Okay, after this chapter there are just two more, and the story is done :) The next chapter is kind of short, but this and the one after(the last one) should make up for it... I really hope every one has enjoyed this story :)

9:11 AM

"You're lying." Dean murmured, after a long moment of staring from both of the men.

"I'm not."

"Yes you are." He flashed a quick, cocky, nervous grin and shook his head. "You're grasping at straws."

"So he's not the man between the two little boys here? ....whom I'm going to guess are you and Sam?" Nicole tilted her head slightly and held the picture up higher, dark blue eyes wide and innocent.

Dean's hard green gaze swept over the image again, and his jaw clenched but he didn't answer. "Yeah." Sam spoke softly, and shifted. "Yeah that's him. Where'd you see him?"

Nicole lowered the picture with a slight smirk. "A mini mart up the ways a bit, little over ten minutes ago."

"Great." The news that they were so close put some life into both of the brothers, and Dean snatched the photograph from Nicole's fingers, slipping it into the journal and then closing both the arsenal's lid and the trunk. Sam smiled softly at Nicole and turned to the vehicle, opening the passenger door. Nicole hesitated though, seeing Dean still standing at the back of the car, with his hands in his pockets and his jaw tight.

"One second, Sam." She excused herself and he nodded, sliding into the car as she went to talk with his older brother. "Dean?" He didn't answer. "You alright?"

He coughed and glanced down, then back up, and faced her. "Fine."

"You sure?"

He just watched her now, pale eyes searching and calculating right into her. Such a familiar gaze. "Did you know right away? When you saw him?"

It took her a moment, but Nicole understood his question and shook her head. "No. I mean, he seemed familiar but I didn't know why."

"Hm." He looked away again, and she studied his features. Hard, trying to be strong, but she knew how desperately eager he was to find his father.

"It was his eyes, you know, I think that I recognized the most. They're just like yours."

Dean didn't reply, other than to study her for a moment more, and when the slightest of smiles hinted across his features, he turned away and slipped into the car.

-

Dean had barely stopped the car before he was out of it, Sam not far behind. Nicole was though and stumbled into the small store a few steps behind them both. Once both of the men's gazes had swept the room and seen nothing, they froze, unsure what to do. Nicole walked slowly to Sam's side, and surveyed the store before looking at Dean. "What'd you expect, him to be here waiting? His footsteps burned into the ground?"

"Shut up!" Dean snapped and strode out of the store in a flash.

Sam looked down at Nicole, then back up, and smiled faintly. "I think we were both praying that luck could be on our side for once, and we'd at least run into him."

Nicole felt bad then, about leading the boys on when she knew they wouldn't find their Dad. But she just needed more time with them, for them to listen, and maybe after this they'd believe she could help them find the missing elder Winchester. "He left shortly after I noticed him." She said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I knew. I was just hoping he'd come back, maybe. Or maybe I don't know what I was hoping." Sam smiled faintly again, and then turned to leave the store, Nicole not far behind.

They found Dean pacing by the Impala, his handsome features hard and focused. When he noticed them - noticed Nicole - the pacing ceased and his aggravation lashed out. "You knew he wasn't here! You knew, and you let us believe he might be anyway! You told us we'd be able to find our father, and look where we are! We are never going to find him!"

"That's not true!" Nicole protested. "There are plenty of other-"

"Do you realize how long we've been looking for him already? Well over six months, by now. And what have we gotten so far? New hunts, a fucking phone call, and now this! Do you understand that next time we find him, it might be too late?"

"Dean-" Sam tried to cut in, but his brother wouldn't have it.

"Hell, we all know he's got to be either running from something bad, or running to something even worse. 'Cause that's just good old Dad." A bitter smile swept across the Hunter's mouth, before it quickly turned into a scowl. "Sooner or later, if we don't find him, whatever it is, is bound to find him first. Dad's good, but no one can escape everything."

"Dean, don't-"

"Let's just go." The older man growled, and tore open the car's door, jumped in, and - a shock to them all - slammed the door shut. The engine started with a roar and Sam glanced apologetically at Nicole before opening a door for her and then jumping in himself, just a moment before his brother slammed on the gas.

The trip was silent, and quick. Nicole shifted nervously in the back seat as trees, buildings, people and other vehicles flew by much faster than they should have. Miraculously, they jerked to a stop unscathed, although Nicole's forceful connection into the seat-belt - and nearly the back of Sam's seat - wasn't exactly pleasant. Dean stormed out of the vehicle barely a second after the car stopped and Sam slowly followed with a sigh. Nicole didn't move for a moment, watching the younger man walk around the front of the vehicle to try and talk to Dean, whom was shaking his head, shoulders tight. The deep murmurs raised and she could nearly make out words as the brothers' jaws tightened and arms jerked in gestures at one another, at the scene around them, at the car and Nicole inside. Finally the exchange ceased and Sam glared down at his shorter brother, hazel eyes narrowed and hard, pulling himself to his full, intimidating height. Dean stood his ground firmly with an even colder jade-green glare, square jaw clenched, lips pursed, and chest rising and falling greatly with the struggle to gain back his breath from yelling. Sam seemed to snap out of the show-down first, and finally turned back to face the car. Nicole stared back, and nearly flinched when Dean's gaze fell on her as well. Sam gestured slightly with his head, and she carefully stepped out of the car.

The world seemed to be on pause for a moment, as Nicole looked between the two men. Dean had returned to glaring at Sam, whom was carefully observing her. Finally the younger Winchester spoke, "We're gonna help you learn to Hunt. Or, actually, Bobby is. But we're..we're gonna get you in touch with him, at least."

She glanced at Dean for a second and saw no difference, so she turned back to Sam hesitantly. "..really? I mean, are you..are you sure? I..can Hunt?"

"Yeah." He seemed slightly less than enthused, and she noticed.

"..what's wrong?"

The innocent features looks tired and beaten as he sighed, glancing at his brother, who had turned away. "It's nothing." Sam forced on a plastic smile that didn't reach his eyes. It barely reached his lips. "We're all just tired."

"Okay.." Nicole wanted to know more, wanted details on their friend Bobby, and maybe even on Hunting already, and about their argument, but more specifically - she wanted to talk to Sam about Dean. "Uhm well do you guys still have the room from earlier, that we all had?"

"Uh yeah, we were just about to check out when you showed up."

"Here, I'll go re-new it if you'd like. Y'know, to give us a day or two to rest up and get shit together..?" Nicole was aware how stupid it sounded, but what other excuse was there? And it wasn't like they had any leads on their Dad.

As if he heard her thoughts, Dean turned to face her. His face held a surprising lack of emotion, just a cool carelessness that almost annoyed her. "We don't have any more time to waste around here. We need to go find Dad."

She couldn't stop herself, "Well it's not like you have any leads."

A flash of anger, and then care-free once again. "Which is why we need to keep moving, keep looking. Or at least look for a new Hunt."

"Dean, this'll only be another day, two max." Sam interrupted gently. "We can spare that and look for a Hunt in the mean time. I need to call Bobby and sort things out with him anyway."

The older man wanted to argue, but just clenched his jaw and shook his head, before turning away. Nicole shifted uncomfortably, and turned back towards Sam. "So I'll go re-new the room if you'll just lend me the room key. I'll pay for it and everything." She added with a try of a smile.

Sam's troubled mouth twitched and he reached into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet and the key-card inside. He held it out to her and then hesitated, glancing at his stoic brother. "I'll come with."

"I can do it mys-"

"I'll come with." He repeated, soft eyes meeting hers with meaning, and she understood with a nod.

"Alright."

"Dean, just take the other key and go back to the room, okay? We'll be there in a few minutes." Sam called to his brother, who had already begun striding away from them both. The young man sighed heavily and turned back to Nicole with a faint, apologetic smile on his lips. "I'm sorry about him."

"No, it's fine. He's just upset about the stuff with your Dad, I get it."

"No, I don't think that's it."

"No?" Nicole looked up at him curiously. "What do you think it is?"

Sam didn't answer for a long moment, just watched his brother walk away, and then shook his head. "Nothing. Let's go."

Nicole followed hesitantly, curiousity sparked. But she bat it down and tried a different manuever to get the young Winchester to talk. "Listen, I am sorry about getting your guys' hopes up and then showing you nothing. I knew he wouldn't be there, I just didn't think you guys would get so excited, I guess."

Sam was shaking his head before she finished speaking, the dark brown shag tossing back and forth across his forehead. "I'm not Dean, Nicole, I heard what you said."

"..what?" She asked, confused.

"I know you never said you could lead us to Dad," He clarified. "Dean probably knows as well, but he heard what he wanted to hear, and when we got nothing, it pissed him off. I don't think he's mad at you though Nicole. He's just mad at himself for getting his own hopes up. This whole search for Dad..it's really getting to him."

"I noticed..."

Sam smiled gently again, grey-hazel eyes soft and concerning as he stopped walking to face her once more. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. About Dean, I mean."

"..what about him?" Nicole asked cautiously, unsure from the look in Sam's eye.

"It's just-...I'm..." The puppy-like features of the boy twisted in confusion to get out the right words, his small mouth pinching in frustration. "Dean, he likes you, y'know." He finally spat out. "He does."

Nicole rolled her eyes, smiling carelessly. "Dean likes a lot of girls, or am I wrong?"

Sam flushed slightly, but shook his head. "That's not what I mean. Dean, he likes you, Nicole. I figured it from the moment we got on this Hunt with you, and still to this point right now."

"What makes you figure so, Sam?" She tilted her head in mock-questioning. He ignored it.

"The...protective way he always watches out for you. The concern he had when you were in the hospital, and when you were having nightmares. The-"

"Wait, he was concerned about my nightmares?"

"Well..yeah. Didn't you know that?"

"Well I, I guess...I mean he seemed...I didn't think he was really..y'know..." Nicole rambled, confused by the churning in her stomach from Sam's explanation.

"I could see it, sometime's he even said it. He was worried about you Nicole, and everything that was going on with you. The way he keeps fighting about not wanting you to Hunt, it's just because he's worried."

"What about, that I'll get myself killed like an idiot?"

"No, he doesn't think you're an idiot Nicole, no matter what he says. Dean has a, uh, odd way of showing emotions." Sam smiled faintly, mind elsewhere. "I think he's just afraid you'll get a life like we have, where no one is really safe around you and - considering your family doesn't know about these things - you'll be somewhat alienated among the people you used to know. I don't think he wants that for you Nicole. I think..well, he might be worried you'll end up alone."

Nicole stared at the young man before her in disbelief, and shook her head, looking away and out across the empty parking lot. Then back. "You're not trying to fuck with me here, are you?"

Sam flashed a brief, white smile. "No, I'm not."

She shook her head again. "I'm...I don't know what you want me to say." She walked slowly towards the hotel building, uncomfortable with the conversation.

But Sam persisted. "Just clarify with me whether or not you feel the same, about Dean. Do you like him?"

"Well, sure I like him..."

"Nicole." Sam chided firmly. "I'm serious." She shrugged for an answer, continually inching towards the building of people. "So you're going to tell me you weren't flattered at all when he first came up to you at that restaurant? Or weren't thankful for him being there when those psychos had you? Or weren't worried when Thomas got the beat-down on him? Nicole? You're going to tell me you feel nothing at all for my brother?"

She was saved having to answer by reaching the building's door in perfect time. She flashing Sam a tight, fakely-apologetic smile and slipped through. He followed slowly, shaking his head at her avoidance of his questioning. "Nicole, come on just answ-"

"Hi, I need to re-new room 136." Nicole ignored him and spoke to the woman at the counter instead.

"Okay, can I see your card please?" The woman asked politely and Nicole handed her the key card. "How long?"

"Two nights."

"Okay.." The woman eyed Sam, then glanced back at Nicole, whom shifted uncomfortably, all too aware of what the woman was probably thinking. "That'll be $62.50 please." Nicole laid down several twenties on the counter, followed by a five. The woman handed her back the change and card, followed by a bright fake smile. "Thank you and have a nice stay." Her eyes trailed up to Sam again, and then quickly back to her work.

"Thanks, you too." Nicole reflected the false, Barbie-smile, and turned away before grimacing. "Did you see how she looked at us? Ugh probably though I was some hooker you were paying for a few 'wild nights'." She shivered. "Disgusting."

Sam smiled briefly, and then remembered he still hadn't received an answer. "Nicole, you never-"

"Please, Sam, not now?"

"Then when?"

"Uhm, never?" Nicole flashed a tight smile and turned away, striding towards their room.

Sam shook his head, smirking at the smiliarity in Nicole and his brother's attitudes towards uncomfortable subjects. "Just yes or no. Because I think either way, you guys need to fix things.."

"Fix what things Sam? There's nothing to fix."

"Oh so you're not bothered at all by his freakish control over you Hunting? Or his sudden mood-swings?" Sam waited for an answer, and received none. "Exactly. So just-"

"Please, Sam." Nicole whirled around and stopped walking, her dark blue eyes staring in his hazel ones with such a force it stopped him in his tracks. "Just let it go, okay? There's no reason to talk about any of this because we all know nothing can or will happen, and doesn't need to, okay? So ignore who-likes-who-and-why, it doesn't matter. I needed you two around for professional reasons, and you guys the same for me. As soon as you can get ahold of that Bobby guy, we'll be out of each others' hair. So just let it be. Please."

She turned around again and continued the last few yards to their room, before disappearing through the door. Sam stood in his place for a moment more, until it began to lightly snow, covering what faint tracks he and Nicole had left behind.