A/N: Hope you are all enjoying the story. It may be a few days before my next update so if you need a fix check out the one shot (Savior) I posted last night.

A/N: As always Tessa belongs to my twisted mind but the boys and their world belong to Kripke.

"So it's settled then. I'll ride shotgun with the boys. This way Dean can finish filling me in while Sam catches a few more hours sleep in back. Bobby, you and Ellen will follow in the truck." Sam looked as if he wanted to argue with that scenario but couldn't quite figure out how.

"I have to get a few things from my car and I'll be ready to go." Tess knew the boys carried plenty of weapons but she was always more comfortable with her own gear.

"Sammy, why don't you go check the supplies, make sure we don't need to restock anything before we hit the road. I'll go see if Tess needs a hand with her stuff." Dean knew they were fine but he wanted a few minutes alone with Tess before things got out of control.

As he walked up to her car he watched her slip a shoulder holster over her black t-shirt. Into the empty holster went her Rossi .357. From there she clipped on the Walther 9mm snugly into the small holster that sat at the small of her back. A black leather jacket went over both, concealing them from sight. She bent over and untucked her jeans from her right boot. Next she slipped a wicked looking four inch blade into the custom sheath that he hadn't noticed was concealed in the boot. Just when he thought she had to be done she pulled her jeans a bit higher, exposing what he couldn't help but admire was a very shapely calf. He shook his head in amazement as she strapped on the rig that held, by the looks of it, two extra clips for the 9mm.

She stood up and turned to him with a sly smile. It was then that he noticed her slipping the small blade sheath under the front of her t-shirt. As she bent over to reach back into the trunk he slipped up behind her, bending over her as if to help.

Her body responded instantly to his closeness and her breath caught. "Dean, someone will see." She made a halfhearted attempt to pull away. She could feel his breath on her neck as he whispered to her. "Oh my God Tessa, that had to have been the sexiest thing I have ever seen." His body pressed against hers left no doubt to the truth of that statement. A quick elbow to his ribs had him skittering back from the car.

"Don't go starting something you can't finish," she snickered evilly. "I think I have everything I need. Is everyone ready to go?" She looked past him to see Sam slam the trunk of the Impala.

"Seriously, Tess, when did you start carrying enough weapons to make Rambo jealous?" He slipped around her to inspect the remaining weaponry in the trunk. "And what the hell," he held up the modified paint ball gun, "is this?"

Tess took the paint ball gun from his hands and placed it back into the trunk before closing and locking it. "First," she said as she started back towards the group, "when you hunt alone you learn to be prepared. You have Sam watching your back but usually it's just me out there. " She stopped and turned to him. Indicating her boot she said, "Iron." Tapping her chest, "Silver". She started walking again, "The Rossi is loaded with standard rounds and the 9mm is loaded with custom silver rounds. I have both a standard and a salt clip in the rig. Like I said, I like to be prepared."

He couldn't help but be impressed, and he had to admit, a bit concerned about the experiences that she must have had to lead to this much firepower. "And the paint ball gun?" He couldn't wait to hear how this fit in.

"Simple. Pellets are loaded with holy water. Fully automatic. Hell of a deterrent to large groups of evil. Ash helped me find the right mixture to get the pellets to work properly." She stopped suddenly, the memory that Ash had died hitting her. She worked to hold in the tears that suddenly threatened to break free.

"Tess. What is it?" He turned her to face him. Seeing the tears swimming in her eyes left him feeling suddenly helpless.

She swiped the tears from her eyes. "Sorry, I'm fine. It's nothing. Just forgot for a minute…Ash. We don't have time for this, they're waiting." She took a deep breath and turned towards the Impala again.

Before she could take a step he grabbed her by the wrist, spinning her back towards him. "Tessa, don't you ever be sorry for having feelings." She shied back from the intensity that she saw in his eyes. "We've seen things…done things…damn it Tess. If we stop feeling then we are no better than the things we're hunting."

She nodded slowly and took another deep breath. "I know Dean. It's ok. I'm ok. Really." She flashed him the best smile she could muster up.

He wanted nothing more in that moment than to grab her and hold her. All he could think of was the pain he saw in her eyes at the memory of their friend's death but knowing that they were now in sight of the rest of the group caused him to hesitate. If he couldn't provide the physical comfort she so obviously needed then he would do the only thing left to him.

She was almost back at the Impala. Inside she could see that Sam had climbed into the back seat and was attempting to find a way to get comfortable. As she reached for the passenger door handle she heard Dean stop behind her.

"You know that question you asked me earlier?" He whispered softly in her ear.

"Yeah?"

"The answer's still yes." Before she could respond he had moved around her and was getting into the driver's seat.

I love you too Dean, she thought as she smiled to herself enjoying the warm feeling that was spreading through her chest.

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