Hi guys! I'm so sorry for the lack of updates- I realise it's been over a year! All I can say about my unexpected hiatus is that I have been going through a lot of personal and family issues and I've been trying to balance those with my degree. Needless to say my writing has been sitting on the back burner for now. Thankfully, I have been writing like mad for the past three days and have written this chapter and the next 4 chapters. By the end of today,I will hopefully have another 3 or 4 done, which will make up for the lack of updates! For all who have been reading and have asked for this chapter over the past year,I thank you- this one's for you!

...

The following morning, Dean and Sam unwillingly took Kerry to the bus station. Neither wanted her to leave, but Sam understood her need to be away from Dean, and Dean felt he needed time from her to figure out her change in attitude towards him since she found out about his deal. Kerry hugged them both before boarding the train, noticing that Sam gave her a bigger hug than usual, silently giving her encouragement. Dean's hug was significantly less than normal, but she didn't question it, especially after catching a faraway look in his gaze. As the buspulled away, she swallowed the lump in her throat that appeared as a sinking feeling crept into her stomach, telling her that she should stay with them and make the most of the time Dean had left. Instead of reacting to her feelings, she forced her hands to pull out her notebook and, as she'd done many times so far, write down anything that could help relieve Dean from his deal. Even if she didn't see them for a while, she was going to make damned sure that she did all she could to help him.

Though she never moved from her seat through the journey, she didn't fail to notice the many glances and whispers around her whenever people saw the bruising on her neck and the bandage poking from underneath her top. Telling herself to ignore them only went so far but just as she felt herself about to snap and yell at the lady that had been openly staring at her for the past five minutes, the lady stood and slid into the seat opposite her. Surprised into silence, Kerry simply looked at the woman and the woman smiled. Not smiling back, Kerry instead frowned.

"I'm sorry but can I help you?" she asked the woman.

"No sugar, I'm afraid you can't. However, I can help you." She replied, her voice gentle with a southern accent.

Kerry raised one eyebrow in confusion.

"I don't understand." She responded.

The lady smiled, her dark skin creasing around her eyes, telling Kerry that she was older than her voice and demenure let on.

"Honey, I know how much you love that boy, but right now he is too confused to know what to think. Sure, he loves you like a brother, but very recently, other feelings are stirring in him and he doesn't know how to think or feel about what's going on. He'll figure it out before he's dragged to that evil place, that I can promise you. Just have some patience and faith and he'll come around."

With those words, she stood and began shuffling to the doors, the next station only seconds away. Kerry sat in stunned silence and as the bus slowed to a stop, she quickly stood to face the woman.

"Wait! Who are you and how do you know about Dean?" she yelled.

The woman simply smiled.

"Let's just say I'm an old friend of the Winchester boys. Always getting into trouble those men, and no regards to anything. I bet Dean still places his feet on coffee tables every time he sits down doesn't he?"

With a slight chuckle, she left the bus and as the doors slid shut, she waved to Kerry. Kerry sat back in her chair and thought about the strangeness of what just happened. Who was that woman and how did she know so much?

She was still mulling it over when they pulled in to Sioux Falls that evening. Jumping on to the ground, it wasn't long before she was wrapped in her dad's arms and she couldn't help but relax at the scent of musk and whiskey that was engrained in his jacket.

"You okay darling?" Bobby asked, noticing that his daughter wasn't as cheerful as normal.

Kerry tried to smile, failed, and instead told him about the woman on the bus and what had been said. Bobby's face creased into a frown, before he smiled and put an arm round Kerry's shoulders.

"You ask me you, must've bumped into a psychic. Probably someone Sam and Dean worked with in the past. Maybe it's worth a shot listening to her and just let things play out in their own way, whaddy'a say?"

With a sigh, Kerry nodded.

"Sure. In the meantime we can continue researching ways of getting him out of this deal, right?"

"You bet" was the gruff response.

…

Back at their motel, Dean was in a dilemma. After a shower and food, he felt restless, even though after the couple of days they'd just had he should've been pretty tired. He sat on the edge of his bed, watching Sam ass his younger brother fought off the sleep that was causing his head to drop to his chest every few seconds before jerking back up again. Usually, Dean would've sniggered, but tonight, he was too wound up. He wanted to go drinking, he wanted to find a woman to sleep with but every time he reached for his keys, Kerry's hurt face from seeing him with the receptionist would pop into his mind and he'd pull his arm back again. He wished he didn't know the reason why she reacted like that but in all honesty, he'd have to be stupid not to figure it out.

"Hey Sammy?" he asked after watching the other man's eyes actually roll in his head in his efforts to not sleep.

"Mmm?" was the sleepy response.

"How long has Kerry had feelings for me?" he asked.

Suddenly, Sam didn't seem so tired anymore.

"Why'd you ask?" he asked.

Dean sighed and once more wished he was drinking right now; it'd definitely make this conversation easier to deal with.

"I just… I don't know Sammy. Since I made this stupid deal I just can't get the thought of her out of my head. And then I went and kissed her and now it's all I think about and I don't know what to do as, God, she's a sister to me!"

Sam raised his hands, eyes wide.

"Woah, hold on. You kissed her? When?"

"It doesn't matter; what matters is I don't know what to do! She's gonna be heartbroken either way." He said, his shoulders sagging as a vision of her after he died flashed through his mind.

Sam watched his brother carefully, shocked and confused about the obvious conflict he was having.

"Dean. In my honest opinion I think you should just follow your heart. She's an adult and you're an adult. If you die then as you said it'll break her heart either way, but why deny both of you a few months of happiness just to protect her? Do what your heart tells you."

Dean sat in silence for a few seconds and Sam could see the conflict in his eyes. As he opened his mouth to say something else, Dean stood and grabbed his keys.

"I'm going for a drive, okay Sammy? Don't wait up."

Sam nodded, knowing that it was going to be a hard choice Dean had to make, but also knowing that this was probably the last time Dean would talk about it, as no doubt the elder Winchester would consider it too much of a chick flick topic. With a sigh, Sam lay down on his bed and before the door even shut behind Dean, he was fast asleep.

Dean slid into the Impala but didn't start the engine. Sam's words kept repeating over and over in his head 'follow your heart; don't deny both of you a few months happiness'. He knew his brother was right but at the same time, he was scared. Scared that Kerry would be even more heartbroken about his death if they were more romantically linked. Then there was the other problem; did he actually feel that way about her, or was it just the knowledge of his fate that was pushing him to her for comfort?

Frustrated and confused, he began pounding on the steering wheel. He needed to choose and choose soon. He just didn't know what he was going to choose.