You okay?" I asked gruffly.

She cocked her head to the side and I got the feeling she was thinking of using her mojo on me, but she seemed to think better of it.

"You know you're safe here...with Bobby...and us, right?" I asked haltingly. Since we had shown up at Bobby's she kept looking at us like we were going to tie her up and leave her for the demons.

She slid her hands into her pockets and rocked up on the balls of her feet, but her shoulders were still hunched forward defensively.

"Course," she said and she flashed me a brave smile that didn't reach her eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at her but she didn't waver. I snorted and held my hand out to her. She stared at it thoughtfully for a long time before she reached for me. Her fingers were tentative as they slid up mine. There was a slight tremble to her hand as she gently rested her palm flat against mine. Her skin was cool to the touch and whisper light against my calloused hands.

"Bobby is going to help too," I told her. "We'll figure this out." I reassured her for what felt like the millionth time but I wanted to say the words when she was touching me and would feel that I wasn't lying to her.

I wished again that I was better at this. Sam had always been good with words, I was better with actions. I wanted to gather her up in my arms and hold her until she felt safe again. Girls as a rule felt so much deeper than guys did, it was one of the things I loved about them, and Erin felt even more than most. She actually had it for a super power. It was insane to me how someone so small and delicate looking could feel so much and not be broken by it.

Erin stared down at where our hands were still touching, a small shudder ran through her body and I wondered again if it hurt her to feel what I did. I was so screwed up I couldn't see how dealing with it wouldn't hurt her. I was sure I was sharing more with her than I wanted, there was no way to limit what she felt, but if it made her feel even a little more secure it would be worth it.

She slowly lifted her eyes to stare up at me, instead of looking horrified or pained, her grey eyes were filled with understanding. She licked her lips and my eyes locked on the motion. She swallowed and another shudder ran through her body.

"I believe you," she said and she slowly pulled her hand back, letting her fingers trail over my palm. I shivered and I wanted to kiss her so bad I could taste it. I shifted closer to her and she let me, lifting her chin to meet my gaze with her clear grey eyes.

I opened my mouth to say something but like an idiot my mind literally went blank. The corner of her lips quirked up and her eyes shone mischievously. My hand landed on her hip and she drew in a shuddering breath. I tilted my head and leaned over her.

"Hey Dean!" my brother's voice echoed up the stairs.

We jerked back from each other like we were teenagers getting caught by our parents.

"What does Erin like on her pizza?" Sammy called up the stairs.

I glanced back at her. A blush had crept up her neck and she was looking up at me from under her eyelashes, an embarrassed smile on her face. "I'll eat anything," she told me in a low voice.

I arched a brow suggestively and she laughed, her embarrassment forgotten. She swatted at me playfully with the back of her hand.

I leaned out the door. "Get the usual Sammy!" I called down the stairs. When I looked back at her Erin had turned to her backpack. Her hair fell forward, shielding her face from me.

"Ask her if she likes onions?!" Sam yelled back doing his best to spectacularly ruin the moment.

She chuckled and swung back around to face me. She tucked her hair behind her ear and her eyes were shining with laughter as she met my gaze. She closed the distance between us teasingly with a sassy sway of her hips that made my mind go blank. She rested her hand on the doorframe next to me and leaned into me. She was so close I could feel her heat, but instead of touching me she leaned past me.

"I LIKE ONIONS SAM!" she bellowed out the door.

I couldn't help laughing. When she pulled back she was smirking up at me as laughter shook her shoulders. She seemed pretty pleased with herself for teasing me and it made me want to kiss her even more but I kept my hands at my side. I wasn't going to be the one to touch her first, not when she couldn't shield from it.

The laughter faded from her eyes as she stared up at me and a small line of concentration formed between her eyes.

"Uh huh!" I called raising a finger up between us. "No putting the whammy on me."

"DEAN!" Bobby's voice echoed loudly up the stairs. "Get down here boy!" he ordered.

I rolled my eyes at Erin and she chuckled, the moment gone. Her face was still wrinkled up in amused confusion. "You do know I don't actually have any whammy, right?"

I smirked at her and winked. "Whatever you say sweetheart," and I swaggered out the door to see what Bobby wanted.

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Erin

I slept that night in the small bedroom off the landing upstairs. The twin bed was old and creaky and the room was musty but the sheets were clean. I jerked awake in the middle of the night, a scream stopped in my throat. I flopped back against the creaky bed when I realized I was safe in Bobby Singers house. I was soaked in sweat and trembling. Knowing I wasn't going to fall back to sleep I shuffled down the dark hallway to the bathroom. Two of the doors were closed, but the other one was open. I glanced inside. Dean was laying stretched out on his back. He was bare chested with one arm thrown up above his head.

There was just enough moonlight to see the smooth planes of his chest and my mind went back to our almost kiss that afternoon. I tore my eyes away not sure what had made me think kissing Dean Winchester was a good idea. It was clear he knew he was charming and considered himself quite the ladies man. Not my type at all. And yet, when he offered for me to feel the truth when he said it, the depth of his sincerity had been almost overwhelming.

I used the bathroom and when I opened the door I flinched to find Dean leaning against his door frame. "Everything okay?" He asked. His face was soft from sleep but I could feel the rising prickles of concern growing. I hadn't tightened down my walls when I woke up and I could begin to feel a wave of his exhaustion swirling around me.

"I heard you get up," he added and he yawned boyishly into the back of his hand. He was worried about me.

I couldn't help the small, pleased smile that pulled at my face and I ducked my chin so it wasn't as obvious in the dark. "I'm fine," I promised him. "Bad dream," I added when I felt that he didn't quite believe me.

"Like the, a-demon-is-going-to-find-us, bad dream? Or the normal kind?" He asked. Even though his tone was light I could feel the sincerity beneath. He was quickly becoming alert to potential danger and yet somehow still concerned over me.

"Just the normal, having-a-demon-rip-your-life-apart-again kind," I assured him
flippantly despite the sweat that was still cooling on my skin.

I felt a flutter of respect and he nodded. I crossed my arms over my chest and shivered in the cool dark hall.

"Well Bobby's got a few calls into some friends, hopefully you won't be stuck here too long," he said.

I shrugged. "I don't have anything to go home to," I said and the truth of it was a heavy thing in my chest. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes and I sucked in a ragged breath. I was feeling more raw than I realized.

"Hey." Dean said and he took a step into my space. He moved his hand like he was going to touch me but stopped himself. He pressed his lips together and lowered his hand. "We'll get you home."

I could feel his depth of commitment and it actually made tears burn in the backs of my eyes.

"You believe me don't you?" He asked. "Cuz you can check," he offered, holding his hand out and wiggling his fingers at me. I froze as I remembered how intense it had been the last time I touched him.

I swiped at my eyes. "I believe you."

"I ah-" Dean started to say when the door at the end of the hall snapped open and a very grumpy looking Bobby stood in the shadows of the hallway.

"Would you two keep it down, some of us are trying to get some sleep around here." He growled.

"Sorry Bobby," I called gently.

Bobby made a noise in the back of his throat and stomped back into his room. I looked back at Dean, an embarrassed smile on my face. I felt bad for waking Bobby.

Dean didn't look concerned. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "You need anything?" He asked yawning again.

I shook my head and lifted my chin. "I'm tired, think I'll head back to bed," I lied.

He didn't look like he believed me but he nodded anyway. "Sweet dreams sweetheart."

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Hope you enjoyed the update!