Dean glanced over the Impala's open trunk for the fourth time since Sam had closed the motel room door. He muttered something rude under his breath, and Hope stared at him with a raised eyebrow as she rested her arms on the roof of the car. "Seriously? What the hell is your problem this morning?"

"Nothing," Dean grumbled, angrily sifting through the arsenal as he searched for the ingredients he needed to make the djinn poison antidote. Hope snorted, shaking her head.

"Well, it doesn't sound like nothing, and I'm pretty sure you're going to break something. Let me help," Hope said, moving to stand next to him behind the car.

"I'm fine, Hope," Dean snapped, dropping a bag of some kind of foul-smelling plant into a compartment. Hope held up her hands and walked away, shaking her head.

"Keep telling yourself that," Hope called over her shoulder as she turned to glare at Dean.

"Do you have any idea what he's been doing?"

Hope turned, tilting her head as she regarded Dean with an amused expression. "Nothing I'm sure you haven't done hundreds of times. He's not a child, Dean."

"She's not human, Hope," Dean said, slamming the trunk lid. "He's going to get himself hurt."

Hope closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling through her nose before walking back to him. "Dean," she said slowly, wrapping her arms around his waist as she gazed up into his eyes. "He is a grown man, and if he wants to be with her, you're not going to stop him. I, for one, think it's awesome. Aisy is good for Sam—and she loves him. Truly."

"How do you know that?" Dean asked, his tone softening as he frowned at her. "Did she tell you?"

Hope gave him a knowing smile as she shook her head. "Not exactly. But if you bothered paying attention you'd see for yourself, just like I have. Let them be and get to know her, because something tells me she's going to be sticking around."

Dean made a face, and Hope poked him in the chest with her index finger. "I mean it, Dean. Put your fear aside and spend time with her. She's actually a lot of fun—and her magic comes in handy now and then."

Dean covered Hope's hand with his own, pulling it up to his mouth and kissing her fingers. "You know, just because we're going to get married doesn't mean you get to boss me around now."

"Oh, sweetheart," Hope said, standing on tiptoe and planting a kiss on his cheek, "that's exactly what it means." Dean snorted, wrapping Hope in a tight embrace as he kissed the side of her head.

"Fine," he grumbled. "I'll try to be nice to her."

"Do or do not," Hope said, her eyes dancing, "there is no try." Dean let go of Hope, stepping backward as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Did you just full-on Yoda me? What the hell, woman?"

Hope laughed, pushing him further away. "Yeah—I did. You know you love it, don't even try to pretend otherwise."

"God, you are such a nerd," he replied, shaking his head.

"Takes one to know one," Hope countered, pointing a finger at him, "and you, love, land squarely in that category."

Dean's reply was cut off by the motel room door opening as Sam and Aisy emerged, blinking blearily in the bright sunlight. "Mornin' sunshine," Dean said, getting a suspicious glare from Sam. I can do this, Dean told himself; Hope is right. "So, I've got the poison antidote all mixed up. Did you guys have any luck figuring out where this thing took Charlie?"

Sam stared at Dean in stunned silence. He'd clearly expected the conversation to go a different direction, and he shot Hope a questioning look. Hope gave him a knowing smile and a one-shoulder shrug in answer. "Hello?" Dean said, gesturing toward Sam. "Earth to Sammy?"

Sam cleared his throat, gesturing to Aisy, "Uh, yeah. Aisy figured it out yesterday while you were, um, running your errand."

Aisy stepped forward, pulling the crumpled map out of her duffle and spread it over the Impala's hood, pointing to a circle made with a permanent marker. "She's in this warehouse on the southwest side of town."

"And how do you know that for sure? The places where the victims were found covers a twenty square mile radius," Dean said, pointing to the places Hope had marked with a red pen.

Aisy pressed her lips together, shooting Sam a sideways glance. "Do you really want to know?"

Dean grimaced, and Hope glared at him. He swallowed, then nodded. "Lay it on me, sister."

Aisy knitted her brows, casting a wary glance at Dean before answering. "I used magic. It's something I've done since my abilities first started. I can find things—it doesn't matter what it is—lost items, people, whatever. If I know where to look, I can narrow it down really fast. That's how Sam and I got that ingredient for Hope's cure."

Dean nodded, not wanting to say anything else. Every single instinct he had screamed at him to stab the witch in the heart and be done with it, but he refused to give in to them. He knew Sam and Hope would never forgive him, not to mention that on some level he knew doing that would make him no better than the monsters he killed. "Okay, then. Let's go save a damsel in distress then." Dean yanked open the door and slid into the driver seat, waiting for the others to follow.

"Hope?" Sam said, getting her attention.

"Yeah?"

"You want the front seat today?"

A smile spread across Hope's face and she nodded at him. "Absolutely," she said, trying not to squeal and wrap them in a group hug like some sort of deranged fangirl. "I'm so happy for you guys," was all she said as she laid her hand on the door handle.

"Thanks," Aisy murmured before she opened the door. "I don't know what you said to Dean, but I can tell he's trying. It means a lot."

"Anytime," Hope said warmly. "I've got your back. It'll all work out the way it's supposed to, trust me on that." Aisy nodded, opening the door and sliding inside, stifling an unladylike snort as Dean stared at Sam, who was already sitting in the back seat.

"Whatever," Dean muttered as he started the car and backed out of the parking space, tires squealing on the asphalt as he pointed the car toward the abandoned railyard on the southwest part of town.

Hope sighed, closing her eyes. Getting Dean to undo years of ingrained training would take more than a single day, but she was determined. He was capable of change—even if he did it kicking and screaming the whole time. Hope reached across the seat and lightly smacked Dean's leg, giving him a look that said to be nice.

Twenty minutes later, Dean parked the car in front of an abandoned warehouse outside the rail yard. The whole area looked like it had been abandoned for years; he was sure of it, making it a perfect monster hideout. He turned off the ignition, leaning against the steering wheel for a better look.

"Is this it?" He asked, shoving the knot of anxiety in his gut further down. He hated that even after all the years of training and all the hunts he'd survived, he still felt like the little boy who was afraid of the dark before every single one.

"Yeah," Aisy said quietly. There was a soft tremor in her voice, and Dean glanced at her over his shoulder. "She's here."

"Is she alive?"

Aisy blinked, frowning at him for a moment before nodding. "She is. At least for right now."

"Well then, I guess we better get moving," Dean said, pushing the car door open and heading to the back to get geared up.

The others followed, grabbing knives, shotguns, and pistols, along with as much ammo as they could carry. Dean passed around the antidote he'd mixed that morning to each of them. "Here, everybody take one and there's one extra for Charlie when we find her." He turned to Hope, a pleading look in his eyes. "I don't suppose there's any way I can talk you into staying here, is there?"

"Not a snowball's chance in hell, Dean," Hope said, shaking her head. "I'll be alright. I promise."

Dean pursed his lips, obviously not believing her, but he didn't argue as he slammed the trunk lid. "Alright, let's do this then." The others nodded and followed his lead as they carefully picked their way across the tracks to the cracked asphalt drive leading to a side entrance.

The steel door squealed as it came free from the latch, and Dean gritted his teeth against the sound. Well, if the monster was here, it sure as hell knew they were too. Sam lifted his shotgun and walked in first, followed by Aisy and Hope. Dean shut the door behind them and brought up the rear. Without a word, they moved as one unit, sweeping through the space.

Dean swallowed hard, the feeling of uneasiness growing stronger by the second. The last time he'd felt like this was when Heather had attacked them in the warehouse. This isn't that, he told himself sternly. Regardless, the hair on his arms and neck stood on end as he watched the shadows for any movement.

A low moan echoed through the warehouse, coming from somewhere ahead of them. "Watch yourselves," Sam muttered as he moved toward the sound.

"There," Aisy said, touching Sam's arm and gesturing toward a group of racks haphazardly set up in a square shape. "She's over there, I can feel it." Sam nodded, saying nothing as he moved in the direction Aisy pointed. They picked their way toward the racks, seeing no one as they did so.

Aisy rounded the edge of one rack, letting out a stifled cry as she ran toward an unconscious woman with fiery red hair who sat bound to an old metal office chair in the center of the racks. "Charlie?" Aisy said, shaking the woman's shoulders. Charlie's head bobbed on her neck like a broken bobblehead toy, bouncing back and forth with unrestrained movements. "Charlie, wake up!"

"Aisy," Sam said, turning over one of Charlie's bound hands and revealing the blue djinn handprint. "Give her the antidote."

Aisy nodded, fumbling in her pocket for the syringe. She jerked the needle cap off and threw it down, then jammed the needle into Charlie's arm, pressing the plunger faster than necessary. When the syringe was empty, she threw it to the side, not caring where it landed. "How long is it supposed to take?"

Dean shrugged, stepping forward. "Bobby said it might take a minute or it would be instant, it depended on the person."

"Uh, guys," Hope said, taking a step backward from the end of the racks toward them. "We've got company."

Aisy let out a snarl, unfastening the strip of leather wrapped around her wrist as she charged past Hope. She muttered the spell to transform the leather into a snake whip, then disappeared between the racks, barreling toward a red-headed woman with glowing blue eyes. "Let her go, you fucking bitch!"

"Aisy!" Sam called after her, but Aisy didn't acknowledge him. Her rage overwhelmed her, and she didn't try to reign it in. As she crossed the distance between herself and the djinn, the racks began to tremble and fall, blocking Sam's path behind her. This was Aisy's fight and hers alone. When she got within striking distance, Aisy let the whip fly, the end wrapping around the djinn's neck and squeezing as though it were a live snake. She jerked the whip, sending the djinn sprawling face-first onto the floor.

Aisy approached cautiously, staying outside of arm's reach as she readied a fireball in her free hand. "You won't, kill me," the djinn gasped, clawing at the whip tightening around her neck. "I'm the only one that can save your girlfriend."

"You're lying," Aisy growled. "We've already given her the antidote."

"Doesn't—matter," the woman gasped. "She's already dead."

Aisy bared her teeth in a feral snarl as she knelt next to the djinn. "So are you," she said as she jerked the whip again, severing the djinn's head.

"Aisy!" Sam called out again, and Aisy stood up and picked her way back to the others. "What the hell happened?" He demanded when she came into view again, clasping the leather strip around her wrist once more.

Aisy gave a nonchalant shrug. "I killed the djinn. Let's get Charlie and get the hell outta here."

"Well that was anticlimactic," Dean muttered, shaking his head as he walked away from them.

"Wait," Sam said suspiciously, "how did you know how to kill it?"

"Trust me, Sam," Aisy said with an eye roll, "I've never met a creature that could survive without its head."

"Hydra," Hope said absently, then shook her head. Dean snorted, and Sam shot her an annoyed glare. "I know, not helping, but standing around arguing about this isn't helping either. I agree with Aisy—let's get Charlie and get out of here. She should be awake by now."

The others nodded, following Hope back to where Charlie was still tied up. She moaned slightly as they approached but didn't open her eyes. Hope knelt in front of her, lifting her eyelids to check her pupils and other involuntary responses.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Aisy said, her voice trembling. If Charlie died now, everything Aisy had done all those years ago to keep her safe would mean nothing.

"I don't know," Hope said, shaking her head as she continued examining Charlie. "I've never seen anything like this."

"I have," Dean said. "We need to get back to the car."

"For what?" Aisy asked, her brows furrowing.

"African Dream Root," Dean replied. "The antidote must not be strong enough to combat whatever nightmare that djinn put her in. Someone's going to have to go in after her."

"Don't bother," Aisy said, slipping off her battered motorcycle jacket and grabbing a nearby chair. "I'll go, and I don't need the root. Just—be careful. There might be another one lurking here somewhere. Something seems..off."

"Got it," Sam said, nodding. Dean looked at Aisy suspiciously as she grabbed Charlie's hand in a way that suggested far more familiarity than friends, murmuring a spell in a language he didn't recognize. Within moments, she was slumped to one side of the chair, unconscious.

Sam, Dean, and Hope stood in a circle around Charlie and Aisy, keeping a watchful eye out in all directions, each silently praying there wouldn't be anymore. The sound of racks moving across the concrete floor caught their attention, and they all turned at the same time, not noticing the teenage boy with the bright blue glowing eyes sneaking up behind Sam.

Dean turned at the last moment, just as the creature grabbed Sam by the shoulder, injecting its poison into Sam's skin. Sam's eyes rolled back into his head and the shotgun fell from his hands as he collapsed to the floor.

"Sam!" Dean bellowed, firing at the young djinn as it faded into the shadows. Dean threw a glance over his shoulder at Hope as he started after it, barking orders. "No matter what you hear, you stay here with them. Got it?"

"Dean—"

"I mean it, Hope. Give Sam the antidote, and the three of you run as soon as they wake up. Promise me," Dean said.

Hope opened her mouth to argue, but the look in his eyes stopped her and she nodded reluctantly. "Alright. Just—just come back to me, okay?"

"I'll do my best," Dean said, flashing a half smile as he disappeared into the shadows. Hope could hear him moving through the warehouse, yelling insults to try and draw the creature out of hiding.

"Dammit, Sam," Hope murmured as she pulled a syringe of the antidote from her pocket and jabbed the needle into his neck, pressing the plunger. "You better wake up quick because there's no way Aisy and I can carry your unconscious ass outta here."

The sounds of a struggle reached Hope and she aimed the shotgun higher, casting a worried glance at the three unconscious bodies behind her. Logically, she knew she should do what Dean said and stay with them, but he was in trouble—she could feel it. Sam began to stir slightly, and that was all the invitation Hope needed to take off in the direction Dean headed.

She stepped quietly, following the echoes of Dean's taunts and the grunts from when someone—she wasn't sure if it was Dean or the djinn—took a surprise hit. "Where did you come from?" Hope heard Dean say in a slurred voice, and she broke into a run, closing the distance between her and the sound of Dean's voice in a few strides.

Hope sucked in a breath as she reached them, fear and fury alternating her blood's temperature from cold to hot. Dean was sprawled against a broken rack, groaning in pain as he tried to stand again. He'd lost his shotgun somewhere in the rubble, and he stood now on wobbly legs, gripping the hunting knife he always kept in his waistband as two boys, neither of them more than sixteen, advanced on Dean, backing him further into the corner.

Hope watched with her mouth hanging open in horror as one of the boys reached for Dean's arm. Before they could touch him, energy surged through her and electric blue light erupted from her palms, drawing both the boys' attention—and Dean's.

"Get your filthy hands off him," Hope growled, her voice low and dangerous.

One of the boys nodded to the other, then they both grabbed Dean, who was too surprised to evade them. "I don't think so," one said, closing one hand around Dean's throat as he struggled against the poison the djinn dumped into his system.

Hope let out a guttural scream and charged toward them, dropping the shotgun. At that moment, she understood Aisy's fear of losing control of her emotions. Hope's fear wasn't the only one driving her actions, and somewhere outside of herself, she wondered what Dean's reaction would be to learning the truth. It didn't matter right now—because he wouldn't be alive to be angry with her if she didn't do something.

"I said," Hope roared, "get your filthy fucking hands off him!" She grabbed the one holding Dean by the throat, slapping her glowing hand to his forehead and watching with unrestrained glee as his skin charred beneath her grip and he released Dean, who stumbled backward, reaching for the syringe of antidote in his pocket.

The other djinn took a menacing step forward, and Hope shook her head. "You morons have no sense of self-preservation, do you? Have it your way." She sighed, charging forward and planting her hand on the boy's forehead, burning his body from the inside. When he'd crumbled to a pile of ash and bone at Hope's feet, she turned to look at Dean.

He stared at her, his eyes bright with fury, but he said nothing as he turned on his heel and bolted back to where they'd left the others. There wasn't time to deal with whatever the fuck just happened now; he had to make sure Sam was okay. Hope stayed close on his heels, and he resisted the urge to yell at her for disobeying him. Part of him knew that if she had listened, he'd no longer be drawing breath to be angry with her.

They skidded around the last corner to find Sam, Aisy, and Charlie all awake and relatively unharmed. Sam stood up, casting a worried glance between Hope and Dean. "What happened? Are you okay?" He asked, taking in the sight of Dean's bloody face and torn flannel shirt.

"I'm fine," Dean snapped, swiping at his bleeding lip. "I'd be better if Hope didn't ignore me when I told her to stay here and watch out for you guys."

"I saved your ass, and you fucking know it," Hope seethed, folding her arms across her chest in a huff. "Those two djinn would've killed you if I had listened and stayed here."

"What the hell happened to you anyway?" Dean demanded.

"What do you mean?" Hope looked innocent, then glanced at Sam for help.

"Don't play dumb, Hope," Dean snapped. "You know exactly what I meant. You had that same blue light coming out of your hands that you had in the hospital when the demons attacked."

"I-I don't know," Hope said. "I swear. All I know is that I'm pretty much invincible since I got out of the hospital. I haven't been sick, or-or tired, nothing like that. I haven't had any symptoms of a normal pregnancy, other than gaining weight."

"How long have you known you could do that?" Dean said. Hope shook her head, holding up her hands.

"I didn't know it could do that, I swear. All I know is that it's protective. If I get injured I heal almost instantly. I guess if you're a monster, it burns you."

"Yeah, and whatever poor bastard has the misfortune of being on the receiving end gets burnt up," Sam murmured to no one in particular. "Just like when Cas smites someone."

"Wait, what?" Dean said, "are you saying Cas is possessing Hope still?"

"No," Sam said, shaking his head. "She'd be dead already if that was the case."

"Then what?"

"I don't know, Dean," Sam said. "But according to Atropos, it has something to do with wherever Cas was sent."

"Are you saying you've talked to Atropos?" Dean said, his eyes wide with an incredulous look. "And you didn't tell me? What the hell, Sam?"

"She didn't actually tell us much, only that we needed to look 'close to home' for whatever is happening to Hope," Sam said quietly, trying to defuse the ticking bomb of Dean's temper.

"Uh, guys?" Aisy said, the worried tone of her voice catching Hope's attention at once. "Can we maybe talk about this later? Charlie isn't waking up, and my magic isn't working. I think we need to get her to a hospital." Aisy loathed feeling this helpless, but she tried not to let it paralyze her.

Hope stepped around Dean and went to Charlie's side, checking her pulse and reflexes. Charlie groaned, slapping weakly at Hope's hands as Aisy tried to restrain her. "Let go of her," Hope said. "I want to try something."

"What?" Aisy said, releasing Charlie's hands, her eyes narrowing. "Will it hurt her?"

"Hopefully, it will heal her completely," Hope said, chewing on her lower lip. "From what I can tell, she's too far gone. Even a hospital won't help her now. But if I can use whatever this is that heals me on her, maybe we can save her."

"Do it," Aisy said, her voice trembling. "You have to save her. Please." She was practically begging, but it didn't matter. She would gladly endure their suspicious looks if it meant Charlie was safe once more.

"Stand back," Hope said, rolling her head in a circle and flexing her fingers. "Here goes." She laid a hand across Charlie's forehead, casting a beam of brilliant blue light on her pale skin. Hope closed her eyes and said a prayer for help, and a second later, Charlie gasped, jerking away from Hope's touch.

"Who—who are you?" She said, casting terrified glances at Hope, Dean, and Sam. When her gaze finally settled on Aisy, the fearful expression changed to something else. It was angry—and yet—incredibly relieved.

"Aisy?" Charlie said, reaching out a hand to her. "You came for me?"

Tears pricked Aisy's eyes as she reached out and squeezed Charlie's hand. "Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?"

Charlie said nothing, glancing around at the other three faces. "Hi, I'm Charlie. And you guys are—"

"Sorry," Aisy said, blushing lightly. "Charlie, this is Sam, Dean, and Hope. They're hunters—and my friends."

"And we really need to get the hell outta here," Dean said. "Do you think you can walk?"

Charlie nodded, clearly intimidated by Dean's presence. "I-I think so."

"Good, let's go," Dean said, striding toward the exit without waiting for the others.

"Come on," Aisy said, holding a hand out to Charlie. "I'll help you up."

They made slow progress, but Charlie got to her feet and hobbled back to the car, allowing Aisy to settle her in the back seat between her and Hope.

"Where to?" Dean asked gruffly. "Motel or bunker?"

"Bunker," Hope said automatically. "Charlie needs rest, and her apartment is a crime scene." Without another word, Dean put the car in gear and raced toward the interstate.

A little over two hours later, Dean rolled the Impala to a stop outside the bunker and cut the engine. "Home sweet home, apparently," he said, climbing out of the car without looking at anyone.

Hope wasn't sure what to make of Dean's mood, and she took her sweet time getting Charlie settled in one of the numerous guest rooms before trying to endure whatever meltdown Dean might have. "Is there anything I can get you? Are you thirsty or anything?"

"No," Charlie said with a slight smile. "Thank you. You're nicer than most hunter's I've met."

Aisy snorted from the corner where she was busy setting up Charlie's laptop. "She's off limits Charlie. Her and Dean are engaged."

"What? I wasn't—"Charlie's eyes widened innocently as she winked at Hope, who was blushing furiously.

"Yes you were," Aisy said, giving Charlie a 'don't lie to me' look. "I know you."

"Don't mind her," Aisy said, turning to Hope. "She's a shameless flirt."

"Takes one to know one, Aislinn," Charlie muttered, settling into the pillows. Aisy shot her a look, then tilted her chin at Hope. "Why don't you go talk to Dean? I've got this covered."

Hope grimaced, then nodded. "I guess I better get that over with," she sighed, heading for the door.

Hope passed Sam in the hallway, pointing him in the direction of Charlie's room when he asked about Aisy. As he approached the barely open door, he heard Charlie and Aisy's hushed voices.

"So—is that your new girlfriend?" Charlie asked, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. Aisy dropped the cord she was holding, rounding on Charlie.

"No! I told you, Hope and Dean are engaged. It actually just happened yesterday," Aisy said, taking a deep breath before continuing, "but I am, uh, sort of seeing someone."

"Oh—"Charlie began, choosing her words carefully, "who?"

"Sam," Aisy said simply, avoiding Charlie's death glare.

"I see," Charlie said, her voice razor-sharp. "Why did you bother coming for me, Aislinn?"

Aisy stopped what she was doing, cocking one hip on the bed as she perched on the edge. "Charlie, I know what you think. But I didn't disappear in the middle of the night because I didn't love you. I left because I did."

"Yeah—because that makes total sense," Charlie retorted. "I think you might have missed the part about staying with those you claim to love."

"Dammit Charlie!" Aisy cried, throwing her hands up in the air as she stood and began pacing the room. "Drexil wanted you dead! I was trying to protect you!"

"I didn't need protecting, Aislinn!" Charlie said, her voice raising an octave. "I needed my girlfriend!"

"I'm sorry, Charlie. After Jake, I just couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone else."

Sam was about to knock on the door to make his presence known, but he hesitated as Charlie spoke again. "Do you love him? Does he make you happy? Truly?"

Silence fell across the room as Aisy thought about the answer, leaving Sam holding his breath until she spoke. "Yes—to both. I never thought I could love anyone like I loved you, but Sam—Sam is it for me. He's who I've searched my whole life for, and want to be with him more than I've ever wanted anything."

"Does he love you?"

"I—"Aisy quickly turned away, busying herself with straightening something on the bookshelf. "I have no idea," she said finally, "but I hope so."

Outside the door, Sam stood frozen in place for a moment before turning and walking away. He wasn't supposed to hear any of that conversation, and guilt twisted at his gut at his shameless eavesdropping. He needed to talk to Dean, but Sam had a feeling Hope would be more receptive to his questions, so he went to look for her instead, finding her alone in the library.

"Hey," he said, pulling out a chair from the table. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"Well," Hope said with a sigh, "Dean is busy in the garage, giving me the silent treatment, so I figured I'd let him be for now. At least he hasn't straight up left again, right?"

Sam nodded, the corner of his mouth quirking into a smile. "That's true. Maybe he is truly trying to be better." He shrugged, tossing his hair back out of his face. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure," Hope said, leaning forward in her chair. "What's up, Sam?"

"I wanted to thank you for whatever you said to Dean earlier. I didn't expect him to treat Aisy as well as he has. I know him too well, so I know that was you."

"Anytime, Sam," Hope said with a knowing smile. "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Yes and no," Sam replied. "Did you know that Charlie and Aisy used to be lovers?"

"I wasn't completely sure, but I kinda got that vibe, yeah," Hope said. "Charlie was flirting with me when I was getting her settled in."

Sam snorted and shook his head. "I overheard them talking, and I heard Aisy tell Charlie she loves me. Do you think she's telling the truth?"

Hope tilted her head, regarding Sam with a concerned look. "Do you think she is?"

"I dunno," Sam said. "It's been so long since I knew for sure a woman wasn't lying about that, it's hard to say. I just thought that maybe—"

"Maybe since I am a woman I might be able to tell you?" Hope teased, shaking her head. "Look Sam, I don't know because she's never said anything to me. But I will say this, if you heard her tell someone she used to be in love with that she's in love with you, chances are pretty high she's not making that shit up. Just sayin'."

Sam smiled broadly, a dusting of color flooding his cheeks. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, I do." Hope said. "Now the question is, do you feel the same? Because if you don't you're gonna break that girl's heart, and I don't know about you, but I wouldn't suggest that. I mean, you saw what she did to that warehouse when that thing threatened Charlie."

"I know," Sam said. "But I'm not going to break her heart. I do love her, Hope. I have for a while now."

Hope reached out and patted Sam's hand as she rose from the table. "I know, Sam. I'm not blind. So—what are you going to do?"

Sam stared at Hope blankly for a moment. "Tell her," they said in unison, then burst into laughter.

"Alright," Sam said, running a hand through his hair as he stood up from the table. "Here goes nothing."