Hi everyone, so I'm not coming through on my promise, for some reason unknown to myself this chapter decided to be way bigger than I anticipated. It took turns in directions that I did not foresee. In hindsight I'm grateful my mind started to fill in gaps and explications by itself but it should've warned me.

So I was planning on putting the Summit we've all been waiting for in here but since the chapter was already this long I decided to push the actions and the unravelling another chapter, else this one would have been too big an significant pieces would've been lost.

Okay so enjoy, happy holidays to everyone, and I used a song again; Last Man Standing by People in Planes.

Chapter 7: Tagliatelle and a Ceaser Salad.

'So what do we do now? Hold up here for a while or check out other places?' Dean asked at breakfast stuffing another piece of toast in his mouth.

Sam looked out the window, his lips turned down when he saw the light drizzle.

'When and where is the summit exactly?' he asked still staring warming his hands on his cup of coffee.

'In six days, you know the place, Livingston, Montana. It'll take us a little over two days to get there though,'

Suddenly Sam's face cleared up when he looked at Dean expectantly.

'What? Oh no Sammy, we can't. It'll take us over two days to get there.'

'Not if you let me drive sometimes.'

'You seriously want to waste all that gas? It's a big detour.'

'It's not a waste! Come on Dean, think about it. We can go home, sleep in our own beds, with our own girls, fresh clothing and be completely refreshed when we get to Livingston. It's perfect!'

Dean shook his head as he was calculating the logistics in his head. It would take them a little over 26 hours if they kept driving constantly. They would have less than three days at home, since Livingstone would be another 30 hours or so.

'Fine,' he said, and oddly enough he was not looking forward to go back home. He wondered if his house would be empty. But as he had agreed to his little brother's request, Sam's face had lit up like a Christmas tree. In that instant he knew he made the right choice, how could he have denied something to someone he loved so much. He would remember Sam's gratitude when the shit hit the fan.

Sam gulped down his coffee and scoffed down hid food, he was ready to go in less than a minute. He wouldn't call Julie, he wanted to surprise her. Last thing she knew they were still working this job and no hopes of a reunion in the near future. Suddenly his mind was completely occupied with images of Julie. He started to calculate. She would be going into her seventh month. He was too curious to see how she looked. Hadn't he read somewhere that the last trimester would be the hardest? He couldn't wait to see the glow on her face and touch the objects of his affection.

'Slow down Sam, seriously you know I get cranky if I skip breakfast.' Dean said finishing up.

'This is your second plate Dean,' Sam scoffed, throwing money on the table and hurrying out the door like his pants were on fire he nearly hit his head on the doorpost which was just a little too low for Sam.

Dean shook his head with a smile as he hurried after Sam but not after he checked the bill. Sam had tipped the waitress over twenty bucks. Dean shrugged and checked his pockets, Sam had snaked his keys, he swore internally as he hurried now since Sam was completely able to leave him stranded in the middle of nowhere.

'Got to hand it to you kid,' Dean said as he ducked in the passenger's seat, 'you are good. Stealing my keys is nearly impossible.'

'I learned from the best,' Sam answered meeting Dean's grin as he put on his sunglasses, turned up the music and skidded off at a speed even Dean wouldn't use in close populated areas.

Lena had been in her car for about an hour and she was already getting bored. She suddenly missed the stuffy books she had come to hate. Her mind started to wonder from Jamiroquai to Mr. Krip, or did he wanted her to call him Erik? She couldn't remember. She laughed at his innuendos, she wondered if he'd still be hitting on her. She guessed not.

She changed the CD into a soundtrack one. The classical score of Lord of the Rings calmed her a bit.

She saw the road winding over and over again, scenery changed from woods, to buildings to woods again. Long stretches of highway with hardly any car in sight. After six hours she could no longer hold it and she decided to pull into a dinner's parking lot. Immediately she turned heads but she was used to small town folks checking her car so she didn't pay much attention. She ran to the bathroom as fast as possible without looking like a complete fool. After she had gotten herself a booth and a veggie burger she figured there would still be three more hours of daylight and she might get halfway if she kept going. So that's what she did, she finished her food and downed her diet coke.

An then the unavoidable happened, the locals were always curious about Lena. She did not only not fit in, she kept to herself but she didn't look dangerous so it never stopped anyone from walking up.

'Here you go,' the pretty waitress said.

'I didn't order that,' Lena replied looking up a bit confused.

'I know, it's on the house. Trust me our blueberry pie is the best in the state,' she added cheerfully.

Lena smiled, she hadn't had pie since… well a long time ago.

'Well thanks,'

'You new in town?' the waitress continued like giving pie was a free pass to details.

'No, just passing through, sorry.' Lena said smiling politely.

The waitress darted off as she understood Lena was in no mood to talk. After the pie Lena hastily returned to her car and drove it back onto the interstate, listening to People in Planes.

I am the last man stand survivor
I'll be the last man home.
I'll be the last man stand survivor
I'll be the last man home.

You're all alone sitting in the corner,
You've got a killer stare.
Who's messing round with you in the corner?
He better say his prayers.

'So what the hell am I supposed to tell Angela?' Dean suddenly asked out of nowhere. Sam had known he was mulling around something because he hadn't commented on Sam's driving skills and they were already on the road for about four hours.

'I don't know, maybe the truth?' Sam replied tentatively.

'Yeah sure, so she can call me a lying nut and make a break for it.'

Sam just sighed: 'what about you ask yourself what you want. If Angela is the answer to your question, you come clean, if you're not sure don't even think about disrupting her world.'

'What if I'm not sure, yet,'

'Dean, be honest with me. It's just you and me here, tell the absolute truth; do you love Angela. And I mean the I-would-die-for-you, Romeo-and-Juliet, the let's-spend-the-rest-of-our-lives-staring-in-each-other's-eyes kind.'

Dean just stared at Sam frowning.

'You know what I mean, marriage, children and all that other crap. Do you see yourself old and happy with her?'

'No, no I don't,'

'See there's your answer,'

'Sam it's not her, I don't see myself married, or being a dad or even growing old,'

'What? Are you serious?'

'Of course!'

'Well you certainly changed your tune, just a couple of years ago you wanted to be a dad remember.'

'You're thinking about having kids now? Last week you wanted Lena to shut up and get off your back.' Sam said and Dean smiled at the memory of his own rant in the woods, which eventually lead him to being dragged like a ragged-doll through the trees.

'Sammy, we sit in the car for hours on end, there are many silences. Don't tell me it has never crossed your mind. You're getting married for Christ's sake.'

'Yeah, but that's just it, you've never talked about marriage, kids, settling down.'

'The truth Sam?'

'Yes please, we have come this far.'

'To be honest, I would like to be a dad someday and Lena would be a perfect mother. And then on the other hand it scares the crap out of me. I'd rather see three Liliths than becoming a father.'

…

'You have always been a father, since the age of four you have had the constant responsibility to look after someone. You changed more nappies than dad, you cooked more meals and you made sure on numerous occasions that I didn't die or went darkside. You've always been more than just a brother,' Sammy said with more honesty in his voice than Dean had heard in a long time.

Dean remembered the conversation and the moment he had uttered it in front of Lena he had internally laughed his ass off as she had almost chocked on her food. But things had changed so much since then and he had turned 180 on the subject. He knew that when he had children with the love of his life he would have two more targets for the bad guys to find. He would not survive and he was certain it would end in disaster. For him that door had closed when Lena walked out of his life, he had known the moment he had broken up with her that those options and that life were gone for good. He hadn't regretted it back than as he was damn sure that with the life he leads, solitude would be the best but he had to admit that after all this time he yearned for someone to share his entire life with and not just bits. He envied Sam but he also thought it was very stupid. He then realized that after Sam's baby was born he probably would quit hunting, this actually might be their last hunt. It took Dean a bit by surprise, he had figured that someday him or his brother would quit, or they would die, but the moment sneaked up on him. He thought Sam loved hunting too much to quit, like he did, but this baby-girl, or boy, might change exactly that.

'Yes,' Dean finally said, 'frankly I think it's stupid to have children in the world we live in, no offense,'

'None taken,' Sam replied doubtfully. Sam knew the dangers but was certain that he could pull his little family out of this supernatural world. At least he was going to give it a shot.

'Maybe I should try with Angela,' he said, looking out the window, more to himself than to Sam.

'Don't force yourself there big brother,' Sam said smiling as he playfully hit Dean in the gut, 'besides look at the bright side, the way you've been treating her she might even have left you already.'

'Shut up and watch the freaking road, you can't drive for shit you know. You should have shifted to fifth like minutes ago!' Dean yelled, 'pull over I'm hungry!'

Lena was exhausted when she finally reached her destination, she had made good time and was glad she could rest for a couple of hours before heading out to the meeting. She had stopped in Buffalo, Wyoming and had crashed in a sleezy motel but she was now surprised that Scary Stories Inc had put her up in the nicest hotel. She wasn't used to the bellboys and friendly receptionist.

'Hi I'd like to check in?' she asked insecurely like the woman would yell at her that she wasn't dressed appropriately.

'Sure what name please?'

'Uhm… I don't know, it might be under Dylan or under Scary Stories Inc, I don't exactly know how these things work,'

'That's okay, we'll figure it out,' the receptionist said patiently adding a little smile as she started typing, 'wait a minute, Lena Dylan? The Lena Dylan?' you could almost see the light bulb going on above the girl's head

'I'm sure there is more than one Lena Dylan,'

'The writer?' she asked.

'Uhm, maybe,' Lena said blushing red.

'Oh my,' she said trying to stay professional, 'well let's see, ah here it is. Lena Dylan, room 305.'

The girl took one of the plastic cards that was lying next to the computer and ran it through a machine.

'Here you go, the person who made the reservation wanted you to order any kind of roomservice and they left this number for you to call if you need anything.' She said putting the card key and the business card in front of Lena.

'Well thanks,' she said grabbing both.

'May I suggest you order the Swedish massage, our professionals on staff are really good,' the receptionist said.

Lena smiled at the idea of getting a massage after sleeping on Bobby's couch/table/bed/porch.

'I might just take you up on that offer,' she winked.

'Wait here for a minute,' the girl added suddenly, her eyes scanning the reception hall before ducking into the office behind her.

When she came back she had two books in her hand.

'Do you mind signing these?' she asked so sweet and innocently that Lena agreed easily.

'Sure, who do I make these out to?'

'To Karen,'

Dear Karen, thank you for making my visit extremely pleasant hopefully we'll meet again someday.

'You always got my books on hand like this?' Lena inquired curiously.

'Well a friend of mine recommended Roots and ever since I carry it as my bible and I am just finishing the latest book, only a few more chapters to go,' she said smiling eagerly.

'Oh well I hope you enjoy those last pages, make them last because it might be a while before anything new comes out.'

'What? Why?'

'I'll find out tonight I guess,' Lena answered putting the cap back on the pen she used, 'here you go, don't lose them I have only signed a couple in my life.'

'Really?' Karen just beamed, 'thank you so much and I hope you get some answers tonight.'

'Yeah, me too, bye,'

Lena left Karen who was absolutely thrilled, nothing ever happened in this little city and now she got her books autographed.

Lena was happy that such a tiny gesture pleased her so much. She went to her room and saw that her bags were already on the bed. She went to lie down next to them and pondered whether or not to get the massage but before her mind had chosen she had already fallen in a deep and soothing sleep.

As Dean had suspected he came home to an empty house, clean but empty. He felt like shit that Angela had tidied his things while their future was so uncertain. He threw his bag in the corner next to the coat rack like he always did and went to his kitchen. Maybe a home-made dinner would cheer him up, he decided to call Angela too.

'Hey Angela, it's Dean,'

'Oh, hi,' she returned, already hearing the tone in his voice that something was up.

'You want to come over for dinner?' he asked cautiously.

'Yeah sure, I have the graveyard shift though so early bird's dinner?' she replied.

'Great, I'll see you in a couple then?' still trying to get confirmation that everything between them was all right.

'Okay, see you then,' she said hanging up before Dean could add anything else.

Next problem on his list, cooking. He liked the standard American plate but he knew Angela loved Italian.

Spaghetti seemed the right answer to his problems, it was something he knew how to make thanks to Lena who had wanted to learn Dean the basic stuff so that whenever she wasn't around he wouldn't stuff himself with take-out. Unfortunately that's what he always did when she hadn't been around, he would take out the trash that same evening so Lena wouldn't find the evidence of his cholesterol-increase.

Opening the file his heart almost stopped as he saw Lena's handwritten recipes. His heart always stopped when he opened this map, he just couldn't get used to it and he cussed internally, frustrated with himself.

He found the tagliatelle recipe easily as Lena had once sorted them alphabetically. A few minutes later Dean was crying his eyes out, he was chopping the onions and he felt completely ridiculous. After the onions and the garlic he put the pot on a small fire and let it stir in some oil. After he stirred it a bit to long since smoke was already coming out of it he added the canned tomatoes, added the rosemary, pepper and salt, glad it was being used for something different than sealing windows and doors for a change. The final touch one big scoop of mascarpone and smoked salmon. He let it stew on a small fire since he hadn't put on a pot for the tagliatelle. He wondered how woman could do all the steps at the same time as he could only manage to focus his attention on one thing, definitely if fire or cooking was involved. He tasted the sauce and was honestly pleased with it.

He left everything on the stove as he went upstairs to change quickly into a clean shirt and looking in the mirror he was pleased that his eyes were no longer puffy from the crying.

Angela rang the bell not comfortable to use her key anymore.

Dean's heart jumped in his chest, he had no idea how the evening would evolve, he had made up his mind but had no idea how he or she was going to handle it.

'Hi,' he said with a smile as he opened the door, she looked absolutely ravishingly with a simple blue jeans and a chocolate brown sweater which hung loose from the one shoulder. He kissed her without thinking an she answered the kiss carefully, 'I'm glad you could make it. I'm only in town for a couple of days,'

Angela was surprised to hear this but followed him into the house as she put her things next to the coat rack. She suddenly noticed the huge difference, her cheap but stylish brown handbag and long coat next to his dirty, stuffed duffle and his old leather jacket. She shook her head and smiled a bit.

'God that smells good!' Angela said entering the kitchen as Dean put in the pasta and took the sauce off the stove.

'My famous tagliatelle,' he lied.

'God I didn't know you could actually use the stove in your kitchen.

'What did you think this was? Decorations?' Dean smirked.

Once the pasta was al dente both went to sit at the kitchen table and the joking evaporated and an uncomfortable silence came down on the couple. Angela decided Dean was too chicken to do it himself so she started the conversation that was bound to take place.

'So how was the conference?' She said cheerfully, a bit false even.

'You know there was no conference,' Dean said looking down at his plate.

'Yeah I do but you wont tell me where you really were so I thought I should go along with this charade.' She replied almost bitterly.

'Look Angela,' Dean took a deep breath, 'I can't tell you, it's for your own good, I swear,'

'Who are you to look out for my good? I don't know if you've noticed but I'm a grown woman and you don't get to decide what's good for me and what not,'

'I know, sorry, I didn't mean it that way. It's still the same though, I can't tell you.'

'What are you mafia or something?'

Dean smiled at the thought of himself in an Italian suit and hat with a rifle in his hands. Actually she wasn't far off as far as the image was concerned.

'No not really, I don't whack people,'

'So no going to the mattresses?'

'No mattresses, or fishes have anything to do with it,'

'What's the big deal? Djeez you guys can be so secretive, is it another woman? I mean we never said we were exclusive,' she added.

'Hey, what? No! No other women. Seriously, you need to trust me on this.'

Suddenly all the speculations and wonder cleared off Angela's face as she became deadly serious and said something she hadn't expected to say. She had hoped that what she was about to say wouldn't have been necessary.

'How do you expect me to trust you completely if you can't trust me?'

Dean looked up from his food and for the first time that evening, let his eyes bore deep into hers.

'I don't, that's why I invited you here. I wanted you to know that our time together was perfect and you're absolutely great. But this thing I do, disappearing for weeks wont stop and I don't expect or even want you to stay here and wait for me.'

There it was on the table, he finally had the courage to say that he thought this relationship wouldn't work, not if they couldn't fully trust each other, not if he couldn't share every tiny secret of his life. And he knew Angela had half a brain and wouldn't stay here like a feeble housewife having nothing on hand besides waiting for her man.

'Yeah, that's exactly what I thought,' she said to Dean's surprise, 'I hated these weeks when you were away and you couldn't say where you were, while Julie got every single detail from Sam.'

'She said that?'

'No I got it from her expression that she knew a hell lot more than she was telling. I didn't only feel inferior to her, I felt I was not worthy of your love or whatever. I never ever want to feel that again, Dean.' She said finding her anger back. 'One phonecall in what? Almost two weeks!'

'Oh God, I am so sorry Ange, seriously. It's just I couldn't call you to tell where I was or what I was doing so I thought it was better not to call.'

'Your logic is a bit twisted, Dean. I mean what about me? You couldn't spare me five minutes to tell me you were okay and maybe listen to my day? It's like being with an FBI-guy.' Suddenly it hit her, 'that's it right? You're FBI? Or CIA or CSI or whatever?'

Dean grinned and for a second considered to take the easy way out. If she thought he was FBI he would never have to tell her what or where, she would agree that it was top secret. It would be easy to pull off, he had been doing it for over a hundred times. But then he sighed, lying to keep a relationship healthy that he didn't even know he wanted to keep? No this was getting way too complicated. As honest as possible, that's what Sam had said right?

'No not exactly, but we do work with them from time to time and against them, from time to time,'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'Look I can't tell you, but you mean too much to me to lie.' Dean told her.

'So what do we do now? We go our separate ways? You want to stay friends?'

'I haven't tried that before, but I'd really like it if you'd consider to be my friend.'

'You would?' she asked surprised, 'yes, I'd like that too.'

Angela sighed after a brief silence when both had processed the things that had been said.

'What's a matter?' Dean asked scooping up the last bit of sauce on his plate.

'Nothing, it's a bit embarrassing,'

'We're friends, you can tell me anything,' he smirked.

'I just really, really liked you,' she admitted.

'I really, really liked you too. But to be honest,' he paused, 'I don't see myself ever making that commitment with anyone. Once, I thought I could and actually would in a near future, but things got messed up and I accepted that I would never go down that road.'

Angela was surprised to hear that he never saw himself making that full commitment, she had figured it was her or this relationship but not him.

'Lena Dylan?' she asked.

'Yeah,' Dean coughed uncomfortably.

'What happened? Come on, you can tell me,' she said winking.

Dean smiled with a bit of effort since it was still a painful memory to him.

'She got hurt by what I do, I couldn't have that, so we broke up.'

'And where is she now?'

'I have no idea,' Dean admitted, 'we couldn't stay friends.'

Lena woke up with a startle as something noisy was going off in the room. Completely disoriented she reached for the sound. Noticing it wasn't an alarm clock but a phone she answered it.

'Hello?' she asked drowsily.

'Good evening Ms Dylan. We have just received a phone call from one Mr Krip. He asked us to tell you that he'll be here in thirty minutes and expects to have dinner with you.'

'Does he now?' Lena asked propping herself up against the large headboard, 'anything else, like a ballroom dress he bought for me to wear and maybe a script as what I need to say?'

Lena heard the receptionist hold back a laugh as she spoke.

'Well actually he did advice you to dress nicely,'

'Fine,' she grunted in reply, 'what time is it now?'

'Half past seven,'

'Thank you, Karen,'

'You're welcome,'

Lena put the receiver back on the phone and flipped open her cell. Two new messages.

One was Bobby, just checking in telling her that there was no more news. The next was from Mr Krip himself. Dinner at eight, was all it said.

Lena was starting to feel like a little handpuppet, and she didn't like it one bit.

She opened her suitcase and quickly found what she was looking for; a dark denim jeans and a dark green satin halter top that closed with a bow around her neck. She took her hair out of the rubber band and let it flow loosely around her shoulders. She was happy that with the little action she had gotten over the past few weeks no bruises were visible. For once her entire body didn't ache after a hell of a fight or a hell lot of running away from something. She almost felt pretty but then noticed what Bobby was always going on about. She had become too skinny. The jeans and the satin top were a bit too loose to her taste. She shrugged and hastily put on her make-up. She kept it simple and with her deep green high heeled boots she felt she was as chic as he wanted and as comfortable as she wanted.

'Best of both worlds,' she said to herself in the mirror.

'Great now I am talking to myself,'

She looked at the clock and decided that she just had enough time to get her stuff together and have a smoke on the patio.

As Lena was having her cigarette out front of the hotel she looked at the town in front of her. She noticed it almost looked cozy, just small enough to know your neighbours, but not so small that inbreeding became an issue.

'Ms Dylan?' a deep voice asked from behind her.

Lena turned around and noticed a tall and handsome man standing in front of her.

'Mr Krip, hello,' she said her hand stretched to her boss.

Mr Krip took it eagerly and escorted her to a not so ostentatious car and she felt relieved that it wasn't a limo. Suddenly he stopped, like he just remembered something.

'Hey, in the books your lead drives a classic American muscle car, you don't write from experience do you?'

Lena smiled and nodded to where her car was parked.

'That beauty is yours?' he asked like a kid on Christmas morning.

'Yep, saw her being fixed up myself,' Lena said smiling as she remembered how she had gotten it and it nearly broke down every fifty miles, Dean had spent hours on fixing it while she watched and gave annoying instructions. He had finished it with a coat of scarlet red paint and an iPod-jack for her birthday.

'You mind if we take your car?'

'Not at all,' she said.

Lena walked over and opened the passenger's seat which made Mr Krip chuckle when he got in.

'Does the top come off?' he asked as soon as she got in herself.

'Of course, but I think it's a bit too cold.'

'Yeah you're right,' he said agreeing with her indisputable logic.

'By the way, this is still a business dinner right?'

'Of course,' he said not completely convinced, ''65 Mustang, it's honestly stunning,' he carried on, putting his attention back where it belonged, cars.

'I once owned a '62 Chevy Bel Air,'

'Really?' she said smirking a bit since they both knew her car was ten times as cool as that.

'What's a matter? It's chevy's best car,'

'Yeah sure, until 1959, where Impala overtook him easily,' she almost cried out.

'Yeah true, a friend of mine actually owns an Impala,' Lena's heart stopped for just a fraction of a second until she realized Impala was still being produced and lots of people have classic cars, ''73, really nice.'

''67 is Impala's best year. Everyone knows that.' She added jokingly, she actually believed it though.

'Make a left,' he replied changing the subject and Lena saw they were pulling up into a fancy restaurant but not so fancy that she felt out of place. Her stomach rumbled when they got out.

'Waw you must be hungry,' he remarked.

'Yeah, I guess I am,' Lena started calculating, oh right she had again forgotten about dinner, breakfast and lunch. Last thing she ate was that blueberry pie.

Mr Krip and Lena were seated in a peaceful booth at the back of the restaurant and as Lena took off her coat his face lit up.

'You look radiant tonight,' he said when he took his own seat.

'Thank you, so give it to me. You're not going to publish it right?'

' You like to dive in right away don't you? Let's just order our drinks first, you drink red?'

'Urm yeah sure thanks,'

He ordered the wine and asked the pretty waitress to give them another minute to order their food.

Most of the things on the menu were not accessible to Lena, another downside of small towns; they regarded vegetarians as strange and foreign beings.

'I'll just have the Caesar salad, thanks,' she said handing her menu back to the waitress.

'I'll have the steak, medium rare, thank you,'

'So what have you been up to, I hope all is well?'

'You can read that in my next book, if you publish it of course,' Lena said with a teasing smile, making Mr Krip laugh.

'You do this with all your clients?'

'What have dinner? Yeah sure, at one point or another, more often than not in a roadside diner though,'

'Why me then?'

'Because you fascinate me,' he replied plain and simple, 'last time you had things to do, now I knew you were available for the evening,'

'So this is a date then?'

'Well, maybe I'd like it to be but the choice is yours,'

'Look, I don't know how to say this and I am sure you are a great guy but I don't date,'

'What do you mean, you don't date? You're young and beautiful, don't tell me you got your heart broken once upon a time.'

'Sure who hasn't but that's not the point, I never stay in one place long enough to date,'

'Right, and why is that exactly?' he asked now leaning forward staring deep into her eyes, since he was convinced that she liked him.

'I chase stories, Mr Krip, you should know that,'

'Please, call me Erik, Lena,'

Suddenly Erik was interrupted by the sommelier who came to pour the wine.

Erik pretended to be a real connoisseur as he looked at the colour, and waltzed it around in his glass. He sniffed and finally took a sip, swishing it and at last swallowing. He complimented the wine as the sommelier poured two glasses. Lena could hardly bite back the laugh that was erupting in her chest. She knew maybe twenty people who would make fun of that charade.

To stop herself from laughing she swiftly took the glass and drank. Erik could see she wasn't especially impressed and he figured he was going about this all wrong. She needed a strong, secure man who could put her in her place and safe the world if necessary. He was going to change tactics.

'So where were we, you don't date. Let's just do sex than,' He said completely honest.

Lena almost chocked in her wine as he said that. But then considered it. It had been a couple of weeks, but she hadn't completed the hunt yet. The bartender back in Yellowstone had been an exception, sort of. He had been too damn cute to pass up.

'Sure, maybe, let's see how the evening goes,' she said remembering that there was an apocalypse hanging above their heads and well if this were her last few days on earth she could just as easily spend them on top of someone else.

'Haha, okay then,' Erik laughed, finally getting hopeful.

'So the manuscript, what's wrong?' Lena asked eating her salad.

'It's not finished,' he simply replied cutting his steak into small pieces, Lena found this very unattractive behaviour, cutting the meat into small pieces and leaving the knife, then scooping them as he were a child.

'What do you mean?' she said not angry, just inquisitively.

'Look I read it and found it very thrilling, until the end. It just felt as if some things are missing. It just felt like a first draft of what was maybe evolving into more. You know what I mean?'

'Yeah, I do know what you mean but I don't understand how I would be able to fix it.'

'Well, I called Astrid and she said the same thing about it. You should reread it and ask yourself why we both felt that way.'

'But it's not even an open ending. It's a finished hunt and the lead goes of to find something else,' Lena explained.

'It has nothing to do with the ending Lena, afterwards I just felt unsatisfied. As if something was missing.'

'If you're asking me to make a peaceful happy ending with marriage an kids...' Lena said but Erik interrupted her.

'Oh come on, give me some credit. I'm not asking a Hollywood ending, I'm asking a ending!' putting emphasis on the a.

'Okay fine, I'll look into it, I still don't know what you mean though,'

'That's because you don't have a distance to the work as Astrid and I have.'

'Yeah probably. Look I'll definitely look for the changes you deem so necessary. But what if I'm content the way it is?'

'Then we'll have another meeting and we'll go over the script together. Page by page.'

Lena sighed but nodded in agreement; 'sure why not,' chances of being alive in the next couple of weeks? Almost zero, I can just agree to do anything now.

'Can you promise me something?' she continued.

'Depends but go ahead,' Erik said curiously.

'If anything was to happen to me, can you make sure no one else rewrites the script or makes changes. Can you promise me that it'll come out the way it is, or throw it in the trash. I don't care. Just don't let anyone else muck around with it. Cause despite what you might think, what you are reading is a big part of my life. A lot of my soul and heart go into them.'

Erik was a bit taken aback by the request since he had no idea what might have brought this on but he promised her nonetheless.

'Yeah sure, that's not how we work at Scary Stories. Why such a request? Are you ill or something?' he asked stretching his hand across the table trying to reach hers but she put her hand in her hair, trying to be subtle and failing.

'No, no, don't worry,' she laughed nervously; 'just making sure.'

'You'd like some dessert?'

'Just a cappuccino please,' she directed to the waitress.

'Irish coffee please,' Erik ordered.

'So how long are you here for?' he asked trying to go from business to social in one swift move.

Lena huffed; 'no idea, I have to be in Livingston in three days so not very long.' She replied noting the difference in topic. 'Why aren't you married with five kids?'

'Good question. Because I haven't find her, yet.'

'Who do you mean by her?'

'You know the one,'

'You still believe in that?'

'You don't?'

'I think you can honestly fall in love multiple times.'

'Says the one who doesn't date, because off an ugly break-up years ago.' Auch, Erik definitely had her there.

'Fine, is that what it'll take to prove my point. We'll go on a date, a real one this time and not something you lured me into. We'd have fun and a couple of weeks of total bliss. Then I'll leave for whatever reason and we'd have to do long distance. Then it would be an open relationship and eventually we'd break up. So what's the point?'

'Pretty negative isn't it?'

'It's my life, it's how I am. I travel a lot. What do you want from me, anyway?' she finally blurted out.

'Maybe you're the one for me, you're extremely appealing, you're obviously intelligent and you have a mind of your own.'

'You seriously consider me marriage material? I have to be honest though, last time someone wanted children with me I had to excuse myself to go throw up in the bathroom. Look I'm just not that girl.'

Erik let the subject drop and they found back a light-hearted tone. Lena drove them back to the hotel and decided not to sleep with him. If the apocalypse somehow was stopped, she'd be very sorry she'd led this poor guy on. She hadn't realized before that his affection went much deeper than just the physical. It had caught her completely off guard. She was flattered but she was not interested in a relationship, with anyone for that matter. Maybe if Johnny Depp came knocking but for now she liked the solitude, her car, her life.

Dean was quite happy with how the evening turned out, he had a new friend, one who accepted his secrecy and wouldn't bug him for it. One who was beautiful and had a great sense of humour. Angela seemed happy as well, now that Dean had stopped lying. They had watched the beginning of Borat and had shared some laughs before Angela had to hurry to make her shift.

Dean was now lying on his bed, trying to fall asleep but since the Angela-matter had settled his mind had warped him back to the task at hand. So far four places had been hit, well as far they knew anyway. Burying people alive, setting criminals free, something about over-feeding said Bobby and killing off sick people. He felt there was a pattern that he just couldn't see and he felt like there were a lot more places holding the pieces of this strange puzzle without him knowing it. They needed these pieces if they were to find out what or who was behind it. And with those last thoughts his mind fell silent and he dozed off, not the dreamless sleep he had hoped but a violent dream. People screaming all over the place, being buried alive by their loved ones, criminals roaming the streets, but through all of the madness and the angst a face appeared completely out of place, making him even more anxious as Lena was present at every one of the horrible scenes that flashed before his closed lids. It scared him but somehow he preferred seeing her in these situations than not at all. When he woke in the morning, his bed sheets completely tangled around his waist and legs, he beat him up for that feeling. He hadn't dreamt about Lena is so long and whenever he did it was because he consciously brought her face to the foreground and those dreams didn't feel as real as it had now. He had seen her long chestnut hair swaying naturally around her and her eyes so kind like they had been before their break-up, not like the eyes he had seen at the wedding, those nearly belonged to stranger, hiding secrets he couldn't guess.

He shook his head when he sat up, looked at the stack of tattered books in the corner, an incomplete set. He hadn't dared reading any books by Lena Dylan after Roots, as he understood it there was no more Mr Wesson.

Lena was in luck. She had been shopping, something she hardly ever had time for but since she didn't have to be anywhere she figured a wardrobe-update might come in handy. She had been scouring the small town and had actually found some really nice things in one vintage shop. A dark deep green leather jacket that fitted her perfectly. She felt a bit too much like a biker-chick but didn't care because it did look hot on her. And on her way back to the hotel she had bumped into the tiniest occult shop. She knew that this town had gone through the new age wave like any other and was glad she could browse around in peace and quiet. She came across a very beautiful amulet, the card said protection against the Evil Eye, whatever that may be, but she knew this was a protection against ghouls. They wouldn't be able to transform in her as long as she was wearing it. She decided not to buy because if they killed her they could take it off her anyway, it was still pretty though. But then she came across something that indeed may come in handy some day.

"Protection against the Dark Arts", the label said. She had seen this in one of Bobby's books and asked the shopkeeper where it came from, she knew that everything in Bobby's books was worth a fortune but those not in the know sold it at a tourist's rate.

'I don't know exactly,' the shopkeeper had to admit; 'most things you see here, I order from a catalogue, but that one I found at a yard sale once, there were two. I'm wearing the other one.' He explained hoisting it out from under his dress, yes the male shopkeeper was indeed wearing a long violet dress that almost reached the ground.

'And? Does it work?' Lena asked smiling.

'Haven't had any problem with the Dark Arts since,' he smiled teasing right back.

'I'll take it,' Lena decided, it wasn't as pretty as the other stuff, made in Korea, but she had a feeling this one might actually be real. She'd ask Bobby later what it really did.

The shopkeeper took the amulet as she passed it over the register and for a slight second their hand met.

'The apocalypse?' he asked her dumbfounded, stunning Lena just as much as she had him.

'What are you talking about,' she replied trying to get her face back to casual.

'Sorry, I'm psychic, you're a hunter right?'

'Euhm, I don't know, I've only been hunting for a little over two years. Does that make me a hunter?'

The shopkeeper didn't answer and just grabbed her hand again, he closed his eyes.

'Yeah you are, you have the analytic mind of a hunter, your thoughts are consumed by killing evil and your heart is pure,' he said shocking Lena even more.

'Are you a hunter?'

'Oh no, God no, had a crack at it once and nearly got killed. Banshees are nasty creatures, no I chose to have a family and pretend there's nothing lurking in the dark. I have to admit though when my daughter came downstairs complaining about monsters under her bed for the first time my heart nearly leaped out of my chest. But after I turned her room inside out she admitted that she just wanted to stay up a bit later.'

Lena smiled at this anecdote. She couldn't believe she found someone who chose not to hunt and actually ignore the bumps in the night and was fine with it.

'One thing baffles me though,'

'What?' Lena asked, her hand still in his.

'I see a great deal of creativity in your mind too,'

'Oh, I write too. Gotta pay the bills somehow. Lena Dylan's the name,'

'Oh well pleased to meet you Lena, I'm George. Can't say I have heard of you,'

'No problem, the pleasure is all mine,' Lena grinned.

'Say, you ever meet Pamela, she's a psychic too. The best if you ask me.'

'Unfortunately no,' Lena said embarrassed trying to hide the fact she knew the people who were there when she was killed, 'she died before I even heard of monsters.'

'Yes freak accident that was. So what is this nonsense about another apocalypse?'

'No nonsense I'm afraid. We still don't know what's doing it or who's behind it, and somehow time is not on our side.

'It can't be that bad, there hasn't even been a summit,' George huffed.

'Actually, the summit is the day after tomorrow.'

'Oh God, please tell me the Winchester are on this, and Bobby,'

'Yes, they're on it. Bobby was the one who figured it out. You know them?'

'Everybody does, haven't met them. That would be great. It's not because I refused to be in the biz that it doesn't interest me.'

'Yeah, I guess,'

'I better be off, need to be in Livingston in a couple of days,' Lena said, 'You are of course welcome to join me with your psychic expertise,' she added hopeful.

'Can't do that Lena, I made my decision a long, long time ago, I have a family who don't know and I'm not starting with lies and deceit now. But I have faith in you, take the amulet and this stone,' he said taking out a violet amethyst, it was beautiful and felt pretty heavy, 'it's on the house,' he continued.

'Oh I can't take that,'

'I might not participate actively but if I can help in some small way it'll make me sleep easier tonight. So your money is no good here.'

'Thank you so much, and in return we'll stop the apocalypse,' she said winking before she left the shop.

It was getting dark and Lena decided to have a quick bite to eat before going to bed for a short night. Planning to leave at the crack of dawn.

She waved Karen goodbye at mere 5am, as she was on the nightshift and flew into the night. Lena smiled a devilish grin as she suddenly realized that she'd see Dean soon and she wondered how he'll react? She laughed out loud like a crazy woman as she pictured Dean's smug smile disappearing from his face, going completely red in anger. She didn't know how she knew but she was quite certain that Dean would not approve. She hope Bobby would back her up though and if not Dean could still scream at her until he was blue in the face. He wasn't her father, lover, husband, brother not even friend. He had no say what so ever as far as she was concerned.

Okay so yes Angela is out of the picture, I hope you don't mind.

Please comment, doesn't matter good or bad I can use all the criticism you got! It would be hugely appreciated!!!