"Hey man."

Sam looked over his shoulder at Dean. "'Morning."

"What you doing?" Dean rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand as he sat up in bed leaning his back against the padded headboard.

Sam sat hunched over his laptop at the small table near the front windows, his six foot five frame far too large for the petite chair. A faint clicking noise floated on the air as his fingers moved across the keyboard.

"Um, just checking out some leads Bobby sent me."

"Dude, don't you ever just rest?"

Twisting his torso so that his upper body faced Dean while he spoke, Sam said "What? I just rested for nine hours."

"I'm not talking about sleep Sam. Why don't you go out? Try meeting yourself a girl. Get laid."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Don't start that shit again." He turned back around to his computer. "Anyway, how was your night? I was surprised to see you here this morning."

"Good."

"Good? That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it." Indicating that the topic was closed, Dean rolled out of bed and sauntered to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

When he returned to the room Sam had prepared coffee from the small packets left in the room by the motel staff. He pointed the pot out to Dean.

"Ah, Sammy. You're a good man."

"I know." He smirked.

Dean poured himself a cup. He took a loud slurp and then smacked his lips in appreciation.

"What's your plan for today? Sam asked.

"Right now, none beyond lunch. Reagan wants you to come to lunch with us."

"Reagan? Unusual name. She wants me to come?" Sam asked with bewilderment.

Dean pulled out a fresh set of clothes for the day as he responded, "Yep, she wants to meet you. I tried to tell her she would be disappointed but she wouldn't listen."

"What time?"

Dean looked up at Sam and blinked. "You know, I forgot to ask. I better call her."

Using Sam's computer, Dean searched a phone directory to find Reagan's telephone number. She sounded a little breathless when she answered, as if she had dashed to catch it when it rang.

They spoke briefly, Dean feeling awkward having Sam overhear the conversation. He was never at ease with his brother witnessing his softer behavior, which Reagan seemed to elicit.

Deciding upon noon at Mom 'N Pops, Dean closed the cell phone with a snap.

"We're all set."

When they entered the restaurant, there were only two other customers both of which were not Reagan. Sam went ahead to get a table while Dean waited in the foyer. He stood in front of the double glass doors looking out at the town. Quick moving patches of clouds were crossing in front of the sun causing the day to shift between warm sun-drenched blue and a gloomy overcast.

A gray sedan pulled into the parking lot and Dean felt again that flurry of excitement as he spotted Reagan behind the driver's wheel. Stepping out and swinging a handbag over her right shoulder she walked swiftly to the doors, which Dean was already holding open.

She beamed at him when she approached and lifted the sunglasses she was wearing to sit nestled in the hair atop her head. Dean felt the interior of the restaurant suddenly fill with warm sunshine which seemed to have followed her in. She was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans which had the beginnings of a hole in one knee. The ends of the legs were frayed and little white strings dangled on top of her shoes; the same scuffed leather shoes from the night before. Her shirt was deep navy blue with a v-neck and sleeves that ended just before her elbows. The shirt fit snug against her body and Dean appreciated the way it accentuated her breasts.

"Hi."

"Hey there." Dean wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against his hip as he brushed a kiss across her cheek.

"Sam's already got a table."

"Good. I'm starving!" Her eyes widened and she bit her bottom lip.

Dean led her to the booth with his hand lying softly against her lower back. As they drew nearer, Sam stood up to greet them.

"Reagan, this is my little brother Sam."

"It's nice to meet you Reagan." Sam held his hand out in a gentlemanly fashion.

Reagan seized his hand in both of hers as she smiled. "It's wonderful to meet you Sam. It's funny to hear him call you "little brother." You're so tall." She dragged the last word out in amazement.

He gave her a friendly smile. "It's a blessing and a curse. Shall we?" Sam's hand extended to the table, inviting her to sit.

When she turned to slide into the booth, Sam looked at Dean and raised his eyebrows in approval. Dean gave him a knowing smirk. A sense of pride swept through him.

Once she was seated, the boys took theirs; Dean sitting next to Reagan and Sam across the table. Dean was very aware of Reagan's presence as their thighs and arms faintly touched in the cramped space.

"Well, hello there Reagan."

All three faces turned to look at the waitress who had bounded up to the booth. A lovely redhead was smiling in greeting, a stack of menus in her left hand and a pitcher of sweet tea in her left.

"Hi Robin. How are you?"

"Can't complain. Who are these friends of yours?"

Reagan introduced Dean and Sam as college friends and then explained, "Robin and I were childhood classmates."

"That's right. Any embarrassing stories you want to know about Reagan, you just ask me." Robin winked at Dean and he gave her an accepting nod.

She turned to look Sam directly in the eye. "And if you want a tour of the town, I'm your girl."

Sam stared wide-eyed at her for a moment. Then he blushed as he fiddled with his silverware on the tabletop. Dean and Reagan both snickered.

"Are you guys ready to order?"

Dean looked at Reagan to let her know she should speak first.

She didn't even hesitate. "I'll have your chicken and dumplings platter with a side of okra, a side of buttered carrots and some potato wedges. Oh, and a large water please."

"Mmm…that sounds delicious. I'll have the same." Dean grinned at Reagan before turning to Robin with his order.

Sam placed his order, after which Robin gave him a wink before turning away and he again blushed.

He turned towards the couple in front of him. "Dean, it seems you finally found someone who has an appetite to match yours. I never thought it would be someone so small."

Dean laughed and stretched his arm out along the booth behind Reagan's head.

She laughed too and unashamedly said, "Hey, real girls eat what they want."

"Nothing wrong with that." Sam acknowledged.

They were smiling at each other and Dean was overcome by a sense of happiness. Seeing the person he cared most about in the world, his brother, forming a friendship with the girl he was falling for made him elated in a way he'd never thought possible. And he realized in that moment that he was falling for Reagan. Throughout the last year, he had continuously thought of her despite their brief encounter. Now, with her by his side, the notion of leaving her made a wretched burn creep through his upper body.

"Dean?" Tearing himself away from his musings he looked from his brother to Reagan. Both were staring at him with apprehension.

"Yes?"

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"I'm fine. What were you saying?"

Sam's shoulders relaxed. "Reagan was just telling me how she kicked your ass at mini golf." A grin spilled across his face as he leaned back in the booth, spreading his long arms along the back of the seat.

"Aw, now, I don't know about that." Dean passed her a disbelieving look and Reagan giggled as she nudged him with her shoulder.

Robin returned with their food and Sam watched in wonder as Dean and Reagan both attacked theirs greedily. The conversation was light-hearted throughout their meal. Sam asked Reagan what she had studied and they discussed academics. Dean prodded until Sam admitted he had attended Stanford. Impressed, she gave a low whistle. In turn, Reagan told Sam about her childhood in the small mountain town, a little of which Dean had already heard but certainly didn't mind hearing again. He could listen to her stories all day.

Sam mentioned, "We stopped at the visitor's center yesterday and I spoke to the volunteer there…"

Reagan interrupted, "Judy."

"Yes, Judy. According to her, there aren't any legends around here which surprises me. Most of the mountain regions we've passed through are full of folklore."

"There are a couple of legends." Robin had walked up to the table and joined the conversation. "The older residents just don't like to encourage them for some reason."

She made a move to sit on the bench beside Sam and he slid over to accommodate her, a little shocked at her at-home conduct.

Reagan nodded in agreeement. "Yes, there are some. I've read about them. After all, history, ya know, is my thing." She placed her hand to her chest as she spoke in a mocking know-it-all tone.

Robin giggled. Neither girl noticed that Dean and Sam were not laughing. They both slightly tensed and glanced at one another.

"Like what?" Sam asked.

"There's the story of the Hinton Light." Robin stated.

Reagan nodded but her earlier mocking attitude had diminished some. "Yes. Out Highway 235 there's an old railroad station. Hinton station. Supposedly back in 1867, a freight train was on a trestle over a swampy area of land near the station. There was a flagman in the caboose. The caboose became uncoupled from the rest of the train. The engineer of the train didn't notice and went ahead while the caboose was left behind. Suddenly, the flagman noticed the lights of a passenger train coming towards him on the tracks very fast. He waved a lantern to try and warn them but it was too late to stop. The train hit the caboose and the flagman was decapitated: his head flew into the swamp on one side of the trestle and his lantern on the other."

Dean and Sam were listening intently, their faces in scowls. They didn't like where this was leading.

Reagan continued, "They never found his head. The flagman's body was buried without it. Ever since then, he has appeared, searching for his head. Groups of people have gone to see him. A light appears at the station but as it draws closer to the trestle, it bursts into a brilliant, burning light. Those that look away, run home in fear. Those that do not look away from the light…well, they disappear."

There was silence around the table when Reagan finished the tale.

"When is the last time someone disappeared?" Dean spoke softly. Reagan turned her head towards him and thought for a moment.

"1978 I believe. No one has been brave enough to try since."

Robin shooed the thought away. "So silly. It's just a fable that's been passed down by parents wanting to keep their kids from playing on the tracks. Those tracks aren't even used anymore."

"I believe it." Reagan spoke firmly but quietly.

Dean turned back towards her and their eyes met for a moment. "You do?" he asked.

"Yes. I…have my reasons."

Robin, who seemed not to have noticed their intensity of their conversation, shifted the mood by asking, "So. Do you guys want anything else? Pie? Coffee?"

Looking around at one another, they agreed that they were full. Sam handed Robin some money and told her to "Keep the change." She tossed him another flirtatious smile and thanked him before bouncing away to the kitchen.

Together, the three of them made their way out of the restaurant. The clouds had dissipated and the sun shone down warm on their skin. Dean enjoyed the feeling as he leaned back against the Impala. He crossed his bronzed arms across his chest where they glowed in contrast with his white tshirt. Sam sat lightly on the hood while Reagan leaned against the car parked next to them, facing Dean.

He admired her in the bright sunlight, realizing he'd never really seen her in it before. It hadn't been that light the previous morning when he ran into her at the newspaper stand. Her blonde hair glistened; her skin looked creamy with just a hint of tan. The freckles across her nose stood out a tiny bit more and he could also notice a light splattering of them along her arms. He loved the way the navy color of her shirt matched her eyes. Regardless of Sam being there, he longed to sweep her into his arms and taste her.

She placed her fingers in the pockets of her jeans and cocked her head to the side. "So what are we gonna do now?"

A peel of laughter rang through the car as Reagan tossed her head back against the seat. "So you put super glue on his beer bottle?"

Sam was laughing too but Dean scowled, "Yeah, it was real funny. It took me three days to peel off all those tiny pieces of fucking glue."

"Well, Dean, you did do some pretty mean stuff to Sam." Reagan admonished.

Dean pouted. "He deserved them."

She just laughed harder.

When she had calmed down enough to talk she said, "That was a lot of fun guys. It's been years since I've been to an art museum. Thanks for taking me."

"It was our pleasure." Dean gave her hand a squeeze, where he was holding it in the center of the front seat.

He really hadn't wanted to go but when she suggested it, how could he refuse? Sam had loved it and it was nice to see his brother and Reagan bonding over a mutual interest. She had laughed at Dean's apathy towards the art, not bothered at all by his "un-cultured ways", as she called them. She placated him by giving him passionate kisses when they walked into empty rooms away from the other patrons and Sam. It was sneaky and exciting and Dean had to use all his self control not to take it further.

"I was thinking I could treat you guys to dinner and a movie." Reagan commented.

Sam piped up, "Thank you so much Reagan, but I think I'd like to head back to the motel. I want to check up on my emails. Dean, could you drop me off?"

It was such a flimsy excuse but neither Dean nor Reagan argued because they were hoping to be alone.

Arriving back at the motel, Dean said to Reagan, "I'm just gonna grab something real quick. Be right back."

He ducked out of the car and followed Sam inside.

"Hey thanks man. And if anything comes up, call me right away. Okay?" He was already turning back towards the door as Sam nodded.

"Dean?"

He looked back at Sam.

"She's pretty great."

Dean gave him a smug look. "I know."

Reagan reminded Dean that she needed to pick up her car from the restaurant where they had left it after lunch.

When they were standing in between their cars, Dean again leaning against the Impala, he asked, "So where am I taking you to dinner?"

"Oh no! I said dinner and a movie were my treat." Reagan put her hand on his chest and pushed lightly.

Dean grabbed her wrist and pulled her up against his hard chest. She didn't struggle to back away. Instead, she leaned her body into him and wrapped her arms around his neck while he held her waist.

"Sorry, but I can't let a lady buy me dinner."

"Psssh. Stop being so old fashioned. Besides, who said anything about buying? I am going to cook dinner for you."

Dean raised an eyebrow at her and smiled before he covered her lips with his.

Author's Note: I do not take credit for the legend. According to a website I found, it is a real NC legend. I only changed the ending a little bit.