"Look, Sam..."

Dean scratched his head and shifted uncomfortably. At his side, Sam was struggling not to laugh.

"Alice doesn't need to know about this, ok?"

"She's gonna find out, Dean," Sam assured him.

"She might not find out."

"She's definitely gonna find out."

"Look, what I meant was-"

"I know, Dean. I won't tell her. But I'm telling you, you can't hide this from her."

"Well, let me give it a shot."

"Whatever makes you feel better. I just have to say though..."

"Don't say it."

"Dude, she totally told you so."

"Ok smartass, I didn't see you hopping on board with her theory either," Dean grumbled.

"I was on board enough to load up with witch-killing bullets," Sam pointed out. "Unlike you, who got you ass completely handed to you by-"

"It just happened, Sam, we don't need to revisit it!" Dean snapped while Sam laughed. "Let's just pick Alice up and get the hell out of dodge."

"Ok. Ok."

Sam composed himself with great effort.

"What are you going to tell her? She's gonna want to know why we're blowing town halfway through a hunt, man."

"I'll think of something."

"You explanation had better include a good reason for that black eye you're gonna have in a minute," Sam said.

Dean glared at him and pulled a pair of sunglasses out of the glove compartment as they pulled up to the library. He shot Alice a text and she emerged a moment later.

"Case is off?" she asked, quoting Dean's message. "Why?"

"Oh, you know. We, uh... talked to the coroner," Dean began, doing his best to sound convincing. "He left a few things out..."

In the passenger seat, Sam started to have a hard time holding back his snickering. Dean kicked his brother's foot discreetly, but not enough to avoid catching Alice's attention. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, examining Sam's expression of repressed amusement.

"Anyway, long story short, we just don't think there's anything here," Dean said shortly. "Bobby thinks he has something for us a few states over in-"

"Shhhh," Alice said, leaning into the front seat and getting in Dean's personal space. "Honey."

"Uh-huh."

"Isn't it getting a little dark out for shades?" she asked, eyes sparkling with wicked humor as she looked him over.

Dean cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"We're gonna be... driving toward the sunset," he explained hastily. "Hate having the sun in my eyes. You know?"

"Yeah, that's the worst," Alice agreed. She pretended to settle into the back seat, only to snatch the glasses off Dean's face a second later.

"Hey!"

"Ha!" Alice crowed, pointing at the black eye blossoming quickly above a nasty cut on Dean's right cheek. "I was right, wasn't I?"

Dean covered his face with his hands in despair.

"It was the stripper, wasn't it?" Alice went on victoriously while Sam burst out laughing. "Oh my god, it was! Did she do that to you?! She did! Ha, ha, ha! God, I told you so Dean Winchester!"

"Rub it in, why don't you," Dean grumbled under his breath as he threw the car into reverse.

"You got your ass handed to you by a stripper! When are you going to learn that I'm always right?"

She wasn't, but Dean couldn't tell her that now. All he could do was drive while Alice kept making fun of him and Sam kept snickering.