Walking slowly around the corner of her apartment in the late morning, this time bundled in her winter coat and boots, Lizzy stops when she see them packing up the shiny black car she herself has called home for a long time now. She sighs to herself. Maybe Dean was right. This felt too wrong to be the right thing to do. Everything in her is practically shoving her toward that car, pleading for her to settle into the back seat, pull out her IPod, and start planning her next prank on whoever last fucked with her.

"Cut the shit," Lizzy whispers to herself before she forces herself to keep walking. "You're stronger than this." This was the right thing to do. She had to do this. It's the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do….

She forces one foot in front of the other until she reaches the car. Once she's near them her sorrow grows even deeper and makes it much harder to manage. "Well this sucks ass," Lizzy loudly announces with her hands on her hips.

"No shit," Dean grumbles. He's been in the worst of moods all morning with the knowledge of their leaving her behind weighing on him. As the seconds ticked by and he got closer and closer to their time of departure, the ruder and meaner his attitude became. The lovely parting blow job Lizzy woke him up with that morning didn't even help lighten him up all that much. He snapped at Sam when he attempted to inform him about the hunt that they were headed to and he was even short with Lizzy when she asked if they needed anything from her arsenal to take with them.

"But it'll be ok," she quietly reminds him with a heavy heart and a hand running up and down his arm.

"I'm gonna grab something I forgot inside." Dean sulks off around the building and disappears for from sight.

"I think we're all set," Sam says to Lizzy, ready to get the miserable goodbye out of the way.

Lizzy shares a lopsided grin with Sam before walking to him and locking him in a tight hug, her arms around his neck.

"I'm gonna miss you," she admits immediately.

"You too," Sam returns, knowing she won't understand just how much her absence will affect him.

"I didn't tell him," she says to him, a hand on his opposite cheek.

"You didn't?" he asks with utter surprise. Sam assumed Lizzy would have told Dean by now about sneaking out last night and once they hit the road the firestorm that is Dean's anger would reign down on him hard.

"No."

"Why not?" Sam wonders.

"Just stop whatever it is you're doing," she asks of him. "You don't have to explain any of it or come up with any excuses for me. I don't need to know why either. Just, whatever it is… stop." Backing away he sees the sincerity in her eyes as she looks up at him. She knows whatever it was that nearly made him leave last night can't be good.

Speechless, Sam hugs her in again, this time her arms circle around his waist and Sam closes his eyes as he rests his arms around her shoulders. The guilt trip. She is so damn good at those. What the fuck does he do now?

After a solid minute, Lizzy steps back and looks up at Sam to try and read his face. He looks sick as a dog again, pale face and dark circles under his eyes. He looks young to her in the moment, like a lost, sad kid who's been told his dog died.

"And take care of yourself," she scolds like a mother. "You still look like shit."

"Thanks again mom," Sam jests. She's always on their asses about better caring for themselves. She's right though.

"Watch it," she warns with a doleful smile. "If he ever makes you insane, call me, huh?"

"Done," Sam answers as he lowers his head to drop a kiss on her cheek. Lingering by her face for a split second, he has a very remiss smile on his lips as he takes in her scent one last time before standing straight again. "Bye, Lizzy."

"Bye." Lizzy nearly chokes on the word as it leaves her lips, surprised by Sam's true sadness. He was always unhappy to part ways with her but this time it seemed harder for him. Much harder.

As Sam folds himself into the passenger seat, Lizzy sighs heavily. One down, the tougher one still to go as Dean makes his way around the apartment and heads her way. The ache in her heart nearly ends her with his miserable expression.

"You're killing me, you know that?" Dean says to her with a wrinkled face as he walks up to her.

"Oh stop. I'm not killing you," Lizzy dismisses as she snakes her hands into his coat and around his back, tucking herself inside his heavy jacket. Draping his arms over her shoulders he looks down at her.

"I hate everything about this."

"I know you do," Lizzy responds as her sadness doubles the second she presses herself against him.

"It's wrong."

"No it's not, and you'll see that," Lizzy assures. "I want to not just love you, but actually like you through all this. Don't you want me to keep liking being around you?"

"I'm ok if you don't," Dean lies while getting a smile from her. "I can live with that."

"Well I can't," Lizzy answers back with a grin while hugging him tight and pressing her cheek to his chest. She can hear his heartbeat though his many layers and it makes her feel better at the same time as it saddens her.

"Keep the salt lines up," Dean instructs. "And don't remove the hex bags we hid around. And never leave home without holy water and a weapon, ever."

"I won't," she says, just trying to assuage him.

"If anything happens, you call me right away," Dean says, turning his head under to look her in the eye. "Promise you'll call me."

"I promise," she swears and kisses him quickly. "I promise I'll keep myself super safe. You have nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," Dean answers with clear disbelief.

"And you have to do the same," she warns. "No getting majorly hurt. Or killed."

"Deal," he answers while dropping his chin on her head and hugging her in tighter. "I can't promise I won't kill Sam now that you won't be around though."

"You need to watch him," Lizzy tells him seriously. "Like a fucking hawk."

"What else is new?" Dean grumbles.

"Just… seriously, watch him. Please?" Lizzy asks up to him, her pleading eyes meeting his and he shares a confused expression.

"Sure," Dean answers, still unsure exactly why she's so adamant about keeping an eye on Sam.

Lizzy sighs while looking at him and cups his face with her hands, pulling him into a long, meaningful kiss.

"Shit, I'm gonna miss that," she complains quickly before kissing him again.

"Damn it," Dean laments when they end their kiss and he hugs her in again.

"Call me when you get to wherever you're stopping tonight," she requests.

"I will," Dean answers her.

"And call me when you need anything," Lizzy adds. "And before you go to sleep at night. And when your alone and horny. And…

"Yeah, I get it," Dean stops her. "I'll call whenever I can."

They back away from each other and Dean stands looking at her.

"The second you're ready to come back, you'll tell me?" Dean requests of her.

"Of course," Lizzy agrees.

"Ok," Dean responds while pulling out his car keys and playing with them before prying his feet of the pavement, moving to the driver's side. He pulls open the door slowly and hesitantly gets in, slamming the door shut behind him. Starting the engine, Dean screws his eyes shut with frustration.

The knock on the side window is what makes Dean's eyes fly open. He sees her looking at him expectantly through the glass and he rolls down the window.

"You forgetting something?" she says to him with an annoyed tone.

"Am I?" he asks with utter confusion.

Lizzy practically dives through the open window and attacks him, kissing him hard one last time as Sam shakes his head with a smile at her behavior.

"I love you," she tells him once she lets him go.

"Ah," Dean responds, now knowing exactly what he forgot. "Love you too."

"Ok, now you can go," Lizzy tells him while wriggling out the window. She grabs Dean's hand on her way and gives it a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

Standing in the small lot while watching the Impala back out, that pull to make it all stop is still there. Lizzy holds strong and lets them go, waving sadly as they disappear down the road. Once out of sight, Lizzy closes her eyes and puts her hands on her hips.

"Alright Cas, I know you're here," she admits, having felt his presence the second she got outside. "Come on out."

She blinks and Castiel is standing right in front of her.

"You know, you can't really look after me like you used to," Lizzy informs him. "I can sense when you're around now."

"I wanted to see how you were doing," Castiel explains. "The way we last parted was regrettable to say the least."

"I know," Lizzy concurs completely, hands sheepishly being buried in her pockets. "And I overreacted. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you."

"It was understandable," Castiel returns. "You had not had the proper time to figure out how to handle all that you are now aware of."

"Still haven't," Lizzy huffs.

"I assume that is why you are here instead of in the car with Sam and Dean," Castiel correctly deduces.

"Hey, I'd give you a cigar if I had one," Lizzy answers, letting Castiel know he's right.

"Why would you do that?" Castiel wonders.

"No reason," she gives up. Sometimes it was easier than explaining things to the angel. "Cas, I'm not mad at you, ok? I've had time to think it all over and while I think it sucks that you had to pull the whole Back to the Future crap on us, I'm glad you did. I needed to know."

"I'm happy you see it my way," he says with relief.

"And I really respect that you refused to be involved with what happened to my parents," she adds. "You've put yourself on the line for me a few times now. Just know how much I appreciate you for that."

Castiel smiles small, something he rarely if ever does.

"Now I just have to figure out how not to look at Dean with spite and I can get on with life," Lizzy truthfully tells him.

"You will," Castiel assures her.

"Damn, I hope so."

"I don't believe you are hearing me," Castiel tries again more seriously. "I am certain that you and Dean will be just fine."

Lizzy looks at Castiel suspiciously for a moment. "Let me guess; you know something I don't?"

"If you are referring to your personal strength of character and sheer devotion to Dean, then yes. I know something that you do not."

Lizzy laughs quietly with the angel's words. He really is out to help her and be on her side after all.

"Thanks," Lizzy tells him.

"You're very welcome," Castiel returns.

"Um, so… you gotta explain something to me. Why does Dean deserve to have someone made for him? Why him?" Lizzy questions, knowing she may not get a forthright answer.

"He'll need it." Castiel looks away, something he did when Lizzy was certain he was holding back.

"He'll need it? That's all I get?" Lizzy wonders with narrowed eyes.

"As Dean would say, damn straight," the angel answers with a hint of levity.

"Excuse me, but was as that a joke!?" Lizzy smiles at him with shock.

"I never joke," Castiel says with a straight face, eliciting a laugh from her.

"So what now?" Lizzy asks him.

"Now, you live on," Castiel explains. "And when the time comes for you to step up, you'll know it."

"So mysterious," she flatly observes.

"For now," Castiel returns before disappearing into the night without warning.

"And then there was one," Lizzy mutters to herself while walking towards the front of the building to head inside and start her healing process.

Once inside she heads for the living room to watch some TV and unwind for a second, hopefully without regretting her decision too much, but she stops short when she walks through the doorway. Her second hand coffee table has some items on it that she's never seen before. Walking closer she starts to identify what exactly everything is. The first thing she recognizes is the picture of her parents she found when she searched through the photos at her house. Slowly picking it up and looking closely, once more viewing her mother and father as a young, carefree, and honest couple, she feels the tug in her heart over how much she misses them. Curiosity getting the best of her, she looks over at the other items. A cassette tape labeled Led Zeppelin in her dad's handwriting, a crayon written note asking her out, a glittery pink bottle of pink nail polish, a couple hair elastics that had been in Sam's hair at one point, and a note. Overwhelmed already she takes a deep breath before unfolding the note with her name on it that is written in all caps… not doubt Dean's handwriting.

L,

A few souvenirs I took from out trip. I just want you to remember the good stuff that you've been lucky enough to have. I'm sorry life is what it is right now. I hope you can figure it all out soon and I can get you back. Won't be the same without you.

Love you,

Hot Shot

Putting the note back down, Lizzy sighs. Amazing. He's amazing. No matter what her purpose in this life is supposed to be, screw it. She belonged with him and that was a fact.

Shaking the bottle of nail polish she had used for little Lou's manicure just a few days before, Lizzy grabs her phone out of her back pocket. Quickly dialing his number, she pins the cellphone between her shoulder and ear while unscrewing the cap of the bottle.

"Miss me already?" Dean cockily asks on the other end of the line.

"You knew I'd call," Lizzy calls him out as she places one hand splayed out on the coffee table and leans forward.

"Yeah, I did," Dean admits.

"Have I told you lately how awesome I think you are?" Lizzy asks him with a cheek-breaking smile as she starts to paint her nails in the Pepto-pink and quite ridiculous color.

"Not in the past few hours."

"I love you so much," she tells him from the bottom of her heart.

"Knew you'd like it," he responds, his smile obvious on the other end.

"And by the way, when did you become such a fucking klepto…"