Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me so long to update, life has been crazy busy! And while it's still busy, I got a wild hair to pick this up and work on it again.

Chapter Two

Even though Nicole had shown up, Adam still felt uneasy. He could feel Bobby watching him from his seat by the fireplace. Sam glanced over occasionally as if Adam would suddenly jump up and make a run for the door. Dean and Castiel were in the kitchen, munching on chicken legs as they scanned book after book for whatever it was they were looking for. He felt antsy sitting around doing nothing, knowing that out there somewhere, expecting him to show up at any time was Zachariah with his mother. Adam was torn between staying with Nicole to help the Winchesters and going to see his mom.

Nicole came striding out of the kitchen, two cups of pudding and two spoons in her hand. She offered a cup to Adam as she sat beside him, ignoring the glance from Sam and the constant stare from Bobby. In the kitchen, Dean and Castiel also glanced over, mildly interested.

As they broke into their pudding, Nicole asked, "How are you doing?"

Adam chuckled, "I should be asking you that. You're the one that's been in the middle of a war for the last year."

"But you're the one that just sprouted out of the ground like a daisy," Nicole joked, grinning as she slid a spoonful of pudding into her mouth.

"Guess we both have issues," Adam shrugged.

Nicole mirrored his shrug and leaned back, curling her legs under her to sit Indian style, "Have you lost your memory while being six feet under? This is an everyday thing for me."

"How could I forget?" Adam lifted his hand to stroke Nicole's cheek before dropping down to pull back her shirt collar slightly, exposing the faint scar running along the left side of her collarbone. Gently, he traced the scar with the pad of his thumb.

"Good times," Nicole met his eyes, her voice quiet as they both remembered a Homecoming night that seemed like a lifetime ago.

Suddenly becoming very much aware of Bobby and Sam still in the room, Adam pulled his hand away and dropped his gaze to the floor. "S-so what have you been up to since…well, you know?"

Nicole cleared her throat glanced at Sam, who looked away quickly, "It's been pretty much like old times, before Windon. I hunt demons, try to help Sam and Dean figure out how to stop the devil, eat a lot of junk." She gave a small laugh. "I haven't been back to school since you-" Her voice wavered and she changed subject, "I haven't heard from Nathan in awhile, but he does call occasionally to check on me."

Adam looked up in surprise, "Does he know?"

Nicole shook her head, "No, he thinks I'm living with my uncle, working in his garage, trying to get over-" Again, her voice fell.

Guilt filled Adam, "I'm sorry."

"We can't keep apologizing to each other," Nicole said softly. "We can't change what happened, but we can take advantage of what we've been given."

A horrible thought suddenly crossed Adam's mind but he quickly pushed it aside, making a mental note to ask Sam or Dean about it when Nicole wasn't around. For now, he just reached over and took Nicole's hand, enjoying the feel of her warm skin against his.

Sam shuffled into the kitchen to retrieve a beer from the fridge. Dean and Castiel watched him as he leaned against the counter and popped the lid off the bottle.

"Anything?" He asked.

Dean shook his head, "Nothing yet, just a lot of depressing prophecies and predictions for what Lucifer will do to the world with his freedom. I can't take reading about another sacrificial virgin or bloody battlefield."

Sam nodded his agreement as Castiel bristled, "We cannot give up. There must be a way. We should resume the search for God, he can stop this."

Dean shook his head, "We've been down that road and have come up with nothing. We find another way. I'm not going to let Adam take the fall for me, we either find a way or I go to the angels. He's not going to take my place."

"Dean-" Sam started but fell silent as Dean shot him a dark look.

Castiel didn't like that answer either. He squared his shoulders and grabbed another book off the counter, "We will find a way." His voice was determined, so set and certain that it left no room for argument.

Suddenly the clearing of a throat made them all turn. Adam stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets. He looked tired and uncertain.

"Adam," Sam straightened, "What's wrong?"

Adam came into the room, glancing around at each of them before glancing over his shoulder to make sure Nicole wasn't behind him. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Anything," Sam urged, eager to gain the trust of his younger half brother.

"The angels brought me back for a purpose. If I don't do what they say, couldn't they, I don't know…put me back where they found me?" Adam tried to keep his voice steady but they could all hear the fear in his voice.

Castiel replied bluntly, "Yes."

"Cas," Sam shot him a look, "Way to break it to him softly."

Dean ignored them both and looked Adam in the eye, "It is possible they'll put you back but if they went to the trouble to raise you in the first place, they won't do that unless they absolutely had to." He laughed and slapped Adam's shoulder playfully, "Heck, you'd have to be a bigger pain in the butt to them than I am, after all, they brought me back and haven't thrown me back into Hell yet."

Adam smiled weakly, nodding.

"Don't worry, Adam," Sam reassured, "We'll do all we can to keep you safe without you having to give in to their plans."

Adam returned to the study, not entirely sure his brother's words had comforted him. Now that he was back among the living, with Nicole, he didn't want it all to be taken away again.