The Winchester boys re-entered their "Uncle" Bobby's, both toting brown paper bags (Sam held a two-liter along with his) that damn near dripped diner-food-residue onto the hardwood. As soon as the door opened, they were met with the sounds of laughter- Pamela's light-hearted half-cackle, and another unfamiliar, feminine laugh. They knew it had to have been Lory's, but neither of them had really heard her laugh. The most either of them had heard out of her was a sheepish giggle, but this particular laugh was bubbly-bold, though light in tone and pitch, and it incited a slight grin from the youngest Winchester. It would soon fade.

"See? She's happy here, already," Dean mused with a triumphant smir, completely obliterating the moment.

With a warning tone, Sam cut his eyes at him, "Dean…"

"You're right, no big decisions on a empty stomach, huh?"

With a clap on his brother's back, Dean led the way into the party.

"What did we miss?" he asked with a sideways smile, glancing between Pamela and Lory.

"Oh, nothing," shrugged the older of the ladies before they both repressed slowly emerging giggles.

"I see…" he nodded, giving Lory an overtly suspicious look, but in a tone that would conceal his demeanor from the sightless Pamela.

The girl simply shrunk back, lowering her head like a reprimanded puppy.

"Well, hope you guys are hungry," Sam piped good-naturedly, rusting the bags a bit, "We've got enough food here for an army of linebackers."

"Where's Bobby?" Dean asked suddenly.

"Bathroom," Lory nodded in her meek way, still avoiding his eyes.

Placing his bags in Sam's already loaded arms, he bounded up the stairs without another word before he could acknowledge his brother's protests. Leaning against the hallway wall in front of the bathroom door, he waited impatiently, arms folded across his chest. When the door finally swung open, Bobby jumped back a little in start before adjusting his cap and nodding to the younger man.

"Might want to wait a couple minutes before you go in there…"

"No, I'm good, Bob. Walk with me. Talk with me."

Not awaiting an answer, his long arm swung over Bobby's age-rounded shoulders.

"Uhm, 'kay…"

"Not that way," he said, spinning them to face the way opposite the stairs. "So how are things?"

"Good… You okay, son?" he asked more out of concern than politeness.

"I'm great… You gettin' on with Lory okay?"

Arching an eyebrow, the older man replied, "She's a sweet girl…from what I can tell from knowing her thirty minutes. You know, this hallway is a bit too cramped for two full-grown men to be standing widthwise-"

"I need you to tell me what she's been saying to Pamela," he said in a grave, flat tone.

"What? Why?"

"Have they been talking about me?"

"…You been sniffing glue?"

"Have they?" Dean urged relentlessly.

"I wouldn't know! I've been up here with the mud guts for 'bout the last ten minutes. What's it to you? …Dean, what did you do to that girl? You knock her up?"

"What? No! Listen, you're not going to believe this…But…Sam just told me that she told him she's…"he paused a second, gathering the strength to continue, "in love with me…"

"Hmm, really? Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" he asked indignantly.

"She was just in a mental hospital, why would she go and latch onto a nutcase soon as she gets out? What is wrong with you? And Sam told me how you've been picking on that poor girl-"

"Oh, God, not you, too…" he sighed, "Listen, Bobby, this girl makes me uncomfortable. From the very first moment I met her, she has. And now a little over a couple weeks has gone by and she's in love with me? Tell me you think that this is even just a little fucked up, " he rambled desperately.

"I think that sweet, innocent girls fall for guys who drive big, badass cars and carry guns, all the time- even when I was your age."

"Bobby, the way she looks at me- it's freaky. It's like she's penetrating my mind…. She HAS before. I'm just… I'm not comfortable around her. I have trouble sleeping in the same room with her. It's like I can feel her eyes on me."

"I think you're reading way too far into this…Dean, it's a crush. Women like you. You're a goodlooking kid. It happens. I'm positive she's not thinking about holding you down and have her way with you, all right? I still don't understand why you're letting this bother you."

"I don't expect you to. Nevermind…" Dean sighed dejectedly. "Forget I said anything."