I wiped my knife off on my jeans and took a last look around the bar the monsters had made their clubhouse. The corpses laying around decapitated and bloodied. We had went in hot with a plan and the plan had actually went our way which was why every single one of us was walking away from this one intact. I walked over to the jukebox, putting in some change and selecting a song before turning around to find all of my newfound hunter friends giving me a puzzled look. "The booze in this place ain't going to drink itself," I shrugged, "It'd be alcohol abuse to torch the place without drinking, right?" Dean nodded his head with his 'Well she has a point,' face as I rounded the bar to start tending drink orders.

"We oughta take some of this back home with us," Sam said as I sat a beer down in front of him.

"Home?" I asked as I poured myself a shot of whiskey.

"The bunker," Sam answered, looking around at the hunters that were dragging bodies into another room.

"Ah, yes, I forget that some of us actually have normal lives and roots in a place," I let out a light chuckle before handing a beer to Jody who had sat down next to Sam.

"You could too, you know," Jody said, pointing the neck of her beer at me before taking a drink.

"I've tried the normal life, got boring real quick," I shrugged.

"God, you sound like my brother," Sam laughed.

"I get stir crazy if I stay in one place too long," I said before pouring out a few more shots for myself.

"That's because you are on your own," Jody added before speaking again, "If you had someone hunting with you, living with you, a roommate maybe, you wouldn't be so bored."

"You going to hand over Claire to be my roomie?" I questioned, giving her a raised eyebrow before downing another shot.

"Not a chance," Jody laughed before taking another swig of her beer.

"You could always stay with us," Sam offered. I shot him my best 'yeah right' face before drinking the other shot in front of me. "I'm serious," he added, "We have plenty of room. Most of the hunters we had staying with us have all found other places to live."

"I'm sure you are serious, but I'm also sure that Dean would object to your offer and I'm not about to get into any family drama," I said before excusing myself to hand out more drinks.

"Nice work today," Dean said as I passed him a shot and a beer.

"Thanks, you didn't do so bad yourself," I smiled, pouring myself a shot and cheersing him. "There is a bunch of unopened booze in the back, figured you and Sam can take it back to the bunker."

"You aren't coming back?" Dean asked as he took a drink of his beer.

"Nah," I shook my head, "I'm better off alone."

"That's a lie," Dean quickly remarked.

"What?" I gave him a puzzled look leaning back against the shelf that held the open bottles of liquor.

"No one is better off alone," Dean stated, his face every bit as serious as the words that came out of his mouth.

"I've done fine on my own," I replied.

"And after today, I don't doubt it. But take it from someone who has been where you are, just because you are getting along just fine alone doesn't mean you have to keep it that way." Dean said before turning sideways in his seat. "All these people are friends, family even, because family doesn't end with blood. I've been down so many times that I'd stopped knowing which way is up. And if it hadn't been for Sammy or the rest of them, I probably wouldn't be sitting here now." He looked around the room at the hunters laughing and talking amongst themselves. "Sometimes it's nice to know you've got people, that have your back, around."

"I guess," I said, looking down to Jody, Donna, and Sam laughing hysterically at something another hunter had said.

"Look, I'm not going to beg you to stay. I know you can hold your own. But after today, I'm starting to think it ain't so safe for any of us to be out there alone." Dean said leaning against the bar on his elbows. "Just know the offer stands."

"Thanks," I said, giving him a tight lipped smile. I knew exactly what he was talking about. Although we were all still breathing, and most of us were without a scratch, it didn't erase the fact that there were a few too many moments when I could've been dead today if it hadn't been for someone watching my back. "I'll think about it," I said before picking up a beer and tipping it towards him in acknowledgement which he did as well.

After everyone had drank all of the open liquor, I set out to handing out the unused booze to all of the hunters to take home before setting fire to the building to cover up the bloody mess that had happened there. We all stood at a great distance away from the blazing building, everyone having a last beer before hitting the road.

"So what are you doing after this?" Dean asked as he walked up to me.

"Are you seriously asking that question or are you trying to pick me up again?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Does it have to be either?" Dean retorted as he leaned against the front fender of my car.

"Well, on that note, I will be on my way," I said, chucking my beer into the fire and reaching for the keys in the back pocket of my jeans. But they weren't there. My stomach dropped and I felt like I was about to throw up as I thought the worst case scenario. Please tell me I hadn't lost them in the fight and they were currently melting in that building.

"You looking for these?" Dean asked, a devious grin on his face as my keys dangled from one of is long fingers.

"How?" I breathed out.

"Did you forget in the past twenty-four hours, how smooth I am?" Dean winked.

"Can I please have my keys?" I sighed, holding my hand out to him.

"Come back to the bunker," he said in a serious tone.

"Are you seriously trying to get me into your bed, using my keys for trade?" I asked, giving him my best bitchface.

"Would it work?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow as that smirk reappeared.

"Not gonna happen," I laughed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Guess I'll take them then," he said, placing the keys into his front pocket. "I'm sure Baby would love to have a friend in the garage," he added as he started to walk away.

"God dammit, Dean!" I shouted before taking off in a sprint after him. But he was quick to start off in a run too. I chased him as he weaved around all of the vehicles, everyone laughing at the two of us acting like children. I stopped on the passenger side of his car, he on the drivers side as we silently gave each other the stare down. I waited for him to make a move, but he didn't so I pounced, making a run for him around the back of the Impala and he ran the other way. I slipped on some stray leaves as I rounded the corner and landed flat on my back. "Fuck!" I shouted, laying there for a few moments to catch my breath.

"Shit, are you okay?" Dean asked as he rounded the corner of the car and knelt down beside me. I took this opportunity to get him, lifting my right leg up as quick as I could and hooking it under his arm. He flipped onto his back and I quickly sat up, straddling his chest, and reached into his pocket for my keys. "A little to the left," Dean laughed as I pulled the keys from his pocket. Without a word I gave his groin a light slap before standing up. He reached down, cupping himself as he rolled over onto his side.

"That's for threatening Diane," I growled as I walked away.

"Who the hell is Diane?" Dean grunted out as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"The baddest bitch of them all," I answered as I opened my car door. "A grade-A piece of American muscle," I said, trying to toss his words from the night we met back at him. I started the engine after climbing in, said goodbye to everyone, and decided I'd stay at the hotel one more night before hitting the road.

Nothing. Two hours of checking news outlets for any kind of lead for a case and absolutely nothing. I sighed, setting my laptop to the side before getting up off the bed and retrieving a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. I was just about to sit back down on the bed and start round two of research when there was a knock on the door of my hotel room. I grabbed my gun off of the table and made my way to the door with feather-light steps before peeking through the peephole.

"Sam?" I was puzzled, wondering how in the hell he had tracked me down. "What are you doing here?" I asked as I opened the door.

"Jody told me this was where you had been staying so I took a chance you might still be here," Sam said as I opened the door wider so he could come in. "I hope that's okay," he added as he walked through the door.

"I just wasn't expecting anyone is all," I answered him, closing the door behind me. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, his hands deep in the pocket of his jeans as he looked around the place. "You can sit," I told him as I sat down in one of the chairs that sat at the table in the room.

"I just wanted to talk to you before you left," Sam explained as he sat down across from me and I gave him a nod to continue. "Listen Jackie, Jody sees something in you and I have to say after today, I see it too. You are a damn good hunter, but this lifestyle can wear on you. I'm not here to give you the "we need people" speech, but it's true," I sighed, running my hand over my face and then looking back at him. "Just give me 48 hours to show you what it's like to have a family... To have someone in your corner and if you decide to leave, then I won't stop you," he paused. "As for Dean, I know he can come off strong, but there are a lot of miles of hurt under that facade and if you give him a chance, he'll be the best friend you ever had."

"48 hours?" I asked, unsure exactly what could unfold in just two days that could possibly change my mind.

"I swear," Sam said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Fine."