She was quiet. Too quiet as far as Dean was concerned.

With her sudden interest in developing their relationship he'd done his best to focus on what she needed. Over the last two weeks he'd taken her to the rehab center's courtyard for a surprise picnic lunch. He'd stayed with her during her strength training sessions to help build her stamina for walking. He'd watched more movies with her than he could count. Hell, he'd even read to her from the same romance novel he'd replaced after the Bella's had ruined her book. If Roman, Seth or his fans ever found out he'd never live it down. Though even if they did he knew it was worth it because he'd also watched her make leaps and bounds in her recovery.

While she still walked with a small limp due to the drag in her left foot from her stroke, she hadn't let that stop her from beginning to walk laps through the center. He made those laps with her, encouraging her to take just one more when she was tired and afterward he rubbed her sore and tired muscles and praised her for doing so well.

Finally, blessedly, the day came they'd both longed to hear. She was going home! When the doctor first told her she'd been so excited and Dean had allowed himself the small indulgence of dreaming that their lives would finally go back to normal. Of course he knew better. Their lives would never be the same again, but dreaming gave him a goal to work towards.

Now as he drove toward the house he worried that his dream was already in jeopardy. The moment she'd eased into the passenger seat she'd become withdrawn and silent. With his free hand he reached over and squeezed her knee. "You okay?"

She glanced at him and he could see the fear in her eyes. "I'm fine. Just a little nervous."

"Why?"

Zoe swallowed hard. "I don't know if I can explain it."

"Try," Dean urged.

She took a deep breath. "I wanted to leave the rehab center, but at the same time it had become a haven for me. If I needed anything there were doctors and nurses to help. I knew my freedoms and my limitations and everything was…safe."

He should have expected this. Dean thought to himself as he waited for the light to turn green. While his Zoe had never been one to back down from a challenge that didn't mean she wasn't ever afraid. He could still remember the fear in her eyes the first time he'd kissed her in that hotel room. The girls had called him into their room on the guise of helping Zoe with her acting skills. Being the scoundrel he was, he'd taken the opportunity to satisfy his curiosity about her and in the process he'd fallen head over heels for his little red head. Yet, no matter how scary he'd tried to be that night, she hadn't back down. Oh sure it was obvious she was frightened, but she'd stood her ground. He knew she'd do it again. She just needed some support.

"And this is all new," Dean added.

"And a bit scary," she clarified. "I mean think about it. This is first time since the accident I've been in a car. That alone is a big deal." She motioned out the windshield. "Then there's the rest of the world. People remember me and I don't remember them. I have a house that I don't remember. A family and friends and I don't know what to expect."

Dean made a left, drove up three houses and pulled into the driveway. He noted how her eyes widened as she scanned the house and the surrounding area. "This is my house?" Balloons bounced in the breeze from the exterior garage lights and the porch rails. Streamers wrapped around and through the trees and the gang stood in the walkway between the two story house and the garage holding a banner that read 'Welcome home Zoe'.

He grinned, put the car in park and killed the engine as Zoe stared at the scene in front of her. "Baby, I can promise that it doesn't matter if you can't remember." He pointed to where Lexi, Roman, Amber and Seth stood with Zane and Carla. "They remember and they love you, Zo."

He lifted a hand and using one finger, angled her face toward him until she met his gaze. "I love you."

Her eyes welled and she gave him a smile. "I want to say the words, but…"

It still hurt to know she couldn't say the words back yet, but they'd made so much progress, maybe one day soon she would. "It's okay," he whispered. "I understand. Now, how about we get you inside and settled into your new life?"

Sometime later Dean stood in the open doorway with Roman and watch as Zoe sat stretched out in the lounge chair on the back deck and stared up at the house. "She looks a bit lost," Roman murmured.

Dean nodded. "She is. I can't begin to imagine how hard this is for her."

"It's not easy for you either," Roman replied.

"No," Dean said. "It not, but no matter how rough this is on me, it's ten time worse on her. I mean to know that this is her house and to see herself in pictures with people she can't remember has to be stressful."

"But didn't the doctors say that being surrounded by her belongings might help her remember?"

"Yeah." Dean raked a hand through his hair. "But she also knows very day that goes by without her remembering anything lowers her odds of ever being able to remember."

Roman nodded. "That is rough. I imagine it's damn scary too."

Dean sighed. "It is, for both of us. I am doing my best to try and help, but honestly, there are times when I feel absolutely worthless."

Lexi stepped under Roman's arm and handed Dean a drink as Roman pulled her against him. "You're not worthless," she corrected.

Dean frowned. "I know, but-"

She shook her head. "No, no buts. You've been by her side since the accident. You've suffered right along with her and you two are helping each other to heal. You're not worthless, Dean."

"It doesn't feel like enough," Dean replied then took a long drink.

"Oh, but it is," Lexi corrected. "I know you don't see it, but we do."

Dean frowned. "See what?"

"The way she looks at you."

"How does she look at me?"

"As if you're her touchstone, her lifeline to something safe and familiar," Lexi explained. "There's love in her eyes when she looks at you." Lexi reached out and placed a hand on Dean's arm. "She might not realize it yet, but she does love you."

Dean cut his gaze from Lexi to Zoe and found her staring at him and for the first time he realized her gaze was similar to how she used to look at him before the accident. A time when he knew she loved him. When everything in his life was right and good. His heart swelled and he took a step forward, then crossed the deck to her. "Hey," he murmured as he eased down next to her. "Everything okay?"

She gave a nod. "It's weird, because I don't really remember any of this, yet in a strange way it all feel familiar…comfortable." She lifted her hand to his face and cupped his cheek. "Even you. When I look at you I feel something strangely familiar that I didn't feel before."

He took her hand in his, splayed her fingers open and kissed her palm. "That's good, right?"

Her brown knit at his question. "I think so."

Dean followed Zoe down the hallway to the bedroom and waited while she walked inside and looked around. "Like I said before, it all kinda looks familiar," she murmured.

"But you don't actually remember anything?" Dean asked.

She shook her head. "No, I mean yeah, I remember our friends, but that's because they came to the hospital and rehab to see me. I still don't remember them from before the accident." She ran a hand over the bedspread and then up and over the night stand. "This was my bedroom?"

Dean nodded. "From when you were a child. You spent most of your adult life on the road. Zane says your mom didn't really change much in here before she died."

"I wish I could reme-" The rest of her sentenced died as she stopped and stared at a small stuffed cat sitting atop the dresser. "Miss Kitty," she whispered and reached out with a shaky hand.

Dean straightened at the name. The look on Zoe's face drew him toward her. "Baby?"

Her eyes were glassy as she turned to look at him. "I-I remember."

In an instant, joy poured through his heart. "What do you remember?"

"Miss Kitty." She held the old stuffed cat out for Dean to observe. "She was my favorite stuffed animal when I was little."

"That's awesome," he replied. "That's huge. So is there anything else you remember?"

She paused and continued to look around the room. After a moment the happiness in her eyes faded and slowly she shook her head. "No, nothing."

Desperate not to lose the mood and let disappointment take hold, Dean reached for her. "It's okay." He held up the stuffed cat. "You remembered this and that's more than what you could remember this morning. I know it's hard, but try not to be disheartened because while it feels small, it's actually a very big step."