"Here looks good."
With that, the eldest Winchester pulled off of the road and into the parking lot of a small, but homey looking, diner. It was pretty close to the outskirts of the rural town, and after driving all night to get to it, Dean was in the mood for some breakfast and coffee. Maybe even snag a piece of pie, who knows?
Sammy, having been woken up by a none too gentle punch to the shoulder, jerked awake and rubbed his eyes. He yawned and stretched, before reaching into the backseat and grabbing his laptop bag. He leaped from the car and jogged until he caught up with his brother's brisk pace.
"So, breakfast and research until night, then find the ghost? Simple salt and burn?" Sam reached up and bit down on his fist to stifle a yawn.
Dean snorted, pulling open the door and walking in, ignoring the bell as it rang above him. "You can research all you want to. I, on the other hand, would kill to find somewhere soft to nap."
Rolling his eyes at his older brother, Sam turned his attention to the staff of the establishment. There was an old man behind the counter who, when he noticed the bell chime and took note of the brothers, stopped cleaning the baked goods display and retreated to the kitchen. Then a kindly woman with wrinkles around her eyes and grey streaks in her auburn hair followed the boys to their table, jotting down their orders and pouring them both a cup of coffee.
Lastly, Sam noticed a young woman standing on a table in the corner, her back turned to the boys. With one hand she was holding a silver vent, and with the other hand she was loosening it with a small blue screwdriver. She had short dirty blonde hair that curled at the ends. She wore a red plaid shirt and blue jeans, brown tool belt loosely hugging her lithe hips. At the older woman's voice, she turned her head, smile reaching up to her emerald eyes, and she grabbed the screws from between her lips as she replied. She stepped off the table and gestured towards the newly fixed vent, nodding her head.
"Sammy?" Dean snapped in front of the brunette's face. "Sammy."
"Huh? What?" Sam blinked, pulled from his musings, and locked eyes with his brother. "What is it?"
"Your food's going to get cold."
That's when the youngest Winchester realized that the food had already arrived. Wondering how long he had been staring at the girl, he picked up his fork and tucked into his meal. Of course, taking pauses every now and then to either look up something on his laptop, or to see if he could read what his brother thought of the situation.
Which, Dean was highly amused to have caught his baby brother staring at the diner's handy-girl.
After they had finished and cleared their plates, Sam turned his full attention to his laptop, and Dean took a sip of coffee with a bemused glimmer in his eyes.
"You know Sammy, instead of looking at old news paper articles, you could ask local sources."
Sam didn't even bother to look up from the computer screen, swiping his thumb against his bottom lip absentmindedly. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. Maybe you could even get her phone number while asking her about ghosts."
At this, the younger brother tore his gaze from the screen to shoot a glare across the table. "Dean-"
But he was cut off when two porcelain plates were set on the table, and on each of them sat a piece of still warm, golden apple pie.
"I can snag some vanilla ice cream out of the freezer, if you want." Pulling up a chair, the handy-girl plopped down next to them.
"And ruin this beauty's perfection?" Dean snapped, pulling a plate closer to himself. "I think not!"
This made her laugh, and she fingered her necklace mindlessly. It was a small marble with a blue, yellow, and red twist in the center, connected to a black cord by an iron clasp.
"Hey, I'm Sam, and this pie crazed idiot is my brother, Dean." Sam grinned, pushing aside his laptop. "And you are?"
"Amber." She smiled. "Sorry to butt into your conversation, but you two looked like you could use some pie."
"You were right." Dean muttered through a mouthful of apples and crust.
"Will they mind?" Sam tossed his head back towards the kitchen, where the old couple had disappeared to.
"Who, Rick and Margret?"Amber laughed and waved it off. "Nah. See, I fix things for them, and they pay me with a mix of food and money. Whichever's cheapest."
"And today it's pie?" Smirking, the brunette scooped up a piece of the pie on his fork.
"Today it's pie." She nodded, then leaned over to get a better look at Sam's laptop. "What are you doing looking up old McFinney's house?"
Sam nearly choked on his pie. "Oh! Uhm!"
"We're what you could call ghost hunters." Dean answered, licking the last of the gooey pie guts off his thumb. "We travel around looking for the most exciting haunting places, looking for a great experience."
"So you're looking up the McFinney place?" The handy-girl hummed and frowned a bit, shrugging her shoulders. "Actually, that's not a bad idea."
"Oh yeah?" Dean hummed back, pushing his plate to the side leaning closer to the girl. Much to Sam's distaste.
"Yeah." Amber looked around, making sure that none of the new customers were paying attention to her, then drew closer to the table and whispered conspiratorially. "Some people around here refuse to say so, but there's been some recent things happening over there. Paranormal things. Supernatural things."
This time, the younger Winchester drew close. "Supernatural? Like what?"
"Well, just last week, these teenagers get drunk out in the woods and decide to get down and dirty in the McFinney place." Amber licked her lips, getting into the gossip. "Next thing they know, Old McFinney himself is chasing them out with a shotgun. Thing is, Old McFinney's been dead for ten years."
"Ten years?" Dean whispered back. "Why would he be haunting now?"
The girl shrugged, curls cascading down her shoulders. "My guess is that this isn't the first time he's come back. I think he never really left, stubborn old coot. I think he only attacks people that trespass on his property."
"Was he buried?" Sam asked, pulling the girl's attention back to him.
She shook her head. "No, he wanted his ashes scattered around his fields."
Sam gave Dean a pointed look. Turns out this hunt wasn't going to be as easy as they thought it was going to be.
"You know, if you're looking to go there, you won't find it on any maps." Amber gestured to the laptop, which was showing results for the address to the McFinney place.
"Could you tell us how to get there?" The brothers asked in unison.
"I can do you one better." She smiled. "I can show you."
Though the brothers knew it would be dangerous to allow the girl to accompany them, they decided that they didn't have any better options. And so they drove along, following the girl's directions as she bounced around in the backseat.
"I can't believe you guys ride around in a '67 Chevy Impala!" She had squealed when they left the dinner.
Dean was impressed she knew the car, and had, in Sam's opinion, a stupid grin plastered to his face ever since Amber admitted she loved old cars and classic rock. After a soulful rendition of Nine in the Afternoon, Dean drummed on his steering wheel after turning onto a dirt road.
"Amber, are you sure you're not related to us? For all I know, you're my long lost sister!" He whooped, casting a glance at her in the rear-view mirror.
"I'm certain we're not related Dean." She threw her arms over the front seat, pointing out a large old house up ahead. "Which I'm glad for, because I've got to tell you Dean, your brother's a cutie."
Knowing fully well he was meant to hear, Sam blushed and grinned lopsidedly. Before either of the brothers could respond, Amber hopped out of the parked car and skipped up towards the front porch of the house. The Winchesters also got out of the car, the youngest looking towards the sun as it dipped below the horizon.
"Dean, maybe we shouldn't go in. It's getting pretty close to night."
The eldest brother just waved the suggestion off. "Don't worry so much Sammy. We'll be in and out before the sun's down. Amber will be right next to us the whole time."
This made Sam feel slightly better, and at the handy-girl's prompting, he bounded up the stairs in a single stride.
"You boys ready to find your ghost?" She asked over her shoulder, gently pushing the front door open.
The air was musty, and the floorboards creaked. Everything was covered in a fine layer of dust while cobwebs clung to every surface. Dean reached up and wiped away the grime that covered a picture, uncovering the portrait underneath. It was of a bony man, with a long face and crooked nose, small sad eyes staring at the Winchester.
"So, this is McFinney, huh?" He asked, jabbing a thumb at the pathetic looking man.
Amber quickly skipped over to stand by his shoulder, following the direction of his thumb. "Yup, that's him, crazy old coot."
"Did he have anything he was especially attached to? Some family trinket or something of the sort?"
Golden locks twirled as she twisted to face the taller brother. "Well, there's his old shotgun, the one the kids say he had with him when he was chasing them. Should be in the upstairs bedroom."
The boys sent a knowing glance to each other, Dean slowly turned to the girl. "Can you go to the kitchen and see if you can find some salt? Preferably a big bag of it."
"Sure..." Her face betrayed her confusion, but she turned and went off without protest.
In the meanwhile, the brothers races upstairs and tore up the bedroom. Opening drawers and cabinets, throwing things out of the closet, going so far as to flip over the mattress. All to no avail.
"Damn! Where is it?" Dean pulled his hair as he let the growl rip through his throat.
"Dean." With a gentle word and tug, the younger brother directed his other towards the window where the moon was steadily rising above the tree line.
"If it's night, that means that it's stirring, McFinney's g-"
"GHOST!"
The boys struggled to push past each other in the cramped doorway, sprinting down the hall and leaping down the flight of stairs. They slid in front of the archway into the kitchen, where the sight before them froze the blood in their veins.
"Ghost! You're a ghost old man!"
Amber stood there, shouting and shaking fistfuls of salt in the specter's direction. At her feet was a clearly pronounced ring of salt, protecting her from the ghost's realm of contact. When McFinney looked past her, the handy-girl whipped her head around, eyes narrowing at the sight of the boys.
"Get in here you two!"
She turned her attention back to the spirit, tossing salt in his direction whenever he tried to move towards the boys. Without further prompting, the two stepping into the ring, careful not to disturb any granules. It was a small, hastily placed ring, but with the three of them flushed together, there was nothing sticking out beyond it.
"You're a ghost McFinney!" Amber cried again. "Your grandson graduated college! He's a man now, McFinney! It's no longer your time! Pass on. Rest easy. Know that your grandson plans on reopening the family farm."
The anger immediately left the specter's eyes, shoulders relaxing, slowly loosening it's grip on the sawed off shotgun it held.
In turn, Amber's voice softened. "What's keeping you here old man?"
McFinney's grip on the shotgun changed, moving an opaque hand up and gripping the barrel, handing the butt of the gun out to the blonde. Though hesitant, she reached beyond the salt circle and placed a hand firmly on the gun, drawing it closer to herself.
This made the ghost smile, regret for the things he had done swimming behind his eyes. "Nothing."
Then the ghost glowed brightly until the heroic trio had to shied their eyes, then disappeared in the blink of an eye. Lights they hadn't realized were off flickered on, casting golden light on the confused expressions of the Winchester boys. Realizing her close proximity to the brothers, Amber twirled around and took a few steps back, clutching her new gun to her chest.
"So." She drew the word out, slowly warming up to the shocked looks she was receiving. "Room for another hunter in your party?"
"You're a hunter?!" They shouted simultaneously.
She shrugged, grinning like it were obvious. "Yeah."
"How did you know that we were hunters?" Dean questioned, palm up and fingers splayed, trying to process what had happened.
"Seriously?" Giggling, she rolled her eyes. "Have you two even looked at yourselves? You've got hunter written all over you. Doesn't help when you start asking about ghosts."
"Are you sure you wanna just up and leave the town you've lived in all your life?" Sam knew how hard it could be jumping from place to place, and didn't want her to jump in without knowing the consequences.
"I've been living here for a couple of months, tops."
"Then how did you know about McFinney? How to get to this house? The teenagers?" Dean crossed his arms.
"Research. Did you think I just randomly struck up a deal with Rick and Margret?" Placing the gun gingerly on the counter behind her, Amber crossed her arms. "C'mon guys! They're elderly, they know the history of this place better than anyone! Hell, Rick and McFinney were friends back in the day."
"How did you even get here?" Now, they were more curious than anything.
"Got a ride from another hunter from my last job." She shrugged, smiling when she looked back up. "Figured it might be about time to get some more permanent partners. That is, if you guys are game?"
Picking her gun back up, she walked past the boys and out to the Impala, boys hot on her heels.
"How do you know we won't try anything?" Dean gave a lopsided grin and a quick wiggle of his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.
"You guys don't have it in you." She teased back, then took a moment to eye Sam and bite her bottom lip. "Well, at least one of you has the decency to ask kindly first."
With that, the female hunter joined them. That's not to say the process was smooth and flawless. They all had to get used to the idea that someone of the opposite gender was waiting on the other side of the bathroom door whenever they showered. Because Amber saw no reason to get a second room when there was a perfectly good couch to sleep on, which they all took turns crashing on. And though try as she might, every now and then a Winchester would find a piece of her more intimate articles of clothing, which usually ended up in blushing and teasing.
When it came to hunting, the transition couldn't have been smoother. With an extra set of eyes, jobs went by in a heartbeat, decreasing the need for floss and whiskey dramatically. However, when it came to dealing with demons, Amber refused to participate beyond researching.
"Daemonophobia." She responded when asked about it. "I'd be more of a hindrance than anything if I joined you guys."
Another thing the trio had to get used to was Sam and Amber's mutual attraction. To Dean, it wasn't really a secret that his younger brother had his eyes on the handy-girl all those months ago when they first met in the diner. And Amber wasn't exactly being subtle when she hit on the brunette, but somehow the simply refused that the other held any sort of feelings towards them.
On a particular case several months into their partnership, the three were tracking down a group of cupids. Which, by the way, were not all cute and cuddly as they're depicted in Valentine's cards. No, they were ugly little beasts with dirty wings and green skin, not to mention an immense love for causing trouble. They were easy to kill, if you could find their nest and manage not to be distracted by their lust inducing arrows.
"You coming Dean?" Sam asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
Amber was already outside packing up the Impala and making sure the knives were in an easily reachable location. Dean was still in his fleece pants sitting on the bed, shirtless because the air conditioning unit in their room had broken in the middle of the night when they were asleep. Though uncomfortable in the heat, the eldest Winchester didn't have the heart to wake up the handy-girl to fix it.
Dean shook his head. "No, I'm expecting a visit from Cas. He said there was something important he wanted to warn me about."
"Suuuuuure he did." Chuckling, the brother readjusted the strap to his bag. "And you wanted the room to yourself so you two could...discuss battle tactics."
"Man." Shifting his mug of coffee to the other hand, the older brother chucked a pillow at the taller man, who dodged it with ease. "If you get going, maybe you could get your own piece of tail."
"Whatever." Sam shook his head, still chuckling, and left his brother alone.
The relationship between the hunter and the angel...his angel, was no secret. A mystery, perhaps, to Amber, who didn't know who this boyfriend of Dean's was, but no secret. But whoever they were, Amber thanked them furiously for keeping the infamous Winchester from bringing home strange women. (If he ever did, she vowed to play the part of the furious wife who had found out her husband's crimes and kick the other woman to the curb to secure a good night's sleep for other residents of the small motel room.)
A smile graced the hunter's lips when he heard the unmistakeable sound of ruffling feathers and air rushing to get out of an angel's way. "Hey babe."
"Hello Dean." The angel flashed a brief smile, relief flooding his tired eyes. As though expecting his lover to have a huge chunk bitten out of him.
Setting his empty mug on the nightstand, Dean threw his arms open, allowing the angel to crawl into his lap, leaning back into the muscular chest behind him. Whereas Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel's middle, resting his chin on his shoulder.
"What's been eating you?" He grumbled, pressing a loving kiss to the shoulder he rested on.
Tentatively intertwining fingers with one of the hands resting on his stomach, Castiel sighed. "I have been chasing word of something to be long thought dead."
"What's that?" Curious, the Winchester pulled his lover closer to his chest.
"A monster. Or demon. I'm not sure." Letting his head fall back onto the bare shoulder behind him, he sighed again. "All I know is the word spreading through Heaven. It is very old, and very powerful. Like I said, it was thought to have died or have been killed a long time ago, but recently there are rumors that it's back. Or never died in the first place."
"And you're chasing it..." Dean unwrapped the arm that wasn't holding a hand and ran his fingers through Castiel's soft onyx locks. "Why?"
"Mmm." Cas closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "I wanted to find out what it was, to keep you safe."
"You know I can keep myself safe..." He continued after a pause. "Or at the very least I can find my way back."
This made the angel chuckle, and the hunter, in turn, kiss the angel to shut him up. Where the already hot room became a sweltering sauna as their actions intensified.
Meanwhile, in another part of town, Sam and Amber had pulled up to the abandoned motel that the cupids called home.
"Ugh, The Love Shack?" Amber groaned, gesturing to the cheesy neon sign. "Seriously? How did we not check here before?"
But Sam didn't respond. He might have laughed it off back at the motel with Dean, but now that he was alone with Amber at The Love Shack, he couldn't keep his thoughts straight. Images of what he and Amber could do together if the motel were still open danced around in his head. Flashbacks to surprise bathroom encounters and the discovery of lacy black bras clouded his mind to the point where-
"Sam! Sammy!"
Combined with Amber's concerned voice and a couple gentle pats to the face, Sam was finally brought out of his trance.
"Sammy, are you okay?" Amber's soft hand remained on the Winchester's face as she searched his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah..." He breathed, shaking his head to clear the unwanted thoughts. "I guess this place is just getting to me."
"Alright." She pulled away slowly, not entirely convinced but unwilling to push the Winchester. "Then let's clean this place up nice and quick."
Marveling at the blonde's ability to stay composed so close to the nest, Sam quickly pulled out his knife and followed her into the motel. As soon as she stepped inside, the girl let out a yep of pain, but told the Winchester she was fine, and leaned down to brush something off her ankle. The electricity in the building didn't work, but there was enough light streaming in through the large windows that the pair didn't have to use much time to let their eyes adjust. Boxes and furniture littered the floor, but there was a small pathway that was clear of junk, where the two hunters carefully tread. As they got closer and closer to the nest, which was located in the honeymoon suite, the harder they had to fight not to gag at the stench filling their noses. It was a mix of sweat, mothballs, and something sickly sweet. Sam covered his nose and mouth with his plain grey muscle shirt, while Amber took a moment to bring the flannel shirt she was wearing up to her nose and take a deep breath.
"Wait a minute." A smirk crawled onto the brunette's lips. "Is that my shirt?"
Emerald eyes met his sea foam ones for a split second, before flashing forward once more. "Y-yeah. I haven't been able to do laundry in a couple days, and you had plenty, so I figured I'd just borrow one."
The idea that she was wearing one of his button ups, and that she smelled it to keep from breathing in the odorous air around them, almost made Sam slam her against the wall and kiss her, right then and there.
Almost.
Getting his head back into the task at hand, Sam made his way to the opposite side of the suite door. With a small nod from the handy-girl, the tall man wheeled back and swiftly kicked the door open. Expecting to be swarmed with small flying monsters, the hunters were taken aback when they found the room empty of the loathsome imps. Finger finding its way to his lips, Sam motioned for the girl to keep quite before pointing to the bed, where the curtain covering the lower portion kept moving. Before the two could reach the bed, two of the grimy imps flew out from behind the curtain, each shooting an arrow at a different target.
As soon as the hunters felt the poisoned arrows sink into their skin they looked at each other. Each about to ask if the other were okay when they paused, mesmerized by the other's eyes. Suddenly, they ripped away from each other, ignoring the searing pain the arrow caused, and stabbed the imps. More arrows flew, and more cupids died, until at long last the hunters stood there panting, watching as the heart shaped bed burned.
Sam glanced over at the girl, probably to make some sort of sharp tongue remark, when he did a double take. "Amber! You-you're...!"
"I'm what?" Twirling towards him, the girl gave herself a once-over. "Oh..."
She was covered in arrows. Mostly in her arms and legs, but there were still a few protruding from her back and even a handful sprouting from her front. Nonchalantly, she began to pluck them from her skin, marveling at how the magical wounds healed and left her clothes in perfect condition. When she felt a gentle tug on her ass, she whipped her head to face the invader of her personal space.
"Sam..." She breathed, locking eyes with the taller man, who held an arrow in his hand.
His lips turned into a gentle smirk, but his oceanic eyes stayed loving as his hands found a place to rest on the girl's hips. "You look like a pin cushion."
This made the girl smile, and she twisted in his grasp, gingerly placing her hands on his shoulders. "Well, if I'm a pin cushion, you're my porcupine."
The two laughed as they turned their attention to plucking out the arrows that littered Sam's body. Each gracefully avoiding the pressing issue at hand, instead opting to enjoy the warm embrace as they tended to each other's wounds. Until one of them gained the courage to ask what they had put off asking.
"So..." Sam breathed, brushing a few stray strands of golden hair behind the girl's ear. "The arrows? They didn't work, because...?"
Glancing down, Amber bit her bottom lip before answering. "Because they couldn't make me feel something I already did."
A lazy grin spread across the Winchester's face. "Same."
Now, the thing about the poison in the cupid's arrows, is that when two people were injected with it and their eyes met, the poison would make the two attracted to one another. At first, it would be the feelings of infatuation, love even, making the atmosphere light and bubbly. Then the more disastrous effects of the substance would take place. The hunters could feel the exact moment the poison inside of them started to bubble, calling to their minds just what this poison did.
"Lust." Sam growled.
All day the Winchester had been struggling to keep himself from basically attacking the handy-girl, and now the only thing keeping him at bay was the way the girl reacted to the poison. Or rather, her lack of reaction.
"But you where hit too..." His voice was husky, and his glossy eyes were searching her for an answer to the way she simply stood there biting her lip, when it hit him. "When we first walked in-"
"Yes." She breathed, sounding eerily similar to a moan, hands beginning to fiddle with the edge of the shirt around his neck. "When we first walked in, I walked into a discarded arrow."
"So you've been walking through these halls, smelling my shirt, smelling the magic in the air, and had the poison coursing through your veins all this time, and you've kept yourself from jumping me flawlessly?" Sam slowly leaned in closer to the girl's ear, nipping at it gently. "Whereas I have been struggling all day?"
"Mhmm~" She whimpered. "I didn't think you feel towards me what I felt towards you."
Drawing back, Sam cupped Amber's face, gently brushing her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. "Of course I do."
And with that, all the sexual tension inside the hunters came crashing down as their lips met in a passionate battle. Lifting her legs around his waist, the youngest Winchester pressed the handy-girl against the wall, tongue slipping inside her mouth.
"Sam, not here." Amber breathed when they parted.
He was confused, until he followed the girl's gaze to the burning bed, where the flames has already begun to spread to the curtains and shag carpet. Nodding, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along the hallway, giggles and laughter all the way, into the back of the Impala. In no time at all, the back seat became almost as hot as the motel that was burning to the ground just outside the windshield.
A few months into their relationship, and Dean had the couple trained perfectly well. Though the times that the pair went further than a few kisses around the eldest Winchester were few and far between, with a simple 'harumph' he could stop the two from becoming too frisky for his liking. However, there were a few mysterious nights where Sam would wake up to Amber gently brushing tears out of his eyes. Eventually it got to the point where he knew that if he woke up like that, Amber would be quiet and standoffish all day. So, when they were on another demon case, Sam decided to ask his brother what was going on as they rode off, leaving the handy-girl to mope in the motel.
"What's wrong with Amber?" He asked as soon as they peeled out from the parking lot.
"She didn't tell you? I can't believe she didn't-" Dean slapped the steering wheel, suddenly angry. "No, you know what? I can believe she didn't tell you."
"Dean what's-"
"You cry out for Jess in your sleep Sam. It's breaking Amber's heart."
Oh.
The taller man groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, sinking down in his seat.
"How many years has it been Sam?"
"Dean it's not like that!" Sam snapped, glaring at his brother. "I've been having nightmares."
"About Jess? Again?"
"About Amber." He ran a shaky hand through his long hair. "About her burning on the ceiling."
Oh.
The car was silent for a moment, before Dean growled, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Like Jess."
"Like Jess." Sam echoed. "And that's just the one that happens most often."
"Son of a bitch, there's others?!"
"Just one." The youngest Winchester turned his gaze to watching the trees streak past outside his window. "Where Amber's a demon."
"You don't think-"
"No. I don't." Sam whipped his head around to face his older brother. "She so nice and perfect Dean, I don't think that at all. But I just...I worry. With all the luck we've had..."
"Yeah, yeah. I got you." Flicking his eyes to his brother then back to the road, Dean reached over and squeezed the taller man's shoulder. "But you've got to tell Amber. Everything. About the nightmares, about Jess, about Ruby. All of it."
"I will."
And that's what he did. As soon as the brothers got back from kicking demon butt and finding out where their main base of operations was, Sam took Amber and sat her down for a long overdue talk.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked hesitantly, having gotten everything off his chest.
"I'm more relieved than anything, Sammy." Amber gave a shaky laugh and wiped away the tears that had formed. "Do you really think I'm a demon?"
Sam laughed, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend. "Of course not, but with how much the universe likes dicking with me? I wouldn't be surprised if you were something hunt worthy."
The handy-girl rubbed her hands together, leaning into the man's shoulder and smiling up at him. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I'd say I'm pretty darn human."
After shooing the older brother out of the motel room, the couple spent the night together in an intimate embrace. They had spent nights similarly before, but this night placed a higher emphasis on the love between the two hunters. While the third hunter, kicked out of the room he paid for, took the Impala and slept in the back seat several blocks away.
The next morning greeted the lovers in the form of Dean Winchester knocking harshly on the motel door.
"Hey Dean. Sammy's in the shower." Amber greeted, leaning against the door frame in nothing but one of Sam's button up shirts that reached mid-thigh.
The Winchester just nodded and walked in without so much as a second glance to the girl. When Sam had finished his shower, gotten dressed, and received his good luck kiss, he left the motel in high spirits. It only continued when the brothers arrived at the demon nest and made quick work of the demons there. The smile that graced his features all day only fell when they walked into the last room and were met with a familiar form.
"Crowley."
"Well, if it isn't my favorite pair of hunters!" The king of Hell clapped his hands together and grinned. "To what do I owe the pleasure."
"Oh, you know, just Spring cleaning." Dean spat.
"Now, now." He clicked his tongue. "Don't be like that squirrel."
"Don't call me that!"
Crowley was about to retort when he paused, sniffing the air. "What is that?"
"You mean your bullshi-"
"You. Moose." The demon spun on his heel, pointing at the tallest Winchester. "Are you wearing a new cologne?"
"Uhhh..." The sudden seriousness in the demon's voice threw the hunter off. "No."
"What is that?" He repeated, stepping closer to Sam and sniffing the air. "No...not what, but who?"
Dean shuffled his feet, cocking his head to the side. "Are you saying you can smell Sam's girlfriend on him?"
"Yes." The demon answered, slightly annoyed. "It's so familiar, but who?"
"Wait, you know Amber?" Sam pushed the king back away from him.
"Amber." Realization sparkled in the demon's eyes. "Is that what she calls herself now?"
"Answer the question." Sam growled, griping the demon's collar tightly.
"Saying I know her is quite casual. We knew each other through work." Crowley scoffed, easily pushing away the hunter before a small smile overtook his features. "I thought she was dead, how is she?"
"Explain. Now." Dean growled, pointing his finger at the ground. "How long have you known Amber?"
"Centuries." The king of Hell purred, turning to Sam. "She's quite a bit older than you. Didn't know you were into older women."
"You're lying."
At this accusation, he merely shrugged. "It's what demons do, bending the truth a bit. What was is she told you?"
With a snap of his fingers, the demon's voice changed to mimic Amber's. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I'd say I'm pretty darn human."
"How did you-"
"Now, that's not exactly a confession to being human, is it?" Crowley raised a single brow, cutting the Winchester off. "Now now, Jolly green, don't be mad at me you've been sleeping with a liar. Albeit, and old, powerful, liar."
With a burst of red smoke, Crowley made his exit, but not without a few parting words. "Test her, if you like, and find out who the true demon is."
"He said what?!" Amber shouted, nearly dropping the glass of water she was holding.
The Winchesters had just arrived home in the bunker, where they were met with the smell of pie baking in the oven. After sitting down at the table, they began to relay what Crowley had told them to her.
"He said that he knows you." Dean repeated. "From centuries ago."
Amber sighed, slumping against the counter.
"Said we should test you."
"You know what, if it clears all this up, let me finish the pie, then let's go downstairs and you guys can test me." Pulling on her over mitts, the handy-girl turned off the timer and opened the oven. "Holy water, salt, silver, the works. Get it all out of our systems."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes Sam, I'm sure." Gingerly placing the pie down, she turned and smiled. "What's the worst that could happen?"
Sam smiled back at her and stooped down for a kiss, while something settled like a lead weight in Dean's stomach. Crowley had said some things that picked on Sam's sore points, but even more that picked on Dean's.
Old. Powerful. Dead.
Dean just couldn't shake off this bad feeling. They were the same exact things that Castiel had said about the thing he was searching for. Very old, very powerful, and supposed to be dead. But he stayed quiet about it. In all honestly, he liked the girl. She was cute, in a dating-your-brother kind of way. She was helpful, love the Impala and classic rock, and most of all, made Sam smile. She was like a sister to him, and unless the freshly baked pie contained poison, she had never done anything to hurt them.
So he quietly followed the couple to the salt coated metal chamber, making sure Amber was alright as he cuffed her to the metal chair in the middle of the room. Sam, in the meanwhile, deposited his armful of goodies on the table a few paces away from the chair. Letting Dean saunter over to the opposite side of the room, the brunette selected a bottle of holy water and walked over to his girlfriend.
"Oooooh." She purred, wiggling in her seat slightly. "Wet t-shirt contest first, huh Sammy?"
This earned the girl a chuckle from both brothers, the youngest wetting his fingers and flicking droplets of holy water at her. She giggled and flinched away, but it didn't sear her skin, merely rolled down and was soaked into her shirt. Next, Sam reached out and cupped her face, tilting it up and brought the flask to her mouth. Parting her rosy lips, Amber allowed the man to pour a bit of the water into her mouth, where after swishing it around a bit, she swallowed the liquid.
"So she swallows." Dean grunted.
"Shut up man." The brunette chuckled, returning to the table and replacing the flask with a small jar of salt.
Fingers still wet from the holy water, Sam coated his thumb in salt and traced the handy-girl's jawline. The salt clung to her skin where the water had trickled down, and when the thumb reached the corner of her mouth, a pink tongue darted out and licked it while olive eyes flickered up to the aquamarine ones staring down at her.
The eldest Winchester gave an awkward cough. "Do I need to leave?"
"What? Don't like the show?" Amber laughed, attempting to rub the salt off her cheek and onto her shoulder.
That having no effect, Sam went back to the table and picked up the last item, a small silver dagger. Amber and Dean were chatting when Sam returned and placed the metal on the girl's bare arm. She jumped, taking a quick intake of breath, and turned her attention to the man looming before her.
"Sorry." She muttered, seeing the crestfallen look on her lover. "It's cold. You surprised me."
Upon second look to the girl's arm, the muscular flesh didn't sizzle in protest to the metal. There was, however, a scarlet cut slowly oozing blood from when she had jumped and caused the metal to pierce her flawless skin.
"Amber, I cut you! I'm so sorry!" Tossing the bloody dagger to the table, Sam stooped down and gripped her arm.
"It's fine Sammy. I've had worse." Her laugh was cut short when she winced in pain. "Still hurts though."
"Well, looks like Crowley was just being a dick." Dean announced, clapping his hands together. "C'mon, let's get her outta those cuffs and get her bandaged upstairs."
Before Dean could get into arm's reach of the girl, there was a familiar sound of ruffling feathers filled the room.
"Dean, I still have no luck with-" The angel paused in mid-sentence, staring at the girl before him. "Ambriel?"
The girl gave him a sheepish smile. "Hello, Castiel."
Before anymore words could be exchanged, Dean shoved both his brother and the angel outside of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
"What's going on Cas?!" Dean shouted, which didn't phase the angel in the slightest.
"That's her. The one I've been looking for." He stared at the door instead of the hunter, trying to see the girl through the small opening. "I can't believe she's still alive."
"She's the one you've been hunting?" The eldest Winchester pointed behind him with his thumb. "The very old, very powerful being? What is she?"
"Yes, yes." It was clear Castiel wasn't paying any attention to what was being said to him, he was just focused on the door. "Old, powerful. I need to talk to her."
"Cas, what is she? An alpha? A demon?"
Instead of answering, the angel simply pushed his way past the brothers, flinging open the door and walking right up to the chair, circling the girl.
"What is she doing in these?" He asked, pointing to the handcuffs. "What are you doing in these?"
"We were testing her." Dean answered, striding into the room.
"Take them off." But Castiel wasn't talking to Dean, he was talking to the girl.
"Cas-"
"Take them off."
Reluctantly, the girl bowed her head and in the next moment, the cuffs fell noisily to the floor.
"You could do that the entire time?" Sam gaped, to which the girl just looked at him guiltily.
"What's this?" Cas asked, now pointing to the cut on the girl's arm. "Who hurt you?"
"It was an accident Cas-"
"Heal it."
With a sigh and a slump of her shoulders, the girl obeyed. The cut on her arm glowed slightly and when the light stopped, the cut was gone.
"Why were you bleeding?"
"To be human Cas!" The girl snapped, glaring at the angel with tears in her eyes. "All these years all I've ever tried to be was human!"
The room fell silent as the girl and angel had a stare down while two brothers stood awkwardly to the side. Suddenly, the girl burst into a fit of giggles. Springing up, she wrapped her arms around the angel's neck, while he smiled and returned the hug.
"It's good to see you too Ambriel."
When they parted, the angel kept his arm around the girl's waist, turning to the Winchesters. "Dean, Sam, this is my sister. Ambriel."
"Sister?" Dean licked his lips and took a half step closer to the pair. "You mean she's an angel?!"
"Surprise." Amber grinned sheepishly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Are you mad at me?"
"Mad?!" Dean echoed, chuckling dryly. "I am beyond-"
But Sam simply darted out towards the girl and picked her up, twirling her around. When he stopped spinning, he brought her down and crashed his lips to hers sloppily.
"So you're not mad at me?" She giggled, running her hands through his long hair.
"Oh I am pissed." He chuckled, pressing a quicker kiss to her lips. "But only because you didn't tell me sooner."
"Well, knowing the history you have with the rest of my family, I thought it best to keep it a secret." She retorted, tapping the tip of the Winchester's nose.
That night, when Amber stepped out of the shower, she was met with her lover laying on top of the covers, staring intensely at the ceiling. With a sigh and loving smile, she sat down next to him.
"You've got questions." She stated matter-of-factly.
"Just a few."
"Just a few?" This made the angel chuckle. "I worry about you, Sam Winchester."
The brunette chuckled in turn, sitting up on his elbows. "Do you mind if I...?"
"Sam, I'm the Angel of Truth. Of course I don't mind." She paused. "Well, the Angel of Communications really, but I deal with truth too."
"Angel of Communications." The Winchester muttered under his breath. "What's that even mean?"
"Well, I used to send messages. Kinda like Hermes or Mercury, only I'm a girl." She reached over and ran her fingers through his hair. "You know, important notices, self revelations, inner truths, all that good stuff for humans."
"So, uh...your vessel..." He trailed, licking his chapped lips. "Is it? I mean, is she?"
"You wanna know if there's someone else rattling up in here." She tilted her head from side to side.
"Yeah."
"No, there's not. I'm all alone in this body." She smiled slightly. "Which is what makes me feel so human. Being the only person in here for so long, I often forget this isn't my real body."
"So that's how you can feel stuff. Pain and whatnot." Earning a simple nod, he continued. "What was she like? Your vessel?"
Amber hummed, laying her head down on the man's muscular chest, allowing him to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Her name was Photine, and she was her father's pride and joy. She was quite and calm, the perfect little Greek girl. One day there was an accident, and she fell down the stairs and went into a coma. He father prayed and prayed, and I saw it as my opportunity to acquire my vessel and roam the Earth. I asked her, and she agreed, so I took her soul to Heaven and took over her body. Her father praised it as a miracle, and allowed me to become a devoted follower of the local temple."
Sam lifted his head a bit. "Why would you become a follower of a pagan temple?"
She smiled up at her lover. "First of all, because my father goes by many names. Secondly, because I didn't want to be married off."
"Oh." He laid back down as Amber snuggled into his chest some more. "So, wait, you said Greek?"
"Mhmm."
"So, like, before Rome? Before the big man sent down his only begotten son?"
"Yup."
"Huh, so that's what they meant by 'old'." The brunette hummed. "So what did they mean by 'powerful'?"
"All angels are powerful, Sam Winchester, or did you forget that?" The girl laughed.
He shrugged. "I don't know. I thought they meant, like, more powerful than an angel."
"Well, there's angels, then archangels, then God. Obviously I'm not God, and there's only four archangels." She tapped against her lover's chest four times. "And I can promise you I'm not one of them in disguise."
"I should hope not." Sam laughed, running his hand up and down the girl's arm. "What did they mean when they said they thought you were dead?"
"Just that." She answered curtly. "When I obtained my vessel and left Heaven, that was it. I didn't return. So I guess after the millenniums passed without a word from me, they just assumed I had died."
"What? No contact back home?"
"No." She sighed. "I wish I had kept contact with them, but everything was so complicated. Everyone was still sore about Lucifer's fall, some resented the humans for it, but I loved them. I've always loved mankind, just like dad, so I just got fed up with my brothers and sisters and I left."
"So seeing Castiel today?"
"It was the first time since I left." She sniffled. "I missed him so much. I missed them all, but Cas and I were exceptionally close."
Sam rubbed the girl's arm a few more times before pressing a loving kiss to the top of her head.
"Hey Sam?"
"Yeah?"
"You know I love you," She propped herself up on one arm, facing her boyfriend. "Right?"
A wide grin crept onto the man's face as he sat up and pulled the girl into a sweet kiss. "Of course I do. And you know that I love you too, Ambriel."
"Ugh." She laughed between kisses. "Ambriel's too long, let's just stick to Amber."
"Whatever you say, angel-cakes."
After a few more sweet kisses, the couple maneuvered themselves under the comforter, turning off the bedside lamp in the process. Right before the hunter fell asleep, another question dawned upon him.
"What do you do when I sleep?"
"I close my eyes and enjoy myself, mostly." The girl whispered, snuggling further into her lover's warmth.
"Mostly?"
"Sometimes I watch you, listen to your heart beat, your breathing." She hummed, taping a finger over his heart in time with his pulse. "Sometimes you smile in your sleep, and I look into your dreams."
"You look into my dreams?"
"Yeah, you know, when we first started out hunting, I took turns looking into your dreams and Dean's. Yeah, that stopped almost as quickly as it started."
"Do you look in my head all the time or-"
"Just your dreams Sammy. I know the importance of mental privacy."
"That's good." He mumbled, drifting closer and closer to sleep. "Cause then you'd see all the embarrassing things I think about you."
"Goodnight Sammy."
"Goodnight Amber."
The next day, in celebration of the angel's reunion, the group decided to take the day off from hunts. They instructed all of their friends not to call unless it was apocalypse bad, and settled down in the kitchen for cold pie. Though not for long, because Amber couldn't just sit idly by as the others ate sub-par cold pie. So, the boys sat and ate cold pie as she once more went through the process of baking, catching up with Castiel and answering random questions the brothers had all the while.
"So Amber," Dean started, having cleared away all the questions that Sam had asked the previous night and stuffing a forkful of pie into his mouth. "All these years on earth, did you ever date anyone before Sammy?"
Sam placed his fork down, eager to hear the girl's answer, to which she gave him her own version of his bitch face.
"C'mon, I told you about Jess and Ruby and the others!" A statement that only earned him a roll of her eyes.
"Fine, since even Cas wants to know." She eyed the angel who was, quite literally, on the edge of his seat. "Yes. I did date other guys, but they were few and far between, and while I did care for them, it's nothing to how I feel about Sammy."
She turned back to her mixing bowl, adding ingredients and stirring them deftly. "I stayed away from the Greeks and Romans, bad blood, those lots. The first one was a medieval knight in England, who died killing a dragon. Then there was the Spanish conquistador, who died in battle. Stayed away from early Americans for a good while. Then there was a solider who fought and died on the North side of the civil war."
"And now me." Sam leaned back in his chair, flashing her a lopsided smile.
The handy-girl sauntered over, cupping her boyfriend's face and tilting it further back, giving him a spiderman kiss. "And now you."
"Never any girls?" Dean wiggled his eyebrows.
"I assure you, I am very heterosexual Dean." She smirked, crossing her arms. "The first impression I gave was just as true as the one you gave."
"What? You knew I was with a guy?" The Winchester was taken aback. "I was sure I came off straight!"
"Oh my dear creator Dean!" Amber laughed, small tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "There's no way that I thought you were even remotely interested in women!"
"WHAT?!"
The blonde reached up, brushing away the stray tears. "Dean, ever since we first met, you've reeked of Castiel."
The mentioned angel ducked his head a bit and turned scarlet, unnoticed by his lover.
"How?! I wasn't with Cas the night before we met!" The poor man was utterly confused, and his brother was enjoying it.
"The night before doesn't matter, it's the night he marked you that matters." She shook her head when his hand reached for his shoulder. "And I don't mean the one he left when he pulled you out of hell."
"Babe, what do you mean?" Sam asked, grabbing his lover's hand and pulling her into his lap.
"Angels have this scent gland in their wings, it's oily and keeps our feathers nice and waterproof." She leaned back into her boyfriend's embrace. "It also doubles as a way of pointing out your mate. So, Cas marked Dean with some of his oily scent and so when you guys came within a hundred yards of the dinner I knew someone was banging my brother."
"You marked me?" Dean turned to the trench coat wearing angel, who was trying his best to will himself to become one with his chair.
"Y-yes, I did. I did not think you w-would mind, as you had confessed-"
"I don't mind at all, sugar-lips, I just wished I knew earlier." Dean leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "No wonder all those demons kept giggling at me."
"So Amb, did you mark your exes?" The taller Winchester asked, nuzzling the girl's hair.
"Actually Sam, angels only over mark a mate once in their life." She could feel the pair of arms tighten around her.
"Oh."
"So, no. I didn't mark any of my exes." She hummed. "I knew they weren't my mate."
"Oh."
Once more, the muscular arms around her were tight, pulling her closer to his chest. "Also I haven't marked you, which is why when you saw Crowley, he didn't notice my scent at first, because it was less pronounced as it would have been. Because you didn't know I was an angel, and I don't know if you'd want me to." She mumbled the last bit.
Soft lips found the shell of her ear, whisper sending a shiver down her spine. "I love you, of course I wouldn't mind. But perhaps when we're in a more private setting."
"How do you know Crowley, sister?" Castiel asked, coughing awkwardly into his hand.
"Business. He's a demon, I'm an angel, our paths have crossed from time to time." The girl shrugged. "He's fond of my just like he's fond of you guys."
"In an unhealthy stalker kind of way?" Sam chuckled as the girl nodded, and he rested his chin on her shoulder. "What color are your wings?"
"They're pretty similar to Gabe's, wouldn't you say?" She turned to her brother. "Kind of a honey color."
"A bit darker, I'd say."
"So, kinda like a scotch whiskey." She grinned, hopping up as the timer went off for the pie.
"I'm assuming you and Gabriel were close too?" Dean grimaced, remembering all the times the archangel had killed him.
"Just another favorite brother of mine." She placed the pie in front of the eldest Winchester, knowing him all too well. "Haven't seen him in forever either, so I assume he thinks I'm dead too."
"Well, won't that be something fun to correct for him." He laughed, sticking his freshly burned thumb into the side of his mouth while his boyfriend chastised him about the dangers of items that came directly from the oven.
"Perhaps." She hummed, turning back to put the second pie into oven. "The next time Gabe rolls around."
A few more days of R&R and catching up later, Sam and Amber lay side by side in their bed, panting slightly from the ministrations performed earlier. The brunette had his arm wrapped around the bare waist of his lover, who's ruffled hair rested with her on his chest while her hand played idly with the small patch of hair it found there. Slowly she pulled her hand towards herself, disappearing and reappearing shortly after, before bringing it back to her lover's chest, fingers damp. She bit her bottom lip and hesitated, shooting a glance at the Winchester, who merely smiled and kissed the top of her head. Reassured, the handy-girl brought her fingers down and began trailing her fingers over the toned muscles, leaving behind an oily trail that quickly dried.
"Did you just write 'mine'?" Sam asked, amused by his girlfriend's antics.
"Maybe I did." She mumbled, playfully grumpy, underlining the invisible word with the last of the oil. "Now, symptoms of angel oil are demons and random monsters wanting to know if I'm still alive, them chasing you down or fleeing in fear, certain men and women either completely stop flirting with you or flirting with you more, as well as teasing."
His chest rumbled with his reply. "I think I can handle all that."
"Oh, and angels will freak out too." She leaned up and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. "But if they know anything, they won't hurt you."
"Even Lucifer?"
Amber sighed, pulling back slightly. "Luci and I didn't see eye to eye on some things, but we still loved each other. From what I know, he never wanted to hurt you or Dean in the first place, but yes. Even Luci would back down."
"Luci, huh?"
The angel rolled her eyes as she reached over and turned off the light. "Laugh all you want, but you need to sleep for the hunt tomorrow."
"Yes ma'am." He hummed, pulling the girl down on top of him, burying his face in her curls.
The following day the couple got up and dressed quietly, so as to not to disturb their other housemates, who had been kept up. Amber grabbed the shotgun the ghost of McFinney had given her all that time ago, and Sam grabbed the Impala keys and his own bag before quietly exiting the house. The day was easy, the hunt nothing the pair couldn't tackle by themselves, even without the girl's angelic powers. They were just finishing up, burning the bodies, when a phone suddenly interrupted the post-hunt glow.
"She's my cherry pie~ Cool drink of water such a sweet surprise~ Tastes so good make a grown man cry~ Sweet cherry p-"
"Hey Dean, what's up?" Amber answered, after digging through the tall man's pockets for the device.
"Thank God! Look, I won't have long. There's something at the house I think you-" The Winchester suddenly cut off, cursing, as something crashing in the background.
"Dean?" The handy-girl gripped her boyfriend's arm, capturing his attention. "Dean!"
"What's wrong?"
"Just be careful coming home!" With a few more curses the line went dead.
"Sam, there's something at the house." She pressed the phone into the man's large hand. "I think Dean's in trouble, there was shouting and things were breaking."
Sam nodded, grabbing the rest of what he needed, heading to the car. "I'll meet you at the house."
Too busy worrying about the eldest brother to smile at the fact that Sam remembered she could fly, she took off, leaving a soft sound of feathers and bells in her place. The angle landed in the middle of the house, eyes scanning over the mess the house had become, searching for the eldest Winchester or Castiel. She moved towards the kitchen, where all the noise seemed to stream from. She peered inside, eyes widening slightly at the sight of Dean being chased around by random kitchen appliances. Taking a step closer, she was startled by the crinkling under her foot. Reaching down, she picked up the offending object, which happened to be a lollipop wrapper.
A particularly infamous brand of lollipop wrapper.
"Gabriel?"
As soon as she stepped into the kitchen and the name left her lips, the appliances stopped in midair. Dean got up off the floor and dusted himself off, glaring at the archangel who had just materialized, jaw slacked and wide eyed.
"Ambriel?" He gaped, whiskey eyes fluttering over her form. "Is that you?"
The girl smiled, opening up her arms. "The one and only."
Everything crashed to the floor as he streaked over and picked the girl up in his arms, spinning her around and chuckling, chaste kisses passing back and forth between them.
"I can't believe my eyes, after all this time, I find you here." He chuckled, setting the her down.
"Well," She started, struggling to catch her breath. "Here's as good as anywhere else. Better, I would think, because of the company."
"Thanks doll." Dean pipped up. "Could you ask your brother to clean this all up."
The archangel merely rolled his eyes, and with a snap of his fingers, the house was back to usual layout. "Don't get your panties in a twist there, brother-in-law."
"Is this how you've been spending the millennium Gabe?" Amber raised an eyebrow. "Chasing hunters with blenders."
"Only the Winchesters." He paused, sniffing the air. "Is it just me, or did your scent get stronger?"
"Amber? Dean?"
"In here Sammy." Dean barked.
Soon enough, the brunette appeared in the doorway, lips turning up into a grin when he saw everyone was okay. Out of habit, he walked up to the handy-girl and wrapped his arm around her waist. At this point, Gabriel stood there looking from his sister to the taller man, sniffing the air as his eyes darted back and forth.
"No way!" He shouted, realization hitting him. "You and Gigantor?!"
She smiled, wrapping her own arm around her lover. "Yeah."
"Way to go man." The archangel gave Sam his signature eyebrow wiggle, before turning serious. "You hurt her, I smite you."