The Witch and the Hunter

Montana, 2009

It had been a tough one and Haley was still beating herself over it. It was an exorcism and a really difficult one. Well… the exorcism was easy part since it was sending a demon to the pit. Her juju pulled the demon out just like that and the girl was free. But after that… Haley pulled out the beer and leaned against the railing in front of her and gazed out at the night sky and took a sip.

The girl was fine after the exorcism but that was when a terrible dark secret was known. She was going to leave with Aaron when something happened to the family of the girl. It was just luck that they were still in the area.

The house was a blazing inferno when they pulled up or rather Aaron dropped them over. She raced in to pull out the single mom and her two daughters from the fire. The youngest she had sobbing in her shoulder but the eldest… that was something that she didn't expect to see. And that was after she had a startling message from the least likely of sources.

"Never thought to see a witch in these parts."

Haley was dragged out of her thoughts when she heard that husky voice that made her legs feel like jelly. It belonged to the man that drew her the moment she first laid eyes upon him in Lakota with those hazel green eyes and that endearing smirk that had conquered a many one night stands. Yet he always had a special look just for her.

He was looking at her that way as she diverted her gaze down from the night sky. He was giving that special smirk for her which she secretly dubbed the killer smile. She smirked back and replied, "Well witches do like to… do their own thing."

Dean Winchester chuckled a bit while still smirking at her. He countered while taking a couple of steps forward, "And… what is this witch's own thing?"

Haley smiled at Dean. She was happy to see him. It had been a long time since they had their last get together. And that time she was the one that tracked him down and then… That was a 'hunt' to remember. She almost had the upper hand on that one. She looked at him and her smile sobered slightly, "Trying to figure out why things are what they are."

It used to startle her when Dean would move fast and then come up behind her to get one up on her. He would sneak up behind her and then wrap those strong arms around her waist, his breath upon the nape of her neck, and to hear his voice… Now she wasn't but rather she liked it. She looked at him as she felt his breath over her shoulder and he asked, "What about?"

Haley looked at Dean's hazel green eyes. She wanted to tell him but it wasn't fair really. They didn't always have time to be together as much as they liked. It was the job and while she longed to travel with him, she sensed it wasn't right. Besides their thing would be in the way of the budding relationship between her friend and his brother. "Just the job."

Dean wasn't going to have none of it. He had tracked down Haley when he heard rumors of a witch in these parts. The details were sketchy but he knew enough to pick up on Haley's work. What he had heard though had him concerned. He put a hand around her and crooned, "Tell me."

Haley felt the familiar shivers of pleasure that always came when Dean Winchester used his powers of seduction on her. She could feel his breath on her neck and his fingers brushing her hair and the slight press of his forehead to the side of her head. All towards the effort of persuading her to tell him. She could play his game though. "Nothing but the job. The good…" She turned to pull away from him and took in his slight pout but it was tinged with that gleam in his eye. She started running her finger up the side of his neck and fingered his jawline. "The bad… and the ugly." She fingered his chin and flicked her finger upward with a slight smirk.

Dean looked at her and chuckled. He was still concerned. "I heard about the fire. Thought you knew how to handle it."

"I do." Haley knew what he was after. She held up her hand and made a fire ball appear and hovering just over her palm. She looked at Dean and smirked, "And you know how dangerous playing with fire is."

Dean stepped forward and put his hand on the ball of fire, complete trust in his expression, and then squashed it so his hand touched hers. The flame blew out with a slight pucker of flames as their hands touched. "I do but… Hale… I heard about what happened."

Haley looked at their hands and then at his hazel green eyes. She sighed. She knew that he was persistent. It was a common thing with the Winchesters in general. It depended upon what it was they were persistent about. "What did you hear?"

"Just that you exorcised a demon and that there was more to it." Dean put his other hand underneath hers and started caressing it with his fingers. His other hand on the palm started moving up her arm and gently fingering the skin. "That the kid wasn't all…" He gave a slight shrug and looked at her.

Haley let him finger her arm for a moment before stopping him. At his look, she answered, "I looked into that girl and all I saw was nothing… blackness. It was terrifying."

"I'm sorry about that Hale."

"It's not your fault. It was just something that was unexpected."

It wasn't nothing to Dean and he pulled her close and held her with her back pressed to his chest. "Still I'm sorry."

Haley closed her eyes as she was pressed to his chest. She then twisted to face him. "And I'm sorry too." She gave him a playful slap on his cheek and gave a smile. "For letting my guard down around you, Winchester."

Dean gave a playful narrow gaze at her. "I still can gank you."

"Try." Haley gave a slight smile as she turned and headed towards her room, leaving her beer in Dean's hand. She knew that he would follow and she was right when she heard the clink of the glass bottle on the pavement. She only turned when she was at the door and gave a smile and taunted, "Catch me if you can… hunter."

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

Wisconsin, 2012

Dean took a deep breath as he looked around the ground feeling like an idiot. He moved a bush trying to look for the correct plant thinking that it was fine time to try and play herbal doctor. The job involved going back to some ritual thingie that his girl had undergone a couple of years ago in order to take care of the nasty spirit of a pissed off shaman. And it had him look at his girl looking like a zombie while she did whatever it was she did and it didn't help that the village they were in came under attack.

It was a fight to protect her since any disturbance she would feel and it would break her connection. So he and Sam along with the others mounted up a defense. And it ended up with Sam paying the price in terms of injury. Well they both suffered a couple of hits but a stab wound with a poisoned blade had him out here looking for the herb to counteract it. And he didn't have much time since Sam's life was on the line.

Dean looked through the brush. He knew what he was looking for and was grateful that he managed in some form or another to keep up being the sorcerer's apprentice. It was something that bonded him to his girl, his sister, apart from their apparent fondness for his baby and for classic muscle in general. He also picked up an appreciation for fast cars from her and an appreciation of her ability to craft pretty cool weapons. It was why he was anxious to find what was needed; he saw the look on her face when she came out of it and she was told about Sam being poisoned.

He was too busy trying to find what he needed that he didn't suspect anyone sneaking upon him. He didn't know until he felt the pointed tip of a very familiar staff press just under his chin and it was close enough to deal a killing blow. He paused in what he was doing.

"What's this? A hunter and a Winchester no less being caught off his guard?"

Dean turned slowly to look up. He saw the woman that was like a balm to his soul no matter how deep in the shit he got into. She was looking stunner in her clothing that looked like it belonged in the middle ages but it went well with the modern times especially with the cape she was wearing. He looked up into her green eyes and took in her stern expression and noted the slight teasing glint in her eyes. He lifted his hands slowly and replied, "You caught me Hale."

Haley looked at the elder Winchester with a serious expression. She noted what he was holding and lowered her staff just enough. "And a disappointment that is," she replied with a firm expression.

Dean stood up and looked at her. There was a lot to talk about since the last time. He looked back at her and said, "I've been busy."

"So it would it seem." She then turned and bent over to pick up the herb that he was trying to collect. She collected a few bunches.

Dean watched her and said, "Hale… I'm sorry."

"There will be time to talk later. Right now Sam is the issue." Haley turned and looked up at Dean before looking back down. "And you should have called before going through with this. Still trying to prove the hunter can do everything?"

"You know it's not that," Dean countered a bit angrily as he bent to pick more of the herb. He didn't know how much they needed but as his girl said, it didn't hurt to have extra. "I didn't want you getting hurt. Not after the last thing with the juju… stuff."

"That was part of my advancement."

"Yeah sure. Watching you get tortured and cut like that…"

"It was designed so that I face my fears and come out stronger for it." Haley turned to look at Dean. Her eyes flared slightly from temper and signified that she had grown in her power. She held his gaze for a moment before looking back down to finish collecting what was needed. "I needed to face the real possibility of it coming true."

"What coming true?"

"That I could lose you." Haley had stood up and tucked the herbs into her pouch. She looked at Dean and held his gaze. "I lost you to the hellhounds. I lost you Purgatory. And don't even mention the time that those asshat hunters shot you and Sam."

Dean watched as Haley turned and started heading back towards the village. He had overreacted to her 'coming of age' with her powers and it was because he was scared. He was scared for her, that she might lose who she was and become something that he would have to hunt. He didn't want that. "Hale…"

"We need to get these to Sam."

Dean sighed knowing that she wasn't going to talk about it until the immediate problem was taken care of. He followed her in silence. He knew she was upset but he didn't hesitate to notice that she didn't move away from him when he sidled closer. He still held her heart, her favor. That meant he still had a chance.

As it turned out, they didn't need the herb. Dean shouldn't have been surprised since his girl did what she always did with matters concerning Sam. She purged his brother of the poison much like she would a demon from a human. It was painful obviously to Sam but he was going to be okay and would be well protected while he slept it off. That meant time between him and Haley to talk. And they needed it. The problem was that it was never easy and it was one of the few times he could understand Sam's plight at times.

He found Haley looking at the night sky, namely the moon near the edge of the camp. It was a dangerous position but he could get her apprehension, if she had any. He approached softly and came up behind her saying, "Thought I'd find you here."

"I left you a trail. A novice could find me."

Dean hissed at that and joked, "Ouch." He took a step forward so he could get a peek at her face. "Well I am out of practice. You did get the jump on me." He gave a grin for good measure.

"Please. You're easy Winchester."

Dean sighed at that. He heard the terseness of her voice. "Hale… I am sorry about everything. I don't have a problem with the juju thing. Never did."

"But you were willing to jeopardize what my trials meant." Haley turned to look at him.

"Only because what I saw scared me." Dean paused to calm himself since yelling wasn't going to get them anywhere and he wanted privacy. He shifted on his feet and risked getting punished by grabbing her hands. "Hale, I know you use your powers to do what I do. I don't doubt that. But when you started… evolving… it scared me. I was and still am afraid that it might tempt you to change and into someone I know you are not. Hale… I don't want to hunt you."

Haley looked at Dean and the earnest look on his face. "And I don't want to find out that you've died and then came back without you telling me again." She paused and looked at the ground for a moment. "I know that what we do has its risks. I am afraid to lose you, afraid of losing you and not being able to say good bye."

Dean couldn't help it and he put a hand on her cheek and drew her into a kiss. He drew it out pausing to take a breath and say, "I'm sorry Hale." He kissed her again.

Haley heard the meaning within those three words. He never really said it and she knew his feelings but just once… She broke the kiss and slapped him, not too hard but enough to feel it. "How dare you kiss me?"

Dean held his chin and twisted his jaw. Sam would tell him that he was seriously down a path of crash and burn but… He followed her as she flounced aways from him. "You know I never meant to hurt you."

"Pff."

Dean realized it was going to be that way. "Hale," he put his hand on her shoulder. He was surprised when she reacted and flipped him onto his back.

"Consider that your forgiveness."

Dean grunted and looked up at the sky before looking at her. With a quick swipe of his legs, he had her on the ground and he pinned her down. He gave a cocky grin and replied, "So I should piss you off more?"

Haley narrowed her eyes and her lip curled into a smirk. She then grinned coyly as she replied, "No." She then used her abilities to push him off her and he landed on his back on a pile of moss. She pounced on him and straddled his waist. "You just have to be that insufferable you."

Dean growled at her playfully and wrestled with her until he had her pinned in a move she never could get out of. He thought though that she said that more to stroke his ego since he had seen her fight. He looked at her and his gaze softened. His fingers loosened around her wrists where he had them pinned. "I am sorry Hale."

"You're always sorry," she replied taking a couple of deep breaths from the exertion. There was no heat to her words.

"Because I love you."

Haley looked up at him and breathed, "What?"

"I love you Hale," Dean repeated. He had always loved her and had did the showing and the between the lines thing. He tried to tell her multiple times but couldn't and yet she understood his feelings… just as he understood hers. This time though he could say it.

"I love you," she whispered.

Dean grinned and leaned down and kissed her, releasing her from her hold. He yelped when she did that lightning trick she did on his thigh but it turned into a chuckle when she hummed her laugh into the kiss. He growled and muttered, "I'm gonna get you."

"Just you try… Hunter."

A/N: Just another look at Haley/Dean and how their relationship is. Submitted for #soulmatemonth on DeviantArt. Enjoy.