Chapter 25

Quiet music was playing in the room as everyone dozed off and on. The Marines were out first, since they were programmed to sleep anywhere and under any circumstances. The girls were not far behind them as they drifted into the realms of sleep. Sky lay in Dean's arms, neither of them asleep; both with too much on their minds. Dean was still musing over the meeting of one of Sky's ex-boyfriends. He guessed Shadow could be considered a boyfriend, Sky said they did date a few times. Sky wondering if she would be able to come back from this and her relationship with Dean still be intact.

Sam and Sasha were cuddled together on the verge of sleep, Sam's hunter instincts were tuned in to the noises around him, listening for the ones that were out of place or strange. He opened his eyes a slit to see Sky getting out of bed and making her way quietly to the door to slip outside. He waited knowing Dean would probably be following her. Five minutes later Dean got up and followed her outside. Sam knew this was something they had to work out and knew to stay out of it. He pulled Sasha closer and settled down into a light sleep.

spn

Dean looked around the parking lot searching for Sky. He didn't see her and headed for the end of the building taking in the surroundings. He spotted a small park at the back of the property and headed toward it when he saw a figure sitting on one of the benches.

Sky felt him before she saw him not looking up when he stopped in front of her. She didn't look up letting the silence hang between them.

"That seat taken?" he asked finally breaking the silence.

"No," she replied. She sensed his closeness wanting nothing more than for him to take her in his arms and hold her in his strong, safe embrace. She closed her eyes waiting for him to talk.

"Talk to me," Dean said softly still not touching her knowing she would decide when she wanted his support. He heard her draw in a deep breathe before expelling it slowly.

"I'm concerned that this could go sideways and no one walks out of it alive. What if I get someone killed?" she confessed wrapping her arms around her cold body. "If it was only my life, I could deal with that, but to have the..."

"Stop beating yourself up Babe, every one of us chose to be here of our own freewill. You didn't hold a gun to our heads so stop fretting over that. You know we all can take care of ourselves in a fight," Dean told her. "Now tell me what's really wrong."

"Nothing," she said too quickly for it to be true.

"You know you can't lie to me, I see right through you. Does it have to do with your friend?" he asked not looking at her when he said it.

"Shadow, no," she insisted. "We'll always be close friends and if he needed me, I would not hesitate to help him and him me. We have a bond, but not that kind...It's more a big brother thing I guess you could say," she shrugged and smiled to herself.

"I know it's 'bout us, are you mad at me?"

"No, not mad. I'm..." she started trying to choose her words carefully.

Dean waited patiently, letting her gather her thoughts so she could continue. He took one of her hands and laced his fingers through it letting them lay on his thigh.

"I'm scared your feelings for me might change once you see who I can become," she whispered looking down at their hands. "I'm afraid you might not like what you see."

"You listen to me," Dean said sternly clenching her hands tightly in his. "There is nothing, you understand me, nothing you can do that will change the way I feel about you. I love you with all my heart and soul and that will never change. You are my life now, there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. Hell, you know some of the horrible things I've done I'm not proud of... but you still love me. Sometimes I wonder how you can..." he said swallowing hard trying to rein in his emotions. "Nothing could make me love you less, nothing. You have to believe that."

She finally looked into his eyes seeing the raging emotions reflected in them and the love he had for her. Hot tears flooded her eyes as she tried to blink them away to have several slip out and migrate down her cheeks. Dean reached his hand up and brushed them away cupping her face and touching his forehead to hers. Sky's hitched breathe caught in her throat with his touch and she leaned toward him allowing the much needed embrace envelope her.

"I love ya," he whispered in her ear before brushing his lips across her trembling ones. "Always and don't forget it," he said hugging her close.

"I was going to tell you this, but then Cole and Alex were kidnapped and it didn't seem so important. I've decided to stop taking assignments. I have enough money saved up to keep me going for a while and I can always do some consulting work or go back to programming. I don't want to endanger our family ever again."

"Stop beating yourself up, it's not like my job is any better. Hell, some monster could hacw kidnapped anyone to get to Sam and me. It's just something we both have to deal with. Just remember, neither of us has to do it alone."

Sky nodded into his neck not feeling she could say anything without totally breaking down and she didn't want to do that. She had to let Dean give her the strength she needed to get through this. He was her rock, her anchor, her positive and she thanked whomever every day that their paths had crossed.

They sat on the bench for another twenty minutes before Dean pulled her to her feet. "Let's go see if we can get a few hours of sleep," he suggested leading her back toward the motel.

As quietly as he could, Dean opened the door to their room and allowed Sky access before stepping in. He heard several guns cock and clicked his tongue letting them know it was them. Guns un-cocked and a couple of mumbles were heard as they shifted in their beds going back to sleep. Sky kicked her shoes off and crawled back in bed while Dean sat on the edge of the bed to remove his boots.

"Everythin' okay?" Sam asked just loud enough for Dean to hear.

"Yeah, we're good," he mumbled lying down beside Sky. "Go back to sleep," he told Sam. Dean pulled Sky into his arms and settled down to sleep this time.

spn

"Everyone weapons check; we're going dark as soon as we're out of town," Dean instructed the bodies milling around as he readied his own weapons.

"We'll get as close as we can with the van and then it's on foot," Sky told them. "They won't be looking for me until this afternoon so we have an element of surprise in our favor."

"Go ahead and pack everything from the rooms and stow in the cars. We'll be leaving here as soon as we get Cole and Alex back."

Once the cars were packed and they had the van ready, everyone got settled with Dean driving and Sam riding shotgun. Once they were out of town and on the dark road, they put on the night vision goggles and continued to drive toward Rose. Sasha worked on the computer system hacking into the satellite feeds zeroing in on the abandoned factory.

"Can you pull up thermal scanning and see if there are any warm bodies at that factory?" Sky asked as she watched Sasha quickly type on the key board bringing up screen after screen as she hacked into the system gaining control and positioning the satellite to capture photos of the factory. She switched to thermal scanning and pulled up shots of the building.

"Sky you seeing this?" she asked zoning in on separate portions of the building and slowing moving it around.

"Yes, looks like whoever this was came prepared," she said gazing at the screen and the positions of the yellow-red thermal spots showing up. She began to make mental notes as she continued talking. "Can you print these out for me?"

"No problem," she replied taping a key and waited as the printer to spit out papers. Sky accepted the papers and began going over them, looking at each one closely. "Guys, I'm sure the factory is the place," she told Trace and Brody. "See, there's two guards here in the back and in this room there's one person laying down. They have three guards in front and this room looks like sleeping quarters with two more. And there's one here in this room alone and this room near by. I'm thinking one of these is Alex and the other Cole and probably the boss. I figure they wouldn't bunk with the hired help."

Brody and Trace studied the photos and Sky's assessment of them. They checked out the factory layout before passing them back to her.

"I think you're right, they would keep them apart," Trace said.

"And hopefully it means both are still alive," Brody added.

"You and Trace will take the rear and take out the guards. See who is in that room and get them out of there. Dean, Sam and I will take care of the others and find the other one," she told them. "Girls, it's your job to keep Sasha safe, she will be our eyes and ears in the place. Without her we'll be blind."

"Got it," Krissy said looking at the photos and passing them on.

"She'll be safe," Claire agreed patting her gun on his hip.

"Dean must have found a place to hide the van," Sky said noticing the van was slowing down and felt it pull off the road and stop.

All looked toward the side door that was slid back by Sam who stood back to let the others climb out.

"This looks like the best place to leave the van. The factory is around the bend and down the next rise," Sam informed them as Dean came around to join everyone.

"Looks like there's eight hostiles spread out inside. Brody and Trace are taking the back, we're taking the front," Sky explained to the brothers letting them see the photos by the inside light of the van. "The girls will stay here be our eyes and ears."

"Alright you heard the boss, gear up," Dean ordered pulling a pack out and tossing it to Sam and picking up his own.

"Be careful," Sasha told Sam kissing him lightly before he stepped away.

"I will," Sam told her. "You do the same."

"Here put these on," Sky said passing out bullet proof vest to Dean, Sam, Trace and Brody. "Put this in your ear, you'll be able to hear each other and Sasha," she showed them putting one in her ear. "Check, check, you read me Sasha?"

"Loud and clear, how 'bout the rest of you, can you read me?"

"Brody check."

"Trace check."

"Yeah I hear ya," Dean grumbled not use to all the fancy gadgets.

"Me too," Sam replied.

Dean and Sam looked at them frowning while Trace and Brody quickly pulled their jackets off to put the vest on. Sam shrugged and started doing the same. He figured they could use all the help they could get right now. Grunting his dislike, Dean did the same, adjusting it around his waist and shoulders.

Dean watched Sky text quickly on her cell before turning it off and stowing it in her pocket. He watched Trace and Brody shoulder their packs and check each other before nodding they were ready.

"You girls be careful, shoot first and ask questions later," Dean instructed Krissy and Claire.

"We will, you do the same and bring them back," Krissy told him accepting a quick hug from him.

"Don't take any chances," Trace told Claire before following Brody.

Dean, Sky and Sam joined Brody and Trace out near the road and flipped down the night vision goggles so they could see in the dark to make their way to the factory.

"Remember, we need to stay low to the ground and moving as silently as possible," Dean told them. "Don't take any unnecessary chance either."

"When we get to the factory watch out for booby traps," Sky told them. "Let's move out."

Dean watched with interest as the Sky he knew transform before him into a deadly hunter. He could tell she was in the zone and turned his hunter instincts on full force. They made their way around the bend staying parallel with the road. The terrain was rough and hard to maneuver through, but it didn't slow them down. The factory could be seen in the distance darker against the night sky. The moon was only a quarter in the night sky giving them some cover as they silently made their way closer to the factory.