Chapter 4

"So, the bathroom is up the stairs and to the right." I directed them as I poured myself a glass of water. Dean bolted upstairs to shower first.

Sam took the second shower gathering clean clothes in his arms and headed up. Laura tilted her neck to watch him go upstairs. "Damn." She whispered.

"Likewise." I said watching Dean as he came back down and stuffed his dirty clothes into his duffle bag.

Dean looked over at us and we suddenly found something else to look at. Dean came over and helped himself to a glass of water staring at me. His grin grew wider the more he noticed my blush.

"What?" I asked getting irritated with him staring at me.

Dean opened his mouth to say something, but Sam came down interrupting him. "Who's next?"

"Me." I set my glass down and headed upstairs. I gathered my clothes and headed into the shower hearing Laura laugh keeping the boys occupied. The room was still filled with steam as I shut and locked the door behind me my heart pounding in my chest. "Get it together." I stripped down and stepped into the hot water.

Sam was sitting with Laura on the window bench telling her stories of where they had been keeping the dark parts out of it. Dean leaned on the staircase listening to them and Dakota in the shower. He knew he had to check out Dakota's stuff to clear her of being a werewolf. Dean nodded to his brother who began to really work his charm on Laura. Dean silently slipped upstairs careful not to make as sound. From the top of the stairs was a long hallway to the right, the bathroom where he could still hear her shower and the left was an open door. Inside was defiantly Dakota's room. Colors of red and gold fabrics draped from the ceiling and the bed. Lights strung from the roof and crisscrossed the room in drooping sparkles. Candles decorated her old white wooden desk in the right corner. A mahogany bookcase nearly reached the ceiling overflowing with books on the back wall. Dean drifted over to it pulling a few from the shelves. They matched the same genre of fantasy and science fiction.

"If she only knew how real these were." Dean whispered to himself placing the books back on the shelf. A wooden weapons rack hung opposite of her full-sized bed loaded down with archery bows and quivers full of arrows. "I wouldn't want to be the one to piss her off." His words brought a smile to his face.

In the center of the room was a large window overlooking the woods and the mountains in the distance. Under the window perpendicular was her bed with a fluffy black and red comforter making the bed look warm and cozy. Next to the door stood a large mahogany dresser stuffed with clothes that were caught in the drawers. Atop the dresser were some drawing of wolves done in pencil propped up by a small easel. That's when he noticed the posters on the wall of wolves and dragons paintings hanging all over. It was like a gypsy and a nerd threw up in here. He liked it.

A bundle of herbs sat on a gold ashtray on the dresser half burnt and crumbled at the end as he lifted it to his nose. "Sage? Why is she burning sage?" His green eyes flicked to the window and there in the seal undisturbed a sort of black power. He set the sage back down and went over to the window. He dipped his finger in the powder only to find it to be very old. "What is this?"

"Black salt." A female voice said from the door causing Dean to jump and instinctively reach for his gun.

*Dakota Pov*

I leaned on my doorframe to find Dean in my window inspecting the line of salt I had kept there for years. He jumped at the sound of my voice and reached behind him. I assumed I caught him very off guard as he went for his gun.

"Jesus Dakota." Dean relaxed and let out a sigh.

"Hey, you're the one snooping around my room." I came in and went over to my desk to a small jewelry box and opened it. Inside was various items of silver and gold jewelry. I pulled out a silver chain and clasped it around my neck. My skin felt irritated and so I took it back off and replaced it with my us twine necklace with two wings and a wolf on it that. "I hope you didn't go through my underwear drawer. There's things that are not made for young naïve men in there." I winked at him and he blushed. "I'm kidding." I went to the window and inspected the line of salt to ensure that it was not broken. "It keeps the evil spirits out."

"Spirits?" He turned to me very intrigued.

"Hey don't judge me." I pushed on his chest with a smile. "I've seen several ghosts in my life and I don't care if you believe or not, but they are real."

"When did you see them?"

I opened my mouth and closed it turning away from him. "When we first moved here when I was eight or nine I think."

Dean sat down on my bed. "Tell me."

I sat next to him. "One night I was brushing my teeth and I swear to god I watched the grim reaper walk up the stairs and into my brother's room. I've swept the whole house and there was nothing. Then the ghosts at Laura's house that tried to kill us during a cleansing." I showed him the scar on the back of my right arm. "Knives just don't throw themselves you know."

Dean looked at my arm. "Damn."

"This town was an old mining down the oldest one in the county. Some souls just don't want to rest. The cleansing pushes them out and then you line the house with black salt. If the line breaks they can get back in."

"Where did you learn all of this?"

"A friend she's a wiccan. She came over to help a few years ago and then she left town."

"A wiccan?" Dean sounded skeptical.

I nodded. "Like a witch just not evil. I think her name was Missouri or something like that."

Dean laced his hand with mine and turned over my wrist tracing my heartagram tattoo. "If it makes you feel better I do believe in ghosts and other things."

His fingers sent a chill up my spine. "Like what other things?"

He was quiet for a long time. "Dark things. Things I'd rather have you not know."

I looked up at him through my lashes. "Your very protective, aren't you?"

He leaned in closer just a few inches from my lips. My heart did flips in my chest looking deep into his green eyes. His arms slid around my waist drawing me in. "It's because I- "

"Well aren't you two looking mighty cozy!" Laura snickered from the staircase with a huge grin on her face. "Dean and Dakota sitting in a tree, K-i-s-s-i-n-g." She sang.

"Knock it off Laura." I growled slipping from Dean's grip. My eyes locked on her and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby, in a baby carriage." She laughed lightly, and I launched after her. She screamed and ran down the stairs.

I slid down the stairs, leapt over the couch and tackled her at Sam's feet. "Take it back."

"No!" She laughed harder.

"Take it back." I growled tickling her.

She started gasping for air. "Never!"

"Take it back or I will spill the beans about last winter." I grinned wickedly.

"Okay, okay!" She screamed. "I take it back."

I let her up brushing my long hair out of my face.

"Well that was quite the show." Dean grinned at the bottom of the stairs.

I caught my breath looking around the room. Laura still had a shit eating grin on her face hiding behind Sam. "Just so you know Laura I will go threw him."

Sam's face changed from relaxed to panic as he slid her out from behind him.

"Come on," I said putting on my shoes. "I'm going to die if I don't eat soon." Dean opened the door for me and I headed out down the stairs towards my bike. I couldn't just by pass her without giving her a little love. I ran my hand over the white plastic over her curves. "Hey girl did you miss me?" I traced each letter of Kawasaki Ninja with a teary smile.

"Is this your bike?" Dean came over to check her out.

"Yes sir." I smiled throwing my leg over with a small wince. My bare legs were exposed from my jean shorts as they brushed up against the side of the bike giving me chills. "Once I'm all healed up I'm going to take her out again before winter settles in. She's a Kawasaki ninja Zx10. My brothers specially ordered her as a sort of birthday present."

"Is she loud?" Dean asked inspecting the bike.

"Probably as loud as the impala on idle but when you give her gas damn does she get loud." I rested on my forearms. "In truth she was to be my older brother's, but he couldn't handle her over 45 so we took a bet and I won. That's how Laura got her car. It was mine a few years back."

"Dakota!" Laura called from the porch tossing me my keys. I caught them one handed. "Start her up."

I looked at Dean and he stepped to the side of the bike watching me. "Do it."

I inserted the key into the ignition and turned the key to on. The gauges turned on and the battery lit up the odometer. I pushed the start button on the right handle and she roared to life like a monster yawning. The exhaust echoed through the forest and a smile immediately grew on my face. Laura and Sam came down the check out the bike. I got off her and let Laura sit on her.

"Oh my god I forgot how heavy she is." Laura tried to move the bike to stand flat foot. I got in front of the bike the headlights shining through my white tank top. I straddled the front and helped her lean the bike upright. "This is so cool!" Laura's grin was from ear to ear.

I sat the bike back down on the kickstand. "Anyone else want to try?"

"No thanks." Sam held up his hands taking a step back.

"Dean?" I looked over at the agent who was a bit nervous trying to debate if he should. "She won't bite."

Laura hopped down and pulled Dean over. "It's so cool trust me.

Dean listened to Laura's instruction and he swung one leg over easily being able to mount the bike. He was a little shocked at the vibrations of the engine. "Am I supposed to feel the engine through the seat?" He asked nervously.

"Well, yeah." I explained and moved over to the throttle. "It's a seat on and engine and two wheels. Not much to filter that out." I smiled at the agent. "I think she's warm enough now."

"For what?" He asked with worry painted all over his face.

I grinned wickedly. "This." I took the throttle and twisted it back towards my body. The gas flowed into the engine and the bike revved loudly echoing off the mountains. The bike moved slightly under him from side to side at the power. "Don't worry. I put her in neutral so you can redline the engine all you want and she's not going anywhere." Dean got off the bike and I killed the engine taking the keys. I gave her a good pat. "I will see you girl in a few more days."

"Why not ride it now?" Sam asked as we walked over to the impala.

"To be honest." I looked up at the taller agent. "It takes a lot of muscle to keep a bike that size with my build under control. Leaning is half the work when it comes to turns, but holding on when you open the throttle like I did in gear? She will throw you if you're not holding on right. I'm still banged up from the attack. Just getting my leg over hurts."

Dean opened the back door behind the driver seat for me. "I'd like to see you on that bike someday."

Laura and I got in the car and the gentlemen shut the doors. I quickly whispered to her. "I'd like to be on someone else in a few days."

The boys got in the front as Laura and I burst out laughing. They rolled their eyes at us smiling as Dean pulled out of my driveway steering towards town.