A/N This chapter was fun to write. :) Thank you to all of last chapter's reviewers: TheLastNephalem, Ladysunshine6, Aparajitha, MorganElizabethJacobs, EmilyAnnGibbs-McGarrett, chinaluv, and Music Box Physicist. Also, TheLastNephalem sent in a oneshot request that I am working on. So be looking out for an update on the Light Oneshots page. s/10678988/1/Light-Oneshots I'll hopefully have it up in the next few days. I hope you enjoy this chapter...

Zara looked over at Dean. "Ready to go?"

Dean sighed. Apparently he wasn't going to know what they were saying. "As I'll ever be. You ready Sammy?" Sam didn't answer. He seemed to be lost in thought. "Saaaaaammmmmmmyyyyyyyyy."

"Huh? Oh right. Yeah. I'm ready. Let's go." Sam eyed the other two uneasily. He didn't want them to know how long he had been clocked out- hallucinating. It didn't seem like Dean or Zara had noticed though and he let out a sigh of relief. They quickly packed their bags and left- leaving Rufus' cabin far behind.

Chapter 25

"Alright, so what's the plan?" Sam asked as they entered yet another dingy motel room. They had just gotten to the town that they expected the Leviathans to turn up next.

"We kill the Leviathans and make sure that they are still wearing your faces when they die so you're legally dead again." Zara answered readily.

"Right. Sounds easy enough." Dean muttered sarcastically. He flopped onto the couch. "Except me and Sam haven't even killed one of these things before. We don't know how they think or how they fight. Do they shift as much as regular shapeshifters do? What are we going up against?"

"Plus law enforcement is going to be looking for us. It's not like we can just walk around in the open. We'll get arrested." Sam dumped his duffel onto the farther bed before crashing on it himself.

"Then don't get arrested." Zara shrugged. "Stay here and I'll handle it. The cops aren't looking for me."

Dean shot up. "No." He said firmly. "There's no way we're letting you go out on your own against those monsters. What? Are you crazy? No. New plan."

"Dean, if either of you two go anywhere, people are gonna recognize you. Your faces are all over the news. You'll get arrested before you even find them." Zara reasoned.

Dean walked over to Zara and put his hand on her shoulder. He bent down so he could look her eye to eye. "I am not going to let you go out there alone against two Leviathans." He said firmly. "Do you hear me?" Dean's eyes softened. "I don't want to lose you again." He said quietly. All his emotions went into that last sentence. He couldn't lose her again. When he thought that that Crocotta had gotten her, he was so afraid and worried for her that he couldn't even think straight. All he could think was that she had to be alive. She had to be. And when he saw her in that hospital room, it felt like he could finally breathe again. And then she had given him that kiss on the cheek. No. He couldn't think about that. She didn't mean anything by it. She couldn't have feelings for him. It was too soon, but he still hoped…

An expression that Dean couldn't decipher came over Zara's face before she bit her lip and stepped back- widening the space between them. She crossed her arms over stomach. "What do you plan on doing then?" She asked quietly.

"We can't go around asking people questions." Dean went back over to the couch. "So I guess we'll drive around until we see something suspicious."

"We're going to need a new car." Sam piped up. "I've been looking at the police reports. Apparently the Leviathans copied the Impala too."

Dean cursed under his breath. "The car too? Really?"

"I hate this." Dean cursed as they drove down the road in a little Prius. "This car, this job… It just feels wrong." They had recently left the main part of town and were now driving through some back neighborhoods to see if anything fishy was going on there. The sun was just going down and it was getting dark but they still hadn't seen anything that looked like the Leviathans' handiwork.

"It's just until we can get this mess worked out." Sam sighed.

"I still don't like it." Dean grumbled. "And we've been driving around for hours. I'm not seeing anything. You sure this was the next place on the list?" He looked at Zara in the back seat.

Zara shrugged. "Yeah it should be." She was lost in her own little world- thinking about what Dean had said earlier.

Why was Dean being so protective? Sure, he had been protective of her since she had gotten here but why? It wasn't like she was that special or anything. She was just someone who crashed into their lives. She was just a person who happened to know their futures. She was of little use to the Winchesters otherwise and would have probably been left on her own a long time ago if she didn't have such valuable information.

So why didn't it feel that way? Why did it feel like there was more than that? Why did Dean feel the need to protect her so much? It was all there in that one sentence. "I don't want to lose you again." In her heart, she knew. She knew Dean maybe had feelings for her. She wasn't blind, but she couldn't accept it. She wasn't ready to. Zara knew that if she accepted that, she would allow herself to accept other things- to let herself have those kinds of feelings again too and she just couldn't. It was so much easier to feel broken and unfeeling than to open herself up to getting hurt again.

There was still a part of her that was hopeful though- a little part that said that she could love again… some day. It wasn't like she would fall into the same trap that she had fallen into last time. She knew Dean. She knew his past and his future. She knew almost everything about him. He wouldn't hurt her. He had been nothing but kind and gentle to her. (Except that one time… but he was protecting Sammy and he apologized...) If she was going to fall in love with anybody, it would be him. He was everything she ever wanted- kind, protective, strong, funny, and handsome… God, he was handsome. He knew just what she was feeling and he made her forget about her past.

Worthless, stupid, pathetic, disgusting. No one will love you. You are just a useless piece of shit and I should have never married you. I don't even want to look at you right now. Go make my dinner. The random thoughts of Sean's abuse washed over Zara unexpectedly- making her cringe. They would always come back just when she felt like she was almost free. It made her feel even more broken. This is why she didn't deserve Dean. He didn't deserve having to deal with this. She wasn't ready to feel- to love again.

The suburban houses rolled by illuminated only by the streetlamps and the lightning bugs. Zara smiled a little. Lightning bugs. They always reminded her of happy times. She may be broken now, but she could heal. This world, this life, this kind, goofy, amazing man in the front seat- they were all teaching her to feel again. She was beginning to heal and maybe, not yet, but maybe… she could learn to love again.

Both men were completely oblivious to what was going on behind them. They were in full hunter mode. Zara smiled at them- her boys… her family doing what they do best. "But why are they following a pattern in the first place?" Sam asked. "Why go in order when they could just kill whoever they wanted to?"

"You think it's a trap?" Dean asked.

"Probably." Sam sighed. "It doesn't seem like they want to be found yet though. We've been all around this town and there's been nothing. Maybe we should head back- regroup."

Dean looked back at Zara to see if that was alright with her. She just nodded. "Yeah. Sounds like a plan." Dean turned around and started to head back to the motel.

"Hey, order some pizza." Dean told Sam as he crashed on the couch. "I'm hungry and someone won't let us go out to eat." He cast a mock accusing glance at Zara.

"It's not my fault monsters are running around with your face, Muscles." Zara stuck her tongue out at him. The mood driving around in the car all day had been odd. Zara had been silent the whole time- trying to figure out whatever was happening between her and Dean. It felt nice to revert back to the usual joking banter that they were all used to.

"What toppings do you like?" Sam asked. The hotel phone was propped in between his head and his shoulder.

"Anything but fish." Zara answered. "Or pineapple. Why they put fruit on top of a savory pizza is beyond me."

Dean scoffed. "You don't like ham and pineapple? Everybody likes ham and pineapple!"

"Fruit is for the beginning and end of meals- salads and desserts." Zara proclaimed. "No one will convince me otherwise!"

"Good thing we don't usually order that then." Sam smirked. "Is meat lovers okay with you?" Zara nodded and Sam went back to ordering. "Yeah I'll take a large meat lovers…"

"So no fruit on pizza…" Dean mused. "Any other weird things?"

"I hate mangoes." Zara shrugged.

"What did mangoes ever do to you?"

"Nothing. They're just gross, but give me anything with apples in it and I'm your girl."

Dean tossed his hands up. "They're practically the same thing!"

"No they aren't!" Zara retorted. "They taste completely dif-"

She was interrupted by a knock at the door. All three of them were instantly on high alert. It was too soon for pizza and they weren't expecting anyone else. Dean motioned for Sam and Zara to go towards the window on the other side of the room and he inched towards the door- gun in hand. Sam started opening the window just in case. Thankfully they were only on the second floor. It wouldn't be too bad of a jump into the shrubs lining the back. Dean took a look out the peep hole and immediately turned around motioning for Sam to jump. "Five-O. Let's go!" He hissed.

They could hear the muffled yelling from behind the door. "Police! Open up!"

Sam took no time in slipping out the window and landing heavily on his feet. Zara looked quickly back at Dean before sitting on the ledge. "Don't worry. He'll catch you." He reassured her before she nodded and jumped out as well. Sam caught her quickly. Their duffels soon followed her out the window, but Dean still had to gather up some things that they had unpacked.

Sam handed her the lightest one and nudged her towards the wooded park that was across the street. "Run. Go to the far end and wait for us there. We'll be right behind."

"But-" Zara didn't just want to leave them there.

"Go!" Sam nudged her again.

Without another word, Zara sprinted off and was soon out of sight in the paths of the park. Dean's head poked out of the window and he threw the last duffel out before jumping as well. Just as he landed, the splintering of wood could be heard from within the room. Before they could follow Zara into the park however, they were surrounded by police cars. Dean cursed under his breath and they both dropped their duffels to raise their hands. "Did she get away?" He asked under his breath. The police men were out of the cars now and had guns trained on them. Dean automatically started counting guns. One, two, three… six. Really? Six? They really rolled out the red carpet for them this time.

"Yeah. She's in the park." Sam answered and Dean relaxed. At least she got away.

The Winchesters honestly would have probably just run away from these small town cops, but it seemed that this was the most action many of them had seen in years- considering the shaking hands. They didn't want to get shot just because a jumpy new guy got trigger happy.

"You have the right to remain silent…" Dean rolled his eyes as one of the cops railed off the Miranda Rights. He was an older man who looked fairly close to retirement. Dean was surprised that this much excitement didn't do the old man in. Another cop moved to cuff them. "Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law… You have the right to an attorney…"

Dean gave him a patient smile. "Yes, well, this is all just a big misunderstanding. It's a long story. You see there are these monsters…" Sam widened his eyes at Dean and would have kicked him if it wasn't for all the guns pointed at him.

"Cut the crap." The cop snapped. Maybe he was spryer than Dean thought. "You two are wanted for dozens of accounts of murder, assault, arson, and theft among others. It'll be good to see you behind bars."

"Like I said, it's a long story."

"Crap." Zara breathed. She had only made it into the cover of the trees before turning around to see if the Winchesters were following. Instead she found that they had been caught. Dean was giving them little condescending retorts while Sam was casting his eyes around for exits. His eyes locked onto hers in the brush. Zara started motioning. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Wait for us." Sam mouthed. "We'll be out by tomorrow."

Zara nodded. Of course she wasn't just going to wait for them without trying to get them out, but she couldn't tell him that. "Watch out for monsters." She mouthed back and pointed at the cops- letting him know that they could be anyone. That was all she could get to him before he was led into a car and they drove away- leaving Zara alone in the cold, winter air.