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Chapter 7

"Do you have any idea how long it's been since we've actually had a home cooked meal?" Addison asked as she and Allison stood in the kitchen of their old friend Chris' house.

The job had been a pretty easy salt and burn case, and since Chris' wife, Emily, was pretty insistent that they stay with them for a few days. They were helping the older woman fix dinner, and sneaking bites of food along the way. Emily laughed lightly, her graying hair pulled back neatly on the back of her head and her cherry printed apron littered with a bit of flour from the fried chicken she was making.

"I swear you're spoiling us, Emily. Two days in a row now. I don't know if I'll be able to stand diner food by the time we get out of here," Addison said and Allison smiled at her sister as she silently agreed with her. The girls could cook a decent meal thanks to Emily's teachings when they would stay with her on occasion, but they never really had a kitchen to cook in and there was only so much you could make on a hot plate in a dingy motel.

"I'm glad you girls decided to stay," Emily said, "and those boys you brought with you seem nice."

"I was wondering when you were going to start questioning us about them," Allison said with a smile as she sank onto one of the stools that rested at the island in the kitchen. Emily sent a smile Allison's way before she checked on the chicken in the kettle on the stove.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me how you met them?" Emily asked and Allison and Addison shared a look before Addison gestured for Allison to go ahead and tell her. They hadn't given Chris or Emily the boys' last name because the older couple would know who they were in an instant. Chris had come across John on a job or two when he was still in the game, before he lost his left leg in a car accident ten years earlier.

"They're John Winchester's boys," Allison said and Emily turned around and looked at her.

"Really?" Emily asked and Allison nodded in confirmation.

"We ran into them while we were in Georgia," Allison said, leaving out the juicy details, "and helped them on a job. They came with us to return the favor."

"Where's John?" Emily asked after nodding at Allison's explanation.

"Dead," Addison said. "They didn't tell us how, but from what I remember about John it wouldn't surprise me if something got him before he got it." Emily nodded in agreement before she returned her attention to the kettle. A loud ruckus echoed into the kitchen from the living room and Allison and Addison smiled while Emily sighed and rolled her eyes.

"That man usually makes enough noise on his own when he's watching a game, now add those boys to the mix and it's even louder," Emily said, trying to sound exasperated but the smile on her face gave away her mirth. "Would one of you mind telling them dinner's just about ready?"

"I'll do it," Allison said as she hopped off of the stool.

"Okay, then Addie grab me the platter of chicken from the oven and then check on those potatoes. We got to start mashing them if they're ready," Emily said and Addison shot Allison a glare, but she just grinned at her sister before she left the kitchen and walked through the dining room, where the table was already set, and into the living room. When she reached the room, she paused at the doorway and smiled as she took in Dean and Sam's relaxed postures and easy smiles as they watched the late Sunday afternoon football game with Chris. Allison wasn't even sure who was playing, but she didn't really care. She knew that with everything going on, the boys didn't get moments like that often.

"Sorry to break up the fun, but Emily said dinner is just about ready," Allison said and the three men looked at her. "I'm guessing that's her way of telling you to wash your hands and get your asses to the table."

"You know my wife too well, Allie. I won't be long boys, so, you'll want to march up there when I'm through," Chris said from his seat before he downed the rest of his beer and stood from his lounging chair. Thanks is prosthetic left leg he could walk and get around fine, but he wasn't quick enough to hunt anymore, which was why when he ever heard of anything he'd call on his old friends for help. He winked at Allison before he went into the foyer and then slowly made his way upstairs to the bathroom. Allison walked further into the room and sat down on the arm of the chair Dean was sitting in.

"So, now that the job is done when are you planning on telling me what you were talking about back in Georgia?" she asked softly and Dean sighed as he looked up at her.

"When do you want to know?" he asked her back and she shrugged.

"You can't exactly say anything around Chris or Emily," she said.

"How about when we leave here, we go to Bobby's?" Sam suggested and both of them looked at the younger Winchester. "We can explain everything there and if they have questions we can't answer, Bobby might be able to."

"Who's Bobby?" Allison asked.

"Bobby Singer," Dean said. "He's-,"

"A hunter," Allison said and she smirked at Dean's surprised look. "Our father's shared a few of the same friends, you know. However, we haven't seen Bobby since we were kids. He still running that salvage yard in South Dakota?"

"Yeah," Sam said with a grin and Allison nodded.

"All right, boys, washroom's all yours," came Chris' voice as he walked back down the stairs. "I suggest you hurry or Emily will be chewing you out for being late to the table." Sam stood then and quickly took the path to the bathroom that Chris had while Chris walked through the living room and into the dining room.

"Why haven't you told Addie what I told you back at the motel?" Dean asked and Allison looked down at him.

"Because Addie is more demanding than I am, and she would have insisted on you telling her what was going on before we did the job," she said and Dean nodded. "I told her something big was going on, but I didn't tell her that the apocalypse is looming." Dean nodded and Allison sighed as she stood from her perch and Dean was quick to follow suit as he sat his beer bottle on the coffee table. He caught her arm as she turned to walk away. Allison turned back around and looked up at him expectantly as she waited for him to say whatever it was he wanted to say.

"You did well yesterday," Dean said, his hand still wrapped around her arm. She was wearing a t-shirt in the well heated house that kept away the winter's chill, and she was suddenly wishing that she was wearing a long sleeved shirt since the feel of Dean's calloused hand against her skin was a little much.

"Did you doubt I would?" she asked, a dark eyebrow raised. Dean smirked, revealing the dimples on the left side of his face as he inched slightly closer to her and shook his head negatively.

"No, but it was hot watching you fire off that rock salt at the spirit," he said and Allison laughed lightly.

"If I remember right, you're the one that told me I wouldn't be able to handle the kick back of the sawed off," she said and Dean's smirk morphed into a smile.

"I'll never doubt you again. Especially after the way you took charge when I pissed you off. I like a woman with a little bite to her," he said and Allison nervously licked her lips. Her heart was pounding like a maniac in her chest and she was feeling light headed from the rush, but she was trying to not let it show. However, the gleam in Dean's eyes told her she was failing miserably.

"Oh really?" she asked and Dean nodded. Allison laughed lightly, feeling the sudden nervousness dissipate a bit as she shook her head. "You are too much, Dean Winchester," she said softly and he smiled before he started to lean into her, but the quiet moment between the two was interrupted by a throat clearing behind Allison. Dean quickly righted himself and looked over Allison's head to the older man who was standing in the doorway, a smile on his face as he looked at them. Allison turned around, blushing slightly as she forced a smile at Chris.

"Emily wants you in the kitchen, Allie," Chris said and Allison nodded before she pulled her arm from Dean's grasp and quickly walked past Chris and into the kitchen. Dean cleared his throat awkwardly at the look on Chris' face as Sam rejoined him in the living room.

"What's going on?" Sam asked as he looked between the former hunter and his brother.

"Nothing," Chris said with a small shake of his head. "I just want to tell you, I think of those girls like my own. I may only have one good leg, but that won't stop me from kicking you boys' asses if you ever hurt them." Sam frowned while Dean just nodded. "Go on and wash your hands, boy, Emily's getting the food on the table." Chris went back into the dining room and Sam looked at Dean.

"What's he talking about?" Sam asked and Dean looked at Sam.

"Nothing, Sammy, go sit down. I'll be back in a minute," Dean said as he started to walk into the foyer. Sam sighed quietly before he went into the dining room with Chris. Dean had almost reached the stairs when a hand wrapped around his arm. He stiffened a bit as he turned around, but before he could even react a second hand grasped his neck and pulled his head down. Allison's face flashed in front of him before he closed his eyes as she pressed his lips to hers. The kiss didn't last long, but Dean was slightly breathless when she pulled away and he opened his eyes. He looked at her questioningly and she bit her lip before she smiled.

"I didn't want to wait until after dinner to do that," she whispered and just as quickly as she appeared, she went down the foyer hall and into the kitchen. Dean smiled at her retreating back before he went upstairs, a little more pep in step as he did so.

Later that night, it was well midnight and Allison couldn't sleep. She laid next to Addison on the queen sized bed of the spare room Chris and Emily were letting them stay in and was staring up at the ceiling. Addison was snoring softly next to her and after glancing at the clock for the twentieth time in five minutes she sighed and quietly climbed from the bed. She adjusted her pajama bottoms and t-shirt before she tossed her long braid over her shoulder and made her way to the bedroom door. Once she was in the hallway, she silently made her way down the stairs. She tip toed past the wide door that led into the living room where the boys were sleeping on the sofa and the floor and went into the kitchen.

She turned on the light and walked over to the fridge. She opened the door of the refrigerator and pulled out the carton of milk before she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured the milk into the glass. Once the carton was tucked back into the fridge, she settled herself on the same stool she had been sitting at earlier and took a small sip of her milk before she sighed quietly. She rested her left elbow on the island and raised her hand to her head, resting her left temple against her palm as she looked down at her glass of milk.

"I thought warm milk was for when you couldn't sleep," came a soft, deep voice from behind her and she sat up before she turned around slightly and looked at Dean who was grinning at her.

"I hate warm milk," Allison said back just as quietly with a smile of her own on her face. Dean laughed lightly before he pushed off the doorframe and walked over to her. "Did I wake you again?" she asked as he settled onto the stool next to her and he shook his head negatively.

"No," he said. "I was awake when I heard you come down the stairs." She nodded and looked away from him and back at her glass. "Allie," Dean said and she returned her eyes to him, "can I ask you something?"

"You're asking permission?" she asked with a grin and he let out a small chuckle before he looked at his hands that rested on the island before he looked back at her.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he said.

"Okay, shoot," she said.

"Addie told us that you stopped hunting when your dad died," Dean said and Allison's smile faltered a bit. "Why did you?" She sighed again and looked away from Dean and his curious green eyes. Instead of looking down at her glass, she turned her eyes to the window above the sink and she could see snow lightly falling outside in the darkness.

"I've never even told Addie the real reason behind why I quit," she admitted before she looked at Dean once more. "Do you really want to know?" she asked.

"Yeah, if you want to tell me," Dean said and Allie sighed quietly.

"You might not like me too much if I tell you," Allis said, but Dean shook his head and reached out, taking Allie's left hand into his right and squeezing her hand encouragingly. "It was my fault our Dad was killed." Dean frowned as he felt his stomach drop at her words.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"It's a long story," she said weakly, but Dean just moved a little closer to her.

"I got time," he said and Allison took a deep breath before she slowly let it out and nodded.

"Addie was sick, really sick. She had a bad case of the flu, so, I had called Dad for help on the job we were working," Allison said. "I was starting to feel under the weather by the time Dad got there, but I had already located the witch that had hexed and killed a couple of people in town. Dad could tell I wasn't feeling very well and he tried to get me to stay with Addie while he went after the witch, but I didn't. I should have stayed behind. If I had, he wouldn't have been paying more attention to me than the witch." She hastily wiped at the few tears that fell from her eyes and sniffed quietly as she looked away from Dean.

"We had her cornered, but I fell . . . I tripped over nothing but my own feet and Dad turned his attention to me long enough for the witch to react," she said. "She killed him and I killed her a second later; it all happened in less than a minute. I don't remember much of the minutes afterwards, but I remember trying to stop the bleeding on my Dad's neck. He was gagging and I . . .I . . .," she couldn't get the words out and a quite sob escaped her lips as more tears fell. Dean was quick to react, and stood from his stool and took her into his arms. Allison wrapped her arms around him in return, clinging to the back of his t-shirt. Normally, crying women and Dean Winchester did not mix, but Allison wasn't a woman he was interviewing. Allison was different and he hated to see the pain on her face, especially since it was a pain he had felt for a long time.

"It's okay, Allie," he said softly as she turned her face into his neck to muffle her tears. "It's okay," he told her again as his left hand moved to the back of her head and his right arm wrapped around her a little further, pulling her tighter to him.

"It was the same with Kyle," she whispered against his skin and Dean frowned. "He started hunting because he wanted to be with me, and it got him killed. I'm cursed aren't I?" Dean closed his eyes at the question and shook his head negatively before he slowly opened his eyes.

"You're not cursed, Allie," he whispered and she sniffed quietly as she lifted her head and looked at Dean, her face inches from his. "It's just the job."

"Yeah, well the job sucks," Allison said and Dean couldn't stop the smile on his face as he nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry, Dean, I didn't mean to lay that on you."

"It's okay," he said as he wiped at the remaining tears on her left cheek.

"Thank you for listening," she said softly and Dean smiled again and shook his head.

"I asked. You didn't have to tell me," he said and she contemplated his words for a minute before she sighed quietly.

"Yes I did," she said and Dean tilted his head curiously. "I've never told anyone about what happened. I mean, I told Addie, but I didn't tell her how the witch got the better of him. I didn't want her to look at me differently. I didn't want her to hate me for getting our father killed."

"It wasn't your fault, Allie," Dean said firmly. "I know you think it is, but your dad made a choice and he put your welfare first. He knew what could have happened and he risked it because he loved you." She just looked at him for several quiet beats before she nodded since words failed her. Dean had no clue what had gotten into him, but he knew it had everything to do with the woman looking back at him. She made him feel different, and even though he wasn't too keen on the idea he decided to embrace it. Allison sniffed quietly and wiped at her nose before she forced a quiet laugh.

"I must look a mess," she said, trying to change the subject, and he shook his head again.

"You're beautiful." The words were out before he even realized it, and Allison blushed lightly under his gaze. Allison knew that Dean found her attractive. If he hadn't, he probably wouldn't have talked to her that night at the bar. However, the way he said that she was beautiful was different than she expected. His tone wasn't flirtatious like it had been earlier and it wasn't him laying on the charm that was natural to him. He actually meant it and a warm filling settled in Allison's chest, filling the hole that had been there for so long.

Without even really thinking, Allison leaned in and softly pressed her lips to Dean's. Unlike earlier when she surprised him, Dean was quick to respond and wrapped his arm around her once more. Allison brought her hands to his chest and slid her right hand up the soft fabric of his shirt to his face. His stubble rubbed across her chin as they kissed and she loved the feel of the bristles against her skin. She had never found the feeling pleasing before, and she knew that the reason she liked it so much now was that it was Dean whose stubble scraped against her skin. Dean's lips moved from hers and along her jaw before they settled on her neck. Allison's hand slipped from his face to his neck and she gasped at the feel of his lips against her skin. She bit her lip as she grasped the collar of his t-shirt to hold back the moan that threatened to escape from her throat.

"Dean," she whispered and he raised his head from her neck and looked at her. "We can't do this. Not now."

"What are we doing?" Dean asked and Allison sighed before she leaned in to him and thanks to the height of the stool, she could rest her forehead against his.

"You know what we're doing," she said and Dean's grip on her hips tightened. During their little make out session she had turned so she was facing him, and he was settled in between her legs with his hands on her hips. "I don't want to stop, believe me, I don't want to; but we're not exactly in the best place for anything more."

"Can't hate a guy for trying," Dean said heavily and Allison raised her head from his and smiled at him.

"That I can't," she said before she leaned in and kissed him chastely. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked with a small frown.

"Everything," she whispered.

"You already thanked me."

"I thanked you for listening, Dean, but I'm thanking you now for just being here with me," she said as she brought both her hands to his face. "I don't know what's going to happen once we're at Bobby's and after you tell us what's going on, but I want you to know that for the first time in a very long time . . . I feel whole again. I think I have you to thank for that." Dean didn't know what to say at her words, so, he did the only thing he knew how to. He kissed her.