Danielle threw the card down and swung her foot back and forth. She had just lost her fourth game of solitaire. She looked longingly at the space between Sam and Dean from her seat beside the table that was littered with pictures and cards. Finally deciding that she may not like Dean, at the moment, but she needed the sleep. So if she had to lie between the two to get some sleep, so be it. She shut the over-hanging lamp off and softly, as not to disturb the others, she climbed on the bed, burrowing under the covers.

Not even an hour later she jerked herself awake at the sound of nearly inhuman screaming coming from Sam. She shook him awake. Tossing a look over her shoulder to make sure Dean was still asleep, she climbed out of bed and moved into the bathroom to carefully mix a powder into a glass of water. Returning to the room she held it out to him. "Drink this. It'll help you sleep."

Sam eyed her warily, "What is it?"

"Just drink it. Promise you won't dream at all."

"How'd you know?" He asked bringing the glass to his lips and sipping slowly. It tasted like water, but really how was he to know?

"Just do. Want to tell me what happened? I've been told I'm a very good listener," She said smiling softly in the dark and resuming her seat at the table

He hesitated. "I'm not sure. I mean it's hard you know?"

She turned her head slightly, looking at Dean's sleeping form and then turned her gaze back to Sam, "Yeah I know exactly what you mean. If you don't want to tell me then lay down and try sleeping again."

"How'd you hook up with Dean?" He asked laying back down.

Laughing delicately she said, "Long story. Now sleep."

She stayed sitting up until she heard deep, even breathing coming from both of her charges. Satisfied that they would both sleep until well into the next morning she climbed back in between the two, allowing herself a few hours of sleep, knowing in her mind that she'd go with them to find John. Dean was right, was her last thought, the supernatural is my life. Nothing would ever change it.

"Come on Winchester open wide." Dean heard her voice say before touching something to his lips. "If you don't open up then I'll have to have you take some iron pills. I figured you'd like the Mongolian beef a little bit better."

"Go away." He growled. To him it was really degrading to have a woman who was four years younger than him, treating him as though he were a two year old.

"Not going to happen. So you might as well open your eyes and take a look at the mess you made of my room. Someone's going to think I'm kind of sadistic and into something kinky. Why were you touching my stuff?"

He heard the shower shut off, "Because I wanted to prove to you that you were still tied to my job, as much as I'd like to just forget it."

"You know what you were the one that came to see me last night, so don't give me that line. Now open your mouth before I stick this beef up your nose." She waited a minute for him to open his mouth; hers tightened in a thin line. When he finally did open to take the beef she smiled a little bit. "I realize this isn't grease but it'll have to do."

After helping him sit up and giving him his box of beef, she prayed it would do its job and give him a little more strength. Moving back to the table to eat her own lunch she asked, "Why don't you explain why you went and got into a bar fight last night?"

He frowned at her. "How'd you know?"

"I'm not an idiot Winchester. I know what a knife wound looks like when I see it."

"Some guys just wanted to go a round. No big deal." He said readjusting himself into a more comfortable position.

Nodding she continued. "Did you feel anymore macho by beating up the drunks?"

"A bit." Was all she got out of him.

"So you still have the marriage certificate? I figured that's how you got in."

Dean remained silent; he hadn't wanted to bring it out. It been too long but he knew that the feeling of guilt would come whenever he did decide to use it again. It'd been his only resource as to get in, to convince her that they could do this.

"I'm waiting Winchester." She replied before taking a bite of beef fried rice.

"Since you are so smart you should really know the answer. How long did we sleep?" He asked desperately wanting to change the subject on conversation.

"Well it's almost two o'clock in the afternoon. I'd say at least twelve hours."

Dean looked around the room, his gaze finally settling on her. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam step out of the bathroom. "Morning Sammy."

Danielle smiled. "I'm guessing you are the younger brother. He always made you seem so much shorter."

"Yeah, he has a bad habit of that. And it's Sam." He stated sitting at the foot of the bed. "What did you give me last night?"

Dean sent his brother a questioning look, "Nightmare?"

"Yep. What I gave you was an old Apache sleeping powder. It's colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Not to mention knocks you flat on your ass for a good half a day. How ya feeling?"

"Still kind of sleepy but better." He turned his gaze to his brother. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Dean sent Danielle a glare who said, "Hey I'm not family, at least not in the legal sense. He woke up and saw the blood. You know I can't lie worth crap."

He shrugged his shoulder. "True. I didn't tell you, why worry you?"

"Because unlike her I am family."

Danielle stood and walked to her hot pink duffel that had been kicked carelessly into a corner. After unzipping it she withdrew a bag of M&Ms. "If any of these are busted, I'm killing the person that kicked my bag."

Dean studied her; she was certainly a creature of habit. "You did last night. Let me have a bag."

She zipped the bag back up before answering, "Get your own. I'm taking a shower. Sam, have your pick of whatever is on the table."

Sam nodded and moved to the table, watching the two of them in amusement. It was almost as if what they were saying were a part of a play and both had their parts memorized. He wondered when exactly they had met and what exactly had transpired between them.

"I can't get my own. If I get out of this bed you'd have my head."

"Damn right I would and in more ways than one. So what's the answer to your question?" She replied shaking her head and pouring a handful of M&Ms into her mouth.

Dean thought for a minute sending her a dark look and mumbling, "Bitch."

She smirked at Sam. "That's exactly what I am. Although I assumed you had that figured out the last time. Lord knows how many times I've acted like one."

Both Winchesters watched her as she disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her soundly. Sam turned his attention to his brother. "Where'd you pick her up?"

Dean brought his hands up behind his head, intertwining his fingers. "I didn't. Dad did."

"Repeat that."

Dean laughed. "Dad picked her up. It's kind of a funny story. She was working as a photographer's assistant, apparently dad saw her walking around town taking pictures. He asked her to meet us at the cemetery. He was thinking about starting a scrapbook, I guess. I didn't meet her until she found us sneaking around a cemetery. She came at us with an axe. I believe we were in Traverse City. Somehow she convinced us to let her travel with us, still not quite sure how she managed it."

Danielle let the water wash over her back, wishing the pounding water would take away the stiffness in her shoulders. It had been hard, tossing and turning in the middle of the night, trying not to wake anyone up. It destroyed her senses having him that close to her, knowing there wasn't anything she could do to change his feelings.

Stepping out of the shower she felt something brush along her skin. The hair on arms rose and she knew something was coming, something was going to happen. She swore when she reached for her clothes, only to find they weren't there. Wrapping the towel around her she walked to the door and cracked it, listening to the two of them.

After a couple of minutes she walked out and to her suitcase. Ignoring the now quiet brothers she grabbed her clothes and escaped back into the bathroom. She emerged ten minutes later dressed in a red tank top and blue jeans that clung to her hips. A gold chain circled her neck, and ring flashed on her right ring finger. The only signs of femininity she allowed on her body, usually.

She shot Dean a scrutinizing look and was pleased to see more color in his cheeks. Finally she asked, "Feeling better?"

Sam stared at her in disbelief. This little bit of a thing had tried attacking his father and brother with an axe. It looked as if a strong wind would be able to knock her flat. He pictured her wielding an axe and the image made him start laughing.

Dean looked at him; it'd been so long since he'd heard that sound, not the little snicker. "You ok Sammy?"

"Axe…." Sam choked out.

Danielle shot Dean an annoyed look, "You didn't."

"He asked. What was I supposed to do lie?"

"Why not? It's what you're best at." She replied going to the table to begin packing up some of the essentials.

"OK. Next time I'll lie. You never used to like me lying," he muttered.

Danielle bit her tongue at the insult that boiled on it. Yes, she had hated him lying but only when it wasn't truly necessary. She never had believed it was a good idea to use the credit card scams either, but went along with it so she could get pictures of what they were hunting and make sure she made it another day.

Feeling a little calmer she asked, "Where are we heading next?"

"I heard on the news about some murders happening in Michigan," Sam spoke up, sending a mystified look between the two. He was having a hard time believing that these two at one point had openly worked together. She was serious and seemed to know how to keep people in line without thinking about benefits, whereas his brother didn't mind the trouble and sometimes found entertainment out of a situation.

"What exactly happened?" She asked as she bent down to pick up her suitcase.

"People arebeing drained of their blood, only clue they have are two puncture wounds in the neck. Cops are thinking that there's a murderer out there using a barbeque fork to murder his victims." Sam said watching her every move.

"Probably vampires so pretty much our problem." She stood in the middle of the room and took a deep breath. "Ok. I need to call my agent and tell him to come and pick up my rental. How much room do you two have in your trunk?"

"Not a lot Danni. Pack lightly, no disguises." Dean said throwing his legs over the bed, ignoring the hot flash of pain from his side.

She glowered at him, "Dean sometimes those costumes can really come in handy. Besides who can pack better than me? Now get back in that bed before I have to kill you for tearing those stitches."

"Why are you such a mother hen?"

She tightened her lips into a thin line, "Because I used to have to take care of pig-headed little boys that refused to listen when told not to fight with knives."

"How is it you two didn't kill each other after your first week together?" Sam asked as he watched her pack four bags into two.

"There, the rest Yuki will just have to pick up. We didn't kill each other because back then he could still take me. That and for six months we weren't really given time to be alone together. I still say your dad did that on purpose."

"Of course he did. He knew me and the fact the woman could hardly keep their hands off me." Dean retorted standing up, his breath a mere shudder as his side pulled.

Danielle looked at Sam. "Where'd he get the ego? I've often wondered that one."

"I'm not quite sure. I think dad gave him something to boost it."

Dean watched her pick up his jacket and start going through the pockets, "What are you doing?"

"Looking for something." She went back to searching them and then her gaze honed in on Sam. "Hand them over."

"It's sometimes nice to know what others are talking about."

"The keys to the car. Where are they?"

Dean felt his legs to rubber and he quickly sat back down on the bed, "You are not driving my car anywhere."

She settled her hands on her hips and glared. "I'll have you know that I'm good with that car. The whole driving her into a lake was an accident. Besides it saved your ass and I paid for the damages and bringing her back up. She also had one scratch on her and the seats dried pretty damn quickly."

"You drove her into Lake Superior. It took almost four weeks to find her."

"Oh finish your lunch." She snapped, reaching into one of the bags to be picked up and pulling out a faded jean jacket that looked vaguely familiar to Dean.

"I'll drive the car." Sam spoke up; after all he'd only driven the car through a house.

"No, now where are the damned keys?" She demanded throwing the jacket on.

"Do not let her have them." Dean said seriously.

Danielle lifted an eyebrow, "Excuse me? I'm the only one that can really drive. Dean, you have stitches. Sam, the sleeping powder is still in your system."

Sam looked at his brother a minute before withdrawing the keys from his pocket. "She has a good point. She's the only one able to drive."

Dean let his head roll back and drop against the headboard. "If you put one dent…"

"Please. I love that car." She held her hand out for the keys and after they were in her hand she picked up her bags. "Help your brother Sam, he's gonna need it."

Sam nodded and thought she certainly is bossy. He liked her for some odd reason. Watching her take off out the door he moved to help his brother stand.

She stood in front of the car, knowing but not caring the boys were there. Her bags dropped from her hand as she stepped toward to pet the car. Softly she cooed, "Oh honey how I missed you."

The brothers watched her stroke the car and fuss over her.

"Well," Sam started, "at least we know she has one thing in common with you Dean. She certainly loves that car."

"Yeah. Hers comes in a close second to mine."

Danielle turned to the two men after ten minutes of nothing but praising the car and stroking her. "Well you two. Let's get cracking."

"Wait until you see her with coffee. She's addicted to the stuff."

While they got into the car she tossed her two bags into the trunk, her pink back pack sticking to her arm like honey. After waiting for everyone to get situated she pulled out a CD case and flipped through CDs, until she came across one that made her smile.

Dean saw the flash of an aqua and silver CD and it had him groaning. "Please… Danni I'm begging you no."

"Who's driving Winchester?"

"You, but still that CD is nothing but torture."

"Oh Backstreet Boys are not. Now shut up so I can sing along." She replied pulling out of the parking lot.

Dean groaned quietly in the backseat. He was going to have a fit sooner or later and he knew it, as did she.

One thought went through Sam's mind; this was certainly going to be an interesting trip if they didn't end up killing one another.