A/N: Sorry this one took so long, guys! The chapters will be coming out quicker from now on, I'm getting into the groove now. Also, from now on the story won't say what time it is. This is to make time feel like it's going slower and also to give it a sense of urgency (like it's taking too long, what's going to happen now? or something). It will also be switching between Sam and Alice and Dean and Mel story-wise.

Please review, it really motivates me!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SAM OR DEAN WINCHESTER THEY BELONG TO THE WRITERS OF SUPERNATURAL. THE OCs, HOWEVER ARE MINE.

Mel walked ahead of Dean, her stride giving away the irritation she was trying to suppress. She had met some annoying guys before, but this one took the cake.

"Silent treatment, huh? Good try, sweetheart, but this isn't a punishment, it's a friggin' gift." Dean commented from a little behind her. In all actuality, it was annoying him that she wasn't saying a word. He liked arguing with her.

"It's not a silent treatment." Mel replied briskly. "It's more like I don't feel like wasting words talking to you."

"Wasting words? Seriously? You have some balls talking to me like that after all of this."

"After what? You getting us away from that ghost? Oh please, I could of done that myself with my eyes closed."

"Keep talkin', all I hear is bullshit. It's your damn sister's fault we're in this mess. No wonder she's going to bite the dust, she's so accident prone-"

Mel stopped abruptly, Dean almost slamming into her. Her eyes were filled with cold fury. "What did you just say?"

"She didn't tell you?" Dean's eyebrow raised. He finally had something over her.

"Tell me what? Spill. Now."

He shrugged. "Guess she thought it wasn't important enough to tell you. Sorry."

Mel closed what distance was left between them, hands clenched into fists. "If you like that pretty face of yours, I'd spill."

Dean smirked slightly. He liked how close she was. "Alright, you asked for it. See, my brother's got this psychic mojo thing going on and he saw your sister die. Today. We're the only ones who can stop it, so if I were you, I'd start sucking up."

Mel's narrowed and fury-filled eyes widened slightly, fear replacing the anger. She shook her head slightly, trying to hide the emotion. "No. You're lying."

"Not something I'd lie about, but whatever. Believe what you want, it's still gonna happen if we don't gank this bastard before he gets her." His want to annoy her was fading fast, as his own emotions convicted him. If he were in Mel's situation and Sam was in danger, he'd want all the help he could get. He sighed slightly. "Look, don't get me wrong, I still hate your guts, but I'm willing to help. I know what it feels like to be responsible for someone.."

Mel's eyes met his with a scrutinizing look. She didn't trust this guy, not at all, but she would need him if she was going to save her sister. Knowing she might regret it, she made the tough decision to trust him. "Okay. We'll play friendly until this is over, pretty boy. So watch yourself." She turned and started walking again.

Dean grinned slightly and tried to lighten the mood. "So you think I'm pretty, huh?"

Mel glanced back at him with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Maybe, but don't push your luck."

Dean chuckled. He was actually starting to like this chick. He hadn't noticed before because he had been too busy hating her but damn, she was hot. 'Hot and feisty...good combination.' He thought. He picked up his pace so he was walking next to her. Mel turned her head to glance at him and he swore he saw a slight smile. Maybe being stuck with her wouldn't be so bad after all...

Sam stood in a room strewn with old papers and folders, sifting through them with a thoughtful expression on his face. Alice stood on the other side of the room, going through the pile over there. She looked at yet another useless paper and sighed loudly, causing Sam to look over at her.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"It's my fault we got separated from them, you know." she said, eyes suddenly interested with the floor.

Sam looked concerned. "No, it's not. They would of seen us even if-"

"Even if I hadn't of been a klutz, yeah right. You know it's true, Sam, you're just too polite to say so. I screwed up and now the odds are against all of us."

Sam let out a sigh. "Look, don't be so hard on yourself. Mistakes happen on hunts all the time. At least we have a slight advantage."

Alice stiffened slightly. 'Does he know?' she thought, scared. "What advantage?"

Sam hesitated, a little confused by her body language. 'Why is she so tense all of a sudden?' he asked himself before speaking out loud. "I just meant that it's a good thing we split up the way we did. You and Mel know all about Wellons and Dean and I know all about the asylum. So both groups have the whole story."

"Oh." Alice sighed in relief. "...I guess that's true. It doesn't change the fact that I'm terrible at this job." Her nerves were making her blurt what she had been holding in for so long: her doubts about herself.

Sam put down the papers he had been holding and took a few steps toward her. "You're not terrible, Alice." He tried to reassure her.

"You barely even know me, Sam, how can you say that? I'm always screwing things up. If it's not one thing, it's another. It's been that way my entire life." Her voice lowered. "I just wish it would stop..."

Sam was quiet for a moment, than said, "I feel that way sometimes, too."

Alice finally looked up from the ground, a little surprised. "What? No, you've got it all together. I can see it, you and your brother both."

"Trust me, we don't. We're far from having it together. Listen, this life...the way it is, no one ever has it together. Screwing up is a given.. I'd know, I've been doing this my whole life."

Alice's eyes widened. "Your whole life?" she asked, barely a whisper.

Sam nodded, a deep sadness in his eyes. "So don't feel bad, okay? It happens to everyone."

She looked down, memories lingering on the old days where she was ignorant to the monsters that prowled the earth. Her heart hurt to think that Sam hadn't even had a normal life before hunting. 'How does he survive?' she wondered, then, realizing, 'How am I going to survive?' Sam's gentle hand on her shoulder brought her back to the present.

"We'll be okay." he said, sounding sure, a slight smile on his face.

Alice inwardly scolded her heart for quickening its pace as she looked up to meet his eyes. She tried to smile. "Okay." she said, not looking very convincing. She had one other thing on her mind: Mel.

She couldn't help but worry that, with Mel's short temper and Dean's tendency to insult her, Mel would lose her temper and snap. Mel hadn't snapped in years, but she was bound to do it again sometime soon and snapping could be fatal- for both her and Dean. Sam removed his hand from her shoulder, his smile fading. Something was wrong, he could tell. Her whole demeanor gave away the nervousness and fear she was feeling. He couldn't help but be suspicious of her.

She was definitely hiding something.