"What's going on?" She asked.

I laid back and closed my eyes, "Vamps not acting like vamps, tell me what you think." I gave her the rundown on what was going on.

"Hmm, I agree, something's way off. What's the plan?"

"Sam's talking to Gerald and the rest. I'm just sitting in our room, trying not to get too involved. Sam gets it."

"I thought you didn't like going into things blind," she countered.

"I know enough; like I said, Jacob's the priority here. I don't want to waste a week or two playing detective. They can figure all that out later."

"Dean," she didn't like that answer. "Not saying you don't have a point, because Jacob is what got you back on the road but.."

"Not trying to be a jerk," I interrupted, "But there's seven other hunters here besides Sam and I. If they can't figure out what the hell is going on there's not much hope for hunters in general is there. Sam can come back if he wants. I'm staying out of it."

"I understand, just don't get killed because you're not paying attention."

"I won't. Sam will fill me in later. Just, you know me. The more I know, the more I'll want to figure it out and then I'll be back to actually hunting, not moonlighting," I sighed, "Sam's gotten a smart ass side too. Keeps it up, I'll take the car back."

She laughed and for a minute there things didn't suck so bad, "Where do you think he got it from?"

"Yeah, but he wasn't so fast on the uptake before."

"That was when he deferred to you out of habit. He doesn't have to do that anymore you know."

"I know, it's kind of depressing."

"Everyone grows up eventually," she pointed out. "Just hits you harder because of your guys' past and how you grew up."

"I guess." I was suddenly tired, just worn out. I shouldn't be, but I was. "Hey, I'm going to go. Wiped out I guess, we should plan our emotionally intense sessions a bit better. I didn't get much sleep last night." I could picture the smile on her face.

"All right," her voice was soft and made me miss her that much more, "What you said last night and Sam did this morning, you really ready for that? Not asking for anything with diamonds or all that but, sister-in-law? He's never used those terms before and you were a lot more serious."

"You were too, I saw it in your face even if you didn't actually say anything. Sam's always known what I'm thinking before I do so I'm not surprised he sees you as family. We've been together a year now, for me that's pretty much a lifetime. So yes, I'm not going anywhere, your place is home for me. It's our place. I miss it, miss the porch, miss the weirdness of a round house, miss that damn yard and miss my garage. All of it. I miss how I feel when I'm in it. You probably won't ever get a ceremony because, well, my family history with those isn't all that great, but you have what counts. That's if you want it."

There was a long pause and I think my heart skipped a beat or two. Then I heard her sniff.

"Trying to find a way to say yes without being cliche." She sounded pretty choked up and happy at the same time. My heart started beating again and all that homesickness faded away.

"Um, think you said it and managed to be cliche but I'll let it slide this time. I love you."

"I love you too Dean."

We let it hang there for a second or two, "Get some sleep," she said, "I'll call you later with a rundown on Jacob and Krissy."

"They hanging in there?"

"Yeah, for the most part. He's sleeping a lot which is making things easier. Krissy's been taking it easy but when he does wake up he goes straight into a panic. I've been watching his energy, it's cycling for some reason. I've figured out the pattern but I can't seem to stop the build up that happens before he wakes up and I'm running out of ideas."

"Don't push yourself. Speaking from experience the only way to stop any of the side effects is to just break the connection. If he's sleeping take that as a win and just keep on doing whatever it is you're doing that is causing that. Probably the best thing for him right now. Trust me." I remembered how many nights I hadn't slept a wink once the Mark started taking me over more. If he could still sleep, he wasn't that far gone.

"You would be the expert, I'll pull back and just wait for my gift wrapped vampires."

"Good. Hopefully we'll be back in a day or two tops. I'll let you know the plan when we have one."

"Sounds good. Sleep well Babe."

"Thanks."

We hung up. I set the phone down, kicked my shoes off and got comfortable. Sam was in charge, he could worry about all the details. I needed sleep, screw it. Somewhere in the midst of thinking I'd paid my dues I drifted off.

A soft voice woke me up, "Hey lover," I felt a hand on my leg and my back. Something wasn't right. I opened my eyes and saw the hand was pale skinned, not that deep brown color that it should have been.

I rolled over, saw red hair and moved so fast off the bed that I almost knocked the lamp over. "Shayna! What the fuck? How the hell did you get in here?"

She'd already taken her shirt off, so all she was in was her bra and a short ass skirt. She was laying on her side, her hair all strewn across her chest and a pouty look on her face. "Lockpicks, duh." Her left arm propped her head up as she shifted to show even more leg. "That's not how you usually react when I pop in for a visit."

"That's because you popping in tended to take place after I called you. Haven't done that in about five years."

The pout turned angry, "Four and a half, Dean. Get it right."

Now that I was about ten feet away and wide awake I started actually processing things, she'd lost some muscle, her hair was longer and she was wearing way too much makeup, like five pounds worth. I guess I used to think that was hot, kind of disturbing actually. Coyote barely wore lipstick. I guess Shayna would still be attractive to most guys, but right now I just wanted her the hell away from me.

"Whatever. Not interested. Glad to have had this chat." I couldn't entirely blame her, we used to make a habit of breaking into each others' rooms back in the day, but we'd still given one another a heads up we were in town. She probably figured that since I was coming, Sam would have mentioned she was joining our little hunt and thought that gave her the right to break in. I really didn't know exactly how much everyone knew about what I'd been up to the last year other than not hunting. She didn't look all that confused but I figured I should clarify, "I'm with someone, have been for a year or so."

I liked it better when she was lying on the bed then when she crawled across it, making sure I got a clear view of her assets, stood up and slinked across the room towards me. She was still pretty damn good at slinking. "I heard the rumors. A year huh? You must be pretty bored then."

"Not in the least," I shoved my hands behind me and backed up a few more feet. "Seriously Shayna, back off." She may have lost muscle but she knew how to break arms in multiple places and choke a guy out, even one who's a foot taller than her. I'd seen her do it on more than one occassion. I just kept backing up hoping to shove her out the door with minimal yelling involved. Then she got her hands on my chest and my pants, I just reacted. She must not have been expecting it because she was picking herself up off the floor a few feet away before it even dawned on me that I had shoved her. The only women I'd ever shoved before were female monsters. "Sorry, but get out. I mean it."

Her temper flared, she rolled up off the ground and rose up on the balls of her feet. Shit. "Shayna, let's not go here. You took your shot, I'm done with playing the field. Move on."

"So what? I'm not good enough now bastard?"

"Now? What are you talking about? We haven't talked in years. This shouldn't come as a shock." I was getting the feeling that I was about to pay for someone else screwing her over. She was way too pissed off and out of control for it to be about me, or at least I hope so. I didn't need stalkers.

"Now you have morals? Now, all of a sudden, hook ups aren't your thing?" She came at me, I barely avoided the kick to the chest she threw. How she pulled that off in that skirt I had no idea.

"Pretty much, yeah, but feel free to hook up with someone else." I had no damn clue how to handle this.

"Who? Huh Dean? Who? You see what's out there? Other than Sam and maybe one or two others they all suck." Her fist flew at me, I thought I was out of range but she got a decent hit to my gut.

"Uh, not sure how that's my fault?" I knew better than to get close enough to grapple with her but I was about ready to try to chuck her over my shoulder and throw her out.

"Who's this bitch?" She snarled, "I hear you live out on some Indian land now. She must be pretty pathetic to live out there, or did you just want something dark and nasty."

That did it, the next hit she threw at me I stopped cold. My hand pretty much engulfed hers and my foot ripped her legs out from under her. She dropped to the floor. I let her fall but I kept hold of her arm then shoved my foot into her chest. "Shut your fucking mouth. Insult me all you want, start in on her and you'll go out the door the hard way."

She laughed of all things, "So sad, it doesn't matter if you put out or not jackass. I'll just tell everyone you did, it'll get back to her one way or other. No woman who knows your history would doubt that you couldn't keep it in your pants."

I put some extra weight on the foot that was pinning her to the ground, she tried to struggle. That's when I twisted her wrist. She's tough but she had no leverage, I outweigh her by a lot. She stopped moving. "Look, I don't know what the hell happened to you to make you this pissed but I'm stopping this before it starts." Fortunately we'd circled back around the room so my phone was within reach and I hit the Facetime app. I wanted Coyote to see every damn thing that happened. I angled the phone so she'd be able to see both Shayna and I.

She picked up, "Babe? What the..?" She stopped talking and I saw her run through all the possible scenarios this could remotely make sense in. There weren't that many actually.

"Coyote, love of my life, meet Shayna. former hook up partner. Shayna broke in and thought she'd try to re-live old times. I haven't talked to her in years. Four and a half by her count. I told her to get the fuck out, she started throwing punches. She hinted she'd spread shit about me, so figured I'd introduce you two."

"She seems to be missing a shirt," Coyote said, in an even tone.

"He..."

"Shut up bitch. I woke up to her like that. My word."

"Like that's worth all that much," Shayna spat out.

I saw it happen, Coyote's whole attitude shifted, she shot past Shaman and went back to hunter. "Listen up you disgusting, sad, insecure excuse for a woman, much less a hunter. I'm quite sure Dean informed you he was involved before you started throwing punches, I'm even willing to hazard a guess that you knew before hand, seeing as how you picked out that bargain basement hooker skirt and the push up bra from hell to make yourself look better. So of the two of you, you're the one that looks bad here, not him. He could have hopped on top of you in a hot minute seeing as you were so willing, but he didn't, he called me. I was a hookup of his too back in the day but even then he didn't go four years without calling me. Take that as a hint. He played the field, he took his pick, it's not you or any other woman out there, it's me. Deal with it."

Shayna still didn't quite get it or she was just too jacked up to care, "Listen to you all high and mighty. You really think a slut like him will stay loyal. Maybe not be today but he'll fuck you over, they all do."

"Normally Shayna, I'd be sympathetic," Coyote replied, "You're hurting , I get it, but you're talking about the man I've given more to than you can possibly understand so you've got thirty seconds to get the hell out of the city he's in."

"Or what bitch?"

"Or Dean will kick your ass, so will Sam and so will any other hunter that Dean knows. You think your life sucks now? Wait till I turn hunters loose on you for lying about Dean Winchester. Sam's there, he can send out an email to everyone in five seconds that will blacklist your whiny ass. Think about it."

That got her attention, "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Coyote threatened, there was no mistaking her tone or her face. I'd seen her hunt monsters and fight for her life, I knew she was dead serious and so did Shayna. "You becoming a hunter pariah is only a text away. Choose."

"Fine," she ground out, "He's not all that great anyway, you can have him."

How quick things change. I let her hand drop and moved my foot. "Get your shit and leave." I said, "As in leave town. I don't want you on this hunt and you'd better make damn sure I don't see your face again or hear anything about this from anyone. Got it?"

"Whatever bastard." She grabbed her shirt and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

I really wanted to punch the wall but I was holding the phone, "Holy fuck!"

"Dean? Did you know she was coming?" She may have backed me but she was pretty pissed she'd had no warning.

"Yes, her and Teresa and Susan are here. Haven't seen the other two, avoiding them for as long as possible. I didn't think Shayna would come on that strong and I had other things on my mind when I called you earlier. Sam told me on the way here. I figured they'd hit on me, I'd say no and that would be it. Not shit like this."

"Sometimes your lack of knowledge on how women think astonishes me, especially with as many as you've been with," she said with an amused grin pulling the seriousness off her face.

"I know how to get them in bed, the rest isn't my area of expertise."

"Obviously," she sighed. "I should have known. The irresistible Dean Winchester back out among the masses would have attracted attention. Clear the air with the other two soon, just in case and make sure Sam's with you. If they're thinking you can backslide having your brother right there telling them you're off the market will make it sink in farther, faster."

"I won't you know."

"Won't what?"

"Backslide." I hadn't even thought about anyone else after moving in with her.

She ran her finger along the screen of her phone, I'd guess she was tracing the image of my face on her screen. "Of all the things I worry about with you being on the road, that's not even on the list. Promise."

"Good. Well I'm up now." I looked at the clock, I'd gotten about two hours of sleep. Which was weird, they couldn't have needed to talk for that long. "Guess I'll see what everyone's up to. Talk to you later sweetheart."

"Sure, next time have a hot half naked guy in the room with you, more fun for me," she said as she leered at me and clicked her tongue twice.

"I..uh...no. Not happening."

"No fun, I swear."

"Yeah, bye."

She laughed and hung up. What the hell else could go wrong on this hunt?