Author's Note

Hey guys! Yes I'm posting chapter 2 within hours of chapter 1. I am actually finished through chapter 3 so I wanted to give you all another taste of the story. I hope you all enjoy!

Special thanks to Megera!

The cheeseburger was exactly what Anya needed. Licking the last drops of grease off her fingertips, she had no shame in eating every last bite.

When everyone finished their meals, they filed into the living room.

The room was set like many of Phil's hideouts: spacious, wooden flooring and complete with a gaping fireplace. Dean and Bobby were sprawled out on the couch facing the fireplace and Sam sat on the loveseat next to the fireplace, taking the place in, while Anya opted to sit on the floor.

"So how many of these cabins does your father own?" Sam wondered aloud , still examining the room, down to the last crack in the wall.

"Several," Anya followed Sam's eyes across the room. "He was as big on his privacy as he was with his secrets."

"Well, it seems like a normal cabin to me." Dean pointed out.

Anya turned to him.

"Of course it does." she smiled mischievously and stood. She slipped out of her converses and walked barefoot on the creaking wood to the bookshelf that was on the far side of the room.

"You're kidding." Sam said as she halfway pulled a particular book from the shelf.

The shelf made a distinct pop sound.

"No way." Dean let out.

"Way." Bobby said gruffly.

All Anya could do was turn back to the boys and smile.

She flipped the shelf around and the other side was revealed.

Hunting gear.

Everything from michettes and several types of pistols and shotguns, to crosses.

Dean immediately bolted up from his seat; his mouth in the shape of an 'O'.

"It's like...an episode of Scooby-Doo!"

Sam just kind of stared at Dean.

"Well, I mean with less creeps in costumes and more badass ghost hunting crap," he finished lamely, clearing his throat and adjusting his jacket.

Then he looked at Anya.

"You're dad… was awesome." He said simply.

Anya shook her head and stepped back so that Dean could fully see the stash. Sam got up as well.

Dean took one the michettes from its holster and practice his swing in slow motion.

"So you're dad has a stash of weapons in every hideout?" Sam walked over and admired the guns.

"Kind of. Some have reliques and ancient items. Have no idea where he got them from though."

Sam jerked to face her.

"That's… insane. You've got to show me some time."

Anya just smiled, happy that they liked her enough to think of a "next time."

"Alright boys, don't get your panties in a twist." Bobby said standing.

Dean stopped and Sam turned.

Everyone was looking at Bobby now. And Bobby was looking at Anya.

"So, are we gonna pretend that our conversation out there didn't happen?" Bobby asked.

Anya's face remained unreadable. She knew Bobby would bring this up again. She knew that his silence during lunch had been due to her announcement while they were outside. She waited.

"After you left…. I knew in an instant that he wouldn't want the same fate for you, Anya. It's just plain stupid for to think that you can go out and find some vamp and not get yourself hurt."

Dean set the michettes down and stepped in between the two.

"Wait, what?" Dean looked from Bobby to Anya.

Anya stayed stubborn, her mouth drew a thin line and she crossed her arms.

Dean decided to speak again.

"No. Nope, not a good idea." he shook his head and rested his hands on his waist.

Anya's eyes shot to him.

"I don't recall asking for permission from any of you." she said lowly.

Sam then stepped forward.

"We're not trying to control you, Anya. It's just… he could be anywhere by now. He could've found another nest. And what would you do then?"

"Improvise."

"That's the same bullheaded talk that has your father's corpse in ashes in his own backyard!" Bobby shouted.

Everyone looked at Bobby in surprise. But his eyes were fiercely glued to Anya. He wasn't backing down, and by the looks of it, neither was she.

She took one large step forward so that she and Bobby were face to face. She swallowed any quivering that vibrated in her throat.

"Screw you." she said said clearly and stingingly.

With that, she turned on her heel and headed to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Well that went well." Dean sighed, running a hand over his short hair as Bobby went back to the couch and shrunk down to the seat.

He covered his face with his hands and hunched over.

"So she wants to… find the thing that killed her father. Sounds familiar." Sam attempted weakly..

Dean turned to his brother.

"That was different-"

"Why? Because we're men and she's a woman?" Sam interrupted.

"-Because she's alone, Sammy. We had each other at least." Dean finished.

"You sure that's the reason you're hesitant, Dean?" Sam gave him a look.

Dean crossed his arms defensively.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means, man." Sam said dismissively.

"No, no. I don't know, Sam. Enlighten me-"

"Dean, you've been ogling her since we got here." Sam accused.

Dean, uncomfortably acted as if he didn't know what his younger brother was talking about.

But it was true. When he first saw her, he was attracted on a normal Dean-ish level. She was gorgeous; petite, curvy stature, exotic caramel skin, wild curly hair. But the more time he spent with her, the more it wasn't just about her looks. Besides,he knew Bobby would rip him apart if he tried anything. Bobby had already said that she was like a daughter to him, afterall.

Dean instinctively turned to Bobby who was eyeing him suspiciously.

Awkwardly, Dean laughed it off.

"H-He's joking." he waved off the thought.

Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Either way," Bobby began, deciding to ignore Dean completely,"I can't let her go off and do something that's gonna get her killed."

Both men were silent in thought.

Then Sam's head shot up.

"I have an idea."

Anya paced around her room for a minute before setting her arms on the window pane. She had always been a somewhat simple girl. Even when she was younger and her father stressed that she make the most of their life by adding decorations to her rooms, but she didn't know what to do with it. All she knew she wanted was a window, just in case life got too hard. She had always been able to sneak off late at night and meet with the occasional friends she would make as they crossed from town to town. She knew it would've been easy to just slip into the night and live a different life, but she had stuck through it all. Through the nights when her father wouldn't come home, or when he would find his peace and the bottom of a bottle after a really hard case.

Through it all. She never left.

Her sweaty hands clenched on the dusty window pane, coating her hands with a sticky grime as a sickening feeling in her stomach slowly began creep throughout the rest of her body..

The knock on her door flung her back into reality. She whipped her head around, ready to take on her intruder.

Dean poked his head through.

"Hey, uh, can we talk?" He actually seemed nervous, maybe even a little concerned. Is this the Dean Winchester her father had told her about? Those stories became less and less believeable with each passing moment.

Anya turned her head to face out the window again, feigning disconcern. She heaved in a deep sigh and released with a nod.

Dean stepped in and closed the door behind him.

Anya turned and sat against the window pane with her hands on either side of her.

"Bobby still butt hurt?" she seethed.

"Hey now, Bobby's just worried about you. We all are."

Anya let out a snort.

"You don't even know me."

"Yeah, maybe not. But I know Bobby and anyone he cares about this much must be worth it."

Anya stopped and eyed him. He was as handsome as he was strong willed. He cared about Bobby, just as she did.

"What do you want, Dean?" She sounded tired.

"To help."

Anya waited for the follow up. Dean continued.

"You wanted to find the son of a bitch that killed your father. Been there, done that. I'm all for it."

Anya stood up a little.

"You are?" she asked a little surprised.

"Hell yeah. That bastard needs to pay and no one deserves the right to chop his head off more than you."

Anya smiled. The hunger began to rage again inside her. She swallowed its bitterness.

"-So we'll leave first thing in the morning."

Anya's smile faded.

"We?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes. You, me, and Sammy."

"You've got to be…. NO!" Anya shouted.

Dean rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Anya tried to ignore how his muscles flexed.

"Why not?"

"Because! I don't know you two! You come into my house and just think you can tell me what to do? Like I'm gonna be the sidekick to the Winchesters? I've heard about your sidekicks! Where are they now?"

"Look, would you calm down," Dean tried to reason, ignoring the twinge of pain Anya's last question caused. "It's nothing like that. You're looking for a guy who doesn't want to be found. Who is probably shacked up in another nest as we speak. You think I would want to take on that many by myself? There's safety in numbers."

Anya was silent for a moment; embarrassed by her outburst. Dean did nothing to deserve that reaction. But was it really her fault that she was on edge? She wasn't equipped to handle all this pressure.

"Besides," Dean added, "If I recall we did a little more than come to your house."

Anya sighed and ran her fingers through her jet black hair. She then looked up at Dean who was studying her intently. She suddenly felt self conscious.

"Ok." She whispered, not taking her eyes off him. He didn't look away either.

"Ok? What does that mean."

Anya bit her lower lip.

"It means… ok… I'll… team up with you."

Dean held up his hands playfully.

"Don't do us any favors." He joked.

She absentmindedly hit him and laughed.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I'm not usually this… explosive-"

"Hey, you've got every reason. Besides, you haven't seen Sammy on a bad day. He's hell. I mean that as literally as I possibly can. The whole Lucifer deal….." he trailed off noticing the look of confusion and amusement causing a slight crinkle around Anya's eyes. She was trying not to laugh. Dean cleared his throat casually and tried for a smile.

Jeez was he handsome.

"How will we find him though?" she asked.

"You remember what he looks like, right?""I could never forget."

"Well, we've won with less. We'll find him. And I'll leave the ass kicking to you. Now, let's grab a beer or five."

She smiled as Dean turned to leave. She followed but not before turning and taking a long thoughtful look at her window of escape.

It was hard to be quiet with the cabin resting in dead silence.

It was 4 a.m. and the sky was still blanketed in night air as Anya tip toed across the room. She pushed as many clothes into her duffel bag as she could. It seemed so surreal that she was attempting to do the very thing that she had never been able to do after all these years.

She was running away.

But was it really running away? She was, after all, extremely grown. Would it be politically correct to say that a 26 year old was running away?

She didn't know or care. She did know a couple of things though.

She was a loner. Her father had been the same. Which was why they worked so perfectly together. But now that he was gone, she couldn't see herself working alongside other hunters.

She wanted to do this herself. It was a strong fit of pride that anchored her to leaving. She had to avenge her father, and the only way to fully avenge him was to do it completely and totally on her own.

She liked Dean. She had been drawn to him from the very beginning, andshe was almost positive he felt the same tether. And she knew more than anyone that any type of feelings would lead to disaster. Whether it be her ending or his. Besides, she wasn't ready to pursue or strengthen any feelings if they were to go on this case together.

She was great a running from her problems. She'd done it all her life. And the Winchesters… Bobby…. theywere a problem.

Anya pressed her hand to the doors and slowly opened it with the other. She peeked through the door and saw Dean and Sam sleeping on the couch and loveseat. She was sure that Bobby was in the other guest room. She gazed at the two brothers for a moment.

Despite her father's beliefs, Anya realize how good they were from just one afternoon. They may have made mistakes, but they showed up with Bobby. They were willing to risk their lives to help Anya get her vengeance.

As she closed the door again, she realized the 5th thing she knew. She couldn't risk anyone else's life for something she had to do. She had lost her father and refused to lose these three, too. She'd only just met the Winchesters and they had already done and offered to do so much for her. Risking their lives at this point would be just damn selfish. No more blood would be spilled on her behalf.

Anya grabbed her short, black leather jacket and slipped on her converses. With a small push, she lifted the window with only a little squeaking in the process. She reached for her duffel bag and tossed it out the window.

She then crossed one leg over the window. Taking one last look at the closed door and quietly thanking the new friends she'd made, she crossed the other leg over and hop out. The drop was barely 3 feet so she felt the ground almost immediately. She then turned and closed the window back.

Grabbing her duffel bag, she quietly jogged to her car, her father's 1970 Dodge charger. She climbed in and started it.

It took a minute for her to put it into gear. She sat and stared forward. She saw the pyre were her father's ashes were. The pyre that, after 6 beers, she sat and spoke to deep into the late hours. She had told her father of her plans to leave. Of her past wishes to. She told him everything that she had been afraid to tell when he was alive. Now, she could drive away and let all the regret she had had would flow away behind her.

She reversed the car and spun it until it faced away from the house. And with one last look in the rearview mirror, she sped off, leaving nothing but dust in her wake.

Dean woke with a start. Though he was a little disoriented, his ears had always been spot on, even when he was asleep. Definitely a trait he got from his father.

This time, he knew he had heard the screeching of tires. He stood and wiped his eyes, mentally trying to conclude what the noise could've been.

He looked over at Sam, fast asleep in the loveseat. It was almost humorous how a giant like him was trying to fit in that small loveseat. But Dean had won rock, paper, scissors fair and square. Sam was doomed to the loveseat. Though in all honesty, Dean would've let Sam have the couch if he could've gotten Anya to share her bed with him.

A mischievous grin appeared on his half-asleep face.

Damn she was beautiful… and feisty. Dean couldn't help but be attracted to that. He saw a lot of himself in her. Her hunger for vengeance, her sarcastic humor, her love of… pies. Her body was curvy but in shape, her lips were full, and her smile, despite how rarely she showed it, was stunning. Yes, she was beautiful… She was…

Dean's eyes widened….His focus finally went back to the sound that had awoken him.

Screeching tires.

"Shit." Dean hissed as he ran to her room. He burst through the door and, just as he'd feared, Anya was nowhere to be found.

A feeling of betrayal and disappoint formed in the pit of his stomach.

He turned and slammed the door shut. She tricked him. She had planned to leave as soon as she said 'ok'.

"That little… Sam get up!" Dean shouted slapping his brother on the shoulder.

Sam snorted and jerked awake.

He looked everywhere and then at his older brother as he rushed to put his shoes on.

"Dean… what's?-"

"Anya. She's gone." He grumbled.

Sam sat up further and looked at his phone that was on the coffee table. It was 4:30 in the morning. No wonder his mind wasn't computing.

"W-What?" Sam asked again standing up. He was confused on what to do.

"She's gone Sammy! Wake Bobby, I'm going after her."

"Dean…" Sam tried to reason.

Dean grabbed his phone and began searching for his keys.

"Swear to God if she took my keys-" Dean grumbled as he searched frantically.

"Dean!"

"WHAT?" Dean jerked around to his brother.

"She's gone, Dean. Where do you think you're gonna find her? She's a hunter. Once she's gone, she'll know how to make sure we don't find her." Sam reached in his pocket and pulled out the keys that Dean had forgotten he'd given to him.

Bobby then opened the door to his room.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Bobby asked sleepily.

"She's gone, Bobby." Dean admittedly guilty.

Bobby looked at both boys and then looked at Anya's door.

"Balls!" Bobby shouted shutting the door to get dressed.

Dean followed suit and grabbed his wallet off of the coffee table.

Sam, calmly ran his hands through his hair.

Bobby hopped out of the bedroom, trying to put his right shoe on.

"Guys! She's gone!" Sam shouted finally.

Bobby and Dean stopped. Bobby finally got his shoes on and, enraged, walked up to Sam.

"What did you say, boy?"

Sam looked around and sighed.

"Look, Bobby, I know that she's like a daughter to you and everything but…." He sighed again, "She's a big girl. And she's made her decision. She doesn't want our help. And we can't force her to."

"Sam, she has no idea what she's up against-" Dean started.

"She's a hunter Dean. Has been for years. And I know you think that it was different because we had each other, but what if we hadn't? What if it had just been you to go against the demon that killed dad or mom? You think you would've stopped just because there's 'safety in numbers'?" Sam reasoned.

Dean shook his head incredulously.

"I don't care, Sam. Because there IS power in numbers! I know it, you know it, she knows it, those freaking bloodsuckers know it and they sure as hell aren't gonna let her forget it!" He was grasping at every piece of logic he could, his worry bleeding through his anger. "It's too early to lose her, Sam!" He shut up, trying to ground himself. He'd gone overboard. Stop it, Dean. Stop...

"She's made her decision guys," Sam said softly, taking in a very lost-looking Dean. "I mean we could try tracking. With Cass, I'm sure it wouldn't be impossible, but the decision was ultimately-

Bobby looked out the window, defeat overcoming him.

"She made a igit decision." he grumbled.

Dean looked at Bobby in surprise.

"So… you're ok with this all of a sudden?!" Dean shouted.

Bobby quietly snarled.

"What would you suggest we do, boy? Track her on the GPS we don't have or cross every inch of this world trying to find a hunter that doesn't want to be found?"

"You heard what Sammy said about Cass!" Dean snarled, falling into unfocused rage again. .

"In case you HAVEN'T noticed, your little winged boyfriend hasn't exactly been quick to respond to any of your other little calls, so yeah! Cass will make all of this right!" Bobby was used to matching Dean tit-for-tat when his temper got the better of him, but the boy was grasping at invisible straws.

"I just pray to God she knows what she's getting into," Bobby rubbed his head and turned to go back to the bedroom, "I'm glad she got away from you anyways, loverboy." Bobby called from behind his back.

Sam looked over at Dean and tried not to laugh.

Dean looked around guiltily and crossed his arms.

"W-what in the hell is that supposed to mean, huh?!"