A/N: Ok, so this is my re-write of CH7. I finally decided to keep going with it for a handful of reasons. 1) I've been reading a whole heap of Supernatural fanfiction and I really miss contributing to it, 2) Writing helps me when I get depressed and I have been really down lately and 3) I found my muse for this story, so yay!

I also want to put out there that I am going to start posting things like original stories to my wordpress account and I may even start doing a similar thing on Tumblr. If you want the links head to my page and they'll be there.

I also want to take this time to apologise to everyone that has been following this story, I know I've been awful at updating and such. I can't promise that things will start getting regular but I can promise that they will come.

Thanks to everyone that has followed, favourited and reviewed this story, it means a whole lot when people let me know that they appreciate my work.

Xoxo

-Z

Dean had given her some training in the few weeks she had been staying with them in the bunker, but nothing prepared her for her first case. Dean hadn't let her participate much and she was secretly glad. But when Sam was held up by the spirit they were hunting Dean needed her to step up and help him dig up the grave. Zoe wasn't a stranger to physical labour but digging up six feet of dirt in the dead of night really took it out of a person. It was all going smoothly until Dean's shovel hit the smooth timber of the casket.

"Zo, I'm going to need your help getting the lid off this." Dean told her as he scraped the last of the dirt away from it.

Zoe nodded and helped him heave the lid off. "Oh my god." She couldn't help the look of disgust that crept on to her face at the sight of the decomposing corpse. Jeff Anderson had been dead for a long while and he was not a pretty sight. "That's gross!"

"You get used to it." Dean told her as he tipped salt over the body.

"I don't think I want to."

"We're done down here. I'll give you a boost."

Zoe stood on his cupped hands and hoisted herself out of the grave site before helping Dean out. "What now? We burn him?"

"Yep." He tipped some accelerant over Mr Anderson and was about to strike a match when the ghost materialised in front of him and flung him into a tree.

"Dean!" Zoe yelled as the ghost turned to her with a murderous expression on his face. She edged backwards as the spirit approached her stealing a glance at Dean, who was unconscious. Zoe had no idea what to do, anything she did know was suddenly gone from her mind. Panic consumed her when she tripped over something and suddenly the angry ghost was standing over her. She ran her hands over the grass surrounding her until she felt to unfamiliar shape of Dean's shotgun. Quickly, she snatched it up and aimed it at the ghost's head and pulled the trigger. Having never fired a gun before she was not expecting the kick, and it rammed her in the shoulder so hard that if she hadn't been on the ground it would have knocked her from her feet. With the spirit momentarily gone, Zoe got up and grabbed the matches that Dean had dropped and lit the corpse.

When Dean came to, he saw Zoe standing over the burning body. "What'd I miss?" He asked, forcing himself to his feet.

"You've actually got to properly teach me how to use a gun because I was not expecting the kick from that damned shotgun." She indicated over to where it was on the ground.

"I'll have to get Sam on those lessons." He said with a sly smirk. "Speak of the devil." He said as he pulled his ringing phone from his jacket pocket. "Sam."

"Dean, he's gone. He was here one moment then he just vanished." Sam said on the other end.

"Relax, Sammy, we got him."

"Oh. Good."

"We'll meet you back at the motel." Dean hung up and slipped the phone away.

It was almost sunrise when Dean and Zoe climbed out of the Impala at their hotel.

"You look beat, baby." Dean told her as he fumbled with the room key.

"I've been up all night digging, I should be tired."

Dean pushed the door open and Zoe collapsed into the queen sized bed she and Dean shared.

"When are we leaving?" Sam asked from where he sat on the couch. Zoe hadn't noticed him.

"Couple of hours." Dean replied, "As soon as we can check out, it's a long drive home."

Zoe groaned and pulled the duvet over her face, "Then don't wake me till you're ready to leave."

She heard Sam chuckle before saying, "You'll get used to it."

It felt like she had just closed her eyes when she was woken up by soft kisses on her neck.

"No!" She complained, squeezing her eyes shut tighter. "Let me sleep."

"Time to go sleepy head." Dean was next to her, propped up on his elbow. "Sam's just checking out then we're off."

Zoe forced herself into a sitting position. "Can I shower?" She had been far too tired to shower when they got in and she was still filthy from grave digging.

"Real quick."

"There'd better be coffee when I get out!" She called back as she locked herself in the bathroom.

Zoe stood under the hot water until knocking at the door forced her out. The warm shower soothed her aching body slightly and she wished she could stand there all day, but they had to hit the road. She dried herself off in front of the small cracked mirror seeing for the first time the dark bruise that spread across her shoulder. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to detangle it. She took in the sight of her reflection. She hastily opened her bag and put on a thin coat of foundation before adding mascara and pulling her wet hair into a messy ponytail. Throwing on some skinny jeans and a tank top she emerged.

"Took your time." Dean complained when she met him outside the room.

"Sorry."

"We ready to head off?" Sam asked them.

"Yeah." Zoe climbed into the back seat, and Dean behind the wheel.

Tucking her feet under herself, she fell asleep almost as soon as they pulled away from the motel. It had been so long since she had felt this exhausted. When she finally woke the sun was shining straight into her eyes.

"God, my neck. That's what I get for sleeping in the car." She rubbed her neck.

"Morning, Sleepy." Dean glanced at her in the rear view mirror.

"Where are we?"

"About an hour and a half out from home." Sam answered.

"Can we stop for something to eat?"

Dean threw her a sandwich, "We stopped about an hour ago. I didn't want to wake you."

"Thanks." She bit into it.

"So, Zoe," Sam started, "How did you find your first case?"

"Exhausting!"

They both chuckled at her response, "Like I said at the motel, you will get used to it." Sam told her.

"Hopefully soon." She complained with a yawn.

That night Zoe fell asleep peacefully in Dean's arms.

Zoe woke up to an empty bed. Sleepily, she dragged herself into the bunker's kitchen and started making herself a coffee.

"Morning." Dean was suddenly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a soft kiss on her shoulder. "Or should I say, afternoon."

"Afternoon?" So asked, shocked.

"Well, it's almost eleven."

"Oh."

"Sam is going to start training you, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he told me to tell you that he's ready when you are."

Zoe wriggled free from Dean's arms and finished making her coffee before taking a seat at the table. "I'll go find him after breakfast."

"Want me to make you something?"

"I've lived here for, what, three weeks? And you haven't cooked anything."

"Hey, I can cook."

"Prove it." The look she gave him said 'challenge' and Dean was quickly working on making an omelette. After watching him work for some time, he placed a plate in front of her.

"Oh my god." She said after just one bite. "This is amazing."

"See, I told you I could cook."

"What's up?" Sam asked, entering the room.

"Dean just cooked the best omelette I have ever had in my whole life!" Zoe replied with a mouthful.

Dean just gave him a smug look.

"Zoe, I was thinking of teaching you to shoot." He gave Dean a stern look, "Properly."

"Yep." She shovelled more omelette into her mouth, "Soon as I'm done with breakfast."

Sam took a seat at the table as Zoe threw down the rest of her breakfast hurriedly.

When she was done Sam led her down a few corridors to the gym. He hung up a couple of targets at one end then took her to a table that had a few guns sitting atop.

He spent some time teaching her the different parts, and the differences between the other guns then explained the different kinds of ammo they use.

"Ok," He picked up one of the smaller guns and loaded it with silver bullets. "So fix your feet." He showed her the correct stance. "Make sure you're aiming correctly, and hold it with two hands. When you're ready squeeze the trigger." He aimed his own gun and fired three shots in rapid succession, all piercing the centre of the target. "Make sure you're ready for the kick." He gestured for her to try with her own gun.

Zoe did as she was told, and fired the gun once. The bullet went high and missed the target, embedding itself in the wall.

"Try again."

She squeezed the trigger again and this time the bullet clipped the side of the target before sailing into the wall.

"See, keep practicing and you'll be great."

Zoe and Sam practiced until she could hit the centre of the target each time.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." Zoe stated as they walked toward the library.

"You thought it would be bad?"

"Well, when Dean first handed me a gun I could hardly hold it without freaking."

They entered the library where Dean was pouring over some car magazine from the 50's. "How'd it go?" He asked when he noticed them.

"She's a natural." Sam informed him.

"I'd say it was a lot more productive than when you tried to teach me." Zoe joked. She took a seat opposite him and pulled out the book she had been reading before the case, and her notes.

She was determined to read up on every single Supernatural being she could. The Men of Letters had all sorts of books and Zoe had found an A-Z encyclopaedia of folklore in her very first week. Some of the things in the book, Dean had told her, didn't exist or, at least, they had never encountered them. When she opened up her notebook, she realised she had finished the book.

She flicked back through her notes, "So what, all this stuff actually exists?"

Dean looked up from his magazine, "And probably more."

"Woah. That's like a whole lot."

"You're telling me."

"I'm going to go get food for dinner." Zoe declared and stood to walk out.

"Hey, Zo!" Dean called out.

When she turned around Dean tossed her the keys to his car, "Woah, Dean, the car?"

"Yeah, you need to get to town, right?"

"Well, yeah, but there's a heap of cars in the garage."

"I trust you." He smiled at her with the same smile that caused her to fall for his charm the night hse met him. "As long as you bring home pie."

She laughed, "Pie. Got it."

She was walking through the corridors when she passed Sam. "What are you going?"

"Shops. Getting food for dinner." She held up Dean's keys as of to gloat.

Sam opened his mouth to say something but closed it again, instead just shook his head and walked off.

Zoe walked to the garage and pulled the driver's door and climbed behind the wheel. Before she started the engine she took a moment to appreciate how big of a deal it was that Dean was letting her drive his baby. She could really get used to being here.

So, there it is. Chapter 7 (Again.). Hope you enjoyed.

Xoxo

-Z