Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or the Winchester boys... If i did i probably would be doing alot less writing.

Thank you to everyone that reviewed and favourited and story alerted... I'm actually really sorry but I'm going to France 2moz for 3 weeks... So I don't know if i will be able to update until after I get home. But hey! Look on the bright side... I am going to Paris and it is the city of love. We are talking major inspiration my friends


Chapter 3

Jo trudged through the forest. Every muscle of her body ached, but she had to keep going. Dean and Sam were still going strong, the slope and the heat seemed to have no effect on them. Jo saw Dean look back at her, and then exchange glances with Sam. She knew what it meant. It was the "We should not have brought out the poor pathetic female so soon after she nearly got herself killed" look. She would have put them in their place, but she was just so tired. What were they doing here anyway? This was her hunt, not theirs. What gives them the right to just push in…? Not that she minded being close to Dean it's just that…

"Look." Sam's voice pierced through her train of thought. She looked up and watched Sam place his hand on scratch marks on a tree. He ran his hand over the mark, and then suddenly pulled it of swearing.

"What Sammy? What is it?" The panic in Dean's voice was too large for him to hide.

"It's nothing Dean, just a splinter."

"Just a… Just a splinter?!? Give me a look." Before poor Sam had a chance to protest, Dean had pinned his hand to the tree, pulled out his pocket knife and removed the offending splint of wood.

"You need to be more careful Sam!"

"Dean it was just…" Sam caught sight of Jo trying... and failing to conceal her laughter. "Yes Dean."

"You know I'm not going to be able to take care of you for ever. When I…" Dean caught the look of warning that Sam had shot him. Jo couldn't help to notice how uncomfortable the two of the looked.

"What… When you what Dean?" She asked, almost pleadingly. A thousand images were whirling round her head. Dean going off to get married, Dean with kids, Dean… not with her. Sick Dean. Dean who's heart condition came back. Dean who…

"Nothing, let's just keep moving." Something in Dean's voice put Jo's stomach into turmoil.

"No seriously. What is it Dean?"

"You SERIOUSLY don't have to worry about it Jo." Dean met her eyes; something in them seemed to urge her to challenge him, to keep pushing it. Jo was smarter than that; she could see the trap. She glared back at him and kept walking ahead of them, her head so full of thoughts and possibilities she nearly forgot about her aching body. She was so deep in thought she only realised her pace had slowed when it was too late, when she felt Dean brush past her.

That is what she had been trying to avoid all day, but it was too late. The small section where their arms had brushed felt like it was on fire. Every skin cell tingled with excitement, and she could feel herself blushing. Now she was painfully aware of everything. Her walking speed picked up again, so Dean was walking just a little in front of her. The space between them was so small, yet so great at the same time. The air was alive with electricity and Jo felt her self getting faint. She was so concentrated on Dean; she didn't see Sam watching her.

"Jo, are you feeling ok? You look a little… flushed." Jo felt more colour rise to her cheeks at this comment, she felt like a school girl.

"It's just the heat, how much daylight do you think we have left?" Sam looked at his watch, and then at the sky.

"The sun should start setting in half an hour, we should probably make camp."

---

All three of them sat around the campfire, each one of them with a bottle of beer. Jo sat with her eyes concentrated on the fire, trying to ignore how painfully close Dean was to her.

"I'm gonna go to bed. Night." Sam's voice carried through the night.

"Night Sammy." Jo felt her heart start beating like a jack hammer. She was alone with Dean. Bad. Bad. Very bad. She decided on leaving, so she practically sprung from the log.

"I think I'm gonna go too."

"No wait, Jo." Jo attempted to hide her surprise.

"Dean?" Dean patted the log beside him.

"Just sit for a minute, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"Ok." Jo's voice went very high, as her whole body tingled with excitement.

"Jo… I just wanted you to know you didn't have to "stalk" us… You are welcome with us, you're pretty much part of the family…" Dean coughed, he felt extremely awkward. Jo stared at him; this was the closest that she had ever seen him "express" his feelings.

"I mean, I'm not trying to stay you have to stick around, I'm just saying you don't have to go out on hunts alone where you need back up or anything…" Dean insanely rambled trying to cover up the corniness of what he had just said.

"Dean, No… I get it… Thanks I guess." That was the last thing she wanted to say to him. She wanted to scream at him how much she loved him, how much she needed him. Instead she just smiled. Dean, not quite sure what to do, leaned over and squeezed her arm. Jo inhaled quickly. He was much too close; she didn't trust herself not to through herself at him. They sat awkwardly in the silence for a moment or two.

"I really should be getting to bed now though… I'm really tired."

"Yeah, yeah… see you in the morning."

"Yeah… see you." As Jo walked away from the campfire she felt her heart break… And as Dean watched her go, he felt his skip a beat. He frowned and looked down at his hands and quickly took a swig from his bottle. It was just late… Very late. He was tired after all…


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