(A/N)-Hello boys and girls! I'm baaaaaack! With a new chapter! Anyway, big thank yous go out to all of you who reviewed, you guys are just awesome and amazing and make me so inspired to write this story, I love it. I've said it once, and I'll say it again: I do not own Supernatural. This fic and all my other fanfics are just that-fanfics. Kthanksbye. (And as always, big thank yous go to the Super-Wiki for their transcripts.) BREAKING NEWS: There's a new Supernatural season 7 promo online somewhere, it aired right after the rerun of "Mommy Dearest." If you love Cas…watch at your own risk.

When Lydia woke up the next morning-more like afternoon-, Lisa and Ben were already gone. Bobby had said that Dean came and picked them up early in the morning and left without saying goodbye. Bobby claimed that Dean just hadn't wanted to wake her up, but Lydia knew better-Dean just didn't want to say goodbye, period. That was fine by her. Dean had seemed…different. Obviously, a year living with a girlfriend and a son had changed him, but he had seemed so distant and withdrawn from not only her, but also Bobby and Sam, that she didn't know what to think.

After that, Lydia tried not to focus on it too much. Sam hadn't come seen her or Bobby since Dean had come back; he had called once and said that he was busy hunting. He had said something about a baby and asked Lydia to come and help him out, but she was already working a case with Bobby and just couldn't help. Not that she particularly wanted to-although she normally would've jumped at the chance to work with Sam, she had never liked children and tried to avoid them at all costs-but there was just no possible way that she could. But besides that, she hadn't heard from Sam or Dean. It was like they didn't even exist anymore.

That is, until six weeks, more or less, later. She had literally just walked in the door from work when she saw Sam drinking a beer in the kitchen. He smirked at her.

"Hey sexy. Just got in, I see."

Lydia rolled her eyes. "No shit, Sherlock."

In response to this, Sam stood up and walked over towards her, putting his arms around Lydia. "So, uh, Bobby's not here. How about we go back and…"

"I want to go on a hunt with you." Lydia interrupted him suddenly, staring into Sam's eyes.

Sam, on the other hand, only looked confused. "Why?"

Lydia shrugged. "I dunno. I just do."

"Yeah, but Lyd…"

"No, don't 'Lyd' me!" Lydia protested. "You said a long time ago, months ago, that I could come on a hunt with you. I'm taking you up on that offer."

Sam rolled his eyes, sighing heavily. "I was saying that to be nice…"

"Oh, so you don't think I can handle a hunt with you?"

Sam sighed. "This is ridiculous."

Lydia pushed Sam's arms off of her. "C'mon! Please? I'm sick of staying here with Bobby all the time. And I never get to see you anymore!"

"Okay, fine!" Sam snapped. "But Dean's coming too, so you're going to have to deal with him."

"Great." Lydia said nonchalantly. "I don't have a problem with that."

"And," Sam continued. "You better pull your own weight on this hunt, alright? I'm not babysitting you."

Lydia shook her head in wonder. "Is that all you think about? Sex and hunting?"

"No, I think about rainbows and kittens. And sunshine, on the good days."

"Great, I'll go get my stuff." Lydia smirked, happy that she was finally getting out of Bobby's house for once. Just one hunt, one single hunt, on the road? She'd been waiting for that for over a year.

Sam smirked and took her into his arms again. "You need 'help' getting your things?"

Lydia nodded and kissed him playfully. "Obviously. I need a big, strong man to go upstairs with me…" It seemed that Sam didn't even want to wait to go upstairs, the way he was nipping at her neck…

Of course, after hunting with Sam Winchester for a couple days, you learn a few things. The first thing Lydia learned? Waking up to find random women and Sam totally shirtless is apparently a regular occurrence.

Lydia didn't even know why she was really surprised. Was she under the impression that she was the only woman Sam was fooling around with? The answer, at least in her mind, was yes. But that first night, she had fallen asleep in the same bed as him, right next to him. When she woke up the next morning, it was early, probably no earlier than ten. She walked out of the bedroom in only her underwear and one of Sam's (huge) shirts. The sight of Sam working out, wearing very low jeans and absolutely no shirt set her hormones racing and the blood rushing to her face.

"Last night was a…high point, if you don't mind me saying." Lydia nearly froze at the sound of the voice. A woman's voice. Staying back where she wasn't easily seen, Lydia stood and watched the whole thing unfold.

"Good," Sam gave the woman a look that could've made a nun think dirty thoughts.

"All right," the woman said seductively. "Well, I see you need to start your day. Where did you say you were heading out?" Sam only looked at her impatiently, but still looking so damn attractive, Lydia had to resist flinging herself at him right then and there.

"You didn't. Right." Smiling at him, the woman continued. "Damn, you know how to play that mystery card."
Lydia felt a rush of anger burst in her chest. Bitch, if you so much as look at him again, I will snap you like a twig.

Of course, things only got worse from there. The woman turned to leave, but turned back around to face Sam when he cleared his throat and held up a wad of cash.

"Right, I almost forgot. Next time…" the slut handed Sam a piece of paper. "You can call me on my night off. If you want."

"Okay." Sam replied.

The woman turned around and gave Sam a flirty smile. "Okay." And with that, she walked out of the room.

"What the hell was that!" Lydia stormed out of her hiding place and got right up in Sam's face. "Who is she!"

Sam shrugged. "I forgot her name."

Lydia almost burst into hysterical laughter. She couldn't even believe what she was hearing. "Why was she even here!"

"I wanted sex," Sam adopted a tone that was very condescending. "We had sex. You fell asleep. I wanted more sex. I went out and got some."

"Do you ever sleep?" Lydia couldn't even wrap around her head around it. She knew that Sam wasn't exclusively hers, but still, the thought of him banging anybody else besides her made Lydia want to punch the wall.

Sam thought for a second, than said, "Sometimes. It's not really important to me. Not one of my top priorities."

"Sam Winchester, you are the biggest dick I've ever met!" Lydia didn't know what else to say. She was fuming.

Sam only winked at her. "Thank you. I know mine is big…" Before Lydia could think of a response, Sam's cell phone rang. He crossed the room and answered it. "Hey…Uh, change of plans. I need you to meet me. I'm in PA. Town called Easter." Lydia could tell immediately it was Dean on the other line. "Caught a case." Pause. "I like to work." Another pause. "Glad we hashed that out. Call me when you roll into town." Sam hung up and looked back at Lydia. "Dean's coming."

"Apparently…" Lydia, still upset, stomped back into the bedroom and started getting dressed. The last thing she needed was for Dean to find out what was going on between her and Sam. Whatever that may be. Lydia wasn't even one hundred percent what it was, either.

"Ben…I know you're lying…Because I lie professionally, that's how. Now tell your mom you broke the damn thing and take it like a man, okay? Ok-okay." Dean hung up the phone and looked up to see Sam, dressed in a suit, which wasn't all that surprising. What was surprising, however? Seeing little Lydia Carmichael dressed up in a business suit, looking at him with her eyebrow raised and a cocky look on her face.

"I see your molding the minds of tomorrow, huh, Mr. Winchester?" she asked sarcastically.

Dean, however, didn't look all that impressed. "Lydia, what are you doing here?"

"Hunting." She replied indignantly.

"Lyd…" Dean rubbed his eyelids, frustrated. "You're like 19. You're practically a kid. And this seems like a big case, so just go home, okay?" Lydia opened her mouth to tell Dean exactly what she thought of that plan, but Dean started talking again. "No, I'm serious. I'm not going to say that you shouldn't be a hunter. If you want to, fine. But just try finding a smaller case or something. I mean, have you even worked a case by yourself?"

Lydia held up her hand to silence him. "First of all, my birthday was last week. I'm 25. Second of all, I have worked cases by myself. I have been for months. And anyway, you and Sam are working this case, too. I just want to get more experienced, that's all."

Dean looked away, sighing. "Fine. Whatever."

"Okay." Lydia looked down at the ground. A year of not hunting had definitely changed Dean. Then again, a year of being in hell had changed Sam, too. Both Winchesters were completely different people than Lydia remembered.

Thankfully, Sam broke the silence. "So how'd it go?"

Dean stared at him. "With?"

"You and Lisa. How'd she take it when you bailed?"

Lydia felt a jolt when she heard that. "You and Lisa broke up?"

"No, we didn't break up…" Lydia could've sworn that Dean was glaring at her out of the corner of his eye, even though he was looking at Sam, not her. "I just told her I'd be hunting and come back to her when I could. She took it shockingly cool, actually."

"Better for everybody." Sam offered.

Dean didn't look convinced. "Yeah, I suppose. Still driving the plastic piece of crap, huh?" Dean asked about Sam's car.

Lydia looked over to Dean's Impala and couldn't help but sigh; she had only ridden in it twice, once when she was 15, and once when she had found Dean and Sam in Walgreen's. Neither were very happy memories. Still, it was a pretty car. "He's got a point, Sam. That car's got more character than yours ever will."

Dean smirked at Sam, satisfied. "Hear that, Sammy? Girl knows what she's talking about."

"What's your mileage, again?" Sam shot at his brother.

Dean only furrowed his brow as Lydia suppressed a laugh. "Shut up…"

"We should call Cas." Dean said, opening his beer.

"No!" Lydia and Sam both said at once. They had been working at the case and had ultimately come to the conclusion that the police officers that had been killed were being killed by the plagues of Egypt. Dean, of course, was ready to call Castiel and ask for help. Lydia and Sam…not so much.

Dean looked at Lydia in exasperation. "Lyd, I know how it is with old flames, okay? Awkward as all hell. But just because you don't want to see him, doesn't mean…"

"That's not why I don't want to call him!" Lydia felt her face go red.

Dean was unconvinced. "Oh yeah? Then why don't you?"

"Um…" Lydia quickly racked her brain to think of a good enough lie. "Because I don't know that he could help us with this. And anyway, Sam's prayed to the guy like a million times. He doesn't answer."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, Dean, I tried. It was the first and second and third thing I did, soon as I got topside. Son of a bitch won't answer the phone."

Sitting on the bed, Dean said, "It's worth a shot…" Dean awkwardly started to pray. "Now I pray me down to sleep. I pray to Castiel to get his feathery ass down here."

"You're an idiot." Sam retorted.

Dean kept on praying. "Come on, Cas! Don't be a dick. We got ourselves a…plague-like situation down here, and…do you…do you copy?"

"Like I said…" Sam started, "son of a bitch doesn't answer…he's right behind me, isn't he?"

"Hello." Cas said from behind the younger Winchester.

Sam looked at the angel in utter disbelief. "Hello?"

"Yes…"

Imitating Cas, Sam said, "Hello." Then, in his regular voice, he exclaimed, "Hello!"

Cas merely looked confused. "Uh, that is still the term?"

"I spent all that time trying to get through to you!" Sam explained. "Dean calls once, and now it's 'hello'!"

"Yes."

Sam only scoffed at that. "So, what, you-you like him better or something?"

"Dean and I do share a more profound bond." Looking at Dean, Cas continued, "I wasn't going to mention it." Then, Castiel looked at Lydia quickly. "Hello."

"Hey." Lydia offered awkwardly before both angel and hunter diverted their eyes away from each other.

Dean decided to intervene just then. "Cas, I think what he's trying to say is that…he went to Hell for us. I mean, he really took one for the team. You remember that? And he comes back without a clue, and you can't take five friggin' minutes to give him some answers?"

"If I had any answers, I might have responded," Cas said strongly. "But I don't know, Sam. We have no idea who brought you back from the cage…or why."

"Guys!" Lydia snapped from her corner of the room. When all eyes were on her, she said, "Cas, look, if Sam or me or whoever calls, it's probably something important. So if you could actually respond when we call you…"

"As much as I appreciate you patronizing me, Lydia, I didn't come down here because you called." Cas regarded his former lover coldly, which cut her like a knife. She hadn't said the words to be rude or sarcastic, but she supposed that's the way he took them. "I came because of this case you're working on. Although we don't know who is committing these acts, we know they were committed using one of our weapons. There's only one thing that could have brought this into existence. You call it the Staff of Moses."

"The Staff?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Cas nodded. "But the weapon isn't being used at its full capacity. I think we can rule out Moses as a suspect."

"Okay, but what's Chuck Heston's disco stick doing down here, anyway? I mean, don't you guys put away your toys?" Dean pressed.

"Before the apocalypse, Heaven may have been corrupt, but it was stable. The staff was safely contained." With a sigh, Cas said, "It's been chaos up there since the war ended. In that confusion, a number of…powerful weapons were…stolen."

"So your nukes are loose?" asked Lydia.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Cas pointed to the jar of locusts. "But you've stumbled onto one of them. We must find the weapon that did this. I need your help."

Sarcastic as ever, Sam chimed in, "That's rich. Really."

"Sam," Lydia began. "If he needs our help, he needs our help…"

Cas, however, looked totally and completely frustrated. "Sam, Dean. My 'people skills' are 'rusty'. Pardon me, but I have spent the last 'year' as a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent. But believe me, you do not want that weapon down here. Help me find it. Or more people will die." Cas looked at Lydia, his look a bit more lingering than before. "Thank you, at least, for trying to help."

"Yeah, no problem." Lydia absentmindedly started looking around the room and twirling a piece of hair around her finger. When she realized what she was doing, she kept her eyes locked straight ahead and put her finger down immediately. Dammit, Lydia. Could you be anymore of a girl…?