Author's Note: This chapter ended up super long. I just couldn't find a decent place to make a break. Oh well! Fair warning, if you're not into a Sam and Eileen pairing, this chapter definitely isn't for you. I definitely thought something could have developed out of that, and was (as usual) not happy when she died.

I don't own Supernatural! Leave reviews please!

***Sam POV***

December 1, Evening

ONE MONTH LATER

"So I was attacked by a demon at school today," Krissy said to Sam upon arriving at the bunker Friday evening.

Dean and Sam had been lost in research, but both immediately put their books down and rushed over to the teenager. "Krissy! Why didn't you call us earlier?" asked Sam.

"It was no problem," Krissy said, helping herself to a beer from the fridge. "Actually he was really bad at fighting. It was no big."

"One," Sam said sharply, eyeing the beer in Krissy's hand. The 19-year-old rolled her eyes.

"So, tell us," said Dean.

"OK, so I could tell I was being followed. And not the 'good' kind of followed, you know? This was the 'creepy' kind of followed. And so finally I turned around-…"

"Next time, call us," said Sam.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Krissy said, blowing him off. "Anyway, I turned around, and there was a man behind me, and his eyes turned black. So I pulled out my angel blade. And we squared off, but then I started playing an exorcism on my phone. So we fought for a little bit, but near the end of the exorcism he disappeared."

Sam and Dean gave each other a significant look. Sam sighed. "Well, we knew this was going to happen," he said. "I'm just glad you were prepared to handle it."

Krissy stared at them with defiance. "I'm just sorry I wasn't able to catch or kill the bastard," she said.

"You're only 19, Kris," said Sam. "I was 22 before I went up against a demon."

This made Krissy beam with pride, which Sam hoped would prepare the girl for his next words. "Dean and I are going to accompany you to school for the next couple of weeks," he said. "When is school out, in the middle of the month or something?" Krissy nodded. "Okay. I don't think we can make it every day, but we'll make it most of them, between the two of us. It's what Ember would want."

Dean nodded, as though the matter were decided. "Krissy… what did you mean earlier when you said 'The 'good' kind of followed?'"

Krissy chewed on her lip, turning away. "It's stupid," she said.

Sam and Dean gave each other a significant look. "Kris, those hunter senses are never 'stupid.' And yours are nearly always right."

Krissy sighed, and it appeared for a second as though she was making up her mind about whether or not to discuss something. Finally, she nodded. "It's… well, over the last few months, I've almost felt like Ember was… watching me. Only sometimes. Only once in awhile. And it's almost always at the school. But… maybe it's just wishful thinking," she added hurriedly.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Sam said.

"It only happens once in awhile," Krissy admitted. "Maybe once or twice each week, for an hour or so. And… I didn't want you to think I was… I don't know, making things up. Wishful thinking, you know."

"If that's what your instincts tell you, listen to them," said Sam. "You're a great hunter, especially for your age. And being a good hunter isn't about shooting a gun, or knowing your lore, though that's part of it. A lot of it is about instinct. And if your instinct says Ember is there… she probably is."

To tell the truth, Sam had been thinking this as well, for awhile. Sometimes he got the strangest feeling that he was being watched, and he would think about Ember, only to shrug it off as nerves or wishful thinking. It wasn't nearly as often as the children had reported – maybe once every couple of weeks. But the children were right, and if all of them were having the same instinct, that was certainly a place to start.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

It was the following Tuesday when Sam got the odd feeling again, as though he was being watched, but (for once) not in a bad way. This had to work. It had to. Sam was outside of Krissy's English class, and he had never felt the feeling this strongly.

"Ember, please," he said in a quiet voice. It was the speech all three of them had practiced. "I know you're there. You're nearly nine months along now. Everyone – Heaven, Hell, and everyone in between – knows you're on the run, and as of last week, news of the child has even reached the Men of Letters. They came to the bunker and confronted us last week. Please come home. None of us have been in touch with Castiel for over a month. We can figure out what to do together, me, you, Dean, and Krissy. Or even just me, you, and Dean, if you like. We promise, we won't try to hurt the child."

There was nothing. Finally, slowly, an invisible hand slipped into his own.

***Ember POV***

December 5, Evening

Ember slid, invisible, into the front seat of the Impala. They were still in view of the security cameras at the school, so all three would need to fit into the front seat. Ember moved close enough to inhale Dean's familiar smell, and it was the most comforting thing she'd felt in a very long time. She still wasn't sure about this decision, but just being back in the Impala made her feel less on edge than she'd felt in months.

"Jesus, Ember, I can barely steer," Dean said, feeling the pressure of her arm against his. "I'll take that to mean you found her, Sam."

"You're not usually content to be left in the getaway car," Ember commented to Dean conversationally as they drove away from Krissy's school. "Why didn't you come inside?"

The brothers shared a look, passing right through Ember. "Sam felt it would've scared you off if we'd both been there," said Dean begrudgingly.

Ember considered this. "He was right," Ember said finally. "When the brothers come together, it means business."

Dean laughed, and the brothers and Ember lapsed into friendly conversation for a long time as they drove to the bunker. Dean had texted Krissy and told her to join them after her classes were done for the day. Ember was in a good mood, and looking forward to seeing them.

Finally, at a lull in the conversation, Sam began the list of questions that Ember knew had been coming. "Ember… what made you finally decide to come with us?"

"Desperation," Ember said, after taking a minute to think on the subject. "But I'm still not sure I made the right decision." She felt Sam's hand, still in her own, give a squeeze.

"How close are you?" asked Dean. "To your due date."

"Not sure," Ember said. "Maybe two weeks at most? Ready to pop, it feels like. I'm due the 20th…"

"How do you know?" asked Dean, turning to look at her.

"The internet, combined with date of conception," Ember said dryly. "That, and the OBGYN's office I snuck into at 3AM in Connecticut."

"And… any thoughts on the father?" Sam asked gently.

"It's Cas," Ember said immediately.

"Ember," said Dean in what Ember knew was his best attempt to be gentle. "Are you sure? I mean, don't you think it's just wishful-…"

"You know how I told Sam it was a premonition, when I showed up when headquarters was under attack by vampires?" Ember asked.

"You lied," said Sam. "I kind of suspected it, actually."

"Yeah," Ember admitted. "I've only ever had premonitions about Lucifer, back when his powers were making me stronger. But these past few months, I've had them only about Cas."

"But Lucifer was there too, when you showed up at the rock concert," protested Dean.

"Yeah, but how do you explain Ramiel?" asked Ember, and Sam nodded.

"Ember… how does that work, exactly?" Sam asked. "I mean, I don't doubt that you're right, but at the time you would've – ehm, conceived, Castiel was possessed by Lucifer."

Ember was silent for a minute, then admitted, "There was a lot of, um, fighting for control of the driver's seat. At, um, certain key times."

There was an awkward silence, and Dean tightened his grip on the wheel. Sam shot Ember a worried look and squeezed her hand again.

Finally, Ember said, "Sam, I take it you figured out I was spending time at the college?"

"Yeah," Sam said. "Krissy got attacked by a demon on Friday."

"Oh my gosh!" Ember exclaimed. "Is she-…"

"She's fine. But when we were talking about it, she admitted that sometimes she felt like you were there, just watching her. And I've felt like that too, occasionally. I figured… I hoped it wasn't a coincidence."

"She's smart, that girl," Ember said proudly. "Damn your hunter's intuition." It would be nice to go back to the bunker for a couple of weeks. She didn't have the energy to keep moving. Sam and Dean were right – by now, the fact that she was on the run must've been leaked to everyone in both Heaven and Hell. She would still leave again closer to her due date – she wouldn't let them watch her die. But, she could rest up before then. She was honestly deathly underweight for what she should've been, and she hadn't been sleeping well. She was embarrassingly close to falling over from exhaustion and hunger from being on the run for so long, not to mention the lack of actual human contact, plus the pregnancy.

But now, for better or for worse, she could see the people she loved again before she died.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

Ember was looking forward to a peaceful night in the bunker, but apparently this just wasn't in the cards. When the group arrived at the bunker, there was already another guest waiting outside for them.

"Who's that and what's her angle?" asked Ember suspiciously.

Dean turned toward Sam, and Ember noted with surprise that Sam seemed to have taken offense to Ember's comment. "Her name's Eileen," Sam said. "And she's a friend. We've asked her to help us track down some leads on Dagon."

"Oh," said Ember guiltily. Then she added, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so suspicious."

"It's understandable," Sam said. "We'll hear her out, and then we'll send her on her way."

But Sam looked like someone had kicked his puppy. Did Sam like this girl? Ember raised her eyebrow at Dean, then remembered that he couldn't see her. "That's not necessary, Sam," Ember said. "Is there somewhere you could hide me overnight? Preferably somewhere with a soft bed…"

"You can stay in my room," said Dean. Then, seeming to sense what Ember was thinking, he added, "Don't worry, I'm not expecting anything of you. You're nine months pregnant, anyway."

"It's really fine," Sam said. "We're happy to have you back, and we don't want to-…"

"Sam," Ember said. "She just got here, same as me. Neither of us are leaving. The bunker's big enough. Let her stay the night. Plus, it'll look suspicious if you hint at her to leave." Sam smiled in Ember's general direction, looking relieved. He did like her!

Ten minutes later, Sam and Eileen were seated at the kitchen table. Dean stood near them, and Ember crouched in a corner, unseen and unheard. Her legs were stretched out parallel to the wall to accommodate her wide belly.

"So, have you found anything about Ember?" Eileen asked Dean and Sam. Ember could tell that she was deaf, but also intelligent, and knew how to read lips.

"No," said Dean, lying easily. "Not a trace."

Eileen nodded. "All my information says she's still on the run, too."

"What about Dagon?" Sam asked, changing the subject.

Eileen's eyes lit up. "So, I ran the plates of every car that drove past that warehouse in Idaho just before it burned down. Most of them were local, but one wasn't. It came up registered to Dermott Culp."

"So..."

"So he went missing a year ago," said Eileen.

"Okay."

"I tracked his car to Iowa," finished Eileen. "Found him coming out of a building carrying a dead body."

"So Dermott's a killer?" asked Dean.

"Dermott's a demon," Eileen answered.

"Uh, one of Crowley's?" asked Sam.

"Works for Dagon," said Eileen. "Covers her tracks."

"Smart," said Eileen.

"Dude, don't compliment the bad guys," said Dean, and Ember held in a snicker.

Eileen and Sam laughed.

"Uh... So do you know where Dagon is now?" asked Sam.

"No," said Eileen. "But before Dermott got stabbed in the heart..."

"Nice," said Dean.

"Mm-hmm," agreed Eileen, taking the compliment. "He gave me her phone number." She handed Sam a piece of paper.

"Nice," said Sam.

Suddenly, the phone rang. "I'll get it," said Dean.

When he returned a second later, he had a frown on his face. "The Men of Letters want to meet with us tomorrow to discuss the situation with Ember," he said grouchily.

"Tell them we're not interested," said Sam.

"They've offered to give us back the Colt," said Dean.

There was a small pause. "Fine," said Sam quietly. "Tell them we can meet tomorrow, at headquarters," said Sam. "Tell them we had an urgent case and we'll be busy until then."

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

Ember was more relieved than words could express when she was able to become visible in the comfort of Dean's room twenty minutes later. Sam and Eileen were still up having drinks and talking, but Dean had excused himself to go to bed, and Ember had taken her cue and followed him. Krissy was waiting in Dean's bedroom as well.

"Jesus, you're pregnant," Krissy said, inspecting her finally and giving her a big hug.

"You're also thin," Dean said. "Here, I've got snacks in one of these drawers. It'll look too suspicious if I head back to the kitchen."

Ember gratefully took the chips Dean offered as Krissy said, "Why did you stay away so long?"

"To protect you, mostly," Ember said.

"Bullshit," Krissy said. "We've always had angels and demons looking for us. This would just be another day."

"Not like this," Ember said. "At least when we were on the run from the angels, we had Cas' protection. But now, every single angel in Heaven, including Castiel, and every single demon in Hell is looking for me – not to keep me alive, but so that they can wait for me to die and then raise my son how they see fit."

She turned to Krissy. "Look, I want to thank you. God, you've been amazing. You know I've been watching you at school. I'm so proud of you. But you have to understand that hiding for this long was an absolute necessity. I'm still not sure if it was a good idea for me to finally come out… but at least by now, every demon and angel in Heaven and Hell alike knows that I'm on the run, and far, far away from all of you."

It was wonderful to see Krissy again. Eventually, however, Krissy had to go to bed. She had a class the following afternoon that she couldn't miss, which meant she'd need to make the drive back to Conway Springs in the early morning.

Ember turned to Dean to have a much-needed conversation with him, knowing that this conversation would be much less fun.

Dean looked at her closely. "So you do understand that birthing this child will kill you?"

Ember nodded. "Without Castiel, yes. And I don't think I'll get his help."

Dean scoffed. "Apparently not. Right now, we haven't even heard from him for two months."

"He went up to Heaven," Ember said. "I saw it in a vision."

Dean looked at her in surprise.

"He really doesn't want me to have this child," Ember said. She left out the part about her not being allowed into Heaven. "Chuck was right, in the end – it's in his wiring. He's planning something with the angels, but I can't see them there. I don't know what."

Dean looked at her, cocking his head. "It really is Castiel's child, isn't it?"

Ember nodded.

"You really love him, don't you? Even after everything."

Ember nodded again. "I'm sorry, Dean. I hope…" she rolled her eyes. "I hope when you find someone, it turns out better than this."

There was a flash in Dean's eyes that Ember recognized. "Oh my gosh, Dean, who is she?" Ember asked excitedly. "Do I know her?"

Dean gave her an annoyed look. "Don't you think this is the wrong place, and with the wrong person, to discuss…"

Ember bowed her head. "Sorry," she said.

There was a few moments of awkward silence, until Sam came into the room. Ember guessed that he only had a few seconds before he had to be back with Eileen, because he spoke quickly. "Ember, I-… Wow, you're…"

"Pregnant," Dean finished for him.

"And thin," Sam said. "When I get a chance, I'll bring you something from the kitchen."

Ember nodded her thanks.

"Ember, you're not going to take off tomorrow when we meet with the Men of Letters, are you? I mean… you understand why we have to go…?"

"I know what the Colt means to you," Ember said honestly. "You do have to go. Actually, I kind of wanted to go with you."

"What?" said both Dean and Sam, obviously caught off guard by this.

"Know your enemy," Ember said. "I need to know what they know. And they won't expect me to be there, so they won't have set traps."

"But you spent all of those months hiding!" Dean exclaimed.

Ember shrugged. "It's crunch time. My days are numbered, especially without Cas on board. And I'm out of options."

Sam thought for a minute, then seemed to accept this. "You know we'll protect you," he said, and turned to leave.

"Sam, wait!" Ember said, and Sam turned back.

"You like her," Ember said, smiling at him. "It's good to see you happy. You should ask her out. She likes you, too."

"See, dude, I've been telling you-…" started Dean.

"Give it a rest," Sam snapped at Dean. But when he turned to Ember, he said, "She's not typically easily trusting. But, after tomorrow, maybe I will."

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

The following night, Ember waited silently and invisibly at the Men of Letters headquarters. It had been a good day at the bunker. She'd had a lot to eat, which had been the first time in what seemed like forever. Not that she didn't have access to food whenever she wanted, because it had been easy to steal it. Still, she was only now beginning to realize how little she'd been feeling like eating. She had missed Sam and Dean so much, more than she could say.

Finally, two cars pulled up. One was the Impala, containing Dean, Sam, and Eileen. The other contained Mick Davies and a young blond man whom Ember immediately disliked.

"I thought you'd be coming alone," said Sam immediately to Mick. Ember could tell that Sam didn't like the blond man either.

"Well, I thought we'd gotten past our trust issues," said Mick. "This is Renny Rawlings. New man."

Ember had watched Mick enough by now to know that he wasn't too thrilled about Renny either.

"Right. I'm Sam," said Sam. "This is Eileen Leahy."

"Ah, the banshee girl," said Renny.

Eileen looked surprised.

"We have a file," Renny explained. "From what Mick tells me, neither of you have any formal training. Fascinating. I was top of my class at Kendricks..."

"No one cares," said Eileen and Dean at once, and Sam smirked. Ember once again held in a chuckle.

"I brought the Colt," said Mick. "Just like you asked. I know you need it for Dagon, when you finally find her. But it's gotta go back to HQ afterward."

"Gee, Mick," said Sam. "I thought we'd gotten past the trust issues."

"Hmm," said Mick. He seemed to decide it was best to change the subject. "OK, so this meeting is… well, I guess it's to come to a meeting of the minds about the nephilim, and to decide the best course of action."

"I've brought along the note Ember left us, before she took off," said Sam, passing Mick the sheet of paper from so many months ago.

Mick read it through. "Castiel?" he asked.

"Lucifer was possessing Castiel's otherwise empty vessel at the time."

"So the nephilim is only possibly Lucifer's child," Mick confirmed. "But this is the first I've heard of this."

Dean nodded. "Hell wants to think it's Lucifer's child. Heaven doesn't want it at all." Between himself and Sam, they explained the situation as best they could. They even explained to Mick about Ember's premonitions, though they made it sound like their own idea rather than hers."

"Ember and Castiel have saved the world several times over," Sam said. "Your intelligence alone should tell you that. They didn't mean to create a child, but now that they have, we owe it to them to leave them in peace. They can raise the child up to be on the side of good."

"The primary objective now needs to be to go after Dagon," said Dean. "Regardless of what happens with the baby, she's a far more dangerous objective right now."

Mick seemed to be considering Sam's words. "I agree that Dagon needs dealt with," he said. "But I still think it's unwise to leave this child to chance. What assurances can you give me that the child will be raised on the side of good, or even that it's Castiel's child? If Castiel himself denies the child, and Ember dies giving birth, there are no guarantees of this."

"This is absurd!" said the blond man suddenly. "Mick, are you actually even considering this nonsense?" Ember had instantly disliked him, and it appeared her instincts had been proven right.

Just then, however, the wind picked up, as if a storm were approaching. Ember had no warning. One second she was watching the Winchesters argue her side to the British Men of Letters, and the next moment a Japanese-looking woman had appeared right in the middle of their tiny circle.

"Hey," said Dagon, without preamble. And quicker than lightning, Sam, Dean, Eileen, Mick, and Renny were flung through the air, landing heavily.

Dean and Mick recovered and then attempted to shoot at Dagon, but bullets had no effect on her. She threw them aside and began walking up to Ember. Ember made an attempt to teleport, but found that she couldn't. "Don't even try it," Dagon said. "It's spelled." She came closer to Ember, sneering. "Do you know how long it's taken to find you, much less get you in a situation like this? But I knew you'd return to the Winchesters eventually."

Her eyes flashed back. "But the wards," Mick stuttered.

Dagon turned to Mick sharply. "Those things don't work on a demon like me," she said.

In the corner of her eyes, Ember watched Eileen inch toward the Colt. The blond man, Renny, was recovering as well, and picking up his gun to shoot Dagon. Ember summoned every ounce of power she had and blasted it at Dagon.

Dagon only laughed. "Even with that child inside you, you're still not more powerful than me. Scarily close, though." Without warning, she clamped a pair of handcuffs on Ember's wrist. "These are made especially for you," she said. "Had to kill about seven priests and eight witches for them. Worth it, though."

Eileen had the Colt, and was holding it toward Dagon. And then, suddenly, Dagon had grabbed her, and they were teleporting away.

***Sam POV***

December 6, Night

It was as though everything was happening in slow motion. Eileen had Dagon in her sights with the Colt. Sam thought perhaps she might even kill the demon…

But then Dagon had disappeared with Ember, and the shot hit Renny instead in the chest. The young man from the Men of Letters fell dead upon the spot.

There was a beat of silence as everyone tried to figure out how to react.

"I didn't... I didn't mean to," Eileen said to Mick in protest. "I was shooting at the demon. I'm –…"

"No, no, wait up," Sam said, catching her before she got any closer to Mick. "It was an accident. It's all right."

Mick pulled out his gun and approached Eileen.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing?" screamed Dean.

"Hey!" yelled Sam, standing in front of Eileen.

"She killed a Man of Letters!" said Mick. "S-she has to die."

"It was an accident!" Sam said angrily. He would not, could not let her die…

"It doesn't matter! The Code!"

"No, hey, screw the Code," said Dean.

"Don't make this harder than it already is," said Mick.

"Mick, you don't have to do this," said Dean, now holding his gun on Mick.

"Yes, I do!"

"Please," said Eileen. "Don't."

"Mick, Mick, listen to me," said Sam, still shielding Eileen. "Mick, look, I-I know you guys h-have this Men of Letters Code you blindly answer to, but... look, you don't have to do that, Mick. You're better than that. You only have to answer to yourself. You only have to do what you know is right. You only have to answer to your own code." He knew Mick was a Man of Letters, and they came with a rigid code… but he also knew that Mick was a good person at heart. With them, he had started to learn shades of grey…

Mick slowly lowered his gun. "Just go," he snapped.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

Eileen had been silent on the way home. Sam knew she was more comfortable around him than around Dean, so perhaps when they got back to the bunker she would be willing to talk more with him. Dean knew this as well, and he knew his brother would give them some space.

He and Eileen had known each other for just under a year now, but over the past few months they'd been talking more and more. He'd even learned some sign language so that he could talk with her better, a fact which Dean had teased him mercilessly about since he'd discovered it a month ago.

Sam had only been truly in love twice – once with Jess, obviously, and with Amelia while Dean was in Purgatory. Both times, falling in love had felt like this. Had Ember been around the past few months, Sam felt sure that Ember would've told him that he and Eileen were destined to be together, and that he had finally found his perfect match.

But Ember hadn't been around the past few months, and now she was gone again. And now, Eileen had killed a Man of Letters.

"You okay?" Dean asked when they returned to the bunker.

Eileen nodded yes, but then shook her head, tears in her eyes. "No. He wasn't a monster. He was… I…"

Sam turned Eileen to face him. "Hey… It was a mistake." He signed "mistake."

Eileen reached for him, and he pulled her into a hug. It felt good to finally hold her, but he wished it were under better circumstances.

"Well, if it's okay with you two, I'm gonna hit the hay," Dean said, interrupting Sam's train of thought. "Tomorrow we'll have to start over with new plans, and I need some sleep."

It was bullshit, Sam knew. Dean would be up all night worrying about Ember, and making as many plans as he could from his room and the Men of Letters library. In the morning, Sam would find him in the library with his face in a book, or else in his bed with a book open on his chest. Sam appreciated what Dean was doing, though. If the night had ended better, Dean might've given him a wink or a crooked grin, but after things had gone so poorly Sam wasn't expecting it.

Once they were alone, Sam led Eileen to the kitchen. "Beer?" he asked.

"Something stronger," she said. "Thanks for letting me stay another night."

"You should stay longer," he said. "You might be hunted. I know the Men of Letters a bit, and Mick is by far the most lenient of the lot. I… I hate to say this, because it's horrible and it's unfair. But Mick wasn't letting you off the hook tonight… he was giving you a head start."

"I had guessed that," she said. There was silence for a minute while Sam turned around to grab the whiskey and some beer, and sat down at the table. He was careful with Eileen – she was smart and intuitive, but she couldn't read his lips if he was facing the other way.

"Eileen, anything you need, please just let us know," he said.

"Thanks," she said, taking a strong swig of the whiskey. "But you've done enough. I'll be gone in the morning. I don't want to bring my problems on you."

Sam rolled his eyes at the woman. "My brother's ex-girlfriend is birthing a nephilim within the month. Trust me, a friend of mine being hunted by the Men of Letters is small peanuts."

Eileen laughed, and it seemed to him to even be genuine. "Fair point," she admitted.

They spent another two hours drinking and talking. It was odd, because it should've been a horrible night, but by the end of it somehow they were both laughing. They would begin to laugh, and then give each other a "look" when one of them remembered that Sam's best friend had been captured by a Prince (or was it Princess?) of Hell, or that Eileen had shot a Man of Letters and would be hunted. It was, Sam decided, two people that were desperate for each other's company, under horrible circumstances.

Sam had never been good at making the first move in a relationship – that had always been Dean's specialty. True to form, after two hours, he realized that she was about to slip away from him, and he hadn't said or done anything to announce his feelings for her, or subtly hint at his intentions.

Finally, after three hours, Eileen said, "I've really liked catching up with you, but I've gotta get to bed."

Sam looked at his watch – it really was getting late. "Okay," he said. This was his opportunity, and he didn't know when – or even if – he'd see her again.

"Hey, Sam," she said, "Can I sleep in your room tonight? I don't want to be… alone… after what happened."

He looked at her, startled.

"I mean, it's not a big deal, if-…"

"No," Sam said, tripping over his words. "I mean, that would be… fine." He'd almost said great.

Once in they got to Sam's room, however, he was yet again at a loss for what to do next. It was so much easier when he didn't like the girl. If he was at a bar and felt a bit of a connection with someone, (or if a girl was good-looking), it was fairly easy to say, "Hey, do you want to get out of here?" and find a sleezy motel. "How close is your place?" was another of Dean's personal favorites that had worked for Sam a few times. But Eileen was smart, and intuitive, and, like Sam, trusted no one.

But then she was kissing him, and her lips were feather soft. She pulled back, trying to read his reaction. "I figure… if they're coming after me anyway, and I might die tomorrow…"

Suddenly, Sam seemed to remember how to string words together. "Eileen… if we do this… do it because you have feelings for me. Not because you think it's your last night on Earth."

She seemed to consider this, then finally gave a smile. "Okay, then." She lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss him, and he sunk into the kiss. It was as though he hadn't allowed himself to feel almost anything for the woman, until this moment; he had denied everything he had felt for a year, now, if he was honest with himself. But it had bled over the edges of the dams he had put up, until he had found himself thinking of her constantly lately. He could tell from this kiss that she was feeling the same.

The kiss turned heated and she pushed further, reaching for his shirt. The height was awkward, though, because Sam was so much taller than her. Once his shirt had been discarded he lowered her onto the bed, more as a matter of convenience than because he thought they were ready. He pulled at her shirt, then, and she moved upward to shrug it off until it joined his on the floor.

He nipped at her neck and moved downward, pulling off her bra as he went. "You're beautiful," he mumbled against her skin, then remembered that she couldn't hear him and felt embarrassed. Instead, he signed the word into her chest, meeting her eyes briefly.

"I'll bet you say that to all the girls," she said, giggling.

Though he knew she hadn't meant it in a mean or testing way, he felt almost insulted by it in her defense. He almost said, "But I don't always mean it." Instead, he pulled back to look at her, and said what he truly felt: "Never in my own bed." It had taken him so long to feel at home here at the bunker, and now that he did, Eileen was the only woman he wanted to share this room with him, ever.

She took this as the compliment it was intended to be, lifting up toward him to feel his hardness. He moaned into her neck, and in the next five seconds both pairs of pants joined the shirts on the floor.

Sam was not the kind of man to take these things for granted, and he kissed down her stomach, asking permission with his eyes to go lower. She granted it with a smile, allowing him to slowly pull down her panties. He had the impression that she wanted it hard and fast, but she didn't take these things for granted either.

When he tasted her she began to moan, and it wasn't long before she was shaking, her climax sending shock waves through her body. She sought out his hand as she climaxed and squeezed it, staring into his eyes. He thought he could see fear reflected in them, but he wasn't sure whether it was a fear of dying, or her feelings, or both. Then it was gone, and there was only bliss.

After a second she had grasped his boxers and yanked them down, and Sam's mind snapped back to the moment. "You're uh…" she said, looking up at him. "I don't know if I can…"

He nodded, understanding what she was asking, and laid down on the bed next to her. She wasted no time, and Sam felt her mouth close around him. A moan flung its way out of his throat, but then the feeling was gone and Sam felt suddenly cold.

He realized suddenly that she was on top of him.

"Wait," Sam said between gritted teeth, and against everything he desired.

"'On the pill," she said.

He knew he was beginning to turn red. "It's only, I'd feel better if-…"

But she smiled. "'Probably why I like you so much." She sat back a little, and Sam hurriedly stood up and grabbed for the condoms Dean had slipped into his pocket earlier.

"These are called condoms," Dean had told him.

"Jerk," he'd snapped at his brother. "It's been a minute, but it hasn't been that long." Truthfully, though, he was truly thankful for Dean, because he honestly didn't exactly keep a supply of condoms in his bedroom.

He was just wondering how to resume his previous activities when Eileen took matters out of his hands. A few seconds later she was lowering herself down on him, inch by inch, until he was fully sheathed.

"Okay?" he asked.

"Mmm," she answered, and began moving.

It went on forever, and not long enough, and she was beautiful. After he knew she was used to his size, he moved them until he was on top. He had never felt like this, completely lost in someone – not since Amelia, and Jessica. And all too soon it was over, and he could feel her clenching around him, her back arching in her orgasm. He followed her shortly after.

It took a few minutes for both of them to catch their breath. When Eileen looked at him again, Sam saw, for sure this time, the fear in her eyes.

He smiled at her. "We should really make this a thing," he said.

She laughed. "The sex?"

"The everything," he said, completely serious.

She looked at him, smiling wanly. "I don't know how to do relationships," she admitted.

"Neither do I," he said.

She looked at him again, clearly carefully weighing her answer. Finally she said, "You are pretty good at sign language."

He smiled back at her, kissing her slowly again.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

"So, how's Eileen?" Dean asked Sam the next day after he had walked Eileen out.

Sam shook his head. "'Wish I could've convinced her to stay. But she's promised to keep in touch."

"She wasn't in the spare room when I woke up," Dean said. "So I'm assuming she found her way to yours."

"Mmm," Sam said, non-committally. He was really, really trying to hide a grin, but it was useless. He was optimistic, even if Dean wasn't. Eileen knew how to take care of herself better than any woman he'd ever known, with the possible exception of Ember. And they still had almost two weeks… they would figure out a way to get Ember back.

Still, Sam knew Dean didn't share his optimism. If it weren't for Ember, Sam knew Dean would've put him through a marathon of 20 questions and possibly even played some appropriate post-sex music, like Night Moves by Bob Seger. Instead, his brother settled for, "At least one of us is getting laid."

Sam decided to attempt to distract his brother. "We've got kind of a – a thing, now. I think she'll be coming around more often."

Dean turned to look at Sam. He wasn't smiling, but at least he looked mildly interested. "'Ya tell her you were into her after or before she was naked?"

"Dude. After."

"Wow," said Dean. "Good for you, man." He turned back to the fridge and brought out some beers. "So, if we're done with sharing and caring time, I've got a few new ideas."

Well, so much for distracting his brother.