Chapter 3

"Dude seriously?" Sam smirked at his brother as he ran a comb through his hair.

"What?" Dean was busy checking himself over in the mirror. He was wearing an old white t shirt and jeans.

Sam also wore the same attire except a white tank top and an open dark blue button up over it. He shook his head putting his brush down. "You're wearing cologne to work on a car?"

Dean stopped looking at himself in the mirror turning on his brother. "So? You never brush your hair and now suddenly you do?" Dean walked over to his dresser and slid his boots on. "What time is it?"

Sam turned the motel alarm clock to face him. "Uh around 9:45."

"We better get going then." Dean tucked his pistol behind his back where he normally kept it hidden. For once Dean was happy the case was taking a long time to solve. As long as he got to see her.

Sam grabbed his gun and did the same as his brother before following him out the door. After the years of being a hunter and dealing with the ends of the world a few times he never really got nervous. Except today. When he let go of the motel door handle his stomach started doing flips when Laura came to mind.

Dean pulled the impala up to the small cabin that stood on stilts. Trees swayed in a light breeze that decorated around the property. A white sport motorbike was parked in front of the porch staircase just like yesterday, meaning Dakota was still home. Dean's stomach flexed at the thought of her sleeping peacefully. He half hoped she was and that he would get to see her hair a mess, over sized pajama bottoms and a tank top. He liked that she still had a normal life and he wanted to share in it. He didn't want to admit it, but in the back of his mind he wanted to always come home to her like that.

"Ready?" Sam's voice snapped Dean from his thoughts.

He cleared the roughness from his voice before opening the door. "Yeah."

The recognizable groan of metal of the impala announced their presence for when the doors shut simultaneously Laura came from the back of the cabin. She wore brown hiking boots, jean shorts and a dark blue loose t shirt. Her long brown hair swayed behind her in the same ponytail she had yesterday. Laura waved them over with a smile of an angel on her face.

Sam came around the car and clipped his hip on the car.

"Dude!" Dean hissed at his brother.

Sam was stunned as he realized what he did. "Sorry."

"Get it together man." Dean walked over to Laura. "Hey are we early?"

"Yeah but Dakota has already gotten started." She led them around the house to a two car garage with a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse jacked up on one side. Inside the garage to the far left by the shop sink sat three dirt bikes on stands and a long work bench in the back. Tucked in the back right corner was a large gun safe and a smaller workbench with a tool box. A radio sat next to the tool box playing classic rock loudly. Dakota was nowhere to be found. "There's some sodas in the color or beer whichever you prefer and water too. Help yourselves."

"Where's Dakota?" Dean asked with a twinge of sadness not seeing the girl who made his heart jump.

Laura pointed down to the front of the car where a pair of legs covered in black cargo pants and black hunting boots stretched out from under the car. Dean quietly made his way over to her. She was oblivious to his presence as she laid on an old-style creeper and her white tank top exposed her stomach dusted with grease. He hooked his foot under her thigh and pulled her from the car.

*Dakota's Pov*

A foot tucked under my thigh and yanked me from underneath the car. I barely had a moment to drop the wrench and grabbed my gun from the concrete above my head. I took aim as soon as I left the underside of the car. My heart pounding in my chest in rhythm with an old rock song. I panted hard as adrenaline caused my hands to shake slightly as my eyes took him in. His black boot dropped from my leg as he wore old worn jeans and a white t shirt that I could see his muscles in. His green eyes sparkled, and a pearly white smile grew on his face seeing the fear on my own.

"Jesus," I lowered my gun replacing the safety on it. "Agent Smith what the fuck? Did you want to get shot?"

He knelt in a crouch in front of me. "I was not expecting you to be carrying while working on a car." His head gave a nod towards the car. "Thought we were to start at 10?"

I got up and brushed past him calming my nerves. I placed my gun in its holster on the workbench. "I got an early start. I um…couldn't sleep." I was having doubts about them coming over. My heart slowed, and my stomach flipped at the sight of him, but my logical brain told me not to get my hopes up.

Smith brushed my arm with his as he leaned his back against the bench crossing his arms. He was so warm. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

I shook my head the silver ends of my hair lingered on my shoulder from my ponytail. "It's alright."

"But are you?"

I looked up at him through my lashes and his green eyes were like the forests around me wild and peaceful. I bit my lip and shook my head. "I doubt I will ever be okay." My hands instinctively gripped a red shop rag. "I feel guilty. I knew better than to run off on my own unarmed and yet I still did it. And now because of it… I lost my brothers. How can I move on from that? How can I be happy knowing I got them killed? What will others think of me if they saw a smile on my face?"

He sighed and turned towards me. "Believe it or not I get where you're coming from. There are things in my past that I too feel guilty for. That I deserve every bad thing that happens to me because of it."

"You're and FBI agent, what could you have done to feel like that?"

"It was the things I couldn't prevent from happening."

"Well, that's not your fault."

He moved closer to me and I finally realized how tall he was. I had to look up at him to meet his eyes. "And neither is your brother's deaths. Sometimes things happen that we can't do anything about, but that doesn't mean you give up and stop fighting. It means you keep fighting harder to keep things like that from happening again. In time you'll see what I mean." He brushed a tear from my cheek I didn't know was there. His warm and rough hands lingered on my cheeks in a way that soothed my racing mind. "It also means you appreciate the good times and cherish the special moments."

I leaned into his hands holding back the tears. "How do you do it?"

His eyes moved from mine to look at Laura and agent Peters laughing on the other side of the garage. "I figure if my life is screwed up, then maybe I can save someone else's." He wrapped me in a tight hug. He smelled like the rain in the woods. "And I'll be right here." He whispered.

"But you'll have to leave soon…"

"Not if you don't want me too."

I looked up at him my mouth suddenly dry and my heart pounding in my ears.

"Hey, are we going to fix my car or not?" Laura called over with a huge shit eating grin on her face. Agent Peters removed his outer blue button up shirt with a smile revealing a white tank top.

I slipped from Smith's arms trying to hide the blush on my face and turned up the radio as Sweet Home Alabama came on. "Alright, let's get to work."

Smith slid under the car as I helped pull the old alternator from the top. I was on my toes and Smith sang along to the music in a wonderful voice. Agent Peters was taking instruction from Smith about changing the oil while we had the car jacked up and Laura was passing him tools. With the old alternator out I slid under as Laura handed me the new alternator from side of the car. Smith began bolting it in from the top as I held it there feeling his hands brush against mine with each crank of the wrench. I was going to need a fan soon. I was burning up hotter and hotter each time he touched my hand.

"Alright Dakota," He smiled down at me. "I think it will hold long enough for us to switch."

I slid out from under the car and he helped me to my feet. I rubbed my sore back and ribs feeling the stiffness begin to tighten up.

"Are you okay?" He asked holding onto my hand.

"Yes, Smith-"

"Dean."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"You can call me Dean and his name is Sam."

I squared up my shoulders with him and gave him a sly grin. "Alright, Dean your turn." I wiped some grease from my thumb across his cheek swiftly.

He wiped his face smearing some on the back of his hand. He ran his tongue over his teeth like predator. "So, that's how you want to play it?"

I slowly began to back up giggling uncontrollably. "Whoops." I bolted for the exit and was about to escape when Dean leapt over the cooler and caught me around the waist from behind slightly lifting me off the ground in a spin. I let out an involuntary yelp.

He began rubbing the grease from his cheek onto mine as I screamed in protest. When he was satisfied he set me down and walked back to the car leaving me steaming. I huffed biting my inner cheek staring at the way he strut his win.

Awhile later Dean and Sam lowered the car back down satisfied with their work as Laura and I watched them.

"You're not going to wash your face, are you?" She asked.

I lightly backhanded her forearm. "Shut up." My voice was laced with a chuckle. I got real quiet knowing their job was done. "I don't want them to leave."

She sighed. "Neither do I. I really like Sam. He's smart, funny, brave and I feel like I can just relax around him. I like being around him. I just can't explain it."

"It's love." I leaned back on one of the trees as they started the car checking for leaks. "Love is unexplainable. That's why it's so special."

"Are you talking about me or you?"

Dean came over wiping his hands on a red rag and Sam backed the car from the driveway. "Well, she's all done."

"Thank you so much." Laura smiled at him.

"Is there anything else you ladies will be needing?" Dean asked looking at me.

I thought for a moment thinking of any reason to keep them around. It was well late in the afternoon and my stomach began to grumble. "What about dinner? Do you guys have any plans?"

Dean looked over to his brother who shut the car off and came over to us. "Not at all."

"Great!" Laura almost sang. "How about we all get cleaned up and Dakota and I can go do the shopping. I like fresh ingredients when I cook."

"I'd like that." Sam sighed clearly hungry for a good meal.

"How about we give you ladies a ride in the impala." Dean tossed the rag on his shoulder and I noticed the black Chevy impala parked next to my bike.

"Hell yeah." I said keeping my eyes on the car.

"Then let's go." Dean said escorting us back to the house.