Chapter 5

Dean woke the next morning to a cold breeze stinging his skin. He rolled over to see Clara over him, her hand outstretched as if to touch him.

"Wake up honey we're leaving," she said sweetly and floated out the closed door.

Dean rubbed his face and slowly made his way out of bed. It was the first time in a long time he hadn't had a nightmare. He quickly showered and got dressed, and headed to the car with his duffle bag. Sam was already in the seat talking to someone, and Dean assumed Clara had already made it in there too. Dean got in, noticed the ripples in the rear view mirror and smiled in her direction.

"We should be in New Hampshire in a few hours, and then it's another hour to where Emma lives." Sam said, a map outstretched in his lap. Dean started the car and whipped out of the parking space and onto the highway.

The country side was beautiful, the homes large and expansive, and Dean wondered what it would be like to live in suburbia. He wondered how his life would be different had he never gotten into hunting in the first place. He knew this was always going to be the way it was, but he always stopped to think about how things could have been. Clara began to tell them about the town she grew up in as they passed through it. Where she use to play as a little girl, and even pointed out the home where they lived in as kids. Dean smiled as she talked, taking in everything she said as a fact he may need to recall later. Sam looked over at him and gave him a grin, and Dean forced himself to remove the smile on his face. He was a serious person when it came to real feelings , he didn't need to look giddy around this woman. Clara continued her story without skipping a beat, and Dean prayed she didn't notice his all too willingness to listen.

"How did you do all that yesterday?" Dean asked, unable to see her in the rearview mirror.

"I don't know, I guess I learned to do it when I started trying to communicate with Emma. It took a lot of practice trying to lift things and move things with my mind. It always makes me really tired. I actually didn't know I was going to be able to help, I just tried." She said to them. Dean nodded his head.

"Well you really did help us." He said, smiling back at her.

Clara stood at the steps of her sister's house, the air rippling around her. Even without seeing her face Dean knew she was nervous, her whole body must look tense and worried.

"We'll talk to her, this will all work out." Sam said, his voice caring and understanding.

"Thank you…" she said, but her voice sounded wobbled as if she was trying not to cry. Dean took the lead up the steps and rang the doorbell. After a few seconds a man opened the door, his hair slightly greying, but he was still handsome.

"Can I help you?" He asked, stepping out of the house and closing the door behind him.

"Hi we're here to see Emma Dowle, is she here?" Dean asked, throwing on a fake face. The man's face turned from friendly to accusatory in a matter of seconds.

"Why would my fiancée need to see two men?" he asked his eyes glaring at them from behind his wide rimmed glasses. Dean smirked and tried his best not to punch him in the face.

"Greg is it?" Dean asked, his palms sweating with anger. The man nodded, as he crossed his arms.

"We're with the insurance company, and we just needed to speak with her about some money Clara Dowle left to her. It was wrapped up previously in some investments and they've finally cleared us to give it to her sister." Sam said, hoping to change the tone of the meeting before Dean killed Greg. Dean felt a cold hand on his shoulder and calmed down. Even with the icy touch of death she could calm him. Greg looked at Sam and his demeanor changed.

"Oh yes well, she's right inside, please come in." he said, leading them into the house.

Dean looked around and was amazed to see the condition the house was in. It was beautiful, the whole thing spotless from top to bottom. Nothing in the house was out of place, and by the looks of things nothing in the home was bought at IKEA. Clara must really miss her life, wrapped in lavish things, not having to worry about how to make ends meet. Emma sat in the kitchen with a mug of coffee and the paper and looked over to them.

"Hello," she said in a kind and cheerful manner. She met eyes with Sam and her eyes narrowed in confusion. Sam smiled widely at her as Dean surveyed the kitchen. If he could have any kitchen, this would be it. He wondered what it would be like if he was in that kitchen, watching his wife as she cooks dinner.

"Hello, we're with the insurance company, we are here to discuss some funds that belonged to a Mrs. Clara Jennings." Sam said, his voice commanding. Dean had no problem allowing him to talk; He was always so good with people. He wasn't always though, Dean couldn't help but remember how he was when he was soul-less, but that wasn't a time Dean was interested in talking about.

"Oh, I thought everything was already awarded…" Emma said, confusion in her eyes. She was just as pretty as her sister.

"This money was tied up in investments, and wasn't available until now." Sam said, feeling increasingly more like someone was watching him. Greg hovered around them, listening in as much as he could without looking obvious.

"Greg, did Clara have any investments?" She asked and Greg appeared behind them.

"I handled all of our finances, and I don't know of any investments." He said, his voice firm and unpleasant. Dean turned to him with a smile.

"I'm so sorry sir, you had a relationship with the deceased?" he asked, stepping forward towards him. Greg stepped back.

"Yes she was my wife…" he said quietly. Dean eyed him. He was so weak, how could such a pansy marry a woman like Clara.

"And now you are engaged to Ms. Dowle?" Dean asked, worry was etched all over Greg's face. He wondered how Emma couldn't see through him.

"Yes, Emma was there for me when we lost Clara…" he said, regaining his hold on the situation.

Dean smiled. "That is really sweet," he said with a fake smile. But Dean continued.

"Unfortunately you are not yet married to Ms. Dowle so we will have to speak to her alone… Company policy." He said with a wicked smirk on his face. Greg nodded a little and turned around and went upstairs.

Emma got up from the stool she was sitting on and walked out onto the patio; Sam and Dean close behind her.

"So tell me what's going on." She said her face stern. Dean looked at her, not even thinking that she might remember them from a year prior.

"Of course I know who you are. You're lucky Greg doesn't." she said, closing the sliding glass door behind her.

"Emma we need to talk to you." Sam said, his voice pleading and hushed. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Sam don't you think I've had enough of your bullshit?" she asked, her voice cutting and hurtful. Sam stepped towards her, grabbing her hands in his and held them.

"Please Em, you need to listen to me." He said trying to hush her. Dean looked at Emma and then at his brother. Why was he calling her Em? Why was he touching her in such an intimate way? Dean's face was wracked with confusion, and Sam gave him an apologetic look. Emma pulled away from Sam and sat down on a patio chair.

"What do you want Sam?" she asked, her hands in her hair. Sam sat next to her and leaned in to speak to her in a whisper.

"We've found Clara." He said. Emma's face twisted into an angry scowl.

"That's not even close to being funny." She said turning her body in the chair so she was as far away from Sam as possible. Sam frowned.

"Emma, she came to us, she wants us to talk you out of marrying Greg…" he said, looking around to make sure there was nobody around to hear him.

"Sam are you kidding me? You come here, you throw me into this whirlwind of an affair and then you leave, without a word. Now you come back to me once I've finally moved on and you say something like that? Jesus Christ Sam just tell me you were wrong, tell me you don't want me to marry him, don't make up some bullshit about my sister." She said with her voice harsh but quiet.

Dean's eyebrows rose. "Hold on… you two?" Dean asked, shock plastered on his face. Sam looked over at him pleadingly.

"I didn't have my soul then remember? I wasn't exactly the most kind person." He said, his face sullen and hurt.

Dean shook his head. "Well this can't get any more messed up." Dean said, sitting down on one of the patio chairs across from them. He could see the ripple in the air of Clara's silhouette next to him.

"So you didn't have a soul back then? Wow I think I've heard enough." She said raising her hand to him.

"Emma please…" Sam pleaded.

"I deserve honesty Sam. I deserve someone who is going to love me and treat me right. I'm not someone you can make love to and leave. You fooled me once Sam, you won't fool me twice." She said getting up to show them the door.

"Honesty? You're marrying him and you want honesty? He killed your sister Emma. He murdered your sister." He said harshly. It was becoming more difficult to not come above a whisper. Emma's face was red with anger, her ash blonde hair floating to the wind, sticking to her now wet face. Tears floated down her rosy cheeks, but not a sound escaped her lips.

"Please leave me Sam." She said, her voice calm and collected. Sam opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find the words. He grabbed her lightly by the back of the neck and pulled her into him, her face level with is chest. He hugged her as she stood there cold and placed a simple kiss on her head. He bent down to meet her eyes and placed his hands on either side of her face.

"I never meant to hurt you." He said, and kissed her lightly. She didn't return the kiss, but she didn't push him away. She had longed for him for over a year, but she didn't know how to forgive him for the pain he has caused her. Sam let go of her and walked through the patio doors and through the house. Dean got up, sighed a little and followed after him. He lifted his arm to Clara and felt her cold arm link with his. He looked back at Emma, who had a hurt and confused look on her face and left the house.