Summary - What if Sam wasn't the only one who was around Dean the last three months before his deal was up? What if there was someone else. This story follows Sam, Dean, and Apple, my original character as they try to get Dean out of his deal; though Apple doesn't exactly know about Dean's deal until it's almost too late. What happens if they can't save him? Is Dean really gone forever?

Disclaimer - This follows the last six episodes of season three, I just added my own character into the mix and a few more things. I don't own any of the characters or the episodes, just Apple and the plot following the last episode. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'd also appreciate reviews, or anything just so I know how I'm doing with this. My first SPN fanfic, so yeah, I'd like to know what you guys think.

Prologue

It had been almost one year and that stupid leather jacket still smelled like him; like soap, leather, and just him. Why? It had been almost one year and he was still gone. She had expected him to fight his way out, fight his way back to herself, and Sam. He had said he would always be there to protect the two of them. Why had it taken him so long?

From the beginning, Apple had had a feeling that he was not come back. As much as she had wanted to believe him, she knew. Still, had tried to have faith. After everything they had been through together, how could she even begin to have faith? The man she had loved was taken from her just three months after having met him and his brother. Would you be able to have faith after that?

The look she and Sam had shared after they realized he was not coming back was burned into her brain. When they had both realized his chest was not moving up and down as it should have been, and those brilliant emerald eyes were not shinning as they had for so long, it hit them. Their world had ended.

this could be a brand new start
Chapter One!

Apple was not exactly the best hunter in the world. She was clumsy as hell and that was often a liability. At least that was what her family had impressed on her. They had ditched her after her twenty-second birthday and for some reason Apple didn't mind that much. She knew it would happen. She and her family were different. While they were steadfast in their hunts, always sure to get in and get out as fast as possible, she took the time to check on the families that suffered through loss and was always sure to be thorough with her research. Her family didn't care. They wanted to get the job over and done with so they could move on. They treated her like she was always in their way, like she was never able to keep up with them.

She let out a sigh as she wandered the roads at ten in the morning and looked for a ride. She hated when she had to hitchhike. Mainly those that stopped were greasy old truck drivers who looked for an innocent girl to take advantage of. Well, that was what Apple had experienced. But they always drove away with a nice broken nose or black eye to remember her by. She was sure that was not the 'good time' they had been looking for.

Apple sat down on the side of the road and let out a groan. She was tired, exhausted. She more then anything wanted a bed to sleep in already, even if it was one in a crappy motel room one. She hated being on her own. Maybe that was a lie, but it could get pretty lonely. At least with her family she had someone to talk to, even if they had secretly conspired to ditch her first chance they got. Some family right? Whatever, Apple did not care anymore. She could do better on her own; everyone else would know it too. If only she could get someone to take her somewhere close to the town her next hunt was in.

Apple settled down on the soft grass and had used her backpack as a pillow. She hoped to get maybe an hour or two of sleep in the cool shade of a grove of trees. It felt good to get a little bit of rest. Her eyes closed and she let out a soft breath. The sound of the grass being moved by the wind was what lulled her to sleep.

& &

Sam rested comfortably in the passenger seat of the Impala. The breeze from the rolled down windows felt pretty good against his face. His hazel eyes watched the trees as they passed by them. They were moving so fast they all looked like blurs; towering green and brown blurs. He looked over at Dean and laughed at the way his brother met his gaze with those goofy sunglasses he so often wore and gave him a toothy grin. He was so carefree in the black, '67 Chevrolet Impala. Sam turned his gaze back to the window and that was when he spotted something person-like in a field of grass beneath a cluster of trees. It did not move at all and that made him tell Dean to turn the car around.

Neither of the Winchester boys were sure of what it was. Dead body, or tired bum?

& &

"Can I poke her with a stick?" A deep voice asked in almost a whisper. What the hell?

"Dean! You cannot poke her with a stick. Dean! Put the stick down." Yet another voice replied, this voice just as quiet as the first. Something gently prodded at her side. Had he seriously poked her with a stick? Again, what the hell?

Apple lowered her sunglasses and turned over. "Can I help you with something?" she asked as she quirked a dark colored eyebrow at the two rather attractive men. They both seemed surprised at the fact that she had spoken to them. Had they seriously thought she was dead?

"From the looks of it, I think we should be asking if you need the help," the shorter one of the pair shot back. Apple looked him over. She took in his emerald colored eyes, his close cropped hair that seemed almost blond in the light but she determined it was more of a light brown color. He was well built, and had an air of confidence about him that Apple found to be impressive.

Apple climbed to her feet and brushed the grass off of her jeans before she straightened her shirt. She bent down and picked her bag up, as well as her backpack. She threw the latter over her shoulder. Again, she eyed the pair. Curiosity was in her eyes. Why had the guys stopped? It dawned on her then, from where she had been laid out, anyone would stop. There was reason to suspect she had been hurt or something along those lines.

"What are you doing laying out here in the middle of nowhere?" the other man inquired. Apple turned her attention to him now, looking him over. He was the taller of the two, and instantly reminded her of a puppy dog. His eyes were a nice mixture of brown and green and his hair was shaggy, bangs hanging slightly into his eyes. To Apple, he looked kind and caring, something his brother didn't seem to let off.

"Well..." It occurred to her that the three of them hadn't introduced themselves yet. She looked at the taller one expectantly. Apple waited for him to introduce himself and the shorter man first. They were the ones that had stopped after all, there was no way she was going to release her identity to them first.

Sam looked at the brunette woman for a minute, puzzled, before the other man elbowed him. Then it clicked, she was expecting him to tell her their names. He felt like an idiot for a second before he offered her a smile to apologize. "Oh right. Sorry, I'm Sam and this is my older brother Dean."

"Nice to meet you Sam and Dean. I'm Apple." The brothers exchanged a look as she spoke her name. Apple was used to this kind of thing. It was an odd name to give a kid after all. She smiled at the boys before she spoke again. "I was hitchhiking actually. But I didn't see any cars coming and I'd been walking for most of morning. I just decided to take a little nap, until one of you poked me with a stick." Apple looked pointedly at Dean before she chuckled.

Sam shared yet another look with Dean before he placed his hand on Apple's shoulder. "Where are you headed to?"

"Brower County, actually."

"Well it just so happens we're headed to Brower County. Want a lift?"

Apple weighed her options for a minute. She had three choices: walk all the way to Brower, ride with the two boys, or take her chances with having to find another ride. They didn't seem that bad, or like they might give her any trouble. "Alright. Suppose it couldn't hurt." She smiled and adjusted her bags once more, "Thanks."

& &

Apple swore her heart skipped a beat when her eyes came to rest on the '67 Chevy. Her fingers lightly ran over the shiny black paint as she let out a low whistle. "Quite a car you have."

"Don't even get him started. It's his baby." Sam said, knowing exactly what Dean had been ready to say. Dean smiled and looked a little smug as the three climbed into the car.

"So why are you two going to Brower County?" Apple asked as she made herself comfortable in the backseat.

"Oh just a job." Was the reply she received from Sam as he read over a map spread out across his lap and his part of the dashboard.

"Ah."

Apple sat quietly in the backseat and watched as the trees and tall grass blurred as they drove along the dusty, abandoned stretch of highway. It occurred to her that she hadn't caught the boys' last name. She knew it really wasn't something she should need to know, but she couldn't help but be curious. "You know, I didn't catch your last name."

Sam turned around in his seat so he could look at her, an eyebrow raised in question. He wrestled around in his mind whether to give her their actual last name, or create a fake one. He finally decided to just give her their real one, there was a greater chance she hadn't heard of them anyway. "It's Winchester, Sam and Dean Winchester."

Her face paled slightly at the name. Winchester, she had heard the name before. Her parents had mentioned that name; multiple times. There had been another name thrown into the mix. Dean, Sam, and... What had that last name been?

"You alright Apple? You don't looks so good." Sam asked, concern written on that handsome face of his.

"Hey. Not on the upholstery alright?" Dean threw in. Of course, he was more worried about his car getting messed up then a girl who may or may not be sick.

Sam shot a look at Dean. Apple's mind reeled as she attempted to figure out what the first name was. It was on the tip of her tongue. Joe. Jason. John... Was that it? John Winchester. A look of triumph crossed her face as she finally remembered. "John Winchester," she said after a few quiet minutes. They probably thought she was retarded

As soon as the words left her mouth, Dean pulled the car over and both men turned to face the small girl, guns trained on her. Apple pulled out her own gun and pointed it in Sam's direction. Why she didn't train it on Dean, she wasn't sure.

"Why are you asking about our dad?" Dean asked. The gun in is hand never shook, and his eyes didn't look away from her.

Apple took this time to watch the fire burn in Dean's emerald eyes. It was more then obvious he didn't like anyone to mess with his brother. She felt bad about her gun being pointed at Sam. Slowly, she lowered her weapon and placed it on the seat beside her. Apple raised her hands in the air in a show of surrender. "Oh come on. You should know by now. John Winchester is a legend in the hunting world."

Dawning rose on both men's faces; that would explain the gun. "Hunting world?" Dean questioned. He knew that women got into the world of hunting; their friend Jo had been proof of that. The petite brunette in front of them hardly looked the part though. "You're not sayin'..." he trailed off, already knowing the answer.

"That I'm a hunter? How else would I know about your father and the two of you? That information isn't something civilians know is it?"

Sam shook his head no. He was just as shocked as Dean. He lowered his gun and nudged his brother. His hazel eyes watched as Dean finally lowered his weapon. Her revelation explained so much. "So that's why you're heading to Brower County."

"Yep. Dexter Hasselback."

"How did you find out about him?"

"I hear things." She smiled over at Sam before she went back to gazing out of the window and away from the two brothers. She let out a soft sigh as both brothers turned back around in their seats. The sound of the Impala roaring to life broke the tense silence. Dean pulled back onto the road and took off. It seemed for it to take a while before the tension in the car completely subsided. Apple let her head rest against the cool glass of the window as she watched trees turn into blurs as they drove past them once more. She closed her eyes and allowed the sound of AC/DC to finally lull her to sleep.

[be still my heart - the postal service]