Vrskaandrea: Thank you for your review, as always, faithful reader! What a relief that I got Missouri right. I always thought she was an under-utilised character. Sams psychic-ness wont play into this story but I hope to write a few sequels and it might show up there.

Blondie 20000: I do, I really do love Missouri!

Arsamandi 1: I really love how you pick up on the little things. Dean really doesn't have another female to talk to about this situation and Missouri seemed like the perfect choice, also she is another person who can relieve the burden upon their shoulders, even if it is just for a fee days, and take care of them. (Just like Bobby does)

VegasGranny: Missouri is the support the siblings need right now. I really wish they used her more in the show.

***Just want to say a massive thank you to my regular reviewers. It means so much to me that you not only faithfully read my little tale but take the time to comment.***

CHAPTER 35

At first Dean was glad to have her own room, just a little space between her and her brother to let the emotions of their argument settle. Something that rarely happened but when she woke just past dawn the next morning she found it difficult to fall back to sleep with out the sounds of her brother sleeping beside her. She crept down the stairs and was lacing her running shoes when Sam appeared beside her.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Couldn't sleep so I'm coming with you." He answered, lacing his own shoes.

"Really? You're gonna run with me?"

"What? It's not the first time I've run with you." Sam said, sounding slightly offended.

"True, But you should really go back upstairs and try to get more sleep." Dean said standing and doing a few stretches.

"Can't. It's too quiet. Turns out I still need my big brother with me so I can sleep. Guess I'm too used to your noises." Sam said following Dean out the door. "Anyway, why're you up?"

Dean opened her mouth to lie but decided on the truth.

"The same reason. Your snores are just the white noise I need for a good nights rest." Dean smiled then took off down the path at a slight jog.

"I don't snore." Sam said keeping pace.

"Yeah you do." Dean replied, picking up the pace a bit.

Sam was prepared to adjust his stride to make it easier for Dean to keep pace but was surprised to find it was him who struggled. He watched Dean for a moment, noticing how her hair flipped around her ears and the back of her neck.

"What?" Dean asked looking sideways at her brother.

"You need a haircut."

"Ha! You're one to talk!" Dean retorted. "You're beginning to look like a dirty mop."

"Hey, that was mean!"

Dean just flashed a grin at her little brother and added a bit more speed. Sam lengthened his stride to keep up, he saw that Dean was still breathing easy while he, himself was starting to pant. They ran for a few minutes in silence.

"You actually enjoy this now, don't you?" Sam asked.

"Yep. I don't know why I resisted all those years. It's nice to actually not be running away from something for a change."

They kept a steady pace turning corners, seemingly at random. Sam hoped they would be able to find their way back to Missouri's. They were passing a playground when Dean suddenly changed direction, taking Sam by surprise. He turned to follow as she ran across the grass to the climbing frame. Dean stopped and grabbed onto a parallel bar, quickly completing a couple of dozen pull-ups before reversing her grip and performing a couple of dozen more. She dropped to the ground and turned to Sam who was sitting on the grass catching his breath.

"What, you think I just run? Like you said I can't expect to eat like Mr. Winchester and keep my figure, and I want to eat like Mr. Winchester. I ain't giving up cheeseburgers for nothing!" She smiled at Sam. "Come on, let's see who can do the most pushups."

"Dean, you just did, like, thirty pull-ups. Seriously?"

"More like fifty but who's counting." Dean got into position and looked at her brother. "Come on, or are you scared, bitch?"

Sam reluctantly moved from his seated position and stretched out alongside Dean.

"I'm not scared...jerk."

Sam outlasted Dean, barely, but Dean wasn't done. Climbing to her feet she dusted off her hands before holding one out to help Sam up.

"Come on, spar with me." She challenged.

"Dude, haven't you had enough of me beating you today?" Sam teased.

"No, come on." Dean whined. "We haven't sparred for ages."

They sparred for about ten minutes, just basic hand-to-hand training before Sam spoke up.

"You know, you really can't delay this forever."

"Delay what?" Dean asked trying to pull a sneaky move on her brother.

"Going back to Missouri's." Sam said, blocking Dean easily.

"I'm...I'm not delaying anything." Dean said stopping mid punch.

"Yeah, you are." Sam said looking at her. "You're scared, I get it. I'm worried too."

"I'm not scared!" Dean said, stepping back and crossing her arms across her chest. Sam just stared at her. "Okay fine, I'm...concerned. I mean I'm going to have a psychic poking around in my melon. What if she hits the wrong button?"

"She's just going to have a quick peek. She's not going to be 'poking any buttons'."

"It's alright for you, you're not the one whose mind is going to be violated!" Dean said before taking off across the grass back the way they came. Sam chased after her, catching up by the time they hit the sidewalk.

"Dean, it's going to be okay. Missouri said you have really strong blocks and she won't be able to see anything you don't want her to."

Dean decided she didn't want to discuss this anymore so she did what she does best, she changed the subject.

"Race you back." She said then took off like a bullet leaving Sam in her wake.

•

Sam lengthened his stride and chased after his brother. He almost caught her when she had to wait for a passing car. By the time the rounded the corner to Missouri's block they were almost side by side. Dean vaulted Missouri's fence and raced up the path with Sam right on her tail. They both leapt up the front steps to her porch and skidded to a stop. Missouri opened the front door to find them both bent at the waist with their hands on their thighs supporting them as they tried to catch their breath. Sam was happy to see that, while he was absolutely soaked with sweat, Dean had also gained some wet patches under her arms and across her back, she was also grinning ear-to-ear.

"That was fun." She panted. She stood and slapped Sam on the back. "Eww!"

Dean pulled her hand back and tried to shake Sams sweat from her palm.

"You get first shower." She said as she turned to enter the house. "Hi Missouri."

Dean stepped around the psychic and headed for the kitchen. She poured two glasses of water and took one back to Sam who had managed to make it in the door. She handed one to Sam then took a drink from the other.

"Dean Winchester!"

Dean turned and looked at the older woman who was standing with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face.

"I had better not find any foot prints in my garden!"

"Um, no ma'am. I'm pretty sure I cleared the flowers." She gulped as she faced the angry woman.

"Really!" Missouri huffed and crossed her arms.

"Yeah...fairly certain." Dean tried her best innocent face on their host. She could hear Sam chuckling.

"I will be checking. Just know it's impolite to stomp on someone's garden just to win a race!"

"But...I...He..yes ma'am." Dean stuttered, hanging her head.

"Right, now that's settled, Sam, you smell like a wet dog, please go and shower." She said turning to look Sam up and down. "And bring those clothes straight down to the laundry."

Now it was Deans turn to laugh as Sam looked shocked at the sudden change in Missouri's mood.

"Yes ma'am." Sam said thrusting his glass back in Deans direction and running up the stairs.

•

Freshly showered, Dean sauntered into the kitchen following the smell of fresh coffee. She poured herself a cup and sat at the table. Missouri placed a plate down in front of her. She looked at the pancakes and fresh fruit on the plate.

"No bacon?" She asked hopefully.

"No, no bacon. One day away from all those nitrates won't kill you." Missouri said as she sat down to her own breakfast.

"Okay. Thank you Missouri." Dean said as she began to eat.

"So when do you think we should check to see if Dean has an actual brain?" Sam asked chuckling at his own joke. Dean screwed her face up at him.

"I will check the brain, that he does have, after we finish our meal." Missouri said sternly, in no mood for the siblings silly behaviour. Sam cleared his throat and went back to eating his breakfast while Dean sent him a self satisfied smirk.

•

Once they had finished breakfast and cleared the dishes away Missouri instructed Dean to sit at the table in the den that she uses for her clients.

"Now Dean, I'm just going to have a quick peek just to see if this curse left a mark." She reassured the eldest Winchester.

"Do you know what you're looking for?" Sam asked, suddenly worried.

"Sam please practice those techniques that I taught you yesterday, you're leaking again. But yes, I think if something was left behind, I will be able to see it." She reassure the man. She placed her hands, palms up, on the table. "Dean?"

Dean slowly placed her fingertips into the psychics awaiting hands then suddenly withdrew them.

"This isn't going to hurt, is it?" She asked.

Missouri tried to smile as reassuringly as possible.

"I don't know. It shouldn't, but I'm not going to promise you anything." Missouri answered honestly.

"Okay. Thanks for the honesty." Dean said nodding. She took a deep breath and placed her hands in Missouri's. "Let's get this show on the road. I love you Sam."

Sam was a little taken aback at the sudden show of emotion.

"Love you too Dean."

"Close your eyes Dean and just relax." Missouri said, taking a firm grip on Deans hands. "Very good, now I want you to picture something that is calming to you."

Missouri sensed Deans breath slowing as she relaxed.

"Alright, you're doing really well. Now I'm just going to slip into your mind. I'm not going deep but you may just feel a slight 'tickle' sensation. Are you ready?"

"Yeah." Dean whispered.

Missouri reached out with her mind and connected with Deans. She felt Dean resist her.

"It's okay Dean, it's just me." She whispered.

Missouri expected to see the Impala but was surprised when she fell into a warm sunny day with almost naked tree branches reaching up to a clear blue sky, the first blooms of spring blossom showing on the trees. She looked around trying to see anything that looked out of place.

•

Sam watched quietly from the sofa on the side of the room. He watched as Dean slightly frowned and shake her head slightly. Missouri whispered to her and Deans face relaxed again. Sam assumed it was when Missouri's mind entered hers. He saw a small smile appear on Missouri's lips, then watched as her face smoothed out for a few minutes. The longer they took, the more Sam could feel his anxiety grow so he concentrated on the exercises Missouri had shown him the day before to keep any 'leakage' at bay. After a few minutes he saw Missouri tilt her head and frown.

•

Dean placed her hands in Missouri's and closed her eyes as instructed. When Missouri asked her to find something calming she imagined herself lying on the ground looking up at the trees just beginning to bloom in spring. She loved the way the semi naked branches looked against the blue sky. She felt a pressure against the air around her and instinctively pushed back. She heard Missouri's voice drift reassuringly down to her and stopped all resistance. As Missouri explained all she felt was a smooth tickle, almost like satin gliding across skin. Dean lay back and let herself drift in the sunshine. Suddenly she felt Missouri withdraw and the world evaporated as she opened her eyes.

•

"Well?" Sam asked as soon as Missouri opened her eyes and released Deans hands.

"There is something there but it's deeper." Missouri answered.

"Can you see it?" He asked.

"No. Not clearly. I could see a shadow. Almost like looking through opaque glass." She looked at Dean. "To see it clearly I will have to go deeper. Would you be okay with that?"

"How deep?" Dean asked.

"Not too deep, but I would need you to drop your blocks."

"How am I suppose to drop something when I don't even know how I put them up?" Dean asked.

"You just need to imagine an opening of some sort. It could be anything. A door, a window, a mail slot, any kind of opening. But you do need to be willing to let me in." Missouri warned.

Dean nodded.

"Okay. Okay, I can do that." She said.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to peek at anything but the mark."

Dean nodded again and taking another deep breath held out her hands.

•

Missouri again arrived in the field. She looked around and saw the Impala parked under one of the trees.

'Of course it would be the Impala where Dean kept his secrets!' Missouri thought to herself. She moved towards the vehicle and as she drew close she noticed the trunk was slightly open. Reaching out she lifted the lid and peered inside. It was empty with exception of a small wooden cigar box and a few weapons. She looked around at the warding drawn inside. It all looked pretty standard to her but there was one tucked away in the back corner that was a deep red with a blackened outline, almost like a brand. She leaned in further to examine it. She had been around hunters all her life, being the daughter of one, and recognised most of the sigils that were strategically place about, but this one was different. She reached out to touch it and was suddenly thrown back and out of Deans mind.

•

Opening her eyes with a gasp she grabbed the pen and paper beside her, only vaguely registering Sams shout, and began sketching what she could remember of the branding.