Disclaimer: I don't own, Mr. Kripke and friends don't sue... Deal?

Joie collapsed on the bed in the motel room, uncaring of her less-than-graceful fall. A true bed was wonderful. The cabin only housed two, so Meg had claimed one and Dean and Sam shared the other, leaving Joie with the couch since Cas didn't sleep. She was starting to see what her brothers meant about that being a creepy part of the angel's abilities. Waking up to hear the Angel of Thursday humming "Purple Rain" while he flipped through paid programming for sex toys was more than a little twitchy. Add that to the fact that said angel was sitting in on the floor right in front of you while doing this put it in the "permanent nightmare" sector of her brain.

"Budge up Josephine. You're not the only one who's tired." Meg drawled, forcefully pushing the huntress over and stretching out next to her.

Joie groaned but acquiesced to the move. "There are times I believe you're more trouble than you're worth Megara."

"Clarence doesn't think so."

"Clarence doesn't have to share a bed with you."

"I bet he would if he could."

"I'm sure. Unfortunately, Dean rolls in his sleep and you act like your dead, so you're the lesser of two evils."

"I find that ironic since I'm a demon."

"…Touché."

Dean and Cas smiled at the girls' banter in amusement. As much as they picked on each other, Meg and Joie had… bonded, in an odd way, over the past weeks. Especially when Kevin had been around. Dean smirked remembering the unexpected mother hen side to Meg. It shouldn't have been such a shock considering the demon's devotion to Castiel, but watching her fuss around the teen, making sure he got enough to eat and got plenty of sleep, even going so far as take the boy clothes shopping when she noticed his were getting a little ragged, made Dean grin. And proud at the same time. The demoness had come a long way since his first encounter with her.

Likewise, Castiel rejoiced in the camaraderie between the two women. His feeling for Joie grew daily, and Meg was the first friend he'd had who treated him as just another person, never asking anything from him except protection, occasionally. More often than not it seemed Meg protected him. The girls' reaction to Kevin had been amusing. Joie, they already knew, was a fusser, but seeing Meg take up the mantle of Kevin's surrogate mother as well had been awe-inspiring. While he had never doubted her tale of how she became a demon, the woman's actions concerning the young prophet had cemented the truth of her tale in his mind.

"Ladies, as much as I love the thought of two women sleeping together, this is not quite the situation I had in mind. Especially not with my sister in the mix. So how about we argue about sleeping arrangements later and go grab some food now?" Dean said, laughing.

Joie groaned and rolled over. "Go yourself. I'm sleeping. For a very long time."

"What about Kevin?"

"We can't find him if we're strung out on sleep deprivation."

"Or if we're starving."

"I'm not starving. You're the one with a tapeworm. Besides, if you go on your own you can order a nice juicy burger and all the fixings without worrying about your loveable little sister harping on you to eat more veggies."

Dean contemplated that for a moment. "Very good point Jo-Jo. You coming Cas?"

Castiel shook his head. "I would like to read more about tracking spells in the book Joie lent me."

"Suit yourself. Meg?"

The demoness would deny it to her dying breath, but the thought of spending time with the handsome hunter made her heart jump a bit. Giving an exaggerated sigh, she clambered off the bed. "Sure Dean. Can't let you go off on your own. Your luck, Crowley would grab you and Josephine here would lose it."

"Shove it Megara." Came the muffled reply from the bed.

"Love you to Josephine."

"Yeah, like a cat loves a rat."

"Girls!" Dean held up his hands. "Come on Meg, before you and my sister get into a wrestling match in the middle of the room. Cas, would you mind putting up the wards and laying out the salt after we leave? Put a devils trap up. We'll break it and redo it when we get back."

"Of course Dean."

"Jo-Jo? Do you want anything?"

"If you find a place with fresh chocolate chip and walnut cookies, bring me back a couple please. Other than that, just a fruit salad."

Dean rolled his eyes. "You and your cookies."

Joie turned her head, smiling at her brother. "No worse than you and your pie."

"In every form baby girl."

"Ew! Ew! Ew! I did not just hear that come from my brother's mouth! That is so disgusting Dean!" Joie buried her head under her pillow, pressing the ends over her ears as if to block out anymore sexual innuendos from her brother.

Dean, Meg and Cas laughed at the huntress's childish actions. Nudging Meg, Dean led them from the room without another word. Castiel waited for the door to close behind them and the split second it took him to protect the room before sitting on the bed next to Joie. "It's safe now. They've left."

Joie pulled the pillow from her head. "Thank God! That was just nasty Cas!"

"It wasn't that bad Joie." The angel placated.

"It was from my brother Castiel!" Joie exclaimed, flopping onto her back. She loved sleeping on her stomach, but the position made her back ache if she stayed like that too long. The fact that the move just put her all the closer to a certain blue-eyed hunk was just a bonus.

Castiel smiled down at her and ran a hand through her hair. She snuggled into the soft touch. "How are you really dealing with Samuel's decision to leave?"

The young girl sighed, turning on her side. She didn't want to talk about this, but she needed to. It was difficult to explain. Normally she would write. Poetry, or something for her private works, something the rest of the world would never see, but she couldn't risk that with everyone who was around. Sharing a room, a ride, your life with three other people made privacy practically impossible, and that type of writing was nothing if not private.

This wasn't normal though. And Cas was right here, willing to listen to her, to help her. "It sucks ass Castiel."

Castiel stretched out behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "I thought you were always more empathetic of Samuel's need for a normal life."

Joie smiled, and pressed back against him, bringing her arm down to lay over his and twining their fingers together. "I try. I really do. And I kind of want normal myself, but not like he does. I'm not willing to let other people die for the sake of being normal. I think that's the big difference."

"So you think Sam is being selfish by choosing normal over hunting?"

"No. Yes. It's complicated Cas."

"Do not feel as if you're being disloyal to your brother by feeling so. I believe he is."

Joie looked at him over her shoulder. "You do?"

Castiel nodded. "Dean lives for the hunt. But he wants normal as well. He has told me that when he is thrust into a perfect world, he mows the grass."

"He mows… the grass?"

"Yes. At his mother's home."

Joie giggled. "Ok. I can see that. Sort of. Kind of like being able to be the good son to her."

"Exactly. And when he was with Lisa and Ben, he enjoyed the family rituals and doing things such as teaching Ben about cars or sleeping with Lisa at night."

"So Dean wants normal huh?" Joie said with a smile. "It's good to know that he's just as susceptible as the rest of us."

"To what?"

"Hopes and dreams of something beyond… this."

"The nomadic existence that runs on murdering supernatural beings and credit card fraud?"

"Yes. But we haven't been operating on credit card fraud lately. Dean doesn't know it, but I've been paying off the credit cards he uses." Joie replied, stifling another giggle. "Sam's too."

"How?" Castiel was shocked. To his knowledge, very few hunters had legitimate means of income.

She shrugged next to him. "My books are popular. I've got a bit of a cult following. Between the royalty checks and the merchandise sales, I make a decent living. The hunting is something I do out of necessity."

"It sounds a good bit more than decent Joie."

"Well decent sounds better than filthy rich and using the money to keep my family in the law's grey side."

"Why though? Why not just quit and write full-time."

She rolled onto her back, staring up at him where he perched over her. "The same reason Dean will never be completely happy with normal. People die if we don't do what we do."

Castiel stared down into the huntress's violet eyes. They spoke so much of the weight she carried. The weight to be a perfect sister, a perfect hunter, a perfect leader for her brothers. The weight of knowing that people's lives literally rested in her hands. The weight of wanting so much more out of her life, but unable to grasp it because of the responsibility she shouldered. It was beautiful and harrowing at the same time, making Castiel want to take Joie far away and hide her from the world. "Why is it your job Joie?"

"Because I know, while other do not." She replied. "And we're off topic. Aren't we supposed to be talking about Sam?"

"I believe that discussion led to this." The angel monotoned, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm well aware of that. I was saying we should get back to that."

He cocked his head to the side, a small frown furrowing his brow. "But if we return to the previous conversation, is it not inevitable we end up back at this part of the discussion yet again?"

"I quit." Joie exclaimed, curling closer to Castiel. "And I'm going to sleep. We can keep talking about this in the morning if you like."

"Joie…"

"What Cas?"

"It hurts you. What you had to say to Sam. And the fact that he left anyway. And that he tried to take Dean with him."

"Really doll, I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's bedtime."

Castiel tilted her face toward his, obeying an instinct he didn't quite understand. Leaning down, he pressed his mouth to hers, lightly teasing it with soft brushes of barely parted lips. Joie's breath caught in her chest and she leaned her head up slightly, resulting in the barest increase in pressure. They stayed like that for several moments, kissing in the gentlest fashion, the touch of their mouths so light it could barely be described as such. Slowly, Castiel pulled back.

"I'll let this go for now Joie." He murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, "But we will continue this later." He turned her, molding her into the little spoon. He knew Meg wouldn't mind his stealing her spot for the night, and if Dean put up a fuss Cas could always claim he was comforting the young huntress when the fallout from Samuel's departure finally hit. "Go to sleep for now. I'll stay here while you rest."

Joie's mind, still frazzled from a combination of exhaustion, hunger, and that kiss, obeyed instantaneously. The brunette closed her eyes and slipped into unconsciousness, seeking to escape reality for now. She'd deal with the rest in the morning.

Castiel smiled as her breathing evened out and pulled her a little tighter against him. He didn't know what would happen now. She had reacted negatively to his kiss. Not quite positively, but she had retreated in disgust either. It didn't matter for now. One more thing to deal with in the morning. For now, he relished holding her in his arms. Breathing in the scent of lemon and mint that clung to her hair, he allowed himself to fall asleep with her. Yes, everything else could wait until morning.

~*~FINDING~*~YOURSELF~*~

Dean and Meg crept silently into the motel room an hour later. At the sight of his little sister and his guardian angel curled together on the bed, sleeping peacefully, he stopped short, mouth gaping in shock. Meg, acting quickly, slapped a hand over his lips, preventing the oncoming tirade sure to be waiting to be released.

"Break the Devil's Trap and we'll step outside and talk about this before you explode, ok Dean-O?" She whispered quietly in response to his death glare. Dean tensed, as if wanting to argue, but nodded reluctantly, toeing the chalk circle to make the break.

The two tip-toed back out the door, and Meg ensured it was closed tightly before Dean detonated. "What the hell was that!" He roared, pointing accusingly at the door. "What the fuck were they doing?!"

"It looked like they were cuddling." The demon drawled, highly amused at the whole situation. So Cas has actually made a move. Good for the angel. He needed a bit of happiness in his life. "And they were above the covers and still in their clothes. Hell, Clarence was still in his friggin' trench coat! So you can stop with the outrage of your friend compromising your sister's virtue. Not that she's a virgin anyway." Meg added the last part in a low whisper.

"What?! What do you mean 'not that she's a virgin anyway'? Of course she's a virgin! She's-"

"A healthy twenty-five year old woman with the same needs as every other human. Including sex. By the way, if you ever want to hate Ash, there's your reason buddy boy." Meg interrupted, loving the flashes of disgust, shock, and nausea that raced across the hunter's face.

Dean felt physically ill. Seriously, it felt like his dinner was about to come back up. "Ash? Seriously? She lost it to Ash!"

Meg shrugged. "From what I gathered he was giving her computer lessons and she had a hot-for-teacher thing going on with him."

"The dude had a mullet!"

"And she grew up with a big brother that listened to mullet rock!"

Green eyes closed in repulsion, and Dean thunked his head against the motel's wall. "That's just wrong."

"No. That's the kind of guy girls who grow up in this life end up with. If they're lucky. If not they get Gordon or a kid and a baby daddy with no forwarding address." She told him practically. "It's not like there's a wide range of decent men out there for female hunters. Their options are kind of limited if they want something more than a one night stand."

Dean blanched. "She hasn't… has she?"

"A couple. Nothing big."

"How do you know all this?"

"Joie grew up with men, hunted with men, and spent all her time with men except for the couple of months she camped out at The Roadhouse with Ellen and Jo. Female company to talk about this shit with had been slightly limited. It's not much different when most of your demon cohorts are either male or like Ruby and Lilith. We've enjoyed having a semi-sane female around."

"And out of the things you two could talk about, you chose sex!" The hunter yelled, thunking his head against a wall. "Dude… you didn't tell her about-"

"Me, Sam, and a steamy bus stop bathroom? No. I figured that'd be a bit too much info for her."

He winced. "That's a bit too much info for me. I was talking about you, Cas, and the testing facility."

Meg laughed. "Oh yeah! I told her about that. She thought it was hilarious."

"She wasn't pissed?"

"Why would she be?"

"Well," He gestured to the door, "it looks like she likes him."

The demoness shrugged, a small smile tipping the corners of her mouth. "Yeah. And he likes her. Should he be pissed at the mini make-out session you two had when she was sixteen?"

Dean sputtered. "She told you about that?!"

Meg flushed, remembering that she and Joie had been talking about Meg's less-than-well-disguised crush on the handsome hunter in front of her when that particular tale was told. "Yep. I said something about you being less than satisfactory in that department and she assured me otherwise."

"Made that good of an impression, did I?" He smirked, triggering Meg's need to take his ego down a peg.

Flicking her nails nonchalantly, she replied, "Yeah. But she said Ash was better."

Dean flinched. "Gee, I feel like a bitch now."

Meg rolled her eyes. "Good. Come on. I'm tired. Let's go to bed."

"What are we going to do about your boyfriend and my sister?"

"Not my boyfriend, otherwise your sister would be dead. Just leave them alone Dean-O. They're grown. They can handle it on their own."

"Yeah but-"

"No buts hunter. Sleep now. Worry in the morning" She opened that bedroom door, stepping lightly over the Devil's Trap that still made her nervous, despite that fact that it was broken. Imprisonment does things to a girl.

Dean scowled but followed her. "When did you become the boss?"

She sent him a flirtatious glance over her shoulder. "Since you're my bed mate Dean-O. Do strip down to the boxer briefs. They're so sexy."

He laughed quietly as he grabbed the sweatpants and t-shirt he'd taken to wearing to bed ever since he started hunting with Joie again. Walking around in your underwear in front of your sister just seemed wrong somehow. "In your dreams Meg."

You have no idea. The demon thought, curling under the covers, facing toward the window. "Remember to repair the trap before you come snuggle up. Wouldn't want Crowley walking in on cozy scene."

"Will do. Try not to molest me in my sleep."

"Likewise Dean-O."

"Goodnight Meg."

Meg smiled at the affection in the hunter's tone. He was warming up to her. "Goodnight Dean."

Review please!