Title: And God Created Woman

Rating: T

Pairing: Dean/Caroline(/Amanda); mentions of Alaric/Caroline

Warnings: Language, minor sequences of violence and sexual situations

Important Note: Sorry for any OOCness, this is my first time writing for Dean (Supernatural in general). Dean and Caroline are 24; Alaric (I'm thinking season one of TVD) is 27

Alternate History: Instead of meeting Cassie, Dean runs into Amanda again, now going by the name Caroline and traveling with fellow hunter Alaric Saltzman.

I

Athens, Ohio, 2003

"Christo," She breathed eyeing her companion suspiciously as he reentered the room.

Alaric rolled his eyes and strode past her, friendly grin etched on his scruffy face; double-barreled shotgun at the ready. He was an experienced hunter—he'd been teaching her the tricks of trade little by little for almost six years now. Years of blood, sweat and aches in places she never thought possible. But it was worth it. She was now able to protect herself from all the things that went bump in the night…the thing that had murdered her parents.

"Find anything?" He asked. His hazel eyes were directed at her as he spoke, the barrel of his gun pointed away from her. They'd been in town for a few days working a job; three missing girls, all disappeared within the time frame of a week; they did not run in the same social circles at the local high school or share any extracurricular activities.

"Nothing yet," Caroline sighed, her eyes locked on Ric. The missing persons' reports littering the table back at their hotel room all had the abandoned address listed as an old residence. The blonde had found it particularly odd considering what she knew about the girls; it was her understanding that they had seemingly never met before or for that matter of any relation.

"Keep looking." Alaric muttered gesturing her to continue on. He disappeared from the room, into the darkness of the foyer. Caroline gave the area one more glance before following suit, traveling down the eerie corridor of the soundless home. She headed for the basement stairs, the flashlight she held illuminating the way for her. As of yetno bodies have been found…There was the possibility a vampire nest had made its way to Athens but something inside her told her that was not the case and the only thing linking them was a seriously Amityville-like house in the middle of Nowhere, Ohio.

She made her way down the basement stairs carefully. She could hear the distinct sound of feet shuffling overhead—Ric, she concluded. An unexpected chill assailed her body the moment she reached the bottom. Her eyes narrowed as she moved across the space. The entire room was shrouded in darkness and the peculiar feeling of being watched had the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck standing at attention. She felt like she was standing in the middle of a precipice, unsure of what to make of the spot. She had been able to sense things; ever since she woke up in the hospital with Alaric hovering over her, posing as an FBI agent; asking questions about her parents. She had been catatonic, unable to speak or even formulate any kind of sense as to what happened to them. For some reason he'd taken pity on her…told her of the world she could only ever imagine in her worst nightmare. And when she asked him to teach her everything he knew there had been this look of sheer understanding on his youthful countenance.

Caroline felt her stomach clench, sensing a presence looming over her. A hand grasped her shoulder firmly, fingers pressed into the pale flesh making her jump, startled. Without hesitation in her movements, she swiftly turned on the heel of her boot; hand moving to the sheath secured at her waist and expertly sliding out her dagger.

"Whoa," Alaric drew back, raising his hands in surprise at her quick and unexpected reaction. His gaze reflected on the glint of the blade pointed at him. "Let's not kill the guy with the car keys."

"Sorry." The woman mumbled, returning the offending weapon to its place. There was a conspicuous shift in his mood as she stood before him, cheeks flushed in embarrassment that she almost maimed him. "I think paranoia is setting in."

He acknowledged her ill attempt at humor and offered a soft chuckle in return. "Lucky you have me here to protect you then."

Caroline scoffed, nudging him away from her as she paced the basement floor. Ric followed closely behind, falling into step beside her. A broad grin adorned his face. It was strange how quickly their friendship had developed within their first few weeks together. On the road, sharing grungy hotel rooms, and having every meal together…the trust that had developed between them through the course of jobs they had taken on was unexplainable. They'd forged a powerful bond; and Alaric was always so quick to overlook any minor hitches that arose simply because, as he put it, she was the only woman he could trust to have his back.

"In your dreams, maybe," She said lightly, sliding him a glance as they came to a stop in front of a steel door.

"Only the good ones," The man agreed, flashing a toothy smile; he turned his attention to the secured entrance. It appeared to be a hatch. A panic room most likely. He ran a hand over the cool metal of the door, "How about we crack thi—"

He paused, a chill creeping up his spine as cool breath tickled the nape of his neck.

"You shouldn't be here," An unsettling voice declared from behind. They turned toward the sound, eyes falling on the form of a young girl. She was ghastly pale, dark rings rounding her eyes, lips drained of any lively hue of color…there was something about her that was oddly familiar though.

"Wha—" She felt a tap at her arm, eyes sliding to her companion who nodded his head at something he hopped would catch her attention. Her blue orbs returned to the girl, trailing down the white nightgown she wore until they fell upon a spot of discoloration. Blood. It appeared as if she had been stabbed.

Caroline opened her mouth to speak…ghost flashed in her head as the little girl eyed them darkly, lips set in a thin line. She tensed; this was not their first encounter with a spirit, but it was the first time it was in the visage of a little girl. Usually it was an old man or middle-aged woman wanting revenge on someone.

"Do you know what happened to them?" Caroline asked, finding her voice. She took a hesitant step toward the projection; her hand moving slowly to her hip, readying herself for an attack. She knew better than to underestimate anything within the supernatural realm, "the girls that are missing?"

She was faintly startled by Ric grabbing a hold of her wrist, keeping her from closing the space between her and the girl.

The ghost's mouth twisted into a scowl, her countenance morphing into one more menacing.

"Get out!" She growled out before vanishing.

They stood there for a moment in silence after she had disappeared. There was a first time for everything she supposed, following Ric as he retreated up the stairs. The floorboards creaked under his feet as they made their way out of the home to his car parked a good deal away. The man was always paranoid something might happen to his baby if he had it too close to home.

"Why are we leaving?" Caroline breathed, opening up the door to the passenger side and sliding in beside the man. He turned in his seat to stare at her, a familiar look on his face as he started the vehicle, a 1981 Chevrolet El Camino.

"One, I didn't bring my salt," Alaric said, pulling away from the home, "And two, we need to find her remains."

"I think I've seen her before," She informed him, turning in time to catch his surprised expression, "I'm going to take another look at our research…I think there is something we're missing."

He nodded in agreement. They had a long night ahead of them.

II

It was early in the morning when Dean ducked into Bree's Bar. He'd been driving for what seemed like hours to get here; Athens, Ohio—hill after hill of scenery. His father had left him in the middle of the night to pursue another case, a possible banshee in a small North Carolina town. He had left behind a simple message: finish the hunt. John Winchester was not the type of man to leave during a hunt, but Dean saw it as his chance to finally prove to his father that he could work a job on his own.

He'd made it into town, driving nine hours straight and hunger had finally set in. A few patrons eyed him as he walked past and he gave a quick nod in greeting. He claimed an empty seat at an unoccupied table meant for two. He sighed as his gaze swept across the establishment. There were a few people by the pool tables playing; he made a note to challenge them later, he was running short on cash.

"What can I get for you handsome?" A honeyed voice asked and he turned his attention to the redheaded waitress standing before his table. She had a pleasant enough face for someone significantly older than him. His eyes zeroed in on the nametag that identified her: Joan.

"I'll have a coffee, black, a cheeseburger, extra onions," Dean said, smirk twitching at his lips as he added smoothly, "and for dessert…apple-pie and a slice for you too, Joan."

Joan gave him a wide grin, nodding as she jotted down his order. "I'll have that out for you in a jiffy."

Dean watched as she sauntered away, eyes trailing down her swaying hips and legs. Another pair of legs caught his attention as Joan disappeared behind the bar. His gaze traveled up the suede, fringed boots; up slender legs clad in tight, faded jeans. The lace corset top she wore showed off her bare, porcelain white shoulders. Her hair was pinned up, a few curls hanging loosely at her shoulders. She appeared to be reading something.

Smiling with confidence, he stood to his feet and paced to the end of the room where she sat, near the bar. As he drew closer he caught sight of what she was reading, documents tucked inside a manila folder.

"Hey, can I buy—" He inquired, hovering over her at a distance that would not raise alarm. He paused as she turned in her seat. The moment his eyes fell on her face it as like he was a teenager again, standing in the middle of Truman High getting dumped. Her blue orbs widened under his stare, brow furrowed. The charming smile that had been on his face faltered slightly.

Her lips quivered as her gaze shifted to the amulet hanging around his neck; recognizing its unique wearer.

"Dean?" She breathed out in disbelief, setting down the folder she had been skimming through. He swallowed thickly as she said his name. He could not believe it. After all these years she still remembered him. "Dean Winchester?"

He nodded. "It's been a long time. Y—you look good, Amanda."

"Actually, I go by Caroline now," She said smiling weakly as he took the vacant seat in front of her, a look of confusion gracing his face, "Long story."

Dean cocked his head at her. "Well, Caroline, it's really good to see you."

She smiled softly back at him. She had always had the most beautiful smile, he recalled. And she had also been the first girl to dump him. He was surprised she wasn't running for the hills now, since he'd practically made a fool of himself in front of her and half the school after their breakup.

"It's good to see you too, Dean," Caroline murmured, staring into the familiar green orbs that had once held her girlish affections. He felt an unfamiliar pang in his chest at the sound of his name on her tongue. "How have you been? How's your brother—Sam?"

He was surprised she remembered Sammy; it was not as if he had ever introduced them, though he recalled her mentioning once she'd seen the way he had been with his brother; something about the way he acted toward Sam she found endearing.

"I've been good," Dean replied, as his mind worked to formulate an answer for her second question. It had been over eight months since he last spoke to his brother. "Sammy's good. He's attending Stanford."

Caroline appeared impressed, smiling at the reveal.

She jumped a bit when her cell phone suddenly rang. She sent Dean an apologetic look before retrieving it from her pocket and checking the screen. Alaric. She hit ignore, promising to make it up to the man later.

"Boyfriend?" Dean asked eyeing the name that flashed across the display. Caroline suppressed the urge to laugh. The idea of dating Alaric, though physically appealing as the man may be, was as likely to happen as an apocalypse.

She shook her head, pocketing the phone and returning his gaze. "No, he is my—business partner. He's probably calling to make sure I make it to our briefing."

Dean nodded in understanding, the smile returning to his face. She stood up, pulling out a pen from the satchel hanging from her seat and scribbling down something on a stray bar napkin.

"I'm going to be in town for a few more days. We should get together and have drinks," She continued, sliding the napkin, with her number etched neatly upon it, across the tabletop to him. She collected her folder and sent him a final look.

"I would like that," Dean said, watching as she slid the folder into her satchel before pulling the bag over her head and leaving it to rest on her naked shoulder. He recalled the taste of vanilla they had harbored whenever he'd kissed them…the soft feel of them under his probing fingers.

"Is tomorrow night good? Maybe around nine?" She inquired hesitantly, unsure of his reply. She was running late on Alaric, something she knew he would forgive. It was just strange seeing Dean again. He had been the first boy she loved and then he had cheated on her. It had been but a distant memory until his sudden appearance. And that same warm feeling she used to get anytime he looked at her came rushing back.

He nodded in reply, vocalizing a yes as she began to back away from him. She hadn't been scared off…He remembered her walking away from him before. But this time felt different. It did not feel like it was the end of something. It felt like only the beginning. His relationship with Amanda had ended the moment he cheated on her, but she was not the same Amanda he remembered. She was different; he was different—somewhat. There was something in her now that had not been there before. And he intended to find out what it was, just as he would discover the source of the disappearances that riddled the town.

Dean blew out a breath and turned in his seat. He peeked through the window of the kitchen's double doors as his stomach rumbled in unattended hunger. "Where is my food?"

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review telling me what you think. Also, please check out my Caroline/Draco crossover fic "Of Bonds and Blood" and tell me what you think in a review.