Author's Note: So, who can pick out the red flags in Ember's relationship with Dean? I never meant for this story to get this deep, but I'm going through some stuff, so there you have it. Leave reviews! They make me SQUEEEEE!

I do not own Supernatural.

***Ember POV***

October 22nd Daytime

The Winchesters and Ember had thought, for a second, that there may not be a case. As it turned out, they were wrong. They were back the next day in full FBI gear, after a report that the actress who played Sam had disappeared just like the teacher. There was nothing on the surveillance tapes, and the only thing that had been found was the same flower that had been found near the teacher's abandoned cell phone.

Marie looked particularly shaken, and had reportedly witnessed the kidnapping.

"Maggie quit the show," she said. "She was trying to get it shut down, so, we were fighting. Then, she-she left, and I heard her scream. So, I ran outside to help. And... And I saw a scarecrow. It looked just like the one from our show. But... Alive."

"Then what?" asked Dean.

"It wrapped her in vines, and took her behind the dumpster," said Marie. "And then they were both just... gone. So, I called the cops, and a bunch of adults just told me I have an overactive imagination. But, it's all real. Ghosts. Angels. Demons."

"I wanna believe," said Maeve.

"You should believe," said Sam. "You both should, 'cause it's all real. And so are we. I'm Sam Winchester. That's Dean, and Ember."

Maeve and Marie looked at Ember and the Winchesters, and then at each other. Both of them started laughing.

"Ok!" said Marie. "Now, look. I'm willing to accept that monsters are real. But those books are works of fiction."

"Are you gonna prove it to her?" Sam whispered in Ember's ear.

"Nah," Ember whispered back. "It'll be funnier later."

"And you guys are way too old to be Sam, or Dean. More of a Bobby/Rufus combo? Maybe." All three of them gave the children sour looks.

"Ok," said Dean. "Alright, Little miss sunshine. We are what the books called hunters."

"FBI hunters?" asked Maeve.

"Yeah," said Dean.

Maeve and Marie looked at each other. Finally, Marie confirmed, "You guys are X-Files."

"Sure. Yeah, you can say that," said Sam.

After this had been established, the Winchesters and Ember spent awhile working with the girls on identifying the possible monster. They thought it was a tulpa for awhile, but this didn't seem to fit with the clues. Finally, Sam found the answer. "It's Calliope," he said finally. "According to the lore, Calliope manifests creatures from the story she's tuned into."

"The only way to destroy the scarecrow is to kill Calliope," said Maeve, who had been reading along with Sam.

"Right," confirmed Sam. "She uses these manifestations, like the scarecrow, to inspire the author, and protect them, until their vision has been realized. Then she eats the author."

Everyone turned to look at Marie. "Ok, that's bad!" she said. "Um... Well! You get your wish. Let's cancel the show."

"That's what your teacher and your classmate did," said Ember. "They tried to shut you down, and the scarecrow took them, protecting you, and the show."

"We've got to take our shot with this, uh… Calliope," said Dean. "But she won't show herself until your vision has been realized."

"So... What are you saying?" asked Marie.

Ember shot the girl a pitying look. Together, she and Dean said, "the show must go on."

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

As it turned out, Marie was exceptionally brave. It was her, ultimately, that ended up stabbing the scarecrow. Sam was kidnapped by the scarecrow and stabbed Calliope. Ember could only assume these two things happened simultaneously, because when Marie stabbed the scarecrow, it burst into purple goo, which exploded all over the audience.

Sam returned after the first act with the missing teacher and student, who had been kept locked in an older part of the school.

Ember knew it would soon be time to say good-bye. Sam and Dean weren't the type to stay for questions.

"You did good out there, kid," Dean said to Marie.

"Hmm, you're not so bad yourself," Marie said.

"You know? This has been educational," said Dean. "Seeing the story from your perspective. You keep writing, Shakespeare."

"Yeah," Ember said. "Your persistence has paid off. Even if your version is nowhere near what actually happened." And she disappeared, just for a second, then flickered back into existence again.

Marie's mouth dropped open. Ember and Dean both grinned.

Suddenly, Maeve's voice boomed out. "One minute, folks. One minute."

"Dean?" Marie said as she prepared to go back onstage. "You never should've thrown this away."

Dean closed his fist over a small necklace. "It never really worked," Dean said. "And, I don't need a symbol to remind me how I feel about my brother, so…" But Ember could tell from the look on Dean's face that he felt otherwise. She could tell the amulet meant more to him than he would say in front of Marie.

"Just take it," said Marie. "Jerk."

"Bitch," said Dean automatically, and Ember choked on a laugh. Ember watched as Dean appeared to realize what he had said and who he had said it to, but couldn't seem to find the right words to apologize.

Marie began to laugh, and Dean relaxed. "Right. Okay."

Marie headed back to finish the play, and Dean and Ember came to stand by Sam. "Well, I guess we can go back to the bunker," he commented.

"You know what, Dean?" Sam asked. "You were right. Staying cooped up isn't helping us. We need-…"

"We need to get back on the road, Dean. Doing what we do best," said Marie, who was still playing Sam on the stage.

"It's just... I don't know anymore," said the actress playing Dean.

"What is that?" asked Sam.

"It's, the, uh… The B.M. scene," said Dean.

"The… bowel movement scene?" asked Sam, and Ember giggled.

"No!" said Dean. "Just… Shhhh!"

"Saving people, hunting things," said Marie. "You know? The family business."

"You're right, Sammy. Out on the road. Just the two of us," said the actress playing Dean.

"The two of us against the world," said Marie.

"What she said," said the actual Sam.

Just then, the ensemble broke out into "Carry on My Wayward Son."

Dean smiled down at Ember, putting his arm around her and pulling her close to him.

Ember looked up at him, and was relieved to see a peaceful look on his face. "This is the best I've felt in a long time," she whispered into his ear, standing on tiptoe.

"Me too," he whispered back, pulling her even closer to him.

Masquerading as a man with a reason

My charade is the event of the season

And if I claim to be a wise man

It surely means that I don't know

Dean leaned down to her again. "I love you," he said to Ember.

It was the first time he'd told her he loved her since the first time they dated.

Castiel flitted into Ember's mind momentarily, but she banished him as soon as she thought of him. She did love Dean – she always had, though that love had changed through the years. He had been so good to her, after the Demon Blood Bond, and he was excellent with the children. And she hadn't seen Castiel in months…

"I love you too," she said, smiling.

"Marry me," he whispered back.

Ember's heart stopped. It seemed as though everything had skidded to a screeching halt. She couldn't breathe. All she could do was choke out, "What?!"

Dean looked at Ember in horror, finally seeming to register what he had said. "I have a ring," he said quickly. "I've had it for awhile, actually."

Ember was still at a loss for words.

"You don't have to decide today," he said, clearly trying to look like it was of no consequence to him one way or the other.

"Uh… okay," said Ember.

"Okay?" Dean asked, probing for answers.

"I… what about the Mark?" Ember asked.

"Guys, are you ready to go?" asked Sam. "You realize there are space ninjas on stage right -… what?" Sam seemed to realize that he had interrupted something.

"It's… it's nothing," said Dean, seeming to shake himself. "You're right, Sammy, let's go."

***Ember POV***

October 22nd, Early Morning

Ember lay on her bed in Conway Springs, attempting sleep but failing. She had just changed back from being a demon. She had just gotten stable in a job that didn't require her to stay in one town and keep stable hours. She had just gotten back together with Dean… To be honest, they'd never even really gotten back together, officially. They had simply just not broken up after the whole demon debacle. They'd needed each other, to heal, and for support.

And then there was Castiel. Castiel, who she was still in love with, despite not seeing him for months, and despite his very clear indication that it could never work between them.

Dean had been there for her. He had been supportive after the Demon Blood Bond. They had recovered from it, together. He was there for her, consistently, and for the children. And they had been dating for years… Plus, it wasn't as though she didn't love him…

Josephine had said, "I'm not sure… what about the Mark of Cain? But you've been dating him off and on forever, so…"

Aidan had said, "Dean's awesome! Someday I'm going to beat him in a fight, you know."

Krissy had said simply, "Dean's cool."

Hadn't they been hurtling toward this forever, though? Her original objections about being with Dean had been about his constant traveling and his inability to maintain a family life, in addition to his impulsive decisions. Ember could teleport now, however, and Dean and Sam's base of operations (Lebanon, KS) was much closer to her home with the children (Conway Springs, KS) than the South Dakota vs. Indiana distance they used to be attempting to navigate. Her job now allowed her to travel as much as she wanted, and didn't restrain her, even to Conway Springs. Ember's family was her own, and Dean was around fairly often, and the kids loved him.

The only issue left was his impulsive decisions, then. Was that something she could live with, for the rest of her life?

And then there was another issue, one that had seemed so irrelevant until now that she hadn't even dared think about it. She hadn't known it until she was fully a demon, and (in the process) had had some long talks with Crowley, though admittedly she'd always suspected it: she would live much, much longer than Dean…

Sleep was not coming soon.

***Dean POV***

October 22nd, Evening

Dean relaxed in his bedroom in the bunker. Why had he ruined a wonderful evening by proposing, of all things? Ember was right – he was impulsive, and made poor decisions. He had been thinking about proposing, sure, but he hadn't really planned on doing so for at least a year yet. The moment had seemed perfect, though, and she had been in such a good mood…

As soon as they left the school, Ember had made a hasty exit to check on her children, and began the string of teleportation stops back to her house in Conway Springs. She had not returned, or called. Sam had sensed that something was wrong. "Are you gonna tell me what happened?" Sam asked him.

"No," he said.

Sam sighed, and eventually Dean could hear his deep breathing, signaling that he had fallen asleep in the front seat of the Impala.

Dean twirled the ring in his hand. It had been his mothers', so long ago. Her fingers had been too big to wear it after her pregnancy with Sam, and it had miraculously managed to survive the house fire. He had gotten it cleaned and shined back when they had settled down together three years prior, but they had broken up before he'd had the opportunity to propose.

Never had the urge to kill something been so strong as it was now, while he was frustrated and stewing in his misery. But perhaps that was why she didn't want to marry him. "What about the Mark?"

Just as he was finally beginning to drift off to sleep, Dean heard a knock.

"Go away, Sammy!" he yelled.

"It's me," said Ember. "You told me to stop teleporting into your room, remember? You got all pissed at yourself after you pulled a gun on me?"

"Come in," Dean yelled, jumping up and opening the door.

"Yes," she said.

"What?" he asked. It occurred to him slowly that she must be talking about the proposal. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, "with conditions... and one question." She sat down on the bed, patting the spot next to her.

Dean frowned, but sat down to join her, pulling the ring out of his pocket.

"First, you have to promise me," Ember said, "In our wedding vows, that if I ever die and go to Heaven, you won't interfere or find a way to bring me back."

"Done," said Dean immediately.

"No, I'm serious," she said. "After everything I've done to get into Heaven, and how often you and Sam travel to… I don't know, to Purgatory, or Hell, or whatever… if I ever go to Heaven, leave me there."

Dean sighed. He understood Ember's worry, after what had happened with Sam and Gabreel. "I understand, Ember," he said. "And that's fine. I know bringing Sam back from the brink of death wasn't…" he trailed off. The truth was that if he could do it again, he would. Still, he understood how important this was to Ember, and why. "Bobby's dead," he pointed out. "Mom and Dad are both dead. Death sucks, but… I do know how to let go."

Ember nodded. "Fair enough," she said.

"Is that your only condition?" Dean asked.

"No," Ember said. "My other condition is that you control the Mark, or else get it removed."

Dean had expected this one. "Understood," he said.

"Okay," Ember agreed. "And here's my question. What will I do… after you pass?" Dean looked confused. "I can live up to 100-200 years longer than you, remember?"

Dean nodded, comprehension dawning in his eyes. "I thought about that," he admitted. "But you're strong, Ember. You won't hang onto me, after I'm gone. You'll let me go. You've always been stronger than me, I think sometimes."

She smiled at him. "That was the perfect answer," she said. "Then yes," she said. "I will marry you."

Dean could feel his face pulling at the corners from smiling, a feeling he wasn't used to. "I have the ring," he said. "It was my mother's."

Ember looked at the delicate circular band, and held her hand still while Dean slid it onto her finger. "We can get another band if you don't like this one, or a separate wedding one, or-…"

"It's perfect," she said. Dean pulled her close and hugged her. They stayed that way for several minutes.

***Ember POV***

November 25, Afternoon

The end of October and November were peaceful, overall. Ember joined the brothers picking up an inheritance for Bobby, but the "inheritance" turned out to be a shapeshifter. Said shapeshifter was not one of the "friendly monsters" Ember worked so hard to protect, and so was ultimately killed by Dean. Dean unloaded several rounds into her body after she was already dead, which worried both Ember and Sam. Dean swore the Mark wasn't influencing him, but they both knew he was lying.

"Do you think it's only a matter of time before it takes over again, completely?" Ember asked Sam one night.

"I don't know," said Sam. "I mean… he seems normal again, except for with the shapeshifter. And she did need to die."

"Yeah, that's true," said Ember. "I just… the Mark isn't going to let him go, you know? So if he ever dies again… he'll turn demon again, won't he?"

"And this time, we'll know not to let him out of our sight until we cure him," Sam answered.

Ember knew Sam was making light of the situation, and she knew why. Sam had always been one of the largest proponents of the Ember-Dean relationship, and firmly believed that the best chance for his brother was a union with Ember. She also knew, however, that Sam was just as worried as she was. She could see it in the sideways glances Sam occasionally sent his brother, and the wary eye he kept on him each time they left for a new case.

Ember also joined the brothers for a memorable case involving the investigation of a demonic brothel. Near the end of this case, the three of them got separated. When Ember reunited with Dean, she realized that he was standing with Cole, having an intense conversation. Cole was holding a gun, though it wasn't pointed directly at Dean. Ember switched to invisible and held back. She was confident that she could stop the bullets from the gun before they hit Dean if necessary, but Cole wasn't acting as though he was going to shoot Dean… more that he needed to get something off his chest.

"The only reason that didn't happen is because I was there to stop him," said Dean.

"I heard his voice. It was a human voice, and he begged you to stop!" said Cole. It looked as though Cole and Dean had been in a fight. Ember could tell that though Cole had the gun, Dean had control of the situation.

"It's a ploy. It's a monster's trick," said Dean. "I know what you heard, but know this - that was not your father, Cole. Your father was already gone."

Suddenly Dean saw Sam over Cole's shoulder. Sam was pulling a gun on Cole.

"Put it down. Sam, put it down!"

Cole swung around to see Sam, then aimed his gun at Dean. Ember readied herself if he were to shoot.

"Cole, it's fine," said Dean.

Everyone seemed unsure, so Dean tried again. "Cole, hey, right here. We're talking, okay?"

"How can I believe you, huh?" Cole yelled. "How can I believe you?! My whole life, I've been..."

"I get it," said Dean. "That was your story. Look, man, I got one of those, too. Okay, but those stories that we tell to keep us going? Man, sometimes they blind us. They take us to dark places -the kind of place where I might beat the crap out of a good man just for the fun of it. The people who love me, they pulled me back from that edge.

"Cole, once you touch that darkness... It never goes away. Now, the truth is... I'm past saving. I know how my story ends. It's at the edge of a blade or the barrel of a gun. So, the question is, is that gonna be today? That gonna be that gun?"

Ember walked slowly to Dean's side, taking his hand in one definitive motion. He didn't even jump, and a smile quirked at the corner of his mouth, acknowledging her presence.

"You've got a family, Cole," said Sam. "I heard you on the phone that night. I'm guessing they need you to come back, and they need you to come back whole."

Reluctantly, crying, Cole handed back the gun.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

"We're going to talk about tonight," Ember said softly that evening.

"There's nothing to talk about," Dean said. "It's like I told Sam. I just told him what he needed to hear."

"Fine," Ember said, quirking a smile. "We'll talk another night. I was thinking we could talk and then maybe fuck, but I suddenly find that I'm not in the mood."

Dean narrowed his eyes and muttered something about "difficult women."

"What was that?" Ember said, smiling.

"I said, fine," Dean said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Do you really feel that way?"

Dean didn't have to ask what she was referring to. "Ember, you know that's how I'll go out," he said, "And I'll be proud to do so, especially if I can save someone in the process. I can never make any guarantees. That's why-…" he stopped.

"That's why what?" she asked him.

"That's why I asked you to marry me," he said. "Ember… I don't know whether the Mark will get me today, or tomorrow, or in six months, or in sixty years. I know that with you by my side I can hold it off longer, and I know you're the best thing in my life, and that I don't ever want to lose you again. That's why I proposed. I was hoping we could get married, before…"

"Before your time runs out," Ember said, finally understanding.

Dean nodded.

"Dean, you have to understand, I don't think that's the case," Ember said, attempting to convince herself as much as Dean. "We stopped the Apocalypse! Give us some credit! Give yourself some credit! Besides, what would my life be like, after you go crazy like Cain! You can't… you can't saddle me with that. You can't saddle the children with that."

"I know that," said Dean. "That's why I didn't bring it up."

Ember sighed. "Dean, I swear, I'll find a way to get rid of that Mark, if it kills me. And when I do, I'll be honored to marry you." Castiel flitted into Ember's mind once again, but once again he was quickly banished.

Dean smiled, slightly. Ember knew that Dean didn't have faith. Perhaps neither did she, in the end. For now, though, the board was already set. Ember would do the best she could, for as long as she could.