Chapter 3

A few weeks later Sam and Dean were eating at a diner in Lebanon Kansas, about a mile from the bunker. Dean looked down at his phone for the fifth time and smiled.
"Bailey again?" He questioned and raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, she just moved into her new apartment, she sent me some pictures of the Led Zeppelin posters on her wall." Dean said and he showed him the pictures. Sam swiped around, but he swiped too far and saw something he hadn't intending on seeing.
"Oh… I guess that's not all she sent you." Sam blushed and quickly glanced away.
"Oops, Sorry Sammy." Dean apologized and quickly turned his phone off.
"So you're more than friends?" Sam questioned.
"She wants to be." He sighed.
"And you don't?" Sam asked.
"I do, but the long distance thing never works out and I don't want to put her in danger or uproot her life by asking her to come on the road." Dean huffed and picked at his half eaten burger.
"Dean, Bailey is an Ex-Marine and special forces agent, she can take care of herself. As for uprooting her life, does she really seem all that thrilled about college or is she using it as an excuse to keep her mind off of Rick and Kit?" Sam reasoned. "It's seems to me that she is struggling with survivor's guilt." He continued.

Bailey sat in her room staring at the application to the New York City Police Academy. She hadn't ruled out college, but she wanted to look at other options. Her phone buzzed and Dean's name popped up on the screen.

'I'll be in New York in a few days, want to go catch a movie or get dinner?' At first Bailey wasn't sure what to say, she liked Dean, but it had been so long since she had been on a date. She sent him an affirmative text and looked through her closet. All of her clothes were out dated or didn't fit her very well. She really liked Dean and she wanted to wear something that would wow him. The next day she went shopping with Eddie and they dragged Jamie along. They went from store to store, trying on dresses and frilly tops, while Jaime sat, bored out of his mind.

"I still don't understand why I'm here." He huffed as Eddie thrust a bag into his arms.

"We needed a pack mule sweetie." Eddie told him before kissing him softly. Bailey walked out of the changing room in a sleeveless red top and black jeans.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"You look great." Eddie praised.

"You look like you should put on a sweater." Jamie huffed.

"Jamie." Eddie scolded.

"This is why you shouldn't bring me shopping." He sighed.

"I think I'm going to go with this one." Bailey announced.

"I think you're going to knock this guy's socks off." Eddie encouraged.

"I hope so." The following evening Bailey met Dean for dinner and a movie. He was wearing dark jeans and a maroon, button down shirt. That night he dropped her off at her house and gave her a kiss on the front steps. He was about to walk away when she grabbed his arm and motioned inside.

Dean woke up the next morning spooning Bailey, it was the first time in a while that he stayed with someone the entire night. Bailey rolled over and nuzzled his chest.

"Morning beautiful." He said and kissed the top of his head.

"Morning." She sighed. "Last night was the first night I didn't have a nightmare since I came home." She told him. "You're like my own special dream catcher." She yawned.

"Glad I could help." He chuckled. At that moment Bailey noticed the red, inflamed mark on his arm.

"What's this?" She questioned and ran her hand over it. Dean jumped a little and gently batted her hand away

"It's just a scar." He said, she didn't believe him, she was about to try another tactic when she heard a voice on the other side of the door.

"Aunt Bailey." It was Nikki, Bailey was immediately regretting giving her a key.

"That's my niece, get dressed, I'll go see what she needs." Bailey threw on her robe and left the bedroom.

"Nikki it's Thursday morning, shouldn't you be at school?" She questioned.

"There was an emergency faculty meeting and they closed school." Nikki told her. "I have an article to write, for the school newspaper, on heroism. I wanted to know if I could interview you." Nikki announced. Bailey never really considered herself a hero, she did her duty, she did what she felt called to do. She supposed it was a Reagan thing, they all hid their metals and wounds equally.

"Nikki I'm not a hero." She sighed.

"I know you don't think so, but you are to me." Nikki said as a matter of fact.

"Ok, you can interview me." She said with a smile. Dean walked out of the bedroom fully dressed.

"Oh… I guess I should have called first." Nikki said sheepishly.

"It's fine, Dean was just about to leave." Bailey told her. She walked over to him and kissed him.

"Goodbye." He sighed.

"Goodbye, love you." She said and kissed him again, but he didn't kiss her back, he just stood there like a deer in headlights. Bailey realized she shouldn't have said that, she shouldn't have told him that she loved him, it was way too soon.

"I'll call you." He said before leaving. Bailey slumped down on the couch beside Nikki.

"Aunt Bailey, are you ok?"

"Yeah Nikki, I'm ok. How about we grab some breakfast before you get to those questions." She suggested and blinked back tears. Bailey knew she had ruined everything, she had made things weird, there was no way Dean was going call her back.