So...who wants to murder me? A show of hands please?

Dean: *raises hand*

Gabe: *raises hand*

Cas: DEAN!

Sam: GABE!

Dean&Gabe: What? She took FOREVER!

I know, i know. I did. I am ashamed *is ashamed*. Really, I am. But i was working on Nothing Is Ever Easy and then when i wanted to post this i couldn't! The server wont let me its all weird so i had to open an existing document and erase that and copy and paste this one in and then post it. Can anyone help me with that problem? So i can finish this damn fic?

Disclaimer: Not mine. Nothing but the story line. SO.

Also: I brought in two new characters. Things... happen. And... we kinda know them. But you don't know that, Not in this chappie. So.

Read on!

Suriel bobbed her head slightly to the tune, not knowing if she had the beat right, but not caring anyway. Dean drove the Impala down the fork that they had chosen; he had gone left, Sammy and Liam right. He still felt weird leaving Liam and Sam, especially after their close call. Suriel still had that reverent look if it ever came up. It had only been two days, but still, he had to know.

"You think it was God that brought Liam back." It wasn't a question.

Suriel looked startled out of whatever place her mind had been. "Yes," she replied without a moment's hesitation though. "I have to have faith in my Father. And if it wasn't him, then who else Dean?"

The older hunter shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe it was you and your magical kisses?" He wiggled his eyebrows and leered. Suriel had the good sense to smack him in the arm. Dean didn't mind if it was starting to feel like routine.

There was silence in the car after that. They hadn't seen anything significant on this road and it didn't seem to be ending anytime soon. On top of that, Dean's scar still led him on. He felt it searing through him to his very core. It was just another reminder that Cas was out there. That Cas was waiting, had to be waiting. Liam had said he'd prayed to Cas. Dean could only hope that Cas had been listening to every prayer Dean had been sending his way over the years. All the love and courage he was sending now.

"Tell me how you met?" Suriel asked, and Dean knew she meant him and Cas.

He shook his head. Why not humor her? "Well, he pulled my hot-ass out of the Pit. The idiot shoved me back in my coffin though, so I was forced to claw my way out." Thank God he'd had a knife on him. Or else that whole experience would have been harder. "He tried to talk to me a few times, shattered my ear drums while he was at it." Dean scratched his nose. "When we finally met face to face, I didn't know what he was. Nothing worked on him. He said he was an angel; I called bullshit. Then he flashed me with his wings and I... I dunno. I couldn't deny the proof in front of me."

She tilted her head and he laughed. "What is it?" she asked him.

"Nah, nothing. Its just... your brother used to do that with his head. Tilt it to the side when he didn't understand something." Dean smiled sadly. "I loved it when he did that."

She smiled. "And I bet that he knew."

Dean shrugged. He couldn't vouch for Cas, and neither could his sister. They could only hope. The ride was silent after that, and Dean was sad to say he was grateful. He didn't know if he could handle more Cas talk. He just couldn't. It made his chest ache, made his eyes burn when he thought of the one who got away.

Suddenly Dean swerved, throwing Suriel into the passenger's side door. Damn, he was going to ruin his baby's suspension if he kept swerving like this. She'd been through enough these last few months at any rate.

Suriel sat up as Dean made an illegal U-turn and turned toward the way they had just come, putting his car into park and climbing out of it. "Dean!" she called as she climbed out behind him. "Dean what is-Oh."

"Yeah, oh." He turned to the dark haired woman standing there looking at him purposefully. "Hey lady! What the hell is wrong with you? I could've hit you!"

Her icy blue eyes appraised him and she sniffed in his direction. She was about five feet, six inches, had long brown hair that went down to her back and flipped at the ends. She was wearing dark blue jeans and a quarter-sleeve that was the color of roses. Her nails were filed and sharp looking and she had this dangerous look in her eyes. She looked about 34.

"Could I get a lift?" she asked, her southern accent soft, but familiar. Probably from the Dakotas or somewhere there abouts.

Dean froze as did Suriel and he instinctively reached for his gun. Energy seemed to crack off of Suriel as she got ready to battle a potential threat. And then suddenly it was gone. Dean looked to her abruptly and she nodded. This women wasn't dangerous. Not to them at least.

"Where you heading?" Dean asked. He wasn't one to give strangers rides, but if his angel was saying it was cool... and when did he start with the 'his' thing? Oh God, that's how he'd learned he was getting attached to Cas. Here we go again...

"End of this road. My car was... I got split up from someone. I'm trying to meet back with them."

Dean grunted. "You got a name?"

She smiled thinly. "Aerin. Aerin Dodge." She extended a hand. Dean was surprised to see a wedding band there. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Dean reluctantly took it. "Dean."

Aerin scowled. "No last name?"

Dean snorted. "None I trust you with."

Aerin looked over to Suriel. "Who's she?"

Before Suriel could answer, Dean did. "She's my daughter. Surrie. Look lady, you coming or not?"

Aerin gave him a look but nodded. "Yeah. Sure." Dean waited until she was in front of him and walking far in front at that. He didn't trust her much. "Afraid I'll shoot you?" Aerin threw over her shoulder smugly. Dean hadn't noticed it before but, sure enough, this chica had a gun tucked into the waistband of her jeans.

Dean swallowed. "Nope. Just don't trust random strangers, is all."

"Why are you letting me come then?"

Dean looked over to a confused looking Surrie. "My kid thinks you're ok."

Aerin chuckled. "Yeah, I know how that goes."

Dean's head snapped up. "You have any?" They had reached the Impala and as he unlocked the doors and they got in, he got an answer.

"Just one. My little girl. She's with her grand-daddy right now."

He nodded.

No, Dean didn't like that there was a stranger in his car, didn't like that Suriel was looking at him weird. He didn't like that his brother and nephew weren't with him, didn't like that his ange wasn't with him. He didn't like that Bobby was dead, that Ellen or Jo were gone, or Ash, or anyone. He didn't like how'd he'd lived alone for the past decade and a half, didn't like how his life had been leading to the nursing home eventually. But he was going to suck it up and put on his big boy boxers. His life was weird; why not get weirder?

It was night when Suriel finally had the guts to ask. She'd been wondering since they had picked up the stranger, Aerin Dodge, who was, consequentially, asleep in the back. Dean was still driving, never seeming to tire, not when Castiel was involved, she soon found out.

"Why did you tell her I was your daughter?" Suriel's voice was quiet and sure through the quiet of the car. And really, Dean had seen it coming. He had. He'd been wondering when she would understand and ask and want to know his reasons and he had no thoughts of lying to her.

"I have no kids. I've gotten kind of attached to you." He looked at her, watched as her fingers tapped unconsciously to the soft tune of Led Zeppelin's 'What Is And What Never Should Be', the song making him feel more like he was never destined for a family and happiness. "It wouldn't have been so bad to have a kid if it was gonna turn out like you. A little rough around the edges, but all melty in the middle." He poked her in the side and got a startled shout of laughter from her in response.

She looked like she'd never been tickled before. And Dean knew that was probably the case. "And anyway, I'm not gonna tell a random civilian that I'm travelling with my lover-angel's sister angel." He looked at her with raised eyebrows and a silly face on. "Could you imagine the reaction we'd get?"

Surrie though, actually thought, which made Dean roll his eyes and sigh in exasperation. She finally answered, "I think she would have been frightened."

"Exactly," Dean said.

"And thought that you were crazy," she added thoughtfully.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks kid. Nice to know how you really feel."

This time, when Suriel laughed, it was genuine. And when she smiled, it looked so much like Cas's that Dean felt his heart constrict painfully with love and hurt.

He kept right on staring at her smiling face.

Sam and Liam looked at one another and then at the man doing what looked like meditating on his car. It was a 1964 Ford Mustang, all black with orange race stripes. The mad had bleached white hair that was standing erect in a mo-hawk. And Liam was sure the tips were dyed pink. But it could've been a trick of the light. He seemed about 36, maybe a year or two younger, but, hell. He was sitting cross-legged on the hood of his car, which was pulled off onto the side of the road. And his hands were open on his knees. And he was... chanting.

"Uh..." Liam started. "Can we not ask him for a ride?"

Sam sighed. They'd been hitchhiking/walking for the past couple of days. Turns out, not many people went down this road. And Sam really wanted to agree with his son, but holy hell, they'd been walking for hours and if this weirdo Buda guy was their only option, then so be it.

"Yeah, we're risking it with Buda-Buddy aren't we?" Liam said when his father hadn't responded.

Sam shrugged. "Do you really want to keep walking?"

Liam gave a half strangled sounding sound. "Kay. Fine. Go ask the weirdo for a lift."

Sam had to smile. When it came down to it, his son was a shy kind of guy. So Sam sucked it up, 'cause he was a shy kind of guy too, and walked over and into the wet grass and up to the weird guy on the hood of that beautiful car. He didn't know what to do at first. Should he shake him? Or just talk and hoped he opened his eyes?

It turned out that Sam didn't have to do anything. The guy merely looked in his direction with closed eyes and said, "Why hello there. I take it you need a lift?" As Sam stood shell shocked, the man looked past him and to Liam, eyes still closed. "The little guy too?"

"Uh...well... yes?" Sam looked to Liam who had now joined him on the grass. Liam only shrugged his shoulders. "Yes. Do you mind?"

The guy finally opened his eyes. They were a warm brown color. He looked at them both and then nodded. "Sure. You can hitch with me. That'd be swell, since I haven't been in contact with anybody forever."

Liam looked to his father as the man got off the hood of the Mustang and leaned in to whisper, "Swell? Who the hell says 'swell' anymore?"

Sam shrugged. "Weirdoes?"

Yeah, like Liam hadn't already guessed that.

There was a tapping on the inside of the window they were nearest to and both Winchester men looked into the car and saw the man in there, smiling like a fool. The window was rolled down and he said, "You folks coming or what?"

Sam nodded, not knowing what else to do. This guy was just too damn happy and he muttered a half-hearted, "Christo," under his breath to which Liam said, "Really, Dad?" In his defense, he was only trying to keep him and his son safe so.

"The name's Rory," the man said as Sam got into the front seat and Liam into the back.

"Oh. Sam. That's my son, Liam." From the back, Liam waved lamely and then sat back, resting his head on the cushion behind it.

"Where you two headed?" He didn't ask why they were on foot, or if they'd pay him. Just where they needed to go. He didn't even ask why they needed to go there.

"Um... the end of this road and then we'll be able to catch a ride," Sam answered as he smiled a little to the sound of Liam dozing off in the backseat.

Rory nodded. "Wow. Turns out I do too. What a coincidence." Sam looked over. Rory's voice was calm, not at all jumpy like before. His face was schooled and serious. He extended a hand. "Sorry. That wasn't proper before. Rory."

Sam shook it a bit uncertainly. Because if this guy was bipolar or something, what had he and Liam gotten themselves into? "Sam."

Rory nodded. And then, as he started the car and started to get out of the side of the road and the grass he had crushed he nodded over to Liam from the rearview mirror and smiled thinly. "He sleep like that when he was a little guy?"

Sam laughed, feeling the tension slowly slip. "Yeah. He'd mumble in his sleep too. Still does it now. Why? You got a little guy at home?"

Rory ducked his head to hide the smile. "Baby girl actually. She's hanging with her grand-dad." Sam nodded. It was something he regretted, that Liam didn't have grandparents. Both Rebecca's and his were gone. "You have a last name Sam?" Rory asked as they made it out to the road and drove on.

Sam was instantly on guard. "Yeah." He didn't volunteer it and waited a moment until he was sure Rory wouldn't ask. "How 'bout you? Do you have a last name Rory?"

The man smiled and there was something decidedly... not off, persay, but different about him. "Yeah. Dodge."

I know that you guys want more and i promise, i'll work on that i really will. Just hand tight so i can finish all the crap i need to and get going with this fic. Summer is almost here for me and school is almost out on the east coast so i can then focus all my energies on this fic-writing schtuff!

Review, as i always like to encourage! And thanks for sticking with it!