A/N: And here is the next chapter for you all.

I dedicate this chapter to Marloweee1856, ms-bringthebeat26, and Guest. I took all of your ideas and worked them around quite a bit to make this chapter. This went through a lot of revising, because I didn't like how it turned out most of the time. But, I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural

The first thing she noticed was the steady beeping from a monitor and her body was resting against a firm yet soft bed. Everything about this; the monitor's beeping and the unfamiliar bed, it was exactly what she woke up to the night after the car accident with Drew. Except this time it was different. Everything that had happened the previous night soon came back to her and a heavy numbing coming from her side, was the solid proof that it had happened. The gunshot, the terrible searing pain, the pained and horrified looks on Sam and Dean's faces and the sheer terror she felt being tied up in that basement. All of it. She was beginning to feel the repercussions from the nights events.

Natalie began to steadily wake her body up. Her toes curled in and then uncurled, her legs faintly jerked at the sudden jolts of energy that were rushing through her nerves. She focused on her left hand, slowly twitching the fingers back to life and tried to do the same with her right when she stopped. There was something covering her hand and it only took a small moment to figure out that it was someone else's hand. In the midst of all of this, Natalie realized that she had yet to open her eyes, and sighed with annoyance at herself, before slowly allowing her eyes to pry open. After blinking a few times, Natalie could see that the sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft glow that dimly lit up the room.

As her eyes finally opened, she took a breath, taking in her surroundings to familiarize herself with the room, knowing she was going to be here for a little bit. Her attention moved to her left as her eyes landed on Dean in a quiet slumber. His body was slouched in his chair and his cheek rested against his palm with his elbow leaning against the arm of the chair. Seeing him in this position, told Natalie that he had been like that for quite sometime. I must have been out for a long time then. Natalie felt her mouth loosen, as a smile spread across her face.

Natalie then turned her head to the right and found Sam was sleeping as well, but not like Dean. Sam was leaned forward with his head lying against the side of the bed, with his hand secured over Natalie's. The smile that remained on her lips, grew at the sight of Sam. Both of the boys had not left her side since she got out of surgery, and it didn't take a genius to figure that out. Seeing Dean and Sam next to her, only made her realize that she had done it. She actually pulled through this obstacle and now everything was going to be just fine. The only difficult part now was to recover from this.

But, for now Natalie could settle with the task of just getting Sam and Dean to wake up and try to get her body to wake up fully. How exactly am I going to do this? Her body was completely still and she barely had the strength to move either leg. Natalie looked back over to Dean and licked her lips a couple of times to rid of their dryness. Natalie tried to speak, but only small chokes were audible, causing Natalie to quietly clear her throat. The dry itchiness that had covered her throat was slowly beginning to disappear, feeling her voice building up.

Natalie sighed and swallowed the remaining dryness. "...d-dean..." She managed to say, feeling her throat constricting again.

Dean sucked in a breath, lazily rubbed at his eyes and sat up in his chair. His eyes slowly opened, scanning the room for a brief moment, before settling on a conscious Natalie. Dean's eyes opened fully and he quickly stood from his chair, walking over to her side. "Hey, Nad." Dean said, taking a hold of her hand. "Nice to see you are awake. You know you gave us quite a scare."

Natalie smiled faintly at Dean's remark. "That's what I'm best at...I worry people to much."

Dean gave Natalie's hand a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, well this time it went to far, Nad. I'll tell you one thing. Sam and I are going to start keeping a better eye on you."

Natalie let out a small groan and cringed in annoyance at Dean's words. Yet, there was nothing she could do to change his mind on that matter. Natalie shifted her attention over to Sam, who had not been jostled by her and Dean's little conversation. Seeing Sam next to her and his hand holding hers, was allowing that familiar sensation to return. The same feeling she began to seriously question back at the convention, the same feeling that had been bothering her for the past few weeks. This time, though, it didn't feel like a burden she had to hide. She actually welcomed it.

Dean could see the look on her face change as she looked over at Sam. It only took him a small moment before coming to half a conclusion, and his face soften in the realization. "He stayed up longer than me. Don't know how long he's been passed out." Natalie hummed in response. Dean kept his focus on Natalie, her eyes never leaving Sam then snapped himself out of his trance and pulled out his phone, "I'm gonna call Bobby, tell him that you're alright."

Natalie closed her eyes and sighed, "You told him..."

"Of course, I had to. I'm not gonna keep something like this from Bobby." Dean said, scrolling through his contacts.

Natalie timidly looked over at Dean, "Did you tell my sister...or aunt?"

Dean silently shook his head, "No. Not yet at least."

Natalie nodded in relief, "Good. They don't need to know about this."

"But, they are going to find out Nad. Whether it's from me, Sam or Bobby." Dean answered back. He looked up from his phone, seeing Natalie's face fall. "Let's just focus on you getting better, alright?" Natalie simply nodded. Dean offered her a small smile before turning around and making his out into the hallway.

Natalie rested her head against the pillow and took a breath, before looking back down at Sam. She wanted him to wake up, yet she didn't want to disturb him. If he had indeed been up all night, she knew that he needed to get his rest. Natalie felt that Sam's hold on her hand had loosened and she gently moved her hand from his grasp. She froze for a small moment, ensuring that her movement didn't wake him, then rested her hand on the bed.

Her eyes roamed over the slumbering Sam before her, listening to his even breathing, occasionally being interrupted by a faint whimper or groan. His brows creased, as a result of whatever dream he was having. Everything about it just made him look so peaceful. It was like nothing bad could touch him and he didn't have to worry about what was happening out there. Natalie wished that he could remain like this, that way Sam wouldn't have to deal with all the crap that has been thrown at him. No matter how much any of them would love that, it was something that could never happen.

She felt herself slowly come out of her thoughts, hearing nothing but Sam's breathing and finding that her eyes still had not left him. His face had grown tense and his fingers were beginning to twitch with life. She slowly raised her hand and reached forward, but paused in hesitation, mentally reminding herself to make sure she didn't wake him up. Natalie slowly continued reaching her hand forward until her fingers brushed against his forehead. Gently, she began to stroke his hair back, watching as his face soon relaxed and the crease in his forehead disappeared. She continued running her fingers through his hair, pushing it back away from his face.

Sam could feel himself gradually coming out from his slumber and the first thing he noticed was that Natalie's hand was no longer in his grasp. Soon he could feel the sensation of someone brushing against his hair and his brows furrowed only slightly. Sam sucked in a breath and brought his hand to his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Pulling his hand away, he opened his eyes fully and saw Natalie peering down at him with a small smile plastered on her lips. Sam felt his body rush with energy as he took a hold of her hand and pulled his chair closer to the bed.

"Hey." Sam's voice was low and a little hoarse from just waking up, but Natalie could still hear the softness in his tone.

Natalie's smile grew slightly. "Hi."

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked as he began to stroke the top of her hand with his thumb.

Natalie let out a breath and shrugged. "Alright, I guess. I don't feel...that much pain." Natalie cringed at the end of her sentence, dismissing her claim and she let out a small laugh. "Alright, so I am really sore. But, other than that...I'm fine." Sam merely nodded at her remark, his expression lost it's relief and turned grim and this didn't go unnoticed by Natalie. "Sam...what's wrong?"

Sam took a breath and ran his hand down the side of his cheek. "Nad. You were in really bad shape, back there. And, there was a moment when I thought we had...we had lost you."

Natalie nodded understandingly, "I know. But, it doesn't matter anymore, okay? I am alright now and everything is going to be fine."

Sam shook his head, "No, Nad, it's not fine—'

"Sam, really everything is alright now." Natalie interrupted. "The job is over...we can just move on from it—'

"No, Nad!" Sam suddenly said, causing Natalie to jump at his voice. "It's not alright. It's never going to be alright, because I almost lost you."

The two of them sat in silence, their eyes never leaving each other. Natalie was, lack of a better word, surprised at Sam's words. She thought maybe he was just acting on emotions, but the look in his eyes told her otherwise. Sam allowed his gaze to fall at the realization of his words, but he didn't do anything to change it. After all, what he had said was the truth.

Natalie let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and gave Sam's hand a squeeze. "...sam."

"It's the truth Nad. Dean almost lost you...and so did I." Sam said, looking back over to her. "Nad, you say that everything is fine, but it's not. If we had lost you, Dean would be a real...wreck. But me...I wouldn't know how to handle it."

"Sam...if I didn't make it, you would have moved on. Both you and Dean, would have found a way to just...continue. I'm just another...passenger." Natalie saw Sam shaking his head at her words. "It's the truth, Sam."

"No it's not, Nad. Come on. You, me, Dean and Bobby...we're a family. You remember what you said that night, while we were stargazing...you said that you were tired of all the death and loss and pain. Well, so am I. I'm tired of losing everyone that I love. And I'm not going to lose anyone else. Not Bobby or Dean...especially not you."

Natalie stared at Sam in shock, not knowing how to respond to his words. She knew that if she had lost either of the boys or even Bobby, she wouldn't be able to function. But, she never thought that Sam felt like this...at all. Her heart soon began to pick up its pace and that familiar fluttery feeling returned, her entire mind was buzzing with various reactions to Sam's confession. Natalie cleared her throat, searching through her cluttered mind, trying to come up with something to say.

"Why? Why do you feel like that?" Natalie finally asked, though her mind soon split in half. One half was berating her for asking that question, yet the other half was anxious. Anxious to hear what exactly his answer would be.

Sam started searching through his own mind. He was still surprised at himself for how he spilled out his words. Usually, he would have been more careful with what he would say, but not this time. Sam could soon feel his heart rate begin to pick up and could feel a sense of nervousness wash over him. "Because..." Sam paused to take a short breath. "...because you're...my friend, Nad." Sam internally cringed at his words, not liking the way it made him feel after saying it.

Natalie could feel her expression fall from anxious to disappointment. She didn't know why she felt disappointed though, Sam was her friend and nothing more...nothing more. Natalie's heart soon slowed it's pace and her body began to relax from the tense anxiousness she had been holding. But, she couldn't get rid of the disappointment that was burning through her in that moment. Natalie knew that she had to say something, but she was so caught up in her own thoughts, she almost forgot to say anything. "Sam...I'm sorry for treating all of this so lightly. You are right, we are all...family." Natalie strained out the last word and sighed. "...and I need to make sure I take better care of myself."

Sam nodded at her words, still mulling over the horrible aftertaste of his words. "Expect to be constantly watched on future hunts, so you don't go wandering off again."

Natalie couldn't help the smile that brightened her face and the laugh that slipped passed her lips. "It's what I get for wandering off." Sam could feel his own expression lighten at her reaction and it only caused him to smile back.

The door to the hospital room suddenly opened and Dean walked in, putting his phone back in his pocket. He looked up, seeing the two of them with their hands intertwined and relaxed expressions. This only seemed to solidify his conclusion earlier and there was no hint of doubt left in him whatsoever. Dean offered both of them a smile before walking to the foot of Natalie's bed. "So, got off the phone with Bobby. Told him that you are awake and he wants you to call him. But, after the doctor checks you over."

At Dean's words, the door opened once again, allowing an older gentlemen and the middle aged nurse to walk in. The doctor walked over to Natalie's side and stood next to Sam. "How are you feeling, Natalie?"

"Um. Fine I guess. Just really, really sore." Natalie answered.

The doctor nodded in response. "That's normal for someone with your wound." The doctor looked down at Sam and then over at Dean, "If you two don't mind, we need to check her."

Sam looked up at the doctor and nodded. "Yeah, sure." Sam got up from his seat, his hand still in Natalie's grasp. He looked down at her, offering a small smile, which she returned and slowly let go of her hand, before turning around. Dean who had been watching the small interaction, couldn't help the smirk that grew on his face. He looked at Natalie, giving her a look only to receive a confused glance from her. Dean nodded his head at his own understanding of the situation before turning around and walked out of the room.

Dean closed the door behind him and stood next to the door frame. His arms folded over his chest as he looked over at his brother, who was leaning against the wall across from him. Sam could feel Dean's eyes on him and frankly it was making him uncomfortable.

"What is it, Dean?" Sam finally asked, annoyed at his brother's staring.

Dean shrugged, "Nothing. So, uh, you and Nad..." Sam looked up at him, his brows furrowed. "...you guys talk at all."

Sam nodded his head, "Yeah, we did."

Dean hummed and bit the inside of his cheek. "You know not to be...nosy or anything but, you and Nad seem to be...you know." Dean said, trying to get Sam on the same track. Though the confused look on his brother's face told him otherwise.

"What?" Sam asked.

"You and Nad just seem really, close you know...like really close." Dean said, emphasizing the last few words, trying his best to ease the topic into the conversation.

Sam narrowed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, we are close, Dean. We're really good...friends."

"Ahh, there it is." Dean said amusingly.

"There's what?" Sam asked, sounding a bit offended.

"The whole 'friends' card. You are starting to play that trick with her. Aren't you?" Dean asked, though there was no mistaking that he was amused at the thought.

"Dean, I'm not playing any kind of trick with her. Nad and I are just friends, just like how you and her are just friends." Sam plainly answered back.

"Now, don't turn this around to make it about Nad and me. She is like a little sister to me." Dean the pointed over to Sam. "I know what I see Sam. And I'm seeing a little tug-o-war going on in those eyes of yours." Sam glared at Dean. "I'm thinking maybe a little tug-o-war of the...emotions."

Sam let out an annoyed sigh and bit down on his lip. "Okay, Dean. Just stop, alright. There's no tug-o-war going on with my e-emotions, alright? I'm not playing any kind of trick with her either, okay?"

Dean half shrugged, "Whatever you say." Dean said, ready to let this conversation go for now, but stopped himself. "I'll just say this." Sam let out a heavy sigh and rubbed at his eyes, before looking over at Dean. "You say that now, but it's gonna come back and bite you in the ass, Sammy. So when you know for sure what's going on in that thick skull of yours, and you finally come to the realization of how you feel, don't try and keep it down. It'll only hurt you...and Nad."

Sam kept his hardened glare on Dean, though it soon began to soften when he realized the truth in them. Dean was intuitive and there was no way he wasn't going to spot what was happening with Natalie and Sam. Hell, Sam barely knew what to make of it. But, he couldn't think about it right now. His mind was now all clustered with battling thoughts over what he had said to her in that room. The look on her face when he said those words, is clinging to his mind, but he doesn't know what to make of it. Sam ran both his hands down his face and took a deep breath, trying his best to clear away all of his thoughts. But doing so, only seemed to make his mind clutter, even worse. Hate to admit it, but maybe Dean is right.

So, what did you guys think? How did you like the interaction with Sam/Natalie? Or the scene with Dean and Sam? Don't forget to leave me a review! Xx