Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

Chapter Fourteen

Nicole woke suddenly, her senses kicking into high gear. The sun was still hidden below the horizon but the chirping of birds told her dawn was near. Adam slept soundlessly beneath her. Nothing seemed amiss but her nerves were on high alert.

Suddenly, the buzz of her cell phone on the kitchen counter broke the silence. Her abrupt awakening became clear. Careful not wake Adam, Nicole extracted herself from the couch and answered the phone, her voice low, "It's hot in Topeka."

Her dads voice was also low, "Hey, Sweetie."

"How's the hunt going?" Nicole slid onto a bar stool as she talked.

"I'm not sure. We killed one of the vamps last night, but…" Carl's voice was troubled.

"What is it?" Nicole shot a glance to Adam to be sure he was asleep.

With a heavy sigh Carl replied, "I'm not sure. We tracked one of them to a barn. I wanted to follow it to the nest but Gordon wanted to kill it then. He raised his voice, almost like he wanted it to find us," Carl sighed again. Nicole could imagine him rubbing a hand over his face and shaking his head as he always did when he didn't have answers. "I can't figure it out. Something about Gordon is wrong. The way it went down last night was sloppy. That's not the way Gordon operates."

"Do you need back up?" Nicole's eyes travelled to the closet where enough ammo to take out a demon army was hidden as the sun began to peek through the curtains.

"No, you stay there, enjoy your dance." Carl sighed again. "Just wish I knew what he was up to."

"I'll make some calls, find out what he's been doing the last few months. I'll call if I find something."
When the line went dead, Nicole debated if she wanted to call now or go back to the couch. Her mind was made up when Adam shifted, his eyes opening when he felt the missing space beside him. Confused, he looked around until he spotted Nicole by the island.

His eyes softened in the glow of the morning, "Hey."

Nicole smiled as he rolled to his side so she could sit beside him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Perfect," His voice was rough, "You?"

"Perfect." she echoed.

"Was that your Dad on the phone?" Adam asked, for a moment causing Nicole panic. She ran through the conversation, what would he have heard? Did she compromise the situation? How would she explain any of it? Then, she relaxed. If he heard anything, if he asked questions, she would tell him the truth.

She nodded and Adam propped himself up on one elbow, "Is everything ok?" His eyes searched her face carefully. Nicole knew he was getting suspicious and she had seen the worried look in his eye last night that told her he was afraid her unrest had something to do with her father. He could tell there was more to the situation than she was telling.

Taking a deep breath, Nicole shook her head, "He's working with a man that he doesn't trust. His gut is telling him something is wrong, but he can't put his finger on it."

"What are they working on?" Adam asked, intrigued.

"They're hunting," Nicole met Adam's gaze, the words on the tip of her tongue. It was just one word, vampires; it held all the truth she could possibly reveal to him. But looking in his eyes, she thought of why she was there, why John had asked her father they keep an eye out. She had to protect him, even if that meant lying. "They're hunting down a murder suspect. He jumped bail and went on the run."

Adam nodded, trusting her while she hated herself for the lies she told. Before Adam could say anything, his cell phone rang. A look at the ID and he groaned.

"It's my mom," He said, "She's probably freaking out." He gathered his stuff and headed for the door.

"Sorry," Nicole followed him to the door, sad to see him leave, glad she didn't have to explain any further.

Adam grinned, "Don't worry. I'll smooth it over. She knows I won't do anything to get in trouble so she won't be too mad once I explain things."

A quick, tight hug and he was gone. Nicole locked the door behind him before pulling out leftover Chinese and settling into a stool at the island. She pulled out her phone and began making calls.

Author's Note: So, this chapter got me thinking about lies and secrets. I wanna know, do you think it's ok to lie to protect someone? Or is honesty more important? Let me know what you think! (Don't worry, your comments won't change the outcome of the story. I'm not going to pull a Stephanie Meyer.)