Lou and Sam coordinate a destination over the phone while Dean drives his car and Lou drives the Toyota. During the trip, Lou tries to get Lizzy to talk but Lizzy opts to stay quiet, a first for the usually talkative woman. She keeps her hand wrapped in an ice pack lying in her lap while training her attention on the trees and signs passing by the passenger side window. The only time she looks away is to turn around and make sure the black Impala is close behind.

"How's the hand?" Lou asks, desperate to do whatever she can to get Lizzy talking. Lizzy always needs to talk things out in order to sort them through and get past them. Her silence is nerve-racking.

"Hurts like a son of a bitch," Lizzy responds without looking away from the passing scenery.

"Broken?"

"Most definitely."

"Must've been one hell of a hit then."

"Gave that bitch a nose job," Lizzy jests, but her tone is somber despite what she says. Lou can tell Lizzy has no intension of continuing the conversation any further.

"Lizzy, can you please talk to me here?" Lou finally begs. "You're scaring me. You never stay this quiet."

"What the hell do you want me to say?" Lizzy asks as she once more glances out the back windshield for reassurance.

"You could start by telling me what happened in there," Lou says.

"I'll tell you when we get there. I'm sure Bobby'll want to know. No need going through all of it twice."

"Lizard, you gotta open up here. You almost…"

"I know," she interrupts in a whisper. Lizzy mind flashes to Dean's panicked and sorrow filled eyes and it's all she can see. She's not ready to talk, not yet. "I can't."

Lou wrinkles her brow in concern. "Ok." She lets Lizzy sit quietly for the remainder of the four hour drive but makes sure there is a continual stream of Lizzy's favorite music quietly playing.

"Dean, I have to know," Sam asks of his brother while turning down the volume of the AC/DC album. "What the hell happened back there?"

Neither man had talked very much for the first leg of the trip. They are exhausted and emotionally drained. Sam knows something bad happened in the motel, he can feel it, and sadly he only remembers some of it. Dean needs to connect the dots for him.

"You don't want to know, Sammy." Truthfully, Dean didn't want to have to tell Sam what he'd done while under the Nixie's spell. It was too fresh, too painful, and he knows how torn up Sam will be once he knows. He wants to keep him protected from the horrible reality of it all.

"I get the feeling I need to though," Sam says back. He's sensed that he might have done something wrong or hurtful ever since he's come-to in the motel stairwell.

Dean sighs heavily as he replays the horrific situation in his head. Sam almost killed Lizzy. Right before his eyes. He'd felt the world crashing down around him and it was all done at the hand of his little brother.

"I thought you said Lou got you earplugs?" Dean questions Sam with grit.

"She did," Sam confirms.

"Then why didn't you use them!" Dean snaps, letting the situation get the better of him. He's angry and needs a whipping boy to take it out on. Sam will do just fine.

"What?" Sam questions incredulously. "Are you joking? When do you suppose I should have put them in, before or after I was tied to a freakin' chair?"

"I don't know! And no, I'm definitely not joking! How could you let that happen again, huh! You nearly… you… fuck! You could have really hurt someone back there!"

"What the hell are you talking about!" Sam's anger grows and he balls up his fists at his sides with the fury. He's being blamed for something he doesn't even remember. "You gotta tell me, Dean! You can't just yell at me for something I don't even know I did!"

"You almost killed her, Sam! Alright! You almost killed Lizzy! Right the fuck in front of me!" Dean's knuckles turn white with his grip on the wheel.

It feels as though someone drove a knife through Sam's heart with the revelation. It can't be true. No. He would never do anything to hurt either of those girls. They've been so good to him and Dean. They're like family. Yet Dean's voice is on repeat, playing over and over in his mind. You almost killed Lizzy. How could this have happened?

"What do you mean?" Sam very quietly asks.

"That bitch had you by the balls, dude. Sammy left us and joined team fucking mermaid," Dean fires out. "She told you to take Lizzy's knife and slit her throat. And you almost did."

Sam clenches his jaw as a litany of emotions wash over him; fear, anxiety, ire, sorrow, guilt.

"You're lucky Lou came in when she did," Dean adds. "If she hadn't offed that evil wench when she did, Lizzy wouldn't be in that car in front of us right now."

"Jesus," is all Sam manages as he looks down into his lap. How could this have happened?

"Look, I know it wasn't your fault, ok?" Dean says. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. You couldn't control it. I just, I had to watch the whole thing. It was… bad."

"Doesn't make what I did any better," Sam tells him.

"You didn't do any of it, Sammy. Tamesis did it. Not you." Dean tries his best to reassure Sam, but he knows it's a worthless attempt. Sam holds onto guilt with a ferocious grip, one of the few things they have in common.

"I could never live with…" Sam begins.

"I know."

Dean knows when to leave Sam be and now is one of those times. He drops a sympathetic hand on Sam's shoulder to show his support and for the rest of the ride they stay quiet. An hour later Dean turns onto the familiar gravel driveway behind Lou. Sam and Lou decided it was best to go somewhere comforting and safe and there was no place more comforting and safe to the four than Singer Salvage Yard.

Lou brings the car to a halt and Lizzy barely waits for the tires to stop rolling before she pushes the car door open and leaps out. Dean parks directly behind her and throws open his car door, scrambling out as fast as possible. Lizzy wastes no time and breaks into a full sprint to get to Dean as quickly as possible. She practically crashes into him and the two embrace each other tightly. Lizzy begins sobbing the moment she's safely wrapped up in his arms, letting the weight of everything finally hitting her. Her hand grips at the back of Dean's old leather jacket desperately and she gives in to how close she came to no longer being able to wrap her arms around him and how gut-wrenching it had been to watch Dean view the whole ordeal helplessly.

Dean's eyes well up also as Lizzy begins to shake in his arms with her guttural sobs. He realizes how lucky he is to have her right now. He'd almost lost her for good. She came within seconds of dying horribly right in front of him and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't stand the thought of going on with his life after seeing that. He's not sure he could.

"I'm sorry," Dean says to her. "L, I'm so sorry." He needs to apologize for everything. For not knowing better and walking right into danger. For not being able to help her. For his brother being the one to almost murder her. For everything she just experienced. He wants more than anything to change things and make it so she never went through it all.

"Shut up," Lizzy tells him and continues weeping against the man she loves. His words mean nothing to her right now. He did nothing wrong and has nothing to apologize for. It was horrifying and all she needs right now is this. To have him there, to feel him against her, and to know she's still alive.

Sam slowly gets out of the Impala, unsure of what to do. He watches Lizzy weep against Dean and the burden pressing down on him gets heavier. There's nothing he can say to make this better.

Lou stands by Sam's side and takes his hand in hers. Sam feels her hand but doesn't feel the support she's trying to give him. The tears begin sliding down his cheeks as the all-consuming guilt fills him. He did this to Lizzy. He's the reason she's torn and completely broken right now.

Lizzy backs away from Dean and searches for Sam. She can only imagine how badly he feels right now and she needs to make it better. She can't have him placing any blame on himself, he did nothing wrong. When she turns around she practically feels her heart tearing in two when she sees Sam. The tears falling and his face sagging with his internal anguish, she jogs over to him immediately. Reaching up and wiping away the teardrops first, she pulls him down and encircles his neck with her arms.

"Don't do this to yourself," she whispers into his ear, her voice still labored with sobs. "It wasn't you. It's ok."

Sam says nothing in return, just stays where he is and finds what little relief he can in her words. Knowing she doesn't place blame on him helps. Lizzy pulls back from him and runs her uninjured hand along his forehead and down the side of his face.

"This changes nothing, you hear me? You're still my gentile giant. I trust you with my life, Sam-I-Am. That'll never, ever change. I know who you really are, and that wasn't you."

Dean takes in what Lizzy says to Sam and once again he's absolutely floored by the strength she exudes. She's supposed to be the one needing the extra support and love right now, but instead she's completely consumed with caring for those around her. She shows Sam such love and it touches him. Her heart is the biggest he's seen and he vows to himself in the moment that he will ever let himself lose her.

"I thought I taught you dummies better," Bobby comments while staring straight at Lizzy. She's seated directly across from him with Lou on her right and Dean on her left. Sam is standing behind them, leaning against the kitchen counter. Because Bobby demanded it after he walked out to his driveway and saw the shape the young hunters were in, the four are attempting to fill him in on what happened. It takes a whole lot to make a Winchester cry, so Bobby knows something major must have gone down when both Sam and Dean had tear streaked cheeks.

"You taught us to look out for each other and to save as many people as possible," Lizzy rebuts timidly. "We couldn't leave them in there alone. She would have eaten them alive, especially Sam." She's angry that Bobby would even hint that Lizzy did the wrong thing, but the argument comes out in a small and gentile tone. She's emotionally drained from everything and doesn't have the strength to really fight back with Bobby. It doesn't matter to her anyways because she knows what she did was the right thing.

"It's true Bobby," Dean cuts in. "We really got ourselves in a mess this time. Lizzy did what she thought was best." He reaches to her hand on the table and grasps it in his, trying to give her as much strength as possible. She did the right thing, Dean knows it.

"And what did it get ya'?" Bobby challenges. "You almost got killed! You could be dead right now, followed most definitely but these two idjits! Lizzy, it was a half-cocked idea at best."

"And we only had a couple minutes to work something out. Half-cocked was the best anyone in this room would have come up with in the situation," Lou spits, getting enraged with Bobby's insinuation that Lizzy was reckless. "We weren't left with many options and I think what Lizzy did was heroic to say the least." Lou reaches for Lizzy's forearm, avoiding her swollen hand, and gently grips it.

"Heroic, huh? Is it heroic to think you can take on three powerful creatures that you know barely a damn thing about?" Bobby remains upset. He thinks that he's going to be in a constant state of fright every time these women go on a hunt now. They need to learn when something is too much for them to handle.

"Bobby, go easy on her," Sam breaks in from his spot. "If you had been there, I don't think you'd be mad at her. You'd be in total awe instead." Sam walks up behind Lizzy and drops his hands onto her shoulders. She's now surrounded by her new and very small family, showing their support in any way they can. It feels good knowing how loved she is and she lets out one very tiny smile.

"Yeah, Bobby," Dean adds. "Whatever you did training this one, you did it right. She was spectacular." Dean rubs his thumb along her palm. He's proud of her.

"Well clearly I had to be there," Bobby finally gives in. "You got everyone sticking up for ya' Lizzy. And from the sound of it, you kicked some serious ass young lady." Bobby pauses for a moment. "I don't mean to be a hard ass here. It's just you girls just worry me. I worry all the damn time 'bout ya'. Still, I'm proud of ya' kid."

"Thanks Bobby," Lizzy responds in a low and choked up voice. Hearing him say he was proud of her tugs at her heart strings. She hadn't heard anything like it in years, not since she'd last seen her father.

"God damn, you're gonna turn my hair completely white soon," Bobby continues to Lizzy. "Sometimes you shoot first and ask questions later, not unlike some other morons in this room." He glances over to Dean, making it clear just who he is talking about. "But you were under pressure and a very small time limit. You did the best ya' could and saved some hides. I'm just happy the four of ya' are all here and in one piece," Bobby comments while standing up. Walking across the kitchen, he reaches into a cabinet for four glasses and a bottle of cheap whiskey. He places the glasses on the table, fills them with the liquor, and distributes them. He leaves the last glass in his own empty place at the table and skips over Lizzy before returning to the cabinet. He retrieves one more glass and the bottle of Lagavulin the girls had so generously given him four months ago.

"Ya' earned something a little more than six day old turpentine," Bobby explains to Lizzy as he pours her a glass from the nearly empty and expensive bottle of top notch booze.

"Bobby, we bought that for you," she explains while trying to stop him from giving away the precious gift she and Lou presented him.

"Yeah, and I can do whatever I want with it," Bobby says annoyed as he slides the cup over to her. "So drink up. I haven't given anyone else any of this stuff and I don't plan to ever again." He winks at her and Lizzy smile back at the gesture.

The five clink glasses and take their sips. Their muscles are worn, minds tired, and spirits nearly broken. It was a long forty-eight hours and the young hunters are more than happy to be in one of their only safe havens on Earth.

Lizzy pulls on her oversized sweatpants and her usual white wife-beater tank. She slides her arms into her favorite sweatshirt and takes in the warm feeling that she's left with after the steaming hot shower, her muscles enjoying the soothing heat. It feels like everyone around her is catering to her every whim, so when she mentioned she'd love to take a long hot shower, no one argued. She gathers her things together, tosses everything in her bag, and heads out the door.

She makes her way to the bedroom she had stayed in the last time she slept at Bobby's. It's the same room in which she had first experienced really being with Dean. She smiles at the memories as she pushes the door open.

"Hi," Dean greets from his seated position on the bed. It's as if he knew she had been thinking about him and she is pleasantly surprised to find him there. He's sitting on the edge of the foot of the mattress, waiting for her to come up and find him.

"Hey," she smiles to him while dropping her things on the floor and walking towards him. She stands between his legs and wraps her arms around his neck, bringing him close. They stay this way for some time. It's a soothing place, warm and indescribably good. Lizzy loosens her embrace and takes a seat on Dean's right thigh but keeps her arms around him.

"Feeling better?" he asks.

"Much," she admits. "It's kinda nice having everyone be so kind to me. I should save your asses more often."

Dean laughs a little at the joke. "Thank you for that."

"Any time."

"I really mean it. Sam and I were seriously screwed and if you didn't do what you did… we owe you big time." Dean runs his fingers gently across the red and swollen spot on her chin left by the mean uppercut Dori dealt and examines the damage.

"Well, I'm sure I'll find a way to call in a favor at some point," she smiles out as Dean runs his thumb across her bottom lip that has grown slightly fatter.

"I don't doubt that," he smiles in return.

"All I keep thinking is I just wish things didn't get as far as they did," Lizzy starts, referring to Sam's almost homicidal actions. "I don't want Sam to be affected by all that. And being forced to watch your face reacting through the whole thing... it was awful."

"Seeing that, not being able to move or help…" Dean begins saying and then pauses. Time to grow a pair, Winchester. He inhales deeply. "I couldn't deal with it. Seeing you nearly slip away from me, I wouldn't be able to cope with that loss. Already lost enough. That would have been more than I could get past."

"Honestly, if Lou didn't save the day like she did, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have to find a way to deal. You would have been joining me for a nice long dirt nap yourself."

"You're probably right." Dean nods as he looks down at the floor. The idea of Lizzy dying is still haunting him. His imagination has run with it all day and his life without her in it was not something he wants. "I don't want to be without you. I need you, L."

"Wow," Lizzy comments, eyebrows lifted and shock planted firmly on her face.

"It's true. You make me… I don't know. I'm better when I'm with you. You make me feel good about myself. With you I'm actually happy, and I'm never really happy so that's saying a lot."

"Well I'm impressed, Hot Shot," Lizzy compliments. "That took a lot of balls for you to say." She smiles warmly at him, pleased to see that she might be rubbing off on him. He's getting better at the whole speaking from the heart thing.

"I'm glad you understand that," Dean smirks out before placing an innocent kiss on her lips. She's so understanding, and that is something he'll always need. He'll never be an easy person to handle so it's very good that she's patient.

"Well I am going to up the ante a little here," she forewarns while cupping his face with her left hand. She runs her fingers along the stubbly skin at his jawline. "You and I both know what the Nixie said and I think she's right. You like me a lot." Dean chuckles when he hears Lizzy say this like Lloyd from 'Dumb and Dumber'. "Dean Winchester, you really fucked things up for me, you know that?"

He wrinkles his brow in confusion with her change in tone. In return she kisses him deeply before separating their lips.

"I'm used to being in my own little bubble," she begins explaining. "In my bubble it's just Lou and me. It's easy and we know each other so well and I love her to the very end. I never worry about anything besides making sure she's well protected and that we save some people now and then. But now…" She stops and sighs, looking down and playing with the buttons on his navy blue shirt. "Now my bubble, my whole little world, looks completely different."

"How is it so different," Dean asks, watching as her fingers playfully button and unbutton his shirt.

"It's grown," she tells him matter-of-factly. "You and Sam are now in it. The past four months I've wondered several times a day where you were, if you were hurt, and when I would get to see you again. You occupy my mind more than I'd care to admit, honestly. And," she looks up into the green eyes that are lovingly looking back. "I am infatuated with you, as Brooke so kindly put."

"Ah, I believe she was talking about me," Dean reminds her. "I'm the infatuated one, remember?"

"Yes I do. I just wanted you to know it's a two way street. I really care about you, Dean."

Dean runs his hand through her hair. "I really care about you too, Lizzy."

Neither say the scary word, the big L word. Lizzy avoids it for now, afraid to scare him once more. She wrote it in her letter to him months ago and never spoke of it again. She thinks it's best to wait him out and let him say it first. Dean is afraid of the word still. It's going to take a lot for him to step over that line one day. Both are certain it's exactly what they have, however. They're totally, head over heels crazy for each other and the feeling isn't disappearing any time soon.

"So since it's the night of being way too nice to Lizzy because she is so freakin' awesome, here's what I request," Lizzy tells him. "I want to eat way too much pizza, I want to get bombed on whiskey, and I want to sleep until noon tomorrow."

"Sounds like a hell of a plan," Dean responds with a smile and another quick kiss.

"And after I wake up around noon, I don't plan on ever getting out of this bed for the rest of the day." She winks at him, hoping he catches onto what she is saying.

"Really?" Dean slyly asks while wrapping his arms around her.

"Mmhmm," she returns with a devilish grin.

"I have absolutely no problems with that."