Chapter One
"Ellie, it's morning…."
The words are faint, barely registering in my mind as they tried to shake me from my ever so comfortable slumber.
"Baby, come on I'll make breakfast…"
The second attempt to get my eyes to open and my mouth to say something witty in response. But as my mind began to awaken and my face scrunch up in defiance, my mouth seemed to just utter one syllable that produced gentle laughter from the man beside me.
"No." It was soft, but firm, my body desperate to get back to sleep and dream happy things- my happy distraction.
"There's coffee in the pot already, I didn't make it, but it's there for you when you're ready." He chuckled again and I finally caved, his voice bringing me further and further away from sleep as I slowly opened one eye, and then the other, seeing to green pools staring back at me. "There she is, just as charming as ever." He cracked a smile and I smirked at him, my face half in the pillow and my hair no doubt half in, half out of its French braid that I had put it in the night before.
"I blame the memory foam for my lack of productivity in the morning." I finally said, my witty tone slowly creeping in as he kissed my forehead, the feeling familiar, welcoming.
"Good morning to you too El." He greeted and backed away as I finally sat up, looking at him groggily.
"Sam made coffee?" I asked, my voice still waking up as I began to slowly take my hair out and run my fingers through it to make it look halfway presentable even though I knew that he didn't care at all what I looked like right now.
"Yeah, he was up at the crack of dawn again." He sighed, leaning back against the bedframe as his eyes watched me, memorizing every little move like it would be the last time that he would ever see me again.
"Researching again?" I asked with a chuckle and he chuckled slightly himself before nodding, finally drawing my attention and I looked at him, a curious and quizzical expression on my face. "What?" I asked and received a shrug as an answer. "Dean what?" I asked, my voice a bit firmer and he just shook his head, shrugging without a word, a calm expression on his face and I knew what he was doing once again.
"Nothing El." He simply replied, the lie smooth as silk on his tongue and I frowned slightly, dropping my hands onto my lap.
"You're studying me again…. Like it's the last time you're going to see me." I sighed and he looked down, caught once again in the act and I crawled over, kneeling in front of him and cupping his face gently in my hands, my dark skin a contrast against his tanned cheeks, one other familiar thing to me. "Dean, I'm am going to tell you this again, because I have about a million times now. You aren't going to lose me." I softly promised, staring into his eyes intently. He looked back at me, almost reluctant to, but at the same time happy that he had. I knew that he loved me, he didn't always say it, but he made sure that it was known in the little things that he did for me. I knew his fears, his wants, his aspirations. And I knew that above all else, he was terrified of losing me, and losing his brother. But I was going to make sure that I did everything in my power to not end up on the ceiling, with him helpless beneath me as I burned to my death. I loved him back, accepted him for what he was and what he did, and he knew that… I guess that was why he had kept me around this long.
"I just feel like I will someday and that's not the best feeling in the whole world El." He admitted and I felt my gaze shift, my eyes taking on a softer tone as I quietly sighed through my nose.
"Not if I can help it." I softly promised, like I always did and kissed his lips for a few moments, letting it linger longer than usual. "Dean Winchester I love you," I declared once I had slowly pulled away, leaning my forehead against his gently. "And your brother, and this bed, and this bunker, and your crazy family." I added with a slightly chuckle, a weak attempt to lighten the mood.
His mother dropped in occasionally, she looked young for her age, and when I had asked when I first met her, everyone got quiet, and let me tell you- that was quite the situation they had to explain to me. But I knew that he wasn't your average guy, hunters never were…. He had lived though some tough times: hell, purgatory, breaking into heaven, his best friend being an angel and learning to live with his mother after over two decades without her. Sam and I don't know how he deals with any of it, he drinks a few beers a night but I cut him off after three. He runs, and I get nervous every time but he seems to return in one piece which is always a relief. Hunting is what helps the most, it releases the anger, the stress, and when he comes home, he's incredibly jovial and talkative until he crashes and sleeps for a few days. By that point I just let him and work on homework and clean the bunker- those boys leave quite the mess sometimes…
"You're an angel." He softly replied, his voice echoing the smile that played on his lips as I leaned back to look at him with a half-smile of my own.
"No, Castiel is an angel. I'm just your girlfriend." I laughed and he smiled a little bit more, his spirits slowly beginning to rise which was reassuring to me. He was beginning to push the negative emotions away, once again tricking himself into believing that I was going to be around for years and years.
"Alright you win this time Ellie." He laughed and I grinned at him, until he tackled me into the bed, causing me to scream out a little in surprise, not expecting things to take such a turn when I was about to walk out and get coffee!
"No, not fair!" I protested as he began to tickle me slightly, my weak spots completely exposed. "Dean Winchester stop it!" I laughed, my ribs already beginning to hurt and my lungs beginning to work double time.
"Ask nicely." He laughed, his hands continuing their massacre on my torso.
"Stop tickling me damn it!" I demanded and he slowly stopped, his hands just sitting on my exposed skin as his green eyes met my dark brown.
"Thank you." He laughed, his voice lighter than it was before and I rolled my eyes, smiling a little bit myself before he kissed my lips gently, his hands finally releasing me. "Go get some coffee and something to eat. It's Tuesday you have class soon." He sat up, taking my hand in his and pulling me with him until I was kneeling up on the bed.
"Fine. Wait until I tell Sam that you brutally attacked me this morning." I huffed, pouting at him slightly before standing up and giving my body a slight stretch, glancing back at him sitting lazily on the edge of his bed.
"I bet he will rush to your aid and make sure that you are in one piece." He sarcastically replied, half smiling at me as I walked to the door, brushing off his comment. I loved that man, but he pushed my button on occasion- thankfully in a good way.
"Samuel Winchester!" I called out, walking into the kitchen with a smile and he looked up from his laptop, the mop of hair on his head disheveled which meant that he still hadn't taken a shower. "How long have you been awake?" I asked this time, sounding much like a mother rather than a friend.
"Seven." He simply replied, taking a sip of the coffee beside him as I poured myself a cup of the morning brew.
"It's ten…. Why are you incapable of sleeping in?" I asked, arching a brow at him as I added my cream and sugar before sitting across from him on one of the kitchen stools. "For once, just once, sleep in until maybe nine? Ten?" I suggested with a chuckle as I took my first sip, a relaxed and pleased sigh running through my body as I felt he hot liquid make its way down my throat.
"Because I just am?" he replied, unsure of how to fully answer my question.
"You know what? Never mind…. Look, I need you to defend my honor okay? Your brother brutally attacked me with tickles and I'm not happy about it." I chuckled and he looked up at me again, a smirk on his lips as he laughed, the sound similar to that of his brothers'. "No no, don't laugh I'm serious!" I protested and he just began laughing more, the sound booming off the walls.
"You were brutally attacked? By Dean, with tickles?" he asked, unsure of how to handle the situation and I nodded eagerly, trying to get him on my side. "Elena, come on, be realistic here okay? If that considers being brutally attacked then wow, you would not make it as a hunter." He commented and I huffed at him, pouting my lips in disappointment and annoyance.
"But I don't want to be a hunter, I'm studying to be a doctor come on Sam, get it right." I scoffed and rolled my eyes, shaking my head.
"You hear that Sammy? I'm dating a doctor." Dean boasted as he entered the room, placing his hands on my shoulders as his lips found their way to the crown on my head.
"You're dating an almost doctor Dean, get it right." I noted, my tone the same with him as it was with his baby brother which caused a chuckle from both.
"Yeah Dean, almost doctor… Get it right." He mimicked my voice and I stuck my tongue out at him, the sass being unnecessary but funny. I loved both with every single fiber in my being, they were my family that never really existed while I was growing up; so, despite the slight age difference between us, I loved Dean with my heart as a significant other, and I loved Sam as a big brother. They were all I needed to see almost every day to keep me going and keep me studying when I felt like giving up.
"You know what? I feel like you started dating me only because you realized that I had the potential to cut you boys down on your medical bills…. You rack up quite a tab." I laughed and they both rolled their eyes at me, Dean squeezing my shoulders before letting go and walking towards the fridge.
"Omelet?" he asked and I nodded, pleased that he knew what I liked on Tuesday morning.
"Sam? Another coffee?" he teased as he pulled the tortilla wraps from the fridge as well. "Breakfast burrito for you, and nothing for me."
"Dean, eat something." I coaxed, giving him the stare of disapproval that I knew he could feel boring into his back.
"Dude, you're getting the look. Again." Sam piped up and I gave him thumbs up, my eyes still boring into his back until he turned around, then my eyes shifted to mirror his.
"Babe. East food. Real food not just pie, beer and fast food. I have no idea how you aren't fat yet." I teased and Sam chuckled before slowly closing his laptop and standing up to pour himself another cup of joe. "Are you guys going out on another hunt soon?" I absently asked and Sam glanced at Dean before looking at me with a slow nod.
"We might be gone for a while again." He admitted and I sighed, holding back my disappointment at that statement. I always hated when they had long hunts, not because I was mostly alone, but just because I worried so much.
"How long?" I cautiously asked and Sam plowed on as Dean began to make everyone breakfast.
"Four, maybe five days. It's a few hundred miles away." He continued and I sighed, a frown on my lip.
"How many states away?" I reluctantly asked, but I liked having this information.
"Three. It's a vampire nest." He declared and I arched a brow. They hadn't had to deal with one of those in a few months and that made me uneasy that out of the blue one was beginning to act up.
"Please be careful okay? Make sure you have enough blood. A phone charger this time- babe." I noted, the dig obviously in his direction as she scoffed at the stove, causing a look from Sam.
"I'll make sure he remembers it Ellie." He assured me and now Dean opened his mouth.
"I'm right here you two." He commented, feigning offence.
"Yes, and I love you. So, keep cooking while I go get dressed okay?" I asked and stood up, walking out of the kitchen and down the hall to the room that Dean and I shared, even though I had my own room a few doors down. Most of my things had ended up migrating their way into his room because I preferred the company. But this time. I wanted to be alone for a few minutes as my nerves fully kicked in and my eyes began to tear up as I glanced around for a decent outfit to put together.
I was a bit thankful that he was cooking because he didn't come looking for me for a little while, I think my never coming back to the kitchen was a dead giveaway that I was upset or nervous.
"Babe, Ellie what's wrong?" he gently asked, standing in the doorway to see me in sweats and a blouse, sitting on the floor lightly crying.
"I'm just nervous, that's all." I half lied and he pursed his lips for a second before walking further into his room and sitting beside me, leaning against his bed.
"About what?" he asked and nudged me slightly as I sniffled and wiped my eyes.
"Your hunt. I just- I always get to nervous when it's a vampire nest because they can go so wrong so fast, and one of you could get bitten or-" I began rambling, taking deep breaths as I wiped my nose on my sleeve.
"El, I am always careful, especially in a nest." He sighed, the roles now reversed and he was comforting me. He snaked his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer, his lips in a slight frown simply because I knew his heart broke every time I cried, whether it was by his hand or not. "I promise to come back alright. And in one piece, maybe a few bumps and bruises but in one piece." He vowed and I buried my face into his large shoulder, gripping onto his arm for dear life. Sometimes, I wished that he wasn't a hunter so I could selfishly see him more, but he was born for this. He was born to change the course of the world- or so Cas had said on far more than one occasion.
"I love you Dean." I softly promised, giving his arm a squeeze before he kissed my crown once more this morning.
"I love you too El. You give me the best motivation in the entire world to make it back to this bunker after every hunt." He commented and I felt my heart swell slightly. He was my world, and if I lost my Winchester then I might as well be stuck with Lucifer in his cage for eternity.
9