Dean was Dean, he was always sure of himself, cocky, always had the last word, but standing here in front of Anya he felt like he didn't know whether he was coming or going.

And he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

He liked control. And he got pissed off if he didn't have it.

But Anya was Anya, he remembered her as a child, she was a loner except when Michael took her with them on their adventures.

But then, no one had their gift, which was pretty much the same gift that Sam had, give or take a few neurons.

"Dean Winchester" she said in a soft voice. At that point Dean felt that his whole soul had opened up, he wasn't in the least bit spiritual or knew anything that could express what he felt at that instant. She turned fully to him and touched his face. Her hand was warm. "I'm sorry"

He frowned. "Sorry for what? I should be saying sorry to you, for your loss" she took her hand away and looked towards the burnt house.

"I should have done something, the dreams, I shouldn't have dismissed them, until last night when Michael told me his dream, I knew he was coming then" Anya said then looked back at him. "I meant I'm sorry for the loss of your mom, I wish I had done something about it" she watched him work his jaw, as if trying to figure out what she meant.

"What do you mean do something? You were a kid, we all were, and we didn't know that thing was coming" he told her.

"But I had a dream of it Dean, -"her eyes filled with tears.

"Hey Anya, don't, don't feel remorse for something none of us could avoid" she met his eyes.

"The last thing I wanted was for something to hurt you, -"she took a step back away from him just as Sam found them.

"Anya, how you doing?" Sam asked. She gave him a small smile.

"Sammy Winchester, you've grown"

"So have you, your not that little rat we all knew" Sam told her.

"No I guess we've all changed, no one wanted the little rat back then" she turned and walked back to the house.

Sam looked at Dean.

"She knew man, she knew mom was going to die, she had the dream" dean told him. Sam looked at him sharply.

"Kids don't understand visions dean, look how long it's taken me and I'm an adult"

"I don't blame her, but she blames herself"

"she had the biggest crush on you when she was 15, when you left, Michael called me and told me how she spent 2 weeks not talking and hardly eating, I guess that's one girl that you really had a impact on" Sam told him walking away.

"If I had known –"

"What, you would've told her it wouldn't work out? That she was too ugly for you? Dean we both know how much you love beautiful women, what's in their heart – I don't think you see it"

"Your telling me I'm superficial?" dean asked, he didn't like this one bit.

"In a way, if Anya had turned out to be that same ugly rat, would you be trailing after her?"

"Sam she's my best friend's sister, I do care"

"I hope you don't break her heart again, cause this time, she's 25 not 15" they caught up with Anya. She was crouching, sifting through the burnt rubble with a stick. She was looking for something.

"Looking for something?" Dean asked.

"Michael's necklace, it has to be here" she murmured and move to another location. She stood up and turned to them. "I appreciate you guys being here, but you don't have to stay, a friend of my brother's is arranging the wake, I'll call you to give you details –"Sam held up his hand.

"Anya, how do we know this thing won't come back for you?"

"I don't, -"she took some keys out of her pocket. And threw them to Dean. "Keys to my house, make yourselves comfortable there, and anything you need there should be in the house" she crouched back down and kept looking for the necklace.

Sam looked at dean. "Maybe we can do some research, where the demon's been lately apart from here" dean nodded but his eyes were on Anya.

"We'll meet you at your house then" he said. She nodded not looking at him and kept looking.

The boys left her although reluctantly.

Anya looked up in time to see them drive away, tears filled her eyes.

No the demon wouldn't be coming after her, not that the Winchester's were back in town. Something shiny caught her eye and she dug her hand into the burnt rubble and pulled it out.

The gold necklace with a cross dangled from her hand.

"Bless you brother wherever you may be" she closed her eyes as tears slowly ran down her face.

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They arrived at Anya's house and parked on the street. It was a dainty house that had a girl's touch to it. As they made their way in, they found magazine's lying about.

Dean picked one up. "No way"

"What?" dean showed him. On the front cover graced a woman no other then Anya. "She's a model?"

"The little rat became Cinderella, mind you she's not drop dead gorgeous, but she has this uncanny ability to –"Sam cut him off continuing on.

"To make you feel you're on a cliff ready to fall"

"You too?" dean asked. "Thought that was just me, its not everyday I meet people like that, but it's freaky" he looked at the cover of the magazine again. He had to tamper down on the feelings she stirred. He couldn't get close to her, not if that demon decided to come back.

"She seems to believe that he won't come back for her, why do you think that is?" Sam asked. Dean dropped the magazine on the table again and looked around. He shrugged.

"Don't know, maybe she feels safe now that we're here"

"Ghost busters man yeah, that's what she called Dad" he then noticed the salt near the windows. "And she's protecting herself, rock salt"

Dean moved around the house and looked into her bedroom, it was a girl's room for sure, and then he opened up another door. A spare bedroom.

"Hey dean!" Sam called to him from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" he went to his brother.

"Check this out" he gave Dean some documents. "She's a motorcycle racer, she loves speed, which figures for the car she has"
"cool, my kind of chick" he said ignoring Sam's look.

"And I found these" he flipped open a box on the table. Silver blades glinted with the sunlight that came in through the window.

"I know I said to make yourself comfortable, but I didn't think that meant you could investigate my house" they both turned to see her leaning on the door. She had taken her coat off, and dean had much more of a view of what she really really looked like. She must have noticed because she told him so. "I'm not a piece of meat Dean" she moved away and went to the table and looked down at the blades. "I love weapons, Michael's always joked about how much I got into them when you both left" she flipped the box closed and locked it.

"How good are they?" Sam asked.

"They've killed a few demons, they're not ordinary blades" she told him, she looked at Dean. "Drink?" they both nodded and she gave them a beer each.

They moved into the living room. "So you race?" Sam asked. Dean had gone quiet, she wondered if it had to do with what she said to him in the kitchen.

"Yeah, I've got a race tomorrow, your both welcome to come, it will be my last race for a while –"she looked down at her hands then at them. "If there's anything you want to ask – then go ahead"

"How did you know he was coming?" Sam asked.

"Dreams and nightmares, Michael and I were discussing it in his kitchen – when the lights flickered and then he was there, I tried to reach Michael but it held me back" she removed the scarf around her neck and showed them the bruises.

"That's a first, I can't believe the bastard left his mark" dean said.

"You both think he's coming back" she asked quietly.

"You have the same gift that Michael had" Sam said.

"I do, but I can't explain how or why I know he won't be, I just know it" she stood up and went to the window. Sam stood up.

"Could you tell me where the bathroom is?"

"Down the hall to the left – 2nd door" she gave him a smile. Left alone, she turned to Dean. "I'm sorry for what I said in the kitchen, it was totally unwarranted" dean stood up.

"Don't worry about it, I am what I am, it's not secret that I –"

"Love women? I guess I should be flattered"

"You've become a beautiful woman Anya, and I'm glad you found your place in the world, unlike me"

"What do you mean?" she asked turning fully to him.

"I can't sit still for long, I haven't had a normal relationship with any woman, I'd like to settle down sometime, but while all this is happening -" he gave her a lopsided smile. "I remember when we were kids, this game that Michael made up; we had to make a promise that if by 28 none of us were married, we'd marry the one we made the promise to"

Her heart thumped. "Michael made his promise to Emma, they were engaged, she's due in town tomorrow"

"I made that promise to you" dean told her.

"Well I was a little rat back then, and it was a game"

"But it's my promise, I keep my promises – if I can" he grinned.

"How old are you Dean?"

"26"

"Then you have 2 years to find miss perfect before being chained to me" he was going to answer but Sam came back in.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked.

"Talking about kids and promises" dean answered walking away. Sam looked at Anya.

"He's not bugging you is he?"

"No, he doesn't bug me" she replied. She went to the kitchen and made dinner.

Kids and promises.

How she had held on to that promise all her life, hoping that he would return.

Well he had.

And now what?

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