Sam couldn't help but be impressed as he drove to meet Andi. For the last three months, they had trained hard. He'd given her book after book which she seemed to absorb like a sponge. The Millers' children were enjoying their summer break so she had plenty of free time on her hands. Her fighting was improving too. When they had first started, she had the speed but lacked the strength she was going to need on a real hunt. So he had instructed her to go for a long run every day, do pushups, and lift some weights. Anything he could think of to build up her cardio and strength, he recommended and Andi had complied. Twice a week, they tried to meet in a small abandoned storage building on the edge of town where they would spar and Sam would quiz her on some monster lore, unless he was out of town on a job.
Sam had pushed her to her limit, both physically and mentally, and beyond. Hoping that she would change her mind and give up this idea of becoming a hunter, he had made sure he never took it easy on her. But she never complained. Whether it was from stubbornness or dedication, he wasn't entirely sure. He could see why Dean liked her though. She was soft but not weak, tough but not hard. Maybe that's what his brother needed.
Shaking his head, Sam couldn't help but think of Dean's behavior over the last few months. When he had first started to go out with Andi, Dean was more like his old self. Joking and happier. Now he barely said two words to Andi whenever they saw her at the diner or around town, he was moody, negative, and drank more than usual. Sam knew exactly what was wrong with him and had tried to explain to Dean that what had happened wasn't his fault, that the vamp had been tracking Andi for years, but he refused to listen. Dean took the weight of the world on his shoulders. If he knew that Sam had been training Andi, he would flip his literal shit. Sam couldn't keep this secret much longer though as making up excuses was getting harder and harder.
Sam parked the car in front of the short brick building. It stood more or less by itself with no other businesses nearby so they never worried about anyone finding them. Andi sat on the steps waiting for him, her long brown hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Jumping up to meet him, she placed her hands on her hips and smiled. "You're late, Winchester," she teased playfully.
"I seem to remember you've been late plenty of times, Miss Punctual," he ribbed right back. "How's Sarah?" he asked more seriously.
"She's doing much better. You can barely see the scar now," Andi replied positively. Luckily, Sarah hadn't remembered being attacked by a vampire so she had easily accepted the story of an intruder who had fled the scene that Andi had told her.
Sam nodded and opened the heavy front door, letting Andi go through first. "How do you feel about some target practice today?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow and half smiling at her.
Visibly cringing, Andi groaned as she stepped inside and flipped the light switch. The room lit up revealing concrete floors, metal beams that crossed the ceiling, and about seven garage-like doors that lined one wall. "Ugh! I guess we'd better. I really suck at shooting," she confessed unhappily.
"Yeah, you do," Sam laughed as he began to tack paper targets to the wall. Handing Andi the pistol she's been practicing with, he watched as she checked the clip, the chamber, and flipped the safety off. She took her stance just like he'd taught her, aimed, and fired. The bullet hit to the left of the target.
"Damn it!" Andi cursed angrily. Sam chuckled at her but quickly shut up when she glared at him. Aiming again, she took a deep breath and fired. This time, she hit her mark in the left shoulder. Squealing in delight, she grinned proudly at Sam. "I got him!"
"Good. Now do it again but better," Sam commanded, smiling but stern. Straight-faced, Andi emptied her clip into the different targets. She only missed a couple more times, the rest of the bullets finding their place in the targets. "Excellent. Much better," Sam complimented. He couldn't help but feel a little proud of her progress.
His phone started ringing. Dean's name glowed on the screen. Putting his finger to his lips so Andi would know to be quiet, he flipped open the phone and answered, "What's up, Dean?" As he listened to Dean telling him about a case he found, Andi's eyes searched his face. After training with her for three months, Sam knew she missed Dean as much as he missed her, though she would never admit it. Whenever he so much as mentioned Dean's name her eyes lit up with curiosity and longing. "Ok, I'll be right there," he said as he snapped the phone shut.
Turning to Andi, he explained, "Looks like we got a job. We're leaving first thing in the morning so I'd better get back. Sorry to cut our lesson short." Quickly, both of them cleaned up the room, not wanting to leave any evidence that they were using the building just in case someone happened to come snooping around. Andi was oddly quiet as they packed up but Sam didn't think much about it.
As he slammed the trunk with the gun and targets inside, Andi stood beside him and said decidedly, "I want to go with you guys."
Sam nearly choked. "No, Andi. Not this time. Maybe in a couple more months."
"I need to go, Sam. All this training isn't going to do me any good if I can't apply it. What better way to see if I'm really cut out for this? Plus, you and Dean will be with me," she said persuasively
"That's not the point, Andi. There's a million different ways a hunt can go wrong," Sam tried to explain, running his hands through his long hair.
Not missing a beat, Andi continued, "Then bring me as backup. I can observe, do research, and if you need me then I'm there to help with whatever. Please, Sam. Please." She stared up at him with her big amber eyes.
Sam massaged his temples and sighed. What was he supposed to do? He didn't want her to get hurt but she did have a point. Eventually, she was going to be out there on her own and he needed to see if she could handle herself. Maybe coming along would dissuade her. Then something occurred to him. They were gonna have to tell Dean what was going on. Tilting his head, he looked at Andi and smiled impishly. "I'll make you a deal. You can come if you can convince Dean."
For the first time since they started training, Andi looked uncertain. Her forehead scrunched in thought before taking a deep breath and saying, "Deal."
…
After grabbing Andi some clothes and dropping Sarah's car off to her at the diner, Sam and Andi went back to the bunker. Sam was almost to the door when he noticed Andi was still standing at the car. Her face blank as she stared straight ahead but her fists were clenched nervously at her sides.
"Did you change your mind?" Sam questioned hopefully. He wasn't excited about the on-coming conversation and would be more than happy to avoid it. He already regretted giving Andi this choice to begin with. Unfortunately, she just squared her shoulders and walked resolutely to the door.
As soon as they shut the door, Dean walked into the front room. "What took you so long?" he started to ask but stopped when he noticed Andi. Eyes traveling down to the bag in her hands, he shook his head and angrily said, "Oh hell no! NO. NO WAY." Turning around, he stomped into the nearest room, which happened to be the gym.
Gesturing toward the gym, Sam sighed and said, "Ladies, first." Andi rolled her eyes and threw down her bag.
"Dean, listen. Sam and I have been training for months and I really think I can help you guys," she said sweetly as she followed Dean, ignoring the livid glare he gave her when she mentioned the training situation.
"I don't care if you've been training with Samuel Colt himself. There is no way in heaven or hell you are coming with us," he fumed, slamming his fist into the punching bag. The bag swung violently back and forth, the chain groaning in protest. Dean swung back around, turning his irate gaze on his brother. "And what in God's name were you thinking?"
Before he could answer, Sam watched as Andi's face went from convincing to murderous. "I don't need your permission, Dean Winchester. If I want to hunt, I will hunt. That is my decision," she said stubbornly as she walked right up to Dean, her face staring up into his. Neither so much as blinked. The tension in the room was nearly tangible.
Dean's face went eerily calm. "Sam, go get some dinner," he said, not taking his eyes off of Andi.
"Dean, what are you doing?" Sam asked uncertainly. He knew Dean would never hurt Andi but he still didn't want to leave her to face his wrath by herself.
His brother glared at him and said simply, "Go, Sam. Now."
His gaze flickering to Andi, whose eyes never left Dean, Sam backed out of the gym and returned to the Impala. Exhaling, he drove back to town and hoped the bunker would still be in one piece when he got back.
Andi could feel some of her nerve slipping as she heard Sam drive away but she tried her best not to show it. This was the longest conversation she'd had with Dean in months. Yelling at each other wasn't exactly how she wanted this to go. Looking into his green eyes, Andi was struck again by how infuriatingly complicated this man was. It was obvious he was angry but she could have sworn she saw concern pass across his handsome face. It happened so quickly that Andi wasn't sure that it had happened at all. Trying not to show her confusion, she said nothing while they continued to glare at each other. Neither were willing to be the first to speak.
Finally, Dean half-smiled and said, "So you think you're ready to go on a hunt? Prove it."
Andi was caught off-guard. "What do you mean?" she asked, eyebrows scrunched warily.
"You said that you and Sam had been training. I want you to show me that you can take care of yourself. Cause we won't have time to babysit," he explained. Seeing her hesitation, he flashed his black demon eyes and continued smugly, "Unless, of course, you'd rather not and stay home where you belong."
Andi stared into his black eyes and took in his vicious smile, understanding what he was attempting to do. He was trying to scare her and she refused to let it work. Obstinately, she jerked her chin up. "Fine." Turning on her heel, she walked over to the giant matt in the middle of the floor, Dean following her. He flicked his wrist and the door to the gym slammed shut.
They circled each other, bodies tensed for attack. Andi was the first to strike, her small fist flying quickly towards Dean's chin. He blocked it easily and dodged the elbow she threw at him. He continued to let her strike at him, only avoiding and blocking her hits, before sweeping his legs under her feet, knocking her to the ground. He smiled arrogantly at her.
Teeth clenched, Andi righted herself and ground out, "Again."
Dean launched his fist forward, surprised when Andi dodged it and landed a solid kick in his middle. He came at her again. She was able to land a blow to his ribs. They went on like this for several rounds. Although Andi had improved over the past few months, Dean was still much more experienced. Eventually, he always managed to knock her on her ass but every time she stood right back up and demanded they keep going.
As Andi's foot flew toward his face, Dean grabbed her ankle and drug his own foot behind Andi's stationary knee, causing her to fall backward once again. Before she could stand up, Dean straddled her and grasped both of her wrists, pinning her to the matt. Andi tried her best to wriggle free but it was no use.
Chests heaving, they stared at each other furiously. Andi felt a tugging sensation in her stomach as she looked into Dean's black eyes. Something passed across his face and suddenly he sat back and jerked her up, smashing his lips against hers. This was nothing like the first kiss they'd shared months ago, which had been gentle and careful. No. This kiss was rough and angry, full of the tension they'd felt toward each other. And she was angry. She was furious, not just because he didn't want her to hunt but because he'd practically ignored her for three months. He had awoken feelings inside of her that she was perfectly fine with leaving dormant and then he had pulled away without any explanation.
Andi fisted her hands in Dean's shirt as he ripped her hair tie out, letting her long hair fall down her back. His hands knotted themselves in the curly mass as she moved to sit in his lap. Growling, Dean jerked her black tank top over her head and flung it across the room, viciously attacking her throat. Trailing hot kisses down her neck, his strong hands dug into the angel wings on her back as he pressed her closer. Her hips grinded against his.
Grasping handfuls of his hair, Andi jerked Dean's head backward and kissed him savagely, biting his lower lip. If it hurt, Dean didn't let on. One of her hands traveled down to feel his length hardening inside his jeans. Dean's fingers hooked inside the band of her jogging tights and deftly peeled them off of her, along with her black thong. Removing her shoes, he threw them and her pants off to the side. Andi stood, pulling Dean up with her. As he removed his shirt, her hands worked furiously at the button on his pants and pushed them below his hips. Dean kicked off his boots and pants as he leaned down to kiss her. She felt him unsnap her bra and let it fall to the ground.
Dean pushed her backward and slammed her roughly against the wall. Her hands explored his muscular body as his teeth raked along her jaw and throat. His hand trailed down her body to the wetness between her thighs. Eyes widening, she gasped as he massaged the sensitive bundle of nerves. She couldn't help the small cry that flew out as his long fingers worked her over, slipping inside of her. Her back arched as he continued and her legs felt like jello. He smiled wickedly at her. Still seething, Andi grabbed his shoulders and turned him so that it was his back against the cold, hard wall. Snickering at him, her eyes twinkling with mischief, she dropped to her knees and took him in her mouth. She swirled her tongue teasingly around his tip before going farther. A groan escaped Dean's lips, causing her to smile. This is what she wanted, to be in control of what she was doing for once. To forget her past and the pain she'd been feeling. If this was how she got it then so be it. Grasping his legs, her fingernails dug into his skin as Dean gathered her thick mane into his hands and pumped her head back and forth. Looking up through her thick lashes, she could see Dean watching her, his eyes no longer black but green.
Dean released her and dropped to the floor. Pushing her down, he leaned in for another bruising kiss. His hand cupped her breast while his teeth nipped at her hardened nipples. Without warning, she felt him enter her. She clenched her eyes shut and moaned. Dean plunged in and out of her roughly and Andi could feel her release building. Wrapping her legs around him, she arched her back in pleasure and pain. She clawed at his shoulders as he cradled her head with his other hand. Her eyes flew open to see him staring at her. All trace of anger gone for the moment. Andi's body tensed as pleasure overcame her and she climaxed, her walls pulsing inside of her. Dean gripped her tightly as his thrusts became erratic. With a final thrust, he shattered. He moaned as his head lowered into her shoulder. He moved inside of her gently until the pleasure subsided.
Neither moved. Panting from desire and spent anger, they merely laid on the floor. Dean sat up and gazed at Andi. She couldn't begin to guess what he was thinking as she stared up into his eyes. Putting his hand gently on her cheek, he leaned forward as if he was going to kiss her. But he stopped. Rolling off of her, Dean stood and gathered his clothes. Andi tried to ignore the pain that flared in her chest as she began to dress.
"Dean! Andi! I ate at the diner but I brought you guys some burgers," she heard Sam's voice call out just as she pulled her last piece of clothing back on.
Dean walked toward the door, leaving her standing in the middle of the gym. He opened the door just as Sam was about to knock. Without looking at his brother, Dean walked passed him and mumbled, "She can go." Andi's gaze never left the floor as she heard Dean go to his room and slam the door.
"So are you gonna tell me what the job is?" Sam asked a silent Dean as they made the drive to Missouri. The three of them had been on the go since five that morning and now, about six hours or so later, they were almost to Harrisonville.
"Something has been stealing fresh corpses at the funeral homes. Then one of the employees turned up dead, most of the flesh gone. I'm bettin' it's a ghoul," Dean explained quickly before returning to his brooding.
Dean glanced in the rearview mirror at Andi's sleeping form. He'd seen her light on in the middle of the night so he knew she probably hadn't slept well. Since he didn't really need to sleep anymore, he was forced to deal with his own thoughts. He had laid down and closed his eyes for old time's sake but whenever he did, visions of Andi, angry and beautiful, filled his mind. He'd tried to stay mad at her and keep his emotions turned off but he couldn't. Every time she had kissed or touched him she chipped away at the wall he had built so carefully. So he'd chosen to think of something else, like Andi becoming a hunter. He had tried so hard to distance himself from her. He hated seeing her and having to force down the feelings she inspired but he had convinced himself it was for her own good. No matter what she or Sam said, he felt it was all his fault.
"You've been teaching her how to hunt? What is wrong with you, Sam?" Dean suddenly asked his brother incredulously, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. He had somehow managed to forget that Sam had played a part in all this.
Exhaling roughly, Sam replied, "Look, Dean, I didn't have much of a choice. Either I trained her or she was going to figure things out on her own and she would've gotten herself killed. What did you want me to do?"
"Well for starters, you could've told me. That might've been helpful," he snapped, glaring at the road.
Inhaling deeply, Andi sat up and stretched in the back seat, interrupting their conversation. "Are we there yet?" she asked impatiently to no one in particular.
Dean didn't answer. Ever since their tussle, she and Dean didn't so much as look at each other openly, let alone speak to each other. Sam didn't know the details but he wasn't stupid. He knew something was up between the two of them. He looked at his brother pointedly but Dean refused to say anything. Sighing, Sam turned to Andi and smiled, "Just about. Few more miles maybe."
"So what's the plan? Do I need to think of an alias? What can I do?" she inquired enthusiastically, practically bouncing in her seat.
"You can start by telling me everything you've learned about ghouls," Sam said, using his teacher voice.
Andi's brow wrinkled in concentration. After a few minutes, she answered, "Ghouls usually feed on the dead, although they have been known to feed on the living. They are able to shapeshift into the form of the last person they feasted on and therefore can appear human. The only way to kill one is by decapitation or extreme head trauma."
"We think a ghoul is hitting funeral homes in order to get to the fresh corpses and it's already killed one worker. How do you think we should go about finding it?" he questioned as Dean pretended not to be listening but, truthfully, he was curious what her answer would be.
"Well, we could start by finding the funeral home with the, um, newest members and wait for the ghoul there. Assuming it hasn't eaten anyone else yet, we need to know who the last victim was so we can have an idea of what to look for," Andi proudly replied.
"Very good," Sam praised, grinning at her. Dean's lips twitched into a smile. Despite what he thought, Sam's training seemed to be paying off. The girl caught on fast.
…
Dean handed Sam and Andi each a newly sharpened machete. After arriving in Harrisonville, Sam had Andi do the research and find out which funeral home the ghoul might be at next. She wasn't as fast as Sam but she did find what they were looking for. Andi had discovered that eighty year old Maria Lewis had died peacefully in her sleep and had been taken to Fisher Funeral Home. So now the three of them stood outside in the middle of the night, ready to break in.
Watching as Andi gripped the machete and tested its weight, Dean looked at Sam worriedly. He'd wanted Andi to sit this one out, claiming that research was more than enough help for her first hunt, but Sam had apparently already tried that out with her and had been shot down. She had insisted that this was her idea and she should see it through. Sam merely shrugged, suggesting that nothing short of tying her to the bed would have stopped her from coming with them. Dean began to wonder why he hadn't thought of that but then that opened a whole new mess of kinky thoughts which he quickly shoved away.
As Dean closed the trunk, he heard Sam explaining the "rules" to Andi, "We sneak in and try to catch it off guard. If it comes to a fight, try your best to stay out of it and observe. See how we handle it. If you can't, then remember what I taught you. Don't leave yourself open for it to get an attack in. And no matter what happens, you stick with us. Don't go anywhere by yourself and just make sure that you are always with at least one of us."
As Andi nodded her understanding, Dean observed her. For her first hunt, she didn't seem to be afraid. Her hands shook a little at her sides but she looked at Sam steadily, determination written all over her beautiful face. She had spunk, he'd give her that.
When Sam finished his instructions, the three of them walked quietly to the front door. Dean swiftly picked the lock, letting them inside. Fisher Funeral Home was just like any other funeral home. Vases of flowers were scattered around the foyer and an olive green border ran along the top of cream colored walls. And the smell. It was like rotting flowers mixed with embalming fluid covered up with whatever air freshener they sprayed throughout the day. Dean hated that smell.
Sam crossed the room and opened a door that said EMPLOYEES ONLY, revealing a set of steep stairs. "I'll check the mortuary. You two make sure the ghoul isn't up here," he said, not looking at either of them. Before Dean could argue, Sam made his way down the stairs.
Rolling his eyes, Dean mumbled, "Come on, Andi. Stay close." He gripped the First Blade and opened the first viewing room he came to. The large room was filled with rows and rows of chairs. Cautiously, Dean stepped inside and motioned for Andi to stay by the door. He had just reached the first few rows when he heard Andi cry out behind him.
"Andi!" he anxiously called as he rushed back out into the hallway. The ghoul had tackled Andi from the side and pinned her to the floor, her nails digging into Andi's wrists. As Dean ran forward, Andi managed to get one hand free and punched the monster in the side of her face. The blow was enough to knock the creature off of Andi, giving Dean time to drop to one knee and drive the First Blade into the ghoul's forehead.
Grabbing Andi's shoulders, Dean turned her towards him and asked, "Are you ok?" He couldn't keep the worry out of his voice and right now he didn't care.
"Yeah, I'm fine. She just caught me off guard. Won't happen again," she defended as she stood up. Red-faced, she stooped and grabbed the machete she had dropped.
Relieved, Dean chuckled and said, "I doubt that. Sam and I have been hunting for years and we still have to save each other's asses." Andi looked up at him and gave him a small careful smile. Dean smiled back before remembering that he was supposed to be distancing himself from this woman. Clearing his throat, he walked back toward the door that lead to the mortuary. "We better get Sam," he said over his shoulder, his voice returning to its former aloofness.
Stopping at the top of the stairs, Dean began to wonder why Sam hadn't returned already. Growing suspicious, he quietly crept down the stairs, leaving Andi standing near the dead ghoul. At the bottom of the stairs was a short hallway that led to a single door. Not bothering to wait for Andi, he opened the door to see Sam lying unconscious in the middle of the floor.
"Damn it, Sam," he muttered as he swiftly walked over to his brother. Kneeling, Dean could tell that Sam was still breathing and he didn't see any blood so he assumed the ghoul had knocked Sam out before coming upstairs and attacking them. Something moved out of the corner of his eye. As he turned his head, something hard slammed into his face. Dazed, he fell backward.
When his vision cleared a little, Dean could see a wide-set man holding a bent metal tray standing over him. "I guess you killed my partner," the ghoul sneered. "Seeing how you're still alive. Well, for the moment." The tray clattered to the floor as the ghoul reached for one of the scalpels that lined the countertop.
The ghoul stepped forward but then froze as his head suddenly fell off his shoulders and rolled across the linoleum. As his body dropped to the floor, Dean could see Andi, blood spattered on her shirt and still holding her machete out. Her eyes were wide as she looked from him to Sam.
"So how many points do I get for saving both of you?" she asked, trying to smile but failing. Her tone was joking but her eyes radiated how freaked out she was at her first kill. Her breathing was heavy and her hands shook.
Ignoring the headache that was already forming, Dean stood and walked slowly over to her. Prying the machete out of her vicelike grip, Dean set it on the floor and took her trembling form in his arms. Andi wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. Rubbing soothing circles on her back, Dean whispered, "It's alright. The first one is always the hardest. You did good."
"I killed him. I…I just killed someone," she said quietly, tightening her grip on Dean.
Hearing the panic in her voice, Dean pulled back but kept his hands on her shoulders. But Andi wasn't looking at him. Her gaze was fixed on the head that had landed a few feet away, mouth gaping and lifeless eyes wide open. Shaking her a little, Dean said, "Hey. Andi, look at me." She turned her big eyes up to his. "It's not a person. It's a monster. A monster who was hurting people. If you hadn't killed it, then it would have killed someone else. You did nothing wrong, do you hear me? If you're going to be a hunter then you have to understand that. What we do, it's a hard life and you're going to be killing things all the time but you have to remember that you are saving lives. If you don't remember that then you'll never be able to live with yourself."
Dean waited until she nodded her understanding before he released her. He watched as she took a deep calming breath, smiled reassuringly at him, and then knelt to try to rouse Sam.
…
Dean peered around his brother to look out the window as Andi walked into Sarah's house, dragging her bag behind her. She was dead on her feet, she and Sam both.
"She did pretty good for her first time," he mentioned to Sam as they drove toward the bunker. After the initial freaking out, Andi had quickly regained her composure and helped clean up the little mess they'd made in the funeral home. Dean had watched her like a hawk and could tell she was going to be ok. She was tougher than he gave her credit for.
Nodding, Sam agreed with him. "Yeah, she did. She'll make a good hunter if she keeps it up." Pausing, he continued, "You know, ignoring each other isn't going to fix things."
As soon as Sam had come to, Andi and Dean had gone right back to awkwardly pretending that the other wasn't in the same vicinity. Dean scowled and replied, "We're not talking about this, Sam. Forget it. Nothing has changed."
Andi let the warm water run over her body, loosening her tight muscles. When the boys had dropped her off yesterday afternoon, she'd crashed immediately and slept for hours. She'd woken up late in the evening and took a much needed shower. Closing her eyes, she couldn't help but think about Dean. Again. His behavior confused her to no end. Sleeping with him definitely hadn't helped clear things up. Sex had been the last thing on her mind when she'd gone to the bunker but whatever spark they'd had before had caught on fire as Dean had tested her. As good as it had felt, it was afterward that Andi couldn't seem to forget. How he'd looked at her with such tenderness. The moment was over quickly but it was seared into her memory. Then there'd been the hunt. He'd held her tightly but so gently after the initial shock of killing her first monster. Even after they'd started to ignore each other again, Andi caught him more than once looking her way to make sure she was alright.
Tilting her head back against the shower wall, she knew with certainty that she was in trouble. As hard as she tried to fight it, she had fallen in love with Dean Winchester. He was a demon, yes, but Andi had learned to recognize a good person when she met one, despite how they'd been treating each other lately. Dean risked his life to help others and asked for no reward or praise. That's what made her fall for him in the first place. It wasn't his looks, although those were unquestionably eye-catching. It was simply because he was kind and good, although it was obvious he didn't think so. However, she wasn't foolish enough to think he cared about her in the same way.
Hearing Sarah come home from her shift at the diner, Andi decided it was time to get out. As she stepped out, her phone rang. She picked it up and noticed Sam's name on the screen. She quickly wrapped the towel around her body and walked back to her room. "Sam?" she questioned as she answered the phone, wondering why he was calling her so soon after they got back.
"Andi! I need your help. Something's wrong with Dean. I've got him in a devil's trap but he won't listen to me. You have to get over her now!" Sam said urgently, a hint of terror in his voice.
Andi almost dropped her phone. "I'm on my way," she rushed as she threw on whatever clothes were laying on the floor. Running down the stairs, she grabbed the extra set of car keys off the hall table and called out to Sarah, "Need the car! I'll be right back!"
She raced toward the bunker, trying to contain her panic. Barely remembering to turn the car off, she jumped out and ran toward the door. "Where is he? What happened?" she asked frantically as she burst inside.
Sam met her at the bottom of the stairs. "I don't know. All of a sudden, he just lost control. I lured him into the holding room and was able to trap him there," he explained while leading her to the room where Dean was being held.
As Sam pushed open the doors, Andi could see that Dean was tied to a chair in the middle of a devil's trap, his back facing her. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of Dean.
"He won't talk to me. Maybe he'll talk to you," Sam said as he shook his head.
Andi walked slowly into the room. When she rounded Dean's side, she could see a giant piece of duct tape covering his mouth. Confused, she looked back at Sam. "Why does he have…" she began but just then Sam shut the doors. She heard a lock click. "Sam? What the hell?" Andi yelled as she quickly returned to the door.
"Sorry, Andi, but neither of you are coming out until you talk. This whole pretending that neither of you has feelings for the other is total bullshit," he griped and then said nothing else.
"Come on, Sam. Let us out. Sam? Sam!" No answer. Muttering to herself, Andi walked back over to Dean and ripped the duct tape off without warning.
"Son of a bitch! Really, Sam?" Dean yelled, working his jaw to try to stop the stinging. Looking up at Andi, he asked, "So how did he get you here?"
Andi hesitated before deciding to be honest. "He told me you were in trouble," she mumbled, crossing her arms.
Dean laughed but there was no humor in it. "I swear, if I had known it would lead to this, I never would have asked you out," he said to himself, shaking his head.
Andi's body stiffened, the soft look in her eyes turning hard. Hurt and anger filled her. "Then why did you bother?" she ground out. Not giving Dean a chance to answer, she continued, "You don't seem like the kind of guy that has problems getting girls. Was I just a new challenge? Get the girl next door and once you've had her you get to move on to the next piece of ass? Is that in the job description right next to the part about being a moody douche? Because someone forgot to mention that little detail."
"Details? You want to talk details? Ok. Let's talk about the fact that you never mentioned a vampire was tracking you. Or that you were going to leave town. Yeah, I went back to Sarah's house that night to clean up and grab you a change of clothes when I noticed that all your bags were packed and ready to go. You didn't think that was worth mentioning? Or were you going to just leave and not even bother to give me an explanation?" Dean snapped right back. "Not to mention that you had Sam train you behind my back. Why do you even want to be a hunter?"
"I do not have to explain myself to you," Andi argued, clenching her fists at her sides. "I don't see why my reasons matter to you anyway."
Glaring, Dean responded blatantly, "They matter because I don't want you to be a hunter."
Before she knew what she was doing, Andi had pulled her small fist back and punched Dean right in the nose, sending his chair crashing to the floor. She wasn't exactly sure what had made her hit him. What he had said wasn't really reason enough but to her, he might as well have said that he didn't want her anywhere near him. And something in her sort of snapped. Rubbing her aching knuckles, she backed up until she felt the wall behind her and slid to the cold floor. Tears threatened to escape as the anger disappeared. Unfortunately, the hurt was still there. Andi wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her forehead on her knees, her long hair draping around her shoulders. She supposed it was her own fault that she cared for Dean far more than he cared for her. She had hoped that she could keep her feelings a secret and continue to hunt with the boys but that wasn't going to be possible. Dean had made it clear that he didn't want her around.
"I'm so sorry," she said miserably, not lifting her head. "Please try to understand. I have to hunt. I don't want anyone else to go through what I've been through. No one deserves to have their family ripped from them. But I'll find someone else to train me. You won't have to see me again." Andi wished she could just leave but she wasn't sure if Sam would even let her out.
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her head jerked up and she was surprised to see Dean kneeling right in front of her. Looking over at the chair, she could see that the devil's trap now had a large scrape at the edge that must have been from the chair falling over. Dean must have gotten out of the ropes though Andi wasn't sure how he did it so quietly.
"Did Sam ever tell you how we became hunters?" Dean asked seriously, his hand still on her shoulder. When Andi nodded her head, he went on, his green eyes pleading with her to understand, "We didn't have a choice. It's not a life I would wish on anyone. It's dangerous and people get hurt. You don't know the shit I've had to do…I mean look at me. I'm a demon now." Taking a deep breath, Dean exhaled and said, "I don't want you to ever have to make those choices. I didn't want you to become a hunter because I…because I love you."
Andi's heart flip flopped in her chest and her eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't have heard him right. His hand moved to brush her still damp hair away from her face, resting on her cheek, and he smiled as he took in her dumbfounded expression. "I would never choose this life for you, but if you insist on hunting then I'll help train you. I love you, Andrea Summers," he repeated honestly.
Beaming, Andi placed her hand on top of his. "And I love you, Dean Winchester," she said, her heart bursting with joy.
A huge grin spread across Dean's face as he leaned in and kissed her, gently at first but it soon deepened. Neither of them heard Sam slide the doors open. They did, however, hear him chuckle and turned to look his way.
"About time!" he teased good-naturedly. "I got a little worried when the yelling stopped."
Ignoring Sam, Andi placed her hand on Dean's stubbly chin and turned him back toward her. Pulling him close, she kissed him once more as Sam continued to laugh as he retreated down the hallway.