Brielle startled awake at the shift in position when Dean laid her down in her bedroom on top of her comforter. She lashed out wildly, almost hitting him and her scared eyes found his, the first time she'd met his gaze since they'd come to rescue her at the hotel. He ducked her fists and backed off some, his hands up. "Brielle, you're safe. We're back at the bunker in your room." His gentle tone he always used when they were alone stilled her and her gaze immediately dropped from his.

Her breath was coming in little pants and Dean waited for her patiently. "Please go." Her voice was so soft and his brow wrinkled when he thought he heard her say that.

"What?"

"Please go." Her voice was shaking and Dean watched the brunette wrap her arms around her knees after pulling them up to her chest, her eyes still downcast.

"Brielle? I'm here." He sounded confused and heartbroken.

His words made her eyes close. "Please... get out of my room. I wanna be alone." Dean stood there for a few more seconds before retreating. He obeyed her request, closing the door softly behind him. Dean paused outside her door for another moment before he closed his eyes painfully when he heard the bedroom door lock behind him.

He heard her mattress groan softly when she sat back down again and swallowed his pride before heading up the hallway to find his brother.

Sam and Camilla were making bacon and pancakes in the bunker kitchen when he appeared in the doorway, somewhat distressed. Sam immediately sensed his brother's presence and turned to meet his gaze. "Dean? She alright?" The blonde watched the interaction between the two men quietly, knowing better than to speak.

"Fuckin' told me to leave her room and locked the door behind me." His tone was dark, angry and Camilla looked up at Sam, whose hazel eyes were trained on his brother. Something passed between them and Sam finally spoke.

"What?"

"Yeah." His hands came out to grip the doorway to steady himself from the barely controlled rage that threatened to overtake him. "Please... talk to her Sam." The younder man nodded silently and saw his brother relax some. "I've never seen her like this..."

"Yeah, I got it." Dean moved aside and Sam left Camilla alone with his brother.

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Sam tapped on the heavy wooden door before he tried the knob. "Brie?" There was no answer. He crossed the hall to grab his brother's lock pick kit from the nightstand and freed up the lock in a few seconds.

Brielle was laying on her side on top of the bed linens, facing away from the doorway. "Brielle?"

"What?" Her tone was choked. Sam dragged the wooden chair to her bedside and sank down onto it.

"You told Dean to leave?"

"I don't wanna see him right now."

Sam considered his words before he spoke. "This isn't your fault." That made her body tense some; he could see it in her shoulders. "Brie, you know that, right?"

"Sam, don't."

"Are you okay? I mean physically?" His question was soft now. "He didn't hurt you, right?" In front of him, her eyes closed painfully. She didn't answer right away. "Brielle Ann?"

"No." There was an uncomfortable silence between them.

He tried another tactic, wanting her to talk to him, at least. "You killed the shifter, Brie. How did..."

"The silver bookmark you gave me for my birthday." Sam flashed back to a few months prior; he'd gotten the silver bookmark at an estate sale, knowing she'd love it. "I put it back in my book before you came for me." She added dryly. Sam nodded silently.

He made a mental note to get it from her bag in the impala and clean it for her, knowing she'd probably just stuck it in there in haste, still covered in goo. "You did good." She sniffled and didn't say anything. "Why'd you kick Dean out?"

"I can't see him right now." She repeated her earlier statement. Sam reached out to pat the bed and she felt him do so.

"Can I draw you a bath?" That seemed to strike something in the brunette and she nodded a bit. "Give me a minute, alright?" His knees cracked as he rose and she heard him exit her room and walk to the bathroom. Brielle heard the light click on next door and the water in the bathtub start.

She counted about forty five seconds before his footsteps came back. "C'mon." She rolled over and let him pull her to her feet, leading her to the bathroom. He'd lit two candles and dimmed the light some. "Take your time." The water was still running and Sam moved to sit on the edge of the tub and dip his hand in the water, testing the temperature.

Brielle was standing there as she watched him watch the water run, adding some epsom salts she kept in a jar on the back of the toilet. The smell of the lavender hit her and her stomach immediately lurched. Sam stood only to see her dry heave into the sink. His hand was on her back as she leaned over the sink, carefully smoothing circles against her tshirt. "Brielle?"

She waved him back and he didn't retreat, instead Sam reached up to pull something from the medicine cabinet. He turned on the tap and filled a paper cup with water for her to rinse. Brielle spat into the sink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm gonna go. Don't drown, alright?" She nodded and he patted her back before reaching down to turn off the hot water. "I'll check on you in a bit," The brunette nodded and heard the bathroom door close with a soft click.

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Camilla silently fixed up three paper plates with bacon and pancakes that she'd come across in the cabinet and poured a third mug of coffee, setting it down in front of the green eyed man who'd moved to the kitchen table. His hand moved to it immediately, finding some comfort in the warmth of the mug. "Cream?" He nodded slightly and she moved to the fridge. "You alright?"

"I'll be alright when she is."

The blonde poured a splash of milk in his mug and he nodded. She recapped the milk and sat down across from him, munching on a piece of bacon. "I'm still amazed at what you guys do." She spoke quietly. "Like... you guys are heros, Dean. Holy shit." That made him smile ruefully.

"Yeah, some hero."

"You got her back, Dean." Pause. "That's a win, right?"

"She didn't even want me close to her and we've been... together for just under a year and a half." Dean had no idea why he was spilling his guts to some woman he'd met only hours before. "I don't even know what the hell happened to her before we got there because she won't talk to me." His frustration was apparent.

"Well fuck. She's probably in shock." Camilla licked bacon grease off her finger. "Some monster was wearing her boyfriend's face. I'd be a little screwed in the head for awhile too. Wouldn't you be?" Her brown eyes watched him consider that. "Listen, I know you don't exactly now me, but Brielle's been coming into my store for a year now. I talk to her every week." Her voice softened. "She's told me about you, Dean."

"Told you what?" Dean's tone was now suspicious, his guard immediately back up with the blonde woman across from him. Camilla didn't seem to notice.

"That you guys were kinda seeing one another. How scared she was at the blatant attraction she had to you." She smiled a little. "I can see why. You and Sam aren't bad to look at." That made his dimple deepen. "Brielle was always kind of... in awe that you would even give her the time of day. She always felt sorta plain Jane and you made her feel... special."

That made his heart flip flop in his chest. "She is special."

"I know." They were quiet for a moment.

"She's so smart, like my brother. I'm shocked she gave me a chance, honestly." Dean admitted quietly. Sam returned then and sat down next to his brother, across from the blonde bookstore owner. "Sammy?"

"She's taking a bath." He spoke quietly. "She's upset, Dean. I told her we'd check on her after a bit... she's getting herself together." Camilla got up then to find syrup and Sam pointed to one of the cabinets. She pulled it down, studied the back label and then looked back at Sam.

"You mind if I warm this up?"

"Thank God someone else thinks that's normal." Dean looked at Sam pointedly. "Yeah. Like 45 seconds in the microwave." Camilla did so and brought the boys the syrup so they could eat. They were quiet for a few minutes before Sam spoke.

"Dean, why don't you go check on Brie when you're done here." His voice was reassuring. "She just needed some space, I think. She just did a hunt on her own, basically." His gaze slid to the blonde before moving back to his brother's. Dean chewed thoughtfully. "She just done research until now. And she freaking stabbed that shifter in the heart." Dean's fork slipped from his hand at Sam's comment, clattering to his plate loudly. Camilla stopped chewing. "Brielle's in shock. She just needs to process this."

"I never thought of how she killed him." His voice was hushed. "What'd she stab him with?"

"Her bookmark." Camilla closed her eyes at that remark; she'd remembered how excited the brunette had been when she'd gotten it as a birthday gift from Sam earlier that year. Dean pushed his plate back, his appetite now long gone. "She stabbed a shifter who was wearing your face, Dean. Remember that. Don't push her." Sam knew damn well that Brielle would retreat into her own mind like she had before.

He pushed back from the table then and rose, intent on talking to the brunette who had him so enamored. Physically, Dean had her back, but emotionally, she was checked out. Determination set in his jaw, he left the kitchen, leaving his little brother and the blonde looking after him.

A/N:

Hello readers!

Still don't own the boys. (Damn.) Happy New Year! Hope you liked this. This one was kinda angsty, something I'm not real familiar writing, but hope it had the desired effect and tugged on your heartstrings. Love you guys! Let me know what y'all think!

CitrineMama