A/N: Thank you all so much for reading. I hope you're enjoying it. Your reviews and faves mean the world to me. Please let me know what you think as we're getting closer to the end.

Chapter 47: Away From It All

"If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?"
- Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

I was surprised I fell back asleep, but the warmth of Sam lulled me into it. I woke up slowly this time, a little stunned that the sun was shining in the windows. Sam was still there. I stretched before looking over at him. He was awake and staring. I wiped my mouth trying to make sure I hadn't been drooling.

"Were you watching me?" I asked. I was not awake enough for this.

"You look peaceful when you sleep," he said softly. He was on his side, facing me.

"Still weird," I muttered. "What time is it?"

"Just after nine."

"Ugh, I'm late." I pushed myself to sit up. My muscles protested as usual.

"For what?" Sam followed, sitting up next to me. "Michelle, what happened?" he touched my arm softly. It was covered in small round bruises.

"Paintball," I said. I looked down at them. They made a weird pattern and I almost felt like playing connect the dots with them. Unfortunately, they were not the only bruises I had. The one on my jaw was a faded yellow and I wasn't even sure I wanted to look at my legs. Sam turned my head to face him and his eyes tracked over the marks that were left there.

"Paintball?"

"Yeah, Five has taken to appearing randomly and chasing Kelly and I down while shooting paintballs at us. Tactical evasion, he called it."

"You look like you got hit with a meat grinder," he frowned. "I saw some of it last night, but I didn't realize…"

"It's fine," I smiled at him, trying to ease the concern in his eyes. "It's just training. I mean, look," I held up my hand. The knuckles were a couple shades of red and green. "Jane and Remy have stepped it up a few notches, that's all." I was so used to the bruises and the way my muscles protested sometimes, that it didn't really register to me. It was just a side effect of training.

"It still looks bad."

"I know, but I'm used to them. Did you see the tattoo?"

Sam's brow furrowed. "Tattoo?" His eyes scanned over me and I twisted so he could see the pattern on my arm. "Wow."

"Yeah, Jane did it. It's healed," I said. "You can touch it. Jane did it in the way of her people and then Hermione gave us something that was like a paste to put over it, which healed it in an hour. It was cool."

He reached up and touched the tattoo gently. It sent shivers down my spine as he traced it. "Does it mean anything?"

"I don't know." I looked down at the bands on my arm. "She said they were symbols of our status and our tribe."

"Your status?"

"Yeah, as leaders. Weird, right? Come on, I can't lay in bed all day."

Sam sighed and plopped back down on the bed. That was unusual. I turned to look at him and found him frowning at the ceiling. I moved to lean over him. His eyes met mine.

"You alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just...part of me wishes we can just lock ourselves away. Just for a day, y'know?"

"Away from it all?" I asked. He gave me a half-smile. We had hidden ourselves for a morning without intending to after the search for the vessel. Sam had helped me after the nightmare, had provided me with an outlet. He looked like he needed something now. "Okay, so let's do it, eh?" He looked at me surprised. "I mean, maybe not stay in this room, but we can spend the day together, away from everything else. I mean, I can go anywhere now, right? So, let's get up, get ready, eat...and then go." He was still staring at me, looking stunned. "If you want, we can bring Kelly and Dean, but you said just us, right?"

He pushed himself up, one hand reaching for the back of my head. Our teeth clashed for a second before I tilted my head and met his frantic kiss. He pulled me down as he lay back, his other arm pulling me closer to him. I twisted and before I knew it, found myself straddling him. His hands kept moving, touching my back and running up and down my legs. I felt everything, as he left trails of heat with his fingers. He was getting hard and I moved my hips, grinding into him. His hand slid up my back, under my shirt. I felt myself arch closer to him. He groaned against my mouth. His hand went to my leg and before I knew it, I was on my back. He was between my legs, pushing himself closer while he deepened the kiss.

"Sam…" my voice sounded needy. I just wanted him closer.

"-chelle," he murmured back. My fingers dug into the muscles on his back before moving lower. He broke the kiss. His mouth trailed kisses down my neck and he sucked hard, as if he was trying to leave his mark on me. I leaned my head to the side, trying to give him more access while I wrapped a leg around him. I tried to use it to keep him against me. Sam's hand slid up under my shirt.

"Yo Sammy! Come on! Breakfast-" Dean shouted as he opened the door. I felt myself squeak as I tried to duck and use Sam as a shield.

"Dean!"

"Shit, sorry," Dean closed the door. "Breakfast is ready, you two!" He yelled from the other side of the door.

Sam muttered something under his breath and glared at the door. Now that we were alone again, I couldn't help but laugh. He looked down at me, confused.

"Sorry," I said, trying to stop the giggling. "It's just…" I started laughing again. It was awkward and embarrassing, but I couldn't stop myself from laughing about it.

Sam sighed. "Fuck Dean," he muttered.

I grinned up at him. "You don't want breakfast?" He leaned down and kissed me again. This time it was slower, less needy. It was so easy to lose myself in the feeling of him. I broke the kiss first. "Come on, we have a day together, remember?"

He smiled down at me, but it didn't look like it fully reached his eyes. "Yeah. You sure we can't just stay here?"

Now that we had paused, and someone mentioned breakfast, I was hungry. "I need food. How long are you here for?" I asked softly. They usually stayed for a few days before they found a hunt. Sam swallowed and pushed himself up before moving off of me.

"Couple of days."

"Okay. So there's time. Let's get ready for breakfast." I pushed myself to sit up.

"Yeah, okay," Sam smiled over at me before he got up. "Let's go eat."

"There the two lovebirds are!" Dean called out from the couch as we got downstairs. "Thought you might have picked up where you left off." I headed for the kitchen, trying to ignore him and Kelly's grin that she aimed at me. "Listen, you don't want to be interrupted, put a sock on the door."

"It's my door!" I turned to him. "Learn how to knock."

"You didn't knock?" Kelly swatted him in the chest.

"Who knocks?"

"Normal people!" I called back. Lafayette turned to face Sam and I as we entered the kitchen.

"Well, hello sweetness," he drawled. I knew he wasn't talking to me.

"Can I come in?" I asked. I had gotten into the habit of asking any time he was in here so I didn't get hit with whatever utensil he was using. That had happened with a wooden spoon and I had instantly gotten flashbacks to my grandmother's house. I wasn't looking to repeat it.

"Tall, dark and handsome can come in at any time. You," Lafayette pointed to me. "Yous stay there. I'll make you a plate."

I nodded and leaned against the frame.

"You're still banned?" Sam looked down at me.

"Yup," I popped the end of the word.

"What do you want?" Sam asked.

"Whatever's there. I'm not picky."

"Okay, go sit. I'll bring it to you." He motioned for me to join the others in the living room.

I nodded before grabbing his hand and squeezing it. "Thanks." He headed into the kitchen and I went and sat on the floor, across from Dean and Kelly. Dean looked almost as tired as Kelly did.

"Woah, you get the number of the truck that hit you?" Dean asked, his mouth full of food. I tried not to make a face. "Seriously, you look worse than Kelly." Kelly was covered in the same paintball bruises. She just didn't have as many from training, mainly because she tended to focus on shooting with Five.

Sam handed me a plate. It had eggs, toast and some fruit on it.

"Thanks," I said. He sat down next to me, our knees touching. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started eating.

"So, anything new happen while we were gone?" Dean asked. "Aside from the house...getting bigger on the inside."

"Well," Kelly took a sip of the cup in her hand. "Eric bought a bar, we got hired there and Michelle threatened the devil."

"You what?" Both the boys asked, turning to look at me.

"Will you stop telling people that?" I asked.

"Would you rather I tell them about the thing with Josh and the bandana?"

"No!" I nearly shouted. That had been an embarrassing incident and one that I was hoping would drown in the margins of history.

"Who's Josh?" Dean asked Kelly.

"You threatened the devil?" Sam turned to face me. "Lucifer? How? Why?"

I nodded slowly. He looked incredulous, which was close to the same expression Kelly made when I told her. I was going to have to explain. "I dreamt of him," I said. "A few nights ago. He…" I edited my words carefully. The boys already looked stressed. "He was just talking. About losing vessels and he eventually thanked me for the, quote, half-hearted job I was doing. I...may have started arguing. Sort of. I said he wasn't welcome and then it just built from there. He said he'd break me and I said I'd kill him first. So...yeah."

"You got into an argument...with the devil," Dean repeated. He looked like he regretted asking.

"Come on," Sam stood and pulled me up to join him. I clutched my plate as I was dragged outside onto the front porch. As soon as the door closed behind us, he whirled on me. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" I asked. "It's not like you could do anything. I just...said it without thinking. I got tired of him telling me how things were going to go and his plans. I didn't tell you because nothing happened. He played it off like a joke. There's nothing you can do about this, Sam."

He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back. "You said…" he stopped himself. "You threatened Lucifer, Michelle."

"I know," I said. "Believe me, I had the panic attack afterward once I realized what I did." I picked up a slice of kiwi and ate it. I didn't even know we had kiwi in the house. Sam was still looking at me like he couldn't believe any of this. "I didn't want to scare you," I said once my mouth wasn't full. "It was an accident, and then we had the bar to worry about and it's not like we've talked since the last time you called."

"You could have called me," he said.

"I know," I did too. It was always him calling. "I'm sorry." I made a mental note to reach out to him more, or to try to.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. I tried to keep the plate from falling as I hugged him back with my free hand. "It'll be okay," he said softly. "I...we'll figure it out. We'll keep you safe."

"Oh Sam," I smiled. He pulled back, his hands lingering on my waist. "You should watch us train tomorrow. Oh! And I have all the notes Giles and Hermione made. Have you met Hermione yet?"

"Aren't we spending today as...just us?" He raised his eyebrows as he looked down at me.

"Yeah, if you let me eat breakfast first. My eggs are getting cold."

"I just…" he sighed. "I'm just worried about you."

"I know," I gave him a small smile. I reached out and put my free hand on his arm. "I did something stupid, but it'll be okay. Let's just finish eating, okay? We still have to tell the others we're leaving." I stepped back and headed for the door. "Come on."

Sam followed me back inside. The eggs were definitely cold by the time I got to sit to eat them and others had joined us in the living room. Chloe and Derek were sitting against a wall together and eating. I could hear Logan in the kitchen, verbally sparring with Lafayette.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Kelly asked. "Are you roping Sam into running again?"

"I didn't rope him into anything, he offered last time," I said. "And no, we're going out. We're going to spend the day together...away from the house."

Kelly's mouth dropped open in shock. "You're leaving the house? By choice?"

Sam's arm wrapped around me. "It was her idea actually," he said.

"Are you sick?" Kelly asked. She leaned over the table, trying to touch my forehead. I smacked her hand away.

"Stop."

"Seriously. Are you possessed again? Shapeshifter?" She turned to Dean. "How does the exorcism thing go? Do we have silver?"

"Haha. I'm not possessed. Do we need anything while I'm out? I'm taking the car." That was non-negotiable. As much as I loved the Impala, our car was hidden. That was far more valuable to me now.

"Yeah, actually." Kelly got up from the couch. "Come on, let's see what we need. We'll make a list."

I already regretted asking. I looked at Sam for help but he just gave me a small shrug. I shoved the last piece of apple on my plate in my mouth and brought it to the kitchen. I handed it to Logan, who looked ready to make some remark until I raised an eyebrow at him. He turned away and I followed after Kelly.

"I'll be back," I called out to Sam. He nodded at me and Kelly led me upstairs. "You know, when I asked if we needed anything, I meant groceries."

"Yeah, well hygiene tops that when we live with a bunch of teenagers and men now." She went to the bathroom and left the door open. I watched her look through the cabinets. "You think we need tampons?" she asked.

"No idea," I said. "I haven't needed them." She looked up at me in surprise. "I mean, I've barely had one since I got here, especially since the demon. Stress and starvation I guess."

"Not even now?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Still stressed?"

"Fuck." Her eyes suddenly went wide. "Fuck." She looked panicked when she looked back up at me.

"Kels?"

"I…" her voice was suddenly high-pitched. She motioned for me to close the door. I stepped in and closed it behind me. "I didn't even think. I mean, I haven't had a period in years. Not since death, right?" I waited for the verbal spiral to get to the point. "But with Dean, I mean, first it wasn't really anything so it didn't matter but now...holy shit, Mish, I haven't had my period either, but I'm not, well, not as stressed as you. What if I'm pregnant?"

"What?" I asked, louder than I meant to.

"Shh!" She looked behind me as if expecting the door to burst open and a baby to be there.

I knelt down across from her. As much as I felt like panicking with her, she needed me to be calm for now. "Do you...feel pregnant?"

She looked at me like I was insane. "I don't know! What does that even feel like?"

"Nausea, cramping, cravings...I don't know. It depends on the month?" She blinked at me, surprised. "I was there for my sister's pregnancies. She complained. A lot."

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

"Okay, so take a deep breath, and try not to freak out. I'll grab you a test and we can go from there. Okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. "Yeah, okay." She looked over at me and I could see the fear in her eyes. "What if I am though?"

"Then we'll figure it out," I said. "Come on, could you imagine a baby with all of these guys here? Jane would probably have it running around and stabbing people before it's even three." That made her laugh. "Let's get out of here. Sam probably thinks I reconsidered and took off."

"Why did you decide to spend the day out with him?" Kelly asked.

"I don't know. It was something about his face…" I rolled my eyes at her leer. "I mean, he said he wished we could spend the day in bed, locked away from everyone else. This...was a compromise, I guess."

"You should have taken him up on the offer. I would have sent you food." I tried not to roll my eyes at her, but I couldn't help but smile. "You really like him." She grinned at me. "You do!"

"Shut up." I wasn't sure what I felt about Sam, outside of the fact that I trusted him and he felt...safe. It didn't hurt that he looked at me the way he did. I couldn't explain that.

"It's okay," she said. "I love Dean and that's super weird so..."

"I don't-" I cut myself off. "I just want to help." Her grin faded into this soft smile and I couldn't place the expression on her face. I didn't like it though. "Alright, let's go. I got things to do."

"And people," she grinned. "Take a drive...somewhere private…"

"Isn't that what got you into this mess?" I asked. Her grin faded. "Damn it, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"I know," her voice was soft. "You're right. Go get me that test. I'll...try not to freak out on Dean."

"Maybe go shoot something," I suggested. "Show off your skills. That'll distract both of you."

"Good idea." Both of us stood up. "You don't have to hurry back, y'know, with the test? Enjoy the day with Sam. You guys deserve it."

I wasn't sure about that but I smiled anyway. "Thanks."

"So, where are we going?"

I looked over at Sam who was driving. "I have no idea," I laughed lightly. "Just before we go back, we have to go to the store."

"Okay…"

"What do you want to do?" I asked. "After all, it was your idea to spend it together."

"Wasn't it yours?" He smiled lightly. "I wanted to stay in bed."

"I can't stay in bed all day Sam. I'd be restless. I train every day for hours." That was weird to think about. I never considered how much I actually trained, just that it was a lot. It was something to do and it made me feel better.

"Hours?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, not much else to do. Besides, I like to be prepared."

"And the sleeping?" He glanced over at me. "Kelly said Hermione's been giving you tea that helps?"

My jaw dropped. "That's what it is!"

"You didn't know?"

"I didn't realize, I mean, it tasted familiar, but it's tea. It's all kind of bitter and gross. That explains so much…" I trailed off. I had been waking up more, usually in my bed, but I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep until I woke up. It hadn't been too alarming because I knew I had a tendency to fall asleep in weird places without realizing. I just didn't know there was a reason. "Huh."

"Is that...are you okay?"

"Yeah," I shook myself out of my thoughts. "I just didn't know. Explains why I feel less tired though."

There was a moment of silence as I thought about it. I had been feeling better. I wasn't going to complain. I had yet to dream of Lucifer again and if Hermione's magic kept it away, she could drug me whenever she wanted.

"Okay, so what would you do back home?" Sam asked, cutting through the silence. "If you had a free day. What would you do?"

I considered it. "Well, if I'm being completely honest, maybe go for a walk but I'd probably sit outside and read. Maybe spend some time in a coffee shop. Watch some movies or tv?" I gave him a wry smile. "I was not nearly as exciting or active as I am now." Outside of grad school, occasionally drawing, and the things I had already mentioned, I didn't have many hobbies. After Kelly died, I holed up in my home. I didn't care about going out and doing things. At least, not for a while.

"Okay, let's find a bookstore."

"A bookstore?" I perked up.

He grinned at me. "Yeah, a bookstore. You've been reading lore and rituals, right?" he waited until I nodded. "Let's find you something fun to read."

"Okay, but only if you get something too. I'm not letting you read over my shoulder."

"Deal."

There were a couple bookstores in town, but nothing as big as Barnes and Noble. Sam parked on the street in what was considered downtown. I hesitated to leave the car. Despite the fact that it was my idea, the thought of wandering around town unprotected made me nervous. Sam helped. His confidence and sheer presence were weirdly comforting. It also helped that he continue to either hold my hand or have his arm around me.

I wandered the tiny used book shop, browsing the shelves slowly. Sam looked huge in this place. I tried not to smile as he bent over, peering at a pile of books. I kept the book I was holding behind me as I snuck up to him. He turned before I got close.

"Find something?"

"You could say that," I tried to hide my grin. I held up the book and watched him groan. "You don't agree?"

"Where did you even find that?" It was a copy of the Supernatural book Route 666.

"Over there," I pointed behind me. "Think I should buy it?"

"No." He grabbed the book out of my hand. "It needs to be burned."

"Come on," I tried to reach for it.

"Nope," he smiled as he held it up high.

"Sam…" I put my hand on his chest for leverage as I went up on my tiptoes. He smiled down at me. The hand not holding the book wrapped around my waist and pulled me into him. He leaned down and kissed me.

"You're not bringing this home," he said once we broke apart. "Find another book."

"Spoilsport."

"I'm not letting this in the house."

"Who's to say I won't come find it when you're gone?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm?" Sam's smile dropped slightly.

"Yeah," he cleared his throat. "Find something good to read. Not...not this."

"Fine…" I turned away. "Did you find anything?"

"Not yet. You want to find something for me?"

"Oh, that could be fun. You find something for me and I'll find one for you?"

"No Supernatural ones," he demanded.

"Fine…" I grinned up at him. "I'll be good."

"Good," he leaned down and kissed me quickly again. "Go look."

[tbc]