Author's Note:

Apology #1 – I'm sorry for giving you an update instead of ch. 2! It's been 4 months, and I am SO SORRY!

Apology #2 – I am sorry I've taken so long to update. I promise I'm working on chapter 2. I have it all outlined, and I have 2705 words written already, and I'm not even ¼ of the way finished with it yet. Since the first chapter was over 8000 words, I'm sure this one has a ways to go.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE! For being so kind and giving me so many reviews on the 1st chapter, here's an almost-500-word preview of Chapter 2:

Aubrey had finally gotten comfortable. She had started out laying as close as she could to the edge of the bed, so Dean could get some room, but she must've rolled over in her sleep; she was currently snuggled into Dean's side as he laid on his stomach. It was warm, and comforting, and she didn't need to be anywhere else in this moment. Screw the hunting and the giant, apocalyptic sword hanging over their heads – she was happy.

She was falling back to sleep when she heard the phone vibrate on the night stand. She sighed, but kept her eyes closed. "Damn it Cas, I need to sleep!" Dean growled into the phone.

"Sam? It's a quarter past four," Dean said.

She knew it was sneaky, but she wanted to give Dean a chance to talk to his brother. When he moved off the bed, she made a show of turning over onto her stomach and pressing her face into the pillow, and she listened to the one-sided phone conversation. After a few minutes of talking to Sam, and getting nowhere it seemed, she heard something that interested her.

"So you're his vessel, huh? Lucifer's wearing you to prom?" Dean asked. "Just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in, huh, Sammy?"

Aubrey almost got out of bed to knock some sense into Dean. He was purposefully pushing his brother away, and she didn't like it. They needed each other – they kept each other sane! She still hadn't met the younger brother, but what could he possibly have done that was so terrible?

"Bye Sam," Dean said after a few more minutes of talking. He turned off the small lamp and lay back down, next to Aubrey. He sighed, and she felt his breath on her face. "Y'know," he said, "it's rude to eavesdrop on phone conversations."

He didn't sound angry, or upset. He just sounded… tired. She opened her eyes and had the decency to look ashamed. "To be fair," she replied, her voice soft in the quiet room, "I didn't hear the entire conversation."

He attempted a small smile – or maybe it was a smirk – but it just turned out to be a grimace. "Yeah, well…"

"Do you really think picking a hemisphere will work?" she asked.

"I don't know. I just… I really don't know," he said.

His tone made it clear that he was done with the conversation, so she didn't push it. All she said was; "Okay, but I'll go along with whatever you think is right."

She didn't know if he heard her, because she was asleep soon after that. She was so tired, and she wanted to tell him the secret, but she knew she'd probably lose Xenia's help – and her trust – if she did.