A/N: My vacation was epic! I spent a week in the woods with 6,608 other women. I can't even express how cathartic it was. Being surrounded by only women in that way is something every girl should experience. Sadly, this particular festival has met its end after 40 glorious years, but I'm sure something similar will rise up in its place. Now I'm back to the real world and back to working on this!

For those of you that are following my other fics, I apologize for not updating those. The way my brain is working lately is that I can't work on multiple stories at one time; it just gets too convoluted up there. So, I'm planning to write and finish this story before moving onto my others. But then my brain may up and change its minds again; we'll just have to see.

Another wee-bit o' citrus in this chapter, too… ye be warned.

Chapter 8

Dean PoV

As I'm shucking the corn per Remi's instructions, I realize the bare corn ears with the husks all peeled away kind of resemble swords. Okay not really, but let me have my imagination for a minute. Sammy comes out after having put away some of the groceries. "Touché Sammy! Come on! Have at you!" I poke at him with the end of the corn cob. He rolls his eyes at me and blocks the corn with his hand.

"Dean this is childish," he complains, swatting me away again.

"I fart in your general direction, Sammy! Perre and twist!" I pick the other shucked ear of corn and throw it at him. "I challenge you to a duel! Loser has to clean up after Remi's amazing meal."

"Deal," Sam agrees, flipping the corn ear around and holding it out towards me. And so it begins! We chase each other around the yard and behind the house, swatting the corn cobs back and forth, occasionally sending kernels flying into each other's faces. We're both laughing and having the time of our lives. I can't remember the last time Sammy and I just had fun like this. Probably when he was a kid and I was doing my damnedest to give him a childhood.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Bella. She shakes her head at us but is smiling all the same and then leaves us to our fun. Eventually, Sammy gets the higher ground and knocks the corn sword out of my hand and shoves his own "blade" at my chest, effectively "killing" me. Damn, I didn't think I'd lose this one.

"Ha!" Sammy exclaims. "Dishes duty is on you, bro!" He does this ridiculous little dance around the yard, corn kernels flying all about. I harrumphed at him, but really couldn't be mad. He'd won fair and square.

Bella had scolded us for making a mess during the corn sword duel, so I go upstairs to take a shower while Sammy takes the one downstairs. She's in the kitchen still when I head down the stairs, shirt in hand. When she sees me, she freezes, her mouth open. Yeah, saving people and hunting things has put a few muscles and more than a few scars on my body. Chicks dig both, and Bella is no exception.

It had been a few hours since I'd last really kissed her, so now that I've pulled her in my arms and planted my lips on hers, it feels amazing. Her lips are like warm silk. She drops the tongs she was holding and wraps her arms around my neck. "You'll be the death of me, woman," I whisper. Though it wasn't soft enough as Sammy barges in, making a crude comment about starvation and demands our attention outside at the grill.

I can't remember the last time I had a meal so good. Bella had made breakfast back in Forks and I thought that was a real treat. Now we've got the best steak I've ever had, perfectly cooked potatoes with other stuff, and corn. Sweet corn that pops juice out when you bite into it. It doesn't get better than this. But I can't think too positively because I know from experience that this can't last. Maybe me and Bella can make this work for the long haul, but maybe not. She could get killed; I could get killed. Anything could happen that would take her away from me.

And then she tells me there's pie and I know that I would do absolutely anything for this woman. I would go to the ends of the earth and beyond to make her happy. I'd do another turn in the pit if I had to for her. A look at Sammy and even Bobby, and I can tell they're thinking just about the same thing. Bella is a Winchester alright.

The pie is also the best thing I've ever had. Bella truly is a magician in the kitchen. She's said that she wants to keep cooking for us as often as is feasible. Sammy and I tell her it may not always be easy. We don't always get the "nice" rooms at motels that have kitchenettes. And sometimes we're so busy with a case that we don't even have time to eat let alone cook a meal. But she's a determined woman, I can tell, so she's going to do her damnedest to make sure we have good meals as often as we can. Hell, she'll probably try to get me to eat more green shit.

After dinner, I clear the table, having to send Bella away so she doesn't try to help. Bobby's teaching her how to properly draw a demon trap and helping her memorize the exorcism ritual. As I'm gathering the plates from the table, I can't help but feel like someone is watching me. I look up and all around but don't see anything or anyone. But nine times outta ten, when a hunter has that feeling, it's warranted. I motion to Billy to bring Bella inside and find Sammy in the kitchen, washing dishes. He is helping anyway even though I'd lost the duel, awesome brother.

"What's going on?" Bella asks.

"I felt someone watching me out there," I whisper. She immediately blushes.

"Well, yeah. I kinda was. You're not hard to look at, y'know.

I smirk at her. "Bella, I know you were looking at me. But looking at me and watching me are two different things. When I can feel you looking, it doesn't send my neck hairs standing on end and give me a foreboding feeling."

Her eyes go wide. "You think there's someone or something out there?" I nod. She starts breathing a bit more heavily as the reality that monsters truly exist sinks in. "You… you don't think he found me, do you?"

"If Edward is as crazy has he seemed the other day," Sammy says. "I don't think he'd hesitate to make himself known. And if it is him, he can hear us right now, right? Either with his actual hearing or by reading our minds."

Bella nods in agreement. She's mine, now, Fucker. Stay away, I think as loud as I can. "He once told me he could hear thoughts over 5 miles away, just about the same for his actual hearing. If you felt someone watching you, whatever it was had to be closer than 5 miles right?"

I shrug. "Probably."

"Okay, so it could be nothing or it could be something dangerous. This is… this is the life isn't it?" We all nod or say "yeah."

"I just… I just need a moment." She dashes up the stairs and closes the bedroom door. I give her a few minutes before I head up to see if she's alright. When I do, I hear her muttering to herself, only she's speaking louder than I'm sure she intends to. "Okay, so right now I'm more or less on the run from my psycho vampire ex boyfriend and his lunatic family, diving headfirst into a lifestyle that'll get me killed likely as not, there's a demon knight of hell wearing the body of my presumed dead great grandmother, and I'm falling for one of the most glorious men I've ever met, who is also very likely to get killed by my psycho vampire ex boyfriend, or Abaddon, or one of the other apparently thousands of different monsters out there. Awesome."

I knock on the door. "Bella, you okay?"

She shuffles to the door and opens it, pulling me inside and closing it again. Her eyes are red as if she's been crying, but I don't see any tears. "Kiss me," she demands. Her hands are fisting my shirt and her head is pressed into my chest. I kiss the top of her head, as she's hidden her face from me. She looks up at me, her eyes suddenly wild with desire. "Kiss me like you fucking mean it." Who am I to refuse her? I turn her around and press her against the door. She gasps in surprise but smirks at me seductively. Damn this woman really will be the death of me and what a way to go.

I take her hands and place them above her head against the door before slamming my lips into hers. She immediately moans in excitement and tries to move her hands down to wrap them around me. "Don't move your hands, Bella," I command. She growls in response and takes my bottom lip between her teeth. Dear god, that's hot. I grip her hip with one hand and cup her cheek with the other as I move my lips against hers. She's trying to take over the kiss but I won't let her. She told me to kiss her like I fucking meant it and dammit, that's what I'm doing. I then slide my arm down her neck, across her chest and to her other hip and lift her up. She wraps her legs around my waist and I carry her to our bed, throwing her onto it unceremoniously. Her eyes are half shut and she's biting her bottom lip. She had to have been a porn star in another life.

"God I want you," I whisper as I crawl up her body and find her lips with mine again.

She moans again. "I'm right here," she hisses. "You can have me." That has me pausing. We just started whatever this is yesterday, how is she ready for that already?

"Bella…" I warn.

"Remi," she corrects. "I like it when you call me Remi." She lifts her hips and grinds herself into my growing erection. Holy shit. I can't help but buck my hips into hers. She groans again. When her hands dip to her waist and start removing her shirt, I come back to my senses. I halt her movements with my fingers and slide over so I'm laying along her side rather than on top of her.

"Remi, I know you're not ready for this."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" she yells, getting up of the bed. "Edward turned me down for months. Months, Dean. I all but stripped in front of him to get him to go past first base and he never did. Not once. And now you're rejecting me, too. What the fuck is going on? Is something wrong with me?"

"Whoa there," I reply. "I just told you that I want you. That hasn't changed. I do. Very much. You're incredibly sexy, more than you can even know. But we just started dating or whatever this is yesterday. Less than 24 hours ago to be exact. Don't get me wrong, I plan to have you six ways to Sunday, but not until you're ready. Being upset about the situation you're in is not a reason to do this, Bella. You're looking for a way to escape the emotions you're feeling and this is not it. Trust me… I know. Also… If I wanted only one night with you, I'd have done that already."

She huffs out a breath as if releasing tension and sits down on the bed, facing away from me. "Thank you. You're right. I'm not ready. But dear god it'll be good when I am."

"Mind-blowing, I'm sure," I agree. I scoot forward and kiss her shoulder. Bringing my hands up, I rub soothing circles into the back of her neck and across her shoulder blades. She leans back into me and releases a contented sigh. "Now what do you say we go back downstairs and help Sammy and Bobby find something about this Abaddon knight of hell bitch, eh?"

She agrees readily and takes my hand as we leave the room and head downstairs. I can't believe I just cock-blocked myself… When we get downstairs, Sammy eyes me suspiciously. Clearly he sees that I'm not up to my old tricks with women. Bella isn't the kind of woman you love and leave. She's a keeper, and I intend to do just that, and it'll probably get me killed, but hell it'll be worth it.

Bobby and Sam both have their noses in different books with others piled near them. "So, anything yet?" I ask.

"Yeah, here's something," Bobby says. "It's in Latin, so the translation is rough, but it says something about the 'skin of the knight.' I wonder if that's in regards to the meat suit? Er, Sorry Bella… the lovely human woman she's possessing."

"No worries, Bobby. What about the skin of the knight?" Bella queries, not offended or hurt by Bobby's crass use of the word Meat suit.

His eyes go back to the page. "Well, I think it says that apart from angels, there are two other ways to gank a knight of hell. One is to bear the mark of Cain, no clue how one would go about getting that… or to be 'of relation to the skin of the knight.' Best guess is that apart from being Cain, the only way to do it is to be related to Abaddon's vessel. And we just so happen to have her great grand-daughter right here."

"No," I state. "No way. Bella is not ready for this."

Bella shoves my shoulder. "Um, excuse me, ass-hat, I think I can decide for myself what I am or am not ready for. Yes I'm 'green' but that doesn't mean I can't do anything. Besides we don't even know how to go about ganking her yet, all we know is that I have to do something. It might be as simple as reciting a spell or incantation, right? Or it could be as dangerous as having to walk right up to the bitch and get up in her face. We don't know yet. So before you go passing judgment on what I can or cannot do, why don't we get all the facts first?"

I sit down, feeling scolded. Bella kills that feeling by taking over my lap. I wrap my arm around her waist and rest my other hand on her leg. She covers it with her own, giving it a nice squeeze, letting me know she's not angry with me. "So, Bobby. Does it say anything about what to do when you've got a relative of the meat suit?"

"Well not exactly," Bobby replies. "Unless we take it literally. It says, 'skin of the knight touches skin of the blood relation.' Maybe all you gotta do is touch her and she'll smoke out or even die. We can't know for sure. It doesn't say kill, it says save, but back in the day, those two words were just about the same. But I think it's referencing saving the vessel not the demon. I only hope your granddad hasn't stabbed her with anything yet or that Abaddon hasn't done anything to harm the vessel she's in."

Bella gestures for Bobby to hand her the book and she skims the part where he was reading, her delicate fingers, following the lines on the pages. "You speak Latin?" I ask.

"Well no one really speaks it, but yes I can read it," she answers. "My mom was on a Catholicism kick when I was a kid and decided to send me to Sunday school and Latin lessons. I actually found the Latin lessons interesting, so I kept up with that, but the being Catholic business lasted for about two masses and then we were atheists again. So according to this, all I have to do is touch Abaddon and recite this incantation. Hand me that pen, would you?" She says to me pointing at a pen on the table. I hand it to her and she proceeds to write the words on her inner forearm. And then on a sheet of paper. I see her lips moving, but she utters no sound, likely worried about what would happen if she said the words aloud with no Abaddon to hear them. Smart cookie.

Bella PoV

I read through the Latin words and commit them to memory. Writing them down helps, so I repeat the words over and over until I can say them in my head without consulting the book or my writing. Dean is rubbing soothing circles into my back and along my leg while I memorize. What would have been a distraction if Edward was doing it, actually helps now. I can recite the words to the rhythm Dean has created with his thumbs and it makes the memorization easier. He's being more helpful than he probably realizes. I really should stop comparing Dean to Edward, though. It's rather like comparing an orange to an apple. They're both fruit, but that's where the similarities die. In this case, they're both male… though the fact of whether or not Edward actually had a penis remained to be seen; I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Dean has one since I felt it grinding into me earlier. Mmm, that was nice. He was right to stop, though. My body wanted to continue, and part of my mind as well, but I truly am not quite ready. Besides, I always preferred oranges anyway.

Hours go by and we're still combing through the tomes looking for any alternate methods of ridding the world of the last Knight of Hell, but we're coming up short. "What about that place Henry told us about in his letter?" I ask. "He said there were 'stores of information' there. Maybe we'll find more about Knights of Hell, or at least how to slow her down to the point that I can touch her and get her out of my grandmother."

"That's not a bad idea," Dean agrees. He glances at his watch. "Should we head out at first light?" Everyone readily agrees and we make our way to our respective bedrooms. I'm suddenly nervous. I mean, I wasn't ready a few hours ago, so I'm still not now, but that doesn't mean I don't want Dean to hold me close, kiss me, and touch me in places I've never been touched. Nor does that mean I don't want to do those things to him.

Dean leads me up the stairs and towards our shared bedroom. "Would you… would you prefer if I slept in a different room tonight?" he asks, his eyes downcast.

"What? No! Why would you think that?"

"Well, you look like you're about to jump out of your skin with how scared you are. I don't want you to be afraid of me, Bella."

I shake my head. "I'm not afraid of you, Dean. I'm nervous, not scared. You were right before about me not being ready. I'm still not, but that doesn't mean I don't want you to touch me, or hold me, or kiss me." He looks up and searches my eyes for the truth behind my words. Satisfied, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me soundly. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and jump up so he can carry me into the room. I can feel his growing arousal against my core and it's all I can do to keep from rubbing against him. His hands are kneading the flesh on the back of my thighs and up to my butt. He squeezes gently, causing me to moan.

"Your ass is incredible," he whispers against my lips. "Just thought you should know." I giggle and nod my thanks, kissing him more. I hear him kick the door shut before he walks over and gently lays me onto the bed. Quite different from how he threw me onto it earlier. This isn't animalistic need. This is just two people showing affection for one another. "You have to tell me what you want," Dean breathes.

"Shirt. Off," I rasp. He sits back and pulls his shirt over his head, revealing his muscular chest and those heavenly biceps. My hands automatically shoot out to grip his upper arms and I groan when I feel the muscles underneath. This is nothing like Edward. Yes, he was muscled, but his entire body was hard like granite. Dean's gives when I squeeze. Even though his body is hardened with muscle and scars, it's still pliable and human.

"Can we take yours off?" he asks, playing with the hem of my shirt. I nod and he slowly pushes it up my torso and over my breasts revealing the white lace bra underneath. "Dear god, Woman," he groans, leaning down to kiss my chest just where the bra begins. "It's sexy lace, but innocent white. What are you doing to me?" I make a mental note to not let him see my matching lacy boy-shorts. He might just lose control, and while I'm sure sex with Dean will be amazing, I'm not quite ready for it. I raise my arms above my head, so he can push my shirt the rest of the way off. Then his mouth is back on mine before trailing sweet kisses down my neck and across my collar bone. He kisses downward some more and then lifts his head to look at me, silently asking for approval. I nod.

He then takes his hand and kneads one breast gently, running his thumb across my nipple through the fabric. No one's ever touched me like this and it's fucking wonderful. He then pulls the fabric down ever so slowly and reveals my pink peak. Groaning again, he lowers his mouth to it and takes the pebbled tip into his mouth. I can feel his tongue swirling around as he lightly sucks on me. "Perfection," I hear him whisper, though I'm not sure he means for me to have heard it.

When he moves to offer equal attention to my other peak, I nearly lose it. "Lay down," I tell him. He complies, releasing my breast and laying next to me. First I pull the lace back over my breasts, then I move so I'm straddling him, but I lean over, pressing my torso to his. He groans again. "I… I just wanted to feel you against me. Skin to skin like this," I say. He nods and pulls my face down to kiss me. Then his fingers are fisted in my hair while I'm propped up above him. My center is directly over his now prominent erection and I can't help myself, I grind downwards. He bucks his hips into me, hitting me right where I need him. "Oh, Dean," I gasp.

Before I realize it, he's flipped us over and is hovering above me, his pelvis thrusting against mine in the most delicious manner. I wrap my legs around him, locking my ankles and grip his biceps with all my might while he sets a relentless rhythm. He's grunting and groaning and calling out my name. I pull his face to mine so I can feel his satiny lips again and he thrusts his tongue into my mouth. I can feel the muscles in my body tighten as my release is coming on. My first ever orgasm and it's from Dean Winchester. Thank you god!

He moves away from my lips and buries his head in the crook of my neck, groaning and moaning all the while. "Oh Dean," I say louder, gripping his shoulders tight as he thrusts against me. "I think I'm… Oh Fuck!" I yell as the sensations reach a peak and then explode, making my whole body alight with pleasure. I can feel it from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes. His groans get louder and louder until he yells out my name and then stills, dropping his weight on top of me.

I'm running my fingers up and down his back as he catches his breath, loving the feeling of the after-effects. "Wow," he finally mutters. "Who knew I could come that hard from dry-humping? You're amazing." He kisses my neck, igniting a new fire in me.

"Well, I have no basis for comparison, but it was pretty incredible for me, too."

He pushes himself up with his arms, so he can look me in the eye. "Wait a second, are you telling me that was your first orgasm?" I blush, bite my lip and nod minutely. "Wow. Bella, I…. holy shit. If I'd known that was going to be your first one ever, I'd have I dunno… made it more special?"

I shake my head. "Nonsense, Dean. It was special. Because it was with you. I thought it was fairly obvious when I told you Edward never went past first base that you'd realize I'd never… done anything else."

"Well yeah, with him, but there could have been boys before him that got you there, or you could have done it yourself." He waggles his brows at me.

I shake my head again. "I never really noticed any guys before Edward; or at least, they never noticed me. And I'm not the type to um… do that myself." He frowns thoughtfully. I understand it's something guys do daily pretty much, or even multiple times a day. But considering there was no one that I even wanted to get my rocks of with until Edward, then I never even tried. Besides, I didn't want to do it myself, I wanted Edward to do it. And now… I want Dean to do it. All the time. Always.

"So what you're saying is… all your pleasure belongs to me?" he asks, his eyes dancing with joy.

"Yessirree," I reply. "What's wrong with wanting you to own all my pleasure, Dean?" He growls at me then, like actually growls at me, and crashes his lips into mine. This is more like our make out session from earlier… animalistic and hungry for each other. His hand reaches up between my breasts and undoes the clasp there. I have never been more thankful for a front clasping bra. It falls open, my peaks spilling out. He grabs one roughly, thumbing the peak until it hardens under his ministrations. I grip and scratch at his back and shoulders while he nips and sucks at my breasts. I feel like I'm about to fall over the edge again and he's nowhere near that spot.

"Oh Bella, you're so beautiful and sexy… I can't get enough," he whispers against me. The warm breath of his words washing over my skin. I half-decide to just tell him to take my pants off and have his way with me, but the smallest part of my conscious thought tells me it's too soon. I know it is, but damn it I want him more than I've ever wanted anything. "We should stop," he says, moving up to cover my lips with his again. "I can tell you're at a place where you're about to say fuck it, and fuck me."

I take a few deep breaths to calm my nerves before replying. "You're not wrong."

"Oh I want it, Bella. I want it so bad I can taste it, but we're going to wait," he assures me. "You'll know when you're truly ready. There'll be no hesitation, no second thoughts, we'll both just know when it's right." I nod in understanding. He rolls off of me and holds out his t-shirt. "You're so sexy in my clothes, babe. Mind wearing my shirt again?" I giggle and take it from him.

"Actually, I need more of that balm stuff on my tattoo," I say before pulling his shirt on. "You could use some, too. Mind helping a girl out?" I pull my arms out of the straps of my bra and toss it on the chair in the corner of the room. He groans again, even though my breasts were on full display for him already. Now I'm completely totally topless, which is apparently even more of a turn-on for him. Smirking, I turn over so my back is exposed and wait for him to bring over the salve.

I feel the mattress dip where he sits next to me. Then I hear the balm canister open before he spreads a generous amount across my still tender flesh. It's starting to scab more and itch in some places. The salve and Dean's fingers soothe the itch and the tenderness. He leans down and places a few sweet kisses on my neck and along my shoulder. I then sit up, pull his shirt on, so as not to continue torturing him with my nakedness and take the salve from him. He turns so I have better access to his chest and I gently rub some salve on his tattoo. His eyes are burning into mine the entire time, which they have every time I've done this, but now… now we're at a different level in our relationship. Now he knows he can just lean forward and kiss me if he wants. And so he does. "I love the feeling of your hands on me," he says. "Even if it's something as mundane as putting salve on my tattoo. It sends shivers up my spine."

"Likewise, tiger," I agree. "Shall we hit the sack so we can hit the road in the morning?" He nods and stands up so we can pull the covers down. I shimmy out of my jeans and join him in the bed. He wraps me up snugly in his arms and within minutes we're both out for the count.

A/N: I know I said Dean's B-Day would be in this chapter, but then my mind went a different direction, so my apologies for that… Also, I think it'd be cool for the day they discover the motherload/batcave to be his birthday. It'll be the best gift ever, and I think Dean would agree. ;) So next chapter'll be the reveal of the bunker and Dean's b-day and some more info on how to ice Abaddon.

And… Dean felt someone watching him because there was someone… and we'll get a hint as to who that was in the next chapter as well. (once again it's NOT Edward) Feel free to leave your guesses in a review!

Additionally, I am on twitter, FYI. Look for me as wrenwriter or Wrenegade. I don't tweet much, but mostly because I don't have many followers… if I had more, I'd tweet more :P