A/N New chapter! It's kinda fluffy...very fluffy actually. I'm not sure how I feel about it so please let me know if it's too much and if you don't buy into it. Thank you so much to everyone who's followed favorited and reviewed. You guys rock. Remember if you leave a review you get a sneak peak of the next chapter.

Ch. 14

That Dangerous Road

"I was about half in love with her by the time we sat down. That's the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty…you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are."

— J. D. Salinger, The Catcher In The Rye

The leather of the Impala's steering wheel creaked as Dean's fists tightened around it. Avery was right. He didn't just not like her plan. He hated it. He hated it so much he could taste it on his tongue, bitter and metallic.

Too many variables. Too many holes. But like Avery said, he didn't have a better idea.

Dean hated it.

"You're going to give yourself an ulcer." Avery said without looking up from her book.

Dean tried not to glare at her. "I don't remember asking the peanut gallery for a comment."

"I don't remember caring if you asked or not." She bit back. Dean noticed that her tone no longer had that defensive and slightly wounded edge to it anymore. Avery was being playful. Something leapt in Dean's chest and he swallowed.

"It'll work, Dean. Trust me." Avery said more seriously but Dean didn't feel any better about it.

"Yeah okay." Dean muttered under his breath and Avery looked at him.

"You don't trust me?" She frowned and put her book down.

"That's not the point," Dean shook his head. "I could trust you 'till kingdom come, but that don't make this plan a good one."

Dean glanced at Avery and saw that she had a rather tight expression on her face. He looked away and scolded himself for a moment. Was it really so impossible for him to have a conversation with Avery and have it not turn it into…into…whatever the hell this was?

This messy, uncomfortable, slightly hostile cluster-fuck?

"Do you even know this guy's name?" Dean tried and Avery bit her lip.

"How 'bout the name of his bar, do you know that?"

Silence.

The leather creaked again.

"We just need to retrace his steps." Avery said calmly. "We go back to that hospital and ask the doctors what happened to him."

"How do you even know if this guy'll say yes?" Dean demanded.

"Because, the last time you expelled Gadreel he said yes without even blinking." Avery crossed her arms.

"I hope to hell you're right." Dean said. "Cuz if you're not then your entire master plan falls apart."

Neither of them spoke for a moment and Avery looked at him. "I need to call Slater."

Dean bristled. "Why? He's douchebag."

"Dean…" Avery sighed.

"Did you forget what happened the last time you two talked?"

"No, Dean, I didn't." Avery said stiffly. "But we need him. Like you said, my masterplan doesn't work unless we can find this guy and unless he says yes. Slater can help us do that."

Dean sighed. "How are you gonna call him?"

Avery suddenly looked uncomfortable, like Dean had asked her an inappropriately personal question. "We have a telepathic link."

Dean looked at her then back at the road. "You can read each other's minds?"

"Yes…no…kinda. We can talk to each other. We can share what we want to share, consciously and unconsciously." Avery explained.

"Consciously and unconsciously?" Dean frowned. "What the hell's that supposed to mean."

"Sometimes you want—need to reach out to someone, even if you don't know you do." Avery said quietly and Dean's face fell.

"Oh." He said flatly.

"Yeah."

More silence.

"I need to tell you something, Dean." Avery said.

"Yeah?"

Avery looked at him and Dean felt a little bit of alarm at her expression. She looked frightened and conflicted. She looked like she was moments away from cutting and running again.

"I'm remembering stuff." She finally said and Dean's alarm turned into surprise and then confusion. He was expecting something worse but then he realized, maybe this was something worse. But he wasn't going to jump to conclusions.

"This is old news right?" Dean said cautiously. "I mean, you've remembered stuff before."

"Not like this." She shook her head and started wringing her hands slowly and tightly.

Dean's brows furrowed as he watched her from the corner of his eye. "Then how?"

Avery swallowed. "It was like a vision. I used to have these when I was back home—the other dimension. We—I thought they were hallucinations, but now I know. Or I don't…I'm not sure if it was a memory or…Slater told me once that vessels, especially early on, have leakage from other places, times. He told me that we learn to control it."

"Okay." Dean pressed.

"I had one," Avery said, "when I was at the bus station. It was me and Slater. I think we were in England, but back in time. Maybe the victorian era?"

Oh. Dean thought. So Avery and Slater had known each other… for a while. Maybe the whole time.

"What happened?" The words felt like lead in Dean's mouth.

"Nothing." Avery laughed bitterly. "It was nothing. It was stupid and useless. I didn't learn much of anything."

Dean felt a weight disappear and he glanced at Avery. "Why did you need to tell me then?"

"Ever since—when Slater left I've been…volatile, I guess." Avery looked uncomfortable again. She hated talking about these things. About admitting how weak she was, about her vulnerabilities. It felt wrong to talk to Dean about them, it felt like going against the grain, rough and prickly. But Avery needed to. Dean needed to know. Avery had realized in the motel room that the reason that Dean and her had never gotten along before was because she was too secretive. She made herself appear untrustworthy by never giving him the whole truth.

And of course Dean's red flags went up and he became hostile. It was her own damn fault that he'd behaved the way he did. But she had been scared. She was scared he wouldn't accept the truth. That the Winchesters would hate her, or worse fear her. She knew she was a monster but she didn't want to be that to the Winchesters. She didn't want to be that to anyone.

"I haven't been in control of… a lot of things. And when I had this vision, memory, whatever, I lost time. A lot of time passed by the time I came to and I'm not really sure what happened while I was having the…thing. So I wanted to give you a heads up." Avery looked at him nervously. "Just in case."

"Duly noted." Dean shifted in his seat and Avery grimaced. He was uncomfortable.

"Thanks for the heads up." Dean added quickly and Avery's eyebrows shot up. Oh. He wasn't uncomfortable with her.

The pair descended into silence again but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. It was an amazed silence. Amazing because they were doing it. They were getting along. They were civil. They were learning about each other and it wasn't…horrible.

"Call him." Dean said, a little lightheaded from how exhilarated he was.

"What?" Avery said breathlessly.

"Call Slater. We need to know where we're going."

"Okay." Avery said, still stunned, and Dean smirked. "Okay."

—Paris, France—

Slater was sitting on a bench in the Parc du Champ de Mars watching french couples walk past when he felt her, timid and meek in his mind. He felt his heart throb painfully in his chest. Even when she didn't remember she was still so…Avery.

Even when things changed they stayed the same. Avery was still selfish and self-centered. Too concerned with herself to really care about the people that cared about her. And yet, she was still kind, and sympathetic. She was headstrong, stubborn, sweet, and when she wasn't wallowing she was playful.

He stood up and stuffed his hands in his pockets. She needed him. Slater had sworn to himself that he wouldn't give into her again. But he couldn't help but feel like his outburst last time was a little unfair. Avery didn't remember a lot, if anything. This last stunt she pulled had been the straw that broke the camel's back. It wasn't the first time she had been selfish. It wasn't the first time she'd acted without thinking about how it would affect everyone else.

Slater had hoped that maybe after her factory reset she would be different. And she was… but she wasn't.

He hadn't been fair—that much was true—but still she had deserved his outburst. She had deserved the radio silence. She needed it if she was going to get over her recklessness. And if she didn't then this was what Slater needed. He couldn't anchor himself to her…not again. Slater couldn't—wouldn't do it.

He felt her again. More desperate this time.

Slater sighed.

A young burgeoning artist did a double take as he watched the man he'd been sketching disappear into thin air. The artist scanned the other park goers but didn't see his model anywhere. He was just…gone.

Dean was leaning against the hood of the impala and waiting impatiently as Avery Vulcan mind-melded with Slater. He wasn't confident that Slater was going to show up at all but they had at least gotten Kevin out of the way.

Dean had made the call and sent Kevin off on a wild goose chase to find his mother so that he was no where near Sam and subsequently Gadreel. In an hour or two he'd give Kevin another call and let him know what was going down. He needed Kevin warded and ready just in case this all went to hell. At least the prophet would be safe. Sure he'd be pissed because Dean lied, but he'd be safe.

Avery walked back towards the Impala, her eyebrows pinched together and her lips set in a frown.

"So? He coming?" Dean asked.

"I think so." Avery said unconfidently.

"You think so?" Dean asked incredulously.

Avery gave Dean a look. "He heard me, I know he did. I just…I think he just needs some time."

"How much time?" Dean pressed, annoyed.

"I don't think long. Maybe a day?" Avery promised and Dean scoffed.

"Great, that's just—fantastic." Dean stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the Impala again. "Now what?"

"You've got to be kidding." Dean said as we drove into the parking lot. "Bowling? You want to go bowling?"

"I want to do something fun." I corrected. "I haven't done anything fun in months. All I've done is almost die, get chased by demons, get chased by you, or stay cooped up in the bunker." I turned to look at him and poked him once in the chest. "You owe me some fun. Besides, until Slater shows there's nothing we'll be able to do. You know that just as much as I do."

Dean looked like he wanted to protest before he realized I was right. He glanced back at the bowling alley skeptically. "Bowling?"

I smiled. "Bowling."

Dean sighed and shook his head. We got out of the Impala and I couldn't help the skip in my step as we got closer. I hadn't gone bowling in what seemed like forever. Whenever I had had bad days, my mom liked to take me out to do something fun so I could distract myself. The local bowling alley was a favorite haunt of ours.

"Have you ever gone bowling?" I asked Dean and he shrugged.

"Kinda."

"Kinda? How do you 'kinda' go bowling?" We pushed past the double doors and were greeted by the smell of cheap pizza, feet, and the polish used for the bowling lanes.

"I took a girl once for a date, but we didn't do much bowling." He smirked lasciviously and I grimaced.

"Eww. I did not need to know that."

Dean laughed smugly. "You asked."

I rolled my eyes and we rented our shoes and paid for two hours at a lane. I set down my bowling ball and Dean juggled his in his hands to get a feel for the weight.

"So you've only bowled once," I started as I typed in 'AJACK' for my username.

"Ajack?" Dean asked as he read over my shoulder. "Like the sniper scope?"

I smiled softly at him and nodded. "Like the sniper scope. But you've only bowled once." I repeated and picked up my ball.

Dean shrugged. "Yeah? So?" Dean typed in his initials with one hand, 'DW' and watched as I lined up my first shot.

"That means I'm gonna smoke you, Dean Winchester."

He crossed his arms and laughed condescendingly. "I'd like to see you try."

I didn't feel the need to respond. Instead I took a couple of steps forward and released the hot pink bowling ball I'd chosen at just the right time, with just the right spin, and with the perfect amount of power. The heavy resin ball rocketed down the lane and smashed into the pins causing them to bounce away and ricochet satisfyingly. Not one pin was left standing.

I spun on my heel and laughed at Dean's amazed expression. "Game on Winchester."

It was soon apparent that what Dean lacked in skill he made up for in sheer power. It took him the first couple games to get used to it but soon he was smashing pins down with enough precision to nip at my heels.

"Not bad, Dean." I nodded appreciatively as he snagged a spare. "I knew you'd get the hang of it eventually, I mean maybe you'll beat me in a couple of years if you keep it up." I teased.

Dean looked absolutely insulted. "Years? Try today, sweetheart. You're not as good as you think you are."

"Oh but I am," I patted his shoulder lightly, "sweetheart." I picked up my ball and hit another strike which only boosted my lead even more. Dean grumbled and went to take his next turn. And despite his confidence he wasn't able to beat me.

"How the hell did you get so good at this?" Dean fumed as I won the fifth game in a row and sat back in one of the hard plastic seats triumphantly.

My chest tightened a little and I smiled sadly. "I used to play a lot…with my mom."

Dean's face softened. "Oh."

"I had a lot of rough times and my mom liked to distract me so…"

"Must've been nice." Dean muttered wistfully and took the seat next to me. I knew that Dean didn't get to do this kind of stuff as a kid, what with his mom dying in a fire and his dad dragging him all over the country to kill monsters.

"It really was." I told him. I regretted the depressing turn the afternoon had taken. It wasn't my intention to start wallowing again. I had wanted to have fun. Dean watched me for a moment and then decided to give me an awkward pat on the shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. Dean looked very unsure of himself and like he was struggling tremendously on how next to proceed. A wild smile suddenly sprang across my cheeks and I started laughing slowly. With each passing moment I began to laugh harder and harder. Dean looked bewildered by my reaction.

"You look—" I could feel tears of mirth building in my eyes as my laughter built in volume. "So uncomfortable—" I couldn't string together a complete sentence I was laughing so hard. "You're so bad at…feelings."

Dean turned red and a scowl marred his lips. He stood up. "Don't know why I even bother…"

"No!" I laughed and pulled him back by hist wrist. "Don't be mad. Look," I made him sit again. "You made me laugh. You made me smile. You did what you set out to do by sucking at it."

The scowl melted a little and Dean shrugged. "I did, didn't I."

I felt my smile touch my eyes and my heart fluttered for a moment. "God, Dean, sometimes…" I shook my head and laughed again, softly this time.

"What?" He asked, his brows furrowed and my smile fell. I felt for a moment like I was on the precipice of a cliff. I felt like I was inching towards the edge of something that could completely ruin me in more ways than one. I was on a dangerous road and I could feel it.

"You're really not so bad." I finally managed, "Not bad at all, really." I felt like I was seeing Dean for the first time, really seeing him. I had seen him as a character, as a hero, a loving brother. When I met him in real life I had seen him as an adversary, as a bully. But now I saw something different, something real.

"Thank you?" Dean cocked an eyebrow. He looked like he couldn't decide whether my comment was an insult or a complement. He remedied this by offering his own backhanded compliment. "You're not so bad yourself…sometimes."

He smirked and my stomach flopped. I quickly quashed the sensation. This was not happening. Not three days ago I was running away from this guy, this asshole who treated me like shit.

He treated you like shit because you were a liar. You also weren't very pleasant yourself. A small voice said in my head.

The guy tortured me for christ's sake!

Because you made a deal with Crowley and then refused to tell him why. He thought you were out to get him and Sam.

Okay well, we argued constantly and I could barely stand being in the same room with him for more than a couple of minutes before he did something that grated on my nerves.

You're not arguing now and it's been hours since he annoyed you. You're having fun.

Shut up brain.

"Are you okay? You look constipated." Dean teased with that stupid smirk on his face.

"You're constipated." I snapped back but Dean didn't get defensive like I had wanted him to. And god I wanted him to. It was one thing to be at odds with Dean, but this? This was a whole other thing that I didn't want to deal with—couldn't deal with.

"Wow great comeback."

"I need a drink." I blurted. I needed to distract myself. Quickly. Dean looked at me surprised.

"You want to drink? Right now?" He glanced at his watch. "It's one o'clock."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "When has that ever stopped you?"

Dean looked away thoughtfully for a moment and then shrugged in agreement. "It's five o'clock somewhere."

We stood to leave and I froze when I caught something out of the corner of my eye. She was trying to act nonchalant as she sipped her beer and waited for her turn but I wasn't fooled.

"Dean." I grabbed his wrist and stopped him in his tracks.

He glanced back at my hand and turned to face me, frowning. "What is it?"

The demon looked at me for a moment and I tried to appear calm. I smiled at Dean. "There's a demon right over there. The girl in the grey jacket." I said stiffly.

"What? How can you tell?" Dean asked and started sweeping his gaze over the other bowlers.

"Act natural!" I hissed before I started pulling him in the opposite direction. "I can see their faces…sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Dean asked, slightly resisting me as I continued to drag him along.

"I'm still learning how to do this stuff okay?" I told him hurriedly but Dean tugged back and stopped me. "What are you doing?" I demanded agitated. "We have to get out of here."

"No," Dean corrected. "We need to lure the demon out and kill it."

I gaped at him. "Are you insane? That demon could be contacting its other demon buddies right now! We'll be outnumbered and then what? You'll be dead and I'll be Abaddon's chew toy. Thanks but no thanks." I started to pull him again but Dean rolled his eyes and dragged me into an alcove.

"You know I find your lack of faith in me really insulting." He told me and blocked my escape route.

"Not 'disturbing' Darth Vader?" I mocked. "I get that you and your brother are the big guys on campus, but I'm not willing to risk my hide for this. I've had way to many close calls with these guys and I'm not about to walk right up to one." I tried to push past him but he blocked my way, again.

"If we don't kill this demon then it will report back to Abaddon and her goons. If we do kill it then it can't do that." Dean insisted and I scowled. "Now stop pouting. This will be easy."

I crossed my arms and grumbled. "Famous last words." Dean threw his arm around my shoulders. Not—mind you—as a show of camaraderie or friendship, no, it was so he could drag me out of the bowling alley without it looking suspicious. "Don't worry about it. I've got this under control." Dean said confidently and I sighed.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Dean yelped and Avery jumped back, a pair of bloody tweezers in her hand.

"Would you stop whining!" She scolded him and Dean twisted to look at her indignantly.

"Would you stop tearing up my back?"

Avery crossed her arms. "I told you not to go after the demon. I told you! But no, obviously, I'm an idiot and I don't now what I'm talking about. That's why I have to pick broken glass out of your back because I'm in the wrong here."

Dean cocked an eyebrow at her. "It's dead isn't it?"

Avery scoffed. "Yeah, and you have a back full of glass. Congratulations."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Just get on with it, will you?" Dean turned back around. He was straddling the motel's wooden chair and leaning against its back. His bloody t-shirt was discarded on the floor next to him. Avery sighed and counted to five in her head before starting on Dean's wounds again.

They were long jagged cuts with pieces of dirty glass lodged deep in his flesh. The demon had thrown Dean clean through a window but it hadn't shattered completely like it did in the movies. Long sharp wedges had stayed attached to the window frame and cut clean through Dean's thin canvas jacket and his t-shirt before embedding themselves into his back and breaking off. It was lucky Dean was wearing so many layers because if he hadn't, Avery was sure he'd be dead, shish-kebab-ed.

Dean flinched again as Avery pulled out some more glass but he tried his best to keep still. The only thing that was really distracting him from the pain was Avery's small warm hand on his left shoulder. She had put it there so that she was steady enough to pull out the glass but when she did Dean had frozen.

It was strange, but he'd noticed, especially in the past couple days, that Avery was very…touchy. Dean didn't think that she was aware of it, but Avery would always do this thing where she would touch Dean for whatever reason. Instead of trying to get his attention verbally, she would first put a hand on his arm or shoulder. If she was trying to move past him she would make her presence known by giving him slight nudge on his waist or again on his arm.

When Dean really thought about it, Avery had been doing that almost since he'd met her but usually with Sam, Kevin, or even Cas.

What was even stranger was that he didn't really mind. It sort of felt like he'd been inducted into this secret club or that he'd been branded as someone she was comfortable with.

"Wow okay." Avery said from behind him and Dean flinched as she poked and prodded him.

"What, what is it?" Dean asked anxiously.

"Oh, nothing." Avery said lightly and the paused. "You might want to brace yourself, this one's kind of a doozy." The thumb of the hand she had on his shoulder started moving back and forth soothingly like she was trying to comfort him and Dean's stomach flopped. He didn't know if it was because he was nervous about the pain or because….

Avery started to pull at the glass slowly and Dean hissed and groaned. His fingers tightened over the cheap wood of the chair and it creaked dangerously.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Avery apologized before finally pulling the piece out. "There all done, see? You're fine."

Dean relaxed all his muscles and let out a gust of air.

"Okay, hard part is over. I just need to disinfect these and patch you up, okay?" Avery said and gave him another soft pat.

"All right Florence, just hurry up would ya? I'll be ninety by the time you're done." Dean complained to get his mind off the dangerous road he'd almost gone down. It's just been a long time, that's all. Dean tried to convince himself.

Avery handed him a towel and he looked at her. "What's this for?"

"Wrap it around your waist." She told him and Dean frowned.

"Why?"

Avery gave him an exasperated look. "Just do it, will you?"

Dean held his hands up in concession. "All right, jeez. Someone's a little pissy." Dean wrapped the towel around his waist and Avery chose to ignore his comment. Dean jerked violently as something cold washed down his back and simultaneously burned his cuts. The towel he wrapped around his waist soaked up all of the liquid instead of his jeans.

"Clever." He hissed through the pain.

"I know." Avery smirked before taking the towel from him and patting his back dry gently.

Dean felt Avery hesitate and then stumble back a few steps. "Avery?" He turned around when he didn't get a response and then stood up quickly at what he saw.

Avery had gone rigid and wide eyed, her pupils dilated to the point that he could barely make out the color of her irises. "Avery!"

In one swift movement he had his hands on her shoulders and he shook her. Avery didn't respond and her eyes were still glazed over. It suddenly struck Dean what was happening and he stopped.

She was remembering something.

Avery started sucking in quiet and shallow breaths. Dean cupped her cheek and tilted her head up. "Avery? Snap out of it." He growled lowly. He didn't like this one bit. Dean didn't know enough about what was happening and it terrified him.

Dean heard something ruffle behind him and he froze.

"What the hell is going on?" An angry voice said and Dean clenched his jaw.

"Slater."

P/N What do you think Avery's plan is? If you can figure it out I'll send you the rough draft of a scene between Dean and Avery that'll come sometime in the future when I can insert it organically. Also if you leave a review you get a sneak peek of the next chapter. Please please please let me know what worked and what didn't in this chapter. I've never written romance before so this chapter was a lot of trial and error. I want to know what I need to fix to make it more believable and not cheesy. Thank you!

Love always,

Lucy