So much for a quiet evening alone with Harvey, I thought with a sigh as we listened to John's truck leave. I sat in the living room, waiting for Harvey to come back from locking our front door, thinking about how much I wanted the memories gone again.

"You know," Harvey offered as he sat down and tugged me onto his lap. "I have resources that could make him disappear from the face of the earth, completely and totally, and no one would be the wiser." He was nuzzling into my neck by the time he finished and I felt a laugh erupting from me. "No more worry or fear, and you could keep the memories."

He punctuated the last bit with a sharp bite to my pulse and I moaned. Maybe our evening wasn't as ruined as I'd thought. "You'd do that? You'd get rid of him?" I didn't want him to, of course, but I wasn't going to lie and say the possessive and defense of my feelings wasn't a turn on. He growled his confirmation into my skin and I gasped when I felt how hard he was under me. "I never thought I'd think someone offering to kill for me would turn me on-"

I turned, straddling him and letting our mouths meet for a hungry and searching kiss. The noises we were making were almost animalistic. Growling and moaning, whimpering and pleading without words. We were naked in no time and still locked together on the couch, being far rougher than we'd ever tried to couple before.

I was still on top of his lap when we finished hours later, shaking and holding one another, I felt him smile into my neck. "I should threaten to kill more assholes," I gave a breathless laugh and shook my head. "That was-" He tugged on my hair that was still clutched in his fist so I could meet his eyes. "Shit, Tali, that was fucking amazing."

Leaning forward to lick into his mouth, I felt his body twitching under me. "And to think, we have ALL night to keep going."

Neither of us was ready for the morning to come. It wasn't only that our night was over, it was that I'd have to see John again. That Abi was going to meet and say goodbye to him, in public, because I was a coward. I couldn't deny that a part of me wanted to ask my parents to do the meeting for me. That they could stare him down, make sure he kept his word, and then walk away without a single flinch at the agony the ordeal could cause him.

I couldn't do that though. For one, Abigail was MY daughter. I couldn't have her meet her biological father without me holding her, showing her that she was safe and mommy was with her. For another, I wanted to see her reaction when she sees him for the first and only time. A memory that I may choose to keep, since I was starting to agree with Harvey that pretending John didn't exist had solved nothing.

And I wanted to see his face, when he saw the little girl he had a hand in conceiving. To see if he'd be as smitten by her as Harvey had been, or if he would be able to walk away easily, his curiosity fulfilled.

My parents brought Abi home close to lunchtime. Harvey and I told them everything, and I watched as my dad looked as angry as he had when he'd learned about the deal I made to bring John back. Mom didn't rage, she just stared at Abi playing on the floor, completely innocent to what was coming.

"What if he doesn't-" she closed her eyes and fought down the fear that flashed for a moment. "He could still fight for her, Tali."

"He won't," Harvey said with such authority that we all looked at him. "The case I was working on while you all visited yesterday?" We waited. "I wanted more intel on John Winchester. Trust me, he won't fight, because I can make his life very fucking uncomfortable if he tries."

Mom helped me dress Abi for her first visit and last visit with John. A warm dress, thick tights, and tiny boots with her abundant dark curls held back in a bow headband, she was as cute as a doll. I packed up her diaper bag, adding not only snacks, but a change of clothes as well. And then, as Mom carried her downstairs and I handled the bag, I wondered how this meeting would really go.

Harvey was already in his coat and I let out a relieved sigh. I was worried that he'd stay behind, that I'd have to go it alone. He took the bag from me so I could put on my own coat and gloves, then Mom handed our little girl to me, and my parents said they'd wait for us to get back. I buckled Abi in, then took my seat beside Harvey.

"Thank you," I said, taking his hand once he started out toward the main road to town. "I was afraid I'd have to go alone."

"Nope," he turned to smile at me before returning his attention to the road. "You're not alone, Tali, you'll never be alone again."

I'd asked that John meet us at a small place near my campus. It was less diner and more homey than most places, part coffee shop, part eatery, but with the comfortable sofas and tables, it would do for today. He was waiting when we walked in, with Mary by his side and I nearly walked right back out, but Harvey's lips against my ear helped me forward.

"He needed someone to be beside him too, darlin'." I nodded, and straightened my back. Abi was pulling on my braid, and I smiled down at her. "Abi-boo, you're gonna meet someone who looks a lot like daddy," he was saying, his voice still low. "But don't worry, mommy and daddy are right here, princess."

"Tali," John offered with a soft affection I wasn't expecting once we were within reach. "Harvey." He practically spit the name out.

"John," Harvey replied, and a glimpse from the corner of my eye told me he was amused by the greeting. "This must be your WIFE, Mary?" I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"Yes," she said, her eyes on me, but I just nodded absently. "Hello, Tali."

I gave another nod, and moved to the nearest seat, a chair to sit on while I took Abi out of her coat. "Hello," I was smiling at my little girl as she grabbed my hair again. "Abigail, let's say hello to John," I turned her to face the couple that had seated themselves on the sofa in front of us. "And Mary," I added, begrudgingly.

Abi was shy, but she was also confused. Harvey was behind me, his hand on my shoulder and I had to sigh when she looked back at us, her eyes on her daddy trying clearly to understand. "It's ok, Abi-bear," Harvey assured her, moving so he could kneel beside her. "Daddy's right here."

I saw John tense up, but Mary's hand met his knee and I smiled. "It's confusing for her," I whispered, looking into John's eyes. "Since you two look a bit alike."

"Just a bit," he ground out. But his eyes fell to Abi's tiny self and he softened before my eyes. "She's beautiful, Tali." I kissed her curls as Harvey made her giggle by pulling silly faces. "She looks like you."

I felt Harvey's hand on my ankle, reminding me to stay calm because I knew he could feel me go completely stiff at the compliment. "She's perfect," I answered, and forced the conversation back to Abigail and away from anything that could be dangerous to my sanity. "She's learning more words by the day. She loves Elmo," I grimaced, thinking about how much she loved the red puppet. "And her laugh makes the world light up."

"May I?" It was Mary who asked, her arms reaching for my daughter, and Harvey's hand squeezed my ankle to calm me again.

"Only if she allows it," I offered, waiting to see if Abi would. She was still focused on her daddy, but seeing the older blonde woman reaching for her, she tilted her head to consider. A look to me for some indication for what to do, and I had to smile.

Abigail let Mary take her from me, but she didn't look convinced about the woman who was holding her and cooing. I watched as John tentatively reached out his hand to touch her soft curls and waited to see Abi's reaction. When his hand touched her head, her focus turned to him and I could see her confusion. She didn't cry or fuss, but she couldn't make sense out of the man who was sitting beside the strange woman who held her and looked so much like her daddy.

Her patience lasted longer than I expected though. Even as I sat waiting for her to fuss, listening as John and Mary quietly spoke with my daughter, Harvey's hand never left my leg. The first hint of upset, which I knew would come eventually, had him reaching for her.

"Dada," she murmured, burying her tiny face in his neck. "Dada go." She was done. Tired of the new people, wanting the comfort of her normal routine.

"In a second, sweetheart," Harvey soothed, his hand patting her back. "We have to be polite and say goodbye, don't we?"

I stood next to my family as John and Mary rose to their feet. "Thank you, Tali," Mary again, reaching out a hand for me to shake, but I ignored it. I wasn't planning on making friends with the two of them. I was here to fulfill my part of a negotiation to get back to my life. "She's beautiful and sweet."

"I know." I answered, as Harvey was still talking gently to our daughter. "Abi, honey?" She pulled away from his neck to look at me. "Can you say bye bye to John and Mary?"

She barely turned to them and offered a small wave and a quiet "Bye." Then she was back facing Harvey as asking to go.

I turned to go with them, but John's hand on my elbow stopped me. "Tali," low and pleading, I turned to face him with a sigh. "I wish-"

"Goodbye, John." I offered, pulling away. "Have a great life with YOUR family."

And then, head held high, I walked away from my past and toward my future.