AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This story is just kind of flowing out of my fingers, so expect updates from it soon.

I appreciate each and every one of you, and I hope you're enjoying it!

There will be flashbacks and more into Grace's past, but that comes later…let me build her up.

=P

WARNINGS: Language, Controversial Topics, Dark Themes, Sex, Violence, Blood

ENJOY!

****

Grace bit her lip as Dean chuckled, a little surprised at how well she handled the car and still a little weary of her driving. She wasn't incredibly used to driving, but she wasn't doing terribly and that was all that really mattered to Dean and they both knew it—she wasn't going to crash his baby, and that was what he deemed most important. Dean smiled a little and nodded as she eased off of the gas pedal, and then he reached over to the steering wheel and rested his hand on hers, both of them jumping a little bit.

He was just trying to help her and yet neither of them had expected the gesture and Dean feared for his life for a split second, but Grace was already composed. The car was back in her control and Dean's hand held hers firmly and softly, helping her to ease up on the gripping a little and then they made brief eye contact before Grace's eyes were back on the road. Grace smiled a little and Dean caught it, so he let go of her hand and he put it in his lap, Grace focused on driving.

They parked soon at the edge of a forest, and Dean made a face but he followed her out of the car. Dean wasn't quite sure why of all places Grace would have brought him to a forest, but he was willing to find out. Still, he felt like he was missing part of his old self and though not able to actually get that part of him back, he knew he had to do something—make a cheeky remark or something.

"You're not going to shank me and take off are you?" Dean asked her and caught his keys when she tossed them back as she rolled her eyes at him.

She pointed to the path. "Just walk, Dean."

"All right, but I warn you now: something jumps out, I'm using you as a shield." Dean told her, and he was happy to know that she knew he was kidding when she laughed.

"I think that's fair since I dragged you here." She replied nodding.

She started to walk down the path and Dean followed her, catching up with her and taking long strides next to her. They both felt peaceful in the silence, birds chirping around them, some squirrels scurrying around the trunks of the trees, and suddenly Grace laughed. The sound was surprisingly what Dean had been missing lately, and he looked at her, wishing he knew what to say—what to do. What was going on here? What was wrong with him?

"Am I the only one who felt for just a second that this was like some bad horror movie?" Grace asked him.

Dean laughed a little. "You're kind of quirky, I think."

"It's right up here." Grace said, smiling at him and shrugging a little.

Grace had a feeling that Dean just needed a chance to think things over and to be able to feel like not everything was against him and lead him to a clearing. There was a lake and the sun was glinting off of it, making him feel a bit of calm wash over him and he looked out at the sky. The sun was high in the sky and it was clear, a few white clouds painting the sky and Grace sat down on the ground.

She moved the hair away from her mouth as it blew across her face in the breeze, a few strands getting stuck in her chapstick as she watched Dean. He closed his eyes and felt the breeze on his skin, small goose bumps being left in the wake of the wind. Honestly he felt pretty good just standing there and then he remembered that Grace had brought him here—that she had brought him here to unwind…did he really seem that tense to her?

"Why are you doing this?" He asked her.

Grace looked up at him. "You looked like you needed it."

"So what, you're just some nice person?" He asked again, knowing his cynicism was seeping through. "I just…"

"I get it." Grace said when he trailed off, and she shrugged at him. "Look, I just think that right now we all need someone we can count on. I'm looking for your trust, you just looked like you needed to get out and collect yourself and I figured you could do it here."

Dean nodded and then it all sank in. "How long have you been here?"

Grace bit her lip at the question and she just shrugged softly—she knew it was a simple question, but she wasn't sure about it either. She'd been around looking out for Bobby for a while now she just hadn't been able to find a way to explain that. Dean just kept looking at her, thinking there was a way that he could get her to open up, but she had walls up, and he had a feeling it wasn't that easy.

"Thank you for looking after my Dad." Grace told him, not answering his question. "I'm going to let you stay here and have a few moments to yourself, and I'm going to go and wait by your car—I promise I can get there in one piece without the hero."

Dean just smiled at her and nodded, shaking his head a little in the silence because she had pointed at him when she'd said 'hero'. These days Dean didn't actually feel like a hero and as nice as it was that Grace thought he was one—even if it was just in joke—he didn't think he deserved it. Grace smiled sadly at him as she glanced at him one last time and she headed for the Impala: the Winchesters were good men and she knew it…she just didn't know how to get them to.

**

"So…she's sweet." Sam said motioning towards the door Grace had left through.

Bobby nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"I know I shouldn't even get involved but…what brings her here?" Sam asked him.

"You heard her—she's part of this now." Bobby told him.

Sam nodded and then took a breath—he was used to the men around him shutting off their emotional centers. He knew Bobby wanted to talk about it, but he didn't know how…he didn't know how because the subject of her hurt him. Bobby wasn't sure how he was going to deal with this because he loved his little girl—he loved her and he didn't want her to be a part of this.

Sam ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm worried about her going out on her own."

"So am I," Bobby admitted, "but she's a hunter—you heard her—if she wants this life, then I can't stop her."

"But you're her father." Sam told him, trying to be on his side, but knowing what Bobby knew—it was Grace's life and she was the only one in control of it.

Bobby handed Sam a book. "Why don't we talk about something more important—like maybe what happened the other day?"

Sam looked at Bobby and then took the book from him, looking at the book instead of in Bobby's eyes. Bobby was turning on his fatherly side in order to get Sam to open up to him and as much as Sam wanted to share how he was feeling he felt ashamed. He'd let demons get the better of him and he couldn't just come back from that…he'd made a huge mistake and he didn't just get to be forgiven for that.

"Come on, Boy—spill it." Bobby told him, looking at him and fixing his baseball cap.

Sam took a breath and looked at the book as he spoke. "I just…I made a mistake, Bobby. I got carried away by this overwhelming need to feed and I…I made the wrong decision."

"So you're just going to sit around and mope about it?" Bobby asked him. "Why? You could be out there redeeming yourself right now."

"How do I do that, Bobby?" Sam asked him, looking up at him. "How do I just try and move on from what I've done? I felt the power, Bobby—the rush of it—I like feeling that powerful."

Bobby nodded and Sam noticed the pain cross across his irises—he was worried about Sam and Sam was glad to have him on his side. Sam knew that no matter what he did, Bobby looked at him like a son and he was going to try and protect him the best he could. There were times that even Bobby wanted to just lay down and die, but as long as they had someone to stand by them and let them know how much they needed each other, they would never really be alone.

"Then you need to find a way to feel that powerful without the blood." Bobby told him.

Sam looked at him. "How do I do that?"

"I can't answer that one for you, Sam." Bobby said, resting his hand on Sam's shoulder and running his thumb along it, squeezing it reassuringly. "You have to figure that one out on your own, but I'm by your side, all right?"

"Thanks, Bobby." Sam smiled sadly and then he looked back at the book and then back up at Bobby as he wheeled over to the other side of the room.

Bobby looked so down-hearted, but if there was one thing about Bobby that Sam was used to, it was that little glimmer of hope. No matter what happened to them—no matter what was said—Bobby always knew that somewhere out there, there was something worthwhile to hold onto. If he didn't believe that, then he wouldn't have a leg to stand on, and he knew that he was going to have to be the strong one right now…there was just no other choice in the matter.

"They took off." Bobby said, as he looked out the window.

Sam looked up again. "Yeah? Where do you think they went?"

"I don't know, but…I trust she's safe." Bobby told Sam, nodding and smiling a little. "Besides…Dean needs a friend right now."

**

Grace rested her elbow on the door of the Impala and glanced at Dean as hr drove them back to Bobby's, her head on her hand. There were so many things she wanted to say, and yet she didn't want to push her boundaries anymore than she already had. She was already trying to weasel her way into his life more than she should, and it wasn't her place…she needed to back off.

"What?" Dean asked her, glancing at her and then back to the road and he sighed a little when she just shook her head and looked out her window. "Come on…I was kind of enjoying the way you carried yourself—your forwardness."

Grace smiled a little and looked at him. "Yeah? I'm not pushing my boundaries here?"

"Maybe a little," Dean told her with a shrug and then he nodded a little, "but honestly I'm not upset about it."

"Do you believe?" Grace asked him, nodding when he gave her a look, pure confusion on his face. "I mean do you truly and honestly believe?"

Dean licked his lips and then pursed them together, swallowing and taking a deep breath through his nose. There were a lot of ways to answer that question, but he didn't think he knew her well enough to indulge himself to a perfect stranger. Bobby's daughter or not, he wasn't sure yet if he trusted her…he was intrigued by her, and he genuinely enjoyed her company, but he just didn't feel like he could spill all of his darkest secrets and feelings to her.

"I believe in what I see." He told her with a nod.

Grace nodded, understanding the answer. "It's okay, I didn't mean to pry…for the record though? I believe in destiny, but I believe you have the ability to change it—to shape it."

"Doesn't that defeat the entire purpose of destiny?" Dean asked her, smiling a little and raising his eyebrows at her.

"I don't think so." Grace told him, laughing softly. "I think that even though the angels have been pushing for this to all happen and unfold, you and Sam have free will—we all do. I don't believe the decisions that we make are leading us down a path to some inevitable decision that they know we're going to make."

Dean nodded slowly and kept his eyes on the road, not looking at her again all the way to Bobby's. They both headed up to the house and Grace opened up the door, walking right into the other room and smiling at Bobby when he looked up. Sam threw a smile their way and then looked at Dean, who looked a little more peaceful, but still incredibly upset and Sam wondered where Grace and Dean had gone and if they'd actually been together.

He watched as Grace went over to Bobby and took her jacket off, draping it over her chair and sitting down next to him. Suddenly all of her attention was on her father and information that he had, and Sam decided to let Dean in on the hunt that he had found with Bobby's help. Bobby was filling Grace in and since Dean liked to get lost in hunts, Sam figured that this would be a good thing for him…even after the demon blood incident.

"What kind of demon? Do you know?" Grace asked Bobby.

Dean ran his hand down his face. "This looks more like Zachariah to me."

"That's what I was thinking." Bobby nodded in agreement, and Grace stood up.

"Wait a minute," Grace said shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head, "who is Zachariah?"

Sam looked at her. "He's an angel."

Grace nodded and then made a face like she should know that and took a deep breath. Bobby knew what she was going to say before she said it and he shook his head, but he couldn't stop her—she had just as much right to go on this hunt as Sam and Dean did. Neither boys wanted her to get involved with Zachariah either, but she was determined to do this and she headed outside, pulling her jacket back on.

"Don't let anything happen to her." Bobby said, trying to wet his dry mouth.

Dean ran his hand down his face and nodded. "I promise you, Bobby."

Note: I hope you guys like where this is going as much as I do, and if not, always feel free to leave your opinions. Feedback is always appreciated!