"A Beautiful Friendship"

A light gray hue spread across the sky. Rain pattered softly along the vast white sand.

Emma sat perched just outside of the tree house, hovering on the platform between the ladder and the door. Dean walked out and took a seat as well, gazing outward at the sights before them. Each of their legs dangled over the edge, raindrops hitting the wood overhead.

Emma lifted her knee and placed a hand on her foot, speaking softly as a thought came to her. "When I was growing up, I always heard about this wishing well in our town," she murmured. "According to this local legend, you could only make wishes that helped other people. Nothing that revolved around you would come true."

Dean stroked his chin in fascination. He'd never heard of this tale himself.

"So I went to the well a few times, and I tested it out." Emma smiled a little. "I wished for my grandpa to recover from an illness, and it happened. I wished for Stacey to pass a school test, and she did. I wished for my dad to get a promotion at his job, and he got it." She shook her head in a bit of awe. "It seemed like any wish within reason was always granted."

Dean lifted an eyebrow, feeling quite surprised. It sounded like a particularly interesting well.

A shy look swept over Emma's face. She fell quiet as a series of memories arrived.

After holding silent for several moments, she lowered her voice, looking down at her lap. "When I got angry at my mom for having an affair…I finally went to that well and made a wish for myself. I wished that I would never, ever have a baby," she revealed. "I knew that my mom wanted to see that happen someday — so I was blatantly wishing to deny her that dream." Emma frowned while recalling the anger she'd felt, then remembered the love she'd shown Barbara as well. "Once me and her made up, I decided that I was okay with having kids one day." Her long stare lingered on the distant sand. "Now it turns out that I can't…and I'm wondering if my wish actually came true," she muttered. "I wonder if I got punished for being so spiteful."

Dean's lips parted as he studied her. Then he wrapped an arm around Emma's waist. "I highly doubt that the universe lashes out at people like you, Em."

Emma looked off. " 'People like me,' " she said. "I'm not perfect."

"Good," Dean teased. "Because you'd probably be kind of boring if you were."

Emma quietly giggled.

"All I'm saying is that it's just a coincidence. And again, we don't know for sure that you can't have kids." He squeezed her and smiled. "The only thing we do know for sure is that I'm always going to love you."

She paused a moment, then turned to him. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of tears.

"What? What is it?"

"You always try and make me feel better, even when I'm not feeling bad." She beamed. "You don't even have to try. Just being around you tends to cheer me up."

"That's what I'm here for," he playfully said.

Emma watched Dean in adoration. "Do you know what I'd wish for if I was at that well right now?"

"What?" Dean wondered, leaning forth with a grin.

"I'd wish that every girl in the world could meet a friend like you." Emma took Dean's hands in hers. "The kind of friend who they'd fall in love with, over and over again."