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Erin

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The three of us stayed crouched in the underbrush so we wouldn't be discovered and end up having to talk our way out of also being arrested. The officers slapped cuffs on the hunter. Gordon, Sam had called him. They searched him, pulling more weapons off his body that I would have thought possible. They put him in the back of the cop car and began searching the premises. One of the cops searched his car and found his weapons cache. If his was anything like the Winchester's, most of it was probably illegal.

"That's gonna put him away for a long time," Dean commented in a low voice.

I snorted and he glanced towards me. It had started to drizzle and I shivered. I could just make out the frown on Dean's face in the darkness. I felt a wave of concern and consternation from him. He was still pissed I was there but it overlay his worry for me. He slid out of his jacket and rested it over my shoulders to try and keep me warm.

His hands were gentle as he adjusted the collar, careful not to touch my skin. His eyes were intense in the dark and he was too close. I took a deep breath, forced myself to look back towards the activity around the house, and pulled my walls tighter around me. I couldn't afford to be distracted by him. There were so many cops nearby and I was drowning in Dean and Sam's emotions with their proximity.

I was surprised by how difficult it was to keep myself closed off from Dean. I've been around Sam for days now, and keeping my wall up and myself separated from him was a non-issue. For some reason Dean's emotions seemed to buzz along the edge of my skin and it took twice as much effort as it normally did to keep him out.

It took the cops several hours to finish processing the scene. By that time my legs were cramping from crouching so long and I was shivering uncontrollably. Once the last cop car pulled away, we began to make our way back towards the Impala. I moved stiffly for the first few blocks until my cold and tired muscles began to work again. We had parked far enough away the Impala thankfully hadn't caught the attention of the officers.

We climbed into the car. I slid into the backseat, nesting deeper inside Dean's wet jacket. Dean fired up the engine and it rumbled to life. He immediately directed all of the vents towards me and cranked the heat up as high as it would go. I met his eyes in the rear view mirror and nodded my thanks. My joints ached I was so cold.

"We need to go back to the hotel," Sam said. "Erin's car is still there. Gordon made a mess of it, but I don't know enough to know what he did or if it can be fixed.

Dean nodded his agreement and drove us the ten minutes back into town. The parking lot was mostly empty, likely as a result of the gunshots, although it looked like the cops had already come and gone. It has been a busy day for the cops in town. I wondered briefly if they would find the rifle that belong to the hunter and match the slugs, which would tie this all up very neatly.

There wasn't much explanation for what he was doing here or who he was shooting at, but there was a chance they would just choose to blame it on him being a whack job. They weren't very far from the truth with that one based on what I felt of him. I wasn't sure how motivated the detectives would be in Lafayette.

Dean parked the Impala in the spot next to my SUV. He grabbed a flashlight from the glovebox, climbed out and moved towards the hood. The SUV was new enough I would have to pop it from inside for him to be able to open it. I followed him, hitting the unlock button on my key fab, but nothing happened. I hit it again.

Dean snorted and shook his head. He reached out, careful not to touch my skin, he took the keys from my hand, put the key in the door, and physically unlock the car. He lifted a smug eyebrow at me before he reached in to pop the hood. He moved around to the front of the car and handed me his flashlight.

I stepped up beside him, holding the light over his shoulder so he could see. He froze, a scowl on his face as he looked at my engine.

"Hand me that," he said holding his palm open for the flashlight. I dropped it into his hand, being extra careful to not let our skin touch.

If Dean noticed he didn't say anything. I couldn't imagine a world where he didn't notice. I wrapped my arms around my middle, huddling in his jacket, and wondering how he wasn't freezing cold, wearing only a T-shirt in the cold drizzle

I knew next to nothing about cars, so if I wasn't holding the flashlight I really I was just there as emotional support. Dean dug around under the hood for a few minutes swore a bunch, then got down on the ground and looked under the car.M m

"I think I found your problem, sweetheart," he said a moment later.

Using his free hand he pulled out the nest of wires and hoses Sam and I found earlier.

"There were puddles under there earlier," I told him.

He snorted and shook his head as he straightened. "I bet there was," he agreed.

I looked at the pile of multicolored wires, sitting on the wet pavement, and blew out of disgusted sigh. "I take it those are important?" I asked, a little sardonically.

"Yeah, a couple of them," he said. "That son of a bitch probably cost you close to an $8000 fix on this grocery getter."

That would clean out what little savings I had managed over the last few months. I scrubbed a hand over my face and glanced around. "Do you suppose this town has an auto shop that can do the repairs?"

Dean nodded. "We can call and get it towed in the morning. We should probably all get some sleep." He scooped up the pile of wires and hoses and tossed them into my backseat then locked the doors.

"Maybe we should leave it unlocked in case some wants to steal it," I said glumly.

He jut chuckled. "I don't think you'll get that lucky."

We got back into the impala, and Dean drove us to the other side of town to get a room at a different motel where Sam and I wouldn't be recognized. He went in to get a room, and I stubbornly followed, intent on getting my own. He shot me a look, but I just stared back as I waited for my turn at the counter. We checked in and they gave us adjoining rooms.

"We should all stay together."

"I'm not in danger anymore," I told him. "That Hunter just got arrested, no one is looking for me."

Dean's jaw was tight, but he didn't look like he felt like fighting about it right now, which meant he probably knew that I was right in the long run.

It was almost one in the morning when I kicked my door closed behind me. I tossed my bag on the chair beside the bed and collapsed on top of the comforter with an exhausted sigh. It had been one hell of a day.

I was just opening my bag, intending on getting in the shower when there was a knock at my door. I knew who it was, and I was seriously debating not answering. We had fallen into old habits while we were in the middle of it, but now I was pretty sure he was coming to yell at me. Either for going with Sam in the first place, or for refusing to leave and coming to his rescue. I didn't really wanna fight. I was too tired.

Dean knocked again, and I knew my time was running out. The hotel was too cheap to have those fancy key cards, which meant we had physical keys. A lock like that wouldn't keep Dean out for very long and the longer I made him wait the more he was going to get himself worked up.

I went to the door and unlocked it. I opened it and stepped back to allow him to come in. He didn't bother waiting for an invitation just marched into my room, standing in the middle of it, and turned to face me. His green eyes were snapping with temper, and I can see that he had reached the end of his ability to hold in how he felt about the whole situation. I was honestly surprised he had managed to be as patient as he had been.

"What are you doing here Beckett?" he asked his voice rough and angry

"I was about to take a shower and get some sleep," I said, deliberately misunderstanding the question.

It did nothing to ease his temper. If anything, he looked somehow more pissed off and I felt a pulse of that rage along my skin. "You know what I mean," he rumbled.

"Well, it looks like I was saving you," I said a little smugly. Had it gone the other way I wouldn't have had a leg to stand on, however, since Sam and I had to go to his rescue, there was a chance I could actually win this one. Maybe.

"That's also not what I mean and you know it," Dean growled and another pulse skated along the edge of my shield. I tightened my jaw and forced my shield one notch tighter. I couldn't fight with him if I could feel him. It was too distracting. I needed to be able to wrap myself in my own anger.

"Sam needed help," I told him and I shrugged. I wasn't going to apologize and I wasn't gonna feel bad. It really was that simple for me. Sam had done a lot for me when the demon was after me. He had risked his life multiple times to keep me safe. I owed him a lot more than a couple days of research.

"You could've gotten hurt," Dean said, his voice deceptively calm. "You wanted out of this life, and the first chance you got you jumped right back in."

"There was no danger," I snapped my temper rising. "There's no reason for me to hide at home. Sam came to me, he needed a place to stay. He was upset. He didn't feel like he had anyone he could talk to," I said pointedly and jutted my chin out stubbornly. I refused to apologize for Dean's mistakes.

"And the trip to Nebraska?" Dean growled.

"Sam needed answers, so yes we went to the roadhouse," I conceded.

"What the hell were you thinking? Going to the roadhouse?" Dean demanded his voice rising. "You didn't have anybody hunting you before, but you sure do now."

I made a noise of disgust in the back of my throat. "It's not like I walk around wearing a 'hi, I'm a psychic asked me about it' T-shirt. They had no reason to suspect anything about me other than I was a friend of Sam."

"They're smarter than that there," Dean roared. "Now, they know about you and now they're gonna be curious. Sam should've never taken you there!"

"It wasn't a risky move," I argued. "You aren't my keeper, Dean. Sam needed a friend and it was only research. Research is not dangerous."

"And then what? You took a wrong turn on the way home and ended up in Indiana?" He challenged.

I shot him an exhausted glare. "We were investigating someone who had already died. At worst it would be a ghost, and I have built-in ghost radar," I said, pointing at my head.

Dean shifted at how flippantly I referred to my ability. But that was just fine. The last few days had been exhausting and stressful, and Dean was a perfect outlet for me to get out my anger and frustration. He had walked into my room and made himself a target.

"So what? Gordon just happened to stumble upon the two of you? Gordon's a Hunter and he knows about you now. He heard about you through the connections at the roadhouse. Gordon is the type of hunter that will hunt you. The kind Jack is worked to keep you safe from," Dean snarled pointing at my chest.

I swallowed, but I refuse to let the fear I felt show on my face. I wouldn't go down that path. Bringing up Jack had been a low blow.

Dean scrubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. "You and Sam are too reckless by half," he said more softly this time.

"You're the one who got kidnapped," I reminded him.

"When I stopped Gordon from shooting at you!"

I huffed out in impatient sigh. I was mad that he was right and I couldn't argue with that point even though I wanted to. "I certainly wasn't going to leave once you had been taken."

"I was fine," Dean started to say.

"You had been kidnapped by a psychotic Hunter. You weren't fine. And I wasn't going to drive home when you weren't safe."

I felt him about to argue. "Don't you dare," I snapped at him. "You wouldn't have left if I was in danger, Dean Winchester."

He locked his jaw and ground his teeth. He knew he couldn't argue with my logic. "Look," he said, "We'll get your car taken care of and bring you back home, and you can go back to your life and pretend like none of this happened."

"What about Gordon?" I asked.

"It looks like he is going to be serving a long time given the arsenal he had in that car. Just gotta be safe and watch your back. Get some sleep," Dean said, his shoulders sagging as he headed towards the door. He paused and turned back to me a surprisingly soft look in his eyes. "Are you all right?" he asked gently.

"Me?" I asked in surprise. Of the three of us I had been the least injured. I frowned as I got a better look at Dean's face. Gordon had hit him at one point. There was bruising along his cheek bone. I reached up, my fingers lightly touching his skin. He held perfectly still as I inspected his face. I frowned, it looked painful.

"Not broken," he told me after letting me check him over.

I nodded and stepped back, taking my hand back. I shouldn't have touched him, I knew that. It was too tempting.

He opened the door and was about to step through when I spoke again.

"Dean."

He stopped and looked back at me. His eyes were tired and bloodshot. I didn't know what I wanted to say. So many things, so many things that I didn't know how to say.

The way he and I had left things last time was fine, but I didn't know how to act around him now. I didn't know what he wanted and I didn't know what I wanted and I hated that. I hated not knowing where things stood between us.

I wanted to reach out and touch him again. My memory hadn't done Dean justice. He was just so beautiful. The wet t-shirt clinging to his chest and shoulders perfectly showing off his muscles didn't hurt. It was downright distracting.

Without something better to say and needing to do something with my hands, I picked up his jacket and handed it to him. "Thank you," I said gently.

His expression was unreadable as he stared down at me. "Get some sleep, sweetheart," Dean said and he closed the door behind him.

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Dean
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I was too torqued up to go back to my room with Sammy. I needed to give him a piece of my mind, but I needed to calm down first. Confronting Erin had done nothing to make me feel better about what had happened at the Roadhouse.

I sighed. The roadhouse. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Ellen. I needed to give her an update and find out what exactly Gordon had meant. When she answered I explained everything that had happened since I last spoke with her.

"Gordon Walker was hunting Sam?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, he nearly killed Sammy and Beckett all because somebody over there can't keep their stupid mouth shut," I was feeling too raw to have this conversation with her.

"And you think it was me or Ash or Jo? No way," she snapped dismissively.

I hated to think one of them could have betrayed us. "Nobody else knows about Sam, you must've been talking to somebody."

"We are not disloyal and we ain't stupid."

"Gordon said he had roadhouse connections Ellen," I growled dangerously.

Ellen made a dismissive noise. "This bar is full of hunters. Hell there's a dozen sitting right here right now that could've put this together. They're all smart and good trackers and your brother marched that cute little psychic friend of yours right up to our front door and there was nothing I could do to stop it," she paused and took a deep breath as though she also needed to calm down. "Dean, I love you both, but Sam put a target on their backs and I'm sorry but you're gonna have to deal with the consequences."

I breathed through calming myself down. Ellen was right, and it was unlikely they had betrayed us. I hadn't wanted to think of her or Jo doing such a thing, but it had been the obvious option.

"All right, all right," I agreed and I fought back a yawn. Now that I was calm, I was exhausted.

"Is everyone okay?" Ellen asked after a beat. She always been warm with Sam and I. We had never had a mother but I imagined this was what it would feel like.

"Yeah Ellen, we're all good," I promised her.

"That's real good honey," Ellen said "you take good care of Sam and Erin. She seems like a real nice girl," Ellen said and I could hear a hint of point in her tone.

"Leave it alone, Ellen," I said.

She chuckled warmly. "Well, I didn't get the impression she was hanging around for Sam," Ellen said, and she laughed again. "It'll break Jo's heart."

"There's nothing there," I told Ellen and I think we both knew I was lying

"All right sweetie you get some rest all right," she said. "You check in from time to time so I don't worry."

"All right, will do. Thanks Ellen," I disconnected and slid my phone into my back pocket.

Sammy had just gotten out of the shower when I walked back into our room. He was drying his hair, and he looked surprised to see me.

"What?" I demanded.

Sammy shrugged and tried to arrange his face in an innocent expression which didn't really work that well.

"Are you done yelling at Erin?"

I did not want to talk about Erin with my brother. I should've said something else before I left her. She stood there and looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes and I had stupidly walked away.

I haven't seen her in months and I missed her. I never missed anybody, but there was something special about Beckett, I should've thanked her for coming, for looking at Sammy, for being a good friend. I should've thanked her for risking her life to rescue me, and making sure that Sam was taken care of and didn't get himself in over his head.

But instead all I had done was puke ugliness all over her. She never looked like she was using her voodoo on me, I could usually tell when she was. That thin line would form between her eyes when she concentrated. I don't know if it made me feel better or worse. If she had used it, she would've at least know that I hadn't meant half the ugliness that poured out of my mouth. But then again, if she hadn't used it, then she didn't feel how much I had missed her and how much I wanted to kiss her in that moment standing in the doorway.

"Yeah," I responded. "Your turn."

"Great," Sam said sarcastically

"What the hell were you thinking Sammy," I demanded, shaking my head. "You brought her to the roadhouse do you know what kind of a target that makes her. Now goddamn Gordon knows about her." I said, gesturing towards the wall that separated our room.

"Gordon is in jail," Sam said. "And he will be for a long time."

"He's got friends, Sam, you think he's not gonna want payback? Between the last two times we've made an enemy of him and he thinks Erin is something that should be hunted. Goddamnit man this is serious I don't know how to get that through your head."

"I screwed up Dean," he said. "I had no reason to think it was dangerous to bring her to the roadhouse. They are our friends. Besides, it's not like I introduced her as my friend the psychic."

"It's also not like you travel with a woman very often," I snapped back.

"I'm confused," Sammy said, "are you mad at me because I took off and did this on my own or are you mad at me because you think that I endangered Erin?"

"Beckett is beside the point, man we got to work together on this."

"Oh, you mean how dad wanted us to?" Sammy asked sarcastically.

"Dude, if you ever run off like that again..." I threatened.

"What?" Sammy asked lifting his chin defiantly. "You'll kill me?"

"Dude, not funny."

I was too damn tired to keep fighting. I hung my head and gave it a shake. "Sammy we got to figure this out," I told him. "Okay? We'll work on it. We'll get Beckett squared away and out of here and then we'll figure it out. I promise, but you can't run from me. You gotta let me help you."

Sam nodded although he didn't look very convinced. That was fine. He had every right to be angry with me. I was shit at handling this kind of thing and I didn't know what I was supposed to do or how we were supposed to move forward.

"Let me grab a shower," I told him tossing my jacket over the back of one of the chairs.

Sam nodded again. "How is Erin?" He asked.

"Pissed as hell at me," I said, and I moved over to the bed. I unzipped my duffle bag and started pulling out my bathroom stuff.

"Can you blame her?" Sam asked.

I paused for a second and thought about it, then shook my head. "No, I don't blame her." And it was the truth.

When I got out of the shower, Sam was holding his phone to his ear with a disgruntled frown on his face

"What's up?"

"Nothing," Sam said unconvincingly. Then he shook his head and kept going. "That girl, Ava, the other psychic I told you about."

I nodded so he would know I was following. "The cute girl."

He gave me look but kept going. "Well I was just calling to make sure she made it home okay," Sam said.

"Why?" I asked. Not caring if it made me sound like a jackass. She wasn't anything to us.

"Why? Because she helped me," Sam said. "She didn't have to come here. She didn't have to put herself in danger but she did. She's a good person. I'll send her a text and maybe she'll get back to me tomorrow."

"Yeah." I agreed. But Sam didn't look convinced.

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