A/N: This chapter and the next are shorter. I had some things I wanted to set up before Sam and Dean go hunting and I decided to go with this option over one really long chapter.

Sam and Phoebe came downstairs to Piper, Leo and the boys finishing breakfast in the kitchen. "Sorry guys, it's toast and cereal today; I have a busy day at the club and Leo has a lecture at Magic School so he and the boys are going there. You're on your own for lunch too."

Sam smirked and gave a huff. "Cereal is fine, thank you but I better call Dean and let him know he should get breakfast at the diner. He has a daily bacon quota to fill." Then Sam looked at Piper "Would you like me to log some hours at P3? I would be more than happy to go there and lend a hand."

"No Sam, I think you should take it easy in case you have any leftover fatigue from yesterday, but thanks for the offer."

Sam called Dean and got his voice mail. "Dean you should eat breakfast at the diner this morning; I know what you're doing. Call me when I can come back to the motel…"

"I guess Dean got his strength back." Leo chuckled. Phoebe and Piper looked a little confused. Sam gave a half smile "There's no way he's still asleep, but I know he's still in bed."

"Oh, gotcha."

Phoebe looked at Sam "I'm going to go in to the office for a few hours this morning; I'm sure to have a ton of work piled up and I want to prep for my next column. Will you be OK here by yourself?"

Sam furrowed his brow looking a little puzzled, maybe even put off. "Are you asking if I am OK being left alone like a little kid? Or if I have things to do?"

"Sorry, I guess that sounded a little weird. I was asking if you have something to do."

"You bet. There is a ton of reading I can do and maybe Paige can go over a few more potions, when she and Dean uh… finish."

Phoebe and Sam made plans for him to meet her at the Mirror at 1:00 for lunch.

XXXXXXXX

I love you: The words hung in the air as if a small skywriting plane spelled them out over the bed. Dean had said it to Paige twice in the last hour. She wanted to tell him she loves him too, but knew that would make him feel worse. The look in his eyes was that of someone who had been kicked in the gut. She reached up and tussled his hair; then brought him to her lips for a soft kiss and rested his head on her shoulder. He instinctively kissed her skin and nuzzled her neck.

"Dean?"

"Yes, Paige?" His breath was trembling on her neck. He closed his eyes and flexed his jaw, his face holding a forlorn expression 'Please don't say it back; it will break me' he thought.

"If you ever want to talk to me about… love… Two Things. First, do not do it when we're naked. Second, it will only ever be up to you to initiate that conversation. Don't think I will bring it up, because I will not."

Dean looked at her, his green eyes said 'thank you' and he kissed her gently. Then, he got up, held his hand out to Paige and said "Let's shower and get back to the house."

XXXXXXX

Dean and Paige orbed into the living room and Dean yelled "Sammy! We have your clothes."

"Thanks. Dean - just Dean - bring them up here, OK?"

Sam was sitting on Phoebe's bed, reading the book of Shadows.

"Here you go… Dude, are you wearing Phoebe's robe?"

"Don't judge me; everyone left, we had an empty house. So, we took a shower." Sam raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I didn't want to put on my dirty clothes."

"Nice!" Dean smiled, raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Don't worry, Sammy. She was going to find out eventually…"

"Find out what?"

"That you're into that frilly stuff."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

XXXXXXXX

Dean and Sam were in the parlor. They had Bobby on speaker phone and he was telling them about a job in Nebraska. All evidence was pointing to a haunting. People were having freak accidents after leaving a Gander Mountain superstore and employees were reporting weird things like items being moved or electronics turning on by themselves.

Paige decided she would mix potions in the kitchen, so she left them to their call.

She could hear the conversation get loud.

"Dammit Bobby! We are ready to hunt and this one is a whopper. I don't care if Garth is in Colorado, he's ass deep in a poltergeist mess and by the time he gets that resolved, we'll already be in Nebraska."

"We're both doing fine. No reason to freak, plus shotgun can sleep and we'll trade off."

"I said NO! I want to drive. No one is orbing Baby around."

"Because, I don't want to end up some goddamned weird, unexplained smudge when the car falls out of the sky like a fucking brick!"

"Can you orb a car with two people in it?" "How the hell do you know she can even do it?

Sam stuck his head in the kitchen, his face blushing. "Uh, Paige, could you come out and join this conversation? I'm sure you know the gist…"

"Yeah, I couldn't help but hear Dean."

"OK, She's right here."

"Hey, Bobby. What can I do to help?"

"Paige, can you orb the boys and the Impala to Nebraska so they can get there quick and don't wear themselves out driving?" Bobby asked. "I'm just too new to do it myself, but I thought maybe you've got that kind of mojo."

"No, sorry. The last time I had to orb something really heavy without practice– basically a boulder; it was not a good landing. I've actually been thinking about this a lot and I feel that I should learn to do it, but I would need to practice; I wouldn't be ready in time for them to leave tonight."

"Well Paige, thanks for being honest. We'll get you practicing right away."

"No problem, Bobby."

"I tell you what, when I see Paige move some clunker here and there... And, I would need to see her do it a LOT, I would consider letting her orb Baby."

"Can we get back to talking about the case now?" Sam said as Dean mouthed 'Thank you' to Paige.

She went back to her potions.

XXXXXX

Sam went to the Mirror to meet Phoebe for lunch. He parked the Impala and got out, looked up at the building and sighed. His heart was heavy; he was going to have to say goodbye. Even if it was only temporary, He wasn't ready to be away from her, not yet.

When Sam entered the office, he was nervous. He is a dead, wanted criminal and the newspaper was not the most inconspicuous place. He felt very self-conscious as he asked the woman at the desk "Is Phoebe Halliwell here?"

She didn't even look as she replied, "Ms. Halliwell doesn't give advice in person. You'll need to write a letter like everyone elsssse…" She looked him up and down a few times and then smiled "Why don't you just tell me what's wrong and maybe I can help you with your troubles?"

"No, I'm not a fan, I'm here to-"

"He's here for lunch." Phoebe interrupted. "I'm ready; let's go."

The woman who was still staring at Sam said "Why can't any of the ones with problems ever look like you?"

Sam turned crimson and said "My problems tend to be apocalyptic."

Phoebe raised an eyebrow and said "That's so true."

They both laughed, Sam grabbed Phoebe's hand and they walked out as the woman said "I bet he's worth it" under her breath.

When they exited the elevator, they were still laughing. They held hands and walked. Phoebe directed Sam to a little restaurant where they could eat outside. Instead of sitting across the small table, Sam moved his chair so they he was next to Phoebe. He had a hard time letting go of her hand so she could hold her menu.

After they ordered and handed the menus to the waitress, he grabbed her hand back up, laced their fingers together and covered hers with his other hand. Then he just and just stared at his hands. It probably looked like he was praying to everyone around. "Sam, I don't need empath powers to know you're sad. Why?"

"We got a case. We checked out of the motel and the car is packed. We're leaving as soon I get back. Dean wanted to get rolling, but he gave me until 3:00; I'm not exactly why he didn't make me cancel our lunch."

"Well, then let's not be sad, let's be happy we have this time together. We both thought you'd be leaving tomorrow anyway." She said as maneuvered her hand out of his grip and rubbed his arm reassuringly.

"Yes, but I had plans for us tonight."

"So we'll do them when you come back."

"This is harder than I thought. I said I wouldn't need to worry about you, but I am already worrying... Please don't think that means I doubt in you and your sisters' abilities. I know you can hold your own."

"Sam, it's natural to worry about people you love. Don't you worry about Dean when you're not around to give him backup? You still split up sometimes, don't you?" He nodded and she smiled. "If you really believe that we can hold our own, especially now that you've given us guns and other ways to protect ourselves, then don't feel guilty about leaving. It's OK to worry. Everyone, everyday worries about the people they love."

"They don't know what's really out there – what they should be worried about."

"Their worries are still real: car accidents, muggings, murderers, terrorists, slipping and falling in the shower…" She smiled "And, even though we know about more reasons for worry than the average Joe, it is still normal to worry."

He leaned in and kissed her. "I guess I've just never been normal before."

"Remember, 'normal' is relative. Our 'normal' is just more supernatural, more magical than others'."

They spent the rest of the lunch talking about their upcoming weeks – he had a ghost on the docket and she saw an innocent couple that will need saving in a premonition. She and her sisters need to figure out who they are but she saw it was after they see play – a banner said 'opening night' and Paige is looking into the play and when it opens.

Sam wrapped his arm around her shoulders and Phoebe had her arm at his waist as they walked back to her office. He sat her on the hood of the Impala and put both of his hands on her face. He stared into her eyes. "I don't know when I'll be back or where I'll be until then, but for however long and from however far away…" He pulled her hand up and pressed her palm to his chest "my heart is yours. I love you."

"I love you too."

They kissed for ten minutes, right on the street; people were watching, but they were not ashamed or embarrassed at all. When Sam finally pulled his lips free from Phoebe's, he pressed his forehead to hers and sighed. He lifted her off the car and she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. "I'm always going to be close."

At the same time they said "Let us know if you need us" and smiled at each other.

He leaned down and gave her one more sweet, soft kiss. "Blessed be." She said. He got in the Impala and drove off.

As Phoebe watched him drive off a woman came up to her and said "I know how you feel, where's he going? Afghanistan? Iraq?"

Phoebe smiled and said "I don't know what he's in for and I don't know how long he'll be gone. I don't know if he'll come back."

"Have faith." The woman said as she put her hand on Phoebe's shoulder. She handed her a card. There is a military spouse/partner support group, if you want to come sometime."

Phoebe smiled, took the card and said "Thank you."